"Hope is ...

... the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without the words and never stops - at all." Another simple card, inspired by a post on a friend's blog. There isn't much to say about the construction of the card. I stamped the sentiment first and then, stamped the vine around it. The coloring was done with a marker, and I used Liquid Applique on the flowers. The bird was stamped and cut out. I rounded two corners and added tiny pearl accents.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Black cardstock; Black, Olive, and Indian Corn Blue ink pads; Garden Green marker; Flourishes Birds in Vines and Wordsworth Comfort stamp sets; Liquid Applique; Kaiser Kraft pearls; Corner rounder.

Before I forget, I'll answer a question that Lori asked in her comment on my "With a Little Help from My Friends" post. She asked how I Cuttlebug emboss Close To My Heart's white-core cardstock without it cracking. If I don't want it to crack, I sandwich my cardstock between a couple of same-size pieces of copy paper. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. I have less success with dark cardstock. Before giving in and sanding it, however, I have been known to ink up a round sponge and rub it on the cracks. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. I hope this helps.

Like most of my stamping endeavors, it's experimental! There isn't much to say about today. It's quiet around here, and so far, I've been moving around like a snail. I hope you're enjoying your weekend. If I get my corner straightened around enough so that I can get into it (literally), I might have something to show you later. If not, I'll catch you tomorrow. Take care!