Hybrid Airplane Birthday Card

Dylan and my dad both share a love of planes.  Thus, an airplane card seemed perfect for my dad's birthday last month.  I had fun mixing my digital and traditional supplies (even digging through my scraps) to put together this cute hybrid card:

I started with a plain white card (I have a whole pack of these I bought at a craft store - so easy to decorate for any occasion).  I measured it and created a new page in Photoshop to match the size - 5.5 inches wide by 8 inches tall.  I added a guide to mark the horizontal center (ie, the fold) and then filled the area beneath it in white to create a mask for the front of the card design.  Next I added the digital cloud page onto a new layer.  I used the transform tools to rescale it and then clicked Ctrl-G to create a clipping mask.  I also changed the opacity to 80% to lighten the image a bit.  Then I printed it out on the card.

My original intent was to have the cloud paper print full bleed to the sides and end.  Unfortunately, it came out with white borders.  I decided to continue ahead with the borders but you could easily play with your printer settings to correct that and even print the image to the entire outside of the card (front & back) if you want.

The next step was preparing the stamped image.  I used black ink to stamp the plane onto three scraps of paper - white, red and yellow.  I cut out the various plane parts from the red and yellow papers then glued them to the white.  After all the pieces were in place, I trimmed the white cardstock flush to the colored pieces.

Using the remaining white cardstock, I sketched out my design for a wavy banner and added the message with small rub-on letters.  It didn't quite fill the space so I adjusted my banner length and then outlined it with a fine tipped black marker.

I cut out the banner with my x-acto knife cutting just beyond the black lines. Using a straight needle, I punched two small holes in the corners on the straight end.  I threaded a single piece of black thread through them.  It spans the two holes in the back.  I pulled it outward and tied a knot.  Then glued the knotted end behind the airplane. Finally I used adhesive backed foam squares to add the plane and banner to the card.  On the inside I finished the sentiment off by stamping "happy birthday."

Supplies: white card; Kitty Designs Cherish kit; miscellaneous white and yellow cardstock; We R Memory Keepers patterned paper (red); Imaginisce stamp; StazOn black ink; Doodlebug Designs rub-on letters; Micron black pen; black thread; adhesive backed foam squares.