Color Challenge Inspired Birthday Card #2

As I said in my last post, I have 3 family birthdays in the next 7 days. Kristina Werner's weekly Color Inspiration Challenge helped me utilize my time wisely this afternoon by eliminating the dithering I usually do over color scheme. This week's swatches are: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, So Saffron, and Tempting Turquoise. I also was inspired by an old layout created by Jen del Muro for her blog, I {Heart} 2 Stamp.

This is what evolved as I played with the shapes and colors. I used my 1 3/8" square punch and chomped out one of every color except TT, since it is the base. Then I set about coloring on the Sale-A-Bration set, Birthday Whimsy. I wanted details of the stamps--a popular trend called "inchies"--so I colored what I wanted to highlight and stamped each on 1 1/4" squares of Whisper White.

I took this picture to help me remember the placement positions of each of the pieces. I have a hard enough time creating a less than symmetrical look, and recreating it after I remove said pieces to adhere them is more stress than I need. Taking the picture allows me a reference point. I added the strip of WW with dots stamped from an old Hostess Set called Riveting to create some more whimsy and break up the TT base. This card will be for my brother-in-law, who is turning 43, and so there was no option for ribbon.

The interior uses the entire cake image--stamped off once--and the accompanying sentiment. Now all that remains is getting the family to sign it and it'll be off to him in the mail. Unfortunately, his is the last of the three, so it's back to the craft room to create one more so that my sister-in-law (or my sister, I haven't decided who's getting yesterday's card yet) has a card in time for her special day.