Happy Half Birthday!

Yes, in our family we celebrate a few half-birthdays...the ones that fall too close to Christmas. We feel that the kids get kind of robbed of their fun day when we simply celebrate their birthdays along with other holiday gatherings.

This card is for my granddaughter Lilly who was born on Christmas day! Her half-year birthday was June 25 but we are celebrating it this Saturday when we get together for our monthly Family Night.

Since Lilly is such an "outdoorsy" girl and loves bugs, frogs, flowers, etc. I thought she might enjoy this bright summery card.  The big blue flower is heat embossed. To make this card I used

Spellbinders die: "Make a Wish"

Poppystamps die: "Lyndon Butterfly"

Close to My Heart stamps: "Treasures"

Stampin' Up stamps: stem & leaf

Memento Ink: "Bamboo Leaves" & "New Sprout"

Stamp-N-Stuff embossing powder: "Vivid Blue"

Card stock, vellum, rhinestones and cord are from my stash

The tag sentiment was computer generated

Challenges being entered:

https://craft-deebowz.blogspot.com - July Challenge AG

http://reasonableribbon.blogspot.ca - #166 Summer

http://mmmchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk - #49 Summer Brights

http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com - #192 Tic Tac Toe (summer, stamp, embossing)

http://mustardseedfaithchallenges.blogspot.com - Choose Joy!

http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com - #288-289 AG

Thanks for stopping by again! Happy 4th of July!! 

The Kissing Technique

How romantic, and just in time for Valentine's Day...the "kissing technique"! I had never heard of this stamping technique before so I just had togive it a try. This is the technique that is being promoted/required on the SweetStamps monthly challenge. It is really easy: just ink up a solid stamp with a light color ink and another patterned stamp with a darker ink, "kiss" that onto the solid stamp and then stamp that one on your paper. I did it with the lamp shade, with a lime green base color and a dark aqua for the pattern. I love how it makes the lamp shade look like fabric.

My ingredients

Stamp set: Close to My Heart "I Chairish You"

Background stamp: Our Daily Bread Designs "Vine Background"

Embossing folder: Sizzix "Snow Flowers"

Inks: Stampabilities "Orange", studio G "Dark Turquoise" & "Lime"

Cardstock...all from my stash

Challenges:

http://sweetstampsblog.blogspot.com/ - monthly "Kissing Technique"

http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com - #117 Anything Goes