This month Stampin’ Up! has challenged Demonstrators to create a project using just stamps, ink, card, and any of the new Designer Series Papers (DSP). This is part of their #simplestamping campaign designed to encourage new stampers, or get experienced stampers back to basics. So, not only are we limited with the products we can use, no expensive tools or difficult techniques are allowed either. For the past few years I’ve been sharing my “simple Sunday” projects so it’s not a new concept for me. Today I took up the challenge with the Free As A Bird Stamp Set and Bird Ballad DSP.

DESIGNER SERIES PAPER

There are so many gorgeous designs in the Bird Ballad 12″ x 12″ DSP pack that it was hard to pick just one. In the end I chose the birds on branches design with the pretty blue background. In part this was because I happened to find a piece that was the perfect width for my simple Sunday card. Sometimes design decisions are as basic as that.

I trimmed the DSP to 5-1/4″ and used Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow) to fixed it to a card base of Thick Whisper White Card.

Next I used more liquid glue to attach some of the DSP to the flap of a Whisper White Medium Envelope. Then I trimmed the DSP to shape with Paper Snips, using the edge of the envelope flap as a guide.

That left me with a small scrap of DSP and as luck would have it a complete bird was part of the design. So while I had the Paper Snips to hand, I cut out the bird with a few leaves and flowers. If you look back at the top right corner of the card front you can see how the bird originally looked on my scrap of DSP.

Once I’d finished trimming the image, I used liquid glue to attach the fussy-cut piece to the bottom of a layer of Whisper White Card, then fixed it inside the card base.

SIMPLE SUNDAY STAMPING

That just left the thank you sentiment from the Free As A Bird Stamp Set. I found a narrow strip of Whisper White Card and cut it the same width as the DSP on the front of the card. Then I used Old Olive ink to stamp the sentiment.

I decided where to place the sentiment based on the pattern of the DSP on the front of the card. With the two birds towards the top, I attached the sentiment strip lower down the piece with liquid glue so they weren’t hidden. And that was it, one simple Sunday thank you card.

As my project shows, #simplestamping doesn’t have to mean boring or unattractive. With so many choices of Designer Series Paper this one simple layout could make a vast number of pretty cards.

I can’t decide which of the many Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Paper designs I like the best. I’d love to know your favourite and why.

PRODUCT LIST

UPDATE 2020: Sadly the Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper has retired and is no longer available from Stampin’ Up!