Perched In A Tree With Cheerful Daisies!

Hello!  Today I am sharing a decor project I worked on this week using the Stampin' Up! Perched In A Tree stamp set (item 159791), co-ordinating Aspen Tree dies (item 159798), Meadow dies (155852), Around The Bend dies (item 160649), and Cheerful Daisies dies (item 161296).

Perched In A Tree stamp set - 159791

Aspen Tree dies - 159798

Meadow dies - 155852

Around The Bend dies - 160649

Cheerful Daisies dies - 161296

The inspiration was the eruption of blooming daisies in my garden this week! Lots of rain followed by extreme heat certainly seems to make for optimal blooming conditions!

For the base of my project I used a 6" x 12" x 7/8" deep wood panel - I discovered a forgotten cache of wood panels in a drawer in my craft room - think I will be working on a few more wood panel projects . . . 

Just a quick note about the standard tools and supplies I used to complete this week's project:

• Paper Trimmer (item 152392) - for trimming cardstock and paper - also used for scoring fold lines on the bird house - I used my Bone Folder (item 102300) to burnish the scored lines;
• Take Your Pick Tool (item 144107) - the tacky putty tip was very handy for picking up and placing the small flower center die cuts;
• Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine (item 149653) - for all die cutting and embossing; and
• for the main adhesive, Multipurpose Liquid Glue (item 110755) - for adhering the DSP pieces to the front and sides of the wood panel I found that the broad tip worked great for applying and spreading the glue on the wood panel surfaces.  For gluing small elements together I find that transferring some glue to a fine-tipped bottle works great!

I used watercolour paper for the stamped and die cut bird images, and for all die cuts.  To stamp the birds I used Stazon Jet Black Ink (item 101406), and both birds were coloured using Pecan Pie ink (item 161665) and Basic Gray ink (item 149165) - with the ink pads closed I pressed the lid into the ink pad to transfer some ink to the inside of the lid, and applied the ink to the images using a small paint brush and a little water.  To colour the die cut butterflies, flowers and foliage I applied the Stampin' Up! inks (from ink pads) using Blending Brushes (item 153611) and Small Blending Brushes (item 160518) - these work great for building up colour layers and they can also be used to "pounce" additional ink onto the die cut.  For the foliage (except for the solid under leaves on the Cheerful Daisies leaves for which I only used Granny Apple Green ink - item 147095) I started with Granny Apple Green ink, followed by Old Olive ink (item 147090), and then a little Mossy Meadow ink (item 147111).  For the daisies I used Daffodil Delight ink (item 147094), Pecan Pie ink, and Basic Gray ink (very lightly applied to petal tips and a little heavier to the "backing" flowers).  For the five flowers die cut using the Meadow dies I used Mossy Meadow ink for the stems, and Daffodil Delight and Starry Sky ink (item 159212) for the blossoms - I lightly spritzed the blossom portions with water (Stampin' Spritzers - item 126185), blotting dry with paper towel.  For the two butterflies (both cut using the Meadow dies) I used Pumpkin Pie ink (item 147086) and Lost Lagoon ink (item 161678) - also lightly spritzed with water and blotted dry with paper towel - and then, to add a little shimmer, "painted" with Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush (item 141897).

For the smaller daisies I combined three die cuts:  for the "backing" flower I used the flower from the Around The Bend dies; for the overlay I used the small detailed overlay die from the Cheerful Daisies dies; and, for the center, the flower center from the Around The Bend dies.  The three small leaf die cuts were all cut using the Around The Bend dies.  For additional foliage I used the small leaf and the foliage cluster dies from the Aspen Tree dies.  It's a lot of fun to "mix and match" dies!

I began by gluing the Designer Series Papers to the wood panel - before adhering the DSP all edges were sponged with ink, the colours noted below):

• for the sky I used a 6" x 12" piece of Azure Afternoon patterned paper from Fresh As A Daisy 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 161289) - edges sponged with Starry Sky ink; 
• for the grass I used a 3 3/4" x 6" piece of Lemon Lime Twist patterned paper from Masterfully Made 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 161192) - cutting two additional pieces using the curved leafy die from the Around The Bend dies - edges sponged with Mossy Meadow ink; and
• for all edges of the wood panel (including top and bottom) - strips of black & white patterned paper from Zoo Crew 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 161304) - edges sponged with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink (item 132708). 

