Freshly Made Sketches: Happy Bird-Day

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Amy and here’s what I did with it!

 

I cannot believe that I haven't used this charming birdhouse and bird (there's another bird too!)  When I realized it was the sketch's shape but upside down and that the long pole put the birdhouse right where it needed to be for the sketch, I was ecstatic! With a fabulous cloud die in the background, this card is all about the dies!

The paper was easy too. I am continuing with the downsizing and I'm making progress every single week. Why? My cardmaking started as a church card ministry so I made every possible type of card and used that to justify a massive stash. When I left that church, there is so much I just don't use any more; I can lean into my own style and stay there. So this has all been mainly focused around stamps, but this week I took a hard look at my card stock stash.  I have every single color from Stampin' Up (since that's where I started) and I'll keep that. (What can I say? I like full sets and this is the ultimate complete set!)  I have most of the colors from Taylored Expressions since I designed for them for years and I'm comfortable in their color palette so I'll keep that.  I also had(!) extensive collections from a few other companies.  (I can't tell you how much I want to move into other complete sets - looking at you Concord & 9th and The Stamp Market - but since I already have hundreds of colors, I'm managing to stay away from new sets.)

Anyway, I looked at those that weren't SU or TE and I realized I had a few favorites in each and I hadn't touched the rest of the colors in years. So I donated all those that I couldn't remember using. I didn't keep many but I did keep the corals and blues on this card (listed below). I had kept them all out on my desk to play with and it turns out they work on the first card I tried!

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: A Pocket Full of Happiness Birdhouse, Avery Elle Cloud Mat

Cardstock: My Favorite Things Peace Bellini, Coral Crush, Blue Breeze, Lazy Day, and Blue Yonder, Taylored Expressions Peapod and Granny Smith, Stampin' Up Early Espresso, miscellaneous woodgrain

Freshly Made Sketches: A Great Big Wish

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Karren and here’s what I did with it!

 

I got the Stampin' Up Songbird Builder Punch as part of Sale-a-bration 2023. I don't have the coordinating stamp set. I like the way the punch works all by itself, but I have since added the stamp set to my wishlist because I just have to have the variety of sweet eyes that come with it!!  In the meantime, I used some gems to make his little eyes sparkle.

Everything else on this card is older.  The paper is the retired Sunshine & Rainbows which is one of my favorites even though some of the colors in it are retired.  The eyes are the Blue Adhesive-Backed Gems (as of this post, they are in the clearance section).  The sentiment is Sending You Thoughts (also retired). I'm having serious thoughts on the sentiment.  It's a set of coordinating in and out sentiments and I believe this is the second half of a sentiment.  I deliberately added it to the front because "happiness" just worked with the rainbows and the bird.  So the card will say "With a great big wish for happiness...happy birthday".  I think it works?!

I hope to see you playing along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Stampin' Up Sending You Thoughts

Dies/Punch: Stampin' Up Songbird Builder Punch, Layering Circles dies

Paper: Stampin' Up Sunshine & Rainbows, Mango Melody, Misty Moonlight, So Saffron\

Ink: Stampin' Up Misty Moonlight

Other: Stampin' Up Blue Adhesive-Backed Gems

Color Throwdown: Little Birdies

 I am thrilled to be a guest at this week's Color Throwdown! It's a fabulous color combination - with blue, navy, yellow and coral. Here's what I did with it.

These two little birdies have been sitting in my stash for a while just waiting for the right time to come out.  With all of the layers on them - it seemed perfect to pull them out for the four rich colors in this week's challenge.  The birds are both from Spellbinders.  I wanted something to sit them on so pulled out an older die from My Favorite Things. The die is called Stitched Strip, but it looks like telephone/power wires to me so it will always stay in my stash for cards just like this one!

Those little birds were fun to make.  I had the pieces cut out in a variety of colors and fiddled with them until I looked the way the colors worked on each one. With that long sentiment, I put the birds to one side - there is definitely some birdie chatting going on between them!

Thanks to the Color Throwdown for the inspiration.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Printmaking Birds

Dies: Spellbinders Little Chickadee and Sweet Birdie, My Favorite Things Stitched Strip

Paper: Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Night of Navy, Balmy Blue

Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy

Freshly Made Sketches: Sweet Birds

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Amy and here’s what I did with it!

 

After the rush of making Christmas cards, this was the first card that I made and I stepped far away from Christmas, all the way to a spring look! But I figure birds can work any time of the year, especially these cute and charming little guys. They are Sweet Birds on a Branch by Spellbinders and the set includes these three three plus three more (and a branch of course!) I nested them in little circle frames and added some pops of greenery.

