Happy Birthday Card

Hello Everybody!

This is a great card for a birthday!  First I cut out a pink colored paper 5.5 X 4 inches.

Then I emboss it.  I have a Cuttlebug, but this is a Fiskars plate.  Fiskars embossing plates are similar to Sizzix embossing plates but the first set comes with a rubber mat and plastic mat to run through the Sizzix machine.  With Cuttlebug I use from bottom to top:

• the original A plate/mat (the thickest one)
• then the Fiskars plate
• then my paper--color side is down because I want it embossed not debossed
• Sizzix rubber plate/mat
• Cuttlebug C plate/mat

 I crank this through my Cuttlebug.  One thing I found with this is that the rubber mat slips.  So I taped my scrapbook paper to the embossing plate.  Just know this can be a little tricky. 

I decided I didn't like that first paper I showed you.  So I chose a light pink cardstock.  I embossed the new pink paper.

This is me taking the tape off the back.  I had to get scissors and cut it very close to the edge so no one could tell there was tape on it.

 Here is the embossed pink paper.

I adhere it to my card first using photo squares to place the cardstock.  Then I use red line tape (in this case it came in a sheet) to securely adhere the pink paper to the card.

Next I take my light blue birthday paper and cut a 4.5 X 3 inch piece and center this onto the pink card.  I don't have a picture of this step (so you'll have to take my word for it :)

The next step is to think about what is going to be my "centerpiece" for the card.  Aha!  A metal tag.  These tags are made by Making Memories.  They have a special tool to clamp them, but I just use an eyelet hammer.

First (since I can't find the template for the tag) I trace the outside of the tag on the cardstock that is going to fill the tag.  If you trace the inside of the tag, it will not be big enough.

Then I trim and put the paper inside. Trim and try until the paper tag fits into the metal tag snugly.

I take my eyelet hammer and lightly pound on the tag opening until it is flat.

Here my tag is complete.

To add pizzazz to the tag, I get out my VersaMark ink and small birthday stamps.  VersaMark has a couple of applications.  Here we are going to use it as a watermark.  Using VersaMark like an ink, I randomly stamp birthday images on the pink tag.  I stamp a few images "coming off" of the tag.  Then I wipe the excess VersaMark off of the metal rim (after the paper images have dried for a minute or so).

This is a tag...so it needs a hole and ribbon!  I make the hole using the Cropadile.  Then I place a blue eyelet in the hole using the Cropadile.

I also added Happy and Birthday rub-ons (which I also forgot to take a picture of-sorry!)  The rub-ons I got from a class way back in the day.  They are small enough to fit on a big brad, but they also worked for this tag!  However, you could easily substitute a stamp or handwriting for the rub-on.

Here the choices for ribbons and fibers are incredible.  So I choose modest blue and pink ribbons so as to not distract from the rest of the card.

The finished card.  The Birthday paper is from Sweetwater, the Sprinkles paper collection--2006.  Until next time--go eat some Birthday Cake :)