Friday, October 19, 2012

Imagine the Possibilities, Megan!!

It time for Megan's birthday.  She's in eighth grade this year.  Yeah, where does the time go?  Eighth grade was one of my absolute favorites*, and from the photos that I saw of her birthday party, I think it just may be one of Megan's favorites too.

This card had to be pretty creative because Megan is a very artistic girl.  She is always drawing and painting and working on projects.  She has this crazy, cool room that she has painted herself - and each wall is a different color.  First, you have to understand that she has 12 walls, or something like that.  When I said it was a crazy room, I really meant it!!  Anyway, the paint job is awesome, and the room is filled with her artwork.

So, I tried to channel my inner eighth-grader, which is not that hard for me, as I'm not very grown up!!  I challenged myself to only use stamps from two sets: Live Out Loud S1207  (Stamp of the Month from last July, but I wouldn't be surprised if they bring it back; they do that sometimes.) and Love Life D1482.  This is what I came up with:

I had to make it a 5" X 7" to contain all the creativity!!

I tried to make it very colorful and use a lot of stamps!!


I forgot to take a photo of the inside of the card after I finished it.  It has the Live Out LOUD stamped in Lagoon, and then embossed.  The LOUD font is open, so I was able to use the water brush and paint it with Smoothie ink.  I really liked the effect. Wish I photographed it!!

Now on to the box.  This was great fun!!  (Get yourself one and go crazy!!)  Using the same two stamp sets, plus card stock in Lagoon, Smoothie, Sweet Leaf and Sunset, and a bit of Dotty For You (can't forget matching bling), this is how it turned out:



I used Mod Podge over the entire box this time.  I just now Googled "Mod Podge" and it's been around since 1967, so I am right when I remember first using it in third grade (1969) to make a Mother's Day vase out of a glass coke bottle and torn up pieces of tissue paper. The smell of Mod Podge always takes me back to Mrs. Pyle's classroom, and makes me happy!!


Megan really doesn't need any help imagining the possibilities, but I think we can all use a reminder now and again.


This is the stamp that is in the inside of Megan's card.


I may have gotten a little carried away with the Sparkles!!  They come in Blue/Green Red/Pink/Purple, Brown/TansBlack/Grey and Clear.


I really like how this front turned out.  It looks nice when open, and when closed.  I only sparkled the bottom so as not to interfere with the magnet closure.  (I love magnets!! Just ask my kids, and they'll roll their eyes!)

No cards for Megan.  I thought that she'd rather have money.  She can decide what belongs in the box.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEGAN!!  May all your Birthdays be as exciting as this one!!
Lots of Love from your Uncle Andy, Auntie Karen, Lisa, Will and Tom

*Eighth Grade Mom Stories:  A lot of people think that eighth grade is special because you are the "top of the heap."  I was lucky to be the top of the heap in fifth grade, sixth grade, and eight grade!!  Yes, my elementary school was only K-5, so then we were transferred to a K-6 for one year, and then on to Jr. High.

I must say, that I also loved 7th grade, once I got over the fear of Mr. Cezak, our Band Director.  In my first flute sectional, I didn't have enough spit in my mouth to talk, let alone play.  I was terrified from everything I had heard about him.  None of it was exaggeration either!!  But, I must say, he was a softy deep, deep down, and he did turn out a FIRST RATE band - there's no doubt about that!!  At competitions everyone would whisper about the band in the red coats.  We all stood taller.

Once, at "States," we started to play The 1812 Overture, I was in 7th grade, I think, because I remember this from the center of the first row (and in 8th grade I was first chair so I would have been right in front.)  We started to play, but were only eight or twelve measures in, and Mr. Cezak heard noises from outside the gymnasium.  He stopped us.  Stormed out and yelled at whoever was causing the distraction, telling them that a competition was going on (which they darn well knew).  Meanwhile, we were dumbstruck.  Our director just stopped us as we started our final piece in a competition. We also knew what those kids were experiencing in the hall, because we had all been on the receiving end of his wrath.

Mr. Cezak returned to the podium, and started us again - somehow conveying to us that all of the work we had put into this moment was worth being listened to without a distraction.  He hadn't lost his temper.  He had done that for us.  I don't know if he said something, or if it was with a look, but we knew.  We had a different confidence when we began again.  We were proud of ourselves and proud of our director.  We loved Mr. Cezak!!

I guess I'll talk about 8th grade some other time!!  ;)


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