Mother's Day - My mom

If anyone has every met my mother, they would know that I have a lot to live up to when it comes to creativity.  She is just naturally crafty, and if she sees it, she can always find a way to create it. My mother also knows that I've been dabbling in my own arts and crafts activities with making cards and couldn't wait to get her card in the mail.  Needless to say, there was little internal pressure I felt because, as with everything I have ever made, I wanted her to like it!!

I set out to Michael's to get just the right paper. And once again, I was overwhelmed by the paper aisle. It sounds silly, but you really need to know what you want when you walk in or you could spend at least an hour in this aisle playing around with color combos and never making up your mind.  I settled on a couple combo packs of thick patterned paper and ventured out to find colored buttons. Now this sounds pretty simple, but for someone who has not been in the crafting world for quite a few years, I had some trouble even finding the section.  It was kind of like finding Velveeta cheese in a grocery store you have never been in.  Every store seems to have it in a different location! Apparently, buttons are not a large enough category to get their own aisle topper, but I did find them after wandering through just about every aisle in the store with the yarn and knitting materials.  I'm just glad I live near a smaller Michael's, or this could have been a couple hour adventure. So I grabbed a couple packs of shiny bright colored buttons and off I went.

When I got home I decided that I was going to make this card 100% from scratch like the birthday card I had just made. I had purchased some wonderful thick card stock which would be perfect for the card and matching envelope! So the Wild Card cartridge came out, and I got to cutting!

I had seen a couple of cards on the Cricut Community Forum that had beautiful embossing to add dimension to the flowers. My Cuttlebug has become my new best friend (second, of course, to the Expression 2 machine). The extra little raised portions on the flowers really made each layer stand out more. Then I topped them off with little button centers.  I don't know what it is about buttons, but I've always loved the look on handmade cards!  Then for the envelope I put my newly found brad skills to work, and used a single brad for the center of that flower. All of them really turned out bright and happy, full of dimension.

Once I had the pattern and everything where I wanted it, I realized I forgot the most important thing.... "Happy Mother's Day."  Probably the most important thing when it comes to an actual Mother's Day card.  So I picked up the phone and called my coworker, or lifeline if you will.  I had no idea how to cut the letters small enough. Every time I tried with the card stock, the letters just kept ripping and I had to start over.  This would be a very valuable lesson to learn. Always ensure your words fit before you start gluing!!!!

My lifeline recommended picking up embellishments or trying my hand at vinyl.  Vinyl?? Like the decorative writing on the walls?? Yes. She really meant I could use that material.  I had no idea! So off to the craft store I go!  Three packs of vinyl later, I am ready to go.  To make a long story short, embellishments would have been the easy way to go. I apparently know no such road, and spent 3 more hours playing with the vinyl, watching tutorials on how to cut it, and finally getting my words onto the card. Again, tweezers were my best friend!!

After all of that effort I finally was able to mail the card.  But I didn't have the heart to let the envelope get dirty. So I went to the post office, got a bubble lined envelope and mailed it out USPS priority. Yeah, a little overboard. But I wanted my mom to get the full effect of the card. Envelope included!! And yes, she loved it! I told her when I come to visit that I better see it on her refrigerator. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm joking, and in a way I am, but there is always that inner first grader in all of us that wants to see our hard work and creativity on mom's fridge. That's just part of being a daughter.