Krafty Chicks challenge #797 - Birthday

Good morning lovely friends. I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far. It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 1; as always the theme is 'birthday' and Leanne is our hostess. This is such an easy challenge as we always need birthday cards so we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

It was my niece's birthday a few week's ago and I'm sharing the card I made for her.  She's not a very girly girl and loves her branded sneakers/trainers.  She was lucky enough to go to NYC for her birthday 2 years ago and had some custom work done on her trainers to wear whilst she was there so I decided to replicate these for her card this year.  Here are her custom trainers:

Here is the card I made:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

As the card was for my niece I made my card base 6" x 8" but eventually trimmed it down to 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" as it fitted the layout better.  I die cut the trainers from white card and the details from black card and adhered them with liquid glue.  I didn't have a NYC skyline die so just used a generic one that I had but I think it still looks great; I also cut this from black card and adhered it with liquid glue.  I know my niece's trainers were mostly white but I used artistic licence as I felt the black looked better on my card!  I created the background by ink smooshing grey ink onto a white panel and once dry layered it onto a black mat layer with double sided tape.   I cut a white panel and embossed it with a star folder and again matted it onto a black layer; I also added some scrap white card behind this panel for some extra dimension.  I stamped the sentiments in black onto some scrap white card and used a banner die and sentiment strips die to cut them out.  I adhered the ink smooshed panel onto the card base with double sided tape,  added the embossed panel into the centre, also with double sided tape and placed the trainers on top with foam squares.  I placed the sentiments in the top right and bottom left corners with foam squares.  As a final finishing touch I die cut some stars from black card and arranged them around the trainers with liquid glue.  For the inside I cut another white panel and ink smooshed around the edge leaving a white panel in the centre for my sentiment and to be able to write my message (I simply held a scrap piece of paper over the centre whilst smooshing and removed it before it dried).  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and added a few black stars to the bottom left corner.  This panel was then adhered to a black mat layer with double sided tape and added to the card base.  I'm really happy with how this card turned out; there is so much texture and dimension and although it's for my niece it's quite gender neutral and would be suitable for anyone.  I hope you like it too.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

* to be updated *

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'birthday' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky. Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori. 

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments. 

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

MFT - all stars dienamics 

Clearly Besotted - cityscape die

Creative Designs - shadow stars embossing folder

MFT - blueprints 13 (for smaller stars)

MFT blueprints 18 (for banner die and larger star)

Stampin' Up! - family party stamp

Honey Bee Stamps - inside: birthday sentiments 

Gina K Designs* - large strip sentiments die

Gina K Designs - soft stone ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth card

Limetree Crafts - 220gsm black card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 
Thank you x