Happy Birthday (by the numbers)

My father-in-law turned 78 yesterday and we got together with some of the family for a nice birthday dinner.  I think it is fun to make cards with the exact age sometimes - particularly since you can usually only buy them with ages that end in a "5" or "0."  When you are young, you are always "going on" the next age and a card with the exact number seems special.  For much of your adult life, the number isn't as big a deal and then when you are getting older, you start to brag again.  I remember my Grandmother who was 89 when she died but would always tell people she was "in my 90th year!"

I used Cardstock from this DCWV "Cotton Bloom" stack.  This was a recent find at Marshall's for just $5.99 for 48 sheets.  I am not sure when this stack came out but I suspect it was a couple of years ago.  If you check the DCWV blog, Erin posts the Ultimate Stack List from time to time as new stacks are issued.  I found a listing for "Cotton Blossoms" as a Michael's exclusive - eventually the exclusives appear for sale elsewhere (I am guessing that this is the same stack since the name is so close...). 

I decided to use part of this striped sheet for the card.  I like the plaid for a man's card and I thought the elegant gold swirls and green would make a nice overall effect.  I usually cut layers for a card front but this time I simply cut a piece at 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches to completely cover the card front.

I chose to use the dotted striped with the zig-zag edge as the top of the card so I trimmed the cardstock along that line and then cut 4 1/4 inches below in the green section.  Designs in stacks often have edges that are slightly darker (to look "inked") and I don't like to work from the edge and have one side that looks different than the other.  Since the sheet is 12 inches across and I need only 5 1/2 inches to cover the card front, I can shift the cut over to avoid the "inked' edge.  In this case, I trimmed 1/2 inch from the left side to create my card cover.

I cut the numbers for the age with my Sizzix "Fun Serif" dies that I have had for years.  I sometimes think of getting rid of these because they do take up an entire drawer but I find that I still use them for quick and easy individual letters and numbers.  The green glittered cardstock is also from the Cotton Bloom stack.  I backed the number with a circle cut from Core'dinations cardstock with the Nestabilities "pinking circle"  dies.  I used these to match the top pinking edge on the card.  I used Scor-Tape to adhere the ribbon (from my stash, I bought it many years ago when we lived in Germany) to the pinked circle and then used foam dots to adhere the circle to the card.

I stamped the sentiment on the front and then went over the letters with a Sakura Stardust Clear Jelly Roll pen.

 
On the inside of the card, I added a pocket for a gift card.  I cut a strip of the same blue Core'dinations cardstock and used the Martha Stewart "Arched Lattice" border punch on the top edge.  I chose this punch because it also has a "pinked" top edge.  I put Scor-Tape on the sides and bottom of the cardstock and placed it on the back of the top flap of the card.  If you make sure the fit is a little snug, the card should stay in even though it will be upside down when the card is folded.  The sentiment is a Studio G stamp from Michael's.

Remember that 1/2 inch strip I trimmed from the striped paper?  I used it to decorate the envelope.  I also used a strip of the same blue Core'dinations cardstock and cut the letters from the same green glitter cardstock as the number inside.  Pretty coordinated, eh?!

The card was a hit with Dad - here is a father and son photo (in case you couldn't just tell by looking!).

Here are the card and envelope together - a birthday "ensemble" to make a nice presentation for the gift card inside.

There may be a bit of a break in the weather today - it poured most of Saturday.  We'll be finishing the painting and trying to move some things in to the apartment so we have fingers crossed for some breaks in the weather!  I hope  you are having a nice weekend.

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*Scor-Tape 1/8"" Crafting Tape

*Sakura Stardust CLEAR GLITTER PENS Sparkle Accent

*Martha Stewart ARCH LATTICE Edge Punch Edger M284018

*DCWV Cardstock 12 x 12 COTTON BLOOM Stack Paper Printed

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