It's a New Year

Whew, another year has flown by. Hello 2012!

I'm pretty happy that last year I posted more times than the previous two years put together. While I don't have any specific goals in terms of numbers of postings for this year, I would like to use some new techniques and continue to use stamps and other products that are still in their original packaging :) The most important thing is to continue to enjoy cardmaking.

Knowing that I have three friends with birthdays in the first 10 days of January, I got busy before the end of the year and actually got their cards done.

Once I figured out the layout and design - always the most time-consuming part of the process for me - I altered the colors a bit so that the three cards were just a little different, one from the other. Keeping true to my 'resolution,' I used new templates and stamps: the Oval Open Scallop Doily is from My Favorite Things; the sentiment is from Taylored Expressions "Build a Treat" along with their coordinating dies, "Building a Treat Tops and Bottoms." I added a little interest to the cone portion of the ice cream cone by embossing it with Cuttlebug's Tiny Mosaic embossing folder - I think it makes it look like a waffle pattern. Finally, the scalloped edge along the bottom is from an EK Success punch.

Though the colors vary, here is the basic look for the interior of these three birthday cards. The row of cupcakes is a stamp, "Build a Treat Borders," from Taylored Expressions, the "Hooray Hooray" ticket is a stamp from Hero Arts, "Life of the Party Birthday" set, and the "Enjoy" is also from Hero Arts.