Seahawks Birthday Card for 12th Man Son!

For my son and his wife, I made a Deco Mesh Seahawks wreath, and gave it to both of them for their birthdays.  Since Mark's wife's birthday came first, and just before the first pre-season football game, the wreath was bestowed on Ginger's August birthday so they could enjoy it from the very beginning of the Seahawk's season!   Now, it is time to celebrate my son's birthday, so I thought I should make him a little Seahawk's themed card to remind him of his early birthday present. 

I decided on a shaker card with a die-cut of the Seattle skyline beneath all the confetti.  My ulterior motive was that I wanted to use my new birthday tool that I received from one of my dear cardmaking buddies: the We R Memory Keepers Photo Sleeve Fuse.  Such a clever tool it is, and after using it, I am overjoyed with the results.  WRMK sells album sheets or Waterfall Sleeves and either can be used with Photo Fuse.  You can make any shaker baggie to hold your shaker confetti by sealing the edges to the size you desire, filling it with your confetti or shaker materials, and sealing it closed.  It has a tool for heating to trim excess edges, but I found for a shaker, a pair of scissors works just as well.

First, here is the wreath I gave Ginger and Mark for their birthdays...GO HAWKS!

Below is the Seahawk's shaker card front that I designed, which is followed by the coordinating inside design and my computer verse.

Recipe:  SU cardstock:  Whisper White, Night of Navy. Recollections: Punch Floral Green.  Digital paper: Digimania Seattle Seahawks (24 designs).  Impress Cards & Crafts dies: Seattle Skyline; Stitched Happy Birthday Square Frame (I removed happy birthday using frame only).   WRMK: Photo Sleeve Fuse Tool; 4"x4" Waterfall Photo Sleeves; Deco Corner Chomper.  Treehouse Studies sequins.  Party City: Football Confetti.  Recollections: silver brads.  Hobby Lobby: 3/8" Ribbon Boutique Navy Sheet Metallic.   Computer-sentiment. Computer verse. 

Halloween Wreath. . .Let's Try It Again!

Back in August, I tried my first Deco Mesh wreath, making a Seahawks wreath for myself and my daughter-in-law's birthday.  My son, Mark, is an avid fan and Ginger has become one as well.  Because her birthday falls just prior to football pre-season, she was selected to receive the prized Seahawks wreath!

Well, I'm at it again.  While browsing through Michael's Craft store one day in September, my daughter, Michele, and I saw some darling Halloween items that we thought would make a great Deco Mesh wreath.  We were sold immediately. . . let's do it again!  We purchased on the supplies, but of course, all the other craft stores had to be visited to make sure we got just the right items.  Don't you hate it when you stop short, thinking you have everything you want or need and later find something you loved even better at another store but missed out on it.  Well, not Carlene. . . she doesn't stop until all possibilities have been addressed!

We so loved our Seahawks wreath and I have now made a total of four all together, so our methods have been honed and perfected more and more each time we've made a new wreath.  This time we were sure we wouldn't have to revisited craft stores making numerous returns of things we didn't need or want like we did when we made the Seahawks wreaths.  We've even shaved off about four hours of labor time as well!  Our first wreath took us over 12 hours to make since we were really in the learning curve.  I found by the time I made my fourth Seahawks wreath, I was down to eight hours.  Now, Michele is faster than I am, so she can probably finish in not more than seven hours.  They are time consuming and parts become a bit tedious, but oh the result is so worth it!  Michele and I made one together for sister, Jackie's new door.  Take a peek at mine. . .Halloween, here we come!

A Bridal Shower for My Daughter

My youngest daughter, Jackie, is getting married in January.  Sister, Michele, and sister-in-law, Ginger, are planning a shower in November.  One of Ginger's tasks was to decide on the invitations.  She thought it might be just the thing to make homemade invitations.  As the cardmaker in the family, I was invited to participate.

