Encouraging others is important. If you’ve ever been the recipient of an unexpected kindness, you know what I’m talking about. What better way to show you care then sending a card to someone who needs a boost or just because. Jump down to Creation for the how-to.

Inspiration

There are so many ways to create with this cute stamp set from Simon Says Stamps. Tweet Friends inspired me to create more cards than I have time. The designs are inspired by my love of birds. We have birdfeeders and bird houses all around our backyard and to see a bird building their nests and then to have the joy of seeing the baby birds first take flight, is a miracle. It brings me so much joy. I’ll be posting more cards from this set soon, so check back if you like!

Creation

1. Create an A2 top folding card base. I used a nesting arched, die set to cut out the shape of the card. Hint: make sure the cutting edge goes just beyond the top fold so you don’t end up with two panels. All my card bases are cut out of 110 pound card stock.
2. I cut a single panel from the same shape, then treated the debossed side of the Drifting Flowers embossing folder (SSS) with Perfect Pearls and a spritz of water and ran it through my manual machine.
3. Using a small lattice die, I cut one out of glitter card stock and two more out of white 80lb card stock. Then I glued all of those together for dimension.
4. From Penny Blacks Soaring wreath die, I cut two wreaths out of Kraft card stock then glue them together offsetting them for a grapevine wreath.
5. Now for the fun part! I stamped the entire stamp set out in a gray memento ink. (Copic friendly!) I used Copic markers to color all the sweetness.
6. For a future time saver, I took the word dies and lined them up on a piece of card stock cutting them all out at once. Then I repeated this many times. I placed the negative of the first sheet inside my Misty and inserted the cut out pieces in their corresponding holes (I have a grip mat in my Misty for stick). I stamped many greetings with black Versifine ink and then others with Nocturn Claire ink which I embossed with clear powder. I went ahead and stacked and glued two and three high to create many sentiments ready to use. Hint: I store these in a photo album so they are ready to go. Let me know if you’d like to know more about this process.
7. I assembled all the pieces with my Bearly Arts glue to the embossed panel, then mounted the panel on the card base with strong double-sided tape.
8. Finishing touches- the pink bow was cut out of the card stock from the kit and of course, stickles, glitter and white gel pen for a little bit of bling and interest.

Hugs for Crafty Companies

Simon Says Stamps Tweet Friends are available over on their website. Don’t forget the dies. There are some tiny pieces in this set.

The embossing folder is also a SSS product called Drifting Flowers and one of my favs!

Penny Blacks Soaring die set is available over at SSS (for the wreath)

I purchase my copics from scrapbookpal.com

Thank you to all the wonderful companies that supply us with all the goodness.

Hugs all around!