Bright Birthday Card

I hope that things are returning to normal for you now that the busy Holiday season is over. I suppose it shall return to normal for me when I get around to taking down my decorations. :o) If there is one thing I hate to do, it's take down my Christmas Decorations. I always hate how empty and dull the house looks.

Well, things are not dull with my card making. I needed a Birthday Card for a friend so I decided to make a card that would ward off the dullness...

The is a basic A2 sized card (4 1/4 X 5 1/2 inches) but boy did I pack a pile of techniques into it! The cake, from CTMH's previous STOM "Piece of Cake" was heat embossed using Cocoa Embossing Powder. BTW, a little sneak peak at the new Idea Book being released February 1st...Piece of Cake is in the Idea Book! Woooo, yeah....It is a terrific Birthday set! Anyway, I water colored the image using my markers. Yes, markers...I colored the inside wells of a plastic paint pallet. I then dipped a very thin brush in water, blended with the color on the well and painted onto the image. (Colors used: Pacifica, Sky, Gypsy, Cotton Candy).

Next using a tooth pick, I "painted" Startdust Glitz Glitter Glue into the centers of some of the flowers. I also did the same technique using Pink Stickles on the Cake Plate. (Found the technique on Splitcoast Stampers website.) I also added dots of Glitz Glue on the scallops of the Nestie mat.

I tried another technique for the first time...I took a white crocheted daisy and died it using Hollyhock re-inker (I should have used Cotton Candy re-inker but I don't own it...yet.) I dropped about 4 drops of re-inker into a juice glass 1/2 full of water. I dipped the flower, let it rest there for about a minute and lifted it from the glass. I gave it a squeeze with a paper towel to speed the drying time.

Regretfully, my bow is small because that is all the Lagoon ribbon I had left. Love that color! It was new in the Winter 2010 CTMH Idea Book. Must get some more... :o)

I used my Swiss Dot Cuttlebug embossing folder on the Lagoon mat because I wanted to repeat the pattern of the "dots" from the B/T Duo's paper I selected (from Magnifique.) I sponged the edges including the Colonial White card base, assembled and the card was done! BTW, the sketch is from Wednesday's sketch challenge on Splitcoast Stampers.

I am so excited for the new Idea Book to become public! There are some really nice paper packets along with some great My Acrylix Stamp Sets....While we are waiting, don't forget "Wings." This month's newly released paper packet. This time of year doesn't have to be dull...it all depends on how you "craft" your time! For Now, Happy Crafting!