Happy (Neutral) Birthday

Today I kick off a month of guest designing for the Heart2Heart challenge blog.  As a former Close to my Heart consultant (and a current fabulous customer), this is one of my favorite blogs from which to glean creative inspiration.  What an honor to be chosen as a guest designer, and how fun that it comes during my birthday month.  (I am currently $49.95; the tax is getting added in about a week.)

For this week's "Neutral" challenge, I wanted to see just how many neutral colors I could get on one card overwhelming it.  Here's what I came up with:

Although I like the card, I think I'm proudest that everything on it except the mini clip is current.  Given my stash of retired stuff, that's quite an accomplishment. 

The stamp is from Jeanette's Archives and is called Birthday Cheer.  I embossed it with white powder onto vellum.  On the back side of the vellum I used a watercolor brush and ink smushed into lids to color. 

• Stars and candle flames: Champagne
• Cake: Chocolate (of course!!)
• Background (upper half): Cocoa
• Background (lower half): Desert Sand
• Corners: Saddle
• Paper behind vellum: Whisper
• "2" and "U": Cashmere pigment ink embossed with clear powder; stamp set Keyboard Uppercase; the "U" is attached to the "2" with a small dot of Liquid Glass
• Baker's Twine: Neutral Assortment

I'd say that's an impressive number of neutrals!

Until next time,
Becca