For You

Bugaboo Stamps is celebrating their 5th birthday this week! As part of the celebration, they are having a series of challenges, each with a different theme, during the week. Their first challenge is a "bingo" challenge.

The idea is to take a row or column from the "bingo card," and incorporate those items in your card. I decided to go with the "bling, balloons, & embossing" row.

I started by choosing my focal image, this adorable birthday turtle from Bugaboo. I wanted to make a birthday-themed card that a little boy would like, and this just seemed like the perfect critter. Because of the sketch I chose (from Operation Write Home), I flipped the turtle horizontally, so he would face into the card design.

After sizing the image, I printed him out onto a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper. I die cut & embossed the circle with a Spellbinders "Standard Circles" die, and colored the image with Inktense pencils and a damp brush. I also watercolored around the outer edge of the embossing.

I cut a piece of teal cardstock to 5x3", and embossed it with the Tim Holtz Alterations "Bubble" embossing folder by Sizzix. I thought that embossing pattern complemented the image, kind of like the texture on a real turtle's shell. I matted that with a piece of kraft cardstock, and adhered that to a piece of patterned paper from My Mind's Eye's "Boy Crazy" 6x6" pad.

After cutting a banner from a piece of dark red-orange cardstock (to complement the teal color), I glued it in place. At that point, I kind of regretted using the teal color on the outer edge of the circle, because it kind of blended in with the embossed cardstock piece. So I popped the circle piece up on foam adhesive. Problem solved!

I chose a greeting from Hero Arts' "Happy Birthday" stamp set, and stamped it in Versamark onto a piece of the same cardstock I'd used for the banner. I heat embossed it with Recollections "Glacier" embossing powder, and die cut it with a Spellbinders "Classic Ovals" die. I also die cut an oval with the next size larger die from watercolor paper, to mat the greeting. Then I glued that in place.

I felt the balloons, hat, and noise maker needed something extra, to make them just a bit more festive. So I went over all of them with my clear Wink of Stella glitter brush marker. I also applied a coat of Glossy Accents on the balloons, to add a touch of shine & dimension.

For the bling, I glued down some sequins with Ranger Multi Medium Matte. I took some White Opal Liquid Pearls, and applied a dot in the center of each sequin. When the glue & Liquid Pearls had dried, I adhered the completed card front to an A2 size card base. I will be sending this to Send a Smile 4 Kids, so hopefully it will brighten some little boy's birthday!

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday "It's a Guy Thing"
Send a Smile 4 Kids "Anything Goes 4 Kids"