Welcome to my crafty blog. Today’s card uses the ‘birds and branches’ stamps and dies from Stampin’ Up – this is a really sweet set which works for a variety of occasions. I’ve used it for new baby cards in the past (the eggs and nest are perfect), but today went for a birthday theme, inspired by a couple of blog challenges. LeAnne has chosen the colours for this week’s theme at The Paper Players, and I’ve taken the design from Wei’s sketch for CAS Colours & Sketches
I started with a piece of light kraft card, cut to fit on a 5×7 card blank, and then used the leafy circle die from the ‘birds and more’ dies to cut the aperture.
I thought that the kraft card looked too plain, so I used Claritystamp’s ‘stone wall’ stencil and ‘latte’ Adirondack to create the brick pattern across it.
The next step was to stamp and die cut the bird and flowers. I used ‘chipped sapphire’ Distress Oxide for the bird, initially sponging it onto the base stamp to give a lighter tone, and then inking the outline stamp directly from the pad for a deeper shade. The flowers were stamped using Artistry Ink in ‘fine wine’.
I nestled the bird into the branches, to pick up the smaller circle from the design sketch, gluing him into place. I then added the three flowers using foam pads. I stamped the sentiment from the ‘art gallery’ set to finish, using ‘cobalt’ Archival ink.
Now, I wasn’t sure that any bird really looks like this and was thinking about my friend Jean who likes her images to reflect reality. A quick check with my good friend Mr Google, and I discovered that I’ve actually managed to get something very like a real bluebird! Now you don’t find these in the UK, but I can live with that.
Deborah's Crafty Blog 
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Very nice! Love how you combine the challenges – very clever! 😉
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This is just lovely! That sketch is perfectly for your little bird and flowery nest! And I wish I knew what kind of bird that is….it’s amazing! We do have bluebirds here in my backyard, they are quite active this spring!! Sweet as can be, just like your card! Thanks for using my colors this week at the Paper Players!
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Perfect Deborah. You can also look up Western Bluebird for here in the US. The male has a little red as well as the blue and gray.
When I lived out in the country, I had a bluebird box which was visited in Spring by mates and little babies would be hatched from their beautiful blue eggs.
thank you for today’s card!
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How lovely Barbara. will have to check it out xx
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Just lovely Deborah! We are clearly in a similar creative vein this week – this die is currently sat on my desk too!! Thanks for sharing with us over at The Paper Players and CAS Colours & Sketches this week!
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What a beautiful card, Deborah. You used the colors in our challenge perfectly and created a beautiful design for the sketch. Thank you for joining us at the Paper Players this week.
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The sketch works just perfectly with the Birds and Branches bundle. Great job with the bird as well – it is a beautiful bird, wish I could really see one like that, not sure where they are native….but gorgeous. Thanks for joining us this week at CC&S
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Such an elegant take on the sketch! Thanks for playing along with us at CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge. Looking forward to seeing your creative projects in the future galleries.
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I was totally drawn into your card by the stencil. Great choice! Thanks so much for playing with us at the CC&S challenge blog!
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I really don’t think the kraft is too plain Deborah – it looks lovely and clean and really draws the eye to the die cut circle! But the stencilling is pretty too and I love your little bluebird. Thank you for sharing your card with us at CAS Colours and Sketches this week. Vicky x
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Thanks Vicky xx
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