Single-layer birthday cards

Although my cards often have a clean and simple style, they generally have more than one layer. So it was a fun little challenge to make the single-layer birthday cards I'm going to share today.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!^®):
Stamps: Sketch a Party, On Your Birthday
Card stock: Whisper White
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Basic Gray
Accessories: Corner rounder, Island Indigo baker's twine

This balloon image is probably one of my favorite birthday stamps. (The stamp set is more than ten years old, and I sill use it!) The balloons are actually two-step stamps: one image for the inside and one for the outline. I wanted to use the same ink color for the inside and outside of each balloon, so after I inked up the inner stamp, I stamped it on scratch paper first and then on the card. Then I inked and stamped the outline for each balloon directly on the card for the two-tone colors.

I didn't want to add much embellishment to this clean and simple card, so to finish it off I rounded the two bottom corners and added a strand of baker's twine tied in a bow. I also stamped a couple of balloons inside the card with the rest of the sentiment.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Sketch a Party, It's Your Birthday
Card stock: Whisper White
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: White crochet thread (DMC)

I think the "scariest" thing about making one-layer cards is that there really isn't any leeway to make a mistake. You can't hide a boo-boo; you just have to start over. Thankfully, I didn't have any major mistakes on my three cards, although I was probably least happy with this card. I think the sentiment is a little too far to the left, but it's not very noticeable, so I decided to just go with it.

This party hat image is from the same set as the balloon in the previous card, and I used the same stamping technique. I also added a simple bow for embellishment.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Create a Cupcake
Card stock: Whisper White, Strawberry Slush
Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Cupcake Builder punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch pack, pearls, corner rounder, Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals

This card is my favorite of the group, although it's technically not a single layer, since the cupcake and sentiment are on separate card stock. But because the rest of the card is one layer, I decided I could include it anyway.

I stamped and punched out the top and bottom of the cupcake, but I cut out the stamped candle by hand because I wanted the candle base and flame to be one piece. I added a simple embellishment of a punched flower and a pearl, trimmed the strip of card stock with the greeting into a banner, and rounded the corners of the card.


Thanks for stopping by!