Happy Birthday to me! Tomorrow is my special day and to celebrate, it’s become a bit of a tradition (we’re in our third year) of gathering my stamping friends and having a blog hop.
I’m joined by 23 of the sweetest, most talented stampers that the South Pacific has to offer. Enjoy the project from each creator and then click on next to hop through to the next project. The hop runs in a circle, so you don’t need to start at any particular point – just keeping scrolling through the beautiful artwork and click on next until you get back to where you started. If any of the next links are broken (it happens sometimes!), there’s a list of participants at the end of this post.
Seeing as it’s my birthday, there’s a loose birthday theme for tonight’s hop. But (because it’s my birthday and I can break the rule), I have strayed slightly from that theme and my card is a thank you – a great big thank you to all the designers who have joined me on this hop to celebrate and another big thank you to everyone who visits us!
For this hop, I’m sharing with you some of my new birthday presents. I love the happy coincidence that my birthday month is also a Stampin’ Up! preorder*** month. I love gifts – giving gifts, getting gifts, buying myself gifts! Happy Birthday to me!
***Preorder means a demonstrator can order from a new catalogue or promotion earlier than its release. Customers will be able to order new items shown on this post from 4th June. Can’t wait? Ask me about joining my team.
This card features the new Stampin’ Up! stamp set – Free As a Bird and coordinating dies – Stitched Nested Label Dies. The stamp set has the most beautiful bird & flowers combination and the dies are a dotted edge – a new pattern for the SU range. The stitched edge effect creates a fabulous border both inside & out.
Although this card looks pretty on the front, the magic happens when you fold it out. I’ve combined a couple of ideas to create a Window Front Z Fold Card. The card front has a Nested Die cut out and the bird panel is actually attached to the Z fold in the middle of the card.
Let me show you more pictures. Here’s the card when the Z is still folded but the card front is open.
And then when totally opened out…
I’ve added a couple of little magnets to keep the card closed when it’s all folded back in.
The measurements for this card:
Card Base – 4-1/8″ x 11-11/16″ (half an A4 page lengthways), scored at 5-7/8″
Insert – 3-7/8″ x 11-1/4″, scored at 2-13/16″ & 5-5/8″
DSP (left panel) – 2-11/16″ x 3-3/4″
Cardstock (middle panel) – 2-11/16″ x 3-3/4″
DSP (right panel) – 5-1/2″ x 3-3/4″
I love that those gorgeous birds are a feature inside & out of the card. I’ve stamped all the images for this card in StazOn ink and coloured them with ink and an Aqua Painter.
The Bird Ballard DSP I’ve used in the card is from the same suite as the stamp set. These colours helped me to choose the colours for colouring. The card base is Petal Pink, the Nested Label is Soft Suede and for colouring I’ve used Petal Pink, Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Old Olive & Smoky Slate.
As well as the whimsy of the birds and the flowers, I love the sentiments from this set. And I thought given all the wonderful friends I have along on this hop with me, the one I’ve chosen for the inside (Your friendship means the world to me) is just perfect!!!
Did I mention how much I love gifts? I’d like to gift this card and a sampler of the pretty Bird Ballard DSP to someone special. To be in the running, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll choose a winner on Tuesday 28th May 2019.
Next up on for the birthday fun is the gorgeous Shannon Kissane.
Thank you for hopping us with today and for being part of my birthday celebrations!!!
PARTICIPANT LIST
1 Kelly Kent
2 Shannon Kissane
3 Tina Gillespie
4 Monique Fielder
5 Leonie Stuart
6 Michelle Strazds
7 Mandy Depiazzi
8 Rochelle Blok
9 Narelle Simm
10 Catherine Creer
11 Lou Kitzelman
12 Sandra Collett
13 Sharon Dalton
14 Denise Buetler
15 Siobhan Fitzsimmons
16 Jan McQueen
17 Cathy Pinchbeck
18 Richelle Fletcher
19 Melissa Gifford
20 Rachael Lewsley
21 Nicole Wilson
22 Julia Quinn
23 Sheila Pybus
24 Leonie Schroder
kelly kent 
Wow, what a fabulous creation, Kelly. Hope you are having a great day and enjoying the sunshine! x
Beautiful Kelly. Hope you have a very special birthday xx
Love all the surprise elements in this card Kelly. Happiest of Birthdays to you xxx
Beautiful card, Kelly. Happy Birthday fellow Taurus. I am celebrating my BD on Friday in Montego Bay, Jamaica!
What a fabulous card design – but from you that is expected! Gorgeous card from a gorgeous friend, Happy Birthday Kelly 🙂
Beautiful card Kelly and a great fancy fold, this stamp set is growing on me
This is just stunning Kelly! Such an amazing design! Loving all the different elements and layers! Thanks for sharing and a big Happy Birthday for tomorrow! Rochelle xo
What an awesome card! I love the design of the fold, and love how you almost need to explore the card to find all the little panels and messages. Just beautiful. I hope you have a wonderfully happy birthday.
Loving all of this Kelly,absolutely gorgeous!
Oh this is so fun! I’d play with this all day if it were my card 😛 I love the pretty, pretty colour palette and your colouring on the birds is beautiful. And a perfect spot to photograph the lovely birds!! Happy birthday again and thanks for giving up your birthday eve to work behind the scenes to pull of this hop of the most amazing collection of stamping talent.
A stunning card Kelly! I can’t believe you pulled that together last minute -Wowsers!! I think I may just have to CASe you if that’s ok. Thanks for the opportunity to hop with you and you’re amazing and talented friends xx
So many lovely features of your card, and how fun to celebrate your birthday with crafting and blogging friends! I love this suite and appreciate the opportunity to enter your fabulous contest! Thanks for the chance, and Happy Birthday, Kelly! 😊
That is Stunning! love your fancy fold and the fact that you broke your own rules – but it’s totally fitting considering it’s your birthday!
Speaking of which, happy birthday!! I hope you have a wonderful day and may you get plenty of time to get crafty with all your new gifts!
ps: May is the bestest month to be born in 😉
Such an intetesting fold on a beautiful card.
Love your card Kelly…..those birds (and the colours) are very appealing! Happy birthday to you.
Such a gorgeous, elegant design Kelly and your colouring is really beautiful too. Hope you’re having a fabulously Happy Birthday today. xx
Oh wow, this is AWESOME! I love the nested front and I love the z fold and I love the pretty pretty paper. What a gorgeous card and a brilliant idea. So much to love. Such cleverness for your birthday is inspiring. Hope your birthday was brilliant toooo!
This card is stunning as always you always inspire me more than you know! Thank you for being a truly amazing upline and friend. Happiest birthday to you and enjoy your birthday month!
Absolutely beautiful! Can’t wait for the new products to be available!
oh my gosh … it’s a card inside a card!! Love it Kelly and love this bundle too! Happy BIrthday Gorgeous!
How gorgeous. I have not seen this version of a Z fold card and now it might just be my new fave! I love that the surprises keep happening with each turn of this sweet card. x