Splitcoaststampers Card Sketch 789

I have never been one to watch TV other than Jeopardy! every night (yes, every night - I am devoted to that show and determined to be a contestant).  But, saints on skates!  Alaina and I have found ourselves bonding over a multitude of fantastically entertaining fare lately.

Brain Games.

The Masked Singer.

Survivor (I was around for the season when Rob and Amber fell in love and my college freshman was a newborn during Season 2 in the Australian Outback (hands down the best-looking Survivor season)).

I think all that TV watching is messing with my stamping mojo, though, because I found it difficult to make this card, even with the help of this week's sketch from Splitcoaststampers.

When in a stamping funk, my trick is to pull out a small pile of pretties and pile them on my desk.  I use only those supplies to make something.  It helps me focus.  In my pile was: 

• Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper
• Free As A Bird stamp set
• Ornate Frames Dies
• Scalloped Tag Topper Punch
• Noble Peacock Rhinestones
• Metallic Twine & Sequins Combo Pack (sadly, it was announced yesterday that supplies ran out - Petal Pink Metallic Edge Ribbon would be a beautiful substitute)

The Pool Party cardstock seemed too bright so I swiped a Whisper White ink pad across it a few times.  The look is GORGEOUS!  I'm definitely revisiting that trick to make a background for a future project!  The bird and leaves were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink (the ink to use when coloring with Stampin' Blends) and colored with Light & Dark Calypso Coral (bird) and Light & Dark Mossy Meadow (leaves) Stampin' Blends.  

Cutting with Paper Snips: there are no dies for the the Free As A Bird set, but with the right scissors, it isn't hard to cut out the images.  Paper Snips are the best for what we call "fussy cutting" because they are small, which makes them easily maneuvered, and sharp to the tip of the blade.  A blade that's sharp to the tip means small snips and tight turns are a piece of cake!  You don't have to use the entire blade to cut, which makes cuts more precise.

Cutting Tip: move the paper, not your scissors.  Paper Snips are extremely sharp so moving the paper will give you a nice smooth outline that hugs the image.

Vellum always adds a subtle touch when you need "something" but not a lot of it (or you don't know what that "something" is 😂).  The greeting was stamped in Basic Gray ink on Gray Granite cardstock.  Gray Granite is not an "official" color in the Bird Ballad DSP, but that's ok!  Stampin' Up! is the best when it comes to color coordination but there are no stamping police that say you have to stick to the program.

Remember, any order of $35 or more (before shipping and tax) receives the project kits from Tuesday's Live!  Be sure to use Reward Code AHKD9ZWS for orders under $150.  Orders over $150 will get their own Stampin' Rewards plus the project kits.  Place your order by Midnight ET this Friday!

You can find the project sheet for Tuesday's Happy (half) Hour Live projects here.

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