Life is Better When it is Fun Retirement Card

Hello, Friends!  I was recently asked to create a special retirement card for a friend, and they wanted me to do something that really celebrates the big life changes that retirement entails.  So I scratched my head for a few minutes, and decided to combine a great sentiment (Life is Better When it is Fun) with whimsical papers from Graphic 45’s Steampunk Debutante collection and some beautiful Really Reasonable Ribbon.  This card is so full of happy vibes and great techniques that I just had to share it with you here today.

See what I mean?  The sentiment on this card panel is perfect!  The card panel was stitched onto burlap to add a little extra texture.  Then the edges were embossed with Metallic Copper embossing powder to add to the steampunk vibe.  Layering chipboard, die cut gears, and fussy cut elements from the paper collection give the card front a feeling of adventure and happiness.  I picked up on the blues in the paper collection and used my Zutter Bow-it-All to tie a soft, loopy Peacock Alley bow in the upper left hand corner of the card. Metal accents are always appropriate for a Steampunk style card, so I topped that scrumptious bow with a metal flower from my stash, tapping it with Broken China Distress Paint so that it keeps in stride with the overall color palette.  I also tucked in a teeny tiny clip, just for funsies.

Life is better when it is fun and another appropriate sentiment were stamped on the inside of the card, where more papers, gears, and images from the collection are layered up.

If you are new to tying bows, or if you struggle with tying bows, seam binding is a great ribbon choice because it is soft and easy to work with.  You can spritz it and crinkle it up for a shabby chic look, or tie a multi-loop bow with ease.  It also comes in a whole rainbow of colors in the Really Reasonable Ribbon online store.

Thanks for stopping  by!

Cheerio,

kathy