Jackie's wedding colors are black and red, and the "daughters" decided they would follow her colors for the shower theme; thus, the invitations would be black and red as well.  Ginger did quite a bit of research on the web looking at different invitation ideas, but as she has not joined Pinterest, she had no idea what she was missing!  She found lots ready-made card ideas that she thought looked nice, and her search helped her decide that she wanted to incorporate  black and white damask paper and perhaps some red glitter paper.  She sent me several pictures of ready-made invitations that she found of both inside and outside designs.  Her favorite had a bouffant wedding dress on the front and she liked a ribbon band under the invite information on the inside.  She had the idea of the card front meeting in the middle with the bride dress opening on one side in order to see the inside invite.  What she described was a gate-fold card, and it would be easy enough to incorporate that idea.  At this point she turned it over to me to come up with some design ideas.

Over the past few years, I had seen several dress cards using a folded doily, and I thought that might be a good idea, so I went searching on line for some cards incorporating that idea to refresh my memory and also to find a tutorial on how to fold the doily for my wedding dress idea.  The tutorial that I settled on is by Angie Gittles: Paper, Paws, Etc. (dated 5/6/12).  I did some modifications to Angie's instructions, because she uses a 4-inch doily for her dress.  I decided that since my dress was a long wedding dress, that a 6.5-inch doily might be better, and I must say it turned out to be perfect.  I also modified my bodice attachment by not leaving the skirt point down, but using it as part of the anchor for the bodice attachment.  I also trimmed my bodice straight on the bottom and placed it on the front of the skirt over the point because I planned to use a red ribbon sash, which would bury any cut edges.  I also drew a template of the finished dress onto white cardstock and fussy-cut it out to be adhered  over the back side of my dress to hide any raw paper edges and the ribbon sash attachment that would show when it was placed on the gate fold, as part of the back side of the dress shows when the card is opened (how much depends on the angle or amount that overlaps on the opening side).

Though I had a few pieces of black and white damask paper, I did not have enough to make 14 invitations...so shopping I did go!  I was truly surprised at how few pieces of black and white damask there were to choose from, but I did finally find a pattern at Michael's that I thought would be okay.  At first I thought the pattern might be too large, but actually, when the card was finished, I decided it was more than okay!

Ginger, Michele, and I spent the following Saturday making our shower card invitations, and we were totally pleased with the outcome.  We all loved the bit of red glitter paper used and also the cute little sentiment, He popped the question!, which was answered on the inside with,  And she said yes! 

This is the finished inside invitation to coordinate with the outside design.  We were very pleased with the outcome!  (Note: for privacy, I have overlaid a substitute inside without the address or email account.)

Recipe:  SU cardstock:  Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White, Red Glimmer.  Recollections: Hollywood & Vine Swing Time.  Recollections 6.5-inch White Doilies.  Offray 1/4" red satin ribbon.  SU punches: Full Heart (retired), Artisan Label (retired). EK punch: Scalloped Scallops Border.

A Little Note Card Send Off!

I made a set of four butterfly note cards and a cute little box to enclose them several years ago during a Stampin' Up class event held by my sister (Heidi Gonzales, My Lil' Scrap Corner.  I thought I could use one of these little note cards to send off my registration confirmation for an upcoming cardmaking event. . .the annual Totally Lovin' Christmas hosted by Liz Thayer (my Stampin' Up upline).  I always like to include a little art work with most of my transactions with people I know well.

Almost all of the products used are retired Stampin' Up items from the butterfly stamp, the butterfly punch, the ribbon to the designer paper.  The butterfly is stamped in calypso coral and then clear embossed, though it does not show up well in the picture.   Even though most of the products used are now retired, it is still possible to CASE the card using different products that are similar and come up with something uniquely your own!

By the way, Liz Thayer has just set up her own personal blug.  She did a GREAT job. . .jump on over and check it out.  Here is her link:  http://glitterbuggreetings.typepad.com/my-blog/

Recipe:  SU products: Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade; DSP: Everyday Enchantment (retired-SAB 2012); Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly (retired); Ink: Calypso Coral;  Ribbon: 3/8" Ruffled Pool Party (retired); Clear Embossing Powder; Pearls.

Birthday Celebrations the French Way!

