Give a Poem a Home: Mother's Day Card 2013

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms of the world!  I made a card for my mother-in-law.  I used a technique I saw on Stamp TV by Gina K. Designs to make the background design.  I love her tutorials for the clarity of instruction.  It's just the right pace and, even when something takes a little longer to do than to explain, she offers great little tips and tidbits while she finishes the step.

My own mother passed away years ago.  When I saw this die cut butterfly by Memory Box, it called to me.  It's name is Vivienne.  That was my mother's name.  I rarely see it spelled this way.  I knew I had to have this butterfly no matter the cost and no matter how far it had to be shipped from.  (Luckily for me, I found it in province!)

So, this card is extra special to me.  It is has both my mothers in it!  Here is the poem I composed for the inside:

You are a mother, so loved, so kind.
We could search the Earth and never find
A mother quite as good as you
To raise us up and see us through.
With a smile and hug we say
Have a lovely Mother's Day!

Dragonly Get Well Card - GrandeMark Challenge Entry 2

No long ago, my eldest aunt had a minor stroke, so I had to churn out a personally hand made get well card.  She lives far away in New Brunswick.  One the one hand, she made out pretty lucky: she was at home (where healthcare coverage is readily at hand instead of in Florida helping with the grandkids) and it was on the right side of the brain (which controls creativity and the left side of the body.  The left side of the brain controls logic and speech.)  She was severely weakened and had to regain balance and strength, but her speech and logical brain functions were perfectly fine.  Losing speech and having to learn to read, write and speak all over again must be extremely frustrating for other stroke victims.  You know what you want to say or write, but it just doesn't come out right.  Thankfully, she was spared that extra stress.

I used another of my newest Accucut Craft dies on this one: Dragonfly #2.  I also used a custom made die I had done by their Custom Shape Pros.  It's one of the ovals from my Custom Locket Album die with a debossed pattern on the front.


I used a matching set of stamps from Close To My Heart.  The outside says: "Just a little prayer..." and the inside says, "... that God will keep you in his care."  I inked the oval a wee bit and I also distressed and inked the patterned paper.  I used Annabelle Stamps' icicle sprinkles to add a little twinkle.  I used the same card for a co-worker who is off for spinal surgery, since I sent the cards at the same time.

Dragon Greeting Cards

Well, I already showed you the mermaid birthday cards I made for the Kards for Kids at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.  Ever since I made them, I've been trying to design something for the boys.  Here it is!

I used a High Hopes Stamps dragon image on this one.  High Hopes is a sponsor of the Kards for Kids project.  Their current stamping challenge is to use borders.  I used my Accucut Craft Fence border die on this card and also created a fringed grass border by hand.

These were quick and simple and I really enjoyed colouring the dragon with my copics.  I used lipstick red and some brown for shading.  I lightened the wings with pink and I dotted the dragon's body with the colourless blender to give him a mottled scaly look.

Handmade Cards For the Dogs

These cards were made by my co-worker, Debbie.  She made them to donate to a local dog rescue: the Southern Ontario Animal Rescue (SOAR).  SOAR uses them in new adoption kits and on one-year adoption milestones.

Here's a birthday card with an adorable C.C. Designs bear stamp:

And a friendship card with a free-hand dog.  Debbie claims I gave this to her, but I cannot remember!  I think the little picket fence is a nice touch.

This next card we made when Sheri from Close to My Heart stamping came to teach us some techniques earlier this year.  I think it would work well as a homecoming card for a newly adopted dog.

Debbie used the sprinkles we got from Annabelle Stamps in Australia on this thank-you card.  I cannot say enough how beautiful these little baubles are!  I really like all the repetition of circles in this design.

On her last card, Debbie used a large Birthday embossing folder and inked it up.  This card is monstrously large!  It fits in a 6 x 9 (or so) envelope!  It is perfect to hold a picture of the pup.

Thanks, Debbie for your contribution to SOAR!  I'm sure your cards will bring lots of smiles to happy dog rescuers!