There are many things I love about Stampin' Up products. One of those things is the versatility of the punches. I love the Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch. It's a new punch design that I find much easier to use and it also is easier to store. This punch is available until April 30 in the Occasions Mini Catalogue.

The punch has 3 elements: the bird body, the wing and a branch with leaves. In this first sample, I used it with both the bird part and the branch part and I paired it with the basket from the Basket & Blooms die for the Bigshot. Both of these are in the 2009 - 2010 Idea Book & Catalogue.

First I sponged clouds on Whisper White card stock. I used a torn sticky-note and sponged around it with Bashful Blue. Then I tore more sticky-notes and placed them across the bottom part of the card stock and sponged in the grassy area with Certainly Celery. The grass was stamped with the Inspired by Nature set in Garden Green.

For the basket I used Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper and trimmed down the sides. The edges were sponged with So Saffron. The bird's wing is also from the Bella Bleu DSP. I coloured the beak with a Pumpkin Pie marker and used a Basic Black marker for the eye.

The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and stamped in Garden Green on Whisper White, layered on So Saffron punched out with the Modern Label punch. I used Linen Thread to "hang" it from the bird's beak.