Birthday Challenge

Today's card was created for a color challenge on the Paper Wishes Message Board.  I found it really challenging.  I was to use the colors white, black, gray, and gold.  I had some white/grey/black patterned papers I thought to use, but I just didn't like gold with them!  Then I remembered an older HOTP paper.  It was perfect!

The paper was a grey/white pattern rectangle on a striped background.  The grey/white pattern was big enough on the 12 x 12 piece of paper that there wasn't a large enough area of the stripes so that I could cut a mat as big as I wanted.  I also wanted to see the variety of colors all the way around.  So, I cut it up to create the grey/white patterned paper piece matted by the striped. I made sure to ink the edges of the grey patterned paper with black before adding it to the background.

For the focal, I cut a piece of white card stock with a die from Fleur de Lis Rectangles by Spellbinders.  After embossing it with the die, I used post-it notes to cover the outer edge and colored the center with a mixture of alcohol inks (Gold, Silver & Pearl mixatives).  Removing the post-it notes gave me a piece that was colored in the center & white on the outside.

For the focal itself I used black Dazzles, backing the balloons with the gold glimmer paper.  I also added a gold border sticker around the outside edge.  I matted this focal piece on a piece of gold embossed glimmer paper. The glimmer paper mat was added with foam tape and the focal itself was added with more foam tape.

I also added a gold glimmer paper strip for a border down the right side and topped it with a star border Dazzles piece.