On Your Special Day

Hello! Happy Sunday. Honey's in TV Heaven today watching NASCAR and the PGA golf-off between Tiger/Payton Manning and Phil Mickelson/Tom Brady. I am sharing this card as a Surprise Guest Designer at Bugaboo Stamps Challenge blog. Although I am still experiencing back and nerve pain, I am only a day behind now on the blog posts and have four more days of meds, so things are looking up. I should be back to visit you and commenting by June 1.

A new challenge is up at Bugaboo's Catch The Bug Challenge blog -- Photo Inspiration. I made this card as a sample. Here's the challenge inspiration photo:

I was inspired by the butterfly, flower and the purple color. And also by the background being out of focus or abstract.

I ProMarker-colored and die cut this pretty Bugaboo digi called Oval Roses Frame . I used my Spellbinders Scalloped Ovals dies. I also used a Lawn Fawn banner flag die to cut the stamped sentiment. I added purple floral ribbon and layered some polkadot lace on top. I also pulled two flowers from my stash and layered them with a small rhinestone center. I made a circular shape with larger rhinestones from my stash and added some butterfly stickers

I've used Bugaboo's latest Stella Says Sketch Challenge which stays open for a month in the summer starting with this sketch. I'm not entering into the challenge because I'm a guest designer, but you can!

My card features the newly-released Oval Roses Frame image. After coloring it I added white dots to the background and brushed some Wink of Stella on the roses.

I altered some very old Blue Cardigan patterned paper I to make a custom background. I have shared a bit of the process further down in this post.

Here's the inside of the card. More Blue Cardigan altered paper. Uniko stamped sentiments heat-embossed in white on a Spellbinders Labels die cut of SU card scrap.

The back: More Blue Cardigan altered paper. An Impression Obsession stamped siggie on a punched card stock circle.

Okay, so how the heck did I alter this patterned paper? Here I have lain the finished card on a sheet of the original card stock used. The back turned out more pinkish-purple because by the time I got to the back piece to alter it, I was using different inks playing around. Have to say I liked them both so who cares they aren't the same shades. The front benefits from a more greyish purple and the back features the flowers in the original pattern.

The original sheet wasn't at all purple-y enough for my purposes, so ink and my blending brushes to the rescue! The background looks to be drapery and is pretty abstract to begin with, so it altered well. For the front, I went for a more grey-purple, darkish, muted look to highlight the focal image.

Here's another sheet of the original Blue Cardigan I altered with inks before adhering to the card inside. I L-O-V-E the drama created by deepening the lines of this image which looks to me to be a chest of drawers with a really cool old-timey handle.

This is a cutesy assortment of stash stickers from who-knows-where anymore. I found 2 butterflies for my flowers and altered them with gel pens. Also found 2 tiny flower rhinestones to add as well.

You can see the white dots I added with my white gel pen in this close-up.

I still did not get the ink altering purple-y enough on the piece I used for the card front, so before adhering I went in with my black Carbon Desk Pen, ProMarkers and Wink of Stellas and just traced lines for movement, colored some in and highlighted the background's flowers and greenery. The result was a background that flows yet you really can't tell what it is, which is what I wanted because the original 12x12 design on the paper was much too large for a card 1/4 the size (6x6 card).

A close-up of one of the flowers on the back where you can see my inking and coloring.

And a close-up of the shine.

Just had to add another shot of the inside - just love the juicy inked purples with the original browns - YUM!

I made this for a girlfriend who absolutely loved it. I mailed it, too! Old card maker's trick: put the card in your envelope folded backwards or inside out. (I also used an envelope made of heavy kraft card stock.) Folding your card this way protects the card front during mailing. I just attach a sticky note explaining, no I have not gone bonkers, lol. All the rhinestones arrived in tact so mission accomplished!

Thanks as always for dropping by and stay well and safe. XOXO

MY CHALLENGES PLAYLIST:

1.   AAA Birthday Game #13: Things with Wings -- 2 butterflies and a lady bug  

2.   A Place to Start May Challenge: Create Your Own Custom Background -- I hope this qualifies. I altered designer paper to make my own backgrounds that worked for me. I didn't use the paper as is.

3.   613 Avenue Create #233: AG + Opt. Diamonds and Lace -- I played the option!

4.   Stamping Sensations May Challenge: Say It With Flowers 

5.   Scrapping 4 Fun #167: Animals/Flowers -- Ladybug and Butterflies / Roses

6.   Classic Design May Challenge: AG  

7.   Moving Along with the Times #118: Flowers

8.   Outlawz Sunday Songs & Rhymes 5/17-5/30: Song of Flowers

9.   I Love Promarkers #410: AG -- I colored the focal flower image and background with ProMarkers

10. Passion for ProMarkers Week 543: Spots and or Stripes -- I colored the focal flower image and the background with ProMarkers and added white dots to my flowers' oval background

11. Colour Crazy Craft Challenge Week 19: AG with Colouring --  I colored the focal flower image and background with ProMarkers

12. Rainbow Card Challenge #17: Vivaciously Violet