A friend of an especially good friend is having a birthday later in September, and several ladies, including me, will be taking her to lunch.  I wanted to mark her birthday with a handmade card from me.  I have made at least three "Paris" cards in the last few year and added them to my card stash, probably because my daughter-in-law loves all things French.  The Eiffel Tower is one of her favorite tourist attractions, especially since she and my son made their trip to France and Italy a few years ago.  Probably because of this, I have felt the nudge to create "Paris" cards depicting The Eiffel Tower.  

The "Paris" card that I have chosen for my friend's upcoming birthday is made from several pieces of the Graphic 45 Tour de France paper collection.  Graphic 45 is one of my favorite paper companies, especially when making vintage style cards, though I don't think this card is truly of the vintage style.  I hope the birthday lady enjoys her French birthday card and her gift card for a cup of latte!

To turn this "Paris" card from just a generic card depicting The Eiffel Tower on its front and into a birthday card, I decided to use a little French in it's inside birthday verse.  Here's a peek at the inside design and my little French verse!

Recipe: SU Chocolate Chip cs, MME-Everyday Tango, MME-So Sophie/Celebrate, K&Co. Portabello stack, Graphic 45-TourdeFrance/ Eiffel Tower.  SU Calypso Coral (sponging); Colorbox Chestnut Roan (edge distress).  SU Early Espresso Scallop Tulle.  SU Buttons: Sweet Stitches, Regals Designer.  EK CardCreator Corner punch-Basketweave (modified/ inside).  Karen Foster Scrapper's Floss:Yellow.  Stash: Brown Lace; Rust/Gold Velvet ribbon.  Computer-made verse.

Peeking At My Seaside Birthday Vacation!

By birthday falls at the tail end of August.  My lovely daughter invited me to her Seaside beach house for a week's stay to celebrate the event.  Upon our arrival late on Sunday afternoon, the day before my birthday, we did a bit of grocery shopping for our stay, went to dinner to enjoy Seaside clam chowder at one of our favorite little restaurants, and played UNO with a little glass of wine for company!  I surely skunked Michele. . .the UNO luck was with me! 

Seaside Beach House

Edgewood Escape - 1060 S. Edgewood, Seaside, OR

A Place to Dine &  for Fun & Games! 

On my Monday birthday, we did a little scenic tour south to Rockaway Beach, stopping in Canon Beach for brunch, in Wheeler for a little antique shopping, and investigated Rockaway Beach and visited their information caboose to learn there is a dinner train during Peak Season, which we put on our Bucket List for future fun.  We returned to Canon Beach and the Wayfarer Inn for dinner and a window seat view of Haystack Rock.  

Dinner @ the Wayfarer, Cannon Beach

Tuesday was birthday tea at Dina's (Michele's mother-in-law), a little shoe shopping, and dinner at Wet Dog Brewery in Astoria, followed by a Redbox DVD. 

Tea At Dina's

Dinner @ Wet Dog, Astoria, Oregon

Wednesday through Friday, Michele had to return to work during the day, but as she works from her home, she is able to do that from the beach house as well.  They have a desk and perfect place for her to do that all set up!  She brings her work computer, printer and papers from home, hooks up to the Internet and away she goes!  

We were able to get a little work in on the beach house as well, mostly during Michele's lunch hours and/or breaks and an hour or two after her workday ended.  She had purchased a new dresser for one of the five bedrooms and assembled it.  We moved the old dress to the surf shack workroom for repair and re-painting on another visit.  Michele installed wood curtain rods in several rooms for new curtains that I will make on a future visit.  She's a whiz with a drill!  She kept the washing machine running non-stop while washing all the pillow covers, blankets, and duvet covers and shams.  I kept the iron heated pressing those duvets covers and shams to be returned to each bedroom.

Meanwhile, I spent a few days at the sewing machine making navy sheer valances for the Futon Loft, though I did manage to sneak in a few breaks here and there to read my suspenseful novel on my new Kindle!!  In additon, we moved the area rug from the living room to the Sage Room bedroom (I call this my room!) and re-arranged its furniture.  We added a new and larger area rug to the living room that we brought down with us, and we hung several pictures and/or wall art, but most evening hours, and even one lunch break, we reserved for fun!

