Birthday Cheer

Yes!  This card is also using paper from the paper swap - but this time I don't think the paper was from HOTP.  No idea who made it. It's one of the first red and green papers I've seen that didn't immediately scream "Christmas" at me. I liked the little jagged edge at the bottom -- the paper came that way.  But I decided to dress it up a bit with this bit of lace with 1/4" white ribbon & 1/8" red ribbon woven through it.

The focal just sort of evolved.  I tried stamping my sentiment on the paper itself - but the background was too busy for the stamping to show up well.  So, I found a white die cut piece in my stash (cut with a Spellbinder's die) and stamped on that.  I threaded a strip of white paper along with 1/8" red ribbon through the sides of the die cut.  I used a corner punch on the white mat before inserting the patterned paper into it and arranging my focal on top.  This whole matted piece is put on foam tape for added dimension.

In the Pink

This birthday card started with this flowered patterned paper that I got in a swap.  I think it's from HOTP, but not certain.  The pink also came from the swap.  I used a technique I often use and die cut the elements (Spellbinders dies) used for focal & matting from the part of the larger pink mat that would be covered by the patterned paper.

The sentiment is stamped and embossed with fine white embossing powder. The border is made with a snippet of lace that I threaded a pink ribbon through and attached before gluing the patterned paper to the card.

Black and White and Red All Over!

Another paper swap card, this one starts with a sentiment stamped on a black die cut (Spellbinder's die).  I first stamped it with an opaque white, then with red, then embossed it with clear embossing powder.  This is matted on red and then on black.  Both were cut with a Spellbinder's die (Resplendent Rectangles).  The red was short for the full die, but I chose to use it anyway.  It puts a pierced edge around the die cut, so on the upper and lower edges (that were too short to be cut by the die) I did my own piercing.  As you can see, before gluing the background paper to the card, I slipped a couple of ribbons through holes on the edge of the black die cut mat and wrapped them around to the back.  Layered flowers complete the card (with Jewel Dazzles centers).

Green & Yellow Flowers

This card is one I'll be sending to a friend who recently lost her husband.  Today is his birthday and I know she'll be missing him especially today.

The focal was stamped in green using a set of stamps I got with my Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine.  LOVE getting these stamp sets with the magazine!!!!  This one is a single stock of flowers, but I stamped it multiple times - sometimes with just the tips of it showing.  Then I colored the flowers in with Smooch Ink and added a little extra color to some of the stems with a gel pen.  The fancy mat is a Spellbinder's die, and another Spellbinder's die made the little pierced strip that I matted for a border at the bottom.