Mother's Day Card with a "Taste of Summer"

Spring has finally sprung here in Southeastern Pennsylvania after what seemed to be the endless winter. Trees are in bud and blossom, and yes, the daffodils and crocuses have popped. The azaleas will be in full bloom right in time for Mother's Day.  And then we know spring is over and summer is right around the corner.

This year, a few days after the Sunday holiday, I am thrilled to be visiting my Mom and Dad in Naples, Florida.  Life and 1200 miles between us have made the interim between physical visits far too long.  I'll mail this card I've made for Mom so it arrives on time:

The style of this card is called a "Tri-Fold Shutter Card". Its intricate cut/fold makes it a bit more interesting and fun to display.  I used Close To My Heart's new line of "Taste of Summer" paper that will be available May 1-31, in honor of National Scrapbooking Month.  I used my Silhouette Cameo (with files from the Silhouette Online Store) to cut the bee and both sentiments; I had the daisies made and in my stash.  The bee pops up on an action spring also from CTMH. 

If you too would like your Taste of Summer papers (shown above, in the lower right of the picture) and its complementing stamp set (also pictured), please don't hesitate to contact me at cardmonkey@comcast.net.  Pre-orders are being accepted, so contact me today.

Mama Mia Blog Hop - Honoring our Moms

Welcome to the Mama Mia Blog Hop

We are here to honor and cherish our Moms this weekend the best way us crafters know how, with a blog hop showcasing some amazing projects either for a special mom or about a special mom in our lives.. We hope that our projects will show Moms everywhere just how special they are to us all.

 

I am the second stop on this fun Hop, so if you are just joining me here and wish to start at the beginning,

Connie Can Crop is the first stop on this Blog Hop.

This is a one day blog hop and we appreciate your leaving a comment for all of these talented friends who are here sharing their ideas and creations. 

 

We have an awesome sponsor and giveaway for this hop!

Please be sure to visit their site at http://pinkandmain.com/, and their Blog at http://pinkandmainblog.com/shop

Pink & Main has graciously donated this adorable Super Mom themed Stamp Set as our blog candy.

So what do you need to do to win? Easy... become  a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a comment letting them know what you like best about their projects. Then stop by our sponsor's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pinkandmain and give her a "Like."  You will have until 12:00 am Monday to finish the hop and leave your comments.  Winners will be announced on Wednesday at Connie Can Crop.

 

This is my gorgeous Mom, Dot, in a picture taken at a most memorable occasion -- the wedding of my daughter, Emily. Believe it or not, in this picture in 2010, my Mom was 80 and I think totally stunning.

 

Just a few months after this picture, Mom had a massive brain stem stroke and the prognosis was grim. The four of us kids flew to Tampa General Hospital where she was on life support. Much as we couldn't bear to see her in that state, we also were not ready to give up on her.

 

We agreed to try an experimental surgery where the doctors implanted a cardiac stent (narrow but straight) into her twisting but fully clogged basilar artery. The stent didn't deploy as it should, but the skillful work of the surgeons was enough to restore blood flow to the brain stem.

 

Mom's recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. Where most doctors thought she would die, she lived. Where they surmised she would be vegetative or severely compro-ised, she has rehabbed back to greater than 100%!  This is Mom today (left), just last week at the Country Club with Dad, in Naples, FL.  Standing, walking without assistance, driving, beading, fully cognitive and conversant -- loving!  I am TRULY blessed to still have both of my parents alive and well, living happily in their 62nd year of marriage!

 

Mom deserves so much more than I can give her or make her, but here is the card I made for her to celebrate her 60th year of Motherhood:

 

To make this card, I followed a template that I developed to cut the base on a paper trimmer. I share it here, for your personal use:

 

 

For the papers, I used Close To My Heart's Ivy Lane collection. I trimmed the flowers by hand, from the paper, and adhered them to the center support ("strut") using glue on acetate. I also stamped the sentiments on Bamboo paper, using CTMH Cranberry ink. The stamp set is called "Perfect Fit - Mom" (# C1543, $13.95).  The small dark red carnations are made from mulberry paper by Wild Orchid Crafts.

 

I hope you enjoy the Pop Up cards as much as I like making them. They're really not difficult to do, and offer a great deal of pizzazz!

 

Now, back to the Hop you go!

 

Up next is ALICIA at Golden Goddess Designs.

Here is our complete line up in case you get lost along the way:

 

1. Connie- http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com

2. Ellen/Cardmonkey- http://cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com {YOU ARE HERE}

3. Alicia- http://goldengoddessdesigns.blogspot.com {GO HERE NEXT}

4. Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/

5. Sarah - www.sarahbiswabic.blogspot.com

6. Gina - http://californiascrappin-gcinderella21.blogspot.com/

7. Elizabeth - www.ejoym.blogspot.com

8. Melanie - http://afternoonscrapper.blogspot.com/

9. Angela - www.crazy3monkeys.blogspot.com

10. Esther - http://forthejoyofcreating.blogspot.com

11. Jessica -  www.craftinandstampin.blogspot.com

12. Lori - http://www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/

13. Diane - http://thehappyscrapbooker.blogspot.com/

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Card for Mother's Day - Silhouette file

Mothers' Day is coming in just 2 weeks. Have you started your card yet?

Here is one that I made and will be sending to my beautiful mother.
To make it, I used my Silhouette Cameo. I purchased the card file, ($0.99) which included the beautiful floral image, sentiment and card -- everything.
 

That's Mom in the center, me on the right. My daughter
Emily on the left, and Charlotte in the center.

I then modified the file slightly to re-cut just the flowers in ice pink, the stamens in yellow, and the card background in blue.

First I cut the main card in sage green Core'dinations card stock. The background is pale blue, also Core'dinations. I adhered the cut file front to the front of the blue paper. Then I added the re-cut flowers to the card.

Prior to assembling, I inked the edges of the flowers in Versamark light pink ink, and used a new-for-2012 color "Tuscan Orange" (E27) Copic marker to mark the petals' notches, giving them a more realistic look. For the stamens, I also colored the centers with the E27, as well as Maize (Y35), and dotted with a fine line Sharpie in the true center. I then burnished the flowers and stamens using my Paper Bunch flower kit, to soften and give dimension to them. A circle of glue (I like Martha Stewart's fine line glue applicator) at the petals' center edges and stamen root, and I'm done!

Cameo Update: In case you're wondering, I haven't had a whole lot of time to play with my Cameo yet, but my early assessment is that it's wonderful!!!!  I love how smooth and detailed the tiniest cuts are, and the files are plentiful and easy to search and use.  The mat has just the right amount of sticky -- holds the paper snuggly yet allows for safe and easy removal of those small cuts.  Two thumbs up!!!