Free as a Colorful Bird

It's finally Friday and you all know what that means!  Time for a new TGIF Challenges Color Challenge!

This color challenge called for an old favorite to be inked up again.  It's been a while since I've stamped anything with Free as a Bird and these colors were perfect for this stamp set!

Since there isn't a Bumblebee Stampin' Blend, I had to cheat a little.  I colored the cute little birdies with the Dark So Saffron, adding some Bumblebee shading with the Stampin' Write Marker.  I love how the birds turned out!

The tree branch was colored with Soft Suede, with a few Old Olive leaves, and the flowers with Magenta Madness Stampin' Blends.  So cheerful and springy, right?!?

I added just a bit of texture to the Basic White panel, using the Greenery embossing  folder.  A Magenta Madness mat was added to bring out the pretty flowers.  A Soft Suede card front with some tone on tone leaves stamped added just a bit more to the card.  A friendly little sentiment stamped in Soft Suede on Bumblebee, a twist of Linen thread and a couple rhinestones completed the card. 

Don't these colors just make you happy?  Be sure to check out the rest of the creations from our design team and join along in the fun!

Happy Stamping!

Products Used:

Inspiring Friendship ~ #HSSIC364

Hello friends and happy Tuesday! It's always a good feeling to have Monday behind us, right?  Especially when it's followed by an all new Hand Stamped Sentiments Inspiration Challenge!

Aren't these images beautiful?  I love all of the pretty pink colors.  I was inspired to pull out an old favorite, Free as a Bird, with the pretty new Polished Pink ink.

The pretty little birdies were stamped in Memento on Thick Basic White card stock, then colored in a soft Smoky Slate.  The branch they are perched on is colored in Crumb Cake, with Old Olive leaves and Polished Pink blooms.  I outlined the entire image in Pool Party...an old trick I haven't done in a long time.  I love this look!

A few Polished Pink 2021-2023 In Color Jewels and a Polished Pink sentiment were the prefect final touches for a sweet and simple card.

It's always fun to combine some old and new products...it brings new life to those stamp sets!!

I hope you will join us this week and share what you were inspired to create!

Happy Stamping!

Products Used:

Inspiring Best Wishes ~ #TGIFC282

Hello stampers and welcome to Friday! We made it through another week and it's time for an all new TGIF Challenges.  We have a beautiful inspiration challenge for you to play along with this week.

This school year is just getting started and we have all been faced with so many changes and challenges.  Sadly, one of the changes is having to say good-bye to some of our favorite staff members.  One of our amazing secretaries is moving to Texas and today will be her last day with us.  Her team is sending her off with the best wishes and lots of love.

I stamped several of the flower and leave images from Free as a Bird stamp set, coloring them in shades of Petal Pink, Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party and Mint Macaron. Then I set to work fussy cutting each one out...this is my therapy at the end of each day.  Fussy cutting isn't for everyone, but it is a total stress reliever for me!

I loved the bold black background in the inspiration photo and thought it would be perfect for all of the fussy cut flowers and leaves.  I wanted a white card base, but it seems a little too boring, so I added a beautiful piece of Petal Pink Peony Garden DSP...it was the perfect way to tie it all together.  The Itty Bitty Greetings sentiment was just what we needed to send our coworker off with all of the best wishes on her new adventure!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Basic Black, Peony Garden DSP

Ink ~ VersaMark, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Mint Macaron, Petal Pink, Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party

Stamp Sets ~ Free As a Bird, Itty Bitty Greetings

Other Supplies ~ White Embossing Powder, Champagne Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Greenery Embossing Folders

I hope you will join us and play along with this weeks challenge. We always love to see what you create!

Happy Stamping!

Bird Ballad Thank You ~ Hand Stamped Sentiments #332 Sketch Challenge

How many of you are excited for an early spring?!?  I hope Mr. Groundhog isn't wrong this year and spring is on it's way!
This week's Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge and the Bird Ballad Suite sure had me thinking of spring this week!

You all know how much I love to fussy cut!  I spent some time in my craft room over the weekend cutting out birds from the Bird Ballad DSP and thought that these little birdies were perfect for this sketch!

It was so much fun to mix the different patterns of DSP for this unique sketch! It's always so much fun to create a card with {almost} nothing but paper...that's a sign of an amazing DSP!  The only stamping on this card is the sentiment...a simple Thank You. 

Anyone else panic a little when it comes to using Very Vanilla and Whisper White together?  It still seems so strange to me, but I always love how the look together in the end.  The Very Vanilla Scalloped Lace Trim and Bird Ballad were the perfect finishing touches!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Soft Suede, Whisper White, Bird Ballad DSP

Ink ~ Soft Suede

Stamp Set ~ Free As A Bird

Other Supplies ~ Very Vanilla Scalloped Trim, Bird Ballad Trinkets, Pinewood Planks Embossing Folder (no longer available)

Be sure to head on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments to see all of the great projects from our Design Team and don't forget to play along!

Happy Stamping!

