Make a Wish Pin-Up Birthday Card

Well, it's that time again. I need a birthday card for my 1950s-loving friend. She was over the other day using my die cutter to cut twirled flowers from her old pin-up calendar pages. She gave me a page to use for my own purposes. I knew what to do!

Here's her card. I used the sketch from Just Us Girls Challenge 205. I made the oval frame in my cutter software by welding some wingding twirls with an oval and adding an inline layer. I tried distressing the edges, but I used metallic inks and I'm not sure how well I liked it. The Tsukineko Brilliance 'Lightning Black' shows up really super gold on the black. It's interesting, but not exactly what I was hoping for.

Supplies: calendar page; red, black, and cream cardstock; die cutter (Pazzles); red ribbon (American Crafts); sticker (3 Bugs in a Rug 'Celebrate'); black rhinestones; inks (Tsukineko Brilliance).

Wow, You're One!

I have a little friend who is turning one tomorrow. I wanted to wrap his present in a way he would actually open. So this is a white lunch bag with a custom topper. He can rip it to shreds pretty easily. There's no tape or anything.

It's pretty easy to make a lunch bag topper. I made a large rectangle in my cutter software, rounded the corners by 2", and added a scissor border. After cutting, I folded it in half and glued it on top of the closed bag. Then I added all the embellishments.

Supplies: Die Cutter (Pazzles Inspiration); Paper (Bazzill Basics green; Martha Stewart 'Baby Boy'); Stamps (TPC Studio 'Baby'); Inks (Tsukineko VersaMagic); Pearls (Recollections); Twine (American Crafts); Colored pencils; Copic Multiliner; sticker.

More craftiness from yesterday

After making one challenge entry yesterday, I kind of kept going. And going. And going...

This card is intended for a friend's birthday. As she and I both love books (she's a librarian, so she kinda trumps me on the book love). It's also my entry to Lawnscaping's 'Favorite Things' challenge. What are my favorite things? Paper, books, stamps (Lawn Fawn!), and sweet embellishments. (The little orange rose for example, from Webster's Pages). Most everything on this card is Lawn Fawn Dewey Decimal. I 'stole' it from Scrapbooking Steals (seen a shopping trend?) and was thinking I'd end up making cards for this particular librarian friend...

Picture frame for the coworker of the significant other. She said 'animals', and so she receives.

I also did some serious craft area organization. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it!

Best Wishes and a triple-scoop of challenges

Since I have all this time on my hands (having been laid off, did I mention that?) I'm continuing with my personal challenge to use and do things that I don't normally do. Add two more challenges: I'm playing with Mojo Monday 309 (sketch) and Stamping Royalty 192 (patterned paper). I decided I'm going to use a coordinating patterns (does washi tape count?) and go as whole-hog as I can into freestyle collage. My friend Michelle is really good at this, particularly with combining patterns and adding dots in random places, which sets off my OCD sensor most of the time.

Bonus: these papers were a freebie from an Archivers deal I got forever ago. Shop the stash, y'all! The 'washi tape' on the bottom left is actually part of the paper. Even more fun: using coordinating colors I had no idea where or how they'd be used! (Looking at you Lawn Fawn Retro twine!)

ETA: Not-iPhone photo!

Supplies: Studio Calico 'Take Note' and Mr. Huey's 'Cameo; Bazzill Basics 'Vanilla Cream'; Anna Griffen 'Modern Graphic' stamps; Tsukineko VersaMagic 'Pink Grapefruit'; Ranger Distress Ink 'Antique Linen'; patterned Washi tape; 3D adhesive; My Mind's Eye 'Sky's the Limit' enamel dots; Hemptique and Lawn Fawn twine.

Love Is the Gift of Oneself

Rarely do I make a card from only one kit. I usually combine pieces from across lines. So I tried to do this from all in one. Bonus, it gets me to use the stickers with the kit, which again I rarely use—I'm after the papers and the stickers are just a bonus! This was all Teresa Collins Fabrications Linen. The sketch is from My Favorite Things, #139.

Birthdays everywhere!

Late August is full of birthdays, so it seems. I've got two friends in the need of cards. These came out way more colorful than I thought they would. I had planned on an all-white background, but the white sentiment and mostly white pastry-image squares were getting lost. So I busted out the spray inks (most of which I 'stole' from ScrapbookSteals.com) and got a little overzealous. I was a little overwhelmed at first, but I think it worked out. I decided to run with the color bomb, and I think the washi tape and pearls help!

Happy Birthday, RR and AS! Sorry if your cards are late. I've had one heck of a week!

Speedy Recovery, Dad

It's been forever since I've posted. It's not for lack of crafting, but for being crazy busy and under motivated! That's part of what happens when you blog for your day job, I guess—your own blog goes without.

Anyway, my father is having a valve replacement tomorrow, and the least I can do is make him a card. I noticed the sketch I liked for the idea I had—My Favorite Things 138—was still open for entrants. So the last thing I will do today is post this. I will rest as best I can then head to the hospital to sit with my mother for the interminable wait.

Recovery will take months. Hence, the turtle: slow and steady.