Adding Inky Details to Create Colorful Cards with the Cheerful Chirps Collection

Hi there, this is Annie Williams, and I’m excited to be back on the blog today to share a couple of bright and colorful cards made with the Cheerful Chirps Collection from Spellbinders.  The beautifully detailed bird dies, versatile embossing folder, and sweet sentiments in this collection inspired me to create three bold and inky cards to send a happy hello.

Colorful Lovebirds Card

The Pretty Birds Die Set creates a pair of beautiful birds perfect for friendship, love, or everyday cards.  Here I inked brightly-colored cardstock with contrasting colors and added an ombre background to create an extra colorful hello card for a friend. Die cut white, Malibu, Saffron, and Peridot Cardstocks using the Pretty Birds Die Set.  Shade each die-cut with Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers, Ripe Persimmon/Mowed Lawn, and Salty Ocean Distress Ink, respectively, and then assemble the birds with liquid glue.  Die cut the perch out of shades of gold and brown and add flowers cut from Blush and Wild Berry Cardstock for lots of color. To create the background, trim a piece of Seaside Cardstock to 4” x 5.25”, blend Salty Ocean Distress Ink up from the bottom of the panel, and emboss it with the Lush Leaves 3D Embossing Folder.  Mat the embossed panel with Mirror Gold Cardstock and adhere it to a top-folding A2-sized white card base.  Add the die-cuts on top of the card with foam adhesive.  To finish off the card, apply Gold Hot Foil to white cardstock using the Soaring Sentiments Press Plate & Die Set, cut the sentiments out with the coordinating die, and add to the top corner of the card with foam adhesive.

Oscar Says Hello Card

I thought the fluffy guy in the Free Hugs Oscar Die Set was so adorable, so I pulled him out to work with next.  With a little shading and some cute details, I created this bright hello card for a friend. Die cut Poppy, Carrot, Peridot, and Malibu Cardstock using the Free Hugs Oscar Die Set.  Blend Fired Brick, Candied Apple, and Salty Ocean Distress Ink around the edges of the die-cuts before assembling to create tons of color and depth.  Die cut Acorn, Peridot, Blush, and Mirror Gold Cardstock using the branch and flower dies from the Flying High and Pretty Birds Die Sets, add shading with Mowed Lawn and Picked Raspberry Distress Inks, and assemble with liquid glue. Trim a piece of Fawn Cardstock to 4” x 5.25”, emboss it using the Woven 3D Embossing Folder, and adhere it to a top-folding A2-sized white card base with foam adhesive.  Die cut Seaside Cardstock using one of the Perfect Touch Arches Dies, blend Salty Ocean Distress Ink around the edges with a blending brush, and add it to the card front with more foam adhesive.  After popping the bird and branch die-cuts up on top, add a sentiment cut from Mirror Gold Cardstock using the Pretty Birds Die Set to finish off the card.

Cockatoo Encouragement Card

Lastly, I thought the Cockatoo from the Flying High Die Set was gorgeous and the details make it so realistic!  To contrast with my bright white bird, I added tons of color and texture surrounding him for this cheery encouragement card. Die-cut the bird out of white and Beeswax Cardstock using the Flying High Die Set.  Add only a touch of shading with Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink and assemble with liquid glue.  Die cut the branch, leaves, and flowers out of Truffle, Peridot, and Coral Cardstock using the same die set, adding shading with Mowed Lawn and Abandoned Coral Distress Ink. Trim a piece of white cardstock to 4” x 5.25” and blend Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers, and Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide Ink down the panel before embossing it with the Bamboo Screen 3D Embossing Folder and adding it to a card base with foam adhesive.  Add the bird and branch to the front of the card with more foam adhesive.  Stamp a sentiment onto white cardstock in black ink using the Spread Your Wings Sentiments Stamp Set, trim it out into a small strip, and add it to the top corner to finish off the card.

Other supplies

Abandoned Coral, Mowed Lawn, Squeezed Lemonade, Peacock Feathers, Fired Brick, Salty Ocean, Picked Raspberry, Ripe Persimmon, Mowed Lawn, and Candied Apple Distress Ink, Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink, Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers, and Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide Ink, heavyweight white cardstock, tape runner, foam adhesive I hope you enjoyed these colorful parrot-themed cards and thanks so much for stopping by today.  You can find more inspiration over at my blog AnnieBWills.com or on Instagram.