Heart-shaped Valentine Card

Here's another valentine card from 2014.  I made one of these for each of my two oldest granddaughters.

I used the heart-shaped card from the Cricut cartridge "Wild Card".  I didn't even pretend to get fancy; I made them exactly as they were designed.  But I did go the extra 1/4 mile by making envelopes using some floral scrapbook paper and my Martha Stewart scoring board.

If I don't fast-forward back to 2015 and get busy soon, this year's cards might just be construction paper with "Happy Valentine's Day" scribbled in crayon.

Thanks for visiting!

A Special Giraffe Card for Teresa

One of the reasons my daughter went into nursing was because she was heartbroken that her Aunt Teresa suffered unnecessary post-surgical complications that left her in a vegetative state.   By being the best nurse she could be, she hoped someday she might prevent another family from suffering a similar tragedy.  When my daughter found a cute giraffe outfit for her own baby boy, she wanted Teresa (who collected giraffe figurines for many years) to see her son wearing it.  Unable to travel to visit Teresa at the time, she took a photo and asked me to make a card incorporating the picture.

The giraffe cut is from the Cricut cartridge Sugar and Spice. The papers are from somewhere within my massive stash.  The envelope was made using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board.  But none of that matters.  The picture is the real treasure.

Always happy to show off my favorite grandson

Stamped sentiment

Sugar and Spice giraffe



Thanks for looking!

"It's My Birthday" Ribbon

 

Last month I had purchased a "Birthday Girl" ribbon at Dollar Tree for my youngest granddaughter.  (The more attention she gets, the happier she is.)  As soon as I got it home I knew I had to buy another for my oldest granddaughter since her birthday happened to coincide with her first day of high school.  My grandchildren think I'm clueless, so I wanted to present it to her and suggest she wear it to high school orientation to let all her friends know it was her birthday.  Don't worry.  I knew it was lame.  I just wanted to see what reaction I'd get.

I forgot all about it until last night.  Birthday/Orientation was today.  Dollar Tree had no "Birthday Girl" ribbons.  So at midnight I found myself desperately trying to make something.

I found a tutorial on making rosettes using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board, so I was on my way.

I started with three pieces of 12 inch by 2 1/4 inch paper scored every 1/2 inch.  I folded accordian pleats into each, then attached them into a circle with hot glue.  I flattened the circle into a rosette shape and glued the center with hot glue (this stuff gets really hot).  I used a two-inch scalloped circle punch to cut a shape for the center of the rosette.  I found a punch-out in one of my paper pads that said "It's my birthday" and glued that to the center of the scallop (this is why I collect anything I can get my hands on---you never know when you'll need something random in the middle of the night).

In my growing stash of ribbon I found one with a birthday theme.  It was a little too white and shiny, so I used Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Antique Linen to give it a softer look that coordinated with the rosette paper.  I cut a couple of strips, trimmed the ends, and attached it to the back of the rosette with hot glue (by now my fingers were blistered and numb).  I then cut a three-inch scalloped circle, glued it to the back of the rosette, and attached a pin with hot glue (still fantasizing that my granddaughter might actually wear it).

It turned out big and gaudy, and it gave my granddaughter a laugh on the day she needed it most.  It's still sitting where she left it early this morning, and that's okay.  She started her first day of high school knowing she's important enough for her Nana to make an ugly ribbon just for kicks.  I'll never solve world hunger, but today I made a nervous teenager feel loved and that's good enough for me.

Another Cricut Card

Creating anything is a slow process for me, so while we wait for my creativity to kick in (or while I search the internet for ideas) here's another card I made a while back:

This is a Mother's Day card for my oldest daughter.  The cut is one of my all-time favorites from A Child's Year, which is one of my all-time favorite cartridges.  I think one of the things that draws me to this cartridge is the simplicity (silhouettes don't require endless layering) and I just happen to love children (yelling at them all day doesn't negate the warm, fuzzy feelings I have for them when they're asleep).

The decorative strip beneath the flowers is a Martha Stewart punch (I wish I could remember the name, or better yet I wish the manufacturers would label them!)   The envelope was made using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board and one of my endless sheets of random 12x12 paper.  I think I get more satisfaction from making envelopes from my neglected paper than I do from any of my other crafty endeavors (one sheet down, 249,999 to go...)

Thanks for stopping by!



My Daughter's 28th Birthday

My youngest daughter was born 28 years ago on Monday, the 28th of November (28 on 11/28/11--interesting!)  She's now expecting her first child.  Where did the years go?  It's a shame I had to get old in the process, but it's all good.  And isn't she a lovely mother-to-be?

Pregnancy never looked this good on me!

The owl on the card was cut from the Cricut cartridge "Give a Hoot".   And as usual, I can't remember specifics on the paper or sentiment except that they were found in my ever-growing stash.  I made the envelope using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board (love this tool!)

Thanks for looking!