I made this 'tag' card a while ago but just haven't got 'round to posting it until today.
The inspiration for it came from a photo set up I used when posting this tag part alone on a recent blog post for a past Tag You're It challenge/my DT take on the Featured Artist.
It's a 'busy' card...
(Apologies for the slight blur on this photo. It's a real close up shot - but I wanted you to see the texture from sanding down a piece of Core'dinations card stock).
I seem to be in a habit of making busy cards right now - and I don't honestly know how I feel about that.
Do people like busy cards (generally speaking) or is it a bit like a pizza with too many toppings?
But at least I've been sticking with my nature theme.
Speaking of which...
Have you had any 'fluff puffs' in your garden?
Now you may be wondering just what a 'fluff puff' is.
Well... they are fluffy and they're puffy and they sort of 'flitter' their wings in such a cute little way right before being fed.
And 'fluff puff' just suits them so much better than 'fledgling' when they are at their cute stage.
What am I talking about?
Baby sparrows.
Apparently in decline... unless you come to our garden.
Then you'll see staged feeding frenzies of activity, group dust bath sessions...
A sight of pure cuteness.
I'm sorry to say that one fledgling got misplaced by it's dad for a whole 10 minutes on the first brood of this season.
How do I know?
Because I heard it calling out for the entire duration - and then looked out of the window to watch it. If you've heard a sparrow calling at feeding time you'll recognise the sound as it's a single, solitary (fairly high pitched) 'cheep' noise that's as long as the silence in between the 'cheeps'.
(If I had to hazard a guess I would say a second per 'cheep')?
The poor little darling kept hopping around on the ground - and at one point it made its way over to two slightly older girls... and opened its beak in readiness for food as they moved a little closer - to fly off!
10 minutes must have seemed like a very long time... and it didn't once stop calling out until found!
... And we're on brood three right now by the looks of things.
But I digress...
So what did I use to make this card?
Supplies Used:
Dies:
MFT/Die-namics Tag Builder - Blueprints 4
Taylored Expressions 'Beauty Lies Within'
Memory Box 'Blissful Butterfly Border'
Memory Box 'Tall Grassy Stems Left Corner'
Papertrey Ink 'Wet Paint Cuts'
Martha Stewart Punches:
'Pop Up' Butterfly Border
Cherry Blossom Trim
Memory Box Stencils:
Delphinium
Stems
Holtz/Distress Ink:
Dusty Concord
Seedless Preserves
Milled Lavender
Victorian Velvet
Bundled Sage
Forest Moss
Mowed Lawn
Walnut Stain
Other:
Stamp from stash
Twine - Natural
Ribbon
Glitter Card Stock
Distressing Tool
Sand Paper
Challenges I'm Entering...
(All scraps except the green tag base).
'Distress It'
(Sanded Core'dinations Card Stock + Partially/Slightly Distressed Edges)
(Challenge #76 - Layers)
'Anything Goes'
I'm still in catch up mode right now, but I'm getting there.
Thank you so much for your kind words of support...
Donna. x
Gorgeous Donna! I'm never brave enough to sand down Core-dinations but you did it perfectly. I'd have some of it untouched and some of it 'bald'!
ReplyDeleteSo sweet about the baby sparrows too. We do have some babies here now and then but I suspect it's more that the parents come here to feed themselves and have a bath when the brood is snoozing elsewhere! :)
Hugs
Di xx
LOL! We get to watch dad feeding the little one's whilst mum's sitting on the next batch... except for yesterday when I saw a mum feeding two that looked bigger than her!
DeleteI like tattered/distressed looking cards so sanding doesn't scare me one bit. Give it a go - it's easier than it looks. xxx
Oh so pretty! What a fabulous design! Thanks so much for playing in our ‘Layers’ challenge at Dies R Us! Please come back again soon!
ReplyDeleteDarlene (DRU Blog Leader)
DIES R US CHALLENGE BLOG
DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS Please come for a visit.
Thank you so much, Darlene.
Deletex
Hi Donna, well I loved this tag when you blog it! and it look fantastic on your card design now..Beautiful Thank-you card.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of Sparrows too and Starlings..
Hugs Pam x
I hate starlings!!!
DeleteWhen next door have finally finished with their building work we plan on putting up a small hole nest box in the hope of persuading a blue tit family to move in. Couldn't believe it when I saw listings for starling boxes!
I think we all need a little busy every now and then just as we need a bit of Clean and simple. Thank you for sharing with us all over at That's Crafty and joining in with the Anything Goes Blog Challenge.. Best Wishes Tracey.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the time to stop by, Tracey.
DeleteBest wishes to you, too. X
This is such an effective make really eye catching.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linby.
DeleteGlad you like it. 🙂
I remember this lovely tag Donna and it looks beautiful made into a card.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about you baby sparrows. We,ve not had sparrows but have been feeding families of blackbirds for weeks now with suet pellets with insect pieces in them. They get through a tub each week. Some have got so tame I can drop the food in front of me and they come straight down to eat. Several even look in the kitchen window if I'm at the sink almost asking for food. It sounds as if you spend lots of time watching the birds like me. Barbxx
Hi Barb.
DeleteWe lost a blackbird baby yesterday. Sad day.
Pesky starlings visit a few times a day to see what's in offer so suet disappears in an instant of them arriving. So I've learned to hide it where, at present, they haven't found it. They are also partial to crushed digestives and oats so scoff the lot of those given the option. One or two wouldn't be so bad... but they come in droves if they think the garden has food for them.
Just starting to see the tits again as they are no longer feeding the little ones...
Birdwatching helps... like crafting does. But I figure I'm always going to hurt.
Must catch up with your blog before I get so far behind!
Donna. X
What a pretty card, love the garden theme with the fabulous flowers and the cute tag with the butterfly. Thank you so much for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Hugs, Sandra
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandra. 🙂
DeleteThis is so beautiful with so much attention to detail, I like busy cards bc you always see something different every time you look and this is a wondeful example x
ReplyDeleteYou are very kind, Claire... Thank you.
DeleteWent to your blog page today and had a read of your bio. My life's also been turned upside down - which is why I'm so bad at keeping on top of other people's blog posts. But crafting helps a little.
You are my closest neighbour in blogland - I'm very close to Stourbridge!
Sending you a 'hello' wave! X
Oh that is just GORGEOUS.
ReplyDeleteSparrows on the decline? Who knew? The little perishers eat me out of house and home and go through a tube of seed PER DAY at the mo then sit on the fence tapping their claws until we refill it! I am a SLAVE to them!
I also have one BRAVE female blackbird who literally DEMANDS we fling some sultanas her way. She deliberately flies close to the window, then sits in full view hopping back & forth on garden furniture until we submit!
Hugs, Sarn xxx
LOL! I can fully relate.
DeleteExcept that ours was Mr Blackbird and he'd be up bright and early waiting... and sometimes literally following me around the garden whilst I filled up the feeders.
But things are so much quieter now that fledgling season is over.
No more Mr Blackbird sunbathing (have you seen what they do)?
No more dust baths in the area where I'd just heavily pruned a bush.
But Robin feels braver to come by now and gets to eat in relative peace rather than taking it's life into it's hands and being chased off by the sparrow hoards!