Masculine Birthday Card for Donna Salazar Designs

I'm back to share another birthday card with you today, but this time I've taken a masculine approach. My husband's birthday is coming up, and I wanted to create a guy card for him without going too dark and grungy. What do you think? 

Birthday Card

Tips and Techniques

I used Donna's Spellbinders Pockets and Swirls dies to created this fun pocket. First, I die cut and embossed the two smaller pockets. I distressed the pocket edges just a little with the Zutter Distrezz-it-All, then lightly inked with Clearsnap Denim Mix'd Media Inx. The small pocket die pierces stitching holes, and I hand stitched through those holes. I also used one of Donna's Creative Page Tabs dies for the tag and hand wrote my Love You sentiment there. 

I've layered several of Donna's papers and distressed the edges with her Distrezz-it-All - my absolute favorite distressing tool. I also die cut a flourish from the Pockets and Swirls die set and inked with Denim MMI. The Happy Birthday sentiment was printed onto the flag piece before distressing. The metal pieces are trinkets from Michaels. I softened them by dabbing on some gesso. 

I've layered more of the die cut flourishes across the top of the page, tucking them into my layers.

One last shot of my card. I assembled all the background layers and misted lightly with Donna's Clearsnap Sea Breeze Smooch Spritz before adding the pocket and other elements. 

Thanks for stopping by today!
I hope you've been inspired to grab some of your Donna Salazar products and create!!

Don't forget about Donna's January sketch/color challenge.
You have until the end of the month to create and link up you're project.
Challenge details can be found here. 

Donna Salazar Products

GCD Studios ~ 6 x 6" pads - Fun and Funky, Natural Beauty

GCD Studios ~ Natural Beauty - Wall Vines B

Clearsnap ~ Mix'd Media Inx - Denim

Clearsnap ~ Smooch Spritz - Sea Breeze

Spellbinders ~ Pockets and Swirls

Spellbinders ~ Creative Page Tabs

Zutter ~ Distrezz-it-All

Other Products

Bead Landing ~ Found Objects - Clock Faces, Clock Keys (Michaels)

DMC Embroidery Floss - 3747

Pigma ~ Micron 005 Marker - black

Liquitex Gesso

Buy More Font - from the internet

Helmar Premium Craft Glue

Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Spellbinders ~ Artisan X-plorer

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments. 

~ Blessings ~

Days to Remember for Once Upon A...Sketch

I always enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. It's a time to reflect on the many blessings of the year and give thanks to our Lord. I also enjoy the fellowship with family and wonderful food!!

It's reveal day at Once Upon A...Sketch and Nadia has delivered with another fabulous sketch and journaling theme. Here is my take on this month's challenge:

"Days to Remember"

Journaling Theme ~ My Favorite Month

You are free to interpret our theme any way you like, but please make sure your layout is based on the sketch below and includes some journaling (hidden journaling is fine - please tell us where it is located).

Tips and Techniques

Here you can see my handwritten journaling. It says, "Songbirds return to fill the air with lovely melodies. Warm Breezes waft sweet fragrances. Flowers and blossom laden boughs dot the landscape with gorgeous color. This is April, my favorite month."

The title, cards, and calendar were cut from the gorgeous Maja Spring Vintage Basics collection, with inked and lightly distressed edges. Helmar Zapdots were used to help layer at different heights. 

Another angle of the lovely Prima and Wild Orchid Craft flowers. The ironwork piece is cut with the a Spellbinders die and the stone pathway inked using a Prima Stencil. 

I layered and tucked the fussy cut pieces to frame my photo. The lovely chipboard from Gina's designs was inked, then dry brushed with gesso. The splatter was created with glimmer mist and a stiff paint brush. 

The floral image was stamped, colored with Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils, then brushed with water for the lovely watercolor effect. 

I found this charming pendant in my jewelry findings collection and backed it with an image from the Maja paper. The BoBunny crocheted flower was cut in half to tuck in above and below the photo. 

