Feathery Friends - Birds

Hello, Crafters.

Apart from crafting, do you have anything special planned for this weekend? 

For me, it's more of the usual as hubby is on call all weekend; fortunately he's able to work from home, and for me it means plenty of crafting!

Yesterday I was working on my fancy-fold card for tomorrow's video, and it needs quite a lot of prepping, so I'll be delightfully busy for most of the day!

Today's card, like yesterday's card, uses the hostess stamp set called Feathery Friends, but at least today it's obvious where the stamp set's name came from! I wonder if it looked odd yesterday that I'd called my blog Feathery Friends, but my card featured flowers?? LOL!

I couldn't think of a name to describe the style of these images but somebody said folk art, and I think that fits the bill beautifully. 

My colour choice for today's card is Smokey Slate and Pool Party, and I used both of the Light Stampin' Blends to do the colouring. 

I stamped the images using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink on Shimmery Whisper White Cardstock (CS). I found the CS soaked up the ink from the Blends very quickly, so I kept a short distance away from the edges as much as possible. 

The sentiment is from the Lift Me Up Stamp Set, and I coloured the stamp using my Smokey Slate and Pool Party Marker Pens. I used the Petals and More Thinlits to die cut the decorative layer under the sentiment, as well as the sentiment itself.

The scalloped layer did look like the die cut I've adhered inside the card, but I had to cut the two ends off and cut what was left in half to achieve this look. I'm pleased with how this turned out because it's probably unique!

I created the Smokey Slate background for the front of the card using the fabulous Basket Weave Dynamic Embossing Folder! 

This is one of the new gifts in the Sale-a-bration Second Release brochure, which you can have free with a qualifying order!

This offer is valid until 31st March 2018, but if you miss this opportunity, you'll be able to buy this product from the new annual catalogue when it goes live on 1st June 2018 - better to get it free if you can! 

For me, this Dynamic Embossing Folder produces stunning results every time it's used.

I always spray my CS with plain water before I do my embossing, which is what we were instructed to do by Stampin' Up! when they first introduced these Dynamic Embossing Folders. 

However, I do know that not everybody sprays their CS with water before embossing, and they say they get equally good results. Therefore it's a matter of choice: try it whichever way you'd prefer to do it.

If you get stunning results, stick with it; if you're not happy with the results, try the other way! 

That's about it from me today. I'm about to start prepping for tomorrow's video! Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Feathery Friends

Hello, Crafters.

I bought the Hostess Feathery Friends Stamp Set as I thought it would be great fun colouring the stamped images, but I didn't get as far as thinking what I'd do with the images once they were coloured!  

So I decided to have a look at Pinterest for some inspiration, and my goodness, I found a lovely selection of ideas on there. 

When I closed Pinterest, I wanted to use the birds and the flowers but not at the same time!

I settled for the stem with two individual flower heads, and I stayed with my normal two or three colours, although I did see lots of ideas on Pinterest that were mult-coloured! 

My first thought was Berry Burst and Powder Pink, but then I changed my mind to Berry Burst and Sweet Sugarplum. 

Although I like the result, I'm not sure if my first idea would have looked better - that's now on my list of Give This A Try!

I started my card with a Whisper White Cardstock (CS) base, with a layer of Berry Burst CS, and a top layer of Whisper White CS. 

Using Basic Black Archival Ink, I stamped my chosen image in the centre of the page, and I also stamped the curvy stem of leaves on a Whisper White CS layer for the inside of the card.

As I wanted a flower head inside the card, I decided to stamp one on a scrap of Whisper White CS, rather than stamping the flower head first, making a mask for it, and to then stamp the stem over it!

As well as the two Berry Burst and Powder Pink Marker Pens I'd already chosen, I also chose to use the Daffodil Delight Marker Pen to paint the inside of the flowers to represent the stamens, as well as the Wild Wasabi Marker Pen for the leaves and the stems.

I don't normally like a plain background and was looking through my Stamp Set Reference Folder to find somehing I could use to remedy this. 

Then I remembered that last week I'd used  a corner stamp but couldn't remember which card I'd used it on, nor which stamp set I'd found it in, so I went back to the beginning of my book!

It didn't take long to find what I was looking for in the Hold on to Hope Stamp Set, so I used Wild Wasabi Ink to stamp it in each of four corners. 
 
To help give my card some balance I needed a fair-sized sentiment, so I chose Happy Birthday from the Southern Serenade Stamp Set. 

Using Basic Black Archival Ink, I stamped the image onto a scrap of Whisper White CS. 

I wanted to decorate around the sentiment and chose to use the the single flower with two leaves stamp that's in the Southern Serenade Stamp Set.

I stamped a circle of six flowers around the sentiment. 

Staying with the same colours, I coloured the flowers and leaves, and then punched the image out using the Pretty Label Punch. 

I also punched two shapes in Berry Burst CS, cut one in half horizontally and one in half vertically.

I used all four pieces to add a layer behind the sentiment, and used Tombow to adhere them into place!

Next I adhered the top two layers together, and then adhered a piece of Berry Burst 0.5" Finely Woven Ribbon around the lower part of the card of.

After adhering Dimensionals to the back of the sentiment, I adhered it over the ribbon.

Finally I added this to the card base, and started working on the inside of the card.

I fussy cut the flower I'd coloured earlier, and adhered it to the stem.

Next I adhered the two layers onto the card base.

I did toy with the idea of adding some Berry Burst Self-Adhesive Sequins to finish off the front of the card but decided better of it. 
 
I was happy with my card and decided to leave well alone!

It feels like the weekend because hubby was working from home yesterday and it's going to be the same again today. 

Looking forward to a four-day weekend! LOL.

That's about it from me today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.