Happy Birthday Celebrations for "Betty"!

Happy Days!  My card has been chosen as a

SPLITCOASTERS FAVORITE OF THE WEEKENDING - JULY 3, 2016

A little vintage Betty Boop card for my daughter, Michele's birthday celebration!

Ingredients:  SU cardstock: Blushing Bride.  DCWV Old World Stack (glitter applied).  Authentique: Promise collection/ Six (floral).  My Mind's Eye: The Sweetest Thing collection/ Honey "Love" Fond (check).  Dies: Spellbinder's-Heart Squares; MFT-Stitched Squares STAX.  SU punches: Modern Label; Word Window (both retired).  Recollections flowers.  Elmer's Craft Adhesive Spray.  Martha Stewart Glitter: Crystal Fine.  EK punch: Basketweave Corner.  Computer-made sentiment and verse.  Size: 5-1/2" square.  (Splitcoaster Thread: Weed Ending 7-3-16/ #142).

The Card's Story & Other Tidbits

My daughters and I are planning  a "Girls' Night Out" date in celebration of the oldest one's birthday!  We are going to enjoy the magic of Teatro Zinzanni's Hotel L'Amour tonight and can't wait for it to start.  We will be all dressed up in colorful attire, with boas, masks, and funny little hats.  You may wonder, "What is Teatro ZinZanni's?"  The best description is:  a three-hour whirlwind of international cirque, comedy, burlesque and cabaret artists all served up with a scrumptious multi-course feast and elegant libations!

Since the family celebrated Michele with a short-notice, pre-birthday get-together last week-end, I had to have a card very quickly, so a pretty one came out of my finished stash.  I was very disappointed that I did not have time to complete my card idea that had been mulling around in my brain for the past several months while vacationing in California and without all my own cardmaking equipment.  Then I thought of a great idea, I would finish up her card this week and give it to her on our "Girls' Night Out."

My idea started with a bubble bath digital image of some sort to color and frame in a sassy, vintage-style card, because Michele loves bubble baths to de-stress after a busy day at work.  I ended up using a Betty Boop vintage, bubble bath image that was already colored rather than a black and white for my coloring.  There is, of course, a story explaining why this bubble bath Betty Boop image was perfect!

Michele's fun-time, nickname from her sister is Betty.  Don't ask me how that all got started, but somehow over five to eight years ago, when they were goofing around Michele became Betty and Jackie becames Roxy, each with a new personna and a new voice.  It can be pretty hilarious to watch them interact together or to listen to a telephone call between Betty and Roxy!  About a year or so ago, Ginger, their sister-in-law, joined in the group and became Felicity, our sister from another mother.  One time, in the not too distant past, when the girls were shopping for stylish sister "night out" garments, I laughingly said Michele fit the Betty Boop look with her dark hair and diva costume.  So, there's the explanation of why a bubble bath Betty Boop was perfect.  

To make my card, I needed the perfect papers to compliment my Betty Boop image.  I wanted a bit of glitter, especially on my image frame.  I decided to be a bit creative with an old piece of muted, mottled, pinkish DCWV Old World damask paper by applying spray adhesive and sprinkling on the glitter, letting it dry, and dusting it off.  Voila, I had created my very own glitter paper!  (Sorry the glitter does not show up well in the photo.)  I decided this would be my first mat layer applied on top of the Blushing Bride cardbase, and I would also use it for the image frame cut from Spellbinder's Nesting Heart Squares.  Once this paper decision was made, I searched for two more complimentary patterns to use with it, and away I went creating the design in my mind's eye.  In reviewing my card when finished, I wish I had used a corner decorator punch on the layers. . .maybe next time!  

My final step as is my tradition in cardmaking, is to create an inside that compliments the card front design, and to make up or find a verse that's just right for the occasion.  I think Michele will enjoy her card on our Teatro's night out when she and Jackie are all dolled up looking like Betty and Roxy, the divas.