Products Used

Maja Design ~ Vintage Spring Basics ~ 1st of March, 2nd of April, 1st of May, 2nd of May, Days to Remember

Prima Flowers ~ Caboodles A, Perle Bebe, Orange Bouquet

Wild Orchid Crafts ~ Cherry Blossoms - Mixed Pinks; 20mm Open Roses - Ivory, Pale Pink; Sweetheart Blossoms - White, 2-Tone Baby Pink

Gina's Designs - Delicate Frames

Distress Ink

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar ~ Mix'd Media Inx

Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist ~ Cork

Golden ~ Light Molding Paste

Liquitex ~ Gesso

The Crafter's Workshop ~ Tile Texture

Prima ~ Stencils - Lace Doily #3; Pathway

Glitz ~ Clear Stamps - Distressing

Stampendous Cling Rubber Stamps - Jumbo Zinnia

Spellbinders ~ Garden Weave

Helmar ~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive; Zapdots 1/2" Round, White

Ranger ~ Inkssentials Fine Detail Waterbrush

Tonic ~ Tim Holtz - Paper Distresser

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to seeing your projects

inspired by the December OUAS Challenge! 

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

"Remember" for SEM July Main Challenge

Our Lord delights when we persevere to develop the talents and gifts He gives us. Our daughter, Maria, discovered a love and ability for music at a young age. She started piano lessons with Mrs. Henning when she was 8 and had her final recital this spring after 10 years of playing under her instruction. What a special accomplishment. 

The August Main Challenge at Scrapping Everyday Miracles is:

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ"

With a twist:

Use something metal or metallic on your page.

Here's my example for you:

"Remember"

Cara created this lovely challenge for us this month and here are her thoughts:

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ".

For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

God created us to do great things and gives us the strength, courage and perseverance to do them!  He also delights in us and with us when we do---isn't that cool? So this month I want to you to create a project about an accomplishment...it can be your own or a loved ones.

The LORD your God is with you, 
He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with his love, 

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

I chose to create a layout about my daughter Ellie's Kindergarten graduation (back in spring 2012). She is in the Dual-Language program and many times felt overwhelmed not understanding very much of the Spanish language, but she has stuck with it despite her fears, and is on her way to becoming a fluent Spanish speaker (she will be going into the 2nd grade in the program this Fall). I know God is so very proud of her...just like I am!

So, you can choose anything that you consider an accomplishment---completing a degree, finishing a race, beating an illness, weight loss, etc. Can't wait to see what God is doing in your lives.

Oh, and don't forget the Scrap Twist...use metal or something metallic on your project.

Our generous sponsor this month is 

Daysigns 

The prize is a Gift Certificate for $35 to the store. Also, they are offering a 15% discount code for readers. The code is PRETTY15. 

From the start of party planning with pretty invitations to the end with thank you cards, our printables are personalized for you. All that's left for you to do is print and cut! We want your parties to be perfect, just like you do. We strive hard to make everything just right for you. We offer quick and reliable customer service to make you happy!

Website: www.daysignsbyday.com

Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/daysigns

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/daysignsbyday

**NOTE: You may submit the project you create for Scrapping Everyday Miracles to other challenge blogs but your project must be mainly created for the Scrapping Everyday Miracles challenge in order to win the sponsor prize and/or be one of Top 3**

All entries must be linked on the SEM Blog by August 31, 11:55pm PST.

Winners will be announced on Saturday, September 7th.

Tips and Techniques:

Guilded Flowers ~ I used several items to fit this month's twist. Here you can see that I dry brushed metallic paint on these lovely Petaloo flowers. I also added metal flowers centers and chicken wire. 

Here's a view from another angle.

Splatter ~ I flicked teal and cranberry mists across the background.

Altered Chipboard ~ I mixed several metallic embossing powders together to get this lovely texture and color. I also added metallic bronze paint at the edges to highlight. Another Metallic item. I cut apart the Dusty Attic Corner Flourish #1 to adjust it to fit the space and tucked one of the pieces into the bottom corner of my flower cluster. 

Mixed Media ~ I used molding paste and a stencil to create this lovely flourish next to the sweet medallion, my final metallic twist. I then painted it with white glimmer paint. 

Edging ~ I tucked painted corrugated board and ink dabbed lace into the edge next to the medallion. 

I also used the sketch and mood board over at Scrap Around the World for inspiration.

Inspiration:

sketch

feathers

yellow color

bling

powder - embossing powder

gathers (flower)

hair accessory ~ flower hair pin tucked onto photo mat

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~