'In the pink' at 80

It's my step-mum's 80th birthday next week, she loves pink roses and her name is Pearl:

When I saw that this weeks challenge over at Make My Monday is a 'Birthday card with pearls' (they are the birthstone for June, and of course roses are June's flower too), everything sort of fell into place for my step-mum's card as well as a resulting card to enter into the challenge.

Mind you using the Dufex card and decoupage was a nightmare - it's very unforgiving if you aren't really careful when handling it.

I used:

- 6" x 6" square white card stock with 'petal' edge

- Crafter's Companion Dufex Flower Fairies set. It comes with enough to make a few cards, there are rose and apple blossom fairies with decoupage, backings and decorative squares, oblongs and strips - all pink and so pretty. The fairy on here looks so sweet in real life with all the little layers

- white lace topped with pink satin ribbon

- pink organza bow made using the bow maker with a pearl brad through the centre

- pearl embellishment from a double pack by Prima called Swirls and Fimo Cream (roses). I snipped the fimo roses off and replaced them with little pink mulberry roses, probably from Wild Orchid. Much waving of the glue gun here yesterday :)

- pearls along the 'petal' edging and a little strip of rose patterned Dufex inside to show when the card is closed

- and of course, the magic number '80' all pink and sparkly (probably from Hobbycraft or The Range) fixed onto a Dufex oblong, I rounded the corners with a punch

Phew, it was a bit of a marathon to make :(

A few of you know that my step-mum is now in a Care Home in the North East, unable to look after herself. The good news is that, since moving there and being with other people as well as eating properly, she seems to have recovered a lot of her faculties and is quite chirpy when I phone her.

I'll be sending this card and some flowers from Len and I for Thursday 14th June - as we would normally do.

Just getting home from the school reunion means that time isn't really on my side. BUT, the exciting (and probably totally crazy) bit, which she has no idea about and I hope she doesn't keel over with shock, I've just booked to fly up from Southampton first thing on her birthday, pick up a hire car at Newcastle Airport and should be at the Home in time for morning coffee :)) Then I catch the last flight back that evening - so it is literally a 'flying visit' but I do hope it makes her day extra special. The Care Home Manager is in on the secret but no-one else there is.

There's absolutely no chance of Pearl seeing this blog - she doesn't know I have one and would run a mile from a computer in any case!

Fingers crossed that there isn't fog at either airport or my daft plan will be well and truly scuppered!

Di
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