Sketch Challenge - MFT

Hi there!  Back again w/ 2 cards that I made for this week's sketch!  The first one is a birthday card, and the second is my anniversary card to my husband.

Here's the first one.  I was experimenting w/ some Graphic45 paper I received from my Swirlydoos kit this month!  The kit is Vintage Fae and there's lots of vintagey goodness in there!!!  You should definitely check it out HERE!  The sentiment on this card is actually from Clearly Sentimental About Happy.  Well, that's what I'm calling it.  I received it as a free gift when I purchased a couple (ok, a TON) of stamps from MFT when I was at CHA last summer!  Oh, and the flourish die on the bottom right is also from MFT, along w/ the scallop border in the middle!

This card was fun to make because it is for my sweetie!  We celebrated our 9 year anniversary on July 5th! 

I purchased this set only a few weeks ago, but even when it first came out, I knew I would use it for an anniversary card!  I got the idea from Jodi Collins' card here!  I, of course, had to change mine up to fit the sketch, but the basic idea is the same.  Thanks Jodi!
My faces are colored SO much better now that I know what I'm doing!  And what colors to use!  I watched Sherrie Siemens' video on skin and hair (still struggling w/ hair!  Don't judge too harshly!) that you can find here.

The reason the card ended up being pink and black is that those are our wedding colors! I know it's girly for a guy to get a pink card, but oh well!  What can you do?!

The set that I used is a Flapper Doodles set called I Love Us (appropriately named!).  I used several MFT Die-namics on here.  The open bracket die, the flourish die, and the flower in the middle.  W/ the open bracket, I cut as normal for the pink c/s.  For the black behind it, I wanted to create a background, so I just embossed it and then hand cut it around the edges.  For the ring around the couple, I drew lines w/ my Spica pen, and then in the spaces that I created, I stamped a heart (part of the set).

Have a wonderful day!