Welcome back to our Happy Inkin’ Thursday Blog Hop, which I just know you will enjoy. The participants are all creative, talented and fun, and have wonderful things to show you. So, come on along.
Today we are working with a theme challenge, which is Birds or Animals. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I chose one of my favorite birds, the Northern Cardinal, which is found in the Toile Christmas stamp set. Here is our theme
And here is my card.
The stamp set is designed as a Christmas set, but I chose to make it a “Thinking of You” card. It seems in these difficult times that our friends and family, and maybe even those we don’t know very well, could use a boost to their day. What better way to give them that boost, and to let them know you care how they are doing, than by making and sending a card?
Since Cardinals are red, the main color is Cherry Cobbler, which ties in nicely with the plaid I chose to use. Today, the plaid, from Plaid Tidings Designer Series Paper, is on the strips. The card base is Basic Black with mats in Mango Melody. The background on the front and the inside liner are from In Good Taste Designer Series Paper. All these colors are in the plaid. I also chose to add some greenery in Mossy Meadow and Gold Foil sheets. I loosely used the Freshly Made Sketches sketch, but didn’t enter this card in the challenge.
After cutting all the pieces (card cuts are below) I embossed the In Good Taste background panel with one of the Wrapped in Texture embossing folders. Liquid Glue adheres this panel to the Mango Melody mat. The plaid strips are also Liquid Glued to their respective mats, and Liquid Glue is the adhesive used to attach them to the front panel.
The cardinal, from Toile Christmas, is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Cherry Cobbler and cut with the coordinating die from the Christmas Cardinal die set. Using the branch in the stamp set, I stamped two of them on Mossy Meadow in Memento Tuxedo Black. I cut these and one plain one with the coordinating die. I cut another branch from Gold Foil Sheets. It seemed too heavy for the card, so I cut a finer branch with leaves from the Birds and More die set. This I cut apart to place it going in opposite directions.
After dry arranging the bits and pieces to the front, I used Liquid Glue and Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere all of it to the card front. The sentiment, from Love of Leaves, is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black on Gray Granite card stock, and cut with a die from Stitched So Sweetly die set. I cut a duplicate in Basic Black, cut it in half horizontally and, with Liquid Glue, glued it to the back of the sentiment making a mat out of it. A couple of Stampin’ Dimensionals adhered it to the card front.
Using Liquid Glue, I adhered this card front to the card base, then added a few Red Rhinestones to finish the front. The Cardinal’s eye is a Red Rhinestone with a black dot in the middle, made with my Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker.
By the time I got the front done and started on the inside, I got word that a friend had lost a family member, so it became a Sympathy card. For the inside liner, a panel of the In Good Taste was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black with the sentiment from Woven Heirlooms. In the corners, I stamped the tiny scroll. The Liner is adhered to the Mango Melody mat and then into the card base with Liquid glue. A couple of Red Rhinestones complete the inside.
This completed the card. The envelope got another Cardinal on the front, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with my Real Red and Mango Melody Stampin’ Write Markers. I used Real Red as the Cherry Cobbler was WAY too dark. The flap was covered with a strip of the Plaid Tidings Designer Series Paper.
At this point, I kept looking at the front and something just wasn’t right. I finally decided it was the Cardinal. The one on the envelope had the correct color bill and the one on the front did not. They have a bright yellow-orange bill, so I stamped the Cardinal head in Memento Tuxedo Black on a scrap of Mango Melody, fussy cut the bill, and used Liquid Glue to adhere it to the Cardinal on the front of the card. MUCH BETTER! NOW the card is finished!
To continue on the hop, just click the button below to get to Amy’s blog and see what she has to show you. Otherwise, just click on any name to go to a particular blog, but you won’t want to miss anyone!
Julie Johnston-You are here
CARD CUTS
Basic Black: card base 4 1/4″ x 11″, scored at 5 1/2″, mat for front sentiment 2″ x 2″
Mango Melody: front mat and inside mat 4″ x 5 1/4″, mats for large plaid strip 1 3/8″ x 4″, mat for smaller plaid strip 1 3/8″ x 3″, scrap for Cardinal bill
Cherry Cobbler: Cardinal 2 1/2″ x 5″
Mossy Meadow: 3 branches 4″ x 4″
Gold Foil Sheets: branch 2″ x 4″
Gray Granite: front sentiment 2″ x 2″
In Good Taste Designer Series Paper: card front and inside liner 3 7/8″ x 5 1/8″
Plaid Tidings Designer Series Paper: (One 6″x6″ sheet will be enough) Large strip 1 1/4″ x 3 7/8″, small strip 1 1/4″ x 2 7/8″, envelope flap 2 1/4″ x 6″
If you need my help for anything, or have questions, just let me know. If you don’t have a demonstrator, I would be happy to help you with whatever you need to make this project or any other. To order from my online store, just click the bird button at right that says Shop with me Online.
Product List
And here is the sketch: 
Today for our weekly Thursday Inkin’ Krew Blog Hop, I chose to use the color challenge colors to make a plaid using the Buffalo Check background stamp. Here are our colors.
For the flap, I used the Festive Farmhouse plaid Designer Series Paper again. Gotta love the plaid!
I think this card is pleasing and hope it brings fond memories to the recipients.
Wild Wing Creations 