On birthday cards and struggling...

Good Thursday evening to y'all. It's rainy this week in my little corner of Texas. I realized today that I'm into my 2nd week of a post-wedding struggle to get focused and productive. Yikes, I found 2 Valentines cards I'd done last year, so I mailed those out to Honey's mom and our kids. And the thought of rushing to make more got self-vetoed for inducing too much stress. Seems that all I can make are birthday cards, so I will just be thankful I can get those made!

I had printed out several digital stamps at the beginning of the year, just chose some I liked in my digital files. This card features a super cute image, Bugaboo's Birthday Critters Sign. I thought it would look good on a card sized for a #10 envelope. This is the 2nd one of this size that I've done this year. I kinda like them for a change in creating. I added balloon die cuts to the image using WPlus9 and X-Cut balloon dies.

I used Feeling Sketchy's current sketch, first flipping it horizontally and then stretching it to 3-7/8" by 9" in PSE before printing out. I printed the digi on white Springhill 110# index stock.

I used ProMarkers to color the digi. I brushed the top of the ice cream cone with clear CC Sparkle Pen to make it shimmer. I made tiny dots in 3's with various colored Nuvo Drops. I embedded tiny clear rhinestones in a few of the drops. I cut the balloons out of patterned paper scraps from my paper stash. I used a Pitt pen to draw their strings. The green stars are balloons too but I just used them as star shapes. I used a scrap of patterned pink paper as the base paper layer framing the image. I distressed the edges of it with my Tim Tool.

I used an Avery Elle sentiment stamped with Memento ink. Short and sweet. The front is just silliness, so this is sort of to say: Seriously, have a great birthday, wishing you all good things. No rhyme or reason to choosing my innie sentiments. Sometimes a bunch of text, other times short and sweet.

I had 2 balloons left over from die cutting for the front so I added them to the back of the card along with hand-drawn strings. EkSuccess siggie stamp on a Clear Dollar label die cut on various scraps leftover from the front and this really big scrap piece of DCWV Birthday text paper. I actually took my image colors from this paper.

Of course, I had to use that lime green and it looks almost neon how it pops, but I like the lighter more pastel colors against it.

   

   

Close-ups to try to catch the elusive shine and sparkle on the front of the card...

Thanks very much for visiting and letting me share my creativity with you. I hope everyone has a fun, delish and/or LOVEly Love Day tomorrow!

CHALLENGES:
1.   Feeling Sketchy #234 -- see sketch above
2.   The House That Stamps Built Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge F1220 -- I chose the middle row: Gems/Pearls (rhinestones and Nuvo pearls) + Shimmer (Sparkle Pen) + Pink

3.   2 Crafty Critter Crazies #35: Feb. AG with a Critter -- PENGUIN, MONKEY, PIG 
4.   Outlawz Festive Fridays: Feb. 7-20 -- Birthday theme
5.   AAA Birthday Cards Game #10: CUTE 

6.   Paper Babe Stamps #112: Layers -- I have 4-5 layers counting the die cut balloons
7.   Colour Crazy Craft Challenge Week 4: AG with Colouring -- I coloured my image with ProMarkers
8.   Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #125: AG
9.   Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge Feb.: AG with PP
10. Catch the Bug Feb. Challenge: Child's Play
11. Paper Girls #193: Birthdays
12. Use Your Stuff #391: Critters -- PENGUIN, MONKEY, PIG
13. Cutie Pie Challenge #144: Cute and Cuddly Animals -- All 3 look cute and cuddly