Graphic45 Birdsong - Bird Punch Card

This is the last of the Graphic45 Birdsong cards, at least for awhile. I still have quite a bit of the paper left so I will be using it on something eventually.

I wanted to go with some more of the Shanghai Girls images since I have quite a few of them and this time I chose to play up the cherry blossoms in the background. I also wanted to use the Stampin Up Bird Punch on some cards since the paper is Birdsong, it just kinda made sense in my head.

I think this was the most basic of the cards I did since there isn't a lot of paper layering and the focus is more on the blossoms. The bird and branch is from the Stampin Up Bird Punch. And there is still time to order for my Online Stampin Up Party!

I had a little cherry blossom stamp, at least that is what I think it is and for this purpose that is what it is, and I used it on some TPC Clear Translucent paper, which is much like vellum but just different enough that you can print and stamp on it very nicely. I got the sheets at the bargain store I love so much a few years ago when they got a bunch of scrapbooking stuff in. I bought several packs since it was such a good price. I also used it to mat the large image on and then put over colored paper so it softened the frame around the image.

But back to the cherry blossoms. After stamping them and letting the ink dry I used my Blush Blossom and Pretty In Pink Stampin Up Markers to add color. I thought it still needed a little something else and adding the white dots in the middle with the Signo-UM 153 gel pen did the trick. It also helped camouflage the small piece of mounting foam under the blossoms. I did have to cut the blossoms out by hand but once again it was worth the effort!

Graphic45 Birdsong - Collage Card

Remember the first set of cards I posted and there were 12 and I told you there were 12 different ladies? Well I had to think of something different to do with those ladies and this is the result.

The background behind the lady is from the Jasmine Dream sheet, the same sheet as the larger image on yesterday's card. When I first looked at them I wasn't sure how to use them but I knew I wanted to use them in some form or fashion and then it suddenly dawned on me to cut out the ladies and put them on the background.

All the decorative strips are ones I had left from different sheets and like I told you the other day it is kinda nice cutting the papers apart because you are left with some nice strips to use on other projects. I think this was the card I was doing when I told my friend Carmen "At this point I am just layering my strips of paper on the cards and hope the chit turns out looking okay".

Here you can see where the lady is pop dotted on the background image giving her the look of being in the forefront. I think the photograph look of her against the artistic drawing of the background gives a good dimension *okie is suddenly quite impressed with her description on that and feels like she sounds all artistic and chit and laughs wondering if that beeotch Martha Stewart could do as well*.

I hate to hand cut since I feel like I have a machine that cuts and I shouldn't have to hand cut but I have to admit these didn't take that long to cut out and it was worth the little extra effort.

Graphic45 Birdsong - Jasmine Dream

This was from the Jasmine Dream sheet in the Birdsong collection and the image of the lady was the larger image in the middle section of the paper.

I made two of these since I had the image from the sheets where I made other cards and since they are both exactly alike I am only posting one picture. I did hate that I couldn't use more of the image because it was gorgeous but there is only so much room on a card available. I am hoping to remember to go back and make some larger cards with the Birdsong paper when I get my large envelopes from Linda. She was ordering envelopes for her Cards For Soliders and there were some A9 envelopes for $5 so I had her order me a box *okie still wonders what she is going to do with 1,000 A9 envelopes*. 

The card was fast to put together since I had most of the papers already left over from other cards. I did like the pearls added in the bottom right hand corner of the large image and I am always amazed at how little touches such as this can nicely finish up a project.

Since there were quite a few of the bird images I decide to layer them up and use one as a base and then cut the red from another and pop dot it on the base. I have no idea why I am so addicted to dimension on projects but my addiction is causing my mounting foam supply to diminish *okie is always on the lookout for good deals on mounting foam*.

Graphic45 Birdsong Cards - Shanghai Girls

I have a love hate relationship with Graphic 45 papers...I absolutely love them and buy them but then I hate cutting them apart. One of the things that draws me to the papers are the large pictures on the 12x12 sheets and then I think "OMG! I can't cut that apart!" but I finally found the courage to do so with this set of cards.

There were 12 images on one of the sheets, all of different ladies and I knew I could cut that apart because I had several sheets. Okay, okay, more than several since when you find this treasured line at Tuesday Morning it is in a set of 25 of the same sheet and makes it perfect with sharing with other crafty friends.

My friend Carmen is the one that found the Birdsong papers at a Tuesday Morning in Houston. Let me remind you that I sometimes feel like she is my personal shopper from afar since she has access to a lot more stores in Houston than I do here in podunk Ada, Oklahoma *okie wonders if that was to negative since she loves her little podunk town of Ada*. I know I told you guys before that she never lets me pay her with cash but instead I have to send crafty items to her. These last few shopping trips are costing me quite a few cards but all well worth it!

Another sheet of the line had the little pictures of the birds on it and I cut it apart and it left me with some other large images that I used on some other cards and will be posting later this week. I did decide to mat the images as it made them stand out a little more against all the patterns of the paper.

Each sentiment on the cards was taken from the sticker sheet *okie hears a few gasps* YES I USED STICKERS! But in all fairness they are Graphic45 stickers so they are not your regular ol stickers! Lucky for me they fit nicely on the Stampin Up Modern Label Punch. And remember I am having on online Stampin Up party right now during Stampin Up's Sale-A-Bration so if you would like to order this punch it would help me with the party and if you order $50 or more you get a free item from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. The inside of the card is blank so the user can write what they want as I couldn't decide what kind of card they should be. Of course with my sick sense of humor I did think about using the one that says "Longevity" as a sympathy card or a congrats on your divorce card *okie thinks one of these days she is going to be banished to hell for her sense of humor* but of course I didn't do it.

The hardest part about these cards were finding enough pinkish colored flowers to go on all 12 and I might be needing to replenish my little pink flowers soon! The leaves behind the flowers were done with the Stampin Up Bird Punch. I also used that punch on another card from this series that will be posting later this week.