Happy Birthday Bricks

My nephew is learning the art of bricklaying, so I wanted to try and do something involving bricks for his 18th birthday card.

The bricks didn't take as long as I thought they might to do. First I wheeled the Texture Jumbo wheel over Cajun Craze card stock using Early Espresso Ink. Then I wheeled using Cherry Cobbler at right angles to the first direction, to give some variation of colour. I cut the card into 1cm strips, and then into 2cm bricks and sponged all the edges using Early Espresso and a sponge dauber.

I created the wall by sticking the bricks to textured Sahara Sand card, leaving gaps to be the mortar. Then trimmed the card around the bricks.

The card base is Confetti White card, sponged with Old Olive and Marina mist to create a background. The wall was stuck on top of the background, and then extra bricks glued on to spell out HAPPY.


The balloons were stamped in Marina Mist ink onto Marina Mist card. I cut out the stamped images, but cut off the little balloon necks. Instead I used the feet from the owl punch to make the necks. I punched out the bottom portion of the owl body, and cut off the feet, leaving a little tab on them to stick behind the balloons. Then tied linen thread around the necks. Wrapped the thread around a brick, and tied again.

The birthday word was stamped onto a scrap of white card, then trimmed into a wonky rectangle using scissors. Sponged the edges with Early Espresso and then stuck onto a scrap of Early Espresso and trimmed around to give a border. Cut a little strip of Early Espresso for the sign post, and hand drew some lines to represent wood grain before sponging the edges. The little pile of mortar is free-hand cut from textured Sahara Sand card, sponged and little hump lines drawn on by hand. Used a craft knife to cut a little slit above one of the hump lines to insert the sign post.

Stuck the pile of mortar and the post on to the card base, then the brick and balloons, finally the birthday sign was mounted on top using dimensionals.



My favourite part I think was making the little trowel using some brushed silver card with a little rolled strip of Early Espresso for the handle.

Card/Paper: Confetti White, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Whisper White, Textured Sahara Sand, Brushed Silver

Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Old Olive

Stamps: Party This Way, Birthday Best, Texture Jumbo Wheel

Other: Linen Thread, Owl Punch, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet (numbers)

Card Size: 21cm x 10.5cm (approx 8" x 4")