I've been wanting to play with Prima's Artful Cardboard product for a while - so I took some time while the kids were doing their homework yesterday afternoon, to experiment.

I love this picture.  Bri was just 8 months old and at that perfect giggly, grab her toes and chunky little wrists stage.  Neil and I couldn't have been more over the moon with her at this point!  I always reflect on these first year pictures and think about the long struggle we endured to have children.  It may not look so on the surface – but my gaggle of gigglers took years of TTC and IVFs.  We are truly blessed.

I really liked using the Artful Cardboard as a basis for this page that featured both my husband and my (then baby) daughter.  The texture is just enough to offset the pink and make him like the page too.  LOL!   To roughen it up a bit more, I traced the large frame that is printed on top with an exacto knife and peeled it up at the edges a bit.

I used my Copic Markers to color the metal heart embellishment.  It started off a more pewter color.  I added RV25 / RV29 to the heart and BG07 / BG78 to the wings.

I cut out the words from a Prima Watercolor Paintables sheet and brushed on Patina, Creme de Rouge and Sweet Pea Glimmer Mist to mimic the lighter pattern in the Prima Flirty Little Secret paper. 

I also used this combination on the large white dotted swiss patterned flower in the upper right.  What a difference a little Glimmer Mist makes!

I used the packaging border strip as a template for cutting out a light pink version from my cardstock and layered these two on top of a torn strip going horizontally across the page.

Finally, I layered some Essentials flowers that match Flirty Little Secret with Artful Collage Leaves and Build a Bauble gems.

I'm going to be prepping for classes for the rest of the day as I'm flying off to OHIO tomorrow to teach workshops and a Copic Certification Class hosted by Toyrifix in Smithville this weekend.  The Certification Class is full, but there are still a few seats remaining for the two Copic 101 workshops and the Glimmer Mist / Prima Card Buffet on Saturday.  Contact the store at 330-669-3737 to register for the Saturday workshops.

I'm looking forward to doing the random drawing this evening for the Atyou Spica Glitter Pens Set A.  The response has been tremendous!!!  If you haven't done so yet, leave a comment at the Blogiversary post (http://inkyheart.typepad.com/weblog/2009/05/copic-blogiversary-bring-on-the-bling.html) for your chance to win!!  I'll be online at midnight and posting the winner before I go to bed!!!

Have a sparkling day.