Making a Birthday Card

 Hope everyone is enjoying their long holiday weekend! I thought I would take a break from my "chores", and sit down and do some blogging!  When I first started this blog earlier this spring, I didn't realize how addicting it would become!  Now that warm weather is here (and gardening and yard sales!), I need to learn how to better balance my "blog time", with all the other stuff that needs to get done!  Anyone else have that problem??!!!

I hardly ever buy greeting cards any more.  True, it's alot easier to just pick one up at the store, but I have so much fun making them, and I think the recipients appreciate the fact that I took the time to make a card just for them.  Anyway, my sister's birthday was Friday (mine was Thursday, yeah!), so I thought I would share with you the card I made for her.

To me, the hardest part about making a card is coming up with an idea.  I don't know about you ladies, but I just get a mental block when trying to decide what I want the card to look like!  And I have plenty of card making books for inspiration!  The best thing to do when that happens is head over to The Graphics Fairy.  I just love the pretty pictures that I find there!  One of my all time favorites is this sweet robin on a nest.  I knew this would make a perfect card for my sister!  The card is very easy to make.  I just made a card out of heavy card stock, and used a glue stick to add the robin image.  Oh, I cut the robin out with decorative edge scissors first, and added tan photo corners. I love that look.  Now comes the fun part of embellishing.  I used "Zots", to attach two vintage mother of pearl buttons, and a fabric flower.  I love zots!  They really are strong!  I added a bit of craft glue to the center of the flower, then added a little rhinestone.  And since you can never have too much glitter, I got out my Martha Stewart clear glitter. I first used Alene's dimensional glaze on the eggs, and a bit on the leaves, then sprinkled on the glitter.  As the final touch, I used some vintage seam binding on the left edge, and tied it in a bow.  This was the last of my seam binding, that I had found earlier this spring at an estate sale, and I soooo want to find some more!  I just love the look!  Anyway, I used my craft knife to make a small slit the width of my ribbon at the top left along the fold line.  Then I attached the ribbon to the front of the card with a zot or two, and continued it on the inside of the card, then up thru the slit, and made a bow.

Here is a closer look the finished card.  I wish that the glitter would show up better in the photo, 'cause I think it really added alot of interest.  Anyway, my sister loved the card, and I know next time I have a "mental block" when I need to make a card, I'll do one similar to this!
I am linking this project to The Graphics Fairy