Background Card Swap/Cards Received from Four Legged Animals Swap

I made this card for a Background Card Swap.  I used an embossing folder that has a bird sitting on the tip of some grass.  I used my Cuttlebug embossing machine to do it.  The card base is a gray blue.  I added the lavender band for some color.  The white punched circle strip was done with a EK Success border punch.  I had some trouble using the punch.  Then the butterflies were punched with a Martha Stewart punch, popped up with foam tape and pearl stickers in the middle of them.  Added the blue rhinestone stickers on the bottom to finish off the card.

I received the next 3 cards from a swap called "Four Legged Animals".  This was a huge swap, 29 categories with over 200 people participating.  I signed up in the hedgehog category.  The cards I received are really adorable.  I love all three of them.

I used my new card holder to prop the cards up.  I have been looking for something to hold my card when we do our Shoebox swaps.  I saw several web sites that had place card holders.  I found a shop on Etsy that had these clay figures.  So I ordered a lady bug and a ladybug with flowers on a leaf.  I got them and was so disappointed.  They were too small to use...the card just toppled over.  I sent an email to the lady I bought them from and long story short...she designed this one especially for me.  I didn't read the descriptions very well on the first two...I was totally frustrated with myself.  The leaf is a little larger with a larger clothespin on the back that holds the card.  On the leaf are sitting 2 adorable ladybugs and 2 flowers.  I love them...and as you can see, it works fine.