Birthday Wonkies

Well, you know how nice and crisp and lovely a shaped card can be?  I love getting out my bigger dies and cutting shapes and making them into smaller sized greetings.

So, I made this--

This card was made with a Spellbinder's set called Jar Labels, which was a very generous gift from my friend Michelle Woerner, and Grommet Tags, also by Spellbinders.  The papers are from Basic Gray's Boxer collection, and the sentiment stamps are an old favorite from Stampendous, called Everything Happy.  Teeny-tiny words that are just lovely!

So, I am of the school that says you don't let the cut off part of a die cut show, so I cut a full piece to use as the card front.  You can see the fold on the back, but who cares about that?

I think this is a rather handsome card, even if it is small--as I'm typing this, it looks like the photo is just a tiny bit bigger than the actual card. 

Of course, you notice right away that the point on the bottom makes it so the card can't really sit on it's edge very well, at least, not without a bit of wonky factor.  Solution- Give the card AFTER a couple of Happy Birthday cocktails.  No one will EVER know the difference!

Thanks for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard

It Must Be Spring, Because The Birthdays Are Upon Us

In our family, we have gluts of birthdays--March/April, then August (mine's the third, so's you know), then late October/early November.  It seems a wild whirlwind getting everyone on the list taken care of, and you STILL have to remember all the people who fall into those off times.  My side of the family is happy with a card (and a check for the children--who are now NOT children at all, but still stay on the payroll), but Charlie's side is BIG on birthdays.  Your birthday is your own personal holiday!

Luckily, lately, it's been my side of the family.  My much younger brother Chet had his birthday this month.

I made him this--

Chet is 20 (Oh. Em. Gee.).  I was going with young and bright, yet gender neutral enough for a twenty year old man.  Twenty.  Sheesh, I am old.  Yeah, I am just over 30 years older.  My dad is a wild man.  There are two more brothers beneath him, too!

ANYWAY--

I used a Papertrey Ink movers and shakers die and stamps for this card.  See the little zipper thing there?

Here's a close-up--

Under the zip strip it says, "a birthday as awesome as you are!"
I hope he finds the thing.  I AM sure he'll find the check.  He IS a twenty year old guy, after all... BEEN there!

Thanks for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard

A Couple of Cards, and The BEST DAY EVER

I am recently back from a trip to Key West, Florida!  We managed to do our yearly trip to a warm place at winter's end, and I am so glad we were able to go.  We had great weather, great food, and met some lovely people.  I love a good vacation!

Well, as I said, I am back, sharing some cards I made a few weeks ago, using a die cut and its inverse.

First, I made this--

I love this paper combination.  I am pretty sure these are all Crate Paper papers.  (I gotta start keeping some notes!) I am digging the combination of graphics and florals here.  I think using the big stripe, medium graphic, and tiny floral makes it all work.  If they were all the same scale, they would compete with one another.
The leaf die is from Sizzix, and the little flower is as well, I think. 
The "thankful" is on foam tape, and I attached the leaves only in spots, to give some movement.
This is a happy card, I think.

The second one looks like this--

I liked this floral paper so much, I had to make a second card with it.  I actually cut through the card base on this one, and managed to do it well enough that the two lined up with minimal trimming!
I die cut a blue word as well, and mounted it on foam tape.  It's a tricky, tight squeeze getting it all to work, but I think it's okay.  The hearts are on foam tape as well.

The inside--(I NEVER am able to take good photos of my card interiors for some reason...)--

So, there's the cards.

Now for some news!

I got MARRIED!

Yes, after almost 24 years together, Charlie and I managed to get hitched! 

We took full advantage of Michigan law being changed (some 15 hours earlier) that allowed us to get married, and we were among the first 100 couples in the state to rush to our County Clerk Lisa Brown for our marriage license.

Well, we got it, and got married right then and there.  We couldn't believe we were doing it; so quickly that we couldn't even call anyone to join us!

We then made lots of calls, saw some friends, went out to lunch, then went and bought some wedding rings.   You do stuff out of order when you're running to get things while the getting is good!

Looks like that Key West trip was the honeymoon--also out of order!

We've spent the last few days getting used to calling each other "husband."  Boy, I'll never get sick of THAT word, let me tell you.  I am smiling as I write this, just thinking about it.

So, that's my story. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard
(A Married Man)

These Rules Were Made for Breaking (And That's Just What I'll Do)

Do you all remember that crazy rant I had about masculine cards and how much I hated "dusty blue" as a color for anything?  Well, you can check it out HERE, and then you can see the follow-up post with the colorful men's cards HERE.

 

ANYWAY--

 

I bought some leaf dies by Tim Holtz, and I was trying them out on some text paper.  I colored them with inks and daubers, and then ran them through some embossing folders and re inked them.  Cool dies, GREAT size.

 

Then it was time to make a card.  AAAAAAAAAAAAnd, I liked this plaid.  I did.  I REALLY liked it.  I paired it with some other papers, with other colors, with other patterns, and I came up with a card. 

 

I made this--

 

Well, I'll be damned if that isn't DUSTY BLUE.  Both on the plaid, and on the more navy colored leaves.  I was so taken in by the other colors (and that rather feisty blue in the tiny leaves) to really notice until I was just about done. 

 

I LOVE the gold and the red in the plaid.  and the gold turning up again in the patterned strip in the middle there.  I think (my memory is going) that the big blue leaves may have been punched from the same paper as the plaid, but from the reverse side, but don't hold me to that.

 

I like how the brown patterned paper speaks to the leaf shapes, too.  And, I really love how those teeny, tiny leaves just POP.

 

So, this is me, eating my words about Dusty Blue.  Like most any color, it's what it's paired with and how it's used that really makes or breaks it.

 

Let's not get used to seeing posts of this ilk, shall we??  Especially since I LIKE this card.  Maybe we can just call it more "denim", and less "dusty?" 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

All Best-

Richard