Hello Bluebird | Thinking of You

Hello dear friends!

Welcome to my front porch where we talk about anything that our hearts fancy!  Today I'm thinking of you and all the encouragement and smiles you send my way here on my blog, Instagram and Facebook.  I want to make sure you know how much I appreciate your visits and love to talk with you.  If you leave a comment, please remember to check the "notification button" on an individual post if you would like to talk about something or ask a question.

Is it to early to share a sweet clean and simple springtime card?  No never! I have several friends who have been on my mind recently.  I've known them for years and they are as much family as they are friends.  This year I'm going to make sure I let them know how much they mean to me with lot's of love tucked inside a handmade card.  I don't know about you, but to many times my cards don't get mailed -- time to remedy that!

Stamp sets and dies used:

• Elephant Friends
• McGregor's Garden (watering can and sentiment)
• Wildflower Bouquet
• Stitched Tag Builder Stand Alone Die

How did I create this card:

• Cut and score a top fold A2 (4.25 x 5.5) piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb. card stock 
• Cut a second piece of Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb. 3.75 x 5.25 and round two of the corners (your choice which corners)
• Stamp the Elephant, three butterflies, and watering can on 80 lb Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock with Brutus Monroe (Raven) Detailed Permanent Ink that is alcohol marker safe and waterproof when dry.
• Color with Copic markers, or your own choice of medium - just remember to pair your medium with the correct paper.  My copic colors are as follows:
• Elephant = C00, C0, C2 and R00, R01 for inside ears and toenails
• Watering Can = C00, C0, C2; R01; BV000
• Butterflies = Y06, Y08; R21, R22; BV000, BV01
• All florals from the Wildflower Bouquet set are stamped with the Papertrey Ink premium dye inks:
• Cocoa Bean, Harvest Gold, Pale Peony, Lilac Grace, Green Parakeet, and New Leaf
• Small oval from the Stand Alone set, Stitched Tag Builder, was cut from Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 lb. and slightly inked with the Harvest Gold premium ink.
• Adhere the small oval with liquid adhesive.
• Begin placing your elements where you'd like them remembering the little elephant will be popped up with 3M dimensional adhesives last.  I actually adhered the watering can underneath the baby elephant's trunk first and put my 3M adhesives on but didn't take the tacky backing off until I knew exactly where I would place her.
• Little details - remember last time we talked about little details?  Here we go!
• Three little butterflies in colors that repeat in the florals
• And three tiny water droplets in flat jewels from Little Yellow Bicycle or your choice.
• Gold leaf pen trim around the image panel. 

The gold leaf pen is something I do often when creating a CAS design.  It just gives it that extra something special and I attribute it to my sweet online friend Katie Sims

Thinking of You Close Up

A simple way to tell your friends and family, "I'm thinking of You!"

And now dear friends I must tell you that I'm flying the nest.  This will be my last card for Hello Bluebird Stamps as a design team member.  I will continue to create cards with their delightful illustrations and post them here and on my other galleries, but it's time to slow down and enjoy this new decade and season of life.   I hope you'll continue to visit me here, on Instagram and Facebook as I continue to create and share my art.   As I go forth I want you to know there will always be a little bluebird on my shoulder!

With sincere love and hugs,

Susie ~

Hello Bluebird | Bluebird on my Shoulder

Hello dear friends,

Welcome to a cold and windy visit on my front porch!  A friend said the weather in Charleston is like picking power ball numbers - 56, 31, 27, 65, 19, 70!   Maybe I should purchase a ticket (she laughs).   How about you, how's your weather?   Our poor little cyclamen plants had to be brought in from the screened porch to weather out the next few days of cold.   But no matter the weather, rain or shine, I've got a bluebird on my shoulder!   And that my dear friends is the title of my newest card.

I'm sharing a mid-January card using several Hello Bluebird Stamp sets and transitioning these older sets to create new scene for Valentine's Day.  So let's get our beverage and start talking crafty talk shall we?

