Serendipity Stamps Blog Hop - Bird Fancy

Welcome to the Serendipity Stamps design team blog hop!  Mary the talented owner of Serendipity Stamps has challenged us to make a creation featuring a bird image.  What a perfect challenge for spring as so many migrating birds are returning this time of year.  My family always compete to see who will spot the first returning Robin - a sure sign that warmer weather is headed our way!

Serendipity has so many realistic beautiful bird stamps including hummingbirds, gold finch, owls, eagles and  many more.   This weeks special at  Serendipity is  purchase 3 items and your 4th one is free.   Sale ends on April 9 so better hurry!!! 

My projects feature the Nest with Eggs stamp.   I stamped the Feather Background on kraft paper with brown ink, and embossed the nest and the feather with gold embossing powder.  I fussy cut them and then used pop dots to add some dimension.  I embellished using a few die cut twigs, leaves, and store bought cherry blossoms.   I purchased the flowers in off white and died them by mixing ink and pigment powder with rubbing alcohol in a mini mister / spritzer.  I added some twine under my sentiment to keep it all very natural looking.  Here are a few close ups so you can see the details.

This is the finished card.....

I wanted to show you how versatile these stamps are so I also made a clean and simple one layer card featuring a few of the same stamps.  It was quick and easy.   I stamped this one on fine linen paper to lighten it up.   To give it a little extra detail I added some simple twine, rounded the bottom corners, distressed the sides and bottom, and stamped the feather in a lighter shade of brown. 

Please visit the other design team member blogs to see what they came up with for this bird themed challenge. Simply click on their names (listed alphabetically) below to jump to their blogs.

Kathie Bailey

Amy Cokley

Jenny Gropp

Miriam Napier

Thanks for having a peek and have a fantastic day!

Jeanne

Layered Card

Supplies Used:  Finished Size 5 x 7

Stamps:  Serendipity  Feather Background 488L, Nest with Eggs 218G, Bent Feather 066C, Spring is Sprung 254D

Dies:  Spellbinders Labels & Tags, Foliage, Quickutz Branches

Cherry Blossoms The Ribbon Reel

Ink:  VersaFine Vintage Sepia, Ranger Distress Antique Linen

Embossing Powder Zing! Gold

Twine, Button

Light Pink Cherry Blossom Color Mix:  Ranger Spun Sugar, Perfect Pearls Pigment Blush

Dark Pink Tattered Angels Pink Ink Glimmer Mist

CAS Card

Supplies Used:  Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5"

Stamps:  Serendipity Nest with Eggs 218G, Bent Feather 066C, Spring is Sprung 254D

Ink:  VersaFine Vintage Sepia, Ranger Distress Antique Linen

Extras:  Corner Rounder, Twine

12 KIts of Christmas - March Edition

Are you ready for another edition of the 12 Kits of Christmas?Just to refresh your memory, this is a group of 12 designers. Each has been assigned a month to provide the Christmas crafting supplies to the other 11 members. We all receive the same supplies and post our creations on the last day of every month. It's interesting to see how we all come up with something different with the same kit of supplies. 

This month our hostess supplying all the goodies is Suzanne Dahlberg.  She's provided all sorts of paper crafting goodness, lots of patterned and shimmery papers, stamped images, and pretty ribbons.  This month I came up with three cards - it seems I've been adding one a month since this started.  If it keeps up I will be in big trouble come December :) !!

I cut this one at a diagonal showing off both sides of the pretty paper Suzanne gave us -Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather.  I triple stacked some buttons and topped them off with a pearl half and a figure 8 looped bow.   I colored my dove with  green and purple to coordinate with the papers and added a little silver bling for a little Christmas sparkle. 

Next I used that Winter Woods scene from A Muse Studio to create a more traditional Christmas card in red and green.  I dded lots of twine - in the bow, wrapped around the sentiment, and wrapped around the card for a really rustic feel.  You can put the button face up or down - I think it looks great either way - as seen in the photos.

For my last card I went back to the purple - and as you might already know red and purple are one of my favorite color combos.  I think this one most represents my style.

