Three birthday cards to finish the year

For my last post of 2018, I have -- surprise! -- more birthday cards to share. I feel like I post a lot of birthday cards, so I hope that doesn't get boring. But to be honest, that is the type of card I make and use the most, especially since I've also been making birthday cards for my mom and my uncle to use. All three of us give cards to many of the same relatives, so the cards have to be different.

But many of the birthday cards I make don't necessarily have to be for birthdays. Just change or omit the sentiment, and the card design could be used for almost any occasion. That's the case for the first two cards.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Birthday Backgrounds, You're My Type
Paper: Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Whisper White, textured Bermuda Bay
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Memento Tuxedo Black, Smoky Slate
Accessories: Rounded Nesting Squares Quickutz (We R Memory Keepers), 3/4" circle punch, aqua dots (Close to My Heart), Dimensionals

I love the color scheme on this card - black and gray with pops of teal. You could make multiple versions of this card with different accent colors and sentiments for a great little card set.

To do something a little different with the sentiment, I inked the stamp once with Bermuda Bay and then stamped it three times, moving the stamp down just a bit each time.

The scallops blow the focal image are three 3/4" circles punched from Bermuda Bay card stock, and I repeated the theme of three teal circles with enamel dots in the upper left corner.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Elementary Elegance
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Pool Party, Smoky Slate, Stardust Gelly Roll pen (Sakura); light Pool Party and Smoky Slate Blendabilities markers
Accessories: Pool Party Shimmer Ribbon, vinyl border stckers (Krazy Kreations), sequins, Glue Dots, foam tape (3M)

While this card is more feminine than the previous one, it uses the same color palette.

I stamped the frame in black ink and colored bits of it with Pool Party and Smoky Slate markers. After I colored the crown gray, I went over it again with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen, so it had plenty of sparkle (as any good crown should).

Around the frame I stamped a few blue birds (some of them stamped repeatedly without re-applying ink to create different shades) and added three sequins. I created a border along the bottom of the panel with a piece of ribbon and a strip of a border sticker.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Make a Wish stamp and die combo (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, textured Bermuda Bay card stock
Ink: Watermelon Wonder, Bermuda Bay, Tangelo Twist, Cucumber Crush, Crushed Curry, Stardust Gelly Roll pen (Sakura), Project Life journaling pen
Accessories: "Wish" die (Taylored Expressions), foam sheets (Taylored Expressions)

Now this card is definitely a birthday card. And it's one that would work for any recipient.

I started by stamping the candles and flames on a piece of Whisper White card stock. I like the single-layer look of this focal panel, but I also could have die cut the candles and attached them to the card to add dimension.

I used a Gelly Roll pen to add sparkly accents to the candles and drew the wicks with a black journaling pen. I die cut the word "wish" out of black card stock, added sparkle to the little star, and adhered it below the candles. I doodled a basic border around the panel and adhered it to a layer of Basic Black card stock. Using foam tape, I attached the entire panel to a card base of textured Bermuda bay card stock.

Thank you for stopping by today, whether it was your first visit or fiftieth. I hope I've given you a little bit of crafty inspiration this year. Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve!