Sweet Inspiration

Back today with more projects using my birthday themed products for the March 2016 release for Papertrey Ink. Today the team is featuring them along with Lizzie's amazing multi-stamp cake set. I'm excited to see what the girl's have been up to. They are so inspiring!!!

I wanted to create a card with lots of birthday candles. I just cut a bunch at once out of Stamper's Select cardstock. The official birthday number is in color to create the focal point. And I just couldn't resist using a Frosted Border along the right-hand edge.

I wanted to go a classic birthday candle route with polka dot primary colors. I used Polka Dot Basics to create the dots on the Big Birthday Candle Dies, but was thinking Confetti Toss would be another good option. Or even any grouping of small stars. It's up to you! 

The Big Birthday Candles set has dies for wicks, but I decided because I had so many to add on this project, that I'd just use twine. Gives a more realistic look. And I think this might be my default look from here on out. 

Big Birthday Candles is a larger size die set. And in order to be more cost efficient, I didn't do backer dies. It would have more than doubled the cost. That's no good. So how am I'm keeping all these layers together? Here's a trick. Assemble them upside down and add some double side tape. You need adhesive anyway, right? Easy as can be. This is also how I have been assembling all my new die cut frames (Pretty, Charmed, and Scrolled).

Next up, a card for all your colorists. Sprinkles on Top is perfect for those who like to color. I used the Sprinkle on Top stamp set and dies to create two sprinkled borders that I colored with Copics. An easy sentiment using Maile's new Shaped Saying: Birthday die.  

Sharing a tip about coloring that I've come up with to make the process easier and more dimensional. It is a little different than standard Copic blending. Usually you would take two or three close shades and blend them within a single shape. I'm not doing that here. While I am taking two shades of each color, I'm not blending. Instead I'm coloring each sprinkle with one marker to keep things easy, but coloring some of the sprinkles the lighter shade and some the darker. You have some variation and your eye reads it is more of a blend of color. Keeps it simple. 

Lastly today, I have another little coloring project for you. I wanted chocolate frosting. In a bad way. Like seriously...somebody make me a cake already. So after coloring a border of rainbow sprinkles using Sprinkles on Top, I filled in the white areas with a brown marker. Because I was only doing it for a little strip to fit on this tag, it was not a chore at all. I covered the seam with the flower-style Frosted Border die and heat embossed in red an image from Sentiment Signs (a favorite). 

Check out what the girl's have done and learn more about all these new products at Nichole's blog. Thanks for stopping by today! And I hope you are in the mood for making some birthday cards. Aren't these fun products to use? All these new birthday products are available now at www.papertreyink.com. Here's a direct link to each one:

Sprinkles on Top Stamp Set
Sprinkles on Top Die Set
Frosted Borders
Big Birthday Candle Dies

Supplies

10th Birthday Card

Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, KIS: Birthday

Dies: Big Birthday Candles, Frosted Borders

Cardstock: Lemon Tart, Bright Buttercup, Pure Poppy, Blueberry Sky, Stamper's Select White

Ink: Blueberry Sky, Pure Poppy, New Leaf, Enchanted Evening

Sprinkled Birthday Card

Stamps: Sprinkles on Top

Dies: Sprinkles on Top, Shaped Sayings: Birthday

Cardstsock: Hawaiian Shores, Stamper's Select White, New Leaf

Copics

Chocolate Frosting Tag

Stamps: Sprinkles On Top, Sentiment Signs

Dies: Frosted Border Dies, Tag Sale 2

Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Stamper's Select White

Zing! Embossing Powder 

Copics