A Day Without Coffee

Would you like to play around with a design like this? You'll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs . Follow the link below and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

I had such fun creating this card - these little birds are adorable and it was such fun combining them with stencils to tell a story.

I used three different stencils, Circle Stripes to create the background, as well as Coffee Pot and Big Fat Drops as part of the story the card tells.

Getting Started:

Card Base: 5.25 x 10.5, scored and folded at 5.25

Black layer: 5.25 5.25

card face: 5 1/8 x 5 1/8

Card Face:

• I began by using Circle Stripes and a variety of inks to create a colourful but somewhat subdued background. I was mindful about using a light hand with my blending brushes, as I knew that I would be stamping directly onto this.

• Once I had the background done, I switched to black pigment ink for the resk of the card.

• I played around a bit with placement of the wee birds (they are all individual stamps), and the coffee pot. I knew that I would be adding a drop of coffee coming out into the little bird's mouth, so positioning was important. Once I was comfortable with that I put the Coffee Pot stencil in place, and added black ink. (This stencil does include a second image so you can add coffee to the pot, but for this card I just used a blending brush and swiped it along the inside of the pot where it would be if it was pouring out.)

• I put the card face into my stamping platform, and recreated the bird tower. I stamped it two or three times to be certain that I had good coverage and then added clear embossing powder and heat set it.

• I added the sentiment in next - again stamping each line several times to ensure good coverage, and then enhancing with clear embossing powder.

• Now it was time for the little guy who is flying: I stamped him as I did the others, but quickly realized that the coffee in the pot was showing through his body and looked like part of his innards. That wouldn't work! I needed a new plan ....

• I took a piece of scrap cardstock and the same inks I had used earlier and tried to recreate a similar look with the Circle Stripes stencil. Then I stamped the little bird on the scrap and heat embossed him exactly like the others. Once the embossing powder had cooled (a matter of seconds) I used scissors to cut him out. I didn't worry about the legs - I actually cut them off of this second version of the bird. I glued this one down directly over top of the original, carefully lining it up with the legs that were already stamped onto the cardface.

• I was pretty happy with that solution, but I thought that the little guy needed to be a bit more distinct so I carefully traced his circumerence with a black marker. I really was being careful , but despite that the marker slipped and I ended up with a black stroke running up onto the little guy's belly. To disguise that I created a narrow black arc along the bottom of this little guy. It looked ok, so I added it to the other birds as well to make it look like part of the design (but you know better now!)

• I chose one of the smaller drops from the Big Fat Drops stencil and added that to the picture, and the story was complete. However, I thought the card face could use an added "something", so I got out my metallic watercolour and carefully put some here and there , avoiding the birds and the coffee pot.

Assembly:

I glued the black cardstock to the card base, and then I glued the cardface on top of that.

I added some little black gems, and the card was complete.

Final Thoughts: I thought this card was fun and unique. I had a story in mind when I created it: the flying bird is trying to buzz in and catch that drop of coffee for himself. Interestingly, when I showed my daughter that's not what she saw: she saw the flying bird as supporting the coffee pot and helping it to tip coffee out for his little friend.

Supplies: (and links where possible)

Stencils: Circle Stripes, Coffee Pot and Big Fat Drops, All from A Colorful Life Designs

Stamps

birds: Happy Bird Day, Your Next Stamp

sentiments: retired Stampin' Up!, but this can easily be recreated using a computer

ink: Stampin' Up!

blending brushes: Stampin' Up!

black pigment ink: I've had the same ink for so long that it has retired! however, any black pigment ink will work

clear embossing powder:Wow, Simon Says Stamp

Amazon

Metallic watercolour for spatter:Aoutle, Amazon

adhesive: Tombo Aqua, Amazon or Simon Says Stamp

black gems: Stampin' Up!

black cardstock: Stampin' Up!

card base: Accent 100 lb, Amazon

card face: Accent 80 lb, Amazon

Thanks for Popping By!

The Gifts of Cardmaking: Fostering Creativity and Building Connections