Suggestion Box Genius

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!

Yesterday, I posted a card I made for my dad's birthday. I felt it was missing "something". So, I put that thought in my blog post yesterday. One of my artsy friends (JanR) suggested I add a diecut airplane flying above. (I really do treasure the comments y'all leave me).

She's brilliant. BRILLIANT, I tell ya.

That is EXACTLY what it needed.

Being as I didn't have a diecut airplane...I made my own in Photoshop. I even added a little Mickey pilot! After I did my magic in Photoshop, I printed it out on kraft cardstock and colored it in with my Prismacolor pencils. Then, I added a banner in-tow (via a piece of black craft wire) and I magically suspended it over my card using a bit of strategically-placed acetate.

Oh...and the weird "glare" effect on the "Happy" letters is crystal lacquer. It's also on the ears of the little Mickey "wings" on the right. For some reason, the glossiness really reflected today.

You can't even see the acetate up close! (it's between the wing and upper edge of the card).

Thank you, JanR, for your AWESOME POSSUM suggestion.

Plugging Away

Well, I still feel craptastic. But, somehow, I managed to get another project done before I crawl back to bed. This card is for my dad's birthday (which, to come clean, was awhile ago...better late than never). A little background: He likes Mickey Mouse, and he was a pilot. So, I put them together to produce this wonderfully-complex card. I had to do something worthy of him turning 3/4 of a century old. Somehow, I feel like it's not quite finished...but I can't put my finger on what else it needs. Any suggestions?

I found the image of Mickey somewhere online. I crafted the pilot wings in Photoshop using of the head of another image. I printed out the images on Kraft cardstock and colored them with my Prismacolor pencils in sepia tones (sort of). The base of the whole shegang is the 3-D Accordion Album by Karen Burniston (Sizzix). I'm loving this die.

Here is a closeup of Mickey. Looking at it now, it kinda looks like he is sporting a 5-o'clock shadow. Hahahaha. That's appropriate for a weather-beaten pilot, dontcha think?

Ingredients:

3-D Accordion Album and Bracket Label dies - Karen Burniston for Sizzix

Stencil Numbers die - Sizzix

Riveted metal embossing folder - Sizzix

Cargo letter dies - Spellbinders

Scallop edge punch - Martha Stewart for EK Success

Patterned Paper - My Mind's Eye and others

Gems - Studio 112

Old Photo Distressing Ink - Ranger

Prismacolor Pencils

Twill

star brads - Creative Impressions

clear lacquer

Healing Humor

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!

I sat down yesterday and made a list of all the projects I have to get finished before I leave on a trip to Colorado in a couple of weeks.

Aye carumba.

Well I totaled it all up...I have 15 projects to get done. That's roughly one per day until I leave.

MOJO, DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

Today's creative task was to make a get well soon card for my uncle, Hanes. He is in the hospital following an "outpatient" procedure that didn't quite go as planned. After which, he spent several days as a guest in the ICU. He's now out of ICU and, in all hopes, will be strong enough to come home soon.

A note about my uncle: he has a very wry sense of humor. He's a funny guy...but his humor is often overshadowed by his quiet demeanor. He wrote one of my all-time favorite limericks (which I'll share now).

Ahem ...

There was a man of many devises
who had ears of two different sizes...
the one that was small
was of no use at all...
but the large one won several prizes.

I giggle every time I recite it.

So, in honor of my subtly-humorous uncle (whom I call "unka"), I made him this get well soon card -- complete with an original limerick by yours truly.

My limerick (if you can't read it on the card) goes like this:

Ahem ...

There once was a man named Hanes.
His legs were giving him pains.
To the hospital he went.
They put in a stent...
to bypass the kinks in his veins.

The inside of the card reads:  "Hope you are back in circulation soon!"

It is FRAUGHT with medical double entendre!!! FRAUGHT, I tell you!

Get well, Unka!!

Ingredients:
Image - Ron Leishman
Lacy Oval die - Spellbinders
patterned paper - My Minds Eye
Prismacolor colored pencils
cardstock

Circle of Life

My brother-in-law recently lost his mom. Although it was expected, and they had known it was time...it's still difficult to say good-bye. Her name was Mary. She had 18 children, 42 grandchildren, dozens of great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. That's impressive. What's even more impressive is that she sent birthday cards to every single one of them...faithfully...year after year. Amazing.

I know my brother-in-law is hurting. I wish I could reach out to him and comfort him because that's my nature.

But, I can't.

There is a giant rift between us, fueled by his hatred for me. Deep-seated loathing because (years ago) I suggested that perhaps he and my sister would be happier were they not together. They have had a tumultuous, unkind, and destructive relationship pretty much from the beginning. I so want for them both to  lead happy, healthy lives...but separately, not together. Over the years, he's effectively ostracized me from his family...from his children...from my sister. I can forgive him for this...but I will never forget. I've tried to make amends in the past (several times) -- to no avail. But now, I've pretty much given up trying to fix things between us. I've accepted the fact that our relationship is irrevocably ... broken.

Despite all this, I decided I really need to send a condolence card. I refuse to let his feelings and behaviors dictate how I act (or don't). So, I made this card specifically for him...even though I'm addressing it to him, my sister, and my nephews.

Life is short.

I made the background panel by applying drops of alcohol ink directly to watercolor paper which I die cut into shape. I cut the olive inner frame from white cardstock which I hand-inked in the same manner. I adhered the frame to a piece of transparency film and then adhered the tree and heart diecuts on top of the transparency. I used foam tape to raise this whole assemblage off the background piece.

Ingredients:
Majestic labels (Sizzix Framelits)
Tree die (Memory Box)
heart die (Sizzix Framelits - Princess)
embossing folders (Cuttlebug)
alcohol ink (Ranger)
ribbon
cardstock
watercolor paper
transparency film

Bombshell Hop for April

April Hump Day Hop: Color Challenge

Hidy Ho, crafty peeps!


It's the last Wednesday of the month, so that means it's HOP time over at Bombshell Stamps Blog!! Sadly, I'm not participating in this month's hop. But, I wanted to make sure y'all knew about it so you could go looky-loo at the loverly projects from the design team!!


This month's challenge is a color-scheme challenge. Here is the palette:

The "rules" for this hop are that you have to use at least 3 colors from this palette! That's it.

Here is a list of all the hop participants!! Be sure to hop on by and leave little love notes along the way!

Bombshell Blog: http://bombshellstamps.blogspot.com/

Alison: http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/

Kim: www.craftypinkanchor.blogspot.com

Kelli: http://www.cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com

Jodi: http://www.elamdesign33.blogspot.com/

Marnie: http://www.papertivity.blogspot.com

Kapree: http://kc-consultant.blogspot.com/

Monika: http://paperchrome.blogspot.com/

Alaine: http://missalaineousmosaics.blogspot.com/

Glittery Katie: http://ferrishyn-frontier.blogspot.com/

Kathi: http://kathstales.blogspot.com
Susie: http://whiteribboncards.blogspot.co.uk/