Hi, folks! These beautiful summer days have lured me outdoors and into our garden and the adjacent park. So, that means less time in the paper-crafting studio. But, as we say, “carpe diem,” (seize the day!).

Today, however, I made this pretty birdhouse card for my daughter-in-law’s birthday. Her name is Jenn and she loves purple.

I started with this gorgeous piece of scrapbooking paper and made good use of the beautiful flowers on it.

Next, I cut out the birdhouse, three-piece bird and a little vine using my Silhouette Cameo. Then, I ran the birdhouse through my Cuttlebug to give it a 3-D wood grain effect. I used the Sizzix folder called, Notebook. It worked out really well. It’s so much fun to find unexpected uses for my embossing folders and other tools.

I coloured the birdhouse, the little vine and the three-piece bird by just rubbing them with my ink pads. I love the soft and natural effect.

I love using scrapbook paper with big, bold and beautiful designs, in my cards. It always makes such a statement. I think it also give a very professional look. Of course, there are times when all I want to do is colour, colour, colour, with my Copic markers. We crafters just go with the flow, or the urge, or the inspiration, right?

As always, I finished all four

sides of my card. Here is the inside verse. I stamped Live,Laught & Love, Happy Birthday using white pigment ink and then heat-embossed it with silver-pearl embossing powder. It looks much prettier in real life!