Hi everyone! Life has been a little heavy handed lately, but I've enjoyed making cards when time allows. Today I have a Christmas card which was inspired by the previous Peace on Earth challenge. It was made in plenty of time but I just couldn't get it photographed and up on the blog. I'm here now, though, and will share in the current POE challenge. There is no resemblance to the inspiration board, but it's not required, thank goodness. I'm grateful for any encouragement to get my Christmas cards done!
I do think the cardinal with leafy flourish is the prettiest thing! It's one of my recently acquired Cottage Cutz dies -- retired and a bargain basement price. I cannot resist the occasional shopping spree at The Scrapping Cottage. It was cut from watercolor paper and colored with Tombow markers. The Wispy Pine Needle Corner is an older Poppystamps die which I use a lot. Cut from green cardstock and stippled with full strength white acrylic paint. I use the bottled acrylic paint, the kind you can pour.
There's a wood grain theme throughout. The ovals are some of my oldest Spellbinders dies, from back when they did mostly basic shapes. Typical old meets new or in this case new-ish. My nature and bird loving heart was happy when this card was finished.
I'll link to the Peace on Earth Challenge and Darnell's NBUS Challenge #51. My Cardinal w/Flourish is a first time use.
Wishing you a beautiful day!
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Wavy Sayings Paper: Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor, 111 lb white woodgrain cardstock, black Bazzill, SU Garden Green for pine corners, Craft Consortium Wood Textures designer paper Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment Coloring: Tombow markers Dies: Cottage Cutz Cardinal w/Flourish, Spellbinders Classic and Big Scalloped Ovals, Poppystamps Wispy Pine Needle Corner, Lawn Cuts Fancy Wavy Banners Other: 2 mm red pearls, white acrylic paint, Scotch brand foam mounting tape to pop up sentiment banner
Lovely card my friend. I really love the cardinal and all the pretty die cuts you used along with it! Well done!
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful card and you have made the cardinal come alive!! The black oval underneath makes Mr. Cardinal pop! Loving those pretty snowy branches too! Can you believe I have looked the other way at the last two great sales at Cottage Cutz and they even had a design team call but I decided I had enough on my plate lol!! Anyhow, it's a gorgeous card designed with that Leslie flair!! Thanks for joining us at Peace on Earth too!!
ReplyDeleteThe mainly white card with pops of red and green looks so cool and the texture just adds to the joy of this card. Thanks for explaining how you did those branches. They look fab xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful card and a Christmas card at that. I'm always partial to cardinals and yours looks so pretty nestled on his branch surrounded by such great dies! Glad you liked the pictures. Change of pace is good sometimes. Glad you enjoyed the visit with your friend.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Card. I'm enjoying SUMMER. Thank you very much!!! ROFL Have a great day
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Christmas card and dies
ReplyDeleteCarol x
I like what those fabulous wispy pine needles add to this! What a lovely card, Leslie!
ReplyDeleteLove your sweet die cut cardinal and vine that are so beautifully watercolored, Leslie. Wonderful pine needles background and woodgrain features too. I was thrilled to be able to see your stunning Christmas card IRL recently too:-) So much sharing our cards in person, my dear friend. Love and Hugs..Nancy
ReplyDeleteOkay, first of all, is that "angel hair," Leslie? We had that stuff - or something much like it - when I was a kid and I haven't seen any of it for decades. Fun staging for your stunning cardinal Christmas card! Your coloring is always beautiful and I love the snow covered pine sprays and wood grain touches! Thank you for inspiring everyone at NBUS! Hope life is more light-handed for you soon. Hugs, Darnell
ReplyDeleteSuper Christmas card, Leslie. Your cardinal is beautiful, I would love to see one IRL. xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful card. I have a pair of cardinals that come to my bird feeder. I love when I see them. All your elements are so perfect and so well put together, as always.
ReplyDeleteYour excellent coloring skills have really made this Cardinal shine, Leslie! Isn't he a gorgeous thing? He looks quite at home tucked into those icy pine boughs!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful card - good for you getting a few Christmas cards made!
=]
Leslie, this is gorgeous. I love the white and the silvery boughs and the black framing of that fabulous cardinal on its bit of greenery. (Cat C google is hating me today)
ReplyDeleteThis is GORGEOUS, Leslie! I LOVE this cardinal and sweet branch! Your coloring and shading is awesome! The wispy pine branches frame this design so beautifully and the banner sentiment is perfect!
ReplyDeleteStunning, Leslie! I love the embossed background and snow frosted pine branches. Hugs to you, my friend!
ReplyDeleteWhat a striking Christmas card love the contrast between the red cardinal and the white background and pine the leaves. It must feel good to get Christmas cards. Started on something I need to do. This reminds me of a scene in my backyard one winter storm, when a cardinal was in the bush, hanging on for dear life, but stood out with its red feathers against the storm.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful card, Leslie!! I love the stippled pine sprays in the corners!! The Lord brought you to mind tonight and I said a prayer for you. Life has been heavy handed here also. You and this special space you’re always creating are missed when you aren’t here!! Wishing you a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteYour cardinal with the flourish is just lovely, I like your shading on them, love it backed with the wooden oval scallop, what really caught my eye is using those pine corners to frame it up that is such a neat touch! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI hope things get a little less heavy, glad you are able to get away for some good cardmaking time, I know that helps renew me in those tough times, hugs to you!
LOVE this card Leslie! Gorgeous mix of die-cuts ... I especially love the creative way you colours the pine needles with white acrylic paint over green card. Very clever! Happy that you found some time to play, my friend. Love, Loll
ReplyDeleteOH WOW this is SO BEAUTIFUL! What a fabulous design! Thanks so much for joining in the fun at our Peace On Earth challenge! Good Luck and we hope you’ll come back often.
ReplyDeleteDarlene
Co-Owner
PEACE ON EARTH
DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS
More challenge fun beginning July 7th … check it out … SIMPLY CLEAN & SIMPLE
Gogeous colours and wonderful crafting.
ReplyDeleteLove this Leslie and the cardinal is gorgeous.. xx
Oh Leslie...this card is SO pretty!! I love, LOVE Cardinals, and this sweet guy is colored so beautifully! And you've surrounded him with so much awesome greenery in white and I'm loving every tiny detail! Lovely, lovely card my friend!! Hugs. :0)
ReplyDeleteoh oh oh!!!! Can I claim this one?! lol laughing but I'm serious! Fabulous... FABULOUS Leslie!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous and wonderful card, Leslie! It's so easy to under-appreciate all the details in people's cards, but yours are amazing. I love the textured paper, the banner sentiment, the cardinal, the three little pearls - everything!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Thank you for sharing with us at POE Christmas Challenge.
ReplyDeleteMy grands just face-timed and told me about the baby cardinal they rescued and put back in the nest in their back yard. Can you imagine, they said it had blue eyes! Your cardinal graces this card with the beautiful shading and pine accents. LOVE it!
ReplyDelete