Bird-Chirping Weather FWF - 7-31

Oh, such a very naughty kitty-cat!!!

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Hi, Friends.....

I am here with my Unity - Friends with Flair project for the week.  I used a super-fun Unity grab bag stamp:  "My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather."  Sweet!  I have had this card partially made for months, but didn't know exactly how I wanted to use the elements.  So today I finally made the plunge and went shabby chic.  I even was able to use a large scrap of pastel pink cardstock for the big background piece!  Yay!!

My bird on the branch is the Sizzix Bigz Bird Branch die by Tim Holtz.  I die cut some Core'dinations heavy duty white cardstock for a good sturdy base without having to layer it.  Then I Versamarked and heat embossed the daylights out of it with layers and layers of powders of many colors, including verdigris, gold, maroon, and copper. I achieved a wonderful texture and blistery effect for the rough branch by overheating some embossing enamel on it.  When I had trouble getting my powders and such to stay put, I used glue.  I simulated the coloration of the robin by strategically adding the powders in the right spots.

My pink background is a complex mix of little pattern stamping, heat embossing, sponging, and splattering with water.  Distress ink in Worn Lipstick is the most predominant feature.  Love how it looks like a sunrise behind my bird.  A big single-knot in some thrift store frayed satin blanket binding for the bow and a strip behind the focal panel in the same color ties everything  together.  

I hope you have enjoyed my card.  I love how it turned out!!!
Thank you so much for your visit and for the lovely comments you leave.  Have a wonderful weekend!!

<3 
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Unity - Friends with Flair Link-Up
2. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
3. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Not Ordinary Paper (I used an extra heavy weight cardstock for my die cut. I hope that is out of the ordinary enough!)
4. Simon Says Stamp Work-It Wednesday - Use Die-Cuts
5. DRS Challenge #185 - Cause a Scene
6. Stamp and Create - July Challenge - Patterns
(I stamped my little patterned stamps in a checkerboard square arrangement on the focal panel.)
7. Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #226 - The Great Outdoors