Free As A Bird - Hopping Around The World - Sketch Challenge

Hello and welcome to another Hop Around the World. If you have hopped over from Mai in France and her lovely project or, you are starting here with me - why not grab a cuppa and hop along with us?

This month our theme is a sketch challenge that has been designed for us by Rachael Macleod.

During the current situation my SU business has taken a bit of a back seat for obvious reasons!  However I have been keeping busy coordinating a team of almost 300 volunteers offering assistance for the elderly and vulnerable in the town where I live.

I am making (when I have time), and more importantly, sending lots of thank you cards at the moment; because I can and more importantly they deserve it!

One set I have been using a lot recently is Free As A Bird.  It has the most marvelous sentiments that are just right.

Here is my project, I turned the challenge image on its side!  I did see a very similar design to this the other day created by Narelle Farrugia - I got the idea to chop the image in two from her!  You can see Narelle's card on my Pinterest Board HERE along with lots of other inspiration too.

Here are the colours I used for my project - taken from the Bird Ballard Designer Series Paper.

Basic Black

Crumb Cake

Old Olive

Petal Pink

Pool Party

Smoky Slate

To Create the Free As A Bird card

21 cm x 14.5 cm scored at 10.5 cm ww thick

11 cm x 7 cm Basic Black

ww thick card for stamping and some die cutting

3 cm x 14.5 cm strip of DSP

2 x 1 cm strips of DSP

To create the background

Cut two stitched Rectangles; one from black and one from ww card.

I added some colour to the ww rectangle with Pool Party Ink and a Sponge Brayer.  You can see how I did this on my previous post HERE.  I added ink across the stop and a little way down each side but forgot to take a photo!

I stamped this lovely sentiment onto the smaller stitched rectangle with Memento ink.

To stamp and colour the birds

I used Memento ink and thick ww card and fussy cut out.

I coloured the images with Stampin' Blends.  I started with the leaves, flowers and the branch.

Then I moved on to the birds.  I started by adding some Pool Party to the highlighted areas on the image.

Then I added Light Crumb cake across the head, beak and around the tummy area.

I also added a little Smoky Slate (Light) and smooshed over the colouring with the Colour Lifter to soften slightly.

At this point I took another look at the sketch and then arrange all my pieces on the card front without adhering.

I realised that the bird image was too long for my project.  

It was at this point that I saw the project I mentioned earlier designed by Narelle!  So, I snipped the branch apart and did a little more fussy cutting - problem solved!

To assemble the Free As A Bird card

Adhere the 3cm strip of DSP across the front of the card with Tombow.

I used dimensionals to adhere both rectangles.

I added the sentiment panel (again with dimensionals) and then tucked the birds behind also using dimensionals.

I added one the smaller strips of DSP the inside of the card and across the front of the envelope.

I coloured some jewels with a Stampin' Blends for a bit of sparkle.

I also did a little stamping and colouring on the inside too.  Looking at the photo below, I may add another flower on the left of the sentiment!

Here is the completed card and envelope.

I hope you enjoyed my project.  This card will be winging (sorry) its way to a very special lady called Hannah very soon!

Next up is Maureen from the USA  I can't wait to see how she has interpreted this sketch challenge.

Stay safe and well, happy crafting!

Susan xx

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WW thick 21 cm x 14.5 cm scored at 10.5 cm 

Basic Black

Dsp 3 cm x 14.5 cm