Now, a bit about those fun times on lunch and workday evenings.  We enjoyed either going out to dinner or cooking together, walking on the beach, playing board and card games, and watching movies.  We certainly didn't miss the Seahawks final pre-season game vs. the Oakland Raiders.  GO HAWKS!  Also, I didn't give up my winning UNO throne, but I have to admit Michele is the queen of Mastermind!  Following are some pictures of those enjoyable times!

A Beach Walk & Back on the Prom - Seaside, OR

Dinner @ Maggie's on the Prom - Seaside, OR

Our time for departure on Saturday morning arrived all too soon, but to stretch it a bit farther, we decided to stop for lunch along our drive home to Washington.  We thought it would be fun to try out a restaurant in one of the tiny towns we always drive through, but never stop.  We selected Fultano's Pizza in Clatskanie, OR, because we've always enjoyed the one in Canon Beach!  It did not disappoint!  

Fultano's in Clatskanie, OR & a "little" Calzone!

It was difficult to get back to everyday living after such a peaceful and leisurely vacation. . .at least, it was for me since I'm retired.  Though Michele had to return to work while we were still in Seaside, I think she enjoyed our leisure time for sure, and I thank her for the wonderful interlude away and a week filled with fun and good company!

Thanks Needed for My Seaside Birthday Vacation!

My daughter, Michele, took two days off work and took me to her beach house in Seaside, Oregon for my birthday week.  Our vacation provided an amusing, relaxing and enjoyable respite both on our two-day vacations days and the three workday evenings, and I thank Michele for the lovely interlude with her in Seaside!  I wanted to make her a little thank card for taking her time to spend with me and providing a lovely birthday week with so many pleasurable and relaxing occasions to remember.  It was so SWEET of her, and I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did!

(Card inspired by unknown author from picture taken at a cardmaking event.)

Recipe:  Stampin' Up:  Cardstock - Basic Black, Real Red, Very Vanilla.  Pattern dsp - Summer Picnic (retired).  Stamps - Tart & Tangy (stamp-off technique), So Many Scallops (both retired).  Ink: Real Red.  Punches: 1-3/8" Square, 1-1/4" Square, Scallop Edge Border (all retired), 1-3/4" Scallop Circle (modified).  EK CardCreator Punch: Basketweave Corner.

Thank You for the Delicious Birthday Tea Party!

While in Seaside for my birthday vacation, my daughter, Michele's mother-in-law, Dina, hosted a little birthday tea party for me!  I traditionally pay them a visit every time I am in Seaside, and often she serves tea with cookies or dessert, but we generally know when she is going to do that.  This time was a nice surprise of tea, cookies and a present as well.  Dina is such a lovely and kind-hearted lady, and I truly enjoy visiting her.  She sets a lovely tea table with her English fine bone china tea set, and this time was no exception.  I'll share a picture of her table setting before we demolished all the goodies!

I wanted to send a little handmade card to thank her for her birthday tea and her kindness in thinking of me during my birthday stay in Seaside.  I had been wanting to try Spirelli weaving on a scalloped die-cut circle.  I had a picture I took at one of my Stampin' Up upline's card events that I really liked.  I don't believe this design was made by Liz, but rather one she acquired through card-sharing at a Stampin' Up convention several years ago.  

I decided to use the bones of this card picture to make Dina's thank you card.  I liked the colors used on my picture sample, so I decided to stick with them, but added a third more layer to the background matting and one more flower layer in the center of my spirelli design and a pearl.   I, of course finished off the inside with a design compatible with my outside and composed a little verse with my computer. 

I know Dina will be surprised and please when she receives her thank you card.  She never fails to thank me for the cards I send several times a year.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up:  Cardstocks - Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Whisper White.  Stamps: Apothecary Art (sentiment).  Ink: Island Indigo.  Dies: Top Note (retired), Ovals Collection.   Punches: 1-3/4" Scallop Circle, Boho Blossoms (retired), Itty Bitty Punch Pack (retired), Scallop Edger (retired).  Pearls.

