Easter Chicks

It's time for all us chicks to think about Easter. This is one of my favourite holidays each year since, beside the religious significance, it's all about Spring. Spring colors, spring fashions, new shoes, new animal life, green popping up in the grass, tulips poking up out of the bare ground - all of these things make me smile.

Today's collection of images from Eureka Stamps certainly brings this new season to mind. The happy expressions of all these little chicks just have to make you smile inside and out. These are digital stamps, so they are very reasonably priced and you can get the whole collection or just the ones that you like best.

Deb here with this week's tutorial on side step cards. Here's the pattern. It uses a 7 x 10 piece of heavy cardstock. Here are the steps for cutting and folding.

Using a paper cutter, or craft knife and ruler, cut a line as seen in the middle of the pattern at 3.5 inches, running from 2.5 to 9 inches.

With a Scor-Pal, score across the two sides for mountain and valley folds as indicated on the pattern.

On the left-hand side:

Mountain fold at 5 inches.

On the right-hand side:

Mountain fold at 2.5, 6.5 and 9 inches.

Valley folds at 5 and 8 inches.

Make these folds, and press with a bone folder tool. Your card should look like the photo below.

Next, cut two pieces of watercolor paper at 3.25 by 4.75 inches. Sponge with several colors of Distress Inks. If you are using very light colors and you want maximum color, apply the ink pads directly to the paper. Spritz with water. When dry, ink Eureka's Filigree Background with Distress Ink, and spritz the inked stamp lightly with water before stamping on the watercolor paper. Spritzing the stamp will give you a softer impression. Here's a snap of my background, and I apologize for how fuzzy this shot is.

Cut one piece of the dry background paper into pieces the right sizes for your card steps. Adhere background papers to the card base.

Cut 3 strips of grass with Cricut's Plantin cartridge at 1". Use these strips and the negative left behind to create grass for each of your card steps.

Color up your chicks. I've used Copics Y23, 32 and 38. One trick is to color outside your lines. That way when you fancy cut your chicks, you won't have white edges hanging out. Adhere chicks to card as it suits you.

Print Eureka's Happy Easter and sponge some color on the paper. Trim to fit bottom of card and adhere.

Adhere three Paper Flowers and place self-adhesive pearls in centres. Add a ribbon bow and call it done!

Here's a couple more photos of the card from the top and side, which might help you visualize the steps.

Join us next Wednesday at the QKR and here at Eureka for some projects presented by new members of the Technique and Tutorial Team! And do stop and visit my Personal Blog for more ideas.