Polka-dotted Birthday

I find that I'm always in need of birthday cards, as I'm sure most people are. I don't have a specific recipient in mind for this one--yet--but I'm sure the need will arise before too long! I used the mood board from the current Pin-Sights challenge at the Ellen Hutson CLASSroom blog, and the sketch from the current Fusion challenge:

I had a white cardstock panel on my desk--left over from some project--that just happened to be A2 size. So no having to rummage in my scrap files or cut into a new piece of cardstock! I used one of the "Stitched Basic Edges 2" dies from My Favorite Things to cut the panel into 2 pieces. I wanted to use the polka-dot theme from the Pin-Sights challenge photo, so I broke out my Essentials by Ellen "Bokeh Dots" stamp set. I stamped 3 sizes of dots using Lawn Fawn Guava & Fresh Lavender, and Memento Bahama Blue & Dandelion inks. I did both first- & second-generation stamping of my dots, and on the blue even a bit of third-generation. After I had pretty well filled the upper panel with dots, I set it aside to work on the rest of my card.

For the greeting, I used My Favorite Things' "Cause for Celebration" die set for the "birthday," & Papertrey Ink's "Polka Dot Parade" alphabet stamps (apparently discontinued) for the "happy." (I thought the dots in the letter stamps echoed the bokeh pattern in the upper section of my card front.) I die cut the birthday from a scrap of plum cardstock, and glued it to the lower panel with Perfect Paper Adhesive. Then I stamped the happy with Memento Elderberry ink. Even though it's not quite as dark as the plum cardstock, I think it still complements it nicely.

After cutting off 1/4" from the bottom of the larger panel, I added craft foam to the back of each die cut panel with Scor-Tape. I adhered another scrap of plum cardstock to the card base, and mounted my panels so that a bit of the plum peeks through between them. As a finishing touch--and because I can never leave anything that CAS--I glued on some dots that I'd made earlier with White Blizzard & Honey Gold Nuvo Glitter Drops.

I'm also entering this card in Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday "Anything Goes" challenge.