Thank You. . .Hydrangeas...What a Lovely Gift!

While vacationing in Seaside, Oregon for my birthday at my daughter's beach house, Michele's sister-in-law brought over a lovely bouquet of the largest, darkest purple and darkest blue hydrangeas I have ever seen.  Now, if you don't know, hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers since I was a little girl, because they flourish in my hometown of Eureka, California.  These flowers just love that cool coastal weather found in both Eureka and Seaside!  I had to find a way to bring them home so that I could continue to enjoy them some more.

I wanted to thank Julie and her family by making and sending a little thank you card for remembering me with this special gift.  I thought I would share her thank you card with my blog readers.  I decided to pull out some of my older Stampin' Up products that I haven't used in a while because I just love this stamp set and this patterned dsp paper.  Julie's card is a circle-shaped card, made with the largest Spellbinder Classic Scallop and plain dies, but the rest of the card uses Stampin' Up products. 

Next is a quick peek at the card's inside.  The leaf is done with the Gently Falling stamp set, which has outline stamps and inside filler stamps.  By over-stamping, you can put the two together to look like my leaf.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up paper: Cardstocks - Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, More Mustard, Very Vanilla; Pattern dsp - Spice Cake (retired).  Stampin' Up stamps: Gently Falling (retired).  Stampin' Up Inks: Soft Suede, More Mustard.  Stampin' Up pumches - Modern Label (retired), Word Window.  Stampin' Up: Pool Party 3/8" Ruffled ribbon.  Spellbinder dies: Scallop Circle/ Plain Circle Computer-made sentiment and inside verse.  Font: Abbeyline/ Cheddar Cheese BTN (BIG).  Size: 4-1/2" diameter.

Handmade Birthday Card Pressie from My Sister!

I'm always excited when I get a card from my sister as she is totally responsible for my developing cardmaking as a hobby!  Way back in 2009 when she opened her scrapbooking store in Redding, California, I became hooked.  I started out going to classes in her store while I was visiting our Mom two times a year and also giving them a hand with computer work developing an Excel program for tracking her income and expenditures.  First, I only made cards from her kits; then I expanded by adding a few tweaks to her kit cards to make them more me.  From there, I started creating my own card designs and little by little I've developed my own style (which is varied, I'd say).  I love my six-year old hobby!

Heidi loves Papertrey Ink products, and this card shows off one of their newest kits which includes a foursome of stamps and dies called Nostalgic Notions.  I particularly love the inside very large scallop rectangle with the matching dotted border stamp traveling along the scallops.  I'll have to share the inside so you can see what I mean!

Thank You, Heidi, as always I love my card!

Birthday Card Pressie from Mom!

Oh my Mom, you have outdone yourself. . .what a beautiful card, and thank you for birthday dollars, as well!  I can see many new cardmaking items coming my way!  I have to post your Card Pressie to share with my blog readers.  Love all the popped up embellishments. . .butterflies (one of my favorites) are beautiful!  I know my blog readers will be inspired by the gorgeous work that you do, and it also sends a message that one can be creative at any age.  You sure prove just that. . .love you Mom!

I thought I would share another card I received from my Mom back in 2011. . .isn't it just gorgeous!  Again, she know what I like. . .butterflies and flowers!

Thank You, Mom!

Card Pressies and Lunch Thank Yous!

My birthday is coming up at the end of August, and my two wonderful cardmaking friends took me to lunch a few days before my birthday and showered me with lunch, goodies, and lovely handmade cards.  It was such a wonderful occasion where we had the chance to catch up on our lives and fun events of our summer as we had not had the opportunity to make cards or visit with one another for several months.  I must share their wonderful card pressies for all who read my blog to enjoy!

