No matter how you slice it

I've been trying to keep up with my two-posts-a-week goal, and then last night I was busy with other computer work and completely forgot about my post until just after midnight. Poo. So I'll try to get three posts done this week. I actually have plenty of things to share right now; it's just a matter of making the time to write the post. So without further ado, here is a fun pizza-themed birthday card:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Pizza My Heart (Lawn Fawn), Perfect Pairings
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Creamy Caramel, So Saffron, Watermelon Wonder, Smoky Slate card stock; Collectable "Unforgettable" Designer Paper Pad (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Watermelon Wonder, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Sahara Sand, Cajun Craze, Smoky Slate, Memento Tuxedo Back, Project Life journaling pen
Accessories: Large Stitched Rectangles Stackables dies (Lawn Fawn), Woodgrain embossing folder, sponge, Dimensionals, Mono Multi liquid glue

I'm always on the lookout for fun stamp sets that work for kids' birthday cards, and this one fits the bill. It's definitely whimsical, but not strictly "kiddish." It includes some great sentiments, and it's fun to be able to customize the pizza however you want.

For my pizza and slices, I stamped the main image in Close to Cocoa ink on Creamy Caramel card stock. Then I stamped it again with Watermelon Wonder ink on So Saffron card stock. (It sounds like an odd combination, but it was the perfect colors to look like tomato sauce and cheese.) I cut out the second image around the wavy line and then lightly sponged a bit of Watermelon Wonder ink along the edge. I glued it onto the first image and then stamped my pizza toppings: mushrooms, pepperoni, green peppers and shredded cheese.

For the background, I wanted to use a red gingham printed paper to look like a tablecloth at an Italian restaurant. Unfortunately I didn't have any red gingham, but I think this one works well. To add the stitched border, I cut the patterned paper with a stitched rectangle die. Then I shifted the paper and partially cut it again to make a stitched square. I adhered the paper to the top of the card base, added the pizza, slice, and pizza cutter with Dimensionals and then stamped a little steam image above the pizza.

For the bottom of the card front, I added a strip of Watermelon Wonder card stock embossed with the Woodgrain embossing folder and sponged around the remaining white edges. I stamped the greeting using two colors to add another pop of red. (And shout out to Lawn Fawn customer service here. I realized while making this card that I had a tiny flaw in one of my stamps. It didn't really affect the use of the stamp, but I contacted them and they promptly sent out a replacement stamp. Awesome!)

Inside the card -- and I apologize for the weird lighting on this photo -- I stamped a couple more sentiments and added two more pizza slices. Did you notice that the pizza slices all have different faces? I love that Lawn Fawn stamp sets come with separate face images so you can decide which face you want to use -- or leave off the faces altogether.





That's one post down and two more to go. Thanks for stopping by!