Mrs H's birthday card

So this card started life as an a6 size ATC style topper that I made following a tutorial from Tammy Tutterow…..what a fab lady .
Her blog is full of wonderful tutorials and wonderful inspiration!!

Tracy (Craftings My Therapy) is always stamping, dusting & making her own wonderful backgrounds!! I'm more of a patterned paper type of girl but thought I'd have a go at using some of the huge stash of stamps that I own (even though I don't stamp!!!) and get full use of my distress inks, stains and paints.

This is the final card. I added my usual Craft Expressions Pearl flourish.
The background paper was from a 12 x 12 stack from K & Co that I bought  in the USA some years ago….I really am getting good at letting stuff go!! 
( depends who its for of course!!)

The tickets are Tim Holtz I think, inked and distressed of course. 
The ribbon on the topper is my usual faux silk from Bellaboo made on my Bowdabra.

The sentiment comes from a pack that I found in a little craft shop called Craft to the Max in Burnham when on a craft run with Tracy. Sadly the shop has now closed. 

The flower middle is an old earring.

I coloured the flowers and went a bit overboard on the water, & was quite worried about the fact that they had gone a bit soggy and lost their shape but I think the have ended up with a nice vintage look.

The trellis and butterflies are from a  Papermania
scrapbook page border. ( I used the rest on Nellies scrapbook page on an earlier post)

I took a chunk out from the edge of my background paper and slid part of a doily behind it.
I normally put my pearl flourishes behind any embellishments, but this time I went over the top of the tickets, it gives a softer look I think. 

I really enjoyed following Tammy's tutorial and was so glad that I could give Tracy a card that I feel 

I put my heart & soul into. 

xxxx Happy Birthday My Lovely xxxx