Sketches with Circles and Stampin' Up!

I haven't shared any SU! only stuff here week, so I thought I'd try some blogger sketch challenges with my SU! stuff. Both of the sketches I chose have lots of circle elements in common, too.

Here's the first one. I used Beate's weekend sketch challenge as the basis for it. I changed the scale of the sketch to fit on a 4 1/4" square card (see, I really am starting to like these . . .). I started with the Washington Apple designer paper and worked from there on the rest of the card.

I haven't used my A Little Birdie Told Me set in a while and I had a request for more birthday cards, so I used the bird and party hat for the focal image on the card. I stamped a second bird on a scrap of Riding Hood Red and attached it to the image panel with dimensionals. I inked the sentiment with my Pumpkin Pie marker for more color.

Materials Used (all from Stampin' Up!):

A Little Birdie Told Me stamp set, Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black Classic inks, Pumpkin Pie and Real Red markers, Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White cardstock, Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon, silver brads, dimensionals

The second card is based on Jen's Sketch for You to Try. Lots of circle elements here, too. This time I stayed with the birthday theme but went for a more masculine look. I used the Starring You stamp set for the focal image and to create the starry background paper, too.

I found that the happy birthday star image *just* fits inside the 1 3/8" circle punch. No room for error here! I layered the punched circle on a 1 3/4" circle punch and used the Punches Plus Classy Brass template to guide my paper piercing around the edge of the circle. I stamped the image a second time and cut out just the star so I could attach it to the image with a dimensional. The circles on either side of the focal image are embellished with a brushed silver star made with the small star punch.

Materials Used (all from Stampin' Up!):

Starring You stamp set, Not Quite Navy Classic ink, Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa, and Bashful Blue cardstock, Not Quite Navy Patterns designer series paper, mat pack and paper piercing tool, Punches Plus Classy Brass template, silver brads, 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8", and 1 3/4" circle punches, dimensionals