The Last Birthday Card of Year 2014!

It's time to celebrate the birthday of a wonderful lady that I worked with for over ten years and that I'm happy to say remains a good friend as well.  As I mentioned in my blog for her birthday last year, I have a difficult getting her birthday card to her on time because her birthday falls right after Christmas.  I blame it all on the busyness of the holiday preparations and the lack of mail delivery, because I really need to mail it by Christmas Eve in order for it to arrive on time!  I must say I did much better last year!  I am fortunate that she lives fairly close by, because this year I plan to hand-deliver it in order for it to be on time!

I was thinking of a telescoping snowman birthday card originally, because her birthday falls during the winter season, but instead I focused on spring!  Now that's was quite a switch!  To be truthful, the telescoping snowmen cards are very intricate with lots of small parts to be cut and shaped.  I made four of them for Christmas for my four children (see blog postings for December 21, 22, and 23).   Then, once again, with the Christmas holidays, I just ran out of enough time to make one more with birthday papers.  

This spring card is made using one of my favorite Authentique paper collections and one of my favorite set of dies and stamps from Papertrey Ink.  I re-created it from a card kit designed by my sister, Heidi Gonzales (My Lil' Scrap Corner blog), which has always been a favorite of mine and led me to purchase the Papertrey dies and stamps for my own cardmaking.   It focuses on those who have a green thumb when it comes to gardening, which fits my friend, Karen perfectly as her yard always so nice and full of flowers she plants each spring.   I hope she enjoys her springy birthday card!

Recipe: SU cardstock: Whisper White (base), Authentique-Renew: Flourish (floral)/ Blossom (stripe)/ Transform (dots).  SU Ink:  Basic Gray, Summer Starfruit.  Memento: Tuxedo Black.  Spellbinders: Bitty Blossom (small).  Papertrey dies/stamps:  Garden Variety.  Papertrey dies: Seed Packet Frame, Leaf Prints.  Hug Snug Seam Binding:  Gabardine Green.  Stash: Olive felt; bird seed.

Long-time Friend's Birthday

One of the ladies that has been a friend for many years and part of my ladies' dinner group is having a birthday this month.  She has a great sense of humor and a wonderful smile and a twinkle in her eye.  I re-created a card from one of my sister's designs (Heidi Gonzales - My Lil' Scrap corner), that made me think of Ilene the entire time I was making it and decided right then and there that I would save it for her birthday this year.  I love the Authentique Renew papers that it is made with and the garden Papertrey Ink stamps/ die set.  This card's design prompted me to puchase the set to use for several of my friends and relatives who have green thumbs.  I hope Ilene like her card, made with her in mind.

Recipe:  SU cardstock: Very Vanilla (base), Authentique-Renew: Blossom (floral)/ Energize (check)/ Transform (small dot)/ Foundation One (blue die layer).  SU Pansy punch.  Spellbinders die: Bitty Blossom (small).  Papertrey dies/stamps: Garden Variety; Mat Stack 4 die.  SU pearls. Stash: blue trim; doily; netting.

A Daughter's Birthday!

Happy Days!  This card was chosen as a

SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS FAVORITE OF

WEEK ENDING - JULY 15, 2012

 

Daughter, Michele, celebrates her birthday today!  I had to get my creative juices flowing to make her a special birthday card that said, "Yes, this card was made especially for Michele!"  For the past year, I've been thinking about making a card for her using a vintage seed packet, depicting gardening, because she so likes to work in her yard.  She has been wanting to plant some roses...especially Mr. Lincoln (a blood red with a delicious smell) to commemorate her late Grandfather Bill, his favorite.  But with their move to West Virginia in the near future, that will have to wait three years until their return as roses need careful tending here with all our rain and cool weather!  But meanwhile, her new rhododendron garden is looking beautiful...so fitting here in the northwest where they grow wild!  Here is her card that evolved from perking slowly for almost a year...LOL! 

Happy Birthday, Michele...enjoy!

Ingredients:  Papers: Backround/ Aqua: Mind's Eye (Laundry Line/ Breaking Free); Paisley/ Red dot (behind seed packet): K&Company-Classic K Balley pad; Tools/gloves: K&Company dimensional stickers; Butterfly: Martha Stewart (sponge daubbed); Fence: Die-namics (My Favorite Things).  (SplitcoastStampers Thread: July 15, 12/ #9).

A 2012 Birthday following Easter!

Our daughter, Jackie, was born on Easter Sunday, a number of years ago!  Her birthday sometimes falls within a few days of Easter, as this year--the day after, and sometimes it's several week before or after.   Research tells us that from the time of her birth until 2023, she will not celebrate another Easter Sunday birthday!  Wow that's amazing...over 40 years from her birth!

For daughter Jackie's birthday...the girl with the green thumb.  (Sprout:  Mo Manning digi...perfect for Jackie.  Original card design by Heidi Gonzales).