My first round of thanks goes to Charlene for her wonderful handmade step card and gift bag holding my embossing folder goodies.  Isn't this gift bag just too cute!  She used her Circuit to make the large round doily that became the top of the gift bag. . .I absolutely LOVE it!  I must also applaud Charlene for the pro that she is in making cards with the step technique.  For several years, I have admired step cards from afar, but never worked up the courage to actually try making one myself.  Charlene tells me it isn't difficult, and I give her that skeptical glare with the "yeah, right" attitude.  I did tell her that now that I had her card as a sample right in front of me to follow, I might be brave enough to give it a try.  Isn't this card just too adorable!

 

Gift Bag by Charlene Inks

Step-Card by Charlene Inks

My second big round of thank yous goes to my good friend and cardmaking buddy, Sandy, for this beautiful shaker card, which was accompanied by the WRMK "tool" and the Memory Box die to enable me to make one myself.  I just love the idea of being able to heat seal my own shaker cellophane bags that can be customized to whatever size is needed.  What a great idea!  I can't wait to try it out.  Isn't this card just too feminine...I love cards in pink!

by Sandy Stroble

Thank you ladies, you are very special and what a lovely surprise starting off my birthday several days before it arrived.  Here I thought it was just a spur of the moment get-together to catch up with each other, gab, and shop at the local craft stores as we usually do when we go out to lunch!

Seahawks Pre-Season is Almost Here!

I have started a new craft hobby. . .making Deco Mesh wreaths.  After viewing many YouTube videos and gathering as much information as we could, my daughter, Michele, and I decided to try making a Deco Mesh wreath with a Seahawks theme.  While we were shopping for supplies, at every craft store under the sun, we happened on an actual wreath that was completed and for sale at the Michael's store in Federal Way, WA for $89.99!  Now, it was nice, but just not fancy enough to suit what we were looking for, as it only used what we called the Pouf method.  If you know me, you know I always seem to challenge myself to start with the most difficult thing possible. . .is that trying to set myself up for failure or what!  Actually not, I have always achieve more if there is a challenge and a goal that is difficult to achieve. . .I'm all in for achieving it!

What we learned in viewing many YouTube videos that we would need an 18" wire wreath base, 21" wide mesh and 10" to 12" wide mesh.  You can not cut the 21" mesh in half and substitute it for the 10" to 12" as it totally starts to unravel or fray once cut and there is no way to stop it!   To start, take your 18" wire wreath base and twist pipe cleaners onto the center of each of the nine segments on the outside (#4) wire and inside (#2) wire.  Note: do NOT use the 4th smallest row toward the center.  Next, twist pipe cleaners onto the nine segment braces on your center row (#3).   

We learned there are three different styles to fashion your mesh into:  Poufs, Bow-Ties, and Tubes.  Poufs are the easiest and can be really big and billowy poufs or low-level poufs. . .kind of like a bra size: from a DDD to a B. . .by taking a 21" wide mesh roll and about 15" to 12" down its length, gather it up, with your hands, and tie it to your wire wreath base with a pipe cleaner, continuing around your wire wreath in each of the nine segments in this manner.  The Bow-Tie and the Tube versions both use the 10" to 12" wide mesh instead of the 21".  For each of these, you cut this narrower mesh into 10" to 11" lengths.  For the Bow-Tie, gather in the center, raw edge to raw edge (cut edge) from one end to the other (looks like a bow tie) and tie it down with a pipe cleaner to your wire wreath base.  For the Tubes, you take the 10" to 11" cut length and roll it with the raw edge as the length and the mesh "selvage" being the edges of the tube.  We used the cardboard tube of a 12" tube as our rolling tool.  You make three of these Tubes usually in various colors, and tie them down to your wire wreath base.

Michele and I decided to combine two different styles.  We started with the Poufs in three different colors, applying the first two colors in a criss-cross manner (our idea because it was more difficult...right?) and using the outside row and the inside row of pipe cleaners (pipe cleaner wires #3 and #1).  Then, we applied our third layer of poufs on top of the criss-crossed mesh by using the center row of pipe cleaners.  We considered this entire process our base layer.  Next we added sets of three Tubes in each of the nine wire wreath base segments to the outermost row and to the third inside row (pipe cleaner wire #3 and #1).  By this time our 18" wire wreath base, looks MUCH bigger in circumference!  Next, we add a set of two different 12" wire ribbons to each segment to the middle row of pipe cleaners and a single 12" wire ribbon to the inside row.  The final steps are to add embellishments: one as the center circle focal point and other smaller embellishments to the mesh surface to spruce it up to your liking.

