My friend and former co-worker's birthday falls right after Christmas, and here is another example of missing birthday cards due to my loss of creative mojo during Covid! This year, I was determined to make a card for her after an 18 mos. hit & miss hiatus brought on by Covid! It was definitely time to get out of my funk after missing two birthday cards!
We worked together as a team for 13 years in my role as the elementary school office manager and she as the student registrar. A favorite fun things we looked forward to each year was welcoming our new little kindergarteners with their smiling, happy little faces and cute antics.
With this in mind, I thought she would really enjoy a kindergarten art easel shape for her birthday card. I remembered an easel template that I've had in my stash for several years, but it was smaller than I wanted as I prefer cards that are 4-3/4 x 6-inches. Before getting started, I enlarged the template dimensions, and I finihsed searching through my Splitcoaststampers Challenge Make-Up List. I found 11 challenges that worked for this card, which are listed below:
1) AOCC21 - All Occasions Card Challenge/ December 2021. An ongoing/monthly challenge encourages you to set goals ahead for each month to help you complete and mail your cards more timely! This is a much needed December birthday card for a long-time friend and retired co-worker.
2) USEIT2021 - Use It Challenge - December 2021. An ongoing/ annual challenge that requires you to use OLD/ DUSTY and long unused items and/or OLD/NEW items purchased, never used, and seemingly forgotten! My OLD & retired item(s): 2013 retired Floral Fusion Sizzlit die, 2014 stamp set (Yippee Skippee), 2014-2016 Banner punch, 2015-2017 BG stamp (Hardwood), and retired cardstock colors.
3) S2S21JUL - Stamp 2 Save (aka Stamp 2 Support One Another) Challenge/ Flags & Banners - 7/5/21. I have made a swag banner for my little easel.
4) ABC15F6 - Alphabet Challenge/ Faux Anything - 6/9/21. My card is showing faux woodgrain, with a faux-built wood easel card shape.
5) WORD0321 - Fan Club Monthly Theme--March 2021/ Squared Away - 3/15/21. Challenge: Show off the humble square...square images, square cards...anything with a square. My card hosts a square chalkboard easel frame with two legs. My card is for the Word Challenge. To incorporate elements in your card that start with each letter in CUBE. C=cardstock, chalkboard; U=uppercase letters; B=banner, birthday, bloom, blue; E=easel shape.
6) IC755 - Inspiration Challenge/ A Cottage in the City - 5/23/20. I found this item for inspiration: Weathered Wood Double Sided Chalkboard Easel! I replicated the look of an actual art/ chalkboard easel and shape.
7) FS676 - Featured Stamper Challenge/ I've Got the Idea (aka Maria P.) - 1/19/20. Maria has a lovely gallery with lots of sweet cards, many of which host Paper Sweeties. My sister was on the Paper Sweeties design team soon after it opened. This is the card I chose to CASE: Back to School!. It features a wood-framed blackboard easel, which was instrumental in reminding me of my chalkboard easel in my template stash for my friend's card. I kept the school theme and easel idea, but with a birthday twist, and I made a wood-framed easel shaped card. My colors, design, etc. are all different to fit my easel template.
MIX358 - Mix-Ability Challenge/ Let's Get Serious - 12/6/19. Pick someone who needs remembering and make something unique for that person. My person is a long-time friend and co-worker who has not had a birthday card from me during all of Covid! Our dinner get-togethers have been cancelled as well. We worked at an elementary school together and always enjoyed the new kindergarteners each year! A special birthday card for her in the shape of an art easel that are always found in the kindergarten classrooms! Mediums: dye-based stamping ink, pigment ink (ink-edge distressing), solvent-based ink (Staz-On).
9) WT748 - Ways to Use It Challenge/ Tents to You - 7/11/19. In honor of camping, make a tent card...one with a fold at the top (there are many styles/ tutorials) or put a tent image on your card. My card is a tent top card...one with a top fold, but it is also an art easel shape.
10) MMTPT597 - Teapot Challenge/ Creatively Yours - 9/4/l8. Make an easel card or feature an easel image on your card. My card is shaped like an art/ chalkboard easel. As I'm late to the party, my card is for a long-time, neglected friend, who has not had a birthday card from me for two years!
11) CAS492 - Clean & Simple Challenge/ It's Elementary, my dear Watson - 7/30/18. Show a back-to-school theme. My card is a art-easel shape...something always found in kindergarten classrooms.
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Splitcoast Challenge Host Proud Fan Club Member
Registered: April 11, 2016 Location: Posts: 30054
Sun, Jan 09, 2022 @ 4:53 PM
I love this card and made some last year. My DIL loved hers. Great for a teacher. Your faux wood grain is superb. Happy day.
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Registered: October 12, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 70592
Sun, Jan 09, 2022 @ 8:08 PM
Fantastic! Love the chalkboard easel. The wood-grain looks amazing. Love the banner, flowers and the sentiment. This card was worth the wait. Glad you have your mojo flowing again!
Registered: April 3, 2007 Location: In a state of oblivion.... Posts: 14120
Tue, Jan 11, 2022 @ 8:13 AM
What a wonderfully personalized card for your friend. Love the easel shape. I spent several years as an aide in a Kindergarten classroom - art is a big deal!
------------------------------ Heather ...... My Gallery You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." Ralph Waldo Emerson Founding Member of the Punchkateerz - "You don't have to be crazy to be one of us, but it sure helps."