This one is fun and whimsical yet full of the bling elements that I love.   This card showcases one of my trade marks - the seam binding woven through the lace trim, and again more sparkle in the night sky as Santa makes his rounds.

If you like these, why not see what the rest of the team came up with for this months challenge? Here's a list of the designers with links to their blogs!  

Suzanne   March

Marybeth  April

Joyce  May

Amy  June

Christina  July

Kim  August

Kara  September

Jessica  October

Jeanne (That's Me!)  November

Sharron  December

Renee  January

Cathy   February

Thanks for having a look! Join us next month to see the latest in the 12 Kits of Christmas!

Jeanne

Peace:  Finished Size 6x6"

Paper Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather

Stamp:  Block Art Sparkle Dove M253  Stampendous

Ribbon:  Ripe Avocado Papertrey Ink

Buttons:  Papertrey Ink New Leaf

Dies:  Spellbinders RectanglesTwiney Twine Orchid

Markers Copic

Others Silver bead and gems

Border Punch Martha Stewart Zig Zag

Season's Greetings:  FInished Size 6x6"

Paper:  Cosmo Cricket Dear Mr. Clause Collection

Stamp:  Winter Wood A Muse Studio

Ribbon:  Red Stampin Up!  Green Satin  Ribbonbazaar.com

Button:   Papertrey Ink New Leaf

Dies Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Rectangles

Extras: Twine

Santa Card:  Finished Size 6x6"
Paper Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather & Dear Mr. Clause Collection
Stamp:  Santa's Flight A Muse Studio
Ribbon:  Ribbon Bazaar Cream Lace - Seam Binding Hug Snug Lipstick Red
Markers:  Copic
Brads Brides
Edge Punch EK Success Double Embossed Dotted Lace

Get Well Debbie!!

I made this card today for Debbie Marcinkiewicz from the Simple Treasures blog.   If you like paper crafts and everything elegant you have probably been introduced to Debbie.  I know her as the owner of the Shabby Tea Room - one of my favorite places to play but you can find her lots of other place as well - the Ribbon Reel blog challenge and Crafty Secrets for example.   Debbie recently had surgery and I'm sending her my get well wishes.  I hope you will stop by Debbie's blog and wish her a speedy recovery too!

To keep Debbie occupied while she recuperates she came up with  a blog challenge of her own.  Make something fabulous with  inspiration from this photo and include aqua, pink and pearls.   To make it even sweeter she is giving out a prize of 15 yards of hand died shabby vintage seam binding.    I thought this was a fab idea because now  beautiful creations to her specifications are just one click away. 

I only know Debbie from a few sweet comments she's left me on my blog, but I felt compelled to make something special for her.  I know she loves layers and roses so I let my imagination run wild.   I only regret that I didn't fit a tea cup in here somewhere.  I hope that this card makes her smile and that when she's resting she dreams of layers of vintage lace, paper roses, pearls and ribbons!  Get well SOON DEBBIE!!! 

Here are a few close up's.  I had to add a "D" to make it special for Debbie - this  stamp is from the Elegant Alphabet set from Serendipity.

I know I'm a little photo heavy here but I also wanted to share with you some signs of spring.  First are some lilacs I picked from my yard - and I wish you could smell how wonderful their scent is - it fills the whole room!

Next are some beautiful Daffodil's I got from a scouting friend.  She purchased them from a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society called Daffodil Days.  Aren't they spectacular? 

Thanks so much for having a look!  Have a beautiful day! 

Jeanne

Supplies Used:  Finished Size is 6" x 6"

Stamps:  Serendipity Elegant Alphabet, Waltzingmouse Fancy Phrases

Paper:  Echo Park Victoria Gardens Collection - Journaling Cards

Dies:  Spellbinders Bird Sanctuary, Nested Pennants, Labels 19, Grand Labels 1, Foliage, Cheery Lynn Nautical Wheeler Doily

Embossing Folder Cuttlebug Victoria

Bling Recollections, Seam Binding Hug Snug Baby Pink, Flowers Prima Ribbon Reel Hobby Lobby Treasures by Shabby Chic, Brad Brides

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Antique Linen

Solid Papers Papertrey Ink