QUILTY PIECED BIRD CARDS

How adorable is this bird?!?!

If you haven't already been seeing pieced bird cards, you're in for a real treat today.  I saw this design for the first time last night, and I knew that it would be the first thing that I worked on today.  On the Frenchie Stamps blog, France Martin has a video tutorial of how to make the pieced bird and also shares a photo of a quilt that prompted her to make a paper version.  

This first card that I'm sharing features Stampin' Up!'s "Perennial Lavender" designer paper and a sentiment from the fantastic "Timeless Arrangements" stamp set.  The rhinestone jewel that I used for the bird's eye is from the retired Noble Peacock Rhinestones, but any rhinestone, small sequin, or brad would certainly suffice.

As I followed along with France's video tutorial, there were only two things that I did differently.  Instead of using scissors to round the top right corner of the bird's head, I used a Corner Rounder punch.  She may have demonstrated with scissors because Stampin' Up! doesn't currently offer a punch for rounding corners--and that's perfectly understandable.  If you have a punch, use it.  The second thing that I decided to do--which I find to be extremely helpful when it comes to selecting which papers to use for which part of piecing the bird--was to create a cheat sheet of sorts where each piece is labeled as A, B, or C.  Below is the cheat sheet that I made for myself:

For my cheat sheet and for the second card, I used the oh-so-gorgeous "Flowering Zinnias" designer paper, which is one of Stampin' Up!'s newest Online Exclusives products.  Don't miss out on this paper because it is sooooooo pretty!

For the second card, I chose to make one with a Book Binding fold.  It's so simple to make, but that one extra score line gives the card just enough interest to keep it from looking like any other card.  It also provides a perfect place for a pretty strip of coordinating designer paper.  And the pieced bird . . . I think he is so beautiful.  Hopefully, you can tell that there is a fluffy cloud above and below him because . . . well . . . he's flying high.  Below is a closer look:

And how about one more photo that does a better job of showing the Book Binding card design:

So . . . be honest . . . are you ready to cut some 3/4" squares and start piecing some pretty birds?  This is a fantastic project for some of your smallest scraps of designer paper.  I've already got a container to hold cut squares for the sole purpose of making more, more, more pieced birds.  

Have a stampin' good day!