Birthday Son is a 12th Man Seahawk Fan!!!

Happy Days!  This card was chosen as a

SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS FAVORITE OF

WEEK ENDING - OCTOBER 5, 2014

My youngest son, Mark, is having a birthday in October, and we are celebrating early because it falls mid-week!  I usually pick a theme for my birthday cards that represents something about the person for which it's made.  The first card I made Mark was an Accu-Cut die of an old pick-up that matched his first "car" when he was a teen-ager.  The next year I made a card embellished with metal tools...he's quite the handyman and a carpenter by trade.  The following year it was a Copic-colored dirt-bike rider on his bike.  Last year's card depicted Mark's love of camping and the outdoors with a bear lumbering into the campsite with two foaming beer steins in paws...don't know if the bear stole the beer from the campsite or was bringing his own BYOB for a campsite visit!  

This year I decided I would make Mark's card with our football team, the Seattle Seahawks, as the theme as he is quite the 12th Man Seahawk fan.  He even has the Seahawks' stretch bird streaming complete around his walk-in closet, which he just added to his master bedroom by going into unused attic space!   The streaming bird is compliments of his wife's artistic drawing and painting abilities...it looks absolutely great...just like the logo stretch bird shown below! 

I decided to make the focal point of his card a T-shirt with a Seahawks' graphic by using my My Favorite Things Masculine Graphic Tee die and a Space Needle die from Impress Stamps.  First, I went online to look for a Seahawk's graphic that could be added to my t-shirt front.  I then chose a shimmery navy paper for the background of the  t-shirt with a touch of shimmery green at the neck and sleeve edges.  I chose some patterned paper possibilities, and the rest of my card design fell into place very swiftly.  I love it when that happens!  I am really pleased with the finished card design, and I think Mark will be surprised and very pleased as well.  He is always so appreciative, as are all of my kids, with my card dabbling art in honor of their birthdays, holidays and special events!

And the inside and verse created follows:

Recipe:  Paper - SU cardstocks - Night of Navy/ Lucky Limeade; SU Printed Poetry dsp (stripe);  DCWV  Lemoncello stack (houndstooth); DCWV Shimmer stack (navy/ green); Bo Bunny Learning Curve Recess (navy grid); Recollections Glitter Opal.  Dies - My Favorite Things Masculine Graphic Tee; Papertrey Medium ZigZag; Savvy Space Needle; MemoryBox Alpha.  Punch - SU 3/4" Scallop Circle.  Other - Lyon Metallic Yarn.  SU Candy Dots.  (SplitcoastStampers Thread: October 5, 2015/ #4).

She's a Little Black & Blue!

My Mom decided to stub her shoe against the planter curb at the local grocery store.  She had been a "good girl" and returned her grocery cart to the allocated cart area (something a lot of people do not do), and was returning to get into her car when she and the curb next to her car decided to have an argument.  Guess who won...well, it wasn't Mom.  She fell, and it was so quick and unexpected that she was not able to block her fall.  She went right down onto the curb, face first!  She broke her nose in three places and pretty much took the skin off the entire nose from her brow to the nose base.  

The good news it that after a week, the thick scabs on her nose exterior have finally all fallen off.  More good news is that it is nice and straight and will heal just fine, and the swelling has subsided to the point where she looks more like herself.  Meanwhile, she is very black and blue from her brow clear down her face and down her neck to the collar bones.  The doctor says that it will probably take a full six weeks for all the bruising to completely disappear.

There is one thing about Mom you should know. When she does something, she doesn't fool around!  It is always very thorough and leaves nothing undone.  This, apparently, includes hurting herself!  She assures me she is doing fine and does not need me to make a trip down to help out.  So, in the meantime, I wanted to make her a feel better card to let her know I'm thinking about her and hoping her recovery is speedier than the doctor's forecast.

I wanted to play around with hexagons and embossing paste, but I didn't have any paste, nor all of the ingredients to make some of the homemade varieties on Pinterest.  In addition, I have ordered a hexagon stencil from a scrapbook store online, but it has not yet arrived.  I do have some little hexagon dies made by Sizzix and larger ones made by Spellbinders, so I decided that is what I would use.  At least, I'd get hexagons onto my card!  I have a DCWV stack called Collage Art, and the papers take on the quality of being layered with Gesso paint or Embossing Paste that is smeared over a colored cardstock or patterned paper using a stencil.  This paper will be the mainstay of my card, and this is how it turned out.  I hope Mom enjoys her card and it makes her feel better.  I'm thinking about you Mom and hoping for a speedy recovery!

Recipe:  Paper - Darise kraft cardbase; Iralamija Postcards cursive-colorized; DCWV stack: Art Collage; Stampin' Up Blushing Bride pink; Core'dinations Core Couture String of Pearls (pale yellow glitter).  Dies - Spellbinders Hexagons; Sizzix Triplets Hexagons.  Punch - EK Arrow Edger.  Accessories - Pearls: Recollections Large & Medium. Button: Stampin' Up Very Vintage. Pearl Corsage Pins (Michaels). Wilton 4" Doily (Michaels). Sparkle Netting: Vintage Pink (Joanns). Stampin' Up: Dazzling Details (adhesive glitter).  Sentiment - Computer-made - Malihini Cuban BTN font.  Size: 5-3/8" x 6-1/2".

