Hello, crafters!  I hope that you’re all having a great day out there.  My project for the end of this month features the Kat Scrappiness Everyday Brush Strokes stamp set, which I use to create a fun birthday shaker card.  This stamp set is really wonderful for “thinking outside the box,” and stretches the way that you think about shapes.  What ideas do you have for these stamps?

After cutting a piece of white card stock to 3.75×5″ I selected one of the medium sized stamps and repeatedly stamped it across the bottom third of the panel.  I chose some primary colors in red, blue, and purple to match the Kat Scrappiness Rainbow Splash sequins I plan to use.  I also varied their heights just a bit to add to the whimsical feel of the card.

Using a bright yellow ink, I stamped the smaller of the two “splatter” stamps to give the illusion of glowing candle flames.  These little shapes are so versatile!  You could use them as splatters, stars, flowers, snowflakes….just about anything you could think of.

Since I have Copic markers on hand, I decided to pick two different shades of orange to give my flames depth.  I just pressed the brush tip down to my card stock and flicked up – so easy!  If you’re looking for a little bit more realism, you could easily use a black fine tip marker to create little wicks for your flames to sit on, and even outline your “candles” to refine their shape.

My next step was to cut out an opening to create my shaker.  You can make any size or shape that you would like – I decided on a square.  I selected the “Happy Birthday” sentiment from the stamp set and stamped it in my favorite VersaFine Onyx Black pigment ink.  It’s a very rich black and stands out very well against the colorful candles.

I attached a square shaker pouch to my window, carefully sealing the entire perimeter with a strong double-sided tape.  Then I sprinkled in a good amount of the Kat Scrappiness Rainbow Splash sequins.  You want to make sure there’s enough in there so that it always looks full, but not so much that the sequins can’t move freely.  This is also a good chance to throw in some pretty glitter if you’d like – I’m always looking for ways to add sparkle, aren’t you?  To seal my shaker window, and add another bit of decoration, I cut a square of orange polka dot patterned paper and taped it down over the opening.  Now is the time to adjust the amount of sequins in your shaker if you need to.

I cut a piece of red card stock to 4×5.25″ and attached my panel to it for a pretty frame.  To help tie in the black ink in the sentiment, I decided to add some black and white baker’s twine.  I pierced a little hole in each corner of the shaker window, then threaded the twine through them with a tapestry needle, tying a little bow in one corner.

And that’s the finished card!  This one was so much fun to make, and could be customized in any different color combination you’d like.  I hope that you get yourself one of these stamp sets and start playing around to see what you can come up with – you just might surprise yourself!  Take care, and I’ll see you all in a few weeks for some more Kat Scrappiness fun.