Happy 111th Birthday - That's a Milestone Birthday Card!

My grandfather (who is preparing to celebrate his 96th birthday at the beginning of October, Lord willing) recently heard about Lawrence Brooks who will celebrate his 111th birthday soon.  Both my grandfather and Mr. Brooks are World War II vets and my grandfather wanted to send him a birthday card as requested in this news article.  My grandfather wondered if I had a special card? 

I, of course, did not have a card specifically to celebrate 111 years or the birthday of one with such a history.  So, I decided (with a little inspiration from my bestie, Brandy) to get out my Spellbinders May 2019 Large Die of the Month and make this special card for my grandfather to send to Mr. Brooks.  The background was created with my Brusho watercolor crystals and I think it simply makes this card!  I handmade the flag (forgive my wobbly hand, but I thought it made the card a little special) and the sentiment at the bottom was using my Simon Says Stamp Tilted Banners stamps and dies.  I hope Mr. Brooks knows how special he is! I definitely know how special my grandfather is to me.

Cards From the Stash - What?!

I guess the quarantine has made me rifle through my stash of stuff and I actually found these two cards - well the pieces to these two cards.  I think they must have been a card class or freebie giveaways at some point, but I didn't put them together.  So I decide - hey why waste perfectly good cards.

I can see from a design standpoint how card making has changed and how card making has stayed the same over the years.  I'm guessing this stuff is about a decade old.

 

Still, pretty enough to share and so, there you go.  Two cards from the stash making a flashback post.

Difficult Times and Making a Sympathy Card

I know that sympathy cards are difficult to make when the need arises.  So, I made this card using my The Greetery Caring Cross stamp and die accented with the Pretty Postmarks leaves stamp and die.  The Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxides create a somber pallette.  I'm pleased with how the card turned out and will hope that it can bless whomever ultimately receives this card.

A Real Secret and Swinking

It is no secret that I adore the digital images by Ann Corbiere Scott Designs.  They have a style that fits well with my own.  These florals are from the Debbie printable that I resized to make multiples for a card front.  The images were fussy cut out after coloring with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  I decided to use the swinking technique from Laurel Beard as a backdrop and I'll have to agree with her - it is addictive! I even swinked the sentiment on these first two cards... addictive.  I think I may need someone to restrain me...

This last card was made using florals from the Lucinda digital print.  I also resized these and fussy cut out after coloring with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  What do you think of my swinking?

Using up a Scrapbook From the Stash - More Vintage Photo Layouts

Probably almost a decade ago I attended a Close to My Heart class where I assembled many parts of this scrapbook.  It sat in the stash, without pictures for that entire time.  I purchased matching patterned papers and die cut embellishments with the thought that I would finish the album with pictures.  That never happened... until now, Ms. Superlative!

I had bunches of photos from my grandma after she passed.  They, too, sat in the stash for the past two years or so.  This album became the perfect marriage of get-r-done.  I'm so pleased and think that this works well as an album.

 

I inserted this mini-waterfall album at the back to add some scenic/repetitive photos as a place to store them as well.  All in all, I feel like the quarantine has allowed me to kick the butt of some of these projects that have sat languishing...