I cannot believe it is almost the 4th of July!

Feels like Summer is half over, yet we are just getting started. The weather here hasn’t exactly screamed Summer, but more maybe Spring. It IS getting warmer each day and I look forward to less rain and more SUN.

I’ve been so inspired by nature lately and am dying to share my project today. Before I do so, let me link our team members who also are excited to share projects today!

  • Debbie Marcinkiewicz
  • Farida Rone
  • Linda Hammerton
  • Lori Kalus
  • Mara Campbell

    • I was inspired by nature with my project today, as I’ve recently received an email from my brother, that had a photo of the wreath I had made for his Mother in Law. Making silk wreaths, and floral arrangements is a new passion of mine 😀 In the photo a robin had loved my wreath SO MUCH that it built a HUGE nest, right on top of it!

    Inside the bird laid three eggs in there! How sweet 😀

    I love the nest! I wish I would have it after, and use it in a large cage I just bought for decor in one of the rooms in my house. Not sur

    Sadly I never got any really good photos of the wreath myself, so these will have to do!

    So upon getting the email, I just had this nest on my brain! So between that, and having friends who just got married and are buying their first home, I thought it would be great to make a gift for “the new nest”.

    Here is my take on that idea, inspired by my wreath

    I used the NEW! Cuppy-Cake © Template for this gift to be made into a little blue bird, in a nest, and a coordinating card.

    My Cuppy-Cake © template was a “cupcake” turned “bird in a nest” by simply using the Cute Lil Chick © cut file! It was quick and simple, and I thik we can all agree OH! SO CUTE!

    For the little bird body I cut my “cupcake” top from a pale aqua cardstock.

    I then layered on the aqua pattern from the Vintage Flourishes – Bright © paper collecion, onto 6 of the panels for the body, and then the green pattern on two of the panels so it would look like the bird’s belly!

    I added one of the aqua decorative panels from the Vintage Flourishes – Bright © paper collecion to the face, and trimmed the excess.

    For the bird’s face I had used the “Belly” as the face, and just used the PDF version of the Cute Lil Chick © cut file for the eyes and beak! Sponge on some rosey cheeks.

    As you get to see a 360 degree view of this you will see that I then used the wing, and tail from the Cute Lil Chick © cut file to complete my little bird!

    I cut the Cuppy-Cake © bottom (aka “the nest”) from a texturedchocolate cardstock .

    To accentuate the fact that this is a nest I created a tag using the Fine Finish © tag collection.

    On the tag I stamped my nest (of course) branch, flowers and sentiment reading “For your new nest”, using the Singing Silhouette © set.

    Now when you have a new home we all like to have a little “nest egg” in case of home repairs, or for that special something you may want for your new home.

    So going with that theme, Jay and I put some cash into a little egg, and placed it in the nest.

    Well those ae the details on my little bird, now time for the card!

    My card was created quickly and easily using the Window Treatments Collection 1 © card cut file!
    I stamped the bird from Critters with Heart © on the Fine Finish © tag, and added the branch and nest elements from the Singing Silhouette © set. The HAPPY is from our Sentimental Occasions © set.
    I used a woodgrain pattern bow for the tab top.
    Now open this up…and I have my sentiment from the

    Fine Finish ©  digital set, and printed on the back layer. I think depending on the number of house projects, this sentiment could come in handy! LOL! I love it.
    You could also put your cash or a gift card in here as well.
    This idea would be well matched with a NEW ARRIVAL too! Great for a baby shower favor, or to hold handmade baby hat or booties. Maybe a gift card to a local store, or photography studio for the little one 😀
    Whew! While the project was super simple, explaining it all was exhausting! I hope it inspired you because then it would be well worth it 😀
    Thanks for stopping by today.
    Please return tomorrow as we ahve many more ideas with our Group Post A Year In Review!
    The projects using older products are always SO inspiring, so you won’t want to miss it.