Snappy Birthday

I put together this punny birthday card for a teenaged boy.  He's come to look forward to my birthday cards over the years, so I hope this one doesn't disappoint!

The layout is from the current sketch at Match the Sketch, flipped on its side.  I used one of the layout's panels to make a beach scene with a piece of aqua grid patterned paper and a pair of layered torn kraft strips across the bottom. That's my go-to technique for making something look sand-like.  To round out the scene, I added a pinking circle sun and a tiny cloud. 

The image panel was adhered to an aqua cardstock panel over a piece of red striped patterned paper.  I stretched a piece of aqua twill across the length of the card, then added a red crab from Reverse Confetti's Seaside stamp set on top.  To add dimension and interest, I dotted the crab's eyes with a bit of gray irRESISTible Pico Embellisher.  The set's "snappy birthday" sentiment was stamped at the center of the scene panel in aqua pigment ink.  I added a few iridescent sequins "shells" around the sand, then layered the finished panel on a pale aqua card base.

Materials Used:
Seaside stamp set, Seaside dies (Reverse Confetti); Memento Lady Bug ink, Gray Flannel irRESISTible Pico Embellisher (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Aquamarine ink (Avery Elle); Real Red and Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Hawaiian Shores, Lemon Tart, and Kraft cardstock, Aqua Mist twill (Papertrey Ink); Sno Cone cardstock (My Favorite Things); Recollections Aqua Screen designer paper (Michaels); Quite Contrary-Jack and Jill 6x6 paper pad (My Mind's Eye); pinking circle die (Spellbinders); Backdrop Builders dies (Paper Smooches); iridescent sequins; foam tape