Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens! for Freshly Made Sketches

This doesn't look like a birthday card for a 5 year old boy does it? But it is! I asked Parker, my oldest grandson, "Do you want a chicken birthday card or a space birthday card?"  He answered, "I want a praying mantis birthday card, but you don't have any praying mantis stamps do you?" I said that I didn't. "Then I want a chicken birthday card!"

You see, Parker and his mom have embarked on a backyard chicken project this year and Parker kind of fell in love with the chickens!

He has two special favourites: 

 Chris(tine) Hadfield,  on the left, named after his favourite Canadian astronaut, and Mouthpiece II, on the right, named after a beloved clarinet mouthpiece given to him by his saxophone playing dad. (There was a Mouthpiece I, but he had to be given away because he turned out to be a rooster.)

With this in mind, I grabbed my Hey Chick Sale-A-Bration stamp set and got to work!  I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches latest challenge:

• Take a close look at the background paper. It's actually from the Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper Stack from the Annual Catalogue, but I took the new Hexagons Dynamic Embossing Folder and inked up the debossed side (the one with the Sizzix and Stampin' Up! Logos on the outside) with Early Espresso ink then ran the paper through the Big Shot in the folder. When it came out, it had the line stamped on it so that it looked just like chicken wire.
• I stamped two of the chicken images and the egg image on some Whisper White with Basic Black Archival Ink and used the Watercolour Pencils and a Blender Pen to colour the images with Basic Black, Basic Gray, Early Espresso, Real Red, Melon Mambo, Calypso Coral and Daffodil Delight. I had to fussy cut the images (#nodiesforthesechicks) and mounted them on the card front.
• The burlap ribbon and linen thread created the elements from the FMS sketch.
• The sentiment is from the Party Wishes stamp set from the Annual Catalogue. I was trying to find a bold enough one that would fit in the small space on the card. I used the Stitched Shapes Framelits to die cut it and the Layering Ovals Framelits to frame it.

I'm hoping Parker recognizes Chris Hadfield and Mouthpiece II and enjoys his birthday card!

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today.

Product List

Hey Chick Wood-Mount Stamp Set [143328]	Hey Chick Clear Mount Stamp Set [143331]	Party Wishes Wood-Mount Stamp Set [140651]	Party Wishes Clear-Mount Stamp Set [140961]	Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper Stack [141642]
Delightful Dijon 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138338]	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119686]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Watercolor Pencils [141709]	Blender Pens [102845]
Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]	Delightful Dijon Classic Stampin' Pad [138327]	5/8" (1.6 Cm) Burlap Ribbon [141487]	Linen Thread [104199]	Hexagons Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [143231]
Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372]	Layering Ovals Framelits Dies [141706]	Big Shot [143263]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Fast Fuse Adhesive [129026]
Glue Dots [103683]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

Nailed It on Boxing Day

Good morning! And how was your Christmas? Was Santa good to you? Today is Boxing Day, a holiday celebrated in Canada and in other parts of the Commonwealth. It's origins go back to the days when those in service to the aristocracy, would get a day off after having to serve their masters on Christmas day. They would be allowed to go home to their families and would be given a "box" of gifts - gratuities, clothes, food, etc. to take with them. It evolved into a day to give to the less fortunate - giving "boxes" to charity, but has now, unfortunately, lost all nobler meaning and become a day of after-Christmas sales and corporate glee!

I refuse to shop on Boxing Day, and instead, I took it as it's original meaning. Having served my family the whole holiday season, I refused to move a muscle, took the whole day off and let the hordes fend for themselves! Nowadays, I pass that secret on to my daughters, so they can continue the tradition!!

I have a new product suite to debut for you today! It's from the new Occasions Catalogue that goes live January 4th and it's called Urban Underground. The products I used to make this card are the Nailed It stamp set**, Build It Framelit Dies**, Urban Underground Specialty Designer Series Paper**, Hexagons Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder** and the Urban Underground Embellishments**.

**New Products from the new 2017 Occasions Catalogue, available Jan, 4, 2017.

• It just so happens that this card is the subject of a photo tutorial that all those who are signed up to receive my monthly newsletter will receive for free in the January 2017 issue. The photo tutorial contains step-by-step instructions with detailed photos along with a list of all products used and measurements. This card will teach you the basics of Paper Piecing as well as how to use the Dynamic Embossing Folders.
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• I want you to notice the Designer Series Paper under the hammer and the ruler. It has been embossed using the newest Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder called Hexagons**. This works just the way the Cable Knit Embossing Folder did from the Holiday Catalogue. Learn how to get the deepest impression in my tutorial.
• Don't you love those manly embellishments? And the dies for the tools? We've been needing these for a long time. These products are going to be your 'go to' ones for all the masculine cards you have to make this spring!

Alright, Ladies! Get out there and enjoy your Boxing Day! Put your feet up! Get your craft supplies out! Do exactly what you want to do today! You've earned it!