TAH DAH!!  Here is my first wreath. . .one for myself. . .after all I am a 12TH woMAN and ready for pre-season SEAHAWKS football!!!!   My second one made for my dauthter-in-laws birthday, which is TODAY!!  Happy Birthday, Ginger!

Butterflies Celebrate Ginger's Birthday!

My lovely daughter-in-law celebrates her birthday just shortly after my Mom.  At our Girls' Getaway in May, our hostess, Liz Thayer, shared a lovely card, which I thought would make the perfect card for Ginger's birthday.  I decided to re-created this card, but on my version, I chose to branch out a bit and add a few more layers.  I liked the idea of a bit more color and bling to compliment the glittery little butterfly with its deeper shade of coral and to bring more attention to the rhinestones embedded in the embossed design.

To accomplish this idea, I added a layer of Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper, which did indeed bring out the sparkly rhinestones on the embossed lacy flowers, as well as those forming the bitty butterfly body.  I also added a fourth layer of a light coral for the cardbase, which is slightly darker than Stampin's Up's Crisp Cantaloupe used on the embossed card face.  This added color, though lighter than the bitty butterfly's wing, compliments the darker coloring.  With these additions and Liz's original card design, I was happy with my new card for Ginger's birthday!

The finishing touches for Ginger's card was to make a birthday verse for the inside and to create a complimentary design to coordinate with the card front.  It is now ready to show off.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks - Basic Black, Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer; Stamps/ Framelits: - Butterfly Basics/ Butterflies; Embossing Folder - Lovely Lace; Punches - Open Scallop Border (retired), Bitty Butterfly; Ink - Crisp Cantaloupe, Tangelo Twist; Dazzling Details Glitter Glue; Rhinestones.  The Paper Company cardstock: Light Coral.  Memento Ink: Tuxedo Black.  (The original card design was created by our Getaway hostess, Liz Thayer. . . thanks Liz for sharing it with us).

Happy Birthday. . .90 Years Young!

It's my Mom birthday this month, and she will be 90 years young!  I made this card at my Girls' Getaway Retreat, and thought, as I was making it, that it would be perfect for Mom for her birthday.  It is such a delicate and feminine card, and so very much suited to her.  The original card was designed by our hostess, Liz Thayer, and I thank her for sharing her the lovely design.

I love this Big On You Stampin' Up stamp set from the spring 2015 Occasions mini catalog and was so glad to be able to use it, I was disappointed that they did not renew it for the next annual catalog.  The Irresistibly Yours designer paper is from the 2015 Sale-A-Bration catalog, and again, I was sad that they did not continue it into the next annual catalog.  It is a very unique paper in that the pattern has slightly raised white glossy patterns for coloring with a variety of coloring techniques. . .this coloring reveals the pattern.  With my card, I sponged Blushing Bride ink evenly all over the paper, which gave the background the Blushing Bride color and the mini clouds (or perhaps they are flowers) resisted the color, making them white.  Such a clever idea!  A few popped layers, a little organdy rosette, and a little glitter, and voilà , a beautiful card is created!  

Next, I created an inside verse and printed from on the computer using the same Blushing Bride font color to match the front design.  It speaks eloquently of my lovely vintage mother, who by the way, doesn't look a day over 75.   I'm catching up to her!

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks - Blushing Bride, Whisper White; DSP - Irresistibly Yours (2015 SAB);  Stamps - Big On You; Ink - Blushing Bride; Rosette Artisan Embellishment kit; White Baker's Twine; Dazzling Details (glitter glue); Rhinestones (Copic colored).  Computer verse/ Font: SantasSleighFull Bold/ 19.  Size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2".  (The original card design was created by our Getaway hostess, Liz Thayer. . . thanks Liz for sharing it with us).