Happy Mother's Day

I've been making a Mother's Day card for my mom for at least eleven years now, and it's important to me that I not duplicate a design I've used in the past.  That's easy enough to do if one keeps buying new stamps and papers, but I've cut back on my spending and am trying to use what I already have.  So I turned to the internet for inspiration, and found this card that I could put my own spin on.

For the flowers on my card, I die-cut patterned papers and vintage sheet music using some of the first Spellbinders dies I ever bought: standard circles.  The leaves were also cut using Spellbinders dies.  To ground the flowers, I added an embossed layer of cardstock in the same color as the background.  I like the texture that it gives without detracting from the flowers.  The sentiment was heat-embossed in a color called peridot which coordinated well with the color of the leaves.  It's not easy for me to make clean and simple cards  that feel like "me," so I was really happy with how this card turned out

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Simply Wonderful Mother's Day

We've been so busy around here that the word for Mother's Day was "simple."  We had a simple dinner of roast turkey breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and vegetables.  I made a clean and simple card using patterned papers by Simple Stories and a "simply wonderful" stamp from Stampin' Up.

All in all, it was a simply wonderful day.  I hope yours was, too! Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies:
Yellow Swiss dot cardstock by Bazzill; naturals white cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned papers  by Simple Stories; sentiment from Stampin' Up; Versamark ink; black detail embossing powder; oval, scalloped oval, and label Nestabilities by Spellbinders; Martha Stewart butterfly and border punch; corner rounder punch; rhinestone stickers; pop-dots.

Happy Mother's Day

Hello and Happy Mother's Day !  Today I'm going all girly-girl on you with the card I made for my mom.  Thanks to some pretty patterned papers, I was able to create a very sweet card in colors that evoke these lovely days of spring.  And since this card doesn't have to be mailed, I can go all out with texture and embellishments.  (And size!  This card is a whopping 6x8 inches.)

I used several dies by Spellbinders.  The flower petals are from the peony set.  I used my hands and ordinary objects, like the rounded end of a paintbrush handle, to shape the petals.  (Hint:  if you want to sponge any ink around the edges, it's easier if you do that before you shape the petals.)  Each petal was glued to the one below it using Glossy Accents, and a dew drop was added to the middle.  The green leaves and ivory foliage are also Spellbinders dies, as is the green border near the bottom of the card.

The patterned papers are all from a collection by My Mind's Eye.  I selected the papers for the flowers first, then chose the papers for the background.  I just love how the little bird in the top right corner and the bird cage on the left work with my design.  The sentiment was stamped on a paper from the same MME collection and die-cut with a Spellbinders banner.  It was adhered using foam tape.  The flowers and leaves were adhered with Glossy Accents, so they're not going anywhere. 

Thanks for popping in!  Whether you're celebrating your mom or being celebrated yourself, I hope you're having a glorious day.

Supplies:
Dark pink cardstock from Stampin' Up (I think; if not it's Bazzill); ivory cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by My Mind's Eye; Nestabilities by Spellbinders: peony, leaves, foliage, border, banner; antique linen distress ink; sentiment from Stampin' Up; watering can Ranger Archival ink; border punch by EK Success; Dew Drops; Glossy Accents; Scotch foam tape.

Cute as a Button - Mother's Day

Hello and Happy Mother's Day!  This is the card I made for my mom.  The little girl reminds me of her because my mom does not like to smile in pictures.  She says it makes her eyes crinkle up too much.

I created the 12x12 scrapbook page below several years ago.  It features my mom's high school graduation picture.  See?  No smile; even though her description in the yearbook included "has a smile for everyone." Smile or no, I think she is absolutely, classically beautiful, and I am lucky to have her as my mom. 

I hope you're having a wonderful day!  Thanks for popping by.

Card Supplies:
Plum cardstock by Bazzill; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned paper by Teresa Collins: focal image by Stampers Anonymous (Tim Holtz Collection); sentiment by Red Lead; Ranger Archival black ink; antique linen, wild honey and peeled paint distress ink; oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; oval and scalloped oval punches from Stampin' Up; border punch by EK Success; flower by Prima; leaves from Michaels (Recollections brand); corner rounder punch; pop-dots.

Crocus: First Sign of Spring

We have four distinct seasons where I live and spring is definitely my favorite; especially after a harsh winter like the one that just ended.  We had snow on the ground for over 90 consecutive days.  Once the snow finally melted, the yard and gardens were brown and really beat down.  But then...CROCUS!  A true harbinger of spring, these tiny lilac-colored gems were a welcome sight.

This picture was taken April 10.  You can see the brown grass in the foreground (and last year's leaves that I hadn't cleared off the flower bed yet--haha!).

Using my real crocus as inspiration, I created this card for my mom using stamps from Artistic Outpost.  To give the paper crocuses added dimension, I stamped the focal image a second time and colored just the petals.  After trimming them, I used a Q-tip and the palm of my hand to bend the paper into petal shapes, then glued them on top of the card.  Since I didn't have to mail this card, I wasn't concerned about the petals getting smashed.

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your day.

