Oodles to Share--Day 5: Birthday Flowers

This is another card that was inspired by one I saw on another stamp company's blog. It featured their stamp set, but when I saw it I saw our Boho Blossoms Punch and the wing from the 2-Step Bird Punch and knew I could craft my own version using SU! products.

I chose a panel of Crumb Cake as my base and drew 2 lines using my Wild Wasabi Stampin' Write Marker for the stems. I punched out 14 leaves using the 2-Step Bird Punch (from retired DSP) and positioned them along the stem lines. I punched out 7 of the largest flower in Whisper White and an equal number of the smallest flower in Rose Red. Quickly and easily, and with no stamping at all, I had the flower border I wanted!

I thought about adding a little button to each flower, but decided to use Hemp Twine knots instead. Glue Dots made it easy to place these right where I wanted them. I used one of the sentiments from You're A Gem, as well as a retired Happy Birthday stamp from It's Your Birthday, all inked in Rose Red. Then I decided to personalize the card by using an alphabet from the stamp company whose name I cannot mention where I originally saw the card design. She loved it!

Don't be afraid to adapt a design you see using another company's products. With a little creative thinking, it's easier than you think!

A Birthday and Retro Birdies

I've been quiet here for a week because, aside from celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary last week, we also celebrated my only son's 16th. Yes. The big 1-6. (He's the one in the white shirt in front of the bowl of ice cream with candles.) He wanted to have some friends over to play a MMOG (massive multi-player online game), so that was his party. They brought their computers (hard drive towers and monitors, not laptops), and set up in our basement. It went on all night long, but I was in bed. But with all the planning and partying, there wasn't much time for stamping.

Then I spent the early days of this week cleaning my house for out-of-town guests that arrive Friday. You know, fun stuff like mopping hardwood floors, cleaning bathrooms, and laundering sheets and towels. Today, I'm all caught up, so I was jonesin' for some crafting.

I scrolled through my saved posts in my blog reader, and came across this photo that I loved and wanted to try to replicate in a card. It's by illustrator Wayne Pate, and I was drawn to it by the retro feel and the whimsy.

Here's the card that resulted. I used my 2-Step Bird Punch, Whisper White and Concord Crush card stock from the new InColor Collection. I layered them on Poppy Parade card stock, also from the InColor Collection, and matted that on Whisper White. The base is 4.25" x 11" scored at 2.75" in from each end.

I used one of the sentiments from the Always stamp set and used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to place each part of the sentence where I wanted them on each bird. I was able to ink up just the words I wanted using the Concord Crush Stampin' Write Marker. I also used this to add the legs. For the white legs, I used something that didn't work out like I'd tested it. I used a White-Out pen. I have yet to find a really good, reliable, non-clogging white pen, but I made do.

The hearts are from the inside of a security envelope and were punched with the Small Heart Punch. I used the little flower buttons from the Designer Buttons Neutrals Collection. So cute! But I couldn't leave well enough alone. I felt like the button needed some thread so that the holes wouldn't glare at me against the Concord Crush birdies. So, I cut some very thin strips of Whisper White and used them as thread. Don't ask me how many tries it took me to get a simple tie, but it was worth it! I adhered them with Mini Glue Dots.

Well, this was a fun exercise. I'd love to see your take on Wayne Pate's birdies.

Find the Birdie

I'm always on the lookout for unique cards, and I saw this technique on a gallery at SCS over the weekend. It's called a tunnel card, and it's a fun card to experiment with!

I have wanted to pair the new Woodgrain background stamp with the 2-Step Bird Punch since I purchased the stamp in my first order from the new catalog. This technique gave me the perfect excuse! I inked my stamp with Crumb Cake (aka Kraft) and stamped it twice on a 5.5"x 8.5" piece of CC card stock. Then I scored it as the directions indicate.

Since I needed an opening for this portion of the card and I wanted to simulate a knothole in a tree, I pulled out my Ovals original die for the Big Shot. I wanted to use the biggest oval, which measures 2.25" across. But since I was positioning it on the center fold, I only needed half of it.

I measured and marked the halfway point on my die, lined up the card stock, and ran it through the machine. Perfect! Now I was ready to fill my tunnel and knothole with a bird in a nest.

My punch made quick work of that. I used Always Artichoke for the branches and Real Red for the bird.

With that accomplished, I needed to create the card front. I chose Season of Friendship to continue the tree and bird theme and made the main focus the sentiment. This was stamped using my color scheme of AA for the leaves, RR for the bird, and Soft Suede, my card base, for the wording. I hope the front isn't too plain. I just didn't want to do too much and have it compete with the interior.

If you'd like to learn how to make this card, consider hosting a group of friends at your house (or mine) for a private class! Contact me to find out more details. There's a hostess special going on through the end of the month, and there are extra hostess dollars up for grabs. You don't want to miss out on FREE money, do you? Get in touch with me and let's set a date!

Tweet Tweet! Bluebirds are in Town

You know spring is just around the corner when the birds arrive, and I've seen cardinals and bluebirds and blue jays in the last few days, to name a few. My friend Monika is fond of the bluebirds, and she posted some pics of them on her blog a few days ago. When I saw the bluebird couple, it sparked an idea for a card using ANOTHER new punch I have--the 2-step bird punch.

The 2-step bird punch is one of the newly-designed, low profile punches that are exclusive to SU!, and this one makes quick work of creating a sweet winged creature. It's called a 2-step punch because the body and the wing are punched separately. It also punches a branch (!), but I didn't use that on this card.

When I set out to recreate the bluebirds in paper, I punched two bodies in Whisper White so that I could add some breast color appropriate for the sex. The male has rust colored plumage and the female a tan set of feathers. I used my sponge daubers to add that coloring, using Really Rust and a combination of River Rock and Close to Cocoa.

Then I punched out a second body for each, one in Brocade Blue and one in Sahara Sand. I trimmed away some of it and layered it over the WW body. Then I added the wing--one in BB and the other in Kraft. I little dot of an eye with a Basic Black Stampin' Write marker, and they were ready for their "environment"!

I used some retired DSP called Delicate Dots from Sale-A-Bration last year. Isn't that pattern perfect for making it seem like those birdies are resting in a flowery bush? A simple base of Sahara Sand, the opposite corners rounded, and the card is almost complete.

I used the Kisses diecut pieces that are available in the Spring Occasions Mini for my sentiment, which is from Kind & Caring Thoughts (Level 3 Hostess set). A quick inking in Brocade Blue, and it's ready to go.

I trust you're enjoying the signs of spring in your backyard. Tell me what you're seeing!