Pre-Retirement Boss Has a Birthday!

My boss, before I retired as the office manager/ administrative assistant of an elementary school, has his birthday at the end of May.  I needed to design a birthday card for him, and I decided I would use it as my Girls' Get-away Cardmaking Event Shoebox Share card.  In a Shoebox Share, those attending must design a card and put a sample together.  Then each attendee cuts out the paper sizes for the card and goodies for the other participants to make this same card.  They, in turn, do the same, and with nine attendees, each of us ended up with eight cards to make while at our get-away.

I remembered the daily ritual of both Scott and I coming into the office almost every morning with our Starbucks latte cups to wake up, rev up, and prepare for each day, which was bound to be jam packed with busyness and that feeling of not enough time to get it all done.  I decided my card design would feature those latte cups that were seen around the office each and every morning.  Just a side note to keep in mind, we are from the Northwest where the Starbucks corporate offices make their home!  

I wanted to do something a little extra with my card design, so I am featuring a shaker card with real coffee beans as part of the shaker items enclosed and real coffee beans for the shaker frame trim.  In the back of my mind lurked a memory of a card that I had previously seen with reds and browns in the color scheme and coffee beans in the shaker, but I didn't remember where I saw it.  I am sure this is where the idea came to me along with memories of coffee cups in the morning at the office.  

My card was a fun to design and make, though finding the smallest beans and the perfect size for inside and outside the frame was somewhat tedious, I am sure that was because it was for TEN cards. . .not just one!  As I designed my card, thoughts went through my mind of hopes that my fellow Girls' Get-Away attendees would have fun making their version of my card, but I especially hoped that Scott will enjoy his birthday card!

Completing the card with a design and verse inside to compliment the exterior and the purpose of the card was the final step.  Here is my completed inside.

 

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products: Cardstocks -  Early Espresso (card base), Real Red, Very Vanilla, Gold Glimmer paper; stamps - Perfect Blend (retired 6/1/15), Guy Greetings (2015 Occasions); inks - Soft Suede & Early Espresso; punches - Confetti Stars (2015 Occasions/ 2015-16 Annual); Dotted Scallop Ribbon (retired 6/1/15); framelits - Striped Scallop; largest Stars (banner fishtail pattern); smallest Banner (pattern for sentiment fishtail); Circle (3-3/4" & 3"); embossing folder - Lucky Stars (2015 Occasions/ 2015-16 Annual); cardboard from designer paper packaging (10-layer shaker frame); ribbon - Early Espresso 1/8" cotton (retired).  TomBow Glue.  Memento Tuxedo Black stamp pad.  Offray 1/4" Early Espresso Grosgrain ribbon.  Darice Dark Brown Seed Beads (coffee grounds).  Stash: Clear acyrlic sheet.  Large gold rhinestone.
(Note: I wanted to give credit to the person who originally came up with the idea for this card and the picture in my mind.  With lots of computer searching, I finally found the card I cased. . .boy do I have a good memory. . .thank you Ellen Taylor, who made the original over three years ago.) 

....WOW...BIRTHDAY 100!!

I have an aunt that turns 100 today, May 27th!  WOW...WOW...WOW!  It is definitely hard to believe...almost takes your breath away.  I wish I could claim to have her genes, but unfortunately she is an aunt-in-law (my mother's brother's wife).  I know she is French Canadian by birth and had 13 brothers and sisters, and somewhere, she has longevity in her DNA!!  I do know that she never smoked, liked her coffee and loved her wine.  (My uncle was kind of a wine snob.)  So, if any of those things helped, we had all better get to it!

Last year, I made her a fashion card, because she always, always looked like she had just left a couture designer shop...dressed to perfection.  This year, I thought I'd just make a very feminine card for my petite 4-foot 9-inch aunt.  So, I chose a card I made using a design from a Rebecca Feeken card kit I received while I was subscribed to her short-lived monthly card kit.  We received exclusive dies with each kit that were designed by her and made for her by Spellbinders Paper Arts and exclusive stamps made by JustRite Stamps.  It is a card with many, many layers, and elevations; therefore, it will definitely have to be mailed as a parcel...no getting a break in postage on this one!  But, I think she will love it!

My finished inside design to coordinate with the outside.  I just love to do those details and add my own verse sited to each card and person to whom it is to be delivered.

