Wishing You the Happiest. . . .Merry Christmas

Happy Monday before Christmas!  The big day is only hours away, and I want to take this opportunity to wish you the happiest Christmas ever!

This last minute card uses a family photo and a special memento to decorate it's cover.  The background paper is from the Graphics 45 -12 Days of Christmas paper pack, and is centered on an A2 size red card stock base. The scanned photo is matted with a large tag from the Prima Co. then highlighted around the edges with Wild Honey Distress Ink from Tim Holtz and Ranger.  After mounting the photo onto the background, I cut a thin slit in the fold of the card and ran a 3/8" sheer organza ribbon around the front of the card, and tied it in a lovely bow.  To complete the card, I added an embellishment of a Toys for Tots medal from the United States Marine Corps, backed with a punched scalloped circle. The greeting, "wishing you the happiest. . . " is from a My Favorite Things clear stamp set, along with the "Merry Christmas" stamp used inside.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

Card Full of Dreams

Today's card represents a "Card Full of Dreams".  A friend of mine has always dreamed of owning his own business. When I found this package of stickers that I had purchased back in my "scrapbooking days", I figured now was a good time to send him a little encouragement about his "field of Dreams."

To start with, I took a sheet of 12 X 12 scrap book paper from the PinkPaislee Portfolio line of papers, and cut a 4 1/2" X 11" strip of paper for my A2 (4 1/2X 5 1/2) size card background. After folding it in half, lengthwise, as I mentioned before, found this package of Vintage Peel & Stick Labels that I had purchased back in the days when I was making scrapbooks. The label was from the vintage Country Company Collection from Melissa Frances, and was a picture of a storefront named the Porter Bakery.  I hunted through my pages of printed vintage photos and came across a piece of a photo, a small boy standing in a doorway, that fit perfectly in the doorway of the bakery. After gluing the photo into the doorway, I cut out three numbers from a scrap of scrapbook paper and adhered them to the awning of the bakery.

To finish off the front of the card, I added a strip of polka dot ribbon with a scrap tied in a knot, and then added a key tag to the knot with the word  "Dream" punched out of paper and attached to the tag.

I hope you have enjoyed this very simple and quick card that can be used to remind a friend to "Follow their Dreams". Without dreams there would be nothing to look forward to in our lives. Have a Great Day!

Mindy

Happy Mother's Day to Mothers everywhere!

Here is a card I submitted to a challenge on the Paper Wings Productions blog.paper-wings-productions.blogspot.com/ It was for their Flight Plan Challenge 002.

Using large chipboard letters, I traced around the letters; M-O-M and then using my x-acto knife cut out the excess paper to leave just the letters as the front flap of the card. I then inked around each letter with an Old Paper Distressed Ink Pad and blending tool from Tim Holtz. Then using one of Post Script Press' framer stamp sets from Paper Wings, I stamped out several frames from card stock and cut each one out. 

 The interior of the card, I covered in a scrap of printed scrapbook paper and added several strips of decorative ribbon, knowing it would show through between the letters. I then picked out photos to go behind the frames, and labeled the frames with "me", "you", and "us", "2012".  The small word stamps are included in the sets with the frame. I situated the frames on the outside of the card, covering my "Happy Mother's Day" message inside. To top it off I tied a simple bow on the top of the first "M".

When you make this card for other occasions, you have to concentrate completely when tracing your letters on the reverse side of the front flap. You have to remember to mirror image your letters in reverse order or your word may not come out correctly. "Mom" is easy because it is spelled correctly front-to back, and back-to-front. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there!