Under the Weather???

One of my husband's cousins had an accident that turned into quite an ordeal about three months ago, and we just heard about it a few weeks ago.  While mowing his lawn, a small stick flew up from under the mower, hit his eye, and lodged in his cornea.  Because of the intense flair-up and swelling, they were unable to tell the extent of his injury for quite some time.  Eventually, it was determined that he had cornea damage, and would have to have a cornea transplant to repair his eye sight.  This surgery took place about four weeks ago, and now it is a wait and see situation, hoping the body does not reject the transplant.  John and I are really sorry that we did not know of this situation sooner, but I guess word travels slowly when you are not on Facebook (as my husband is not)!

I wanted to make a card for John Kerry letting him know we are both thinking about him and praying for his full and speedy recovery.  So, with the thought in mind that it is not a sickness, my card evolved into sentiments of feeling under the weather and hoping he would be feeling up to par very soon.  My creative mind turned to gray clouds with the sun shining through as it would soon burst through in glorious sunshine.  This is how my finished card looked that we sent out to John Kerry in the mail!

Recipe: SU cardstock: Smoky Slate (base), So Saffron, Pool Party, Whisper White, Hello Honey.  SU DSP stack: 2012-2013 (Basic Gray dots). Paper Co. Victorinia Lt. Gray. Stash: misc. yellow patterns.  SU Ink distressing: Smoky Slate. Cloud dies: My Favorite Things/ Papertrey Ink. SU punches: 1-3/4" Circle, Bitty Banner. Ribbon: 5/8" Smoky Slate Satin. SU Dazzling Details-Silver. Computer sentiment: Shelley/ DaddyO fonts. Inside - EK Scallop Corner; WRMK Corner Chomper-Scallop. (Size: 5-1/4" x 6-1/2"). 

Thank You Pocket Card

With the recent passing of my husband's last aunt and/or uncle from both his parents' families, we received a beautiful laser-engraved wood picture of John's grandparents at their wedding from her son, Dan.  Grandmother is certainly wearing a beautiful flourishing hat with a gorgeous flowing feather, which depicted the style of the day.  Below is the black and white picture from which that wood engraving was created: 

My husband, John,  has been very much interested in the genealogy of both the Prichard family history and his mother's family, the Kesslers, as well.  With the death of his aunt, John is the oldest surviving member from his father's side of the Prichard family.  He and several of his cousins have spent many hours looking up historical family information and sharing it with one another.  His cousin, John Kerry, in San Antonio, Texas, was probably the first to begin research and has been the most active in the search.  He has started a great Prichard Family Facebook group, where he shares information and asks for more information.

To thank Dan for his gracious gift to my husband from among his mother's possessions and to let him know just how much his thoughtfulness meant, John wanted to send him a thank you card and gift certificate to one of the local eateries in their little town in Kansas.  We hope Dan and his wife, Vali, enjoy their evening out with our thanks.  Here is the little pocket card I made using a fabric flower made with the Big Shot.

Recipe:  SU cardstock: Soft Suede, More Mustard, Very Vanilla, Pool Party.  DSP: Spice Cake (2011-12 Holiday book - retired).  SU stamps: Gently Falling (retired), Sassy Salutations.  SU Ink: Crumb Cake, More Mustard.  SU Sizzix BigZ XL die: Tasteful Trims (scallop). SU Spice Cake fabric. SU punches: 3/4" Circle, 1" Circle, Round Tab (retired). Seam binding ribbon: Crumb Cake. SU Vintage button. Sponging (Colorbox Chestnut Roam).  Zutter 1/2" Corner Rounder.  Stamp-Off Technique.  (5-1/4" x 4").

Special Anniversary Celebrations...It's Year #10!!

It is Don and Michele's 10th anniversary this year in the month of September, and I wanted to make them a special card celebrating them as a twosome!  A few years ago, my sister designed a card using Papertrey Ink's mason jar stamp and die set and the Autumn jar fillers.  She chose candied apples for her jar, and I absolutely loved this card with the Crystal Effects glazed apples.  

My re-created card would depict Don and Michele as a twosome in marriage; therefore, my sister's original sentiment, "Autumn Wishes," made it a fall card, but my card needed something different.  I chose new anniversary sentiment that would be a "play on words" referring to the two candied applies. . ."So Sweet Together."

My next creative addition to the card was an interior design that complimented the card front, and my final step was to compose a little anniversary verse celebrating their 10-year marriage.  I am really happy with the way my candied apple anniversary card turned out, and I think Don & Michele will enjoy it, along with their gift certificate for dinner out.  Happy Anniversary you two!  You are on my special people in my life list!

