(Stinkin' cute!) Hoyt's 2nd Birthday card

Yesterday was my lil grandson, Hoyt's, 2nd birthday and he was TRULY & TOTALLY ADORABLE!! My mom (great-grandma) and I sat together and laughed through the entire gift-opening event. OOOH MY GOSH!! The only word that comes to mind which somewhat describes the lil guy's reaction to every-single-gift is "DELIGHTED!" Hoyt is normally reserved -- almost stoic. And, he was still QUIET and IN-CONTROL, but when he unwrapped his packages, his face expressed -- yes, it's the only word that will suffice -- DELIGHT!! His eyes crinkled...his mouth had either the BIGGEST grin OR formed a perfect "OH!!!" of excitement and glee!! Mom and I agreed that we'd seen LOTS of lil birthday boys and girls throughout the years, but NONE who sweetly responded to EVERY gift, one-after-the-other! I'm grinning, just thinking about it.

Grandpa and I got Hoyt a Little Tikes basketball and goal (and some Nerf shooters -- he's ALL boy) and I used a "basketball theme" on his card, which features a Hugware clipart bear purchased a few years ago -- and a black & white basketball goal graphic that I dug-up from my digi files. The sentiments were made with PrintMaster software, the numeral two made with a PTI die from paper that I hand-striped, and my Sizzix balloon die got more action for the inside. The basketballs on the balloon were digis from my files that I cut-out with a 1 3/8" circle punch -- perfect size. The "wish" sentiment was made with a stamp. All very clean and direct -- no muss/no fuss -- just like lil Hoyt.

I had no envelopes large enough for the card, so I used some checked paper and made one using this tutorial as a guide (scroll down the page).

a THANK YOU card

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to present a workshop at a childcare conference (even though I am no longer in the childcare field) and last week, I received a gratuity in the mail.

Today's card is to express my appreciation for the speaking invitation and the gift, as well as the assistance I received when setting-up for my presentations. Since it must be sent via the U.S. Postal Service, I kept the card relatively flat and kept frou-frou to a minimum, as well.

I used a premade card base and added PTI die-cuts and stamping, along with a vinyl-covered border sticker. Yep, it-will-do. (grin)

BIRTHDAY CARD FOR MOM

My mom (and her mom before her) is a Fourth of July baby! Most of the cards that I have made her through the years have had a patriotic theme, so I wanted to do something DIFFERENT this year.

Making this year's card was a BLAST! I love kraft card stock, so used that as my card base and stamped dots at the top, middle, and bottom with PTI Vintage Cream ink on an Inkadinkadoo stamp.

Coordinating dsp panels were distressed and adhered and a fiber border added. A scrunched flower, made from pages of an old children's book, was adhered at the top of the card. The S.U.! "Happy Birthday" sentiment was stamped with "Bordering Blue" S.U.! ink, punched out, and adhered with S.U.! Dimensionals.

A Nestabilities die was used to cut the frame on the inside of the card, which was wrapped with red and white baker's twine. A shipping tag was trimmed and used as a spot for my personal message, which had to be written before the card could be assembled. (Explains why I didn't photo the inside of the card before writing my mom's message.) Three self-stick chocolate brown "gems" were added on the bottom to complete the inside.

Jer has a birthday on July 03, so I have to "get with the program" and get him a card made right away! And, I must make a baby shower card for my daughter, Moriah...a FIRST birthday card for my grandson, Hoyt...and a requested paper bag mini-album for my soon-to-be-born grandson, Preston! Whew!! Good thing that I do better creating while under pressure!

Be back soon with a masculine card!

MASCULINE Birthday Card for Son who will be TWENTY!

OOOH, MY GOODNESS! I cannot...repeat...CANNOT believe that my Colson will be TWENTY YEARS OLD on Monday!!! I am determined not to get all "mushy," about it, here, but...sniff...

Here are the details of how I made his MANLY card:

I wanted to use tools from my supplies that I'd not, yet, used -- not a tough call, since MOST of my tools haven't been put to work.

I cut three pages from a wallpaper book that I'd been given. One page looks like leather, so I used it with my PTI "Tabbed MiniBook Page" die to create covers for an attached-to-card booklet. Inside, "dusty peach" pages were embossed with a Sizzix "notebook" folder and trimmed to fit. For fun, I jotted down notes on the pages that give a few details of Colson's life and "likes." The booklet covers and pages were distressed with ink and with a distresser tool to rough 'em up a little.

The front of the booklet was decorated with both wallpaper and card stock die-cuts made with PTI "Mat Stack 1," "Mat Stack 2," and "Numbers" dies. Twine was wrapped around the front cover to provide a bit of fiber to the card.

A strip of wallpaper was adhered to the bottom of the card front and a card stock banner was stamped, hand-cut, and adhered atop it.

Distressed card stock and a layered wallpaper strip were adhered to the inside of the card for Colson's dad and my messages.

Next, will be to bake him my OH, SO SPECIAL yellow cake with chocolate-mocha frosting!! (Colson likes my cake EVEN MORE than my handmade cards!)