What a difference a year makes

Having posted my birthday card for Susan yesterday, I realised I never blogged the card I made her last year.

This was one of the first times I used a piece of "waste", from cleaning my blending mat. When I have left over ink on there, I spritz it with water and press paper or card into it, which gives a lovely speckled texture.

I don't remember which project this was the clean up from, but I love the brightness of the orange with the dark red.

It's a very simple card, I cut a section of the waste paper for the background, then another for the topper. I think I added more of the spiced marmalade ink to the topper, for balance.
I stamped my Clarity Daydreamer onto the topper, in black stazon from memory.

I cut a white mount for the topper, and mirrored this with the border of the card base around the background. (I think this was an A5 card.) I edged all the pieces with a black sharpie to define them, including the card base. I don't usually do that, but it does look quite striking now I look back!

The finally touch is a black die cut of the words Happy Birthday.

I had originally planned to have the topper at a jaunty angle, but preferred the symmetrical look.

It's lovely to revisit this card a year on, I still love the bright, fresh feel of it.