Recipe: Becca Feeken Amazing Grace Kit: October 2012.  Bazzill cardstocks: Classic White, Mulberry.  Kaisercraft 6x6 pad: Magnolia Grove.  JustRite stamps: It's Sew Vintage.  Stampin' Up ink: Rose Red.  Hug Snug White seam binding ribbon.  ColorBox ink: Chestnut Roan (distressing). Spellbinders Exclusive Becca Feeken Kit dies.  Velvet Rose (unknown vendor).

A BIG Thank You!

My friend and cardmaking mentor, Liz Thayer, was hostess for our Girls' Get-Away Cardmaking Event at The Hobby Hideaway in Snohomish, and I can't thank her enough for the wonderful time that was had by all.  She wore herself out with menu planning, shopping, food pre-prep, wonderful handmade goodies presented each day, and cardmaking kits to put together.  Of course, this is not to mention all the fun ladies who were invited, came, and brought their friendly and fantastic good humor right along with them!  We all had on our "let it all hang out" attitudes, and an uproariously good time was had by all as we made cards, played games, shared gifts, drank yummy beverages, ate yummy food, and gabbed the days and night away.  I do believe I was awake almost around the clock, and I had to go home just to get some sleep!  It was a WONDERFUL Mother's Day get-away that I thank my family for encouraging me to go and have a great time!

I thought I would prepare a little thank you card with a Starbucks gift card for Liz, in hopes that she would buy a Frappacino, sit back, put up her feet, and enjoy a rest (aside from working every day) to recuperate.  THANKS LIZ for a fantastic four-day event!  You outdid yourself!

I finished off this card by creating a coordinating design on the inside with the larges THANK YOU that would fit!

And, then I made a little gift card holder on the inside as well. . .all the better to send the Starbucks treat!

(CASE/ modified: Thank you Heidi Gonzales original design).

Recipe:  SU Papers: Whisper White cs, Daffodil Yellow cs, Rich Razzleberry cs, Tempting Turquoise cs, Summer Smooches dsp.  SU stamps:  Bright Blossoms, A Word for You (sentiment). SU Inks: Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry.  SU Punches: 2-3/8" Scallop Circle, 1-3/4" Circle, Boho Blossoms, Scallop Edge Border.  SU 3-1/16" Brights Brad.  SU Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon.  Inside: EK Scallop Photo Corners. (Size: 4-1/2" x 5-1/2").

Birthday Card Shower Celebrating 85 Years!

Another of my husband's aunts has reach the venerable age of 85.  Her children decided to have a Birthday Card Shower for her, which seems to have become a tradition on the maternal side of his family.  It is a GREAT idea!  I needed to get a birthday card off to her from us in the mail as soon as I returned from my Girls' Get-Away Cardmaking Retreat, because I did not find the time to get this card completed before I left.  Back now from my gloriously, stupendous, fun-filled retreat, I am now, unfortunately, continuing my fast-mode "so much to do...so little time to do it" syndrome.

But, not to worry, one of our fun events of our retreat was our ShoeBox Swap, where we all design a card, made a sample, and provided the ingredients for each attendee to complete our card.  Thus, we all ended up with eight cards that we made at our Get-Away, and at least half of them were birthday cards!  

I decided on the card below for John's aunt because it looks really lacy and feminine and seems just right for a lovely 85-year-old lady with its frilly and glittery butterfly.  This card was designed by Gail Swartz, and I modified it just a bit by adding the magenta layer under the dark blue, re-enforcing my butterfly with two layers glued together and bathed it and the sentiment in glitter.  Today, I created and added a coordinating inside design with a little birthday verse.  I was most fortunate to own the Martha Stewart Deco Fan corner punch, so I was able to cut corner shells to place on the corners of each corner of the verse paper.  I think Aunt Betty will love her card.

(Thank you Gail Swartz for the design inspiration)

Recipe:  Bazzill cardstocks: White, Typhoon (blue), Royalty (magenta).  Darice Swirl Background Embossing folder (blue).  Martha Stewart Corner punch: Deco Fan.  Lifestyle Crafts/ QuiKutz Embossing Folders: Sketchbook (lavendar).  Creative Memories Corner Rounder.  Pattern scrap papers (butterfly).  Filigree Butterfly die: unknown.  Tsukineko Essential Glue Pad + Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (butterfly/ greeting).  Impression Obsession Greeting Top Edgers (bottom cut with decorator scissors).

