Saturday 7 January 2012

Bird Flourishes

Hi crafty friends, I hope everyone is doing well this morning.  This is probably not what you expected to see, I bet.  I'm trying to mix it up a bit this month for you.  I still have a bit of a backlog of cards from last year and this was a card that I made last summer for the POTW shows then.  It uses the bird flourish die set.  I found these to be quite fun to play with as they were very different from the usual type of dies that I use.  This card was quite fun as I used the butterfly circle die and cut it out of copy paper.  I then used that as a template to stencil through to make the background.  I used Dusty Concord distress ink the ink the butterflies that are cut out of the circle.  Once I was happy with them, I used the negative piece of copy paper and lined it up so the butterflies were centred and inked the circle with Broken China distress ink.  I then cut my bird flourish using black glitter card and I did not emboss it (that is important here ) I then cut another bird flourish, but this time I put the black glitter card over the die facing the opposite direction.  This gave me two bird flourishes both cut out of black glitter card, but facing each other.  By not embossing it, you get the same look to both of them.  I added a few swirls that were stamped in clear perfect medium and embossed with Cosmic Shimmer aurora sparkle embossing powder.  This just added a bit of bling to the top and bottom to help draw the eye in a bit.  I stamped the sentiment in black archival ink and paper pierced around the edge to finish the card.  Pretty fun, huh? 
You are keeping me on my toes with the comment game as we have yet another winner.  I have randomly selected number 89 which corresponds to Craftylicious!!!!  Don't forget to email me at americansue1@gmail.com  to claim your prize.   All for now, Sue x

127 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue . This card is different from your other cards , i really like it and the way you have used your dies, keep them coming. Yvonne xx

Patricia said...

Good Morning Sue, and all who follow.
Nope! Not what I expected, very different for you.
I like it, simple and very effective.
Going to try the method used on the circle Die.
Thank you agin,

Patricia xx

Inkypinkycraft said...

A beautiful card, I love birds!! Fab trace x

melanie said...

A beautiful Card Melanie

Anonymous said...

That was a brilliant tip on how to use the bird die so that they are facing each other I must try that. I love aurora sparkle embossing powder it gives just the right amount of bling. Another fabulous card thanks Sue
Heather x

Unknown said...

Definately a bit different. Don't remember those bird dies at all. Lovely card. Julia xxx

mags said...

Lovely card Sue and quite different. Love the way you have used the dies to create a stencil. Will certainly by trying that one.
Mags
x

Anonymous said...

Stunning card, has given me an idea for a wedding card I have to make. I love the colours used.

AnnH60

Jenny L said...

Hi Sue, well what can I say. No flowers or ribbons. LOL. But oh what a fabbb card. I just can't wait till tomorrow to see what's next. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Lots of love. Jenny L.

Mandy Makes and Mends said...

Love the birds sue what a great card x

lockedinmycraftroom said...

Beautiful card Sue, love the daily posts
Chris

Missmizog said...

Hi Sue
This card is totally different, but i like it.
Sue

Tracy Heaton said...

Very pretty

sandra collis said...

Very pretty I must do more stamping

hazel young said...

Good morning sue, i do like this card as i remember you demoing it, it would make a lovely wedding card. have a good day hazelxx

Lydia Jordan said...

Hi Sue

What can I say another wonderful card.

Lydia
XX

Anonymous said...

Some great ideas on this card Sue, Enjoy your day. Terrie

Pam Swadling said...

Yet another beautiful card. Must say I hadn't yet thought about using glitter card, must give it a try.

Hope and Chances said...

This is lovely and I'm so pleased you explained the technique - it had me thinking! xx

Lynnus said...

What no bow! x

baa-me-chick said...

Great card Sue, i LOVE the birds!
Nicki xx

sheila said...

Great ideas on this Sue

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue. Loving the card - so ephereal. I particularly like the way you've layered the same colour card together & then pierced round. I would have taken one of the ink colours as the outer mat or another piece of black glitter card thinking I was tying it together more, but now I see the card doesn't need this & that this would have taken focus away from the main image, as well as altering where the eyes are drawn.
Congratulations to the winner.
With love & light Theresa. H

Uta said...

