Bee-utiful Birthday Wishes with a Dash of Glitter

Today’s card was inspired by not one, not two, but three creative challenges, and I had so much fun combining all of them into one cheerful design!

I started with the fabulous sketch from Sunday Stamps #362, then added elements from the Tic Tac Toe Challenge #272, using the diagonal combo of Bee or Butterfly, a Free space (which I filled with ephemera), and Enamel Dots or Sequins. For that final bit of flair, I turned to the Inkspirational challenge #343 for a vibrant color palette that brought the whole card to life. Measurements and supplies are listed under my signature at the end of the blog post.

The foundation is a Basic Black card base, layered with Basic White and a beautiful soft blue Cloud Cover panel. To build out the sketch, I added black strips across the top left and bottom right of the card. Over these, I layered strips from the Good Times Mix & Match Ephemera Pack—what a fun way to tie in bold colors and a bit of pattern!

A bee from the same ephemera set became the star of the show, colored just a touch with Daffodil Delight and Petal Pink Stampin’ Blends. I doodled a whimsical bee trail using a Stampin’ Write Basic Black marker, ending with the bee popped up on a dimensional to give it a little buzz of movement.

For the sentiment, I chose “Happy Birthday” from the Greetings for All Ephemera Pack. The bold white-on-black design coordinated perfectly with the card’s palette. A sprinkle of Starburst Sequins in white added just the right amount of sparkle and texture. Inside, I kept it clean and cheerful with another panel of Basic White, matted with Cloud Cover and accented with a sweet yellow heart from the same ephemera pack.

Now, I have to confess—after I finished the card and stepped back, something didn’t sit quite right. A quick check of the sketch reminded me that the bottom strip should have been on the left side, not the right. Oops! But that’s one of the wonderful things about paper crafting: most things can be fixed with a little care and creativity.

I gently lifted the sentiment strip and repositioned it to follow the sketch more accurately. While I was at it, I added a bit of Wink of Stella to the bee’s wings for a little extra shimmer. Mistakes happen—but they often lead to even better results!

If you’d like to see exactly how this card came together, I created a video walking through each step from start to finish. Sadly, I made the correction of the bottom strip placement after I was done with the video – but – oh, well!

Whether you’re here for the inspiration or the instructions, I hope this card brings a little joy and reminds you that even small slip-ups can turn into sparkly triumphs.

Measurements (in inches):

• Card Base (Basic Black) – 4-1/4 x 11, scored and folded at 5-1/2
• 1st layer (Basic White) – 4-1/8 x 5-3/8
• 2nd Layer (Cloud Cover) – 4 x 5-1/4
• Black strip(s) – cut 2 – Basic Black – 1 x 3-3/4
• Ephemera for layers on Black strips, sentiment and art piece
• Inside card – Basic White 3-3/4 x 5, coordinating cardstock to mat (Cloud Cover) 5-1/8 x 3-7/8, ephemera to decorate the inside

Supplies used: