Birthday Birdie

Before I get to today's card info, a few quick notes: First, the diaper favor template -- it's coming! I promise. My design deadlines are coming one after the other, so I'm hunkered down for the weekend getting those things finished. I'll get the template and instructions put together for Monday or Tuesday. Second, my Sketch for You To Try is also coming a little later (same excuse). And third, so far so good on the whole 40 thing!

Okay, on to today's card. Since I'm the host this month at Our Creative Corner, I couldn't flake out on this challenge ;) Plus, it's a sketch challenge, and I love those! Even though I nearly always sketch out my cards on paper before stamping a thing, I've never put together an "official" sketch. Hope this is one you'll like.

I flipped the main image from the left to the right to accommodate my image, which is from Verve's new Birthday Surprise set. The patterned papers all come from the Nana's Nursery Baby Boy collection from DCWV. I stamped the bird on watercolor paper and colored with an aqua painter and reinkers. (By the way, has anyone else had problems watercoloring with Apricot Appeal? Everytime I do, I end up with a splotchy mess. Wondering if it's something about that particular ink color, or if it's my reinker. Can they go bad, I wonder?) The balloons, hat and wing are all stamped a second time, trimmed out and popped up. I coated the balloons with Crystal Effects for some shine.

Be sure to head over to Our Creative Corner to see what all the rest of the designers (Cindy, Dawn, Denise, Jennifer, Julee, Laurie, and Lynda) put together with this sketch. We'd love to have you play along! If you upload to SCS, use keyword: OCCC.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!



Stamps: Birthday Surprise (Verve)
Paper: Baja Breeze, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White card stock (SU!); Nana's Nursery Baby Boy Collection (DCWV); watercolor paper (Canson)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko); Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze (SU)
Accessories: corner rounder, Baja Breeze striped ribbon, Apricot and Celery 1/4" grosgrai, aqua painter, paper piercer, dimensionals, Crystal Effects (all SU); scalloped rectangle Nestability (Spellbinders); clear adhesive crystals (Martha Stewart)