I spent the weeks over the Christmas holiday controlling the chaos in my craft area. (I did the same thing at work - so few people are at the office that it gives me time to close out the prior year and clean up all of my files.)  I love going into the new year fresh - whether it be an organized craft room or completed projects at work. This was the first card that I created with my fresh outlook and I'm thrilled with it.

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Neat & Tangled So Many Sentiments

Dies: Spellbinders Sweet Birds on a Branch, Essentials by Ellen Essential Circles

Other: Taylored Expressions Leafy Vine

Freshly Made Sketches: Whatcha Doin'?

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Jen Brum and here’s what I did with it!

 

I've been looking for a reason to use those charming birdhouse dies with the cute little birds.  It's a set by Paper Rose and has SO many different options - different houses and stands and roofs and birds - even a weather vane! I used two little birds that seemed to be talking to each other then found this perfect sentiment in my stash!

I pulled the colors from the paper. Obviously the yellow, but the flower centers were kind of an olive green. I hadn't used olive in a very long time and it used to be my favorite so I happily pulled it out for my accents. 

I hope to see you playing along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Messages for Everyday

Dies: Paper Rose Bird Houses

Paper: Honey Bee Stamps Spring Fling, My Favorite Things Pineapple, Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight, Mossy Meadow, Balmy Blue, Smoky Slate and Sweet Sorbet

Other: Pretty Pink Posh Marigold gems

The Card Concept: Vintage Style

There’s a new inspiration challenge at The Card Concept and the theme is Vintage Style. Even with "vintage" as the theme, I created a Clean and Simple card using the elegant birdcage and the beautiful colors as inspiration.

I have a love/hate relationship with this card. I'd like to have played with it a little bit more but it was either stop and snap a photo during daylight - or not have a card for this week's challenge. I love the idea of it. That birdcage was totally inspired by the challenge and it has such detail, I like the look of it on a fresh and clean card. The bird is so cute - and he looks so good with the pinks and greens in the background.  But after that it all kind of fell apart. The embossed square is the wrong size. The sentiment took my 7 tries to get right - seven!!  Seven wasted pieces of paper due to it being crooked or smudged or not all stamped (even using different tools to get it right).  Then I got one that was perfect, but this isn't it.  I had my little scene all put together and I picked it up with press-and seal, added my adhesive, then dropped the whole darn thing on my perfectly stamped card.  I could go on - but I think you can all relate to the drama that happens with some cards. Maybe the card isn't even all that bad - but the drama is impacting the way I view it!  Don't even get me started on the photo - my caring level was fairly low at that point - and the photo is so much harsher than the actual card.

I'm done whining! I do hope my card serves its purpose. I know the inspiration is named "vintage style" but there's always so much you can get from an inspiration challenge. This one didn't push me toward "vintage" but it did push me toward a beautiful birdcage and a sweet bird with flowers. I hope to see you playing along with us at The Card Concept - and may your crafting session be fun and relaxing!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Taylored Expressions Itty Bitty Sentiments

Dies: Penny Black Vintage Birdcages and Tweets, Spellbinders Bouquet of Flowers

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Garden Green, Melon Mambo, Polished Pink

Other: Alexandra Renke embossing folder

Freshly Made Sketches: Serene Bird

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Jen Timko and here’s what I did with it!

 

I always have a basket on the corner of my desk that's filled with products appropriate for any upcoming holiday or just new stash that I want to be sure to use. Over the weekend, I finally changed out the Christmas products for Valentines. This bird die was part of the holiday release at Memory Box but I didn't get a chance to use it for this Christmas.  I think it's lovely so before it left my desk I decided to give it a try on a non-Christmas card.

I cut him out from a golden-yellow and added two of the branches. I added a small white frame behind him then decided that rays of sunshine were perfect for him. The sentiment is also from Memory Box (Open Studio).  I spend a lot of time picking the sentiment because it had to be in that shape to fit with the branches but I also loved how this card was all coming together so the sentiment needed to be something I'd be sure to use (vs. going into my stash of cards to maybe be used in the future.)  (Yes...I definitely obsess over my sentiments!!!)

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Memory Box/Open Studio Joyful Moments

Dies: Memory Box Serene Bird and Branch, Ellen Huston Essential Squares, Reverse Confetti Stitched Rays Cover Panel

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Bumblebee, Mint Macaron

Other: Pretty Pink Posh Marigold Gems

Freshly Made Sketches: Hummingbird Thanks

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Jen Brum and here’s what I did with it!

