August 2025 - With 3 Things - Butterfly card set {by Martine Dubé}

Hi friends,

It's Martine Dubé from @martined.crafts with you tonight. I was invited to be a guest blogger for the PaperArtsy with 3 things challenge. This is my first time blogging and I am very excited to be participating!

For this feature on the PaperArtsy Blog 3 identical items are sent to 3 members of the PaperArtsy Blogging team. Typically we will receive a stamp, a stencil and a couple of Fresco Paints.

We have no clue what PaperArtsy HQ is going to send, the whole idea of this challenge is to do something crafty in our personal style with these 3 items. We can incorporate other PA products into the mix if we feel it is necessary.

This month the package contained: the Kate Crane stamp set KC014, the PaperArtsy Stencil PS441 by Kate Crane and two of Fresco Finish acrylic paints, Beach Hut and Metallic Glaze.

I also dipped into my own crafts supplies to add to my project. I have used Fresco Finish paints in Blueberry and Slimed, and PaperArtsy Stencils PS455 by Kate Crane and PS309 by JoFY.

With all of these I made a series of floral and zingy cards! 

I started with a series of backgrounds using the stencils.

I wanted a loose and watercolour effect so mixed the Beach Hut Fresco paint and Metallic Glaze with water.

I put a light coat of the mix on my watercolor paper and then made a negative print using the flower stencil PS441 by Kate Crane.

For more interest, I added some watered down Slimed and Blueberry FrescoFinish paints,  by reverse stenciling or just splattering.

Stamping some text from the stamp set added finer details.

Then I did some splatter with the metallic glaze for a touch of sparkle.

I also did another series of prints I will use to cut shapes to put on the cards. I wanted them to contrast slightly with a main backgrounds so I made them less busy. This time I used the paints to do some regular stenciling of simple shapes with sencils PS455 by Kate Crane and PS309 by JoFY.

And I just added some doodle details with a white paint pen.

With the backgrounds done, I stamped and colored the butterflies using matching colors. It's a step I love!

Those butterflies needed somewhere to land so I traced a bunch of flowers using a friction pen, fussy cut them and added color to match the backgrounds and stamps. The friction pen is very practical as it can be erased with your heat gun!

I also fussy cut the butterflies, then cut my backgrounds and some shapes out of the prints I made. Here are all my pieces. Time to assemble!

Sewing is always one of my favorite details to add to cards! It’s a lovely finishing touch.

And here are the finished cards:

And here a close up where you can actually see the Metallic Glaze splatters and all the layers!

I had a lot of fun doing the With 3 Things challenge. Having a limited colour palette challenged me into finding as many uses and variations for them and I love the results. I hope you all enjoy my creations!

Martine xx

Facebook: martinedube64

Instagram: @martined.crafts