It's a Good Day - SUO Summer Celebrations

My idea of summer celebrations is perhaps differently than anyone else.
I just love spending time on the deck, working in the garden, and watching nature in action - like the squirrels chasing each other over roof and fence tops, or the robins digging for worms after I've watered the lawn, or keeping an eye on the cardinal's nest in my lilac tree.
So for the challenge with SUO I put together a nature scene using the new "Best Birds" stamp set and its coordinating framelits.

I wasn't sure how this card was going to go together when I started.
I started with the birds. 
I die cut 3 of them,  one in Chocolate chip, one in Hello Honey and the baby in Crumb Cake. In the end I chose to use only the Hello Honey one and the little baby chick. Both were sponged with Chocolate chip ink. I saved the 3rd bird for the inside of the card.

One a separate piece of Whisper White cardstock, the branch, leaves and flowers were stamped, coloured with a blender pen and ink pads, and die cut.

Gradually I was getting an idea of what the front of the card would look like.

The Whisper White cardstock layer was stamped with the Timeless Texture stamp set using Soft Suede ink. The branch was adhered to the top right, and blossoms added by the leaves.

Then a 1 1/4" piece of Crumb Cake was embossed using the Undersea embossing folder, notched one end using the triple punch, and adhered it to the Whisper White layer near the bottom. This "log" was sponged to give the appearance of wood.

Then the birds were arranged as indicated on the card.

This is my summer celebration, my "good day"

Supplies Used:
Stamps Best Birds, Timeless Texture
Inks: Black Memento, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Blushing Bride
Papers: Soft Suede, Soft Suede DSP, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Hello Honey
Accessories: Best Birds dies/framelits, Undersea embossing folder, Triple punch, 1" circle punch, tiny pearls for the bird's eyes, Thick Baker's twine (retired)