Sister-in-Law's June 2011 Birthday

My sister-in-law, Thelma, has a birthday in June, but I just missed it.  She is my husband's youngest brother's wife.  Since I am really getting into this hobby of cardmaking, I thought I would like to send Thelma one of my homemade cards.  I had quite a stash of cards built up by now and in looking through them, I found just the one that I wanted to send to Thelma, because it suited her and the fact that the card was a belated birthday wish.  I also knew I could not start from scratch and make one right then that I thought would suit her any better.

So, Thelma got one of my woodless-colored pencil little girls who seems to be standing there with a flower for peace-offering because she is late getting her birthday wishes off.  I love this little girl image with her wispy little red hair and her jaunty little flowered hat.  We called Thelma on her birthday to wish her good wishes, so I know Thelma knows we were thinking of her.  But, this little card will remind her that it is true!

 (Heidi Gonzales - My Lil' Scrap Corner  design: enlarged and modified)

2011 Aunt's Birthday #90!

When my 96-year-old mother-in-law heard what was planned for Aunt Joanie's 90th birthday. . .a birthday card shower, she asked me if I would make a second card and mail it from her.  I was only too delighted to do this for her.  As I had already accumulated lots of ideas from her son about her hobbies and favorite things throughout her lifetime, I was intrigued by the fact the Aunt Joanie loved root beer floats, and was tickled to be treated with one even to this very day.  I thought this would be a fun idea for her second card from Alice.

Again, I went online search for a vintage photo involving root beer floats.  I saw numerous ones, but really like this old ad for a soda fountain shop encouraging you to come in for a delicious, creamy, and cool float!  From the image, I chose the colors of my paper.  I had the black and gold ribbon in my stash and thought it would be great to use, and I was off and running from there.  Here is the card that came together as my vintage creation.

This is the little verse that I composed all about root beer floats and the temptation to have one.  By the time I finished I think my mouth was watering. . .LOL!

Birthday 2011: An Aunt is 90!

My husband's Aunt Joanie was 90 in June 2011!  I must say, my husband's family has long-living genes on both his mother and his fathers side of the family. . .at least for the women!  Aunt Joanie is his father's sister and she lives in the Midwest.  Her son and daughter wanted to shower her with cards by having as many friends and family send her cards as possible.  I am sure she will receive over 50 or more for sure as my husband's family is quite large!

I decided vintage was definitely the way to go for this lovely vintage lady.  I had a favor I wanted from her son before I got started.  I asked him to send me an email listing as many of Aunt Joanie's favorite things or hobbies and that she enjoyed throughout her lifetime.  When he told me she loved to dance and that she and her husband often went dancing in the 1940s and 1950s especially, I knew I had my theme.  I searched on line for vintage colored images of couples dancing and found just the right one.  Here is the card I created from the information and the image on hand.

  

Father's Day 2011 . .

I absolutely loved this card...saw it in a 4-year old Cards magazine.  I think it really struck a cord with me because my husband LOVES watermelon.  A Kansas boy at heart. . .what better thing to have than ice-cold watermelon on a hot summer day!  

I was pushed for time, what else is new, and needed an idea NOW...and there it was on the cover!  I just had to lift the idea and figure out how to make it since I didn't have any way to make watermelon seeds and I wanted our children's names on the rind (which the original card did not have).  I was at a crop and a friend, Sheila, graciously found a Cricut cartridge that had a shape similar to seeds in her stash, and she cut out the seeds for me...and I ready to go!

(I apologize for not been able to get the name of  the original cardmaker to give her credit.)

2011 Birthday: Mom-in-Law is #96!

My mother-in-law, Alice, was 96 on her birthday in June 2011.  I made this little card with her in mind when I was practicing coloring with woodless-colored pencils (Progresso Koh-I-Noor purchased from Michaels).  I thought of her at the time, because I think you very well might have found ladies wearing just such hats in the year of her birth 1915!

This card slants toward the vintage "simple and clean" that I'm not even sure really exists as a style of card.  I used the paper-piecing technique on her hat and the hat band. . .that was a lot of fun!  I think making vintagey cards brings on a bit of nostalgia for a simpler place and time.  Her is Alices birthday card, and I hope she enjoys the card as much as I enjoyed making it.

(Heidi Gonzales design that I modified and tweaked a bit to say "me.")

Butterflies on Mother's Day 2011

I just hate it when there is no time!  But, salvation is at hand.  I remembered the card I made for John's sister and that I tuck away the knowledge the it would make a great Mother's Day or birthday card.  Aha. . .now is the time to use it.

I brought up the digital image I had scanned of the previous card before I sent it off in the mail so I would know exactly what to pull out of my scrapbooking stuff.  I was delighted to find that I had already put the glitter sparkles on the butterfly wings, which meant it was dry and ready to use.  I got busy with the papers and embellishments, and voilà, here is my mother-in-law's card.  I know she will enjoy it.  She is always tickled to get any mail, but especially my cards she says.

A Vintage Mother's Day 2011...

John and I are both fortunate that our mothers are still with us.  His mother will soon be 96, but she is still alert and very much with us!  My mother never likes to tell her age and looks at least 15 years younger than she really is.  We have been thought to be sisters...good for her, but not sure it is for me???  

Here I go again with vintage thoughts for my Mom.  I bought and downloaded some images from Iralamija on Etsy, and I loved the vintage cake and cupcakes images, so I decided to use one for Mom's card.  I'm found some lovely My Mind's Eye papers that I thought were just right in both color and look for a vintage card and the image.  I hope Mom loves her card!

Easter 2011...Behind the Eight-Ball!

I was visiting in California, and we had so many things planned, as well as busy helping my sister in her store that I did not get my Easter cards done.  Shame on me.  I'm feeling very guilty...here I am enjoying my vacation and the wonderful spring in California with lots of sunshine, and my family has no one to cook for them on Easter and its raining (surprise...sarcastically) in the Seattle area!

But salvation came along...my sister, Heidi, was teaching a card technique so I took her class, and I, at least, got one card done for my 95-year old mother-in-law.  The new technique is called image crackling, and I applied it to the colored digital image and placed it on this Easter Card!

For John's Mother at Easter