Lovebirds

With Valentine's Day just two days away, I couldn't resist putting together this lovebird birdcage design which is from the recently released Love Birds kit from Bird's SVGs.

As you can see, this kit is filled with amazing projects. Isn't that heart-shaped bag just gorgeous? Paired with the swan card, I could see this as a unique an beautiful way to give a wedding gift to a special couple. 

Not only is the birdcage so pretty all by itself, the part that hooked me was the fact that it's also a lantern if you want it be.  By day, it's a pretty home decor piece. By night - SURPRISE! - there are a pair lovebirds in there!!

First I built the project as designed, but then decided to add some flowers for a pop of color since I went with some rather neutral paper to start with. 

These flowers can all be found as a completely free download from Bird's SVGs as well. The freebie bundle is called Flower and Leaf SVGs.  I used the first of the three rolled flowers shown below to add the yellow roses to my project.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this project is to put together. It looks very intricate and difficult, but really, it couldn't be easier and goes together rather quickly. 

I love this project so much, I decided to make a second one as a gift for a flower and bird loving family member. Her favorite color is red, so I had fun picking out some poppy paper from the DCWV Garden Charm stack and adding some poppies to the project, also free from the Flower and Leaf bundle.

The patterned paper was too creamy to be a white, but too white to be a true cream color, so I spent some time inking the edges with some Tim Holtz shabby shutters Distress Ink and used a cream colored cardstock for the base pieces. It might not stand out initially, but if you look at the pieces side-by-side below, I think you can see what a difference the inking makes. I love how much depth it can add to projects too.

Last but not least, I added a secret detail to my bird cages because it makes me giggle a little every time I think of it. What do most folks used to line the bottom of their bird cages? If you guessed newspaper, you'd be right!  So I created an extra panel of my own that was cut from some newsprint looking cardstock and added it to the inside. I'd like to think the recipient will like my little joke when they see it too!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit Bird's SVGs for some wonderful projects to fit your every need or creative whim. While you're there, you should check out Bird's newsletter too. It's a brand new feature and if you read Bird's latest blog post here you can learn how to receive future coupons and deals just by receiving the newsletter.

Have a happy Valentine's Day!