How did I create this card:

• Cut a 4.25 x 5.5 card base (top fold) from Neenah Solar White Classic Crest card stock 110 lb
• Cut a panel 3.75 x 5.25 from Neenah Solar White Classic Crest card stock 80 lb 
• Ink blend the 3.75 x 5.25 panel with Ranger Distress Oxide Spun Sugar and Wilted Violet and spritz with water.  Stamp your sentiment and set aside to dry.   I used Brutus Monroe Detail Ink (Raven) as my ink choice.
• Stamp your images and color with your choice of medium, then die-cut with the available coordinating dies.  I used the following stamp sets:
• Rainy Day
• North Star
• Springtime
• Rainbow Script
• I colored my images with Copics so I chose to use Memento (Tuxedo Black) as my stamping ink.
• With my panel now dry, I arranged my colored images.  I used the stamped sentiment to ground my larger elements.  The little girl is popped up with 3M tape as are the clouds and sunshine  The puppy and duck are adhered with Nuvo by Tonic Deluxe Adhesive 
• Instead of raindrops I've added rays of sunshine hearts in yellow "sunshine" by PaperSource
• Little details are subtle:
• The bluebird on the shoulder 
• Tiny heart on the puppy's collar
• Valentine heart in the little girl's hand.

Don't forget those little details for in my humble opinion they take a design to the next level.   A simple card such as this now keeps the viewers eye longer and brings a sigh of delight (I hope) *laughing*   Background colors also play a big part too.  I tried several different colors and mediums before settling on the purple/pink combo (remember your color wheel).

It's my hope to have a dialogue with crafters here on my front porch; so thank you as always for visiting and leaving such lovely comments.  I hope you've enjoyed this sunny little valentine.

The sun will be out tomorrow, but in the meantime let's create something that makes that little bluebird on our shoulder sing!  Until next time.

Very sincerely,

Susie ~

Hello Bluebird | Thinking of You with Love...

"I wrote in a song that in the long, long trip of growing, there are stops along the way...

~ Mister Rogers

Hello Bluebird Friends!

Christmas is only eight days away - to a child it must seem like a long, long trip of "are we there yet?"   Today I'm taking a look back through my own childhood stops along the way.

I love red, I do!   And I love Christmas with all that it brings.  But I am especially fond of Valentine's Day.  Valentine baskets, mailboxes, cards to create and color, cookies to bake and decorate -- February colored in pink and red; adorned in chocolate and lace!   Oh I'm in love with love itself!

And, with each and every Valentine card I create I wander down memory lane to second grade.  I drop a card into each doily trimmed basket and look forward to the party about to take place.  Sweets shaped like hearts and little candies that say, "Will you be my Valentine!"  YES!

So today I've created a Valentine's Day card for YOU using the stamps sets and the available companion dies:

• Merry Mice
• Storybook Friends
• North Star
• Banner Blessings

I've also used the Stand Alone Die set, Gallery Frame #1 cut from red card stock.

How did I create this card?

I cut an A2 card base (top fold) in 110 lb Neenah Solar White card stock and set it aside.  Then I began stamping the images from the stamp sets listed above in Memento Ink (Tuxedo Black) and set them aside.  I also cut 2 white card stock panels (3.75 x 5.0 inches).   I die cut a heart from one, and ink blended the other with Distress Ink, Spun Sugar and a little Victorian Velvet.  Then I married the two with some adhesive, let it dry, and stamped my sentiment from the Banner Blessings set in VersaFine Ink (Black).  Sometimes I will do a "ghost" mock up that helps me with placement.  I die-cut the companion dies without stamping on them and move them around until I like the placement.

Satisfied with placement, I continue on.   I played with the idea of leaving the heart die-cut panel white, but decide to see what a contrasting color pattern might look like.  Hmm, I like that!

Now the fun begins - coloring!   All stamp images are colored with Copic markers.

• Mouse = C00, C1;
• Mailbox and Scarf = R22,24, and 27; E31, 32, 34
• Bluebird = B00, B01; R00, R01
• Flowers = B00, 01, 34, 64; R22, 24, 27; Y08
• Leaves: BG 70, 72, G03
• White Gel Pen

With all the images colored, I adhered them in place.  The only images raised with 3M adhesive tape are the mouse and bluebird.   I cut a slit in the mailbox opening and tucked one of the envelopes inside and that gives it a little height - enough that I can tuck an extra letter underneath.   The third letter is held by the little mouse.  I like to keep little negatives from dies, i.e., dots, hearts, etc.   They come in so handy for additional ephemera to put on your card.   For this card, thoughts of love using negative dots and hearts drift upward as the little bluebird gazes at the sentiment - Thinking of You with Love!

