Shimmery Bird - March Christmas Card

  Wow!!  I'm kind of proud of myself! I finished my 10 Christmas cards early this month!!  This challenge is really getting my butt in gear and it so fun to be able to make a design that is a bit more time consuming.  I would never ever in a million years try to make 80+ of this design since there are a lot of steps but for 10 it was no problem.  I designed it one day and then I stamped all the birds (for the card front, inside and envelopes) since I had the shimmer ink mixed up and it would dry up if I didn't use it.  The next day I cut the rest of the paper that I needed for the Top Note.  Then over the course of a few days (mostly while watching TV) I did the sponging and then adhered the strips to Whisper White cardstock so I could run it through the Big Shot.

  I put the finishing touches on the cards on Sunday night.  I am pleased with how this design turned out.  I had some retired supplies that really needed to be used up and this is a perfect project for those bits of DSP that you're saving.  It would be so easy to just change the color scheme and end up with a birthday card; work with what you have!  The stamp set that I used is the retired Berry Christmas from last year's Holiday Mini but any set with a small image would work.  I didn't get to use this set nearly enough when it came out and I was hoping it would make the jump into the new Idea Book & Catalog over the summer but I was disappointed.  It's still a super cute little bird even if he is retired!  The other retired items are the red patterned DSP & the shimmery snowflake DSP which is from the Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP as well as the ribbon.

  The base of the card is Soft Suede.  The next layer is Whisper White embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  I rounded the edges and sponged with Soft Suede.  I added some Soft Suede, textured Real Red cardstock that was punched with the scallop border punch and embossed Whispered White strips to the DSP for my Top Note background.  That part is easy just adhere your strips to Whisper White and run it through the Big Shot with the Top Note die like you would normally.  Ta-Dah!

  To make the shimmer ink just mix a few drops of Frost White Shimmer Paint with a few drops of Real Red re-inker.  I used the lid of an empty brad container (I knew there was a reason I save these!) and mixed with a little craft popsicle stick.  You can make any color you want and it looks awesome!  Just apply a tiny bit of the shimmer ink to your stamp using a sponge dauber and then stamp.  Easy!

  The sentiment is stamped with Soft Suede and the whole thing is punched out with the Decorative Label punch and more sponging around the edges.  I added a rhinestone to one side for extra sparkle!  I popped it up on dimensionals as well.  The Top Note end points are highlighted with silver brads.  And the finishing touch is some retired organza ribbon tied around the Top Note.

  30 Christmas cards down maybe 60 to go!!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?


Stamps: Berry Christmas (retired)

Ink: Soft Suede, Real Red reinker, Frost White Shimmer Paint

Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Real Red textured, Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP (retired)

Accessories:  Top Note die, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, brads, rhinestones, organza ribbon (retired), Decorative label punch, scallop border punch, dimensionals