It is my friend, Ro, who generally gravitates toward the “critter” stamp sets and collects all of them. But for whatever reason, Stampin’ Up! Pretty Birds really spoke to me more than they spoke to her. So, here is my challenge: I am working on several Pretty Birds cards to try to change her mind! Stay tuned to some upcoming designs in addition to today’s!
This is the first of those cards:
These little guys are just adorable – although I also think that this quintet might be overlooked in favor of the individual birds who have a lot of personality. I just love this group sitting together, bird gossiping.
This is not a complicated card to create – here are the card cuts.
| # | Measurements | Notes | |
| Stampin’ Up! Tahitian Tide Card Stock | 1 | 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” | Scored along the long edge at 4-1/4”. |
| Stampin’ Up! Basic White Card Stock | 1 | 3-3/4” x 5” | White mat on card front. |
| Stampin’ Up! Tahitian Tide Card Stock | 1 | 3-1/2” x 4-3/4” | Mat for card front which will be embossed with the Stampin’ Up! Quatrefoil Tiles Embossing folder. |
| Stampin’ Up! Basic White Card Stock | 1 | 4” x 5-1/4” | Mat for inside sentiment. |
| Stampin’ Up! Basic White Card Stock | Scraps | Used for stamping the birds and the sentiment for the card front. | |
| Stampin’ Up! Basic Black Card Stock | Scraps | Used to cut the bird cage and the circle mat to highlight the stamped image. |
I used the bird quintet stamp to create the front design. You will see below that I tried the card in two different colors, using some of our new InColors for 2022-2024. Parakeet Party is a natural for this design! But then it truly pops when it is paired with Tahitian Tide. I used Stampin’ Blends in those colors instead of stamping the colors in with the Pretty Birds stamp set. (I enjoy coloring!)
Although I used a 1-3/4” paper punch to create the circle that features our cute birds, either the Stylish Shapes or the Beautiful Shapes dies will get you to this same size and shape. I then cut a 2” circle in Basic Black card stock with my paper punch, although again the same size can be found in either of those 2 die sets. (My paper punches are from Stampin’ Up! – just a long time ago…)
Mount the birds’ image to the black circle first. Then carefully glue the birds behind the bird cage image. The 2” circle is an exact fit side to side with the bird cage.
BUT – be sure that you emboss the Parakeet Party panel with the Stampin’ Up! Quatrefoil Tiles Embossing folder first. Then glue the bird cage and then the sentiment panel to the green panel. I used a die from the Tasteful Labels set because of the stitching detail. But this may be cut freehand as well.
Mount the completed panel to the Basic White panel and then glue on to the card face. I did use black embellishments from the Matte Black Matte Dots embellishments to add a bit of bling.
With the front of the card complete, I used strips of Tahitian Tide and Parakeet Party along the bottom of the inside panel. The sentiment is from the Pansy Patch stamp set as this is the same font as the “For you” which comes from the new Go To Greetings stamp set.
Mount the inside panel to the card base – and you are ready to write your message and send it off!
I love adding embossing folders to add depth and texture to a design. It is an easy feature, but the effects are wonderful!
I have entered this card into the Can you handle the pressure? Challenge that is looking for “things with wings.” This was a fun challenge – and reminds me to do something that I already love to use: embossing folders!
I have done this in 2 color schemes:
Let me know which color scheme you like better! Thanks so much for stopping in today!
Wow – these are so….TWEET! 😉 Love them in both colors – the PP and TT go together perfectly!! 🙂
So sweet! Love that delicate birdcage die cut! 🙂
Oh, Amy – this birdcage is just so pretty, isn’t it? It’s sort of Victorian…but not in a garish way at all. I just love this set. I love the little guys…I love their “house”…and the stamps are great with their multilayers so that you don’t have to color if you don’t want to! Thank you so much for stopping in today!
What an amazing pair of cards, I love the way the opposite colors give such a different look. Thank you for joining us at Can You Handle the Pressure!
Thanks so much, Melanie! I love your challenges and you will see me there a lot! Many stampers forget about how to texture their cards with embossing folders. It adds a richness and dimension that separates a handmade card from a store-bought cards. Thanks for reminding us about that with your challenges! -Susan