Floating Poppy Birthday!

One thing I really need to set my mind to is building up my birthday card stash. It seems I am always missing sending a birthday or two throughout the year because I run short of time to create one. Birthdays just sneak up on me and catch me short-hand more often than not. For the next several months, not only do I need to focus on my Christmas card stash, but also get started replenishing my meager birthday card stash. 

I started browsing through my Splitcoaststamper "challenge catch-up" list to see what challenges I have yet to do since 2017, and believe me, I still have plenty to complete! I was hoping to get my creative mojo juiced and stoked. I got lots of color ideas, techniques, and design ideas from my search with a total about 20 or so challenges that I could use to influence the design outcome of this birthday card for either one of my fall birthdays or for my birthday stash. After deciding on my card design, theme, and colors, I used 14 challenges that I can claim that inspired me. My card also uses the Floating Elements technique. Take a peak below at my finished card:

Ingredients: Stampin' Up products-- Cardstock: Basic Black, Starry Night, Sweet Sorbet, Tahitian Tide, and Orchid Oasis. Window Sheets. Dies: Poppy Moments. Gems: Polished Dots. Other-- Happy Birthday Shadow die. Copic Markers (gem coloring). Chatterbox verse. Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

Welcome to the World, Evie!

 I recently order and received SU's Sunshine & Rainbows dsp pack. I LOVE this paper, and it immediately gave me a jump-start to make a long overdue "Welcome to the World" card for my third granddaughter, Evie, who was born in November 2019.  Her birth started a four-month long whirlwind of events that kept me away from crafting.  It started with her early arrival by C-section and a 10-day NICU stay; next, my sister's cancer surgery and needed care; then a four-generation, long-planned vacation; and finally COVID!  With the start of Covid, I entered a year-long cardmaking slump...I call it the great Covid card-block! 

 
Long story short, I just made good on my promise to make Evie's welcome to the world card with a unicorn theme.  Unicorns were an absolute must for its theme!  Evie had an IV line in the NICU unit, but because her veins were too small, it was attached through a vein in her head. It stuck up with a gauze prop that made it look very much like a unicorn horn. Ever since, she has been known as our little unicorn baby. This mythical creature has very much made its presence known in room decorations, clothing, bedding, toys, etc. So, naturally, her welcome to the world needed to have a unicorn theme!

I'd been wanting to try a Card-in-a-Box for several years. For some reason this rainbow paper and my unicorn idea just shouted out Card-in-a-Box and with the help of my Splitcoaststamper challenge research, it solidified into this card below, which I'm sure Evie will enjoy and Mom will put it into her Grandma keepsake box for future enjoyment:

Ingredients:  SU Papers: Cardstock--Island Indigo, Tempting Turquoise, Basic White, White Glimmer (unicorn). SU Patterned Dsp--Rainbows & Sunshine (rainbows, clouds; 2022 SAB). SU stamp: Welcome Easter (sentiment). Cottage Cutz die: Sweet Unicorns, Expressions--Baby/ Girl. Lawn Fawn die: Grassy Hillside Borders. SU dies--Brilliant Rainbow (clouds). Punches: 2-3/8" Circle, 2" Circle, 1-1/2" Circle. SU Ink: Island Indigo. SU Embossing Powder: Clear. ClipArt: Dandelionery (Etsy)--#182-Unicorn Rainbow (rainbow--Copic re-color). Paper Pumpkin "So Cool" sun sticker (Copic re-color). Acrylic Window strips (stand-up strips for pop-ups). Copic markers. Rainbow Duct Tape. Glimmer scraps. Size: 4-3/4 x 6 inches.