2015 Sister-in-Law Birthdays #1 - Brother's Wife

Every year, if you've read my blog, you know I have eight sister-in-laws whose birthdays fall between May and October.  So, as usual, be prepared to be deluged by sister-in-law birthday cards and blog posts.  My first sister-in-law birthday is my brother's wife, Diane.

Still in the what I call my fast mode to finish my must-do cards before my wonderful Get-Away Event and still have time leftover for snail mail, I needed to complete Diane's birthday card right away.  When I get into the fast mode, I find my "from scratch creative" flies out the window, and I want to resort to at least a starting point of  something I've made before. 

I remembered a card I made that was designed by Liz Thayer for her Stampin' Up Sale-A-Bration event, which featured stamps available for that sale event, such as the penny-farthing bicycle featured in this card.  I completed her bicycle card at that event, but added a few tweaks of my own after coming home.  I don't have a sample of the original design, and at this late date, but I do remember some my additions or modifications, which was to increased the finished card size by adding two new layers in black and silver glimmer and group these with a larger cherry cobbler layer, making a three-layer frame under the  smaller black and vanilla layers.  I also centered my penny-farthing layer instead of off-centering it and lightly sponged Basic Gray and Cherry Cobbler Red onto the vanilla layers and the newsprint.  So, my card is at least a CASE of Liz's original design. . .thank you Liz!  I just love this little old-fashioned bicycle stamp, and I think Diane will like its vintage flavor as well.

And now for the inside design made to coordinate with the outside, and the little birthday verse jut for Diane.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock--Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla; Pattern--First Edition dsp;  stamp--Feeling Sentimental (2013 SAB); ink--Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler (sponging); ribbon--1/8" Black Taffeta; Glimmer brads-Silver.  Core'dinations Silver Glitter paper.  Computer-made verse.  Size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2".

Friendship to Honor at Birthday Time!

Another of my cards to finish and deliver before my Girls' Get-a-way Cardmaking retreat is for a long-time friend, whom I met through a variety of ways.  Four events in life brought us together, and it was obvious that we were meant to meet at some time in our life!  

I first met Ilene through my husband, because she was the wife of one of my husband's co-workers, therefore, we met at several business functions.  Next, it turned out that her older son was the same age as my younger son, and they ended up on the same community baseball team, but we had already met through the work connection.  Next, I went to work as the Administrative Assistant/ Office Manager of the elementary school that her older son attended, and she was one of our wonderful student's parents and a faithful classroom volunteers, plus a diligent PTA officer and PTA volunteer.  Our fourth life event that would have brought us together was that she became a school office substitute as her children grew older, and she ended up being sent to our school to fill in for an absentee office worker.  Wouldn't you say, we were meant to meet somehow, and life presented four different opportunities!  

With all that, I wanted to send her a little birthday greeting on her special day, and here is the card that I made just for her using some wonderful Papertrey Ink dies that have been around now for several years, but never grow old.  I also borrowed the inspiration for this card from one my sister made several years ago.  Thank you, Heidi Gonzales.

Just a peak at the finished inside to see the design that coordinates with the outside, and the friendship birthday verse made just for Ilene.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products - Cardstock: Very Vanilla cs, So Saffron cs, Crisp Cantaloupe cs; Ink:  Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, Soft Suede, Garden Green;  Stamp: And Many More (sentiment); Punch: Modern Label; Seam Binding Ribbon: Wild Wasabi.  Papertrey Ink products: Rosie Posie stamps/dies; Banner Borders (envelope flap).  MFT stamps: BG Gingham Background.

An Anniversary to Celebrate!

My brother and his wife are soon to start their annual marathon of birthdays and an anniversary in the early days of May.  You might ask why I say their annual marathon?  This would be because within seven days they celebrate all three events.  First comes my brother's birthday, then their anniversary, and then my sister-in-law's birthday.  I guess that's one way to get it all over with at once!  Just a thought as well, if you put all your presents together as one or two big ones, it keeps the shopping down to a minimum, but allows you to have a really BIG gift that you've always been wanting.  So, I can see where there could be some great benefits to this great idea.  I should have advised my children to look for a spouse with a birthday within a week of theirs and then get married in the middle between them.  Hmmm. . .what was I thinking!

