When it’s minus 10C outside there’s not a whole lot going on in the garden. So this morning I found my inspiration in a Facebook post from a friend who’s on vacation in Hawaii. Karen posted a picture of free range chickens she saw at a Costco there. Except the chickens were very much alive, and free-ranging around the car park. Included towards the bottom of the photo was a very impressive rooster and that inspired me to create today’s project.

STAMPARATUS

For what I had in mind I knew I’d need the help of my Stamparatus. I fixed the rooster image to one of the hinged plates and placed a piece of Very Vanilla Card on the platform.

I started by pressing a Gray Granite ink pad onto the rooster’s legs and the ground. Then I stamped onto the Very Vanilla Card.

Next I pressed a Night of Navy ink pad over the rest of the rooster, but before stamping I wiped the ink from the head using my Simply Shammy. Then I stamped onto the Very Vanilla Card and cleaned the stamp again.

Finally I pressed a Real Red ink pad onto the head of the rooster, and stamped once more. I now had a cute multicoloured rooster, very similar to the one my friend saw at Costco. Similar but not quite finished…

STRIKING ROOSTER COLOURS

One of the things that struck me most about about the rooster in Karen’s photo was the copper coloured feathers on his neck. So copper embossing was a must.

I still had the rooster image and card on the Stamparatus so I wiped the card with an Embossing Buddy to make sure that the image was completely dry. Then I wiped the stamp with the Simply Shammy so it was completely clean.

Next I pressed a VersaMark ink pad onto the stamp just at neck and back of the rooster. Then I stamped the VersaMark onto my coloured rooster. Now I could remove the card from the Stamparatus, but I left the rooster stamp where it was, just in case.

I sprinkled the image with Copper Stampin’ Emboss Powder and tapped off the excess. When I checked the image I realised that I’d got some powder over the top of the rooster’s tail. No matter, I just wiped it off with my thumb. Then I melted the remaining embossing powder with my Heat Tool set on 2 (high).

It was time to add a sentiment, and the ‘thanks for your friendship’ from the Home to Roost Stamp Set was perfect. I placed it onto the Stamparatus plate beside the rooster stamp and inked them both up with Night of Navy ink. Then I stamped onto some scrap paper. This was so that I could check that the sentiment was straight, and that I liked how it looked beside the rooster.

It was perfect, so I cleaned both stamps and removed the rooster from the hinged plate. I placed the card with the rooster back onto the platform and reinked the sentiment with Night of Navy ink. Then I stamped it. In fact I stamped the sentiment twice to get it really bold.

FINAL ASSEMBLY

I was now ready to start putting the card together.

I trimmed up the rooster panel and used Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) to attach it to a layer of Real Red Card.

Next I folded a card from the Delightfully Detailed Notecards & Envelopes Pack along the pre-scored line. Then I sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder and added the layered panel on the front with more liquid glue.

This card was all about that rooster but I wanted to keep the coordination simple. So I used Gray Granite ink to stamp the rooster image in the bottom left corner inside the notecard.

To finish, I stamped the rooster again in Gray Granite ink on the front of the envelope and I was done.

I’m really pleased with how this project turned out. It wasn’t what I’d had planned for this morning, but you never know when inspiration is going to strike. Thanks Karen. I’m not at all jealous that you’re in Hawaii. No. Nope. Not at all…..

I never post other people’s photographs without their permission, so I’m waiting for Karen to get back to me. When permission is granted I’ll share the photo that inspired today’s card over on my PapercraftWithMe Facebook page.

SALE-A-BRATION ENDS SUNDAY

Home To Roost is a Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set which means that it cannot be purchased. It is available for free with a $60 purchase (before shipping and taxes) but only until Sunday (March 31st). This is when the 2019 Sale-A-Bration promotion ends.

Sunday March 31st is also your last chance to join my team of Crafty Canadians using the amazing Sale-A-Bration joining offer. You have two choices for your starter kit – choose $225 of product and pay just $135 with no shipping costs, or for $175 choose $225 of products and get the large canvas Craft & Carry Tote included. When your starter kit arrives you’ll also find a free Paper Pumpkin kit included so that’s another $28 value. Join now, or contact me for more information.

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