**insert Prince's "Baby I'm A Star" music here**

Here it is...the.very.first.item created for this year's holiday collection at Reverie Creations...and it's August!!  

I'm a last minute kind of girl...always have been, and to think that I've actually started on my holiday inventory before November is remarkable.  Especially given how little time I have during the summer with the girls home.  But here it is...

A perfectly shabby holiday card in my favorite color combo - teal blues and reds.

The paper is BoBunny and Graphic 45...machine stitched together and distressed with Tim Holtz distressing inks in Antique Linen and Tumbled Glass.  The holiday berry sprig is Petaloo, with tulle and a designer button.

The design is based on Mojo Monday's tall&skinny sketch challenge #360.

Available in my Etsy shop along with a variety of NEW items for every occasion.

..."baby I'm a star.  You might not know it now, baby yes I are....I'm a star".

M.

August Traditions

August has been a blur of checking off lists and making last minute summer memories...following traditions we camped, school shopped, beached it and ate it (Family lobster cook-out).  I've spent the entire month running, so I'm especially thankful we're wrapping it up on Sunday with my Dad's traditional breakfast birthday party.  My sister and I bring the kids over at 9:30am for coffee, bakery fresh donuts and home.made.from.scratch German chocolate cake (my Dad's favorite!).  My Mom loves to bake (she's an artist really) so she has each of us choose what type of cake we'd like on our birthdays. It's a tradition I've loved since I was a kid.

I make birthday cards every year for my little family.  I enjoy designing them specific to each member, and the process reminds me of my great Bampa.  He used to draw his own cards, and I loved watching and listening to him tell the story created with each pen stroke.  

This is the card I created for my Dad's 65th birthday.

It's design is based on the tall & skinny sketch over at Mojo Monday's, 

and the inspiration came from a photograph of a father's bare feet with his daughter's.

I printed it on a "precious" piece of vintage graph paper (from my late Bampa's hoarded stash).  It makes the image personal and vintage-y.  I also painted over it with a fine crackle finish for that old photograph feel.  The chipboard frame is K&Company that I painted, crackled, distressed and stained just to make it look 'non-pretty' (my Madison's gentle way with words).

Vintage shabby perfection, in my opinion.

Then I loaded it up with everything that reminded me of all those incredible father-daughter moments we shared....a game tile, paperclip, vintage button, a bit of rusted screen, a metal sprig of leaves, a clock, a key, film strips, and a vintage slide.  The paper is DCWV and Colorbok that I hand stamped (Prima-Brick Wall is my favorite!) and clear embossed (the stars) for added texture and to balance out the grid paper.

Honestly, it could be indiscriminate black crayon on printer paper and my Dad would love it.  He cherishes tradition and has taught me the same.  I adore him for the man he is and for the person he's helped me to become.  

Happy birthday Daddy.

Have a wonderful day!

M.

UPDATE

I posted yesterday about a card inspired by my Mom's kindness and based on this week's sketch challenge over at Mojo Monday's.  In looking at the photos, it occurred to me that something was missing...too much of the same color?...not enough texture?...too big of an empty space in the middle?  I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it just didn't seem finished to me.  It happens...more often than not, and so I made some changes.

Before:

After:  

 I added some glitter to the 'white' in the spiral background as well as a sprig of metal leaves.

I'm happy with it now.  What do you think?  Was I on the mark or just being picky?  

Have a wonderful day, my friends!

M.

Kindness

You'll never believe it, but I'm telling you the truth....the proof is in the card (and this early post)!









I had a couple hours to myself the other day because my lovely mother took the girls school shopping. Guess what I did?

I hopped on over to Mojo Monday's and played a little with their weekly sketch challenge #357.  

My mother's kindness was inspiration for the design.  It's not nearly enough thank you though. Purchasing school clothes for three GIRLS (two are teens!) isn't an easy feat nor is it cheap.  My Mom helping lifts a lot of the financial strain on my little family this time of year.  

The paper is mostly Prima as is the resin bird and pearls.  Some crinkle seam binding, a vintage button and Webster's Pages and K&Company journaling cards finish it off.  You can purchase this card in my Etsy shop:  Reverie Creations.

Kindness goes a long way,

M.

Heart & Soul

It's been a busy week...

I created a couple of cards (listed for sale in my Etsy shop) based on the sketch over at Mojo Monday's.  I'm really loving this size...tall & skinny.  It's a lot smaller than the size I typically use for the cards designed for Reverie Creations, but I think it offers my customers a variety.  Same quality but smaller in scale; therefore, less cost.

I used quite a bit of my vintage stash for both cards.  This first one has vintage lace, and the flower is fashioned out of stained vintage atlas pages.  The center of the flower is a painted mini bell...left over from a holiday project.  

This is the first time I've used Prima's chalkboard cards.  I really love the feel they add to a project.  BTW the leaves of the flower were created using a paperclip.

I have to admit to loving this next card a lot.

The washi tape, crinkle seam binding and coloring are repeated, but I found this distressed metal piece in my stash and HAD to use it.  It's proportions worked perfectly on this tall & skinny size (3.5" x 5.5").

The 'heart & soul' metal sentiment tag is by Making Memories.

I typically leave the inside blank for personal messages, but because I used DCWV's Silky Smooth card stock in black I had to add a space for writing.  Both these cards fit into a standard envelope.

I was also asked to design and create a custom card by my very first customer on Fiverr.com (a site where you can enlist just about any thing - product or service - for $5.00).  I joined in hopes that it might generate some additional income during the slow summer months.

Her son is turning 4 and LOVES Superman.

Addressed and signed by Superman with a 'badge' for the birthday boy.

I hope it's a hit with Caleb.  I often wish I could see the reactions my creations give others since I put so much of myself into each one...my heart & soul.

Find some time for yourself today,

M.