Sunday, April 27, 2014

Happy Father's Day Bluebird


The current challenge at Our Daily Bread Designs blog is a sketch challenge. All that's required is to make a card following this sketch:


I say "all," but even then, it can be a bit challenging. (Otherwise, I guess they wouldn't call it a "challenge"!) At any rate, I made two cards. This is my first:


The biggest challenge I faced (besides no measurements on the sketch) was to create a standard A2-size card with it, so I could send it to Operation Write Home. I also wanted to use this ODBD stamp on my card, so I had to take its measurements into account when planning my design. Other than that....

I started by cutting a piece of plaid patterned paper from Echo Park's This & That "Charming" 6x6" pad to 4x5.25", to use as my background. For the smaller panel behind the bird, I cut a piece of patterned paper from the "Botanical Tea" 6x6" pad by graphic 45. I used the flip side of that paper for the border strip, which I die cut with this Spellbinders Edgeabilities die.

I stamped the bird image on watercolor paper in Ranger Archival Jet Black ink, then colored it with Inktense pencils. It doesn't show up much in the photo, but after the bird and flowered branch dried, I applied a pale wash of blue using my Master's Touch watercolor set and water brush.

For the greeting, I cut a scalloped circle with a die from this set from white cardstock. I inked it with Faded Jeans Distress ink, the printed a greeting from this digital stamp set by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps onto it.

To assemble the card, I matted everything (minus the scalloped circle and border) with a dark green cardstock. The mat behind the plaid paper is 1/8" larger all around. I used my Perfect Layers ruler to cut a 1/16" border around the smaller panels. I glued the dot patterned paper to the card, adhered the border strip over it, then the bluebird panel. Finally I glued down the greeting, and adhered it to an A2 card base. So, another hero overseas now can send a card to his/her father for Father's Day!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Our Daily Bread Design's "Sketch" challenge
Simon Says Stamp's Monday "Big Stamp" challenge

6 comments:

  1. A very handsome card Andrea! Love the combo of plaids and dots! Beautiful coloring also! A really great job on the sketch! Thanks for creating with us this week at ODBD!

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  2. Your card is lovely and that bird image is so pretty. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog!

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  3. Wow! This is awesome! Love the coloring and the beautiful details.
    What a wonderful project, all of the details are stunning!It's very inspiring.

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  4. What a wonderful Father's Day card! I honestly have never used this stamp for a masculine card, but you have opened my eyes to the possibilities.....thanks for the inspiration! Thanks for joining our challenge at ODBD and God bless you for supporting OWH....whoever receives this beautiful card will truly be blessed!!

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  5. What a beautiful take on the sketch Andrea!! I just love the plaid background and your coloring of the bird. Gorgeous Masculine card!! Thanks for joining the ODBD Shining the Light challenge!!

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  6. Oh, Andrea, what a beautiful card, and I love your bird - so beautifully colored! I love your papers and great take on this week's sketch challenge! So glad you've joined us this week for the ODBD Shining the Light challenge! Hugs, sweet friend!

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