HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUE!

Yep, today my daughter turns... well, I won't tell ;-) But she has grown into an amazing woman, partner and mom. She's blessed me with two granddaughters I thought I'd never have. And I love her. This is is her card:

If the card looks familiar it's because I took one of those cards from Monday and showed how you can make up the simple cards ahead of time. Then, when you need a card, you can personalize it in minutes for that special someone.

Happy Birthday, sweetie
Love Mom

Teapot Tuesday - Happy Birthday Eula!

Today's card goes out to an incredible lady in PA. Eula Cousins will celebrate 110 years young on September 14th. I can't imagine living to be 110. Miss Eula is still young at heart. She loves getting mail (who doesn't?), reading the letters and answering when she can.

This is my third year to send Miss Eula Happy Birthday wishes. For some reason I always see roses when I think of her. So to keep with my theme, I've sent her roses again this year. Why break with tradition!

I pulled out the Color Bok Rosewood slab. It is so vintage, feminine and romantic. All the things that come to mind when I think of Miss Eula.

I was trying to decide on a verse for the front of her card this morning. When I came down stairs to clean off the desk, there was a mat square from a previous project laying right on top of everything. Just the poem I needed for someone turning 110. So I typed it up and printed it on vellum so the DP would show through. The red trim is an edging cut from the same sheet as the background paper. I layered it with a strip of Wrights Trim.  The DP is matted on SU Cherry Cobbler (my favorite go-to vintage red) then on a SU Very Vanilla card base. I ran the vellum mat through the Xyron so there would be a clear seal behind it. I added a bit of stickles to the rose petals and leaves and 3 'pearls of wisdom' to the corner.

Aside from the poem on the outside, there is a personal note from me on the inside and a quote that says... age is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying you.

The envelope is lined with a solid pattered DB from the same slab and I used accents from another piece to decorate the outside of the envelope.

We're hoping these cards arrive to Miss Eula by the weekend so she'll have them for her HUGE (approx. 500 people) birthday party on Saturday. I didn't see the email in time to send it regular mail so I'm popping it into a 2-day priority envelope and crossing my fingers. 

Magazine Monday! - Rainbow Birthday!

   I found an article in the May/June 2007 issue of RubberStamper (now Crafts n Things) called Drags to Riches. The designer was by Candy Davis (only search results for Candy gave me links to a nude model from England hehe) So I apologize for not being able to link to the artist.
   Candy made a very easy card POPPING with color! It will make a perfect birthday card for someone.

Working with a 4.5x5 card front:

Cut your yellow mat 5.25 x 4
White mat – 5”x3.75”
Cut a piece of CS 2” x 1.25” . Use a piece of repositionable tape to mask it into the center of your card front.

You can do the technique a couple of ways.
1) Use spots or ink petals
2) Makeup sponge and standard ink pad.

Candy used the full-sized ink pads from SU and just drug one corner across the card front. I used the spots.

Drag your ink pad from the center of the mask out to the edge of your card front.  Candy used YoYo Yellow, Real Red, Brilliant Blue. She also used a piece of ¼” Real Red grosgrain ribbon through the center horizontally. I chose not to use any ribbon on mine

When you've completed your way all around the card, remove the center mask and stamp your sentiment.

For my colors I wanted something a bit more pastel. I used Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Tempting Turquoise. My Birthday stamp is from Katie & Co. I could have run something around the center, and I still might - depending on who it goes to. I can tell you it doesn't look as 'plain' in person as it does here.

Creative Blessings!
Kelly

Magazine Monday

Until I got out of bed this morning, I didn't think this post would happen. We've been told for days to expect strong thunderstorms today and tomorrow with added rain through Thursday. All of this meant no computer for most of the week. Agh!

Imagine my delight when I woke up to no rain or storms. The skies are a bit overcast and the temperature about fifteen degrees cooler than past mornings. But it was pleasant while I was out filling the bird feeders and saying good morning to my dogs.

With tomorrow being the first day of spring and Big Bird's Birthday, I thought I'd show you one of the birthday cards I made for VSN this month. The challenge was to showcase spring.

I found a 5-step card by Designer Lana Lepinski called Within Your Heart in the April/ May 2006 issue of Paper Crafts magazine.

Lana used Stampin' Up product layering Always Artichoke on Mellow Moss. She did a running stitch border. Then she tore the right edge of a Bordering Blue and Whisper White cardstocks, layering the white on the blue and adhered them to the stitched mat. To the left side of the white, she stamped flowers from SU Fresh Fields in Mellow Moss (leaves) and Bordering blue (flowers). She stamped the Dreams sentiment in Basic Black to the right of the flowers. For an accent, she added a rustic wooden button with linen thread centered over the sentiment.

Her quote: Within your heart keep on, still, secret spot where dreams may go. ~ Louise Driscoll

I thought that quote would also work well as a Sympathy card.

Here is my interpretation of Lana's card. I made two of these. One using Bashful Blue and the other Pink Pirouette.

I used GP white and ValuCS for the base (still trying to use up that stuff). Because of the 45 min time limit per card, I opted not to set up the machine for stitching. The tulips are from SU Simple Florals. After stamping them with the markers, I added a soft color with the Derwent wc pencils. For the sentiment mat, I used SU Bashful Blue. The sentiment is printed off the computer: Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old. ~ Franz Kafka

The butterfly is by Co-Motion. I stamped it in the Bashful Blue then brushed it with Iridescent Stickles to catch the sunlight as it flies. The antennae are highlighted with the black Glaze pen.

I have a couple of options for tomorrow's Teapot Tuesday card. I started deep cleaning the office side of The Studio last week and my work table is still a bit cluttered. The other thing will be determined by the weather. Let's cross our fingers I get to stop in.

Creative Blessings!

Magazine Monday

This week I'm revisiting another artist - Elizabeth Allan. I didn't intend to, it just happened. I guess when you find someone who's style you like, you can't help but tune into them.

I started with the image for this week from The OutLawz Freebie challenge. The watering can full of flowers seemed to lend itself to a birthday card. One of my nieces has a birthday next week an I thought this would be perfect for her.

Elizabeth used a Teal base and a different CB folder for her background. Her image was on a circle, matted with light pink then again in a teal scalloped circle. She stamped the sentiment in the bottom third of the card.

The watering can image didn't lend itself to a circle so I went with the clean lines, adding a bit of curve with the sentiment mat to mimic the curve in the heart on the watering can.

Although you can't see it very well, I inked the CB folder with Pretty in Pink before embossing the white cs. That is a neat technique if you want a 'letter press' look to your embossed image. Simply stamp ink all over the inside of the folder - the 1/2 that will be the top of your image. Place your CS in the folder and emboss as normal. Carefully remove your embossed image and wipe the folder clean with a bit of stamp pad cleaner and paper towel or a baby wipe.

Recipe:

Almost Amethyst (SU-Ret.)

Pretty in Pink

GP White

Happy Birthday CB folder

Pretty In Pink ink

Almost Amethyst ink (ret.)

Lavender Lace ink (ret.)

Watercolor Pencils (Derwent)

Digi Image from Sandie Hugget

Vintage Labels (SU)

Mini brads (Recollections)

Pop Dots

This also covers:

Magazine Monday

The Outlawz Freebie Challenge