Best Birds for a GDP Color Challenge

When I sat down to create a card for this week’s GDP Color Challenge – Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede and Calypso Coral – I immediately knew I’d be playing with the Best Birds stamp set and coordinating Birds & Blooms Thinlits Dies. Both are found in Stampin’ Up!’s 2017 Annual Catalog and perfect for Spring! Here’s my card for this week’s GDP color challenge:

And here’s the banner for the color challenge that inspired my card:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders

• Best Birds and Birds & Blooms Thinlits Dies. Best Birds is a carry-forward from Stampin’ Up!’s 2016 Annual Catalog, so the bundled pricing for the stamp set and coordinating dies ended with that catalog. The items are still in the 2017 Annual Catalog. With great sentiments and fun images, this set is perfect for Spring. Here’s a look at the Best Birds stamp set:
  

  Best Birds, Stampin’ Up!

  Just look at those sentiments – so crisp and clean. I could use them all. Here’s a look at the coordinating Birds & Blooms Thinlits Dies:

  

  Birds & Blooms Thinlits, Stampin’ Up!

  Not only are there some Framelits to cut out stamped images, but there are some great cutouts that coordinate with this set.

• Striped Background. I created this fun, diagonally-striped background with strips of colored cardstock – 1/2″ strips of Calypso Coral and Pear Pizzazz and 1/4″ strips of Soft Suede. I added adhesive to 5″ x 3-3/4″ cardstock base (any color will do since it’s all covered up) and then glued down the strips. After gluing each strip, I snipped the edges with my paper snips. What an easy and fun way to create an original background for a special card!
• Blender Pen Watercoloring. I stamped the branch and flowers with Archival Basic Black ink. Once that dried, I colored each of the items with ink and a Blender Pen. Such an easy way to add color to an image. For each of the flowers, I added a thin layer of Calypso Coral. Once that dried, I added a deeper intensity of Calypso Coral to the center of the flower petals. It really adds a lovely depth to the flowers. Tip: make sure the ink dries before applying more ink so that you don’t wet the paper too much, causing it to pill. I added the flowers to the card front with a Mini Glue Dot – a great adhesive that adds a little bit of lift (but not as much as Dimensionals) to the flowers.

Stamp Sets: Best Birds  Papers: Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Thick Whisper White  Inks: Archival Basic Black, Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz  Accessories: Birds & Blooms Thinlits Dies, Blender Pens, Mini Glue Dots, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Best Birds Photopolymer Stamp Set – 141525

Price: $21.00

Birds & Blooms Thinlits Dies – 141477

Price: $27.00

Blender Pens – 102845

Price: $12.00

Mini Glue Dots – 103683

Price: $5.25

Paper Snips – 103579

Price: $10.00

Calypso Coral 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 122925

Price: $8.00

Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 131201

Price: $8.00

Soft Suede 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 115318

Price: $8.00

Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock – 140272

Price: $7.00

Supply List

Spring is just around the corner (even in those parts of the country where it already feels like Spring). Are you all stocked up with the supplies you need for the season?

I hope you’ll pop over to the Global Design Project team site to see the cards by the design team members and to play along with this week’s challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Brian

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