Happy Birthday Wishes

ETA: Be certain to visit the CLASSroom this Monday to join in our Blog Parade - it's all about the beauty of flowers!!!

Yesterday was my Mother-in-laws 84th birthday! With each year that passes I learn to value the time we have as even more precious.

It has been "one of those" summers for our family - first my daughter Trina had pneumonia, then my DH came down with a severe case of bronchitis (he never gets sick and he was sicker than a dog this time) and then guess who ended up really sick for a couple of weeks now - LOL! Yep, me. When this happens we end up quarantining ourselves from J.J.'s mom as we know that these types of viruses can really be tough on the elderly. So yesterday, I wanted to create a special birthday card to let her know how much she is loved.

The good news is that we are all now healthy "enough" to not worry about giving her the virus we've had and so we were able to have dinner together, laugh, and talk. Mom Jane's latest project is a crazy quilt that she is working on for Maddi. We had so much fun last night discussing Maddi's favorite activities - I was able to lend a helping hand by scanning, sketching and coming up with images that will soon be embroidered on that quilt. YEAH for the little things in life that are so meaningful - they do make up for all the "yuck" that seems to happen :-D

I truly love the elegant feel of the Webster's Pages products and the 6x6 Diecut and Vellum selection is absolutely stunning. For this piece I utilized one of the die cuts, cutting it down in size and sewing it to my card base.

Next, I colored the newest Roses In the Window stamp from Karen Lockhart. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy coloring these images. As always I start with a very light Copic base color to outline the different components in the image. For today's image I selected colors that would work well with this Webster's Pages paper. I forgot to snap a photo of the colors I used, but they are in a bucket on my desk and so I will do that on Monday and add that information for those who like to know which colors I used as I worked. Our orders this month will include our thank you notes that include this image :-D I hope that you enjoy this unusual color take on this image.

 

In today's post I did snap photos that showed how I use the beautiful pearl flourishes we carry in our store. When you first look at them they take your breath away, but then you might wonder - they are so big, how can I use them?

I love that they come on a clear plastic. This allows me to position them over my project and determine placement. As you can see in the photo above I wanted to utilize the last larger pearl as the "dot" on my letter "i" in "wish". Once I have this positioned as I would like, I cut the flourish apart using my Retractable Blade knife. Simply cut through the adhesive line that holds these pearls in position and lift the pearls from the surface using the tip of the knife.

 

Gently place the pearls in the position you think will look right. By allowing the pearls to gently sit on the surface, and keeping your knife tip in place, it is easy to lift and change the position before finding a permanent spot.

 

I then use a dimensional adhesive foam square to place my focal image. This does two things - by lifting the focal point away from the surface it makes it the first thing you look at. BUT it also helps to position your paper above the pearls and allow for the extra dimension they provide. If one of my foam squares happens to fall in the same position as a pearl that may be hidden under the edge of my image I simply pick that pearl off using the tip of my Xacto blade.

 

To complete the look I couldn't resist adding some Cotton Candy Stickles to the floral buds. Oh how I wish it was easier to share the final projects with you as my photos just can't seem to capture the colors and texture as I would like them to. My hope though is that you look at the die cuts and pearls in a new way and allow yourself to just cut them up and use them in pieces. They are oh so beautiful!!! It brought such joy to my heart as I watched my MIL gently touch the surface of the card and exclaim how much she appreciated the thought and time put into it. I am so very blessed to have two wonderful women in my life - my own mom whom I love so deeply and a mother-in-law who is also so very loved and appreciated.

stamps:  Lockhart Stamps Roses in the Window and Wish

ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

paper:  Memory Box Sage Cardstock, Webster's Pages 6x6 Diecuts and Vellum pack, Neenah Solar White

accessories: Prima Light Pink Say It In Pearls, Black Silk Ribbon, Retractable Blade Knife, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Cotton Candy Stickles

Comments

[Birthday Wishes]

Inspiring cards. Great work!

[Sudha]

Beautiful work dear.

[cookie sheldon]

What a lovely project.

Yes VALUE your MIL (mine has since past but I miss her dearly). and FAMILY. My Mom iss still alive, 92 years of age, but has dementia. So I visit with her as much as possible and value any time I spend with her. Family and love are the most cherished.
Cookie Sheldon
Independent Longaberger Consultant

[Deebi27]

Geez, how much more beautiful could this card be? It's wonderful!

[Allison Priputin]

I love your art, your website, and your willingness to share your life with us -- thank you!!

Allison
Dunlap TN

[-mary]

Ellen this is exquisite - so feminine, charming and beautiful. Your eye for color and detail never disappoint me. And your creations always inspire me to try something new.

You and your MIL are both very lucky ladies. I too have a loving relationship with my MIL that I cherish, especially since I lost my own dear mother to cancer 27 years ago.

I'm happy that you and your family are recovering from your your summer of assorted illnesses. Take care of yourself and your family first - ALWAYS!

Hugs, -mary

[Mel]

I am blessed as your are - my mommy and mommy-in-law love me as much I love them.

Happy to see you're all healthy again. Hugs.

[Eileen M]

Wow, beautiful! I think the dimension really shows in your images, those tiny flowers look so real!