Hello friends!
I want to apologize for not posting this week. Everything that was going down in Boston was truly at the front of my mind. Boston is my home away from home. I went to college two towns over from Watertown. My best friend in college was from Watertown. When I graduated, I lived in Watertown for a period of time and a majority of my friends still live in the suburbs of Boston. I’ve spent countless hours in the city, both working and playing.
What happened in Boston and Watertown was horrific.
I took it personally. Boston is “my city” and I’m sure many others out there feel the same way about this historic, proud and vibrant tangle of streets, buildings and people. You don’t do this to “our city” and get away with it.
There are still more questions than answers about the events of this past week but I do know this…the people of Boston, whether they live in the city, in the suburbs, or beyond, have shown that their strength and spirit are unshakable.
Bostonians, you make me proud.
Boston Strong.
And now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, it’s time to resume our regularly scheduled lives.
Mother’s Day is coming up and instead of procrastinating like I may have done for Easter; I want to get a jump on things. I’ve been scouring the Internet for card ideas and have gathered up five that have sparked my creativity. Maybe one of them will inspire you too.
This first idea is from Laura at Scrapnextras.
I really like the idea of mixing different sized squares and rectangles and using patterned paper to break up the shapes. It’s a simple design bumped up a notch. You can take it in so many directions. Use pastel papers and accent with pearls and jewels. Use bright colors and accent with buttons, rivets and other hardware. The options are endless!
http://www.scrapnextras.com/scrapnextras/2010/05/sweet-sunday-sketch-68-happy-mothers-day.html
This example from Suzie at The Fun Times Guide to Stamping and Scrapbooking uses flower shapes that she purchased but you could certainly use a flower punch if you have one or even a small heart punch. Experiment with punching shapes out of colored paper and patterned paper to add visual interest.
http://stamping.thefuntimesguide.com/2013/04/how-to-make-a-mothers-day-card.php
It doesn’t exactly say Happy Mother’s Day on it’s own, but this design I found on Rasberry’s blog could certainly be tweaked to give it that feeling. How about pairing your mother’s favorite color for a base paper and then picking a patterned paper that incorporates that same color to accent it. You could use a patterned paper in a contrasting color to give the pinwheel some pop! And there’s nothing like a stamped Mother’s Day sentiment to finish it off.
http://rasberrycollections.typepad.com/rasberry/2009/05/pinwheel-cards.html
I think out of all the choices, this might be my favorite. The beauty of it is in the simplicity of the design. This single flower card is by Silke at Get Inky with Silke. She hand cut her felt flower and stem. I like the use of the felt for a contrast in textures but if you don’t have felt or feel comfortable with your cutting skills, you could always use a circle punch. Check out my previous post for a video that shows you how to make different flowers starting from circle here.
http://getinkywithsilke.com/2010/05/11/felt-flower-mothers-day-card/
This last example is from Elaine at ElainesCreations. She shows us how to create a flower pot card which could have so many different uses beyond a Mother’s Day card such as a Get Well card, Thinking of You Card or a shower invitation. She uses a single sheet of paper to create a pot and then a scallop punch to embellish the edge. You could skip the scallop if you don’t have that particular type of punch. She also uses a Stampin’ Up exclusive Blossom Party Sizzix die to be used with the Big Shot.
Like with the sample above, you don’t need these to complete this project. You can use flower punches or even make your own flowers using the tutorial I found in this post.
Happy Crafting!
Artsy Crafty Katy 