Retro Rubber Sketchy time!

You are going to love all the versions that the Design Team has created for the sketch over at Retro Rubber!  I know that my card came together really quickly once I decided the theme.  Do come and play along with our challenge and remember we have two simple rules.  1)  Please use a stamp that is older than a year and indicate the age of the stamp 2)  Enter up to ten challenges including ours.

As I thought through my initial concept I zeroed in on a pine cone die and embossing folder I had in my stash.  Fortunately one of my earliest purchases was a pine bough from American Art Stamps back in May of 1997.  It is fun to use it again in a mixed texture project.

• I stamped the pine boughs in Versa Color Tea Leaves on cream cardstock and fussy cut the images.  (My Scan N Cut is buried by plants right now . . . we are painting the interior of our home and all the house plants ended up on my desk in the craft room!)
• Brown cardstock is die cut with Elizabeth Craft Designs Stitched Circles and Spellbinders Standard Circles Small is die cut from cream cardstock. 
• Happy accident!  The brown cardstock that I used to die cut the circle was from my scrap bag and was the perfect size for the front of an A-2 card.  I just happened to die cut the circle from about the center without thinking and I could still use the rest of the piece for the front of the card!  This cardstock was pressure embossed with Elizabeth Craft Designs Pine Cone embossing folder, then the surface is lightly sanded to bring out the embossing.
• The pine cones are die cut from red-brown cardstock and rolled into shape.  
• The remainder of the red-brown cardstock is trimmed to make the banner shape behind the circles.  
• With all the texture in the background I decided it was best to use a die cut sentiment, so a Stamps of Life Die set, Framelites Drop-Ins 660143 had the right size of Happy Birthday.  With a little creative trimming I had a great little sentiment.  
• All the layered are adhered together a a bit of twine is tied in a bow at the top of the pine boughs.

I think that this fall themed birthday card is perfect for a man in my life, as my husband's birthday is right around the corner!  Thanks for stopping by, it is a pleasure to read your comments!