Birthday Box

Yesterday was my husband's birthday, and I wasn't there to spend it with him........again!!!

It is a slight problem that Stampin' Up! schedule a catalogue and product release around Remembrance Day in November, every single year. Even last year, when the event was in Melbourne, my home town, I was away all day and too tired to have the family over till the next day. Poor man, and even worse for him this year as I have headed away to Orlando Florida to join 7000 other American and International demonstrators for the 30th Anniversary celebrations. I think I might even have been at Disneyland on his actual birthday!!!

I tried to go all-out with a card to take his breath away and tried out this fun-fold card using a piece of 12" X 12" card. It is strategically scored and sliced. and each of the square panels can be decorated - both sides.

 Many stamp sets were inked up to decorate this card, and funnily enough, I have practically made it under his nose. "You are the best" and the lovely brackets are from A Big Thank You. The signpost is from En Route and the other two panels stamped on this side of the card are Ribbon Of Courage.

This is the main side of the card, and it begins with the Happy Birthday Thinlit (#143700 - $35), a very effective and easy to use decoration, making a big statement. Large Numbers thinlits are no longer available unfortunately, but maybe there will be something to replace them soon?

Picture Perfect Birthday is a stamp set with some very useful sentiments in it, and I really like 'happiest of birthdays to you' and use it a lot. "You make me smile" is from Colorful Seasons and the 'every single day' is part of another sentiment from En Route.

Best Route suite has been a real winner for me and you can check out the full range on page 53 of the Annual Catalogue. I bought the Memories and More card pack to scrapbook my trip to the USA, but I have actually used some in birthday cards, a thank you card (and there are stickers for these included in the pack). There is a small card and two stickers on the belly band of the box I made to hold this card. The Best Route designer series paper is equally good for many types of card also, such bold, contrasting colours.

If you need supplies to keep your creating happening, you will find my online shop open 24/7. If your purchase is $250.00 or more , you will earn Host dollars to spend on your choice of products from current catalogues, including the exclusive Host stamp sets. If your order is less, you can use the Host Code below, and become a part of my online party, where we all share the bonus dollars. You will receive at least a pack of rhinestones for an order over $60, and go into the draw for an exclusive shopping bag for orders of $100.

6R93M92B

Thank You

When I ordered the Best Route paper and En Route stamp set, I also added the Memories and More cards. "You're The Best" is actually a sticker from the Memories & More Cards. I promised to share the Thank you card (using more stickers) I made for the travel agent who arranged the trip to the States for my travel buddy in Adelaide and me.

The planes background is the Best Route paper, the blue stripe and square 'thank you' are stickers from the Memories and More cards, and a very simple design to show off the products.

On the inside I've stamped a couple of images from En Route stamp set, it seems a perfect way to say thank you for arranging a trip to the USA without me ever setting foot in the office!

You can shop for paper, stamps or ink at any time with me, by using the Online Shop. Add the host code, and there'll be extra gifts in the mail when I get back. Order more than $100 using the Host code and you'll go into the draw for  one of these exclusive shopping bags.

6R93M92B

Birthday Boys

The end of September, beginning of October has always been a crazy time in our family, but a little less crazy nowadays - I don't have to make birthday cakes for my five sons! My husband and I were married in September, number 2 son arrived 28th September, luckily #3 was July, but #4 arrived 8 years after #2, on October 6th so that made for too much cake, too close together. 

Happy birthday for your recent birthdays, boys! Mr 39 has received the somewhat subdued shirt-style card.I was actually thrilled with how it turned out, and you can place money or a gift card in the shirt pocket. I loved the pattern on the Best Route DSP (designer series paper) and using Pocketful Of Sunshine to stamp and diecut the pocket, plus to stamp stitching down the shirt front really tickled my fancy. I had just enough of the retired metal buttons for this project, but I will order the Galvanised buttons on page 13 of the Holiday catalogue as I feel they may be similar.

There is a die in Pocketful Of Sunshine dies that is a half -circle, for a sun in a pocket, and I cut the tee-shirt neck with that, before hand drawing the ribbing. This is such an appropriate card for Jake as on Father's Day (early September in Australia) we were talking about hand-me-downs and homemade clothing. I reminded Jake how he used to order specific items of clothing, including picking out the fabrics with me.That's how he had one-of-a-kind MC Hammer pants!!! I used to sew all my kids clothes including shirts and even suits when they were young. Much easier to just put together a paper shirt!

Both cards are finished off inside in the same way, except Will has the train included, because he catches trains to get around town. The pair of stamps on the inside are from Perennial Birthday, and they are go-to stamps for any birthdays. That stamp set is a Stampin' Up!® suggested stamp set to begin your collection with and I totally agree with that suggestion.

I had a bit more trouble coming up with a card for Will, turning 31. He is an active member of the Melbourne Parkour community, who headed to Sydney recently for a gathering, so I settled on the plane DSP from Best Route. That was before I found out it was a road trip!!!

When I ordered the Best Route paper and En Route stamp set, I also added the Memories and More cards. "You're The Best" is actually a sticker from the Memories & More Cards, and later this month I'll share the Thank you card (using more stickers) I made for the travel agent who arranged the trip to the States for my travel buddy in Adelaide and me.

They will come in very handy when I scrapbook our big adventure I think. So many of the cards seem very appropriate for our first trip to the USA, for both Kathryn and me. We are feeling very brave planning it and travelling independently.

Let me know if I can help you find your crafting solutions, or browse my Online Shop at your convenience.

RJN76UGK