Beautiful cas card. I love these birds.

Hugs, Uta

Bee and Dee said...

Clever Hugs Bee

Astrid Maclean said...

Stunning! You have such brilliant ideas! Please show us more of these!

Clare Powell said...

Lovely card - Love the birds.

Clare x

AnneRD said...

The card is just lovely.
Congratulations to the winner.
Anne x

Cumbrianlass said...

Hi Sue, This is a brilliant card, I have these two dies,and have never used them, guess what I will be doing this rainy Saturday morning.
Keep em coming Sue.
Janet xxx

Jane said...

A little different, no bows, flowers or bling. But still beautiful.

Jane xx

Anonymous said...

I love this card it is so different for you. Thanks for the info on cutting the birds. Lovely.

Sue C

Marie-Louise said...

This is a really pretty card.

Marie-Louise said...

A really lovely card.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue, oh you are a clever lady, yes it is very different but some great techiques going on. I am recording you on C & C and looking forward to watching it later. I really like watching you on the telly, you come across so well, very relaxed and explain everything so well. All the best Suzie B x

Linda said...

Well I missed those bird dies! they are a must have (another) oh dear!! Fab card Sue, as always
Linda x

Lynn (delphinoid) said...

Another gorgeous card!!!

I have both the bird flourish and butterfly circles dies, so I might possibly take a little of your inspiration and have a go at something similar myself.

Happy Crafting!!! :) X X

Anonymous said...

What a lovely card. I have been looking at the bird flourish die and wondering how I could use it. Now I know. Thank you for once again inspriring me.

SC

Wendy said...

Another great card love the shimmer florishes. XX

Alyx said...

This is lovely. Sometimes, the most simple designs are incredibly effective and this is one of those times. Beautiful.

Victoria said...

Gorgeous clean and simple card. I love the use of a die as a template for inking through.

marg said...

Hello Sue
This is so elegant and beautiful
LoveMarg

Vicki Sharkey said...

What a lovely card. I bought the POW and wasn't sure how to use the bird flourishes, now you have inspired me. Thanks,
Vicki :)

Carole Z said...

Simply beautiful! Carole Z XX

lion_tamer said...

Stunning card Sue. Never think to stencil brilliant idea so effective x

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue
looked at these dies and decided not to buy (mistake)as couldn't do a lot with it, so i thought. LOL. How wrong could i be. Like the reverse cutting idea never tried that. A lot i haven't tried. I did do the glitter card idea on some corners dies for Christmas, looked ace. Love the sentiment, fits in with the card perfect. So yet another vote from your followers who love your design and eye. You do inspire me to put these cards together to see how it is done. Thanks for sharing.
born again spellbinder
Nadine x hug
nzillingworth@hotmail.com

Shelley said...

Lovely card.

scrapper said...

Like the simplicity of this one ( althugh the butterfly circle creation could be a bit tricky!)

jan said...

Hi Sue, another simple but elegant card, I love it. keep 'em coming.
love jan x

Lynne M said...

Love the simplicity of this card. lol Lynne M

Fiona said...

Great to see a different way of using the dies. Keep the ideas coming.

Pinkers said...

Lovely card,xx

Anonymous said...

Such a different card for you Sue i would not have said that you made it but it is still lovely.
Hugs
Alison Glover

Bea said...

Love this card Sue . Congrats to craftylicious

l00pyscraftcreations said...

Lovely! I do like it when you do something other than your normal, style, as it prods at the old creativity and kick starts it!!

eileen.fj said...

Hi Sue
Really pretty card and no bows!
Eileen x

Sue J said...

This is really simple but so effective. Another one I love. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue
Simple but elegant. I like the idea of reversing the dies.

Carol at Henlow

Anonymous said...

Very different for you Sue, but equally as good, Simple and elegant, thanks for the inspiration Helen O xx

Debbie said...

Wow Sue, stunning card.Love the simplicity yet it is full of techniques.Hope you're okay.Love Debbie x

baconbits said...

