Chickadee Holiday Card

Our Daily Bread Designs' challenge this week has been a sketch challenge. They posted this sketch, to use as the basis for a card design:

I took a pretty literal approach, but inked the edges of the panels instead of matting them.

While my design inspiration came from the sketch, my focal image treatment was inspired by Kristina Werner's lesson on Day 3 of "Holiday Style," Online Card Classes' current offering. I stamped the "Chickadee" from Our Daily Bread Designs on a piece of white cardstock that I'd die cut using a "Scalloped Square" die by DoCrafts. I used Ranger Archival ink in the color Coffee. I then colored the berries with a Carmine Red Zig Clean Color pen. I actually should have waited to do that, because when I inked over the panel with Antique Linen Distress ink, the red ran just a smidge. I was careful, though, so it wasn't too bad. After I'd inked around the image with the Antique Linen, I went in with Walnut Stain Distress ink, and blended in just a little from the edges. Then I went back with my Antique Linen blender, without adding more ink, just to get a smoother blend. I also added shading to the image by painting on Walnut Stain, that I'd diluted slightly with water, in areas of the image. I really like the aged, antique-y look this gives!

For the patterned paper layers, I used one from Authentique's "Believe" 6x6" paper pad, and another from the "Christmas Candyland" 8.5x11" pad from The Paper Studio. I did ink over the latter with Antique Linen, after cutting it to size, just to make it blend in with the rest of the card. I also used a green plaid from "Christmas Candyland" for my background. After inking the edges of my smaller layers with Walnut Stain, I adhered them to the background.

I cut a thin strip of the "B" side of the red patterned paper, and punched one long edge with the "Scalloped Sentiment" border punch by Fiskars. I inked around the edges with Walnut Stain, to hide the white core, and glued it in place. I then adhered my focal panel to the background.

I created a "faux" bow, following this tutorial, using some white grosgrain ribbon I'd colored with an Espresso Adirondack paint dauber. I wished I could have used the Walnut Stain ink, but I've found that Distress inks will run, if they get wet, when you use them to stain ribbon. But the Espresso paint worked well enough.

Since I'd cut my green plaid to 4-1/8x5-3/8", I inked around the edges of my white A2 card base with Walnut Stain, so I would have a thin, brown mat. I let that dry for a couple of hours, then adhered my finished panel to the card base. I will be sending this card to the Caring Hearts Card Drive, so it will hopefully bring cheer to a resident of a nursing home!

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Through the Craft Room Door's "Anything Goes" for the week of November 10
Pile It On: "Any Holiday/Celebration"