Andrew is a dear friend of mine and he's also my SIL's boyfriend as well so I really enjoy making cards for the two of them. They both seem to really appreciate all the work that goes into each card I make for them. So I always try to do something a little special for their cards. This one is no exception, I used the Tim Holtz Blended Batik technique for the background. The technique is where you stamp a stamp such as the script background that I've done here and then use clear embossing powder on it, then you color the background with your coloring agents, I used distress ink here. Once you have the background the color you desire then you take a hot iron and a piece of absorbent paper, I used a paper towel, and put that over your paper and you iron the embossing powder back off the paper as the paper towel soaks it up. I found the paper towel didn't soak it up right away so I just ended up wiping it away once I had the paper good and hot, no problem. I then used a Micheal's dollar stamp to stamp the bicycle in the lower corner with archival ink in black. The banner and the circle pieces were cut out with the cricut using the Art Philosophy cartridge and I used a stamp set from Close to My Heart for the Happy. I then glued it down using foam dots for the letters and I just used the string from the shipping tag to "hang" my banner. I added black twine tied in bows to the ends. I layered a piece of ribbon made of jute and then the shipping tag. I used a stamp from Inkadinkado and heat embossed it with some clear embossing powder that I colored with mica powders, then added the bling and I was done. I sure hope Andrew was happy with his birthday card. That's all I really want back from this hobby, for someone to appreciate and find beauty in the same things I do and thus make. I want to make people happy, that's all... Oh, and make pretty art. lol.
