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

Mixed Media Florals Birthday Card - FMS#685

Spring has arrived and that yearning to get out in the garden has taken over. I've spent lots of  time weeding and planting my flower beds, while my husband was busy pressure washing our two decks.  The bottom one was in pretty rough shape, so he was able to get it painted and the patio furniture set up. We had a great morning visiting local nurseries, picking out baskets and other greenery.  What fun!  Just a little bit more tweaking and we'll be set for enjoying our yard and deck time.

Speaking of fun, I've just checked out the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches, #685 hosted by Linda Callahan.  The Design Team has out done themselves with their designs.  So make sure you check them out, because there's so much inspiration.  Here's the sketch:

Here's My Card:
Following in the garden theme, I chose a combination from the Mixed Florals

Memories and More card pack for the images on my card.  Honestly with this sketch and the predesigned rectangle cards, the most time consuming part was choosing the images and sentiment for the front of the card.  

I was really surprised at how quickly this card came together and I like the placement of the sentiment and the striped paper piece.  I like the length of the sentiment which is from the Sending Love stamp set.  The fonts are lovely.

I cut down a pink striped Memory and More card that coordinated with the strip on the card front to 5"1/4  x 4" and used it as a matte.  A layer of Whisper White measuring 3 3/4" x 5" made up the sentiment layer.  As I often do, I stamped the Perennial Birthday "Happy Birthday" sentiment, this time in Misty Moonlight ink. The flower motif was easy to fussy cut from another memory pack card and some randomly placed sequins really finished the inside of this card. 

Supplies:

Stamps and Dies: 

• Sending Love #162873 (R) -sentiment "A Little Love from me to You"
• Perennial Birthday (R) - sentiment "Happy Birthday" inside matte 

Cardstock and DSP:

• 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Whisper White card base scored at 4 1/4"
• Boho Blue Matte for front 3 1/8" x 4 1/8"
• Whisper White Matte inside 3 3/4" x 5" 
• Mixed Media 4 x 3 Floral design Memories and More card - front
• Pink Striped Mixed Media card 1/4" x 4" for front matte
• Pink Striped Mixed Media card 4" x 5 14" inside matte

Inks and Blends:

• Misty Moonlight Ink for sentiments 

Accessories:

• Trimmer
• Purple Self-adhesive backed sequins #164970

Well that is it for today's Freshly Made Sketch card.  I think I'll make some more cards using the Memories and More Pack.  I have a tendency to forget how easy they are to work with and they take the guesswork out of layering.  Let me know if you have used these card packs and whether you like them.  For $16.00 these packs are a great addition to one's stash.  Have a great week ahead and come back again. 

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Store