Birthday Wishes

Hi everyone, today I would like to share the card I made for a good friend’s birthday which falls today.

Right now the latest “thing” over on Tracy Evans’ FB page is thrinchies - little three inch square pieces of artwork - and Tracy has been posting a number of videos for her followers to follow along and/or create their own interpretations. I haven’t made any thrinchies yet (though I am hoping to soon), but this card was inspired by Tracy’s thrinchie #11. I took the idea of the focal flower and ferns on a tag and the colour scheme, and scaled it up using a die cut tag, also creating a mixed media background inspired by some recent AALL & Create samples I’ve seen.

To create the background I blended Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio and Salty Ocean Distress Oxide inks over a large rectangle of white card, spritzed with water then blotted dry. I then lightly brayered the 3 colours of DOX over the top followed by a little white acrylic paint to soften the overall look. I randomly stamped some arty letters using Versamark and heat embossed white, then added some light stencilling using Salty Ocean DOX through AALL & Create Digits Checked stencil. I then stamped some random text using Tracy’s Background Elements stamp with Bali Blue and Verdant Versafine Clair. 

I die cut a tag then stamped the focal flower using the 3 colours of VFC, shaded with watercolour pencils and Stabilo white pencil to add some extra definition, then added fine white Posca highlights. I stamped some small ferns around the base of the tag using 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation DOX then added some random text using Bali Blue VFC. I stamped a teeny hare in the bottom corner which I grounded with grey Inktense pencil, and added the date in 2nd generation Morning Mist VFC. I edged the tag with blended DOX, punched a hole and threaded with some twine repurposed from the packaging of an order I received from Tracy 😀

I created the sentiment by stamping individual letters from TE32 Alpha Florals then enclosed within stamped sentiment frames from the same set, which I cut out ready to attach. I stamped a smaller sentiment onto a tag repurposed from Tracy’s packaging then assembled the finished card onto a C5 card blank.

As this card was for a special friend I also decorated the inside with another stamped and coloured flower and a grungy Visible Image sentiment. 

Stamps: Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE32 Alpha Florals, TE3 Fern, TE16 ArtsyAlpha/Numbers, TE11 Background Elements, TE31 Nature’s Beauty; AALL & Create #455 Seasons; Visible Image Birthday Wishes;

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio, Salty Ocean); Versafine Clair (Bali Blue, Verdant, Morning Mist, Nocturne, Portobello); Versamark; WOW Opaque white super fine embossing powder; watercolour pencils; Stabilo pencil (white);  Posca pen (white); acrylic paint (white);

Tools: AALL & Create die #30 Taggletastic, stencil #110 Digits Checked.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps & More #485 - Diecuts and/or Stencils (2nd entry)

Ally’s Angels #90 - Anything Goes

Beautiful Blossoms #25 - Anything Floral Goes (2nd entry)

Cardz 4 Galz #242 - Anything but Square

Crafter’s Cafe #315 - Birthdays

Crafty Catz #686 - Anything Goes with option Blue and Green

Creative Aunts #98 - Bingo

(blue/stamped images/handmade background)

Creative Crafting Uncles #61 - Happy Birthday

Creative Inspirations (January)  - Something Old/Something New (3rd entry)

(New stamp set TE32 Alpha Florals, old stencil #110)

Everybody Art #571 - Anything Goes

Fab ‘n’ Funky #609 - Include a Stamped Image (3rd entry) - TOP 3

Hallowe’en and Other Occasions #23 - Birthday

Little Red Wagon #792 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Shopping Our Stash #540 - Crafty Remnants

(kraft tag and twine - I don’t have a craft desk so they weren’t left out on it, but were with my leftovers in the cupboard ready to be used) 

Simon Says (Monday) - Bright and Cheerful

Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (4th entry)

I only realised right near the end of making this that I had mistakenly die cut my tag using the larger matting layer from the die set which is not as detailed as the smaller layer, which of course also meant I could not create a die cut mat for my tag!  Doh!! Never mind … I’m still pretty pleased overall with how it turned out, so onwards and upwards!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,