Encre, papier, ciseaux: Picnic in the Sky

Inspiration: Little Red Wagon #607 (Walking on Sunshine)

I wish all of my crafting sessions went as smoothly as this one did... I tend to overthink but for some reason, this afternoon, I just went from one idea to the next and they all seemed to work out right away.

The starting point was the Shadow Box Card Rainbow Add-On. I have used individual embellishments from this die set, but never as an add-on to an actual shadow box. Shadow box cards seem to be my favorite type of 3D cards to make, probably because they are really easy to put together and I really enjoy the final depth you get from the multiple layers.

I pulled out my organizer pocket where I keep all of my Lawn Fawn 12" x 12" papers together (I thought I needed full size patterned paper for the shadow box, but I think each panel is under 6" wide, so I could have used a regular paper pad). I picked the first scrap of Really Rainbow paper I saw, as I was in the mood to create something colorful. I then pulled out the Watercolor Wishes paper pad and used scraps to create the adorable rainbow. I pulled out the Stitched Cloud Backdrop die and die-cut a piece of blue Watercolor Wishes paper to create my background piece. As I was looking through backdrop dies for this specific one, I also spotted the Foursquare Backdrop: Portrait, which happens to include a cute stitched sun that is the perfect size so I used this die with yellow paper from the same pack. I added shine to the sun and rainbow using the Midas Touch Aqua Shimmer brush from Nuvo. I also cut out four cloud pieces (for the layers) from Watercolor Wishes paper in blue, purple and aqua shades. And I used the zigzag opening on the front of the shadow card.

I was really liking the look already. I dug through my Lawn Fawn stamps to find images to create my scene. I hesitated between fairies or the little dragon, but because I had not used this little stamp set often, I opted for the latter option. I borrowed the blanket image from Crazy Antics and I used a piece of acetate to have the fire hang in the air over the cake.

I was not liking how the front of the shadow box looked and I wasn't sure how to fix it. I ended up using the stitched rectangle from the Shadow Box Card die set and adding it over the zigzag circle frame using foam strips, and now I do like the look better. I added a few pearls and a gem to embellish.

I reused the purple rectangle from the front opening on the backside of the card, initially planning for this to be the place where I would write a message. When I looked through my sentiment stamps, though, I found something that was just perfect in the now-retired Birthday Banners stamp set. It reads, "Blow out the candle and make a wish" (it's better in French - it has a fun rime!). I stamped the sentiment on the matching banner, used the coordinated dies and added Stampin' Dimensionals on the back. It felt a little bare added like that to the card, but I had leftover pieces from die-cutting the cloud borders and the various colours for the rainbow, so I assembled a new rainbow and added the cloud before adding the banner. Then added a few pearls there as well and now, this colorful card just makes me smile.

Supplies
Stamps: Banderoles de fête (Birthday Banners - Stampin' Up!); Little Dragon, Crazy Antics (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Window Sheets (Stampin' Up!)
Patterned Papers: Watercolor Wishes (Lawn Fawn)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder,
Granny Apple Green (Stampin' Up!)
Dies: Shadow Box Card, Shadow Box Card Rainbow Add-On, Little Dragon, Crazy Antics,
Foursquare Backdrop: Portrait, Stitched Cloud Backdrop: Portrait
Accessories: Midas Touch Aqua Shimmer Brush (Nuvo); Stampin' Dimensionals, Foam Strips (Stampin' Up!);
Bluebell Pearls, Seafoam Pearls, Pineapple Delight Crystal (Studio Katia)
Bunch of Banners (Stampin' Up!); Markers (Copic)