Valentine Countdown: Day 12

Inspiration

One of my favorite creative efforts is “made to order” cards – my customer provides a favorite color or hobby, and I create a card specifically for the recipient. When their eyes widen, and the smile bursts onto their faces, I know I’ve hit the target and that is the greatest reward for me.  Today and tomorrow, I’ll show you a couple of special-order Valentines I made for customers.  On Valentine's Day, I’ll post the creations I’ve made for my husband (I have to hold out until then, so he won’t get a hint!)

This one is a Valentine created for a friend who is a newly-wed (only a few months!).  She asked for something for her husband that used something from the text read at their ceremony.   I designed a card that could be it’s own envelope – it folds over, and is held shut with a small set of magnetic snaps.  But I always like to decorate a matching envelope for such a special day.

My friend sent me two quotations, and I picked out a sentences describing a couple as “two balloons” from a  Richard Bach excerpt (close up of text is below).  I used this heart-shaped balloon stamp, one in each color and drew the strings entwined below them.  The lower panel is blank, so she can add her own special message.

The text is printed from the computer using Microsoft Word 2007.  The text box comes with the pretty brackets, so I used them to create a frame for the quotation.

 

BTW - I realize I’ve shown you lots of cards in pink and brown – I promise tomorrow we go back to RED RED RED!

Ingredients

CARDSTOCK: Base: Very Vanilla (SU!); Trim: Close to Cocoa (SU!)

STAMPS: CARD: Rose (Hero Arts), Sentiment from Holidays & Wishes (SU!), Balloon (Stampendous).  ENVELOPE: Rose (Hero Arts), sentiment from Short & Sweet (SU!)

INK: Pink Pirouette (SU!), Close to Cocoa (SU!)

ACCESSORIES: Make up sponges, Threading Water border punch (Fiskars), stitched ribbon (Michaels), Hodgepodge Hardware (SU!), Magnetic Snaps (Basic Grey), Close to Cocoa marker (SU!), Computer, inkjet printer, scissors, Rotary trimmer with straight straight blade (Fiskars), redline double-sided adhesive, ATG with ¼” adhesive (Scotch)

Instructions

BASE CARD:  Cut a piece of vanilla cardstock to measure 5 1/2” x 10”, and score it twice – once at 4 1/4” and once at 8 1/2”.  Fold on the score lines to make a tri-fold card.  Use the border punch on the long edge of the top panel of the card.  Using the a make up sponge, rub pink ink around the edges of the top panel in a circular motion to create a soft blush on the card.  Then do the same with brown ink on the lower panel that will be facing forward.

BROWN TRIM: Cut a strip of brown paper measuring 1 1/2” x 5 1/2”.  Adhere the brown strip under the front panel of the base card, leaving a small edge showing beneath the punched scallops.

QUOTATION: Print the quotation on vanilla cardstock, and trim it closely.  Adhere it to a piece of brown cardstock and trim it to show a narrow brown border around the quote.

IMAGES: OUTSIDE: Stamp the sentiment in brown in the lower right corner of the front panel just inside the brown edge.  After inking the rose with brown ink, stamp it once on scrap paper, then stamp it on the top panel.  This “stamp off” technique produces a lighter image than the fully inked stamp.  INSIDE: Stamp a balloon in pink, then one in brown next to one another on the left of the inside panel, leaving space for the quotation to be mounted.  Draw string on the balloons using the brown marker.

FINAL CARD ASSEMBLY: OK!  Slip the hardware buckle onto the ribbon, then adhere the ribbon around outside of the card, about an inch in from the left of the card.  The ribbon I used has a little give to it, so the card still folds easily.  Attach the quotation inside next to the balloons.  Finally attach the magnets to the inside of the top flap and the front of the card as a closure.  Hint: The adhesive on the back of the magnets was not too strong – I peeled it off and used tiny squares of redline adhesive instead.

ENVELOPE  I’m guessing you can see how the envelope was made to match: 1) sponge pink and brown on 2 edges, 2) using the stamp-off technique, add the rose, 3) finish up with the sentiment below the rose.

Thanks for stopping by & be sure to check back each day for a new Valentine!