A Masculine "Happy Birthday"

Since I make my own cards, I seldom go out there and buy one any longer.  They always look so generic and don't say what I want to say.  This is especially true of cards for the men in my life.  I like to mix in a bit of what means something to any of them.  For my brother-in-law that would be the outdoors and wood.  He's a master wood-crafter and his projects "blow my mind".

Stampin' Up! has some wonderful stamp sets that really are appropriate for what I had in mind.  Lovely as a Tree---what can I say?  That stamp set pays for itself and just keeps on giving.  The oak tree image was exactly the image which I had in mind.  Gently Falling---again, perfect, especially the oak leaves and acorn.  Hardwood, the background stamp available through the Occasions Catalogue---just asked to be used for this project.

The colours I chose all make me think of a living forest or of wood---perfect!  Always Artichoke, Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Early Espresso and touches of gold embossing powder.  The colours are organic and compliment each other beautifully.  With a touch of Burlap ribbon, the front of the card definitely came together.  If you look closely, you can see I took the stitching off the edges of the ribbon and frayed the ends.

I think the little "Happy Birthday" from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set is the perfect touch, don't you?