Birthday Greetings to the Tournament Fisherman!

My nephew, Adam, has a July birthday, and I have never made him a birthday card. . .shame on me!!!  I got busy and created one depicting his favorite hobby. . .fishing.

Ingredients:  Recollections Cardstock: Spice Market collection.  The Paper Studio: Wood Fence.  BoBunny-A Gift of Love: Flutter Butter Solid.  Hot Off the Press: Rust/ Black Plaid.  Spellbinders dies:  Labels Three/ #7 (largest).  My Favorite Things: Stitched Circle STAX.  EK Punch: Arrows.  Ink: Memento Desert Sand (fish sponging).  Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds Glitter Adhesive.  Fishest free digital image (Google).  Copic Markers.  Recollections: Brads.  Bag O' Buttons: Wood.  May Arts: Fine Twine.  Stash: 1-1/2" Fringed Burlap Ribbon.  Size: 4-3/4" x 5-3/4".

The Card's Story & Other Tidbits

Adam is the oldest of my nieces and nephews, and therefore, my very first nephew.  I remember how excited I was that I would soon be an auntie when my sister announced she was expecting her first child.  Unfortunately, I haven't been such a good auntie, because so far he has never received a personally made birthday card from me.  As I said before. . .shame on me!  So, this one had to be extra special.

Adam's favorite pastime is fishing, a sport he started when he was just a little boy.  Through the years, he has become quite proficient at fishing, so much so that he enters and wins tournaments.  He fishes "catch and release" so those fish will be there another day for him to reel in, and they will be even bigger!  With this in mind, I knew his first card should be all about fishing.

I found quite a funny, big fish digital image that looks like he stole a fisherman's hat and pole, and now he's trying them out for size. . .he would be perfect.  I immediately got all my Copic Markers out, and I set to work coloring him so that he would look something like a rainbow trout.  Though the picture, disappointingly, does not show it off, I added iridescent glitter to my fish to replicate scales, and so that he would sparkle just like a fish just reeled in out of the water.  

This is probably the first time I have colored my digital image before I found the perfect papers to complete my card design.  I always choose my papers first so I know what colors to incorporate in coloring my digital image.  But, in this case, I pretty much knew I wanted to use a weathered brown or grayish woodgrain background.  Maybe like a weathered fence and then some patterned paper to add color and also compliment the woodgrain. . .definitely some masculine-looking paper.  Subconsciously, I think I knew that by coloring my fish resemble a species in the trout family, it would more than likely go with woodgrain paper.

I easily found the perfect brown, weathered-fence paper, and I found the rest of my coordinating papers right away.  Fortunately, they were all in the same are from my California trip.  I love it when it only takes a  minutes to figure out what I want to use.  The idea of using a burlap-type trim popped into my "idea bank" as soon as I chose the papers, and I immediately remembered I had the particular style I used in my stash and that it would be perfect.  

I've used the Spellbinders Labels Three with a masculine digi card before, so thought I would repeat that, but added the idea of cutting out the digi itself with a stitched circle and then using the Labels Three as a mat frame.   I decided on a little tag for the sentiment so that my card design would not be overwhelmed by the sentiment, but yet it would have one.  Since I don't have any little tag dies the right size, I handcrafted my own.  I am so pleased with how it all came together, and I think Adam will really like his first handcrafted card from his auntie!

My Son-in -Law's Special Birthday Card!

My son-in-law, as I've mentioned in a few posts in past years, has a great love of fishing, but it seems there has not been time in his life lately to do much about that; therefore, I thought a fishing card with the BIG CATCH depicted would be appropriate this year!  And, need I tell you, there is a bit of humor attached by using Karen's Doodles digital image: Who Caught Who?

I decided to use the diagonal quarter-panel paper layout that I have used in the past and always enjoyed the end results.  Please note that I do not know the official name for this type of layout, and maybe there isn't any, but I think my name suits it just right.  I wanted my background behind my popped up digital colored image to be a nature scene that one would see while out fishing.  I wanted the top panel for the sky, the side panels for a patterned paper of trees, and the bottom panel for a dock.  I have to tell you, I just love my finished dock with its roped pilings on each side.  I have seen this embellishment technique on Pinterest, and one of my cardmaking buddies used it as well several months ago on a get well card for my husband after his knee surgery.  My dock is a diagonal view, so I decided there would be pilings on both sides of the dock for balance.  

Once I decided on my papers to use, I was able to begin the coloring of my chosen digital image with Copic Markers. . .the poor guy was so successful in landing the BIG CATCH, but unfortunately, his aim in reeling him in was to land him on his head rather than in the boat!  Though you can't see it in the photo, I used Wink of Stella: Clear on the fish to add a sheen to his scales.  (This is a brush-tip glitter pen.)  I know my son-in-law will get a kick out of the man with the fish head and will be intrigued by my clever little dock.

At the stage in the birth of one of my card, I turn to the inside to create a design that compliments the outside and to make a verse that goes with the theme of the card.  I have now finished this step and will share it.  I have to say I'm in love with my little acrostic verse, using the word FISHING. . .it's all about fishing bait.  I feel sure that my son-in-law will love his birthday card.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up cardstock: Old Olive (card base); Night of Navy.  Bazzill Basics: Avalanche (sandable).  Reminisce: Dog Park/ Scentral Park.  Recollections Signature Especial Textured Cardstock: Tan (like SU/ Crumb Cake).  SU Embossing Folder: Clouds.  Karen's Doodles: Who Caught Who?  Wink of Stella: Clear (on fish).  SU Stamp: Hardwood; Guy Greetings (sentiment).  SU Ink: Chocolate Chip; Soft Sky (sponging image area).  Spellbinders dies: Labels Three #6/ #7.  Maya Arts Hemp Twine.  Distressed edges.  MFT dies: Photo Corners (inside).  Size = 5-1/2" x 5-7/8".