I hope you've enjoyed my card today.   Wishes for the Merriest of Christmases and a Happy New Year!  Be sure to visit the Hello Bluebird IG and Facebook galleries for new cards and inspiration from the design team.   Until next time ~

Sincerely yours,
Susie ~

Hello Bluebird | Release Day!

It just gets cuter and cuter each day!  Do you think you've found your favorite yet?   Not sure?  Well, let me help you just a little bit *giggle*   Don't forget the release goes live tonight at 7:00pm MST

I like to include a CAS design in my card line up for a new release -- something for everyone, right?  Today I'm featuring the new stamp set, First Snow.   If you missed the first day of previews, please hop over to the Hello Bluebird blog and take a look at the sample cards featuring First Snow, and the stamp and die set.

I loved the two little bunnies who looked like they were throwing a kiss and extending their arms in a gesture of welcome wishes.  I colored both bunnies with Copic markers (I will list the colors at the bottom of the post) and cut them out using the available companion die set.

I cut out a heart from masking paper and placed it in the middle of my panel and did some ink blending with Distress Spun Sugar ink.   The ink blended heart serves as a foundation and grounds the two bunnies.  Then, being careful to use the rule of thirds, I stamped the little snowflakes in watermark ink and embossed with sliver embossing powder.   I placed the bunnies on the heart (without adhesives) so I could see where to place the sentiments.  Once I had the sentiment stamps in place I carefully lifted the bunnies off and put the panel in my stamp positioner.   I used Hero Arts Black Dye ink to stamp the sentiments. 

**PSA**  Please be careful at this point.  Dye ink dries much slower than others, and will smear in a moments notice.  Use your heat tool for a second or two, or set the piece down, get a beverage, and take a little break (she smiles).  Once everything is dry, adhere your bunnies (I popped mine up with 3M adhesive tape).  Last but not least, I placed three sweet hearts strategically around the bunnies and snowflakes. 

Copic colors used:

• C00, C0, C1 | RV0000, RV000
• RV52, RV55, RV63
• BG53, BG57

A lovely CAS design with icy white balance, slivery snowflakes, sweet pink hearts, and two little bunnies who send Snowflake kisses and Winter Wishes!   I hope you've enjoyed my card sample today and throughout this beautiful winter release.   Thank you for your visits and wonderful comments.

Hello Bluebird | Preview Day 3

Day 3 previews of Hello Bluebird Stamps new winter release!

Hi friends, and welcome to the front porch today!   It's been a whirlwind of inspiration on the Hello Bluebird Stamps Blog, Instagram, and FB Friends Group sites in anticipation of the new winter release that goes live on Monday, October 28th, 7pm MST     Everyone is in a twitter over all the sweet winter and Christmas stamp sets, and stand alone die sets!    Please make sure you visit the Hello Bluebird Blog during the previews and comment for a chance to win one of four $50 gift certificates.  You'll be able to see the stamp sets, dies, and of course, all the inspiration samples by the U.S. based design team.   And if that isn't enough, next week we'll be treated to even more inspiration by the International design team!! 

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the hallow, not a creature...  Today I'm featuring my favorite set, O Christmas Tree, and the new stand alone background die, Snowy Sky Scene.

As much as I adore all the Hello Bluebird Stamp illustrations, my favorites are all the little characters.  From their sweet smiles to their innocent gaze, they endear themselves to us by their human attributes; trimming the tree, having a cocoa party, decorating their tree house in the woods.  We can't help ourselves -- we have fallen in love with them!

This is an A2 side fold card.  I stamped out all the images in the set and colored them using Copic markers.  I used the O Christmas Tree companion die set available in this release and cut out my images.  I also die-cut the Snowy Sky Scene and ink blended the top portion that is perforated with stars and different sized  holes to project a snowy/starry night with two different Distress Inks, Tumbled Glass and Stormy Night.