On the day that I was making my FMS card, we had plans to visit friends that evening whom we had really not spent any time with since the shutdown started. They have a beautiful lush backyard that is just a joy to relax in.  It's full of birdsong and also the hum of hummingbirds. I wanted to thank them for their hospitality and I had finally gotten this new set from Concord & 9th - so all of this came together perfectly with the sketch!!

Even with all of the colors I could have used with a card full of flowers and hummingbirds - I decided to go with only two colors and add interest with various patterns. I pulled out a stack of Doodlebug 6x6 paper pads, decided on the colors, then pulled out all of the patterns that I had.

The die set is fairly new from Concord & 9th.  I didn't get it in the first day or two after it was released then it went out of stock everywhere.  It took forever to get it back.  I ordered from an online store the moment it was back in stock but then it still took weeks to ship. It is a beautiful set. Each of those pieces have their own die and fit perfectly together so it's very easy to build.  Plus there's a second hummingbird with a different shape and looking the other way.  I'm going to love playing with the hummingbirds!

I hope to see you playing along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Concord & 9th Birdie Banner (sentiment)

Dies: Concord & 9th Eclectic Garden

Paper: Various Doodlebug 6x6 pads

Other: Stampin' Up Genial Gems

Poppystamps: Summer Solstice

I'm on the Poppystamps blog today playing along with this month's Summer Solstice challenge. I started with the sentiment which seemed just perfect for the challenge!!

With the sentiment, of course I had to create a sunny, blue sky.  From there, I flipped through my dies and decided I liked the pop of pink if I used the flamingo.  I also created a beach with a textured paper and waves using glitter paper.  The scene wasn't very big so to make it pop, I framed it with Memory Box' Double Stitch Rectangle Cut Outs.

There are more pictures and more details on the Poppystamps blog - check it out!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Poppystamps Whittle Everyday

Dies: Poppystamps Whittle Flamingo, Whittle Sunshine and Whittle Wave Background, Memory Box Double Stitch Rectangle Cut Out

Other:  Memory Box Fairy Drops, Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad and Woodgrain Paper Pack Kraft

Freshly Made Sketches: Lovely Birdies

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Narelle and here’s what I did with it!

 

I love those sweet little birdies from Catherine Pooler with the patterns on their chest and wings. When I saw there was a branch in the set, I knew they would work with the sketch!  The circle then turned into kind of a sun.  I knew I wanted something unique for the sentiment so I used The Ton's Easy Expressions which have unique shapes.

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Catherine Pooler Lovely Birdies, The Ton Easy Expressions

Dies: Catherine Pooler Lovely Birdies, The Ton Easy Expressions, Stampin' Up Layering Circles Framelits dies, Reverse Confetti Along the Dotted Lines

Paper: Taylored Expressions Pineapple and Sprinkles, Doodlebug Designs Gingham-Linen Rainbow Petite Prints 6x6

Ink: Taylored Expressions Salt Water Taffy, Sprinkles, Granny Apple Green

Other: Pretty Pink Posh Starry Sky Jewels Mix

Poppystamps Leafy Vines Slim Plate Two Ways

 I am on the Poppystamps blog today and am thrilled to share some of the new Spring release. It is full of Easter dies and beautiful new sentiments - and even a couple of slimline dies!!  Today I'm using the Leafy Vines Slim Plate but I couldn't quite decide whether to use it horizontally or vertically so I did both!!

Here's vertical.  This looked like a fabulous setting for some brightly colored birds along with the brand new Happy Birthday Poe Script die which is cut out of Memory Box black glitter to keep it fancy!

I also like the die used horizontally. To me it looks like a tangle of growth, perfect for wildflowers and butterflies!  The flowers and butterflies are also new (part of the amazing Fern and Daisy Pop Up Easel set) as is the Splendid Happy Easter die.

Check out the Poppystamps blog for all of the details!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Leafy Vines Slim Plate, Chirping Birds, Happy Birthday Poe Script, Fern and Easy Pop Up Easel set, Splendid Happy Easter.

Glitter Paper: black is from Memory Box Frosted Glitter Pad and the orange/yellow is from the new Memory Box Graceful Garden Glitter Pad.

CAS(E) this Sketch: For the Last Time

 It's the final sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch.  I thank them for the inspiration from all 405 challenges!! For the final sketch, they are doing a throwback to a sketch by the creator of the challenge, Jackie Rockwell.  BTW - she's also the designer of my blog!! Here's what I did the last sketch.

 

And here's the sketch.

