Sunday Snippets - Ruby Wedding Anniversary

A very special friend  has just celebrated her 40th/Ruby Wedding Anniversary and I wanted to make her and her hubby a card to perhaps keep so I pulled out some of the trickier and more testing techniques in my paper crafting skills and made this:

I used:

- 5" x 5" white card blank - scored then creased down the middle of one piece to form the basis for an easel card

- 5" x 5" piece of the same card for the front panel, to be added onto the easel once decorated

- Tonic satin mirror card in 'Scarlet Organza', die cut using a 5" square die from Heffy Doodle's 'Stitched Squares' set of dies  - twice, one for the card front and one for the base then set aside

- Tonic 'Silver Damask' card, trimmed to 4.75" square, twice, as before then set aside

- then dry embossed a snippet of white card using an X-Cut 'Polka Hearts' folder and set it to one side

- I know, a lot of stuff is set to one side for later but that's often the way my mind works - build up the card in my imagination, make the different pieces and then assemble it 

- time to finally make the 'shaker element' for the main card panel

- I used a die, again from Heffy Doodle's closing down sale, from their 'Stitched Hearts' set of dies to cut an aperture in a piece of set aside 'Silver Damask' card then backed it with a snippet of acetate - I used red line tape for that part

- taped right around the back of the heart aperture edge using thin foam tape

- filled the shaker 'hollow' using a mix of  Heffy Doodle 'Red Velvet' and also Lucy's Little Things 'Platinum' shaker mixes

- removed the top layer from the strips of foam tape around the back of the heart aperture and gently placed the snippet of embossed hearts card as a backing (that was only half an inch at most bigger than the shaker element) 

- then ran thin foam tape right around the edges of the shaker element panel and popped it onto the pre-die cut piece of red satin mirror card - almost finished the front panel!

- die cut the numbers 40 from the same red satin card using a set of Cuttlebug 'Olivia' dies - pre-loved by a lovely friend and now loved by me! Added the numbers to the bottom right hand corner of the front panel and put it to one side ready for later 

- then made up the red and silver damask panel for the base portion of the easel card and set that aside as well - tell you what, 'ASIDE' was getting a bit crowded by now but I had a plan!

- at this point, as it was standing room only in 'ASIDE' I added the base panel onto the easel card base using glue

- then adhered the front panel to the 'standing up' portion of the easel card  using red line tape

- needed something to prop the easel up with of course, so I die cut a 'Happy Anniversary' sentiment twice from the same red satin mirror card and layered them together, for this I used a Creative Expressions die called 'Shadowed Sentiments - Happy Anniversary' and a glue pen

- die cut the sentiment backing from vellum and adhered it to the back of the red mirror card sentiment before - once again, putting it to one side whilst I worked measurements for the actual panel for the 'prop up' portion

- decided to keep the theme of red satin mirror card and the silver damask and used a 'STAX Fishtails' die by MFT to die cut the backing layer - the height was fine and I just altered the width to suit by replacing and locking in the straight end of the 'fishtail' die before running it marginally through a die cutting machine

- gingerly trimmed down a snippet of silver damask card to match the pattern above as much as possible in order before gluing it to the red panel prop then adding the assembled sentiment to the panel

- added the whole 'prop up' panel to the card front, using thin strips of foam tape and, as always these days, a few swipes of glue stick to allow some movement upon first contact 

- and that, was it - finished! Then I lay down in a darkened room with a wet flannel over my face to recover!

I did so enjoy making this card, but the battle was between the heat and also I was running on non-prescription specs still. I always say though, I'm more of a paper and card engineer than a real artist. Which is why I do so enjoy the precision of making a card like this one - particularly when it's for someone extra special. 

Long story, best kept short about the eyes, but it appears that the optician didn't send off for the frames (ironically they're 'frameless' glasses) for a further 10 days after my appointment! I now finally have the glasses and they're great! Light as a feather and at last I can see 👀 the full benefits of cataract surgery. 

Also, on the 'up' side - I had a final check with Tom the Eye Doc and he's very pleased with the results from cataract surgery and my new prescription readings. Being blunt, he was given a bit of a sows ear to begin with, due to other vision issues, so I never expected a silk purse. He's done his utmost with massive improvements from where my sight was at and I think we got 'soft suede' and that's good enough for me! Three cheers for Tom the Eye Doc!

I'd like to enter this card into Darnell's NBUS Challenge #65 HERE

And, into the current Allsorts Challenge #795, # under the 'Anything Goes' rule.

Dudley Pupdate: Dudley has a pre-bedtime treat each evening (OK, and perhaps one or two during the day). His bedtime treat is his favourite and for years now he's done his special 'party piece' to earn it. Len shows him the treat first and says 'spin!'. And little Dudley spins repeatedly, using all four paws like a whirling dervish right across the landing from our bedroom to my craft room  doorway. Len follows him then pops the treat onto a side unit beside my desk and I give it to Dudley, with a special cuddle. His record is seven full spins - always done at great speed so that he's almost a little white spinning blur! I would so love to capture it on video so you could see him in action - that's a challenge I've now set myself!

Very importantly, the results of Challenge #486 are now published HERE. 

Do please come and play in Sarn's current challenge over in the Snippets Playground! Just scroll down from my results post - over in the Playground.

Love from myself and Dudley, xxx