I slightly inked the edges of the snowy hills with Tumbled Glass, and adhered all the pieces on my first panel.  Tip: only adhere the edges of your snowy hills (and the bottom hill) so you can tuck your characters in the desired position(s).  Now it's time to choose how you want to position your characters to project the scene you'd like to portray.  I added a little Stickles glitter along the top edge of the hills and pulled it down in a sweeping motion with a toothpick (you'd be surprised at the tools I use).  I added just a little bit of white gouache on some of the tree branches which I think provides some extra dimension and interest.  A lovely gold leaf trim around the panel finishes the card. 

I hope you've enjoyed my card today.  It was a pleasure to create it for Hello Bluebird and YOU!

I'll see you again soon for the last day of previews.  Thank you as always for your visit to my front porch!

Hello Bluebird Stamps | Winter Release Preview Day 2

Hello friends!  How did you like the Hello Bluebird Stamps new winter release preview day 1 samples?  Believe me it's a pleasure creating a card with such lovely stamps and dies.   Please don't forget to visit the Hello Bluebird blog each day during the previews days; leave a comment for a chance to win one of four $50 gift certificates.

The question for you today is this:  Have you had your family Christmas photo yet?  Oh you know the kind; the once a year photo where the entire family wears color coordinated outfits.   Mr. and Mrs. Claus and their woodland friends posed for their photo and I think it's as sweet as Christmas pie!

Today is day 2 of our Previews and I'm featuring, Family Photo -- how cute is that name for a stamp set?!  Included in this set is the image you see on my card today (it's all one stamp - no masking); an extra reindeer, small sitting penguin, little heart, candy cane, snowflake, and two nice sentiments.

I started my card by ink blending a background with distress ink Tumbled Glass for the sky, then added a snowy hill.   I stamped "the family" and colored them with Copic markers and finished with a little colored pencil for additional depth.  I used the companion die to cut my colored piece out and placed it over my background.  I also played around with some solid colored frames, before deciding on a more decorative one of patterned paper to break up the color coordinated outfits (she laughs).  

I was thinking about all the great Christmas frames available this time of year and thought Santa and Mrs. Claus would approve.  I placed the second reindeer a little off the main photo to give some depth and interest.  To finish the card I added some white Tonic Nuvo drops and Stickles Stardust in the sky.  Candy canes and sweet red hearts complete the card.

From our Family to Yours, From Heart and Hand, You're wished a very Merry Christmas!

I hope you've enjoyed my card today and will pop over to the Hello Bluebird Blog and the galleries of the design team members to see what they have for you today.

Thank you for stopping by, I always appreciate your visits.   The Hello Bluebird Release goes live on Monday, October 28th at 7:00pm MST

Hello Bluebird| Preview Day 4 | Fly a Kite

RELEASE DAY!

Fly a Kite

Hello Bluebird friends!  Welcome to my front porch, and day 4 of the the new April release previews which will culminate tonight April 16th at 7:00pm MST when the release goes live on the Hello Bluebird Stamps website.

Release day is here!    I am amazed I am almost through my first release as a "Bluebird" I'm still pinching myself.   But, I have several more cards to share with you this month - so let's talk.  I've been using Copics as my "medium" for all of the cards this month, including this one.  But, style is an entirely different animal, err, character (she smiles).   Today's card is a CAS design with an inked blended background.  It is a simple, but effective way to feature the principle element by framing it with other images or playing off a sentiment(s) and leaving a balanced white space.

For my card today I am using the new release set, Fly a Kite.  I loved coloring these adorable illustrations turned stamps.  Early in my stamping journey I wanted to give voice to the card designs I was creating.  Building scenes and story lines is a prefect way to accomplish that goal.

Life is Better with Friends is one of the sentiments included in the Fly a Kite set.  And it is the foundation for my CAS design.  Look at the interaction between the little bee and the fox - friendship is implied between the two by the sweet smile on the face of the fox.  The rest of the group help by surrounding the CAS design in the photo staging.  The card begins to tell a simple story on and off the card.

In the months ahead you'll see me use different mediums and styles and hopefully you'll be inspired to join the fun -- We can do this together! 

The new April 2019 Release will be available for purchase tonight at 7:00pm MST  Don't miss out, this release is going to go fast.

Hello Bluebird Stamps + Your Imagination = Inspiration

 Because Life is Better with Friends!

As always, thank you for joining me today.  And I'll see you soon.