It was my next door neighbour's 50th Birthday a few days ago. Due to the Covid-19 situation the holiday abroad for her birthday was cancelled and the planned big party had to be downgraded to immediate family BBQ so her birthday wasn't quite the celebration it was intended. I made a special card for her that opens out like a big star.
The base of the card is 7 A6 gold card blanks that I stuck together to make it strong. The front and back were split at the seam and a piece of wide gold ribbon was used to bind the edges. The card is decorated on all sides and can be opened out to display like a star. (In hindsight I think it would have been better with an even number of pages, I will remember that for next time!)
The front section is decorated with a sentiment that came from an old Papermania paper pack. This has been distressed with an ink pad and glitter glue added to the spots. I added a little 3d sticker cupcake from a Forever Friends kit and a little vellum and bead butterfly sticker I had floating around without a home. A few months ago I picked up some foam silver glitter letters and numbers from Poundland for this project and they feature throughout the card.
Many of the elements that I used were coloured a long time ago. I have a flip photograph album that I keep stamped images that I have coloured ready to add to a relevant project. When I have had issues with mental health in the past I found I could not actually make cards. I feel a little bit of me goes into everything I make and don't like to pass the darkness on. Art therapy is important to me and I able to colour, that has kept me occupied in some of my darkest times. It's weird now actually using some of these as I almost cannot remember being so depressed. I've come a long way since then :)
For this section I used a rubber stamped image Cheesecake Wish from Penny Black. This was coloured in with Twinkling H20's and Stickles glitter glue added to the floating seeds. I matted the image onto black card.
The sentiment was perfect for this as it is traditional to make a wish when you blow the seeds of a dandelion head. I added a scrap of co-ordinating paper and some of the foam glitter letters.
For this next section I recycled some elements that I had received in a card some years ago. I simply added some of the glitter number stickers and used a ultrafine Sharpie pen to write the 'th'
This section is made using a card front that was made from a forum swap a good few years ago. We used to make them and swap them round so people could use them to make quick cards. I never could bring myself to use it as it came so often would use elements from it to use in a different way. I trimmed some of the paper to use on the opposite side and added some pearls to the border and some glitter to the hat.
The cake is an old digistamp from Pink Petticoat and was coloured with Promarkers in brown and pink to co-ordinate. The foiled sentiment has been recycled from a shop bought card.
The stamped image is Birthday Dog from Penny Black and has been coloured with pencils. I matted this and the sentiment onto red card and used the remaining scrap of black paper used earlier as it co-ordinated so well with the die.
The die is Birthday Cake from Crafter's Companion. A lady was selling a load of dies in a de-stash group on Facebook and I loved how unusual & graphic it is. I am always on the lookout for things that will work well on male cards and snapped it up. Considering how intricate it is it cuts perfectly. I added a red gel pen to the candle 'flames', some more of the glitter letters and an epoxy domed sticker I have had for years.
Both the image and sentiment on this section have been recycled from a handmade card I received. I simply matted onto gold and black card.
The champagne shaker bottle is a stamp and die combo Prosecco Celebration from Crafter's Companion. I have used tiny silver star sequins for the majority of the shaker element and some gold champagnes glass sequins. I added more of the glitter stickers for the 50 and some gem bubbles. The champagne cork has been cut 4 times and layered. I added some thin wire to emulate the basket you get to hold the cork in the bottle. Both sentiments are included in this set.
This last full section includes a digital stamp Stella Birthday One More Candle from Bugaboo Stamps. This was coloured a long time ago with Promarkers. It's quite interesting to see how much my colouring skills have improved since then. I added an epoxy sticker sentiment and a digi banner that was coloured to match.
The Forever Friends is a decoupage sticker, added to a scrap of paper and I distressed the edge with a black ink pad to match the candle on the sentiment that is from a Hot Off the Press Birthday Sentiments pad.
The back section has a free digistamp from Kates Crafty Corner. The blog has not been updated for some time but there are some useful freebies over there so worth a visit.
This is the gift box that I have packed it into. I lined it with some metallic gold tissue paper.
I gave Sarah a beautiful David Austin rose Wisley 2008 as I wanted her to have something she could watch growing year after year. I know she loves roses and the DA ones are particularly good. We bought a 25th Anniversary one for them a couple of years ago and this year the flowers from it are huge, it is growing really well and healthy.
She remarked how the fragrance from keeping it indoors overnight was gorgeous. I particularly chose it for the fragrance so I'm glad she liked it too. I think it is such a shame when they look pretty but don't have a fragrance.
If you have read to the end I thank you from the bottom of my heart and you probably deserve an award!
The whole point of this card was what I love most about handmade cards, to make something unique and personal for the recipient. This is the biggest project I have made for some time and Sarah loved it which is the most important thing to me.
Card Details -
Size - 7 x A6 Cards to make a star shape
Rubber Stamps - Cheesecake Wish & Birthday Dog by Penny Black,
Digital Stamps - Stella Birthday One More Candle by Bugaboo Stamps, Sentiment by Kates Crafty Corner, Cake from Pink Petticoat (retired ranges)
Dies - Birthday Cake & Prosecco Celebration by Gemini/Crafter's Companion
Colouring Mediums - Pencils, Twinkling H20's, Promarkers
Embellishments - Gems, Epoxy stickers, sequins, glitter glue, glitter number & letter stickers from Poundland
I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order)
