Secret birthday party.

Saturday our stamping group is having a birthday party secret gift swap.  Instead of celebrating each month all year, we decided to have a party once a year and swap gifts.  We draw names and buy a gift for the person whos name we recieved.  We all make a dish to share and just enjoy the day with each other.  Its a really fun day.  So I wanted to share with you the card I made for my secret birthday girl.  What I did was cut a paper that would fit into the center of my card base.  I stamped it with the background stamp that looks like a newspaper, tore a few pieces of flowered paper and glued them on. Then I took a few cats eye stamping pads that matched the torn paper and dragged them across the whole thing.  I consentrated on the edges with the darker ink.  I ran it through my cuttlebug with an embossing folder, embossing the top and bottom.  I left a space where I could glue a strip across for the sentiment.  Here I stamped Happy Birthday.  I used a stamp that looks like stitching down one side and a cornor stamp in the upper left cornor.  I stamped the flower on watercolor papr and used Tim Holtz distress inks to watercolor it.  It was mounted on the card with pop dots and then I added some little silver beads down the right side on the tips of the stitching lines.  Sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't.  Doing these kind of cards always makes me feel so artsy.  Enjoy

Flower stamp--Flourishes I love Roses
Background stamp--Darcies SCMM03
Sentiment--Hero Arts Birthday sayings
Stitched lines--Amuse fancy borders
Corner stamp--Inky Antics
Cranson water color paper