A simple yet very effective card - good to see you out of your comfort zone (as i often am). Will have to study this more as not sure if i really like these dies as they are not the norm.
TFS
Hugs Amanda x

Kate's Cards said...

Love it - especially it's simplicity!!

Anonymous said...

"Simply" lovely

She

yorkshiresue said...

Not the card of card I usually associate with you Sue but it is so stunning.
Please come back to C/C and do more demos
Love
Sue XXX

Lynne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lynne said...

Another beautiful inspirational card Sue, you are so clever thank you for sharing with us the idea and instructions x

Lizzie said...

Hi Sue
Another sleek, beautiful card. I bought these dies and many more(lol) when they were on CC's POW i also use the tail end of the dies as flourishes they look really nice.
Lizzie (serial copycat)xx

Ruthie said...

Simple but perfect. I have the bird dies and I love them. Beautiful card.

gwen70 said...

Thankyou Sue for another beautiful Card, it really is lovely

CraftyJo said...

Absolutely gorgeous!

Olga said...

very nice card Sue!

Elizabeth said...

You always come up with something different. This is a lovely card.

Elizabeth
x

lorraine (classylady) said...

Real simple but effective card, good tip cutting on oposite side of glitter card to have 2 birds facing.

lorraine
xxx

ang said...

very striking card looks quite christmasy at first glance angxxx

Crafty Loops said...

Oh my goodness Sue, this card is exceptional. I really love it, those birds are just gorgeous. Lee x

Erica said...

I love this card and all your cards Sue x

Erica said...

I love this card and all your cards Sue x

Sonia said...

Hi Sue, such a simple card but very effective. The piercing around the edges really sets it off in a very understated way. Thanks again.
Blessings
Sonia - St Helens

Luanne said...

Very beautiful card and the gorgeous birds.

Luanne

sheila said...

Elegant and stunni ng. This could be a card for many occasions. like another Blogger At first I saw Christmas

joy said...

Hi Sue
So simple but so efffective. love it.
You are one talented lady.
joyce e

Sue H said...

Hi Sue
You're right totally unexpected, almost flat even and not a ribbon in sight! It's beautiful and I need the bird die lol
What surprise could you possibly have for tomorrow I wonder?!
Sue x

Sue Parish said...

Hi Sue, Loved the card and loved the techniques explained too. That's one of the nicest things about your blog, Sue, it's so great to be able to refer back for the details of how to do it - a lot quicker and easier than trying to remember what I've seen on tv! Congratulations to Craftylicious, Sue x

smag53 said...

Hi Sue,
I have not got the bird dies,but seeing your beautiful card has made me put them on my list.Once again another stunning,but simple card.xx

Ita said...

Hi sue this is another masterpiece from you i love the simplicity of it,(for me not simple to make) ahd as sue Parish said your blog instructions are very well explained,keep up the good work,I must buy more dies,hope the birthday bunny will bring me some
Ita

Vee Cassidy said...

Dear Sue,
I really like this card. I don't know if it just me but it looks like it would easily adapt for a lovely winter card. (Maybe I still have Christmas on the brain!) Vee xx

Helen T said...

Hi Sue, I really love this card, especially the sentiment.

SusanneJ said...

Love this card Sue!!! I have the butterfly dies and use them all the time. I made a card yesterday with some of your ideas added for my friends birthday you really inspire me to try different things with my spellbinders. Thank you so much hugsssssss xxxx

craftimamma said...

Oooh, I missed something here because I've not seen those bird flourish dies before. How on earth did I miss them they are gorgeous. Love the simple but very elegant layout of this card Sue.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Kazbomps said...

Beautiful simple card with no ribbon!! Love it. Karen x

mgq said...

unusual but beautiful card. marie

mgq said...

unusual but beautiful card. marie

Diane Warburton said...

It's amazing as to how much the paper piercing does to 'retain' the image; such a quick easy, cheap technique has strong effects. Think I'd do mine on the sewing machine. Thanks

jemet said...

