For my Grandma!

My grandmother is turning 80 this summer - a huge milestone birthday. My mom asked me to make her birthday invitations (you'll see those tomorrow!) and to create an extra-special card for her to give. I am so thrilled with how it turned out:

Supplies: Memory Box dies; AC Thickers numbers; corsage pins (Michaels) and beads; Bazzill cardstock; Pearl Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels); lace, seam binding, misc. gems; Cuttlebug embossing folder

When it was assembled, I misted it with 4 shots of Pearl Glimmer Mist - it adds just a touch of shimmer, and even if it gets a little 'blotchy' in spots it doesn't overwhelm the design. 

Beaded pins are all the rage, of course - but they aren't hard to make. These beads & end caps were left over from a Christmas ornament project I did a couple of years ago. 

The die cuts flowers with a gap between the 4th and 5th petals, so that you can create a bloom with dimension. I fold each petal roughly in half lengthwise, and then bend the end of the petal (you can see this really well on the pink & dark aqua flowers in the above pic). After all the mangling, dab some strong glue (Tombow mono works great) and join the petals together. Same thing with the centres - they are cut in a solid piece, but I bend up the edges, and glue them just by the very centre. 

A card like this is extremely heavy for paper - and of course you don't want to have pin ends and other bits showing on the inside. I've used very heavy card stock for my card base (I usually use 110 lb - this is easily  twice that thickness. Very stiff & hard to score - it needs to be weighted down overnight to hold the fold properly.) I have also created the design on a separate piece of card - cut just slightly smaller than the 5.5" base. The lace is wrapped around this & taped at the back. The pins are pushed through & the sharp ends secured at the back. Once I was completely finished with the design, I used strips of foam tape to secure the panel to the base - this gives space for the bulky items poking through to lay flat, and I find foam tape also helps to strengthen the entire card - you KNOW people leave these sorts of cards out on display for a while! You don't want them to fall over :)

AND, a card like this needs a box:

The ribbon is American Crafts, and the chipboard flourishes are from Fancy Pants (cut apart).

To create the box, I cut my usual card stock to 8.5" square. Score at 1" on every side, cut flaps, and assemble. For the base of the box, cut card stock to 8.25" square, score at 1" on each side. There's the perfect amount of room inside to add some tissue paper.

I didn't have a long enough piece of seam binding to tie the entire box, so I used a different ribbon, and tied the same 2 colours of seam binding around the bow to draw the box together with the card.

Have you subscribed to the latest Let's Get Trendy Now? They are always full of fabulous ideas for the latest trends - and this time is no exception! I cannot WAIT to play along with each challenge. This particular card is so very perfect for playing along with the Handmade Embellishments challenge - I've created the flowers & the pins :) And better yet? I've created a card that my grandmother is going to adore. Now how am I going to top this for the one from me.....hmmm..... :)

Speaking of my grandmother, I do have one more picture in this post for you - a picture of her & her family at about age 11. At the same age, I was her spitting image - to the point where people coming to the house would see it and ask if it was me, and where did we get it done!

My grandmother is standing behind shy girl in white :)

And in this photo, she's in red! Five generations in one photo - the baby is Connor, who's now 14, I'm holding him. There's my mom, and my grandmother, and my great-grandfather as well. 

OK! Enough pictures for one day :) You know  there will be more!
Thanks so much for letting me share with all of you!
xoxo,
Jessi