I Love My Birdie Punch

A friend of mine has commissioned me before to make cards for her. This time, she needed a card for a Grandma. (She needs 2 other cards too, but they will be for another day).
The Grandma in question apparently loves flowers and birds, so I was really pleased to have no excuse but to get out my Two Step Bird punch from the Autumn /Winter mini catalogue!
I actually started with the Whisper White piece and stamped the images from A Rose is a Rose in a strategic spray across the bottom and up the right hand side in Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke. (This stamp set is a Two-Step set, meaning you layer the images in 2 tone colours to get the depth.) Then I cut out the blossom buds and layered them up on dimensionals (not sure if you can tell that from the photo). I used some Crystal Effects (thick clear medium for adding dimension and shine) to add dew drops to my leaves and petals, and left it to dry. Next I tied the Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon around the whole piece, and tucked it under the biggest bud. I layered it onto a piece of Chocolate Chip card stock as the card base - I love cutting my A4 card stock down the middle long ways to make a card that either opens tall upwards, or in this case, opens long sideways. The Eyelet Border punch can also be used to make pretty corners, as you can see on the left hand side of the card.
So then I got to create my birdie. The Two-Step Bird punches out a bird body, his teeny wing, and a branch for him to sit on. I punched him in Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke. I used the small overlay leaf image from the A Rose is a Rose stamp set and added some texture to the leaves and the birdie's belly. I used the Chocolate Chip marker for his eye and beak. I layered the Close to Cocoa on the Chocolate Chip body, and the Chocolate Chip wing onto the Mellow Moss one. I used the Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke branches. Then I sat him up on a dimensional. All done!
Except for the sentiment.... Happy Birthday (stamped in Regal Rose ink) from Teeny Tiny Sentiments in the Autumn/Winter mini catalogue fits neatly into the Word Window punch, and I stamped the base leaf image from A Rose is a Rose to tie it in with the card in Mellow Moss ink. The sweetly perfect mat for the Word Window is none other than the Scallop Oval Punch (still available from the Spring Mini catalogue!!!) with the top and bottom cut off! Cute hey!

Now whilst all my friends are at the Stampin' Up! Convention, I am terribly green with envy, but it's also nice to be home with time to stamp! I hope my friend's Grandma likes her card!