
Birthday boy said this was his favourite card and I have to agree, though quite simple in stamping, matting, layering and technique - it's probably my favourite too!

I drew out the circle from the lid of some fundraising cookie dough from last year, overlapped it for about an inch (2.5 cm) and drew another and cut it out except for the overlap. I then drew freehand the pentagons in with pencil to make a football (or soccerball to ONE country in the world LOL). I really didn't worry if they were perfect, I just wanted to over all effect... I coloured the pentagon grid in with my Marvy pen and voila a fairly decent representation of a football. I used my Inkadinkadoo Personal Impressions "B" for the recipient and because I thought it looked a bit like the letterman letters at schools and the phrase is made from my Stampabilities Sophie lower case alphas. My ink was Brilliance Dew Drops - Galaxy gold and Pearlescent Purple.
I layered the card onto white card with a 1/2 inch border all along that I did some freehand doodling with a black Marvy Pen as inspired by DCM challenge on the 5th February. The stamps are stamped with Archival Black and are Stampendous - Circle Talk Alphabet, Circle Talk Birthday, Circle Talk Spots. I put them on my acrylic block and then realised the best way to get a good impression on the cardstock was to put the "stamp" up (attached to my cutting board with double stick tape) and brayer the cardstock to it.
The ink is Adirondack espresso and Archival black. The image is coloured in with my Prismacolors (delicious). The cardstock is all DCWV neutrals stack. The ribbon is from Mike's. The stamp is G studio. The Embossing folder is swirls on my Cuttlebug. Hope you like and more to the point I hope Mum likes.
PS - the one thing I would change? I think I would rub over the raised embossing with the espresso inkpad - there is always next time right? LOL

The tiger stripes stamp is Stampendous, the "Go Tigers" are clear stamp alphabet from the Paper Studio. The mat is Bazzill. I used Adirondack Eggplant and Butterscotch for my ink. The nugget wraps are Avery mailing labels.
I haven't forgotten about my teaser- just waiting for Royal Mail to deliver and will post up just as soon as I know they have!
And I have gotten the most delicious package from Viva Las Vegastamps - I'm stroking my lovely stamps and plotting as I type! LOL! can't wait to introduce them to ink.
I thought I would share this as it's appropriate for the day! 
Here's a peek. Shhhhhhhhhhh don't tell anyone! LOL Isn't this bow just too cute!
Anyway - I have been playing with a few techniques off Splitcoaststampers (they are so fab!!!!) and playing with a few bits of my recent stash haul - that will definitely have to be it for a long while! well maybe ;-) you know how it goes.
I have a list as long as my arm of cards/project to complete -
and that is just to get me through from now to March. YIKES!!! especially as I wanted to make a start on scrapbooking; the dreaded spring clean; organise my craft space; and do a bit more of house unpacking.
I did however, just want to share this VERY simple card! and I mean VERY simple! that I made quite a while ago but it quite effective and I know people get intimidated with stamping at times.
The cupcakes are stickers from the Dollar Tree! The "Happy Birthday" is a See D's stamp and it was stamped on the black with White Brilliance and then highlighted with Sakura - white gel and pink, blue and yellow glitter pens. Hope you like!
