BIRD TENT TOPPER

I think there is something really cute and special about tent topper cards. Making the focal point of the card the true star of the show, tent topper cards just have an extra pizzazz.

And, being the bird lovin' person I am, I am enthralled with this set of five dies showing a cute little birdie in varying poses.

For my card, I chose patterned papers that worked well together and that gave off a birdlike vibe. Die cutting the bird twice made it possible for the bird to have a different-colored breast.

Read on!!

SUPPLIES:

White cardstock

Black cardstock

Black and white patterned paper

Two patterned papers that have a birdlike vibe

Black ink

Happy Birthday stamp

Big Shot

Circle dies

Bird die

Flagged label die

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut a piece of white cardstock to 4" x 8". Score it at 4, creasing it well with a bone folder.

Cut a piece of black and white patterned paper to 3 3/4" square. Add this to the card base.

Use a bird die with two patterned papers, cutting the bird twice, once from each pattern. Carefully snip off the belly portion from one of them and adhere it in its place on the full bird. Set this aside for now.

From white cardstock, die cut a circle with lines on the edges that measures 2 3/4" in diameter.

Using black cardstock, die cut another circle, this one measuring 2 3/8" in diameter. Adhere these two circles togeether.

Add the bird to the center of the black circle.

Putting adhesive on only the bottom half of this circle, add the circle to the card top so almost half of it extends beyond the creased fold.

In black ink, stamp "happy birthday" on a scrap of white cardstock. Use a flagged lable die to cut the sentiment out.

Glue it to the card front, about 1/2" below the bottom of the circle.

Birdie

Smiles.

TIN TILE SYMPATHY

Don't you love finding new card making discoveries?Yes? Me too! This card boasts a cool way to use ink and embossing folders, giving your card an extraordinary look.

Follow along to the tutorial to make a discovery of your own: how to get this look!

SUPPLIES:

White cardstock

Same color cardstock as the ink you choose on the embossing folder

Sentiment stamp

Juicy ink of your choice; this will match the cardstock

Big Shot

Label dies

Copper-Edged Ribbon

Matching rhinestone

Dimensionals

Deep interesting embossing folder

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fold a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of white cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder.

Cut a piece of white cardstock to 4" x 5 1/4". Grab an embossing folder with an interesting design. Use a juicy ink pad for this next step in a color that will also be the main color of the card. Bring the open ink pad directly to the embossing folder and ink up the side that has writing on the outside of the folder, inking the folder as evenly as you can. Carefully lay your cut cardstock on top of the ink and run it through the Big Shot. Set this aside to dry completely.

Rinse the ink off the embossing folder, drying it well, between uses.

Wrap ribbon around the dried piece, about an inch from the bottom. Tape the ends on the back.

Adhere the piece to the card base.

From cardstock of the same color as the ink you used, die cut a label.

Using the same color ink, stamp a sentiment onto white cardstock. Use another label die to cut out the sentiment.

Layer the two labels together to your liking.

Add a coordinating gem to the sentiment label.

Use Dimensionals to add the completed sentiment to the lower right of the card, leaving a bit of the ribbon showing to the right of the piece.

With more of the same ribbon, tie a bow. Add it sideways to the left of the label with a glue dot.

Sympathetic

Smiles.

THE DAILY BIRD OCTOBER 2025

I realize that it's been a long minute since I posted a month's worth of my bird drawings from my personal challenge, The Daily Bird. But, after that long wait, I would like to share with you my favorites from October 2025. I did participate in Birdtober 2025, so all of the birds I will be showing you were the results of the prompts from that yearly challenge.

As always, I will note above each bird its name, as well as where in the world you can find it in the wild.

I hope you enjoy this little exhibition.

 javan green magpie

island of java in indonesia

common loon

canada, northern us, southern greenland and iceland

kalij pheasant

himalayan foothills from nepal, pakistan to western thailand

gyrfalcon

the islands of northern north america and siberia

great gray owl

north america, scandinavia, russia, siberia, mongolia

crowned parrot

northeastern mexico

red-footed boobie

islands of st brandon, mauritius, chagos archipelago

eurasian sparrow

temperate eurasia, southeast asia

tree swallow

the americas

northern waterthrush

north america

olive warbler

north america

acorn woodpecker

cantral america, north into the western us, south into colombia

pacific wren

north america

california condor (quite stylized)

north america

sultan tit

asia

varied bunting

mexican border

gallirex

africa

australian bustard

northern australia and southern new guinea

And, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed our little tour together.

