The Sweetest Songbird!

 Even though I've owned this set for a while, this is the first time I've actually used it!  Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!

I cased this card from Donna Ross, and I just love the colours I've used in this card.  The Countryside Inn Designer Series Paper does totally tick my boxes as I'm a blue girl at heart.

The colours I used were: cardstock Night of Navy, the bird is stamped in Boho Blue, with a Pumpkin Pie beak, Early Espresso branch and Lemon Lime Twist leaves.  The flowers are Boho Blue (note the Basic Rhinestones in the centre of each flower).  The sentiment, bird's eyes and the musical notes are all stamped in Night of Navy ink.

I used both the Songbird Builder Punch and the Stylish Shapes dies.  I really like the stitching affect of the Stylish Shapes - it adds texture and interest in one easy step.

Here's the inside of my card

For this I used the Biggest Wish stamp set - I left just enough white space for a short birthday message.

If you live in New Zealand, and would like to purchase any of the items I've used today, please click on the pictures below.

Take care,

Andrea

Product List

Sweet Songbirds Bundle (English) [158727] $72.00	Biggest Wish Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [155052] $36.00	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183] $63.00	Countryside Inn 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [161467] $26.25
Boho Blue Classic Stampin' Pad [161650] $19.00	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [147114] $19.00	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad [147086] $19.00	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad [147145] $19.00
Rhinestone Basic Jewels [144220] $12.75

Countryside Inn - taking it for a whirl!

I took part in a team stamping event over the weekend, and this is the 'Make 'n Take' that I made.

I used the Countryside Inn dies and Designer Series Paper, and I was inspired by a card that Gail Ellis made.

My card stock measurements are:
Basic White Card base:    14.85 x 21cm, scored at 10.5cm
Basic White pieces:          14.4 x 10cm to emboss
                                         14 x 9.5cm to use to stamp the flowers and leaves
                                         14 x 9.5cm as backing for the DSP
                                         Scrap for the sentiment
Designer Series Paper:    14 x 9.5cm for the floral frame

After folding the card base, I embossed the Basic White piece.  I then cut out the frame using the second and third largest shapes from the Countryside Corners dies.  I held the dies in place with washi tape as I did this, as I wanted it even all the way around.

Once I did this, I put the frame on the embossed layer, however I didn't like the look of the embossed 'busyness' and the DSP 'busyness', so I cut a piece of whisper white the same size as the larger part of the frame, and adhered the white to the back of the DSP frame. I then adhered this to the card front.

Next I stamped the flowers in Flirty Flamingo, using the Artistically Inked stamps, then the leaves in Boho Blue. I stamped the leaves off once onto scrap paper.  I cut out the flowers and leaves using the Artistic Dies.  I love this stamp set - it's a Distinktive set, so the stamping looks two tone, yet it's all done with one stamp!

I placed the flowers and leaves where I wanted them, using dimensionals on one of the flower/leaf sets.

I then used the Happy Birthday sentiment from the Artistically Inked stamp set again, and just cut this out as a plain rectangle.  I used dimensionals to adhere this to the card front.

I finished off the front of the card with some xxxx embellishments.

I've made a goal recently to make sure I decorate the inside of the card, so you can see here that I've followed through on that this time!  I stamped the sentiment using full strength Boho Blue, and the flowers using Flirty Flamingo stamped off once.

During our team event, I noticed a couple of people had made the card in portrait rather than landscape, and I liked it so much I went home and made it that way myself!  Which way round do you prefer?

If you'd like to purchase any of these gorgeous products, please click on the pictures below to go to my online store if you live in New Zealand.

Product List

Artistically Inked Bundle (English) [155456] $111.50	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228] $21.75	Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad [147052] $17.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $9.00
Multipurpose Liquid Glue [110755] $8.50