Cardinal Home Inspiration

Hey all - hope you're still sane after all these stay-at-home days!! One thing to help keep us going - the Stay Crafty with Hero Challenges. Hero Arts' latest challenge is Home Inspiration. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - American Crafts Christmas A2 woodgrain card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps with Coordinating Dies - Hero Arts SB125 Vintage Post (retired)

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; Pine Needles Distress Oxide

Other - Copic Markers; Hero Arts lacquer

Since we're staying at home, the idea is to be inspired by something in the home. I was inspired by two things; first - a beautiful Marc Hanson print I bought for my parents many years ago at Wild Wings in Lake City MN. It's called "Late Snow Cardinals" and was printed by them in 1988. It hangs in my parents' lower level where I stay when I visit. Secondly, my parents have a lot of birds in their yard and in fact are an awarded bird sanctuary (plaque proudly displayed and newspaper article saved!). I'm constantly seeing a flash of red in the trees while I do dishes at the kitchen sink. Here's a photo of the cardinal print on the wall (please excuse the glare):

Wild Wings doesn't sell it anymore but check out Marc Hanson's "Bramble Buddies" which is very similar. I wish I could get a good photo of a real cardinal in the yard but I haven't caught one staying still long enough! We had some snow for them the other day but it didn't stick around for long, thankfully!!

I diecut and stamped the cardinal and a couple branches. When I was coloring the cardinal I blobbed on the white border so I fussy cut him. I used a fave woodgrain card by American Crafts but added the stamped text (in the same set as the cardinal). Kept it very simple and now I have another Christmas card for the stash - yay!!

Thanks for stopping and thanks to Hero Arts for another fun challenge!!