It's a Girl!!

At least that's what the ultrasound says about the baby that my girlfriend's daughter is having very soon now. Her baby shower is tomorrow, and my two girlfriends and I are putting are money together to help her buy the most awesome crib/changing table/dresser/bassinet/washer/dryer/oven...well, maybe not the last couple, but it is definitely multipurpose-grows with the child-minimum space taking furniture ever made!

So my girlfriend asked me to make a card for the baby shower, and I love the presentation that a tri-fold shutter card makes.  Here's how the front of the card looks like open.  I had just organized my collection of stickers, so I pulled out my folders of baby and flower stickers, all leftover from previous projects!  Then I reached for the folder labeled sentiments and got a few baby words.

Then I found a beautiful quote online about how a mother carries a baby in her womb for nine months, in her arms for three years and forever in her heart.  I printed it up, diecut it with my Nestabilities Lacy Scallops die and adhered it onto the card.
I finished the card with leftover jewels, pearls, flowers, then doodled with my Sakura white gel pen and finally inked the edges.
So, I have good news and bad news:  The good news is that I'm going to a super fun crop all day tomorrow.  The bad news is that because of the crop, I can't go to the baby shower!!  So I won't get to see all the cute gifties she'll get for her baby girl, but I know she'll love the card.

A Little Fairy Gratitude Goes a Long Way

I went to sleep last night with a Tim Holtz Distressing Technique Book in my hands.  I snagged it at a garage sale last weekend for a buck and boy, am I glad I got it!  I don't normally do the big "distressing, collage, more is better" kind of style, but...


closed card

 I woke up with this idea for a card.  I used to make a lot of trifold shutter cards, but hadn't lately, so that was the base for my "experiment".  I knew I wanted to use one of my Fairy stamps from Crafter's Companion.  AND I wanted to try out my new Crafter's Companion Ultimate Tool for all that scoring and folding and cutting involved.  With all those ideas in mind, I begin to build, and I mean BUILD, my card into what you see here.  The scoring, cutting and folding was a BREEZE using my Ultimate Tool.  If you don't have one, you can use a ScorPal, but it is so much easier to have everything at your fingertips! After selecting patterned papers from my leftover stash, which I promised myself I would cut in half by end of year, I ransacked my desk, my cubbies, my drawers, my tins--anywhere I could remember putting small embellie leftovers.
I colored my Fairy, which is from the Fairyopolis Fall Collection, (coordinating colors with my papers), using COpics: E00,08,35; Y15; YR07,61; YG03; G94 & RV00.  I also used Apricot and Butter Zig brushables. 

I used Stickles on her wings and dots of Liquid Glass on the fruit on the branches and in her hand to make my fairy shimmer.  I also added a mix of colors of Flower Soft to the "vegetation" in her hair (see close-up).

I had found some lace at our church's rummage sale this summer, and got quite a haul of different colors and designs for my money.  I distressed the cream colored lace with Brown ink and attached it to the front panel of my card, then adhered my fairy image onto it with dimensional dots.  I also had to use adhesive Dots so that the image would stick and stay stuck to the lace!

Okay, using the ideas mighty Tim gave me in his book, I started adding (and taking away) tiny embellishments--jewels, buttons, bows, leaves, fibers, clips, etc--onto the many faces of my card.  I even stamed a few sparkly stars here and there, then added Gold Pearl Ex for a subtle glow.

I printed the sentiment "Thank you fairy much" on my computer, adhered it, and then took a deep breath and stepped back.  I don't think it's too awful for my first attempt at "throwing everything but the kitchen sink onto a card" technique.  I actually kind of like it!!  It's a nice way to usher in Autumn, although I'm probably a little too early (but hopeful for some cooler weather).

I like this card because it is a Thank you card and I'm always in need of them, the design lets me stand it up for a 3 dimensional display, and Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog has a new challenge for August, and I will be entering this in their new challenge.  The challenge runs through the end of the month, and everyone is welcome to come and play in it!