Tea Shoppe Birthday Card for my Mom

Good Afternoon Friends!

I was over on split coast and was getting ready to play along with Roxie's awesome sketch challenge when I read a message that after 6 years of service and sketches, she's stepping back due to migraines. :( I love sketch challenges and love seeing what Rox has for us each week and will miss her terribly.

I also looked at the ways to use it page over there for Thursday challenge, and it was to use beads. I wanted to try using beads to make the steam for my tea cups.

Today I used this last sketch to make a card for my mom for her birthday next week. My mom is hysterical about her tea. She gets mad when we go into a restaurant and you can get a bottomless cup of coffee, but you have to pay for each hot tea. She says: "gheesh, what's a teabag costing them an extra .20 cents?" :D That's my mom! I know this card has a LOT of layers, but I suppose nothing is good enough for our moms, right?

I do prefer a more clean and simple look, but love a good challenge. This sketch has a BUNCH of layers, but I'm loving it! I also got a new external flash for Christmas. What do you think? does it make the photo's better? At work I used a different brand camera, so it will take some getting used to, but I really love the indirect light that an external flash can provide. So there's a bunch of new products in this card, here's what I used.

All supplies Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Tea Shoppe and Curly Cute
Ink: blushing bride, baja blue, and pacific point
Paper: twitterpatted dsp from the new occasions mini catalog
Accessories: blushing bride ribbon, linen thread (which I curled with my scissors) white button (from the neutrals pack)

Measurements
Base: 4 1/4" x 11, scored and folded in half at 5 1/2"
Layer 2: 5 x 3 3/4" blushing bride
layer 3, whisper white 4 7/8 x 3 5/8"
Layer 4: 2 x 4 1/4"
Layer 5: 3/4" scrap of riding hood red (note i attached layer 4 and 5 and ran them through the big shot at the same time)
Layer 6: 4 7/8" x 1 1/2" designer paper at the bottom
Layer 7: blushing bride matte 2 5/8" x 2
Layer 8 (tea cups stamped on it) 2 1/2" x 2
Layer 9: 3/4" strip of DSP, cut with a square punch to make the banner end straight
Layers 10.. is the button..

That's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow evening with a fun sketch from 411 for you to try out!

Rubbah hugs,
Selene Kempton