Look who's 40!

I hate to admit this, but my younger brother is turning 40 this year!!  40 is a big milestone, so, of course, I had to create a fun celebration in card form.  I used bright colors, balloons, slightly cheeky sentiment . . . and a fun, unexpected element: a look through window.

I die cut a circle through each of the layers on the front of the card (that was fun!) so that the "40" looks like it is on the front, but it is really on the inside for the card.

When you open it up, you can see the "40" again, but also a second greeting.  This isn't the exact greeting I had planned on using, but the other one was too large and it showed through to the front a little when the card was closed.

 Supplies:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Big Birthday Wishes" (this is one of the very first stamp sets I ever bought from PTI and that was at least 12 years ago.  It is still one of my go to stamp sets to use for birthdays!)

Dies: Papertrey Ink "By the Numbers"; Spellbinders "Classic Circles, large"; MFT balloons; Verve "Pennant"

Challenges:

Through the Purple Haze #206--anything goes

Die Cut Divas--birthday

Sheepski Designs #76--celebrations

{Pin}spirational Challenge #303--birthday AND summer vibes (I used very summery colors, plus I have stripes just like the tablecloth in the photo)

Creative Fingers Challenge #259--anything goes

Sketch Saturday #730--sketch

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends #210--anything goes

Make My Monday #204--an aperture card

Retro Rubber #211--tic tac toes (I used the bottom left to top right diagonal: ribbon/twine, patterned paper, and pens/pencils--I used a white gel pen to add highlights on the balloons--my stamp set is approximately 12 years old)