I wanted to use the Birthday Chicks stamp set and when I saw the Match the Sketch challenge #216, I figured the four little squares could be the little chick images. I also liked the idea of adding my sentiment in the half circle peeking through the top panel.
I usually just stamp the images I think I will need, but recently, I've heard Amy Rysavy share a trick with dies that are not nestled. She leaves them attached, and use a stamp positioning tool to place all of the stamps face down in their matching dies, then picks up the stamps with the stamp positioner plate and when she stamps the images, they're all in the right spot, ready for die-cutting. I was intrigued so I gave it a try today, and I have to say, it worked great and saved me a ton of time! I did die-cut before I colored, just to be on the safe side, though. I figured I'd have leftover images for a future card, but in the end, I ended up working everything on the front of the card, the inside and the matching envelope. I did, however, stamp a couple of extra pages that will be ready for future use. (After taking the time to place everything on the stamp positioning tool, might as well!)
I was looking for a birthday sentiment to fill in the half-circle and I was hesitating between two stamp sets from the current Occasions catalogue, but then I spotted the "together" die from the Celebrate You Thinlits set (offered as a freebie during Sale-A-Bration). Because of the many chicks on the card, it seemed fitting to write "Let's celebrate together." I looked at my glimmer papers to find something fitting and decided on Champagne. I then stamped my other word (from the matching Sale-A-Bration stamp set Amazing You) on the Stamp-a-ma-jig sheet and was moving it aorund to find the best spot until it occured to me that the sentiment would have more impact if I stamped the word on a piece of colored paper. (There was definitely an influence from the scrapbook page I did this week on this idea.)
I have to share a trick here with you. My handcutting has vastly improved over the years, but even still, handcutting a straight little rectangle can be really tough. And forget the paper cutter for something that small, it is just as tricky. So when I saw that Waffle Flower came out with Sentiments dies, I thought it was a great idea. I wondered if I was being silly buying a set of four little rectangles, but let me tell you, WELL worth the investment. They are dies that are filled, though, so open dies, so you will have to die-cut first, and stamp second.
After I was done assembling everything, I started looking at cardstock options for my card base. Nothing was really clicking and on a whim, I pulled out Blush Blossom - and it complemented the card beautifully. I can't remember the last time I used that cardstock, probably back when it was still current!
Supplies
Stamps: Simplement formidable (Amazing You - Stampin' Up!), Birthday Chicks (My Favorite Things)
Cardstock: Blush Blossom, Whisper White
Patterned Papers: Summer DAysdays (Simple Stories)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Early Espresso
Accessories: Birthday Chicks Die-namics (My Favorite Things), Markers (Copic), Glitter Gloss Brush (Nuvo),
Whisper White Envelope, Mini Stampin' Dimensionals, 1/8" Pear Pizzazz Ribbon, It's My Birthday Enamel Dots,
Champagne Glimmer Paper, Celebrate You Thinlits, Pear PIzzazz Satin Ruffled Ribbon (Stampin' Up!),
Circle Nestabilities Dies (Spellbinders)
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