Please remember that these are my original drawings and cannot be copied in any way without my approval. I would love to make you a print (or two or three?) of any of my birds if you would like. Just drop me a line.

Birdie

Smiles.

SPIKY FLOWERS

Sometimes free art supplies fall right into your little creative hands! But . . . you MUST be open to recognizing and receiving them!

A friend and I are working on a papercrafting project. Part of the project involves poking out pre-cut flowers from their host sheet. The resulting sheet has lots of negative flower shapes. Most <normal> people would trash these, or -- please?? --- recycle these. Linda? Oh no! These are STENCILS!!!

You can see in the card image below how I used these newfound art supplies. Do you see the striking flower shapes in purples?? 

Because the flower shapes are fairly close together, you do need to be careful when using them as stencils on a project.

Read on for a tutorial on how to utilize these particular free art supplies.

SUPPLIES:

White Cardstock

Black Cardstock

Black Ink

Ink colors of your choice

Happy Birthday stamp

Big Shot

Circle dies with and without scallop edges

Blending Brush

Black and white baker's twine

Black matte dot embellishment

Dimensionals

Glue Dots

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fold a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of white cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder.

To this base, adhere a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of black cardstock.

Cut a 3 3/4" x 5" piece of white cardstock. This is the piece you will stencil on.

Choose two colors of ink that you love and that play well together. Grab your favorite spoinging tool.

Position the "stencil" of a flower somewhere near the center of the white cardstock. Starting with one of the colors you've chosen, gently sponge the ink, being super careful not to go beyond the sponging area. Continue doing this with both colors, overlapping at times, and going off the edge, until you are satisfied with the look of your background piece.

Adhere this piece to the card.

Rub a piece of white cardstock well with an Embossing Buddy. In VersaMark Ink, stamp the sentiment onto this piece. Cover the stamped sentiment with black embossing powder. Emboss it with a heat tool.

Cut out the sentiment with a 2" circle die.

From black cardstock, die  cut a scalloped circle that measures 2 1/2" in diameter.

Adhere the circles together.

Using Dimensionals, add the sentiment piece anywhere you want on the card. Is some of the stenciling messier than you'd like?? Cover it up with the sentiment! Problem solved!

Add a black and white baker's twine bow to the circle with a small Glue Dot.

Add one piece of black bling above the writing.

Stenciled

Smiles.

RETRO PAPER, NEW FOLD

The paper I used in this card is old, old, old. But it worked up into a cool-looking card. 

I know the positioning of the card in the photo is sort of strange, but I didn't know how to set it up so I could demonstrate how it opens. Underneath the flap is a white section on which to write a message.

SUPPLIES:

Patterned Paper

Cardstock to match the Patterned Paper

White Cardstock

Ink to coordinate with Patterned Paper

Sentiment stamp

Big Shot

Deckled Edge Rectangle Dies

Metallic Pearls

Coordinating Ribbon

Dimensionals

INSTRUCTIONS:

Select a Patterned Paper and cut three pieces: two at 1" x 4" and one at 3" x 3 3/4".

Grab a cardstock that will coordinate with the Patterned Paper you selected. Cut this to 4 1/4" x 5 1/4". Also cut a piece to 3 1/4" x 8". Score this onne at the center point. Fold it in half, creasing the edge nicely with a bone folder.

Attach this, with the fold at the top, to the center of the card "base".

Cut a piece of white cardstock to 3" x 3 3/4". Adhere this to the inside of this mini card.

Add the larger piece of Patterned Paper to the center of this mini card.

In coordinating ink, stamp your sentiment on White Cardstoxk. Die cut it with a Deckled Edge Rectangle die that fits. 

Cut a 5" piece of ribbon. Fold it in half. Using tape, attach it to the back of the sentiment piece.  Cut the ribbon ends at angles to fit nicely,

With Dimensionals, add the sentiment and ribbon to the card.

Add a few silvery pearls around the sentiment.

Retro

Smiles.