Recipe:  Paper - Cardbase: SU Crumb Cake.  DSP: Graphic 45 French Country; Papertrey Ink: Bitty Box Basic 2008-lime.  Stamp/die set - Papertrey Ink: Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Fall Autumn Fillers, Jar & Lids.  Other dies - Papertrey Ink: XL Rickrack Border, Fillable Frames #10.  Spellbinders Labels Five.  Punches - Zutter 1/2" Corner Rounder. SU Scallop Edge Border (inside).  Extras - SU Crystal Effects.  MayArts twine. Hug Snug Black seam binding ribbon. Stash - Crochet Lace.  Colorbox Chestnut Roan Ink. Coloring: Copic Markers.  Size - 5-1/2" square.  Inspiration: Heidi Gonzales/ My Lil' Scrap Corner blog.

Happy Birthday Celebrations to a Special Sister-in-Law!

It is my sister-in-law, June's, birthday on September 1. . .one day following mine...so it makes her extra special!  I wanted to make her a very special birthday card this year to commemorate the exceptional time I had at her house at the family reunion and in memory of our Happy Hour Peacock Painting Ladies' Night.  Yes, we actually learned to paint a peacock in oils on a canvas medium.  It was certainly a night to put in the memory banks, full of fun, laughter, total concentration, and a little liquid libations as well!  Oh, AND, painting; we did get though our instruction was probably wondering!

What could be more perfect!  Stampin' Up came out with a lovely peacock stamp this year in their new annual catalog published on June 1st!  Is that serendipity or what!!! All the while I was painting away, I kept thinking of how I would be making June a peacock birthday card in honor of this special night!  I was stoked!

I colored my little bird with Copic markers, found the perfect companion papers and ribbon to go with my coloring job.  I have to tell you this is totally the reverse of the method I generally use in making a Copic-colored card!  My usual mode of operation is to pick the papers first, and then figure out the Copic colors that will coordinate, but, in this case, I knew what I wanted my bird to look like, and I did know that I would be using the Gold glitter cardstock because this was the background color of our actual painted peacocks.  I am very pleased with the way my card turned out, and I hope June is as thrilled with it as I am!  Happy Birthday, June!

Recipe:  SU: Night of Navy cs.  Core'dinations-Oscar (gold glitter).  K&Co./ Watercolor Bouquet Specialty Pad.  DCWV Collage Art Stack.  X-Press It Blending Cardstock.  SU stamp: Perfect Peacock.  Spellbinders dies: Petite Scallop Ovals LG; Petite Ovals SM.  WRMK Scallop Corners Chomper.  Offray Variegated Organdy ribbon.  SU: Crystal Effects (tail "eyes').  Recollections Rhinestones.  Stash: Glitter buttons (color-enhanced with V17 Copic).  Lion Metallic Gold yarn.  Coloring: Copic markers. EK Scallop Corner Punch (inside). (Size: 5-1/2" x 6").

More Birthday to Celebrate!

I wanted to share another card that I received for my birthday.  It is so special to receive a handmade card from one of your cardmaking buddies, and especially when it comes from a very good friend, as well. This one is from Sandy, a special person who fits that billing in my life. 

THANK YOU, Sandy...I love it!  Love that Pleasant Poppies stamp from Stampin' Up.  We have had the joy of making several wonderful card together using that very stamp...good memories!

Your special words inside made me smile lots.  Love and hugs, and thank you for being in my life!

 

Celebrated My Birthday!

I have a late summer birthday...the very last day of August!  Another very significant date in August was the end of World War II on August 14 with Japanese Emperor Hirohito's decree to surrender, which was announced over the radio.  I remember my mother talking about this and saying that I was a post-World War II baby; and, therefore, I have always considered myself of the baby boomer generation.  At a recent family gathering, my sister-in-law informed me that she and I were not baby boomers, and she went on to explain about the new baby boomer group in her retirement village.  When she inquired about joining, she was informed that she did not qualify, and then, the date-range to qualify was explained to her.  I looked it up: according to the Internet, you had to be born post-World War II, but between 1946 to 1964 to be considered a baby boomer.  WOW! what a shock...I'm NOT a baby boomer even though I was born post-World War II!!!  That is a difficult thing to adjust my thinking to after so many years of considering myself a baby boomer!  I think they have their facts messed up...don't you??!!  It should be anyone born post-World War II up to 1964!  But, I digress!

The purpose of this post was to show you the beautiful card that my mother made for me...it is truly beautiful and I absolutely love it!  Now, don't get me wrong...she has made me many very pretty cards over the last four years, but I so love this Toile paper...so Victorian...and such a pastoral scene.  My sister and I have to laugh at Mom, because when we all get together for a cardmaking retreat or just a home crafting day, she is always lamenting that she just can't make cards like Heidi and I!  NO! Mom, this is not true as we have said...your cards are absolutely lovely!  You stymie your creativity and put up roadblocks in your creative mojo when you voice that negative self-talk!

It is stunning, Mom, and I love it!  It reminds me of a picture I could have had in my head while reading Anne of Green Gables when I was a teen-ager!  Thank you so much...it will sit in the card place of honor displayed on the dining room table in the wrought iron glass tray with the pitcher of flowers.  Love you!