I wanted to go bright and cheerful.  I also needed a Valentine's card for my 13-year old niece.  That can be hard age - my niece is definitely thinking she's grown up but she still has an impish child in her. I started with the idea of the two speech bubbles and a heart as the middle element but it just didn't pop.  So I browsed my stash for a critter of some type and settled on this owl mostly because it was sweet but also because of its bold lines.

Just for fun - here's what I did with the sketch the first time it came around almost seven years ago when I was on the CtS design team.

Thanks to CtS for all of the inspiration over the years! You've been a resource for hundreds of my cards. I will miss you.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Impress Valentine Words, Taylored Expressions Hoot Hoot Hooray Stamp & Die Combo

Dies: WPlus9 Hey Hi Hello

Paper: Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie and Melon Mambo, Taylored Expressions Candy Corn and Strawberry Milkshake, My Favorite Things Black & White Stripes 6x6 Paper Pack

Poppystamps Challenge: Colors of Autumn

This is a reminder that the current challenge at Poppystamps is Colors of Autumn!  I will always play along with any challenge named the "Colors of Autumn". I love everything about the fall; it is absolutely my favorite season.  For my card I used the Bird House Pop Up Easel set that was part of the Poppystamps Christmas release - but I did not use the dies that cut snow for the roof.  Instead I used a variety of autumn colors and leaf dies, and I changed the Christmas cardinal to a blue jay.

Poppystamps has a number of easel dies, but I had not used any yet.  It turns out it's very straight-forward to create this dimensional project using their dies. I posted my progress pictures on the Poppystamps blog today. 

This bird house folds up flat so that it perfectly fits in a regular card envelope and can be easily mailed.  

I hope to see your "Colors of Autumn"!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Poppystamps Birthday Blowout

Dies: Poppystamps Bird House Pop Up Easel Set, Whittle Oak Leaf, Garden Leaves and Berries, and Orchard Leaves

Poppystamps: Whittle Notes

 I'm on the Poppystamps blog today with four "Whittle" 3x3 notes for our kids' lunchboxes or backpacks and one regular card for the older kids.  Full details are over there, but here's a peek.

Sometimes with small dies, it can be hard to figure out how to fill a full-size card.  I like to group and layer the dies - my Poppystamps card from last week is an example - but another way is creating these smaller format cards.  I have two sons but my "kids" are 24 and 20 and are away at college so I don't have lunchboxes or backpacks to tuck notes into. My kids still need encouragement so I used the same idea of small square, but put it onto the front of a full-size card with a strip of patterned paper.

The Whittle Fox has to be my favorite Whittle just for the expression on his face - he goes perfectly with the sentiment.  This is exactly how my kids are feeling right now.  There's a lot of unexpected adulting - "how many people in this room - do we meet COVID restrictions" and "darn - I'm quarantined for two weeks - how do I keep up with classes" or "I'm president of a club that can't meet - how do I keep the club going".  I love sending them cards and they love whatever gift card I put inside!!

The monthly challenge at Poppystamps also happens to be Cards for Kids.  It's already the end of the month - there's only 3 days left for the challenge but check it out.  There are prizes!  (You do have to use at least one Poppystamps image or die.)

SUPPLY LIST - all Poppystamps unless noted

Stamps:

Whittle Sayings (the four little notecards)

Whittle Everyday (the adult stamps)

Dies:

Whittle Birds

Whittle Wood Frames

Whittle Clouds

Whittle Mouse

Whittle Hearts

Whittle Squirrel

Whittle Oak Leaf

Whittle Deer

Whittle Trees

Whittle Sleepy Fox

Memory Box Stitched Rectangle Trimmings (these are thin rectangle frames with stitched accents - I trimmed a straight piece of it for the ground)

Paper:

Memory Box Garden Folly 6x6 pad

A Bright and Cheerful Birthday

 I have a friend's birthday coming up. This card needed to be particularly bright and cheerful.  I had this charming die in my stash for just such an occasion. 

I like this die, even more than I thought I would when it just popped into my shopping cart one day. It's so delicate and the details are very nice. It's from Paper Rose. It's an Australian company and the die is called "Native Birds" so I'm quite certain these aren't birds I'd see here in Colorado!  But it does make them fun with the bright rainbow of color behind them!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: My Favorite Things Bitty Birthday Wishes

Dies: Paper Rose Native Birds Border, Neat and Tangled Celebrate, The Greetery Sentiment Suite Basics

Ink: Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Cracked Pistachio

CAS(E) this Sketch: Hello There

 I was intrigued by the current sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch not only by the trio of elements but also by the sentiment placed in the lower portion of the panel.  I paged through my stash for a "trio" but came up with two different die sets that I had not used and I love the way they work together!

