Baby Bear Card

Hello, Blogland! I hope you're having a nice day. We had some brutal storms overnight and into this morning, but it seems that the wind is all that remains now. My fella is out of town on business, so the kitties and I huddled together for comfort last night. It wasn't as bad as the day the side door was ripped off the house, but it wasn't a lot of fun either.

I have a card to share today, but I wanted to make mention of one little bit of business first. The deadline for voting in the Columbus Alive's Best of Columbus poll is tomorrow at Noon. If you're interested in voting you can find the ballot HERE. Poshta has been nominated for "Best brand without a storefront" (located on page 2 of the ballot, for those who have asked). Thank you to all of you who have already voted and to those of you who will do so up until the closing bell.

So on to the card! A couple of weeks ago my Mother-In-Law asked me to make her a handful of baby cards for some new arrivals expected in the next month. I really enjoy making baby cards, but haven't had much designing time lately, so I was happy to have an excuse to get back in the studio for awhile. This is the first of the cards that I put together for her.

I used the frame from Luck of the Irish to create the patterned paper and trimmed the top edge with pinking scissors for a decorative touch. The teddy was colored with colored pencils and mineral spirits before being embellished with a paper button.

I love making buttons like these because they're easier to mail than traditional buttons and I can stamp them with different patterns. To make the buttons I first stamp my pattern onto thick, cotton letterpress stock and run it face down through a Xyron machine. Next, I remove the waxy paper backing and cover the sticky side with plastic wrap (yes, the stuff from the kitchen). I smooth it down and then die cut my button. The plastic wrap makes the surface shiny and the die cutting makes it conform to the edges of the button to make it look nice and finished. To give the button a little more thickness I die cut a plain shape and adhere the two together with wet adhesive, taking care to line up the button holes carefully. I press the two under an acrylic block until I'm ready to use them. It sounds like a lot of steps, but I really love the way they look when they're finished.

The card is pretty simple, otherwise. I stamped my base with white polka dots and the sentiment before adhering on the patterned paper layer. I used my favorite ribbon and baker's twine treatment before adding my teddy bear panel with foam adhesive.

Well, that's all for me. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Recipe:
Stamps: Baby Button Bits, Luck of the Irish, Bitty Background Blocks, Polka Dot Basics, Everyday Classics (Anniversary Set) - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, Smoky Shadow, Fresh Snow - Papertrey Ink
Other: Simply Chartreuse Saddle Stitched Ribbon, Button Die - Papertrey Ink; Oyster Baker's Twine - Divine Twine; Colored Pencils - Prismacolor; mineral spirits; pinking scissors; White embroidery floss - DMC; plastic wrap; Sticker maker - Xyron