It's a Seventh Anniversary!

My son, Mark, and his lovely wife, Ginger, celebrated their seventh anniversary on July 22nd.  It is truly surprising that seven years have passed since that happy event!  After thinking about what kind of a card I wanted to make for them, I remembered a card I made while at our Mom/daughter Mt. Shasta crop/ retreat this spring that seemed perfect for them.  

This card is another of the "make-it-yourself" card kits designed by my sister, Heidi Gonzales (mylilscrapcorner.blogspot.com) from a few years ago.  She re-designed it a bit from the original just for me because she knows I like cards larger than the A2 size (4-1/4" x 5-1/2").  I re-positioned a few of the embellishments a bit to please my own creative eye with the larger size, but essentially it is most definitely similar to the original.  I then designed the inside and put in a verse to coordinate with the outside sentiment about love growing in a happy home.  I hope Mark and Ginger like their anniversary card!

Recipe:  SU cardstocks: Marina Mist, VeryVanilla. Soft Suede; PTI: Fall Prints Plaid, Holiday Flourishes & Swirls Dots (red); Stash: Green dots. SU Ink:  Marina Mist, Old Olive. PTI dies: Celebrations Frame, Fillable Frames #11, Love Lives Here die/stamp set (sentiment, house, hearts).  SU Perfect Polka Dots EF. Hug Snug Gabardine Green seam binding ribbon (really-it's actually more of a blue!). Clear heart button, hemp twine.

A Little Birthday Card for Cousin Junie!

My cousin, Junie, has a birthday in July.  I decided to make her a summery birthday card from a Stampin' Up card class designed and taught by my sister, Heidi Gonzales (www.mylilscrapcorn.blogspot.com).  I just love this Summer Smooch paper from Stampin' Up, which recently retired.  The whole card brings a smile to your face.  I composed a little verse and decorated the inside to match the papers used on the front.  I hope Junie likes it.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products - Papers: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Island Indigo cs; Summer Smooch dsp. Stamps: Bright Blossoms, A Word for You. Inks: Red Riding Hood, Lucky Limeade. Punches: Oval Scallop, Oval, Itty Bitty Punch Pack. Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon; Rich Razzleberry flower button; pearls; Linen thread. Other:  EK corner punch. 1/2" corner rounder 3D foam tape.

My Sister's Birthday in July!

For those of you who look at my blog regularly, you will know that my sister, Heidi, has been my cardmaking teacher and mentor and is responsible for getting me involved in this fun hobby, which I thoroughly enjoy!  But, making her a card is always a challenge, because she is so artistic and the card must be worthy of all the hours she has spent teaching me, as well as just plain having fun going to crops and retreats, relaxing and spending time making cards together (and with our mother as well)!  

I LOVE Heidi's card designs and can't pass up getting kits from her with each of her new projects.  (If you want to see her artistic abilities, visit her blog:  www.mylilscrapcorner.blogspot.com.)  Even though I am a "somewhat" seasoned cardmaker (I do not usually need a teacher to guide me step by step through the cardmaking process, but can refer to a picture or sketch to figure it out), I find making the card kits my sister designs is always a learning experience.  There is usually some new technique involved that I have never done, which teaches me something new or reinforces prior taught knowledge, and allows me to master it.  I also find my own creativity may challenge me to tweak the card or embellish upon it, adding a bit of my own flair.

Heidi recently redesigned her craft room with lots of cute wall decorations and interesting counter storage ideas.  She has about eight to ten very large three-gallon glass jars full of ribbons wound onto old-fashioned wood clothespins that make a colorful array on one of her counters. With this thought in mind, I really wanted to make a card that depicted this decorative, crafty storage idea that she loves.  It was challenging to make a clear jar without the glue showing and get all those bits of ribbon beneath the jar just right,  but it was great fun to make!  Here is the card and special birthday verse that I came up with.  I hope my very creative sister loves and enjoys it.

