Ultimate Birthday Inspiration!

Happy July, y'all!

I'm fresh off a week at family camp and now that I'm not canoeing, singing, playing Gaga ball, eating (desert at every meal... dangerous), fishing, playing board games (Settlers of Catan, salad bowl, and team Nertz were this week's fave), arranging a one room sleepover for 9 elementary age kiddos (we decided to be cool parents for a night), or having uncomfortably close encounters with tadpoles (thanks to my 9 year old) it's time to welcome Papertrey Ink's July release :)

Everything you check out this week will be available the evening of July 15th... I'm thinkin' you'll see some new faves for sure.

We're kicking things off with a post celebrating all things birthday!

Clearly, the star of the show here is the new Rainbow Stripes die. 
Love at first sight for me.

You know I love cards with one big focal element and bam... there it is :)

As per usual, I started with a white card base and went for one of my standard color combos... and then I decided that the pattern could really stand up to something more bold.  Switching out white for Berry Sorbet and adding in some contrasting colors (Raspberry Fizz, Smokey Shadow, Canyon Clay, and bright yellow) put a whole new feel on things.  A few vellum strips add some interesting depth.

I played around with this die quite a bit and I have to say... this one will give you tons of bang for your buck.  Lots of options here... you can assemble the strips side by side or leave some spaces as I did.  Clearly, it would look fantastic in some monotone colors, rainbow, etc. 

For this card, I added a clear cardstock overlay on top to give a solid surface for my sentiment.  The large sentiment from the brand new Inside & Out: Birthday II set goes pretty darned perfectly with the large "Wish Big" from the previously released Stylish Sentiments: Birthday. 

I stamped and embossed the bottom sentiment first, then went back over and stamped the upper sentiment with StazOn... that allows the upper sentiment to sit "behind" the lower sentiment visually and prevents the letter g loop from being embossed in the middle of that sentiment.  I also like how it echoes the transparency of the vellum :)


And now, for something more in line with my usual tendencies :)

I had fun with some new dies on this one as well... the By the Numbers border and Suffix Style are making their first appearance. 

I'm thinking that Suffix Style was intended to pair up with the original By the Numbers dies (and new By the Numbers Mats dies) but it seems to work well here, too. 

To leave space for the sentiment, I made sure to selectively die cut the border. 

Super easy to do by just arranging the border on the upper panel (I used a post it note over it to keep it in place), then placing the panel on the die cutting platform, making sure to line the 6 up at the very edge of the platform.  The 7 and rest of the panel should be overhanging the platform and, therefore, not cut. 

That left plenty of room for the Suffix Style die cut and some more sentiments from Inside & Out: Birthday II.  I love how it sort of rhymes :)

 

You can tell from the reflection in the numbers that I added a layer of clear cardstock to the back of my upper panel.  I consider clear cardstock (and vellum, at times) is a design element, but it's also a fantastic tool.  In my first card, it's purpose was giving me a solid spot for my sentiment.  In this case, it's there to give me a place to adhere the centers of the 6 and 2. 

 

Fun birthday times, right?

And there's more fun stuff to see with all of these gals... 

Nichole Heady
Betsy Veldman

Maile Belles

Dawn McVey

Heather Nichols

Melissa Phillips

Danielle Flanders

Cristina Kowalczyk
Erin Lincoln
Ashley Cannon Newell

I love a good birthday card, don't you?
That's it for now, but tomorrow brings a whole new peek at this month's release.
See ya then :)


{Wish Big} card

Supplies not available now but available 7/15: 

Stamps - Inside & Out: Birthday II
Die - Rainbow Stripes
Supplies available now:
Stamps - Stylish Sentiments: Birthday
CS - Berry Sorbet, Raspberry Fizz, Smokey Shadow, Canyon Clay, Vellum, Clear; yellow (brand unknown)
Ink - Cotton White Stazon, VersaMark
Other - Filigree White embossing powder

{Make a Wish} card

Supplies not available now but available 7/15: 

Stamps - Inside & Out: Birthday II
Die - By the Numbers Border, Suffix Style
Supplies available now:
CS - White, Aqua Mist, Clear; yellow (brand unknown)
Ink - True Black, Aqua Mist