So, did I mentioned that I had lots to do and so little time to do it all?  Indeed, I'm sure I did.  So, I am looking for ways to economize my time.  I remembered a card that my Stampin' Up upline, Liz Thayer, showed us at one of her events, and I thought my good friend might have taken a picture of it to share.  With a little searching around, I found it.  I remembered that I really liked it for its design, as well as its soft colors.  After finding and reviewing it, my memory was spot on.  I decided to CASE Liz's card, though I tweaked it just a tiny bit with a change in the sentiment and a fishtail divider-band with pearls instead of a plain narrow rectangle.  Voila, it has become a super pretty anniversary card just made for my brother and his wife!

With the inside design completed to compliment the outside creation and the anniversary verse composed the card is finished and ready to package for mailing.  I think I'm seeing the end of the road for the early May rush!

(Thanks Liz for the inspiration).

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products: Cardstocks:  Soft Suede (card base), Wild Wasabi, Pink Pirouette + Very Vanilla; Inks: Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette; Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder; Mosaic Madness Stamp set; Mosaic punch; 3/8" Soft Suede Taffeta ribbon; Linen thread; Pearls.  EK CardCreators Interlaced Corner punch. (Size: 4-5/8" x 5-3/4").

Celebrating My Mother!

Mother's Day is coming, and I must get a card made and sent before I leave on my Girls' Retreat Cardmaking Event, which is four glorious and fun-filled days away, ending on Mother's Day!  But once again, the kicker is so much to do, so little time, but what else is new.  I'm just full of idioms this morning, and I'm remembering an English teacher from my past who advised us that idioms and cliches should be avoided at all costs as they are a sign of a lazy writer.  Somehow, sometimes they just fit perfectly, and today it pleases me to use them (so there)!

With a little anxiety because of the short timeline, I sat down a few days ago and thought about Mom and what she loves on cards.  She loves pastel colors, especially aqua and peach and especially with butterflies, so there was my anxiety reliever and my first injection of mojo.  I remembered a card made several years ago using the Flower Garden embossing folder and Pool Party cardstock, which was designed by Liz Thayer.  I decided to do a take off on that card, but I would use a little vellum with my aqua card and make it two tone,  and the rest just began to flow from there.  Something light and airy with a little sparkle would be nice, bring on the vellum, aqua shades and silvery glitter paper.  I decided my butterflies should have a embossed vellum layer as well.  Here is the card that evolved, and I think it suits Mom to a tee!

A little decorating on the inside to coordinate with the outside design, and a little Mother's Day verse just for my special mom, and now, I can say it's all done and ready to send off in the mail.  Enjoy your special day, Mom!

Recipe:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstocks--Very Vanilla, Bermuda Bay, Pool Party; Misc. paper--White Vellum, Silver Glimmer paper; Flower Garden Embossing folder; Punches--Elegant Butterfly, Bitty Butterfly, Modern Label, Word Window; Stamp--And Many More; Ink--Smoky Slate; Rhinestones.  WRMK Corner Chomper: Deco.  Stash: Sheer Aqua ribbon. (Size: 5" x 6-1/4").

Thinking of My Husband!

My husband had knee-replacement surgery in mid April.  One of my dear friends, and a cardmaking buddy, decided she would send him a Thinking of You card, unbeknown to me.  She asked to borrow my Stampin' Up Moon Lake stamp from the 2015 Occasions mini catalog, saying she wanted to use it for a card for her husband for Father's Day and that she couldn't decide whether to order it.  She is such a sweety. . .she has only met my husband once several years ago at ago. . .so a sweety she certainly is!

Lo and behold, what comes in the mail addressed to my husband late last month? It was a wonderful Thinking of You card using the very Moon Lake stamp she had borrowed.  (See Update Note below...LOL!)  I just absolutely love everything about this card. . .the woodgrain background stamping, the Work of Art faux watercoloring stamp, the lovely and serene color combination; but the piece de résistance. . . take a look at the dock pilings that she has handmade and finished off with hemp twine.  They absolutely look so authentic!  What can I say, a sweety she is, and I thank her for being just that!

UPDATE NOTE:  A funny thing happened after, I posted this. . .   When my friend returned the stamps she had borrowed, it turns out it wasn't the Moon Lake stamp set she borrowed, but several other stamps and dies.  Obviously, I wasn't using them or needing them, so didn't even remember them or miss them!