Recipe:  Stampin'Up stamp: Perfectly Preserved (jar/lid). Stampin' Up papers: Daffodil Delight cardbase, In Color-2010-2012 DSP: Pear Pizzaz (ret.), Peach Parfait (ret.); Sassafras Lass: Sweetly Smitten; Pinecone Press: Plaid; Recollections blue plaid; Clear acrylic. Ink: StazOn-Timber Brown; Colorbox-Chestnut Roan (distressing). Dies: SU Cannery framelit (jar); Lifestyles Labels 9, Spellbinders Labels 22 (inside).  SU Baker's Twine: Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo. K&Co.-Puffy butterflies. SU button: Sweet Stitches. Stash: 5/8" sage/blue variegated sheer ribbon, 1-3/4" white scalloped lace, 4" white doily (Michaels), Heart hat pins, ribbon pieces (in jar), Aqua rhinestones (inside), 3D foam tape. Scotch glider tape.

Surprise. . .Another Sister-in-Law Birthday in July!

My husband's sister, Jeanie, closest to him in age, has a birthday in July.  I wanted to send her a birthday card so she will know we are thinking of her and love her lots!  I made this card at a "shoebox crop" given by Liz Thayer.  I think this card was one Liz designed for us to make.  I did add another layer by adding the Stampin' Up Island Indigo cardbase, as well as a verse and decorations inside.  I hope Jeanie likes her card.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products - Papers: Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Very Vanila cs.  Stamp: Field Flowers. Ink: Island Indigo, Old Olive. Dazzling Diamonds glitter. Scallop Edge Border punch. Flower Garden Embossing Folder. Island Indigo 3/8" Ruffled ribbon. Pearls.

The Family Fisherman has a Birthday!

My son-in-law loves to fish.  I came across a die from Cottage Cutz that I thought would be really fun to use, depicting a fishing creel and fish.  Now, I just had to find the right papers and other embellishments to use with it. The hunt was on!  

I found the "Fisherman's Rules" online, and I thought it would be perfect to throw a little humor in.  My daughter doesn't like Rule No. 1, because this is already one of Don's own personal rules, and he's sure to mention it with, "See, it's even part of fishing rules!"  I think it would be fair to say that it's a difficult rule for my daughter to meet on a consistently regular basis. . .LOL!  Here's the card I came up with, and I hope Don likes it!

Recipe:  Darice "Kraft" cs, BoBunny Double Dot "Sea Foam," SU "Choc. Chip" cs, Pattern (stash-unknown), DCWV Cork, Recollections "Photo Burlap," Simple Stories "Take a Hike" ticket (size adjustment/ color changed). Dies:  Cottage Cutz "Fishing Basket w/Fish," Spellbinders Deckled Rectangles, Rectangles SM. From stash: Wood leaf button, mottled brown, burlap trim. May Arts twine. Scotch 3D foam. (Note: "Rules" fish is 3-D by fussy cutting second fish and popping onto original.  Burlap trim length trimmed/ frayed: glue added and dried to keep from fraying further).

Thinking of You Card #2

As I mentioned on my previous post, my friend and relative by marriage received some unexpected news about her 90-year old mother's health just a few days ago.  I finished her Mom's card and got it ready to mail off, now I am working on one for Barbara.  It will also be from the "shoebox crop" I mentioned in her Mom's post.  This card was originally designed by Liz Thayer herself, but I did tweak it just a bit by adding a pink cardbase, thus also making it larger and adding another layer.  I like the way the pink frames the card.  While wearing my "inside" creative hat for Barbara's Mom's card, I came up with the idea for this one.  I decided to color-on-color stamp the inside verse paper like the front panel was done and computer-print my "hugs" verse directly on it with a matching font color, dressing it up with some pink corners and pearls.  I am pretty happy with the way it turned out.  I really hope Barbara likes her card and the verse brings her a measure of comfort.