Hi Sue

Beautiful card, seen this die but was unsure if I would use it but your card has give me a few ideas, may need to get it now.

Thanks Jean

Lorraine said...

wow this is stunning xx

Redanne said...

The card is a bit unexpected but I just love the simplicity of it and it has your trademark piercing around the edge, which I really like. This would make a nice valentine card I think. Regards, Anne Rx

Elaine .W said...

Yes, its a bit different than your usual cards but I like it.
I really like the butterfly circle die, must get one.I hav'nt done any piercing around my cards but it set's the card off nicely Sue,I must try it. I remember watching you use a Tim Holts special ruler to make the holes when you were on C&C , I must invest in one.

Jan.moogie said...

Wow I love this card. It looks so simple and elegant a sure winner for me Sue. x

Unknown said...

Hi Sue,
Another nice card, Oh I purchased the Spellbinders POTW bundle last summer but never received them, got a refund instead. I'm gonna have to purchase them when they are back in stock!
Thanks for another simple but beautiful card.
Bim x

PaulineC said...

I love the way that you are showing us lots of very different cards Sue. What a super idea to cut the birds so that they mirror image each other. They look really effective.

craftycarol said...

Hi Sue,
Ah I love the birds they are so dreamy and romantic and could carry you off on a fantasy.
Carol x

Carol S. said...

This is so beautiful Sue. I love the mirror image birds. Hugs Carol S.xx

Lesley Lendon said...

I really do like this card Sue. A real hit with me!x

Barbara Phillips said...

Glad we are keeping you on your toes with all our comments! Loving all the different styles you come up with.

Rhonda Miller said...

This is a great card.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue
Wow this card really was a surprise but very elegant
Ria

Hellma said...

Lovely card Sue certainly dirrfent for you.

craftysue49 said...

Another fab card Sue ...such a clever lady x

yorkielass said...

Hello Sue, WOW I was not especting this,the card is simple and sooo elegant, thank you for the tip on how to mirror image the birds, I do not have this die, but it is on my wish list now.
Hugs, June xx

Unknown said...

Such a pretty card <3

jean.phillips1 said...

Lovely,

Barbara Daines said...

As usual, a great inspiration for this set of dies x

gill said...

I really like this alternative card using the dies as stencils.

Gill

Anonymous said...

what a lovely card and yes a change from what you usually do, i like this one a lot!

millie xx

Anonymous said...

This is beautiful and very simple. I love it
Dee Dee x

Linda (Lindyloo) said...

Hi Sue,
I knew I should have bought these dies when you brought them to C&C, they are so ornate. I think this bird would look very effective with the long bottom swirly tail cut off and some beautiful layered feathers glued behind as a tail. What to you think?
Love the auroro sparkle embossed swirls: bling, I love it.
Regards Linda

dutchess said...

Hi Sue nearly missed this one.... different.....well how about telling us what the new shows are going to feature is it spellbinders or stamps come on we need some news to get us going take care Margaret

violetclouds said...

I like this, even though I wouldnt have guessed it as one of yours! The idea of cutting a photocopy paper stencil is great, and the reverse cutting. Then the detailing, having the swirls to tie in to the swirls on the birds - that is definitely you! I bet you love having over a hundred comments really ;*

Yorkie girl said...

Another success Sue love the use of the birds
Theresa x

Sandra Riley.... said...

Simple yet beautiful Sue x
Hugs
Sandra Riley

Dawn said...

This card is beautiful! I love how simple, clean, and elegant it is. Lovely Dawn x

Debbie Tinks said...

LOVELY CARD SUE
FROM DEBBIE TINKS

Anonymous said...

A beautiful and versatile card.

I just loved the one prior to this with the lovely papers.
Elaine J

Liz said...

What a lovely card; loving the colours and the flourish

Becky Dunham said...

What a sweet simple card! I am loving all these different techniques you are sharing :)

Clai01 said...

A really different card, very nice !

KimberleyG said...

Lovely card; sometimes the simplest ones are the best.

Deborah Frings said...

I'm late leaving a comment on this one - it's absolutely gorgeous, so different to your usual style. I love it!