Love Birds, Card

I love to paper craft {smile}.  And I sometimes love a challenge.  A very dear, and special lady had asked me to make her a Black & White & Blue wedding card.  But she didn't have any other requests.  Wow, creative freedom!  She must know a few artists {smile}  

I like choices.  And I assume everyone else does too.  So, I made her a few cards to choice from.  I posted one yesterday, and I have one more today.  So, lets get started!

To help me focus on the task at hand, I stopped by a new favorite challenge site:  Friday Mashup.  This week's challenge over @ Friday Mashup, they have both a sketch, and a theme (Up and Away).  I didn't get that creative and incorporate a hot air balloon.  {frown}  In my defense, I was looking for a sketch and not a theme.  I have a theme wedding.  And now, I am kicking myself, I think I could have done a wedding hot air balloon.  And this is New Mexico, we host the world's largest hot air balloon mass ascension.  Hind sight, right?  Let's see the sketch:

and here is what I made:

This special occasion greeting card is a large card for me {smile}.  The finished card size is 4 1/2" x 6 1/2", and has an accompanying envelope for a 5" x 7" card.  I wanted to make sure that my embellished card would fit inside, without mashing any of the embellishments.  

Recipe:  The card base is Pure Black by Paper Trey Ink.  Love their heavy weight card stock.  

The blue matt is Island Indigo card stock by Stampin' Up!.  I used Authentique pattern papers, Classique and Spirited.  I used the tone on tone blue pattern paper.  I wanted blue, but not a specific pattern.  The black doily pattern gives interest without competing with the focal piece.  To help convey a home-made touch, I added a simple machine stitch border.

I used a wide white crochet trim and a pale blue velvet ribbon.  I just love how soft and classy these two trims looked together.   This main panel is adhered to the card front with foam tape to allow space for the crochet trim and velvet trim room to wrap around the card front.

The focal image is actually one of those journalling blocks from the Classique collection.  I selected one with no quote or busy graphics.  I hand stamped my sentiment, in Jet Black StazOn.  I used two different stamp sets, but love how the fonts really work together.  For the journal block: Fancy Flexible Phrases.  For the sentiment banner piece: Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Both of these stamp sets are from Stampin' Up!

Focal Piece:  I cut down a 3" x 4" journal block.  Rounded the corners and adhered to a scrap piece of pure black card stock.  I stamped my sentiment, with my fingers crossed.  I adhered a bird cage metal embellishment from Spare Parts.  I added a large blue blossom above and just left to the top of the bird cage.  I added a scrap piece of cream lace trim to the 'bare' side of this blossom.

For the two white and two blue blossoms flanking the large blue blossom, I first added some white acrylic paint to the petal tips, and then immediately dunked them into a tub of dazzling diamond glitter.  I added several leaf sprays cut from black tone on tone pattern paper from the Classique collection.  I adhered this piece with foam tape to help lift it off the card front, and to allow for the height of the trims.

Finishing touches:  I wanted to add some classic and sparkling touches.  So, to finish the focal piece, I added two pearl string loops.  And then to continue with the classic pearl touch, I added a spare black pearl flourish piece to opposite corners of the card.  And finally, for the sparkling touch, I added a collection of blue faceted sequins in the same opposite corners.

This card is also finished on the inside.  I have a white panel matted with a piece of the Island Indigo card stock.
Thank you for stopping by!  Hopefully I have more time to craft this week!