Thoughts of Spring lead to Spring Cards

My snowdrops are blooming! They always leave in good spirits from the moment  I see them start to push their way up out of the soil. It then becomes a constant daily watch to see if they have budded yet...if they are about to open...and sheer joy when they do. I love my snowdrops throughout that whole process.

I think I am energized from watching this earnest transformation and I finally have my card making mojo back.
The snowdrops are blooming and the birds are gathering to chirp so brightly early, early  in the morning. All my shrubs are budding with new bits of green; finally it's time for spring!

I need birthday cards...my stash is dwindling and I was inspired to create this spring themed birthday card. I based it on a card I saw on Pinterest , a card made by Amy at Pickled Paper Designs.

I managed to get some black chalk on the card just to the left of the bird. As I tried to erase it off, I realized that the eraser was leaving a different sheen on the card. As I chalked and inked the bird image, that different sheen stood out like a sore thumb! I added the branch as it hides the edge of the sheen problem and hopefully now, no one but me (and my blog readers) will know about my error!  Now, don't tell anyone...promise?

I stickled the eggs as they were hard to colour in the nest...the kraft card stock just would not take the colour.
I have decided  if I am going to continue trying to use copics, that I am going to have to invest in an ottlight with a built in magnifying glass. My plus 2.25 readers just do not cut it.

 There is an ever so tiny crystal for an eye on the little bird...good thing I hoard bling as I almost thought I didn't have one tiny enough...then down at the very bottom of the bling drawer, I found a card of teensy ones.

So far, I have just stamped the little bird image on the inside of the card. I will add a verse stamp once I know what I will use the card for. I am leaning towards a birthday verse. The card envelope is kraft as well and has the little bird stamp on the flap.

This is totally a card made from my stash. The corrugated cardboard is from the sleeve on my coffee drink at Starbucks earlier today, the jute is from a roll of ribbon I bought at the scrapbook store a couple of years ago. It is the first time I have used this jute ribbon...I think I am hooked on it now. The buttons, jute twine and card stock are from my stash and I have had them for at least 5 years. I even had the little "It's your day!" phrase leftover from another card project I did last summer.

The only new things are the little letters that spell "sing" and the memory box die branch. Those were from my Christmas money. Nice to use up some stash and good to try out my new purchases rather than immortalise them in a drawer in my room.  It's not like I haven't done that before!

I am submitting this card to the following challenges. It is the first time I have entered any challenges, so I hope I am doing this correctly!

1.http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com/  -something beginning with B- (bird, buttons, branch, bling)
2, http://sarahhurleychallenges.blogspot.com/ - use a die cut - (Memory Box branch die)
3. http://willowsketchiechallenge.blogspot.com/2012/02/anything-goes.html -anything goes
4.http://trulyscrumptiouschallenge.blogspot.com/ - All creatures great and small - (bird)
5. http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/ - Winged Things - (bird)
6. http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.com/ - fave colour - (kraft) fave embellishment (twine)
7. http://southerngirlschallenge.blogspot.com/ - distressed (torn and inked corrugated cardboard) (inked edges on everything) (torn ivory bird tag, inked edges in blue and then whole tag inked to look dirty)