Spring Birthday, Card

~ photo heavy post ~

WOW!  I have been busy crafting, and that always makes me happy {smile}.  I have also been busy cooking/baking!  Another happy chore!  So, lets get right to the paper craft you have come to see {smile}.  Today, I am entering a card in a few four paper crafting challenges.  Some of these challenges are new to me, and some are favorites {smile}!

For the sketch, I stopped by the Retro Sketch Challenge site.  They always have easy to use sketches, and the inspiration from the design team is always great to look at {smile}.

Then I stopped by a 'new to me' recipe challenge site:  Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge.  Their current challenge is : R#218 Pastel Shades.  Now, if you know me, I can do this {smile}!

I also stopped by another 'new to me' challenge site:  Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge.  Their currently challenge is: Girly.  Now, I can do girly very well, if I say so myself!  And I love their quote: 'less is more . . . but more is better'.  LOVE IT!   Because if you know me, I love embellishments and layers!

And my last stop is by a favorite challenge site, that I have to admit, I don't play very often with: Crazy 4 Challenges.  Now, don't let that discourage you.  These ladies are super talented and they have some very fun, and creative challenges.  I just, well, kinda get side tracked.  But check out this 'still open' challenge:  Put On A Bow!  Now, if you know me, I love bows.  I put bows on almost everything I make, and not just a simple bow, but my favorite multi-loop bows!

Ok, so with all of this inspiration! and creativity! HERE is what I made:

Recipe:  I started with white card stock by Paper Trey Ink.  They make some of the best heavy weight card stock in the industry.  

The two pattern papers are from a craft company LemonCraft, in Poland.  The paper collection is called Heart Painted.  It is a collection of sweet, floral, vintage-y papers in green, pinks, polka dots, music sheets, and text.  Yes, a treasured purchased {smile}.  I added a strip of wide cream lace between these two pretty pattern papers along the left side of the card. 

So, I used a thread cutter to rough up the edges of the two pattern papers, and in doing so, I had a heavy hand on a small section of each paper.  I added a scrap piece of music paper to fill the 'hole'.  I then I inked them with crumb cake classic ink, by Stampin' Up!  I just love their products!  Great quality and beautiful production!  

I'm a big fan of sewing on cards, and so I did a double messy border stitch along the smaller pattern paper.  I made sure not to stitch over my tear {smile}.  I think machine stitching always adds such a 'home-spun' look, and helps elevate the craftsmanship.  (my opinion)

I had three small scraps of some of my favorite trims sitting on my craft table.  And you know me!  "Use what you have!"  So, I machine stitched the tulle ruffle piece under the cotton trim piece first.  And then machine stitched the white thin crochet piece over them {smile, love it}.  I purposefully left the top of the cotton trim peeking out over the crochet trim.  I also used the edge of my scissors to help 'un do' the cut edges.

I made a double bow with some cream cotton twine from Paper Trey Ink.  I just love this stuff!  And then I made a double bow out of some pale pink seam binding.  But, it looked too pink for this card.  (hard to believe anything could be 'too pink'.)  So, I had a left piece of light cream seam binding sitting on my craft table, so I tied a bow around the pink  double-bow, to create this triple-bow piece.  I think that the light cream seam binding helps soften the look, and adds a little neutral to the pink.

I took off the legs of a vintage pearl brad, and used glue dots to adhere the brad top to the bow collection.  And then I added a clear crystal dangle in the bottom of the multi-loop bow collection.

I pulled out two small pink and white paper blossoms.  I added white paint to their pink petals, and some glitter.  And adhered them to the top of my sweet bow collection.

For the sentiment, I stamped the piece onto shimmer white card stock by Stampin' Up! in versa mark ink.  I added some pale pink embossing powder and heat embossed this piece.  I added some foam tape to the back and adhered it to a scrap piece of very vanilla card stock, by Stampin' Up!.  I fussy cut the very vanilla piece by hand, and used a photo corner punch to make the banner ends.

I actually finished the inside of the card.  I took a piece of whisper white card stock and matted it with some blushing blossom card stock, both by Stampin' Up!, and did a little machine stitching and some hand stamping {smile}  Hoping these two steps would show some cohesiveness of the card front and inside.

Well, thank you for visiting, and getting the scoop on my creation.  Now, I need to get this card in the mail.  Yeah, it is actually going to someone special.  Sorry if you were looking to purchase this card out of my Etsy shop, HERE.  {frown}  I hope you have been inspired, or motivated to play along in any of these challenges!  All of them are great, creative, and inspiring on their own, too!