Christmas Thank You

Hello stampers! I does not seem possible that we are already at the end of 2019...but ready or not, we will be celebrating 2020 tomorrow!  It's not only a new year, but a new decade...crazy!

 Thanks to the latest Freshly Made Sketches  challenge, I was inspired to ink up one of my favorite Holiday Catalog stamp sets.

I LOVE First Frost and all of the beautiful scenes that can be created with it.  I paired it up with the festive Wrapped in Plaid DSP for the perfect Christmas thank you cards!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Shaded Spruce, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Wrapped in Plaid DSP

Ink ~ Shaded Spruce, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Night of Navy, Soft Suede, Pool Party, Cherry Cobbler

Stamp Set ~ First Frost, Free As A Bird

As I was typing up my supply list, it dawned on me that I didn't use anything other thank ink, stamps and paper for these cards.  That almost NEVER happens with the cards I make!  But this goes to show that you don't need any  more than the basics to create a beautiful card!

I wish you all a very Happy New Year and look forward to being inspired and creating with all of you in 2020!

Happy Stamping

 

Free Bird Friday

Happy Friday stamping' friends!  Are you feeling free as a bird today?!?  This is the last holiday weekend of summer and I am ready to enjoy every minute of it...right after my staff meeting this morning!

I am still having so much fun with the Bird Ballad Suite!  I love ALL of the DSP and all of the birds are just so dang cute!  The feathers DSP pattern is my absolute favorite pattern of the pack...I need at least 100 sheets!

My stamping is pretty minimal...just the little bird, a few leaves and a simple little HELLO sentiment.  The Pinewood Planks 3D embossing folder felt like the perfect background for the sweet little bird, while the fussy cut feather, tiny key trinket and linen bow were the perfect finishing touches.  

Of course I used my Stampin' Blends...I just can't stop! Daffodil Delight and Crumb Cake blends were just the right colors for this little guy.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Crumb Cake, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Bird Ballad DSP

Ink ~ Basic Gray, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Old Olive

Stamp Set ~ Free As A Bird

Other Supplies ~ Pinewood Planks 3D Embossing Folder, Layering Circles Dies, Bird Ballad Trinkets, Linen Thread

As soon as I'm done with my staff meeting, we headed to the lake for the day.  I'm looking forward to a fun and relaxing family day!

Have a fantastic Friday and amazing weekend!

Happy Stamping!

Birds of a Friendship

Happy Tuesday stampers!  It's time for an all new Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge.  This week we have a soft and calming color challenge for you to play along with.

I once again turned to these adorable little birdies who look so cute colored in Petal Pink.  Mint Macaron and Calypso Coral worked so well for the leaves and flowers in this stamp as well...love it!

Many of you may know that I don't travel without at least a few stamping supplies.  I stamped these cute little birds before we headed out of town for my twins baseball tournament last weekend, then colored and cut them out while my youngest and one of the other baseball siblings swam in the campground pool.  It was a win for all of us!

I love, love, love these new Stitched Nested Labels!  The stitching is so delicate and they cut both a negative AND positive image...so cool!  I used the Layered Leaves Textured Impressions Embossing folder, which ties in with the leaves in the stamp so well.  

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Mint Macaron, Petal Pink, Whipser White

Ink ~ Calypso Coral, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Petal Pink, Mint Macaron, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake

Stamp Set ~ Free as a Bird

Other Supplies ~ Stitched Nested Labels

I'm off to fuel myself with coffee...I had a house full of boys last night and they wore me out!  Gotta love the summer sleepovers!

Have a fantastic day!

Happy Stamping!

Free as an Early Bird

Anyone who knows me or has followed my blog for a bit, you know that I am an early riser and love to take advantage of the early morning hours for a little "me" time.  There are days that I would love to hit snooze a few times, but starting off my day with a little stamping time always makes for a great morning!

I'm not usually a bird person, but after getting to use the new Free as a Bird stamp set at OnStage in April, I fell in love with these little guys!  And any stamped image that I can color is always one that I love!   

I worked on coloring these cute little birds yesterday morning and was able to finish up the card today.  I absolutely LOVE the new Bird Ballad DSP!  The images are so fun and colorful.  Not only do the patterns make for a fun background, but the images can be fussy cut and used as well.  How great is that?!?!

After coloring these sweet little birdies on their branch, I fussy cut the stamped image.  They perched perfectly on top of the fun patterns of DSP and blended right in with the lovely lace trim and trinket leaf.  Stamping the sentiment and die cutting it with the amazing new Stitched Nested Labels was the perfect added touch.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Petal Pink, Bird Ballad DSP

Ink ~ Memento, Stampin' Blends: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Calypso Coral

Stamp Set ~ Free As A Bird

Other Supplies ~ Stitched Nested Labels Dies, Scalloped Lace Trim, Bird Ballad Trinkets

Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you are all having a great week!

I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek of one of my favorite suites in the new 2019-2020 Annual Catalog.  

Happy Stamping!