Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch Challenge #SSC130

Question: What could be better than a snowy Saturday morning the week before Christmas?
Answer: Not MUCH!
Unless you also have the fabulous new Sketch Challenge from the queen of all sketches - Selene - at the Stamping 411 blog!
Here is our fun sketch for this week:

And here is my interpretation of it:

This card did NOT come together at ALL like it started! I was headed towards bright, fun colors with one of the single stamps that is retiring next month and somehow ended up with a birthday card for my Dad.
I'm not even gonna begin to try and explain that thought process, but here we are, so I am gonna explain the card, ok? Ok!
(By the way, you should know that as I type this post, IT'S SNOWING OUTSIDE!!!!!!)

Here are my card layers and measurements:
Folded card: Very Vanilla cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", folded to make card sized 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (sponged edges with Chocolate Chip ink)
Green layer: Always Artichoke cut at 4" x 5 1/4" (run through the Big Shot with my Texturz Plates, then sponged with Always Artichoke ink to give it depth.)
Layer 3: Very Vanilla 3 1/4" x 3 1/2" (sponged with Chocolate Chip ink)
Layer 4: Merry Moments DSP 3" x 3 1/4" (sponged with Chocolate Chip ink)
Layer 5: Very Vanilla 2" x 3 1/2" (sponged with Chocolate Chip ink)

I chose Lovely as a Tree - a classic - for this project. Love this evergreen stamp! I inked it up with Stampin' Write Markers - Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, Always Artichoke and Handsome Hunter then huffed on it to make sure the ink was wet before I stamped it on my cardstock. I then stamped it twice inside the folded card to decorate the inside a bit. It is very soft and pretty on the inside, but I couldn't get a good photo of it because the card wouldn't stand up for me - hummph! So just use your imagination about how that part looks, ok?

Here is a close up of the left side detail:

Since I opted to turn the sketch on it's side, I was able to easily use the sentiment area for an embellishment instead. So, I cut a short piece of the Chocolate Chip Striped Grosgrain ribbon and frayed it on three sides. It was attached to the back of Layer 3, which was then attached to Layer 2. I used my Mat Pack and Paper Piercer to make 3 evenly spaced holes for the Vintage Brad accents. What did I EVER do without that Mat Pack? I know, my holes were uneven and crooked!

Now for a gander at the sentiment:

Now, ya'll already know that I save everything! And I just so happened to have an old tin of Aged Copper Hodgepodge Hardware in the waaaay back of my accessory cabinet. So, I took a scrap of Very Vanilla cardstock and stamped the greeting from On Your Birthday in Always Artichoke, then I markered up the little branch and pine cone, stamped off once and added it as an accent by the words.
This was punched out with the Large Oval Punch and mounted up on Stampin' Dimensionals behind the copper Hodgepodge Label Holder. That piece is attached with Mini Glue Dots.

So, there you go - you've gotten to see my Dad's birthday card a full month before he will - do ya think he'll like it? I think so, but mainly because Dad's are pretty easy to please and since he loves me a lot, he will like what ever I give him.

Hey! Since today is a SNOWY Saturday for a LOT of you - I know you East-coasters are reading this - YOU should play along with this great sketch this weekend! Just upload your creation to your blog or online gallery and link it back to Stamping 411 using the Mr. Linky widget provided there. We LOVE to see how you interpret the sketches each week and we LOVE to pick our top 5 cards for our showcase each Friday! Who knows, you could be next!

Ya'll have fun stamping today - I'm going to be playing in the snow a bit, drinking some hot chocolate by the fireplace, wrapping a few Christmas gifts and making my homemade White Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti. Does that sound like fun?! Well, come on over! :)

Stamped Blessings!
~~Robin