Happy Mother's Day

 A happy Sunday to you! In the U.S. today was Mother's Day. I know part of the world celebrates this day earlier in the year, but I would like to take this opportunity to send my admiration and hugs to all moms everywhere. As a survivor of multiple miscarriages, I always remember those women who wanted so badly to give birth but never could. I guarantee you they've been mothering anyway. And my heart also goes out to those moms who have lost children, every parent's worst nightmare, certainly mine. My heart is full today for all of you!

I always look forward to making Honey's 91-year-old mom her card, as she is my biggest card fan and a wonderful mom to both of us. This year I envisioned what I'm calling an Accordion Fold card, although I'm sure it has another name that I don't know. I used 2 pieces of Office Depot legal-sized white index stock, cutting the width of each to 6" and then scoring the first one at 6" and 12" (which leaves a 2" attachment flap), and the second one cutting the length to 12" and scoring it at 6", then I taped them together at the 2" flap. 

Here is an overhead view. All images were colored with Promarkers. All papers used were from Basic Grey's 12x12 Gypsy/Romani collection, and all were ink-distressed using VersaMagic chalk inks. Each page has either solid pink or green base mats and a second layer of patterned paper matting cut with Stamplorations 6x6 Art Deco Fairmont Nestabilities dies. 

Here's how the inside looks when opened... 

and how the outside looks opened.

Now I will take you page by page in order. My card front uses a Sheepski digi called For Mom/Mum/Mam as the focal image printed on Springhill Digital white card stock and cut with a Stamplorations Scalloped Circle Nestie die. Tiny rhinestones adorn each visible scallop. Over lapping it is a hand-stamped, heat embossed and die cut floral bouquet from Avery Elle. Then, a shortened piece of the pink patterned paper cut with the Art Deco Fairmont die a size smaller, and on the very top in the corner is a Memory Box Madeira Corner die cut twice in white card and layered on just a bit imperfectly (on purpose as I liked the look of it). The white satin ribbon was attached on the front on the mats before adding the other layers. The two little butterflies are from a Martha Stewart punch.

All images on the inside pages are from Gecko Galz, with lines from the Mother song added in PSE then printed in black and white and hand-colored by me. I cut this image with a Spellbinders Scalloped Rectangle die. 

For this image, I cut it with a Spellbinders Circle die and matted it with a paper doily that was cut using a Cheery Lynn French Pastry Doily die on some of the BG Gypsy card. 

For this image, I cut the image with a, Art Deco Fairmont Nestie a size smaller than the mat. I also created white text boxes for my song lyrics as there was no empty space on this image.

I cut this image with an even smaller Art Deco Fairmont Nestie in order to have some white space to sign the card. 

On the back of the card, I got a little artsy, using a couple of fussy-cut rose bouquets from a very old Inka's Altered Artifacts collage sheet and decorative flourishes from Spellbinders Decorative Floral Dollies set. The vertical pink piece was leftover from my mat cutting and I scored it in two places before attaching so the ribbon could slip through the back of it easily. I put a Gelatins hand-stamped and embossed punched siggie on top.

Close-ups to show the Gina Marie rhinestones that I received free in my recent order as a Thank You. They came in very handy as the color matched the flowers perfectly.

Close-up to show the heat-embossing on the hand-stamped die-cut floral bouquet...

And another overhead view.

This was another one of my organically-engineered designs (no tutorials) and thankfully it came off without a hitch. Mom loved it! Thanks for visiting and I hope we all have a great week ahead. XOX

MY CHALLENGE PLAYLIST:

1.   Gecko Galz May Blog Challenge: Secret Garden  -- I've used GG single freebie images on all interior pages of my card: MD01-300, MD03-300, MD09-300 and MD13-300.

2.   Sheepski Designs Challenge #50: Floral Dance -- #1/3  I've used Sheepski's For Mom digi on the front of my card.

3.   Double D Challenge: Flowers of the Month January-June -- #1/3  Violets on card front

4.   Outlawz Twisted Thursdays 5/6-5/19: AG + Opt Twist-First Letter of Mom's Name -- #1/2 My Mom went by her nickname Cissy but her given name was Virginia, so I've used Violets on my Card front. Used sponsor Skeepski's digi For Mom.

5.   Scrapping4Fun Challenge #191: Ladies / Mothers Day / Girls -- #2/3  

6.   Creative Sketchy Girls #59: Bingo --  I went with diagonal bottom left to upper right Butterfly, Die Cut/Punches and Ribbon

7.   MAWTT #130 for May: A Bouquet of Flowers -- #1/3  

8.   Happy Little Stampers May Anything Goes with Dies -- I used several dies as noted in post (Spellbinders, Avery Elle, Memory Box, Cheery Lynn).

9.   613 Avenue Create #5 May 2021: AG + Opt. Twist Mood Board Use any or all to inspire -- #1/8  I was inspired by the pink and green colors and the flowers and bling.  

10.  A Place to Start #5 May 2021: AG -- #2/8

11.  Gecko Galz Facebook May Color Challenge -- I used GG images on my inside pages and the color pink (and the purplish blue in center of graphic.)

12.  Try It on Tuesday: Inspired By a Song -- M-O-T-H-E-R

13.  I Love Promarkers Challenge #434: AG + Opt. Girly Card -- #2/3 Option played and everything colored with Promarkers, every page. Plus, I used a sponsor Sheepski image! ;-)

14.  ABMTTC #139: AAG  

15.  ABMTTC Xtra May Challenge: AAG  

16.  Passion for Markers Week 590: Say It With Flowers -- Promarkers used to color all images on every page; flowers used on card front

17.  Through the Craft Room Door 5/4-5/11: AAG -- #1/2

18.  Classic Design Challenge May 2021 #5: AAG

19.  Double Trouble Challenge #83: Fun Folds -- Playing Thing 1 only  

20. Cut It Up Challenge #225: Mother's Day -- #1/1  Die Cuts Used - Avery Elle Floral Bouquet, Memory Box Madera Corner, Spellbinders Scalloped Circle and Rectangle Nesties, Decorative Floral Dollies and Art Deco Fairmont Nesties.