Whole lotta' happy

Last weekend I had a fun craft day with a fabulous friend, which finally gave me a chance to play with some stamp sets I'd bought before Christmas but hadn't used. I always seem to need birthday cards, so that's what I focused on.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Whole Lotta' Happy (WPlus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock
Ink: Cucumber Crush, Bermuda Bay, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Memento Tuxedo Black, Project Life journaling pen
Accessories: Sunny Yellow Pearl Pen (Viva Decor)

This is definitely a mailable card -- there are no layers, ribbons or bulky embellishments. (I realized as I was writing my supply list that I didn't even use any adhesive. That doesn't happen often.) But I think it still has plenty of personality.

I started by stamping the graphic "happy" sentiment three times in three different colors. I wanted to use shades of green and blue, so I chose Cucumber Crush, Bermuda Bay and Pacific Point. (I have to say that I really like this color combination.) Then at the bottom I stamped "birthday wishes" in black.

To add some detail to the background I stamped several starbursts in Daffodil Delight. A few dots of yellow pearl pen add a little dimension and shine. Finally I doodled a border around the edges of the card front.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Whole Lotta' Happy (WPlus9 Design Studio)
Paper: Thick Whisper White
Ink: Cucumber Crush, Bermuda Bay, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Memento Tuxedo Black, Project Life journaling pen
Accessories: Brights Enamel Shapes, Dimensionals, Glue Dots

I liked the color combination of the first card so much that I decided to stick with those colors (and stamp set) for another card. I selected a different "happy" stamp, inked it with Daffodil Delight and stamped it slightly below the center of the card front. I stamped the rest of the sentiment in black ink just above and below the "happy."

I cut a piece of scratch paper in a rectangle just big enough to cover the stamped sentiments. Holding the scratch paper in place, I stamped the strings for the balloons. Here's a little tip: The stamp for the strings was basically a straight line. I curved it a little when I placed it on the clear block. Then I flipped the stamp around for a couple of the strings so they didn't all look the same. I stamped the balloons on separate card stock, cut them out (by hand since I don't have the dies for this set yet) and adhered them to the card with either Dimensionals or Glue Dots to create different levels. I used a journaling pen to draw little "tails" on the balloon strings (I'm not sure I like that detail. Oh, well.) and added three enamel stars.

And there you have it: a couple of simple, happy cards. Thanks for stopping by!