Shabby Vintage Happiest Birthday Card - Simply Stampin' Oct Theme Challenge

The challenge over at Simply Stampin' this week is to make your own DSP.  I love the look of the Natural Composition Specialty DSP in the annual catty and that inspired me to use browns for my patterned paper.

I stamped the floral image from the Elements of Style set on Crumb Cake CS using Soft Suede ink.  I absolutely LOVE that stamp, it's so pretty and reminds me of a Toile design.  After trimming the square to size I sponged the edges with Soft Suede ink, added a strip of Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon (now retired) and matted onto an Early Espresso layer.  I then got busy with my Apothecary Art set.  I stamped the label twice onto Very Vanilla CS, once in Early Espresso ink and again in Marina Mist ink and I used a Labels Framelits die to cut out the Espresso image.  I stamped the image again onto Crumb Cake CS so I could get a contrasting banner piece, stamped the sentiment, cut out the banner and glued it to the Very Vanilla label shape.  I fussy cut the Marina Mist floral images and popped those up.  Like the DSP panel, I sponged all the edges with Soft Suede ink.  I then tied a bow and attached it to the card front with a beautiful Antique brad.  The whole front panel was then adhered to a 5 3/4" square Marina Mist card base.  To finish off the front I added some pearls at the corners.

Then I set to work on the inside and the envelope.  I stamped a strip of Crumb Cake CS again to create more DSP for me to use.  I added a fancy Early Espresso die cut border and some fussy cut Marina Mist flowers.  I love to layer a sentiment over a paler stamped image so I inked the floral stamp with Marina Mist ink and stamped off on scrap paper once first before stamping on the Very Vanilla panel.  I don't have a large SU! birthday sentiment for inside a card so I'm afraid I've snuck in a non SU! one.  I used the floral image again and Labels Framelits dies to make the element for the envelope flap.

Not content with that I felt the need to decorate the front of the envelope as well.  I had some stamped DSP strip left over so I thought I may as well use it!  I inked the label stamp with markers - Crumb Cake for the lines, Early Espresso for the outside border and Marina Mist for the flowers.  I die cut the label, sponged the edges with Soft Suede ink and glued it to the envelope.

Quite a time consuming card but it was lovely to make, I enjoyed myself immensely!  Hubby was at work and there was nothing on TV I wanted to watch so I was very happy to potter in my craft room for a long while.  I hope you'll join us for our Simply Stampin' challenge this week and get to enjoy yourself in the process!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Elements of Style & Apothecary Art sets, Hero Arts 'Yummy Treats' clear set
CS: SU! Marina Mist, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso & Very Vanilla
Ink: SU! Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Marina Mist & Early Espresso
Tools: SU! Labels Framelits dies, Adorning Accents Edgelits die, paper piercer, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon (retired), Antique brad, Pearl Jewels, Dimensionals