Time to Celebrate Birthday #AHSC679

What a busy week it’s been! I didn’t have a chance to make any cards until this past weekend, so I missed last week’s Atlantic Hearts Challenge. However, the good thing about their sketch challenges is that they happen every week. With that in mind, please take a look at this week’s sketch: Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #679

Here's my card:

Supplies and Instructions:

Stamps and Dies: 

• Perennial Birthday - "Happy Birthday" sentiment SU#145757 R
• Round We Go  - "Time to Celebrate" sentiment SU#163724 R
• Tags to Go Dies SU#165576 R

Every now and then, you come across true treasures on the clearance rack. I had overlooked this set several times because I wasn’t fond of the stamp set included with it, but when it dropped below $20, I couldn’t pass it up. At first, I purchased it for the key dies, which I plan to use on Christmas and housewarming cards, but then I grew fond of the stitched triangle tag.

Cardstock and Designer Papers:

• Basic White 10 1/2" x 5 1/4" scored at 5 1/4" for base
• Inside matte - 4 3/4" x 4 34" 
• 2 3/4" x 1 12" for stitched tag
• Blueberry Bushell cut two mattes - 4 3/4" x 4 3/4" 
• Wildflower Birthday - SU#164591 R

The papers in the Wildflower Birthday DSP feature gold foil on the leaves, dots, and other background elements, which truly highlight the lovely patterns on the paper. The Ephemera pack for this collection is filled with images of cakes, cupcakes, and flowers. The small gold foil banner was trimmed from a larger banner in this set and is attached to the front of the card using dimensionals.  I love this paper and I'm happy every time I use it.  Click here to check out another card I made in December featuring this paper. 

Ink:

• Blueberry Bushell

Accessories: 

• Dimensionals
• Genial Gems - green SU #155500 R
• Ephemera and cut fussy cut images from Wildflower Birthday DSP
• flower on tag, cupcake image on dsp square, gold foil banner, flowers on inside of card and small cupcake on back of the card. 

Thanks again for visiting my site and for your comments on my cards.  It simple makes my day when I get a notification someone's looking.  Make sure to check out the design team and participants samples on the AHSC blog as there are some really cute cards for this challenge.  

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online shop

Wildflower Birthday card and FMS#717

 Freshly Made Sketches #717

This is the final sketch for Freshly Made Sketches for 2025.  Narelle is the host made a beautiful card using these sketch elements, so make sure you check it out on her blog.  

Since it's Christmas time and everyone is so busy, the Design Team at Freshly Made Sketches are taking a break.  So that's the reason this sketch which would normally run for a week has been running since December 17th and will carry through to January 5th, 2026.  The sketch prince and princess notables will be announced on January 6th and then everything will return to normal with the first sketch challenge for 2026  

Why not add "sketch challenges" to your list of New Year's resolutions for 2026, and start a weekly habit of joining in. And while you're at it, there's still time to play along with Sketch 717.

Here's My Card: 

I don't know about you, but at this time of the year, I'm looking for something new to make, and I'm not wanting to make any more Christmas cards.  When I looked at the FMS sketch I thought it would be a perfect layout for a feminine birthday card, so I decided to let some new designer paper and ephemera I'd purchased, influence the card design. Here's what I came up with: 

The paper I used is called Wildflower Birthday.  I'd admired this papers soft feminine contrasts and designs since it first came out, but couldn't justify getting another birthday DSP until it recently went on sale in the Last Chance products listing.  I was also interested in buying the coordinating dies called Birthday Celebration and got them for half price along with the paper.  

For my card I added some pieces of ephemera from the Wildflower Birthday DSP instead of stamping images.  There were two sheets of ephemera included with the paper, so it was fun trying different pieces to see what would work and what wouldn't while developing my card.

I also tried out a new to me fancy fold that is great for using up paper, for the inside of the card. I have no idea what this fold or design is called, however it involves putting a 10 1/2" x 4" piece of DSP that's scored at 5 1/4" on the inside of the card and then adding a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of neutral cardstock for writing your message on that is adhered to the inside of the DSP.

I added quite a few self-adhesive sequins to the front of the card to add a festive look.  The tag for the sentiment is from another new to me die set that I bought off the Last Chance List called Tags To Go.  Love, love love this tag die for it's shape and simplicity.  I know I'll be using this die set often in the future. 

Supplies and Instructions: 

Stamps and Dies:

• Tags To Go #165576 sentiment tag
• Round We Go #163724 - sentiment

Cardstock and Designer Papers:

• Wildfire Birthday 12 x 12 DSP #164591 
• 10 1/2 x 4" scored at 5 1/4" for inside fold 
• 5 1/4" x 4" matte on card front 
• 2" x 1 1/2 inch stripped piece for rectangle 
• Soft Seafoam Cardstock Matte 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" for front matte
• Basic White 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4" for card base; two 2" x 1 1/2" scraps for sentiment tag and for 2" x 1 1/2" layer 

Inks and Blends:

• Blueberry Bushel for sentiments 

Accessories: 

• Ephemera from Wildflowers Birthday 12 x 12 paper pack
• Purple Adhesive Sequins 
• Dimensionals
• Glue 

Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you'll return again.  If you liked this card or know the name of the DSP panel I used inside the card let me know, I'd be happy to hear from you. 

HAPPY STAMPING!
PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Shop