I waited forever for that bird die.  It came out before the pandemic and quarantine and then it was out-of-stock everywhere for a very long time. I'm glad I kept looking because he's very sweet. I didn't do a great job putting him together. You can see that the top layer is a bit off-kilter but I don't notice until the photograph.  On the other hand, I deliberately did the flower off-kilter.  The layers actually line up but I liked a hint of the darker along the edges.  

Thanks to CtS for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: WPlus9 Strictly Sentiments 2, Taylored Expressions Shiplap Background

Dies: WPlus9 Blue Bird and Spring Florals

Other: Studio Katia Bluebell Pearls

Christmas Kickstart: Ornamental Birds

I will always be a player of challenges.  I need some piece of the card-making equation to be defined for me.  When I have to pick a theme and colors and a layout and the stamps or dies and a sentiment and...and...and - I kind of freeze. My husband would tell you that I have too much stuff to pick from - he'd be right.  When yet another new addition to my stash arrive in my mailbox and the Christmas Birds challenge at Christmas Kickstart happened at the same time - I didn't freeze at all!!

 

This die set is just charming.  I had so much fun putting this together!  He's an odd looking little bird but it just adds to the retro look.  I did give him a branch to sit on and I decorated the ornament with a bow both from a different Sizzix set - Funky Festive.

Thank you to Christmas Kickstart for the inspiration! (And I have just realized that I could have used their logo for color inspiration.  I love it when an entire post matches!)

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: The Greetery Sentiment Suite: Christmas

Dies: Sizzix/Tim Holtz Ornamental Birds and Funky Festive, The Greetery Sentiment Suite Basic, Simon Says A2 Thin Frames

Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Flirty Flamingo, Balmy Blue, Just Jade, Soft Suede

Other: Studio Katia Pearls in Rose Pink, Bora Bora and Bluebell

Poppystamps: Celebrate Your Day

One of my workmates had planned a wedding and a Disney honeymoon in April.  You can guess how that worked out. So last week they got married. I'm not sure if it was online or via paper; I just know she runs home from work every day hoping the paperwork is in the mailbox so she can call herself "married".  Then they will do their honeymoon at some future date.

What I love about making my own cards is that I went with traditional elements for her wedding card using hearts and little birds, but the colors are Disney!!


I'm really happy with the way this turned out.  In general, I don't believe Clean and Simple cards are at all simple to make.  They may look simple - but with so few elements on your card, it takes work to get an eye-catching look (and to avoid fingerprints and glue spots in all of the white space!)  However, with the right die, it's easy.  These little hanging hearts are the right die! For me, the extra element of the string and bow make all the difference for an interesting card.  (I didn't initially envision the little birds but I needed something to tone down the black heart.)
I was inspired to even think in this direction by the Clean and Simple challenge at Poppystamps. Thank you for the inspiration.

SUPPLY LIST Stamps: Poppystamps Birthday Blowout
Dies: Poppystamps Hanging Heart and Chirping Birds, Memory Box Honeyblossom Sprig (just a bit trimmed off for the branch)
Other: Trinity Stamps Cinnamon Red-Hots Jelly Drop Hearts

Freshly Made Sketches: Hello

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Lee Ann and here’s what I did with it!

I don't usually send many "hello" cards. It seems like most of my crafting time is filled up with birthday and holiday cards. But this is the perfect time to be creating "hello" or "hugs" or any encouraging card for those who are going a bit stir-crazy. I had this long die (I didn't even try to use the coordinating stamp!) I thought it would be a great wire for this charming little bird. For pops of color, I added some greenery and a sun, then gave it some texture with the clouds.

I had so much fun making this!!  I'm surprised at myself for not popping out more cards right now.  I am blessed to still be employed but obviously there's little else going on in life. I spent yesterday evening watching my 20-year old son learn to juggle.  OK, that was actually fun.  But I've spent many, many other evenings with the TV and an iPad.  It seems like as life slowed down so did my motivation. Of course, I do have a stash of cards but after I send this week's cards of hugs and encouragement to my friends and my family, my stash is starting to dwindle. 

Hopefully you are doing a better job of filling your time with this craft! Be sure to join us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST
Dies: My Favorite Things Birds of a Feather, Sunshine; Papertrey Ink Swoosh
Paper: Doodlebug Design Inc Gingham-Linen Rainbow Petite Prints (blue), Echo Park Magical Adventure Dots & Stripes (yellow), Taylored Expressions Cardstock: Pineapple,
Other: Taylored Expressions Pineapple and Candy Corn, Papertrey Ink Hawaiian Shores, My Favorite Things Limelight