Recipe:  Stampin'Up Products - Stamps: Flowering Flourishes, Teeny Tiny Wishes.  Paper: Crumb Cake cs, Very Vanilla cs, Pink Pirouette cs, Springtime Vintage dsp (ret.).  Ink: Crumb Cake (stamping/ distressing).  Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslit (sm. butterfly), Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die (lrg. butterfly), Apothecary Accents Framelits, Essentials Punch Pack, Antique Brad, Pearls, Very Vanilla seam binding ribbon. (Inside: Crumb Cake cs, Very Vanilla cs, Pink Pirouette cs, Flowering Flourishes stamp. EK Fancy Corners-Large, Pearls. Computer verse font: Harrington.) 

Thinking of You Card #1

I just heard some disturbing news, which had me scurrying, because I wanted to send a card right away.  A wonderful lady and friend, who happens to be the wife of one of my husband's many, many first cousins, just found out that her 90-year old mother has some serious health complications, and will be undergoing quite a number of medical procedures to try to help her.  I met her mother at her son's wedding several years ago, and I thought, "What a friendly person her mother and her twin sister are."  

At Liz Thayer's "shoebox crop," which I have mentioned a few times before on my blog, we made (or depending on our time allowance, gathered materials for) at least 15 cards, with many occasions and styles represented.  But, there were two particular cards with "Thinking of You" themes that I thought would be perfect.  On the first card, which I will send to Barbara's mother, I added another color for the cardbase, thus making the card a bit bigger and adding another layer.  On this particular card, I tweaked the layout just a big as well.  Now, I must put on my creative "inside" thinking cap and come up decorations and a verse to fit the occasion and my recipient.  I came up with a little poem about angels watching over her, which I think will be just right.  I hope Katie enjoys likes her card and the message is helpful to her at this time.

Recipe: Unknown Stamps: Calla Lilly, Thinking of You.  SU Products – Paper: Basic Black cs, Whisper White cs, Crumb Cake cs, Pattern: unknown.  Inks: Basic Black, Regal Rose.  Black mini brads.  EK Abstract Flower punch. (Inside: SU Crumb cake cs, Real Rose cs. EK Interlaced Corner Punch. Black mini brads. Verse font: Abbeyline.)

Sister-in Law Birthday #3!

I warned you that there were many!  Back in May you saw the first for 2013, and now comes a steady roll of them each month through October!  This one is  my "oldest" of the "in-law" sister-in-laws.  

You see we are categorized.  First, there's the sister-in-laws that are actually my husband's sisters, the "sister-in-laws."  Second, there are the sister-in-laws who are the wives of my husband's brothers and my brother, or truly the "in-laws."   I even have one sister-in-law that belongs to the "out-laws," and I am part of that too!  Don't even ask me to explain that one!

So, this sister-in-law belongs to the "in-laws" group.  I say she is my "oldest" of the "in-laws," because she and one of my husband's brothers married next after John and I, John being the first of the four brothers to marry.  (I guess that really makes me the "oldest!"  Yikes!)  But, I call her my "oldest" "in-law" sister-in-law because she was my first "in-law" sister-in-law.  So, on that note, she gets a vintage card for her birthday!  

Okay, with all that gibberish, now the card!  This card was originally designed as part of a card kit by my sister, Heidi Gonzales (mylilscrapcorner.blogspot.com).   But, wanting a larger card, I added a "Pool Party" cardbase, but the rest of the papers were used in the original card.  I re-cut the "word" trim, the eyelet dot trim, and the "graph" paper wider.  I was then able to spread the paper elements out more for a larger card.  I re-positioned the ribbon and added pearls to coordinate with the hat pin.  I do hope Dianne likes her card!  (Not so sure she will like the "oldest" bit though!)

Recipe:  Papers:  SU Pool Party cs, My Mind's Eye-Stella Rose (misc.).  Papertrey stamps: Button Boutique. Ink: Memento Cocoa Brown. Dies: Papertrey Beautiful Blooms II; Spellbinders Scallop Circles.  Seam binding ribbon/ blue dye.  Wood button/ gold glitter, Half pearls (stash).  Brown/White Baker's twine. Distressing: Colorbox Chestnut Roan.