ODB Stamp: Chickadee

As a music minister, Biblical references to "sing a new song" or "make a joyful noise!" have always been particular poignant to me.  When I found this stamp set from Our Daily Bread, the purchase was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, I was stumped for a card idea...until now!

I used a pretty fun masking technique on this card, and used a lot of layers to create the depth of the card.  It is actually pop-dotted above the image pretty significantly (at least 1/4") so the in-person effect is very dramatic. There's the tiniest bit of sparkle on the berries, achieved using Distress Stickles in Rock Candy.  I colored the image using Tim Holtz distress markers...my first real attempt to do an entire image using the 'watercolor' technique he demoed at Winter CHA. 

Supplies:

• Cardstock in black, tan, red
• Watercolor paper
• Card base: kraft
• Nested dies from Sizzix
• Chickadee die set 
• Archival ink in black
• Distress Markers + water brush 
• Distress stickles in Rock Candy
• Distress ink in Tattered Rose + ink blender
• PopDots + regular adhesive
• Music background stamp  - Hero Arts 
• Patience + time

Instructions:

1. Stamp the chickadee image on watercolor paper, allow to dry.
2. Paint using distress marker watercolor technique, allow to dry, then apply stickles to berries and set aside.
3. Create standard card base out of Kraft
4. Trim black cardstock to 4"x5.25" and adhere to front of card base
5. Trim tan cardstock to 3.75"x5"
6. Trim red cardstock to 3.5"x4.75"

Now the tricky part:

1. Select four nested dies in graduated sizes.  The smallest size will create the window to view the image through, so select this one first and build up. For convenience I will call them S1, S2, S3, and S4, with S1 being the smallest die selected. 
2. Die cut using S2 in the center of the tan cardstock.
3. Adhere the red cardstock to the center of the tan cardstock. Turn the cardstock over. You should now have a tan frame filled entirely with red.  Carefully place S1 inside the frame created by the tan, to cut through ONLY RED cardstock and diecut. You should now have a beautiful matted piece of red and tan. 
4. Take a scrap piece of black cardstock (NOT the piece on the card base) and cut out the S3 shape from the center. 
5. Carefully layer S4 around the edges of S3 to create a frame and cut out. 
6. Align the newly created black frame around the tan-and-red frame and hold in place using a finger. Now, take the inside piece of black cut out of S3 and lay it inside the black frame, covering up all of the red and part of the tan. Without moving the inside piece, gently set the black frame aside. You have now created a mask. (note: I used a piece of dull tape on the back of the layers to hold this together.)
7. Carefully stamp the music background over the showing tan area and black mask to create background image, and distress the edges using the ink blender.
8. Remove the mask and carefully replace the black frame.  The exterior of the tan should now be stamped and the interior should be plain, framed in black. When happy with placement, adhere black frame.

Okay, back to regular stuff!

1. Take the chickadee image and trim to 3.5"x4.75" and adhere on top of the black cardstock ON THE CARD BASE.
2. Apply 'high' pop dots to the tan/red/black frame layer. Align over the card base so the stamped image shows through the window and adhere.
3. Remember all those extra punched out pieces? Layer, adhere, stamp with sentiment, and adhere to interior of card. 

Whew, done!

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