Happy Birthday Nancy!

I love being inspired by images and creating my DEEsigns based off catalog photographs. I actually feel like it's easier this way. A nice, balanced photograph, already has the elements in place that are needed for a nice, balanced card. One of my favorite sources for clean and colorful photos is the Crate and Barrel catalog. This week, I'll be sharing a series of cards that I made that were inspired by images from various Crate and Barrel catalogs. Some of these cards were created as a gift for my mom's friend, Nancy whose birthday is tomorrow (I'm all for an early celebration)!

So, Happy Birthday Nancy! Here's my first DEEsign:

Here's the inspiration for the card:

And the DEEtails:

1. I love the monochromatic bookends in the photo and the simple look with the black and gray books and background. I tried to capture this look on my card.

2. I started off with a Whisper White mat and placed random letters and numbers (from American Crafts) onto the card.

3. I tied a small bow with some black polka dot ribbon from my stash.

4. I made a simple "hi" by layering the letters to create a slightly raised look without using dimensionals. I wanted it to stand out, but still wanted the sentiment to be subtle.

5. I adhered the Whisper White mat to a Basic Black mat and centered it on a Basic Gray card.

Hope you like it!