For the bird house I cut and scored four pieces of cardstock:

• for the front a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" piece of Pecan Pie cardstock (item 161717), scored at 1" and 3 1/2" along one 4 1/2" side;
• for the back a 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" piece of Pecan Pie cardstock - scored at 1/2" and 3" on the 3 1/2" side;
• on both the front and back pieces I marked three measurements:  at 1" and 1 1/2" down from the top along both side scored lines, and the top center point of the 2 1/2" panel - additional lines scored from the center point to the 1 1/2" point on the side scored lines - lines (parallel to those just scored) drawn from the 1" point on the scored lines to the top edge of the panels - these drawn lines were cut and created the flaps to which the roof panel was glued.  On both the front and back panels I made additional cuts along the side scored lines from the top edge down to the 1 1/2" point, and on the side panels from the outside edge to the 1 1/2" point;
• for the roof a 5" x 1 3/8" piece of Pebbled Path cardstock (item 161722) scored at 2 1/2" on the 5" side; and
• for the bottom a 3 1/2" x 2" piece of Pebbled Path cardstock, scored at 1/2" on all four sides - after the bird house was assembled I tucked this bottom piece up inside just to add a little more stability.

birdhouse cutting template

After cutting, scoring, trimming and burnishing the fold lines on the front panel I embossed the panel using the Timber 3D Embossing Folder (item 156406) - sponging the edges and onto the embossed design with Pecan Pie ink. I then glued the front and back panels together.  Before gluing on the roof I embossed the scored (with fold line burnished) roof panel using the Stripes Embossing Folder from the Stripes & Splatters 3D Embossing Folders (item 157980), sponging the edges and onto the embossed design with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  I glued the roof to the back panel top flaps first - so that the roof and back were flush - then, after allowing for a little drying time, pulled the front panel out slightly to add glue to the top flaps and secure the roof.  To the front panel I added a watercolour paper circle die cut (cut using the 1 5/8" circle die from the Stylish Shapes dies - item 159183) - that I heavily sponged with Basic Gray ink.

For a little additional texture I added three small bark strips (garden clean up provides a good supply of branches!) - two to the front panel of the birdhouse for the bird's perch, and one to break up the daisy chain!  To attach the bird to the birdhouse I used stacked Stampin' Dimensionals (item 104430).

Thank you for visiting my blog!  I had a lot of fun working on this project - on days when the wind is howling and the snow is blowing it will be nice to have something to bring to mind a beautiful summer day in the garden!

If you are interested in purchasing any of the available Stampin' Up! products I have used in my projects, and you live in Canada and do not have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, please do not hesitate to visit my online store found on my website https://archiesatelier.stampinup.net/ at your convenience, or simply click under the "Shop With Me" tab on the right sidebar of my blog, which will take you directly to my website and online store.  I very much appreciate your business! The digital version of the May 2023-April 2024 Annual Catalogue is available for browsing at your convenience on my website.  

Clearance Rack Refresh

On July 6, 2023, new items were added to the Clearance Rack, including a few of my favourites:

• All Bundled Up stamp set - item 159824 ($22.25 CDN);
• Best Witches stamp set - item 159860 ($20.25 CDN);
• Window dies - item 159756 ($22.50 CDN);
• Scary Silhouette dies - item 159851 ($11.75 CDN);
• Rustic Harvest 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper - item 159633 ($6.50 CDN); and
• Black & White Designs 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper - item 159861 ($4.50 CDN).

New Online Exclusives

On July 6, 2023, several new Online Exclusives were introduced, including:

• Trucking Along Bundle (item 162306), which includes the Trucking Along stamp set (item 162299 if purchasing separate from Bundle) and Trucking Along Builder Punch (item 162305 if purchasing separate from Bundle) *Stampin' Up! advises that this Bundle will be available for order the week of July 17, 2023*;
• Horse & Sleigh Bundle (item 162126), which includes the Horse & Sleigh stamp set (item 162119 if purchasing separate from Bundle) and Horse & Sleigh dies (item 162125 if purchasing separate from Bundle);
• Timeless Charm Bundle (item 162263), which includes the Timeless Charm stamp set (item 162256 if purchasing separate from Bundle) and Timeless Charm dies (item 162262 if purchasing separate from Bundle);
• So Very Merry stamp set (item 162345);
• Real Red & Gold 3/8" Dotted Ribbon (item 162353); and
• Confetti Birthday Kit (item 162390) - an all-inclusive kit for making quick and simple shaker cards.

Bonus Days - July 6 - July 31, 2023

From July 6 to July 31, 2023, earn a $6.00 CDN coupon for every $60.00 CDN spent (before shipping and applicable taxes), and then redeem the coupons on orders placed between August 1 and August 31, 2023!  The coupon redemption codes will be sent by email so be sure to save those emails!!

Check out all the offerings on the Clearance Rack and the full selection of the products available as Online Exclusives at your convenience in my online store!

Have fun creating!

Laurel

*It has come to my attention that quite often email correspondence from me is delivered to the recipient's spam or junk mail folder - if you have corresponded with me I have replied so be sure to check your spam or junk mail folder!  Thank you!! 

When it becomes too hot even for the Project Manager!