Simply Sitting Pretty

I've been having a great time making cards for the birthday sketch challenge at Taylored Expressions. So far I've made two birthday cards (a colorful kids card and a simpler, shimmery card), and now I have an all-occasion card to share:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Hardwood
Paper: Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, vellum card stock; Wood 6" x 6" Designer Cardstock Paper (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Frost White shimmer paint
Accessories: Sitting Pretty and Sitting Pretty Accessories dies (Taylored Expressions), Stitched Shapes Framelits dies, Shine and Sparkle sequins (Hazel and Ruby), sponge dauber, Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals

I have a confession to make: Sometimes the products that I am most excited to buy are the very ones that I have the hardest time using. I think it's because I get intimidated and worry that my finished projects won't live up to the amazing-ness of the products themselves. The dies I used on this card were some of those products.

When I went to the stamp show in July, the Taylored Expressions booth was on the top of my must-see list, and I fought through the crowds to make sure I got the Sitting Pretty, Sitting Pretty Accessories, and Sitting Pretty Nautical Accessories dies. But then they sat in their packaging ... until today.

I decided to use the shelf as the horizontal element in the sketch (see below) with a couple of accessories in front of a vellum circle, sort of like a spotlight. I wasn't sure if it would work, but in the end, I really, really like how this card turned out. It's clean and simple (my favorite) but still has fun details, like the wood-patterned shelf and frame, the stitched border on the vellum circle, and the woodgrain "texture" of the white background panel.

I played around with a couple of different ideas for that background panel. I wanted something subtle, so it didn't detract from the focal image, but I also wanted it to look like a wall or wallpaper to fit in with the shelf and accessories. In the end I decided to stamp the Hardwood background stamp on white card stock using Frost White shimmer paint. It's distinct but not overpowering, and it has a beautiful shine when it catches the light.

The sketch for Taylored Expressions's
birthday challenge

 My friend Lisa was crafting with me today, and I have to credit her with the idea to use vellum for the die-cut circle. I love how it mutes the background stamp enough to let the shelf accessories stand out, but it doesn't take over the card.

The trickiest part of using vellum is finding a way to adhere it without seeing the glue or tape. I used clear-drying glue to adhere the shelf, frame and vase to the vellum circle. Then I applied glue to the back of the vellum so it was hidden behind the die cuts and attached the vellum to the stamped background panel. (The edges of the circle aren't completely flat against the card stock, but I'm okay with that.) I attached the panel to the card base with Dimensionals and added a few simple sequins.

I think I'm all blogged out for today (and I'm fighting a nagging toothache), so I'll post my last challenge card tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!