Celebrate Big!

 Hello again! Today I'm sharing another birthday card, as I'm up to my neck in birthdays of friends and family. WARNING: This card was a #$^@$&# to photograph! The sequins that look blue are in fact white; the champagne looks purple, it's pink. Bling is a mercurial little thing on camera. So, with that said...

The start to this card was to use the Gecko Galz collage sheet image, and I soon paired that with a Stamplorations "Celebrate Big" die as if coming out of the champagne. So I went looking for a sketch that had the rectangle focal point and some sort of pattern to the background. I wanted to employ my Zen theory on this card using elements reminding one of Asian style influence. 

 

I chose this sketch from Split Coast Stampers and resized it to A7 (5x7") in PSE before printing out. I used Prima Melody A4 designer papers throughout, even for the card base and the die cuts.

  

For the 3 rectangles of the sketch, I went looking through my dies for rectangular ornamental shapes approximately 4.5" x 2". I found a gorgeous die included in Spellbinders' A7 Romantic Rectangles die set, but it was not long enough. So I decided to cut each die cut in half to lengthen and hide the cut with a Spellbinders Asian coin die, as shown in the above left hand mockup. The right hand photo shows my layout mockup with the addition of 2 Sizzix champagne glass die cuts and an MFT pierced rectangle die cut for the image mat. I cut 2 of the Stamplorations sentiment dies to offset layer for effect. 

So once I got the 3 yellow print die cuts and coins arranged just so, I began layering on my matted image and the sentiment layers slightly askew. 

Ugh, a few of these pics were taken in yellow light under a ceiling fan drying the bling. Yellow light washes out the deep rich pink polkadot base mat. Anyway, I highlighted the top pink sentiment and the shadow lines of the champagne glasses with a darker pink Promarker and then brushed on Smooch Glitz glitter ink for the champagne. I added a MAMBI decorative corner sticker to the collage sheet image and brushed on more Smooch and some Wink of Stella clear to the image's champagne. (There's what looks like a smudge near her head but that's part of the image's background with another smaller one down by her arm.)

I got out my teeniest clear rhinestones - I added one to the I dot in Big and 1 to the decorative corner flower center. I got out some pink and white sequins and adhered them for bubbles, then added a gold dot of Viva Decor pearl pen to each one. I also added two pink glass flowers and a gold dot to them.

  

The inside is layered with more Prima Melody papers and hand stamped with Uniko birthday stamps. The back used another asian coin die cut with some Melody scraps and hand-stamped with an Impression Obsession siggie stamp.

   

Some close-ups...

...and a final view. I know the recipient will like this card and I like the airy ornamental zen flare of those 3 decorative rectangles. And I think my disguised lengthening looks pretty good!

I hope everyone who is on lockdown is coping well. Pass the time, don't let it pass you! Art is always a good option! Until my next post, stay well and warm! XXO

MY CHALLENGE PLAYLIST:

1.   Split Coast Stampers sketch SC205

2.   Outlawz Twisted Thursdays 12/31-1/13: AG + Opt. Twist Glitter -- Option played!   #2/2

3.   Classic Design Jan. 20201 #1: AAG

4.   Gecko Galz Jan. Facebook Challenge: AG Good Wishes  

5.   Gecko Galz Jan. Customer Blog Challenge  

6.   613 Avenue Create Jan. 2021 Challenge #1: AG  #5/8

7.   A Place to Start Challenge #1 Jan. 2021: AG  #4/8

8.   The Sisterhood of Crafters: Die Cuts and/or Embossing Folders -- #1/3  Die cuts: Sentiment, image mat, champagne glasses, 3 ornamental rectangle mats

9.   Use Your Stuff #413: All About the New -- First time to se the Spellbinders Romantic rectangle die and the Stamplorations sentiment die. 

10. HLS Jan. AG with Dies