Wishing you a Happy Birthday .....

... Good morning.  Where has this week gone?  I've a birthday card to share with you today - I've used a couple of challenges to make it:

• Retro Sketches - RS59
• The Paper Players - PP141

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Raining Flowers, Wacky Wishes (Hostess), Stacks of Wishes (Hostess)
Inks: SU - Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Rich Razzleberry
Dies: My Favourite Things - Jumbo Fishtail Banner STAX
Accessories: SU Design Paper - Baja Breeze; SU Card - Baja Breeze; SU Marker - Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, Rich Razzleberry; White Lustre card; Gem

I love the colours on this week's Paper Players challenge - so sad that Baja Breeze is being retired!  And it's the sketch just lovely - I can see this one coming out again and again.  I have also taken inspiration for my card from Deanna's lovely card.  I used the Jumbo Fishtail dies to cut the two banners - one in a pretty pattern and one plain on which I stamped the birthday sentiment.  I got my Raining Flowers set last week and am really pleased that I got it - such a pretty set.  I stamped the central flower three times - twice in Rich Razzleberry and once in Island Indigo, cut out the layers and then built up the flower with dimensional tape.  I love the explosion of flowers across the top of the banners.  For the sentiment I used my marker pens to colour the letters individually and after stamping I went over the letters to increase the depth of colour.

For the inside - I went a little mad!  I cut a mat layer of Baja Breeze and a white panel on which I stamped some more of the flowers from Raining Flowers and finished with a fun sentiment.

I posted this card last Monday as my friend has her birthday this week and I wanted to make sure it got to her on time.  I'm terrible at getting cards off on time.

That's all for now - see you soon.