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Thanks for visiting my blog. As the title suggests, I love to scrapbook, stamp, and sing! I will share cards and scrapbook pages I create, as well as information about my music - Barbershop harmony.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Branching Out!

LOL - by the post title, you'd think I was doing something other than Merry Monday. Nope - it's time for Debbie's challenge to use twigs &/or branches on your Christmas card. Fun theme & be sure to check out all the wonderful inspiration from the Design Team!


The first thing I thought was to use the cute Lawn Fawn birdies I used on a card a couple weeks ago, putting them on their branch this time. As I was flipping through my stamps, though, I spotted a Pink & Main set I bought in Arizona back in 2015 - I couldn't resist the sweet cardinal.

Cardinal on branch
Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Grass Layering Paper; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Pop-tone Red, Green and Aqua; American Crafts Christmas from Target's Hot Spot bin (patterned)
Dies -  MFT Die-Namics Blueprints 20 (stitched rectangle); Impression Obsession Pine Branch
Pink & Main Hollydays Dies; Spellbinders Classic Ovals Sm 
Stamps - Hero Arts CM100 Christmas Messages (sentiment); Pink & Main Hollydays
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Distress Ink -Pine Needles
Other - Copic Markers, googly eye, Michael's gems

After doing Kathy's latest 30 Day Coloring Challenge, I've been trying to do better shading and texturing. I hope I succeeded with my cardinal on branch! Since I still had a set of ovals out from the weekend, I decided to pop a horizontal oval behind the cardinal to showcase him; the patterned paper would've been a bit overwhelming otherwise.

While I was still thinking of this week's Merry Monday, I realized I didn't make two versions of last week's card (which, by the way, got an Honorable Mention!!). I'm really trying to do that each week so I have enough for charity donations. So, I whipped up a card with a smaller poinsettia and a twist to the frame.

Poinsettia version 2
Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Foliage Designer Layering Paper & PS766 Decorative Woodgrain Vellum; Authentique Green; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Recollections (Michael's brand) red and green; Tim Holtz Kraft Metallic
Dies - Spellbinders S5-055 Layered Poinsettia & Elegant Ovals & Classic Ovals Sm; Hero Arts DI199 Circle Infinity Dies
Sentiment stamp - Hero Arts CM100 Christmas Messages
Ink - Hero Arts Red and Green Inks, Tim Holtz Distress Ink -Pine Needles

Smaller poinsettia because I had mangled the largest flower layer when I was inking! Instead, I cut it in green and used part of it for leaves. The centers were die cut with the teeny circle in the Hero Arts Infinity Circle set. When I made last Monday's card, I die cut a second elegant oval but part of it got mangled when removing it from the die. So I die cut an oval out of it thinking I'd pitch the exterior. Turns out it was just mangled on the edge where I'd put the poinsettia so I decided to use it. I die cut a vellum oval to replace the part I cut out and then put the smaller elegant oval on top. Interesting thing about the smaller oval - along the edge it has some triangles - most of the time a bunch pop out so I poke out the rest. This time none popped out so I have a dry embossed look around the edge - very cool. Anyway, I'd be interested to hear which version of the poinsettia card you liked better.

So that's it for today. I have another Easter card I'll share tomorrow but for now, as usual, I'm off to practice chorus music. Thanks for stopping and have a Merry Monday!!

9 comments:

Cindy C. said...

Congrats on your Honorable Mentions on MMC Linda!!

The cardinal is so cute and fun! I love how you used it.

Betty said...

your bird reminds me of those angry birds computer game - only those little guys are never on a pretty christmas card like yours! and congrats on the HM - and i really like the colors you used for your second card!

Karen L K said...

Congrats on your Merry Monday Honorable Mention. Very nice cards. Your bird looks great & that card is a nice design. I think I prefer the larger flower but both are nice. It's interesting how different that oval looks with & without the triangles.

Linda said...

Two beautiful cards, Linda. Great pattern paper with that adorable bird on the first one and love the CAS style of the second. Thanks for joining us this week at Merry Monday.

Jean said...

These are both terrific. I love those colors you chose for the one you made for this week's challenge!

Notes by Nina said...

Both cards are stunning Linda, Thank you for playing along with us at Merry Monday this week.

Marcia Hill said...

That Cardinal is just too sweet Linda, and he looks so comfortable perched on his branches! Love your 2nd version of your card from last week too...too hard to choose as they're both just lovely! Thanks so much for sharing with us this week at Merry Monday!! :0)

Greta said...

My favorite version is the first one--so deserved HM, Linda! This one is beautiful, too--the dotted background is just not my favorite--purely personal preference. The first card is wonderful--love that cardinal! Think I have the IO branch & have never used it--need to change that!

Bonnie said...

Two more gorgeous Christmas cards for your stash, Linda! Love that cardinal! and your poinsettia card is as elegant as last week's card!