Art Impressions make some of the best people stamps, and this one called Retirement is no exception. While it includes some great retirement sentiments, it also have some great birthday sentiments which I chose to use on this card. Where to start? How about the background… I used a Gingham Cover a Card background from Impression Obsession in red. Then for the images, I stamped and colored them with Prismacolors, then fussy cut them out. I paper pieced the man’s shorts and the dog’s shirt in a gingham patterned paper from my stash. I love how that turned out!!! Now for die cutting… I stamped the inside and outside sentiments, then die cut the outside sentiment with a Quote Bubble die from Cutter Bee. I also cut 2 circles with Spellbinders Circle dies, 1 in white and 1 kraft to coordinate with the coloring. I used blender brushes to ink blend the white circle with Distress Oxide inks to represent grass and sky. After some fiddling I decided on a layout for the images. For finishing touches, I added Nuvo Glaze to the camper windows, man’s eyeglasses and glass. (Why, in this time of technology, is it so hard to capture shiny stuff in a picture?!?) I added black Sakura glaze pen to the eye and nose of the dog and white gel pen to the camper wheels. But that’s not allllll……

I colored up another image from the same set also with the combo of Prismas and paper piecing. I gotta tell you, skin tones are hard. I’m hoping it looks like the people have a little sunburn going on from sitting outside all day drinking lemonade! Anywhoo, she got the same treatment of Nuvo Glaze and that was it! Hard I as tried, I could not find an embellishment that looked right for this card. I have plenty of time before I have to mail it, so maybe I’ll find something. Leave me a comment and tell me what you would try!!!!! Oh, and my inspiration for this card was from a birthday card from my bestie, which also using Art Impressions images. Here is the card I received (Cute, right?!?):

12/07/19 Edited to add: This card was a winner at Gem of a Challenge!!!

I’m submitting this card to the following challenges:

• Art Impressions – #271 – Anything Goes
• Crazy 4 Challenges: #512 – Use a Card You Received as Inspiration (see above)- JFF
• Brown Sugar Challenge – #295 – Anything Goes
• Colour Crazy Challenge – #46 – Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers Challenge – #175 – Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday – #179 – Birthday w/opt Touch of Red
• Time Out Challenges – #149 – Celebrations
• Creative Moments – #181 – Anything Goes
• Jan’s Digi Stamps – #2 – Anything Goes
• LTSCB – #127 – Anything Goes
• Your Scrapbook Place – November – Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz – #484  – Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge – #23 – Anything Goes – WINNER
• Your Next Stamp – #127 – Mad For Plaid
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – #118 Anything Goes
• Get Creative Challenges – #86 – Anything Goes
• Digi Choosday – #48 – Anything Goes