vintage image for birthday card

This is another Kanban decoupage image which I found at the Ally Pally show last weekend.  (Bit of a bargain as I bought four Christmassy ones and got two Deco-style free).  I bought some of the new Christmas papers: Authentique and MME, which I'd like to sit and stroke for a little while before I have to cut into them, and have palpitations. 

I'm very fond of turqoise backgrounds and this decoupage came with matching background paper.  As this was teamed with teal and apricot on the image, I decided I quite liked this colour combination, although it's not one I would choose normally.  This card is for Carol's birthday (Bruce's mum) which was yesterday.   Carol is known to our grandchildren as Nanny Seaside, and she's a lovely, warm person,  known for her practicality and common sense.  (Guess what? She lives near the sea!)

I had to add some flowers of course:  you know me, I can't do CAS.  I start off with good intentions, but what looks elegant and minimal on other people's work, just looks sparse and boring on mine.  Don't know the answer to this conundrum!

The open flowers and leaves are from a Marianne die I bought recently from Oyster stamps, and the sentiment is computer generated.  The cardstock is pearlised, which I used to use a lot, but I tend now to use plain coredinations.  The roses are WOC (smothered in glimmer mist), which I altered slightly with my copic markers, and the organza ones are the last of my Prima stash in that colour.  I will really cry when they are all gone: I have quite a few of the flat flowers left in most colours, but only a couple of purple and green ones left in the organza, and then they're all gone.  I'm going to try cutting some out from organza fabric with a soldering iron, and see how that works, as the only place I've found that still sells these readymade, is in the States, and the postage costs are prohibitive (I was quoted about £30:  aaaargh!!!).  I always use copics to edge my leaves and card-stock too, and although you can't see it, I know when I haven't done it, as the edges show white.

I'll be entering the following challenges:
http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - birthday card
http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/ - die-cuts and punches
http://inkyimpressionschallenges.blogspot.com/ die cuts or punches
http://deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - happy birthday
http://diecuttindivas.blogspot.com/ - vintage

Thanks a lot for stopping by to visit my blog.  It's a real pleasure to know you've come, so please post a comment below, and I'll come to visit your blog too.  Mr Blogger still isn't showing my followers, so thank you so much if you are one - I just won't know about it - so sad!!  Off to copic class tonight with the lovely Wendy from Stamps and Memories - a whole evening of playing with markers - what fun!!

xx Jill