High Tide Birthday - a Framed card

My son is always advising me to frame my cards and have a gallery of them on the wall down the stairs to my craft room.
Today I did frame a card, but not because he was urging me to do this.  I did it because the finished card just looked like it needed it.


The Light house was stamped with Smoky Slate and Basic Gray.  A blender pen was used to colour in the red portion and then with Basic Gray ink to touch up the sides and the architecture at the top. The sand around the light house was stamped in Sahara Sand, with Old Olive Sea Grass growing around the base. The beacon lights are Daffodil Delight. After the sea was stamped, the horizon was darkened with a blender pen.

The sky was first washed with an aqua painter finishing up with clouds sponged over a trio of scallop circles.

Basic Gray ink was used to stamp the Sea Gulls.

Next to the Light House on a patch of sand there are two Sand Pipers.

The sentiment is from "Remembering Your Birthday.

This art piece was adhered to some By the Shore DSP and placed in an old off white frame

On a separate piece of Whisper White the wheel and lantern from the set "From Land to Sea" were stamped, coloured and cut out, then mounted on the right lower frame.

The finish, some neutral rope was tied into a sailor's knot and placed on the left side of the frame.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: High Tide, From Land to Sea, Remembering Your Birthday
Papers: Whisper White, Marina Mist, By the Shore DSP
Inks: Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Black Memento, Sahara Sand, Old Olive, SU Markers:  Real Red, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Early Espresso
Accessories Neutral SU rope (retired), frame , 1 3/4" scallop circle punch.

Two Home Decor Items using the Painted Blooms DSP

I'm always scounging in the Habitat for Humanity store for items that can be upcycled or reused in a different way.  I was looking for something that I could use to display the Painted Blooms DSP.  Two sheets particularlywere too beautiful to be cut up for cards.  I wanted to make it into a decor item.

The other day I found 2 items - a wooden tray (pretty beaten up) and a 5 by 7 white photo frame in fairly good condition. You can guess what I did with them.  Yup - upcycled them and made them into a matching tray and framed picture.

After I cleaned it up the tray was not a bad looking.  I first painted it gold (I don't know what I was thinking), but changed my mind and repainted it white.  I think white goes better with the Painted Blooms Designer Paper. The paper was measured carefully so that it would fit into the tray with an even border of tray all around.  Then I applied 2 layers of Mod Podge and a layer of acrylic waterproof sealant.

My intent was to display it on my craft table tomorrow, but a friend of my son's saw it and immediately bought it for his mother.

This paper looks so gorgeous framed. 
I took the frame apart, cleaned it up, and then moved the mat over the paper to find the part of the paper looked best framed.  Then it was cut to size and the frame was put the frame back together.

To fancy it up a bit, I hand made 3 roses using SU punches.  The larger one was made using the Fun Flower punch; the 2 smaller ones with the Pansy punch.  The branches were die cut using a retired sizzlet "Little Leaves".  I hot glued them to the right lower corner.

I think I'll take the tray with me tomorrow with a sold sign on it.  Maybe I can find another tray, who knows!