Happy Birthday Heather!

Morning all!  Today is my daughter's 26th birthday so I have posted this card in her honour.  Although I will be seeing her while on my next trip to the States, I miss not being able to be with her on her birthday.  So I will just have to celebrate it here on my blog with everyone!  Today's card suffered a little mishap, but I think I salvaged it alright.  I started the card by cutting the centre frame out of card with a sticky self adhesive sheet attached to it. I used the middle piece from the Resplendent Rectangles set for this.   I peeled the backing paper off and laid it on my Blue Tiger Gold leafing sheet (aren't those tones just luscious!).  Using a stiff brush and rubbing in a circular fashion, I burnished the foil to the frame and removed any excess leaf (Remember, don't throw it away.  Keep it in a plastic container as you can use the little leftover bits).  I used some Black Soot distress ink to tone down the brightness to the frame and that is where the mishap occurred.  I forgot to clean my craft sheet and the black soot got on my background piece!  I used the largest size of the Resplendent Rectangles to emboss the pattern and the next size down to cut the aperture in my teal card.  Since it was the last piece of card that I had of that colour,(and I had even gotten it on the back so I couldn't just turn it over) I decided to just add a bit more of the black soot and used it with my die in place to bring out the pattern.  I must say that I preferred the demo card without the inked die pattern, but they whisked that one away before I even had a chance to photograph it!  I mounted the background on foam pieces and recessed the gold leafed frame into the centre.  I had stamped my sentiment to put behind it first though.

 I used the lovely swirl from the Jewelled Flowers and Flourish set to cut several swirls of the teal and paler shade.  I used these as corner accents for the flowers that I made (using the six petalled stamp from the Button Floral set).  I matted everything on matching card and pierced the edges for a completed look.  Happy Birthday Heather, I hope you are checking the blog (but we'll skype later too!)  All for now, Sue x