Paper Pieced Sailboat Birthday Card

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  If You Are Passionate About It, Do It!

I was following the news on Diana Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida with rapt attention!  When I saw that she had been swimming for over 20 hours I was amazed!  Here was a woman, 61 years old, following her passion...without a shark cage!  I was sad for her when I learned that she had to abandon her swim after 29 hours - suffering from shoulder issues, asthma and nausea.  I know how much she would have loved to have made it to Florida.  Regardless of whether she reached her destination, her journey - her process - is an incredibly inspiring one!  To go after that which you are passionate about.  To put your whole self - body, mind and spirit - into pursuing your passion...now that takes courage!  Although she did not reach the shores of Florida under her own power, she definitely found her way to the shores of my soul!  Thank you Diana Nyad for showing us what it means to do that which you are passionate about!!!!!!
Today's card may look slightly familiar :)  Do you see the direct-to-paper background from yesterday's card?  I had one left over and decided it needed to be made into a card :)  The card was also inspired by a retired stamp set called Nursery Necessities.  I never owned the stamp set, but the image of the sailboat from the catalog has always stuck with me.  It was from this imagination that I began to build this paper-pieced boat by cutting pieces of Crumb Cake and Not Quite Navy card stock.  I popped them up onto the background using dimensionals after sponging all the pieces and the background panel with Chocolate Chip ink.  I then mounted the panel on a piece of Whisper White card stock and sponged the edges as well.  The greeting from Sincere Salutations was stamped using the stamp-a-ma-jig and Chocolate Chip ink.  I then added the brad from the antique brad set before mounting the panel, using dimensionals, on a Crumb Cake card base.  The brad reminds me of a compass and it seemed perfect for this card!  I hope you like it!