Rockin' Birthday card

I was excited when I saw this week's challenge at A La Card Monkey.  I loved the sketch because it is so versatile and easy to use and the theme of a kid card was perfect!  I've been wanting a reason to crack out my Grunge Rock set that I just got on sale for 30% off as part of Stampin' Up's National Scrapbooking Month promotion.  I decided to do a birthday card for a tween boy...but first, here's the sketch:

I wanted something bright and colourful and fun...here is what I came up with:

Card for Monkey Challenge #56 using Extreme Elements, Grunge Rock and Extreme Guitar sets

Close up of focal image...believe it or not, this is the first time I've used my Extreme Elements set!  I loved, bought it and haven't inked it up till now!  I know...shame on me!

Inside of card

Fun, eh?  I had a great time with this card!  You know when something just comes together exactly the way you picture it in your head?  That's what happened with this.  So here is what I did...

I started by cutting a 3" circle in whisper white cardstock  and a 3 1/4" circle in real red using my Circle Scissors Plus (yet another item that  has sat unloved for AGES!).  I then inked the splatter image from the Extreme Elements set in baja breeze and then sponged real red around the outer edges  before stamping it on my white circle.  I then stamped the stars in pumpkin pie, the diamonds in pear pizzazz and the guitar player in chocolate chip.  I distressed the edges and then sponged then with chocolate chip ink.  I layered it over the real red circle, which I had also  distressed using the tool from my cutter kit.  Setting this aside, I cut a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of the psychedelic chevron pattern from the Greenhouse Gala DSP pack.  I distressed and sponged the edges again in chocolate chip.  I then took a 2 1/4" piece of baja breeze cardstock, ran it through my Big Shot with the harlequin texture plate and then distress and sponged the edges.  I also lightly sponged the embossing to bring out the pattern.  I adhered the baja breeze piece to the DSP and then adhered the whole thing to a real red mat  4 1/8" x 5 3/8" in size.  Wanting to use the ribbon element in the sketch but not wanting anything froo-froo, I wrapped some baker's twine around the cardfront several times, tying a knot slightly off-centre.  I added the trinket crown, tying it on with the twine. I then adhered the entire caardfront to base in chocolate chip. The final element on the front is the stamped crown image, which I stamped in baja breeze ink on whisper white.  I punched it out with my 1 1/4" circle punch.  I distressed and inked the edges in chocolate chip.  I layered it on a 1 3/8" circle that I had also distressed and inked.  I adhered it to the card using dimensionals.
For the inside, I cut a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of whisper white, stamped the diamond image in baja breeze, the stars in pumpkin pie (stamped off once), and the guitar in chocolate chip; all in the lower right corner.  I inked the edges in chocolate chip and adhered it inside the card.  I then cut out a strip of the chevron DSP and adhered it.  I stamped the sentiment, some stars and some diamonds on a scrap of whisper white, notched the ends and distressed and inked the edges.  I rolled the ends slightly around a pencil to make them curl and then adhered the sentiment over the chevron strip.

Now if only I had someone in my life of an age to appreciate this card!  I may have to save it until my son gets a bit older!