Birthday card for mother-in-law

Yes, it's been a busy week for crafting.... can you tell? :D

So, yesterday evening (Saturday), hubby warned me that my mother in law was coming to dinner tonight (Sunday) for her birthday. That's all the notice I was given. Then he had to go out to give a lecture for the university.

While he was gone, I realized he has been out of town, running constantly since he got back, and the chances of him having gotten either a gift or a card for his mom were pretty slim. He just hasn't had time.

I, however, had been thinking ahead. For Christmas, I thought, but I'd forgotten her birthday was this month. (For some reason, I have it stuck in my head that she's got a spring birthday...). Well, luckily, the materials I'd ordered to make her a Christmas card came in on Friday. How's that for timing?

So, I hurried and made her a quick card for her birthday instead. And, luckily, it was a hit! She's a fan of Asian art. I kept things simple and used paper from the Die Cuts With A View Far East Stack which, luckily, coordinated not just with each other, but with her tastes as well. If I'd had another afternoon, I would have fussy-cut the butterfly and branch against the outer frame instead of box-cutting it like I did, but I didn't have enough time to do that right.

Autumn arbor

This card originally was just because I had the materials and idea, then I discovered this month's Crafter's Companion challenge rules had changed. Instead of needing to use specifically a Crafter's Companion stamp, *any* obvious Crafter's Companion product qualifies. And I used Spectrum Noir markers to color. Soooo... I'm now entering it in the Crafter's Companion challenge (fall colors) for the month. :D

I used memento ink to stamp this arbor on some parchment effect paper, then cut it using a Spellbinders Fleur de lis die. (Amusingly, I wasn't sure I wanted that die when I got it, the illustration just didn't look too impressive, but now that I've got it, it's one of my favorites). I colored the stamp using my spectrum noir in fall colors (which are almost the only spectrum noir I have so far...), added a touch of chalk in the middle of the roses for texture and 'oomph', then colored the wood of the arbor and the bench using my white sakura glaze pen. Then I ran a sheet of orange glitter paper through the same Spellbinders die and used the punched pieces in the cutouts.

Fall cuts

I'll update this post with more information later (running to dinner with mother in law), but here's an entry for two challenges. Our Daily Bread Designs (a sketch challenge) and Cheery Lynn (use corner embellishments)





Edited to add materials:
Dies: cottage cutz filagree fall leaves; memory box snowflake corner die; cheery lynn mini butterlies set (one of the butterflies of the trio); spellbinders dies;
stamp: inkadinkado
Challenges: Our Daily Bread Designs
Cheery Lynn