Supplies:
Lavender and black cardstock by Bazzill; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned papers by Teresa Collins; rubber stamps from Artistic Outpost; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; vintage photo distress ink; small oval and scalloped oval punches from Stampin' Up; border punch by EK Success; pop-dots; Glossy Accents.

Happy Mother's Day!

Puttin' on the Ritz for Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  My mom and I spent all of Thursday together doing a "ladies who lunch and shop" day, and then yesterday, with my brother and sister-in-law, we took my mom and dad out for dinner at Chili's.  (I had the Santa Fe Chicken salad which is super delicious and has lots of zip.)  So today is just a normal day around the house for us:  a little laundry, a little cleaning, and meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner.

I love making easel cards but I don't think I've ever made one for my mom, so that's what I decided to do for her mother's day card.  The central image from Artistic Outpost was colored with Prismacolor pencils to coordinate with the rich Bo Bunny papers.

I hope you're having a wonderful day!  Thanks for dropping by my blog.

Supplies:
 Black cardstock by Bazzill; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; image and sentiment by Artistic Outpost; black Stazon ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; patterned paper by Bo Bunny; oval and lacy oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; Martha Stewart border punch; oval and scalloped oval punches from Stampin' Up; pumice stone distress ink; brass embellishments by K and Company; pop-dots.

Simply Wonderful Mother's Day

Our Mother's Day is going to be pretty low-key this year because I've been laid up for over a week with a bum foot!  I got a blister on my baby toe from a new pair of sandals, and it got infected, and it's been a real pain in the you-know-what.  But after two visits to the doctor, a round of antibiotics, and three (THREE!) straight days sitting or lying with my foot "10 inches above my heart," I am finally on the mend.

I did manage to create this card for my mom using my new stamp from Magenta and one of my favorite techniques: colored pencils blended with odorless mineral spirits.  The three flowers come in one vertical stamp. I simply cut the images after coloring them since I wanted a horizontal card.  I accented the blossoms and foliage with Glossy Accents for added dimension.

Wishing all of you moms, grandmas, "aunties," and special friends a Happy Mother's Day!

Supplies:
Colored cardstocks by Bazzill or C'oredinations; white cardstock by Georgia Pacific; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; black Stazon ink; mustard seed distress ink; flower stamp by Magenta; sentiment from Stampin' Up; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; Swiss dots embossing folder; Martha Stewart border punch; corner rounder punch; oval die cut by Spellbinders; Glossy Accents; silver brads.

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom and I celebrated Mother's Day on Friday.  It was a perfect spring day (FINALLY!  We've been waiting for spring for...months!), so I played hooky from work.  The two of us ate a tasty lunch at a local coffee and sandwich cafe, and then we ran a few errands and did a little shopping.  It was a great way to kick off the weekend.

I hope you are able to share some time with your family on this special day.   

Thanks for visiting my blog!







Supplies:
Stamp by Hampton Art; dark green cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by K and Company; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; Archival jet black ink; Prismacolor Premier Pencils; odorless mineral spirits; oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; Martha Stewart border punch; Prisma flower; antique gold brad; sheer gold ribbon from Michaels; pop-dots.

Happy Mother's Day

My mom grew up on a farm and has always enjoyed being outside. She even drove tractor for her dad when she became old enough.

This is a photo of her in the mid-1950s, sitting on the stone fireplace that Grampa built in their yard on the farm.

I hope you had a wonderful day. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!

Supplies:
Stamp: Oxford Impressions; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up!; goldenrod cardstock by Bazzill; decorative paper by Cosmo Cricket; off-white canvas from the fabric store; Nestabilities; Janome Sew Mini; buttons from my stash.

A Real Natural

Last week my friend Kathy invited me to her house for lunch and then we spent a delightful afternoon looking at old photos and reminiscing about the past. But it's not what you're probably thinking, as Kathy and I did not grow up together. In fact, Kathy is almost 30 years older than I am; her daughter Anna was a close friend of mine in high school. Sadly, Anna was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 18. That event had a profound effect on me and I am so glad to have reconnected with Kathy since returning to my home town several years ago.

It was so much fun to see pictures of Kathy as a child and young woman, and to walk down memory lane with her. She generously allowed me to bring home some of her photos (including photos from the 1920s of her mother and father), and I have so many things I want to create with them.

I started with this card that features a photo of Kathy as a young girl, posing with her dolly. I thought it would make a cute Mother's Day card and because I just got her photos last week, I know she won't be expecting anything like this. The sentiment inside says, "Happy Mother's Day to a real natural."

I also made her this bookmark featuring photos of Herman, the dachshund she had as a teenager. Herman's full name is the very regal sounding Herman Lowboy Eric Von Auchit Wiederhalverson! Like true royalty, he appears completely at ease (albeit a little bored) with having his picture taken.

One thing that Anna's death, and my subsequent adult friendship with Kathy, has taught me is that time is truly one of the greatest gifts we can give another person. I hope I never forget that lesson.

Supplies:
Cardstock by Bazzill; decorative papers from Basic Grey; sentiment stamp by Stampin' Up!; border punches from Martha Stewart; oval punches from Stampin' Up!; Nestabilities; Cuttlebug embossing folder; blue button brads (purchased at Target); white twill ribbon.