Butterflies, Boxes and Back on the Horse

Hello everyone.  Things have finally settled down enough in my "real life" for me to get back, at least in a small way, into my crafting.  I have dragged one of my makes out of my Drafts Folder, it's an "exploding box" card I made for my friend Andrena's 50th birthday, I really like them - she loved it, I hope you like it too.

It is made of quite heavy gold card, the patterned paper is Graphic 45.  I've also used a handmade paper as a mat and there's a ton of embossed velour paper involved too, oh and the trim is ribbon.  

The border on the lid was cut with a die cut, I think it's a Magnolia one... frankly I can't be bothered going to my craft room to check!  It works great as a border of the lid... just bends a bit when you stand it up! 
I used a Memory Box butterfly die cut in gold and trimmed with Swarovski diamantes on the top.  Stripy pink and plain green ribbon from my stash.

You all know how these things work; here's a picture with the lid "off"

The inside butterflies were cut from the Graphic 45 paper and jazzed up with some pearl and iridescent paints before being cut out and stuck to acetate strips to make them "float"  Photos never do these cards justice, it was really lovely in real life, with loads of texture.  The flowers are from my stash, the green ribbon on the inside is SO lush, yum yum. Wooden numerals painted with the same paints and a Happy Birthday die cut from gold (Sissix I think) complete the card

I always find it hard to find a place to write on these box cards... in this instance I made a mini card using some gold card and a scrap of the Graphic 45 paper, embellished it with a border and some bling then stuck it inside the lid of the box; worked really well :-)
That's about it for today's offering.  I hope to be back fairly soon... I do have a LOT in my drafts still, and I have made a few cards in the last year, most of which I photographed though not all :-(
I'd like to enter in the following challenges: 

As You Like It	Fave…Ribbons or Flowers, and Why - loads of flowers here, but I actually prefer ribbon because it's so user-friendly, comes in so many patterns and sits flat - which suits "my" style of card
The Paper Shelter	Border Punches or Border Dies (used a die)
Crafty Cardmakers edit: ineligible... my card/box is entered in more than 15 challenges, whoops. sorry ladies!	Fancy Folds
My Time to Craft	Die Cuts Only (no image, but yes to sentiment) even my sentiment is die-cut, lol
Sweet Stampin'	Autumn - I've used Autumn colours... my favourite!
Cute Card Thursday	Anything Goes
Hanna and Friends	#283 Anything but a Card - if you count this as a box!
Polkadoodles	Anything Goes
Hiding in- my Craft Room	Freestyle
Pixies Snippets Playground	Snippets -I've used snippets of card AND ribbon
Cute As A Button	#Anything Goes opt: Fall - used Autumn colours
Inky Chicks	Anything but a Square - well it IS square, but not a "square card"... I think that's in the spirit of the challenge
Little Miss Muffet	Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door	Anything Goes (Always)
Crafty  Creations	Anything Goes (Always)
Crafting With FriendsCrafting with Friends #52	Anything Goes (Always)
Creative Fingers	Anything Goes (Always)
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends	Anything Goes (Always)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge	Use Patterned Paper
Create and Inspire	Anything Goes
Creatalicious Challenges	#123Anything Goes, opt: Leaves
Simply Papercrafts	#51 Anything Goes
Crafting With Attitude	Anything Goes (Always)

On a personal note: My Dad has gone into permanent care, which is a hard thing for a family to come to as any of you that have done it would know, but we just couldn't keep him safe at home anymore.  It is a lovely place and he is settling as best as we could hope.
I have sold his house (emptying it first!), very stressful in a buyers market when we had a lower limit on what we "needed" to pay the bond for the home; we nearly made it, and have enough to come up with the shortfall.  Not having to pay $1200 a fortnight INTEREST on the bond (which hubby and I have been coming up with) is going to relieve the stress a lot - this is the first fortnight it won't apply, so we'll see :-)
I have managed to keep only six (albeit large-ish) boxes of "stuff" from Mum and Dad to sort and/or store... they bought a Royal Albert Old Country Roses full dinner and tea set each for us, I have emptied one of the display cabinets in my craft room (which is next to our family room) and installed lighting to display it and SOME of the gazillion matching crystal glasses my son eventually wants as his heirloom - it looks really nice, even though it was never my cup of tea, pardon the pun 
Anyway, until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna