Let the Birds Sing!

Well, I know that I used this little stamp just last week for the Bloggers' Challenge, but it's just so dang cute...and I had not yet put it away. So, I figured I could use it again for this week's Challenge, which is BIRDS. SU has a ton of birds to choose from in their line...and I do have another to share in a day or so, but for the Challenge, this is it!

This layout was definitely inspired by the amazing Diana Gibbs,  (sorry....can't find a link to her original idea) but she made a square card...and although I like square cards, I simply do not make them....or send them!  So, I turned her idea into a regular size card. There are definitely some differences, a few less layers, different DSP, and then, of course, the bottom of the card......I had stamped in a greeting, which came out crooked and smudged, so I needed to cover it up and the scallop bottom idea was born!

This sample is totally current SU....I had considered using it for a stamp class I held last night, but decided about half way through that it might be too time consuming for my ladies. Since it's totally SU, the image was colored in using SU markers.  In my last post, I used Copics, and although I love using my Copics (my collection is quite small!), you can see that our markers work really well. I found a trick...color in using the lightest shade, highlight with a darker shade and then color over one more time with the lightest shade (see the tulips). By going over the area colored one last time with the lightest marker, it kind of smoothed out the rough edges and blended, or softened the colors. I believe the trick is to do each step, one right after another....in other words, don't let your project sit before continuing onto the next step. I guess the marker was maybe still a bit wet, or at least not totally cured.

So, what do you think? The tulips in the basket are more prominent that cute little blue bird.....does this qualify for our Challenge?

Stamps: A Flower for All Seasons, Tiny Tags

Inks: Jet Black StazOn, Pink Pirouette

CS: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette

Markers: Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron, More Mustard Misc: Paper Piercer & Template, White Gel Pen, Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon, 2 3/8" Scallop Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Tasteful Trim Die, Lattice Die, Big Shot, Dimensionals , Designer Series Paper Pack-In Color

Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting today!