Birds in a Bush

Every morning this week, I've woken up to the sounds of chirping birds.  That's a good sign that spring is on its way!  In honor of that, and to play along with this week's Stampin' Royalty Challenge #61, I combined Pendant Park and Aviary.

Even though Stampin' Up!'s stamp sets give a full range of options individually, they also are great for mixing and matching.  I hoped that the scale of the Aviary birds would work well with the bush from Pendant Park, and a little masking later, I found out that I was right!  I love how it looks like the birds are sitting in the bush--especially the bright blue one in the middle.  To achieve this look, you have to stamp the top image (in this case, the birds) first, then cover those with post-it notes.  Next, stamp the bottom image (the bush) and then remove the post-it notes to reveal your nicely branch-free birds.

Stampin' Royalty Challenge #61 is a color challenge, requiring Wild Wasabi, Sahara Sand, and Garden Green.  I love Wild Wasabi, and was reminded that Garden Green is a wonderful shade of green.  Sahara Sand, on the other hand, I always have difficulty using.  I like it, but it's not as plain as vanilla or white, and always looks a little gray to me on cards.  What do you think?  I do like this color combination and will definitely have to try it again in different ratios.  The base of this card is Garden Green, as is the bush, and the accents--the layered square and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch--are Wild Wasabi.

The finishing touch is the sentiment, which I pulled from the level 1 hostess set Because I Care.  I stamped it once for each of the little birds, and this card is ready to spread some spring cheer.

Cheers!
~Melanie

Stamps: Pendant Park, Aviary, Because I Care
Ink: Garden Green, Poppy Parade, Pacific Point, Chocolate Chip, Early Espresso
Paper: Garden Green, Wild Wasabi, Sahara Sand
Extras: Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch