Two Little Birdies

Spring has Sprung in the Northern Hemisphere (although it's getting colder here - single digits most nights, but I guess that's what you get living in the desert!) and the girls over at Stampin' Royalty are celebrating by having a bird themed challenge. I don't have many bird stamps, but I do have the two-step bird punch which I haven't used much... so I thought I would share this darling card that I made for my Auntie's recent engagement. Being birds, it also fits with this week's Cupcake Craft Challenge - In the Garden.

I kept it quite simple ans was inspired by the colours from the Elegant Soiree DSP - Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla and Soft Suede. I punched out two birdies and mirrored them (ie used the opposite sides of the DSP for the bodies and wings) and popped them up with dimensionals over a second generation stamped Baja Breeze flourish from the SAB set Bliss. The greeting was from the Summer Mini set, Well Scripted and that's the hardest parts of the card! I also sponged the Very Vanilla with Baja Breeze and distressed the Soft Suede to soften the overall look of the card.

Hope you're having a great weekend wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Bliss (retired), Well Scripted (retired)

Card: Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Elegant Soiree DSP

Ink: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede

Other: Two-step Bird Punch

Helping Hudson Challenge 8 - Technique

Here we are, post #2 for tonight. Challenge 8 over at Helping Hudson is a technique one where we were challenged to use embossing AND sponging as they were the two most favourite techniques in response to a question posed earlier in the fundraiser.

I wasn't quite sure what to do with this challenge, but was inspired by this fabulous card by the very talented Kim Badelt. A good friend of mine announced her engagement a few weeks ago, and I hadn't yet made a card for the lovely couple, so decided to use this challenge to do so. What is more romantic than Paris?!

I pulled out my brand new Artistic Etchings set and paired it with Newsprint DSP - both are from the new Catalogue coming out 1st September! I clear embossed the Eiffel Tower and sponged Melon Mambo over it. I second and third generation stamped the round stamp around the edges and also lightly sponged them. This panel was mounted on an angle on a panel of Melon Mambo the same size which had the edges distressed. I also frayed the edges of some Melmon Mambo ribbon and attached it with staples to a Basic Black card base.

Thanks for visiting!


Stamps: Artistic Etchings
Card: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Newsprint DSP
Ink: Melong Mambo
Other: Clear Embossing Powder, Melon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

From One Sister to Another

As you may be aware from previous posts, my sister and her fiancee (sorry, my French is appalling so not sure if that's spelled correctly) announced their engagement in July, and it has taken me a long time to create the right card for them. I wanted something just 'perfect' and it took forever for me to get the colours she was thinking of out of her..... I can post this now too as I have given it to them.

Cristy has decided that she wants light/dusty pink and silver, so I thought Pretty in Pink would meet the challenge. I have used the flourish from Baroque Motifs, stamped in Pretty in Pink on Whisper White for the panels and mounted these on brushed silver. On the larger panel I embossed a swirl in silver and on the smaller embossed 'wonderful' from Wonderful Favourites. To finish it off, I silver embossed the heart from Always in the Spring Mini. I'm rather happy with the result (!) and Cristy loved it too!!

Because Cristy is my only sister, I wanted to make something a little special just for her from me at this special time, so I made a Wedding Planning album for her.

Once again I used the flourish from Baroque Motifs stamped in Pretty in Pink and silver embossed on Berry Bliss DSP. I mounted one of my favourite photos of Cristy and Brad on Whisper White and it's really hard to see, but added an Eastern Elegance rub-on (just under the photo on the left). For the spine, I repeated the flourish so it's easy for Cristy to pick out on the bookshelf!!

Inside, I kept all 8 pages the same - Whisper white, stamped with Soft Sky, Sage Shadow and Silver Encore in the bottom corner (Sky and Sage because Cristy wants a sand ceremony with Mum and Brad Mum's favourite colours - blue and green), and Pretty in Pink in the top corner. I used round tab punch for the tabs, stamped with a bit of the flourish and wrote on them with silver pen. I was really happy with the end result!

Last but not least, I made a little Love Note to go with the planner with a special message just for Cristy - same colours as the card and the same flourish, and the 'always' is from Always too.

I really am happy with how this all turned out and couldn't wait to give it to Cristy - we have a wedding to plan now in a just a few months!!!