Happy Birthday Dad Easel Card

My father celebrated his...25th birthday...again!  Don't worry Dad, I won't give out your real age :)  When my Dad received this card, he asked me, "When did you take this picture of me, I don't remember it?"  I love you Dad! :)

 I love this image.  This is Gus from Bugaboo Stamps.  When I saw him, I knew I was going to do this for my Dad.

 The punch I used to hold up the easel card is Beach Edger Punch from EK Tools.  The sentiment inside is computer generated and says, "Birthdays celebrate the gift of time.  We celebrate the gift of you."

I colored dear old Gus in with Copics and used Glossy Accents for the glasses.

The sentiment comes with the Gus digi image, it says, "At my age I can wear whatever I want!"

CHEERS! Birthday Easel Card

Since my Wonderful Hubby bought me my very own laptop, I am on a roll with posting :)

My wonderful SIL, Beth had a birthday.  She is such a sweet gal.  I wanted her to be the first to receive this card that was so fun to make.

This beautiful lady is Dottie from Bugaboo Stamps.  I used Copics to color her in and I used Glossy Accents for her bracelet, earrings and martini.  Her ring is Stickled...but the next one I do will be glossy accented.

 I learned this new (favorite) technique for me...an easel card.  I searched YouTube for instructions.  I popped up the purple shadow and Dottie image.  The inside sentiment says, "Birthdays celebrate the gift of time.  We celebrate the gift of you!"  I just love that saying.

Magic Show Birthday Invitations

I was so excited when Bradley decided he wanted a Magic Show Birthday party.  I was getting a little tired of the Lego parties.  I had so much fun with this one.

 

I used Create A Critter for the hat.  I used Design Studio to cut a lot.  The rabbit is also Create A Critter.  I attached 2 hats together, that way the rabbit could be pulled out of the hat.  "The Rabbit is out of the hat..." is computer generated.

 

Rabbit coming out of the hat!

 I had a hard time thinking of wording because the rabbit had such an odd shape.  I used Peachy Keen, Everyday Character Faces Stamps. Got Scrap's? has an amazing 'how to' video on Masking.  That is how I was able to do the pink nose.  I used Copic R20 for the pink nose and ears.  I came up with the rabbit holding a sign so they would know how old Bradley would be.

Looking at the pictures, I now wish I would have cut out another rabbit to attach to the back so you wouldn't be able to see the pink.  I computer generated the information for the party.  I said things like, "Bradley's House of Magic" with our address.  And "RSVP to Bradley's Assistant, Blaire" with my phone number and email address.  I was really pleased how cute these turned out.

Magic Show Birthday Decorations

I had more decorations than this, but I have so many windows in my living room that the pictures were too dark to post.

This was the snack table for the kids. I used top hats for the bowls and put tissue paper in them. We had Pirate Booty in one and Annie's Organic Snack Mix in the other. A girlfriend gave me the idea for the snack mix because all the shapes are bunnies.

I used 8 1/2 x 11 black and white sheets of cardstock to make these giant wands.  I was originally going to use 12 x 12, but I ran out.  I had 2 of these on each side of the window.  Stapled the cards to it.  As you can see, I had playing cards everywhere.  I had them on coffee tables for coasters.

Magic Tricks Table

I bought a ton of Magic Tricks for the Goody Bags from Windy City Novelties.  There were so many in the lot,  my older son came up with a "Trick Table".  We laid out 2 of each tricks that the kids were getting in there bags.  He also laid out the instructions.  Riley manned the table and if the kids were interested, they came over to learn how to do the trick. 

Riley made this sign for the "Trick Table".  He asked if he could make a sign in my craft room and this is what he came out with.  I loved it.  He took one of the leftover rabbits from the invitations.

Magic Show Balloon Bouquet Vase

 I love, love, love Balloon Bouquets. 

For this one, I cut the rabbit from Create A Critter at 11 1/2".  The hat is also CAC cut at 22" (even though your Cricut mat is only 12 x 12, you can cut larger).  The wand is free hand, pink on the rabbit is Copic Markers R20.  I used actual playing cards for decorations.  Got them at the $ store for 2 packs for $1.  I did free draw the face because I do not have stamps large enough.

 I glue dotted a clothespin to back of the rabbit, then attached to the vase. 

This isn't the best picture of the Balloon Vase.  I forgot to take a closer picture.  I made 2 of these and had the other one setting in the room where the magician performed.

Magic Show Happy Birthday Banner

Loved making this banner.  It took some time, but I had so much fun.

 I used Tags, Bags, Boxes and More Cricut cartridge and cut the bottom layer from Kraft cardstock at 6".  The red layer was cut at 4 3/4".  The black shadow is cut from Pooh and Friends Font cartridge at 3 3/4".  It is the Marker font.  The white letter is also Marker font at 3 3/4".  I pop dotted the letters to make it stand out.  Then I tied each tag together with white grosgrain ribbon.

 This particular rabbit was cut from Create A Critter at 6" and I used Peachy Keen Stamps, Everyday Faces.

 This hat was cut from Create a Critter, the wand I did free hand because the one from CAC was too small.  The little ACES deck of cards was a clip art I found and cut them out.

 The hat on the P is cut at 6"

This rabbit was cut at 4" and used the PKS faces again.

Bradley loved this so much he asked me to hang it on his wall after the party...that's why it makes all this hard work, worthwhile.

Magic Show Door Hanger

I took an old frame that I was not using and computer generated the "Please Come In".  I originally used this for a football party we had and kept it.  I cut the rabbit from Create A Critter at 4" and the top hat is also from Create A Critter at 6".  The sweet face is Peachy Keen Stamps and I masked out the nose.  I used my Copic R20 marker to color the pink in the ears and nose.

This is the sign...it is tiny, but effective.  I also attached balloons to wooden skewers and put them in my urns.  Since it is so cold here in Texas nothing will grow...they looked ugly.  With the balloons, they looked awesome.

Magic Rabbit Cake

Let me start out by saying that I am sorry I cannot rotate my pictures.  I am not very computer savvy.

I love making my boys birthday cakes.  At first, I thought I would do something really simple...a wand...how easy would that be?  Brad was looking on the Net with me and we found this Magic Rabbit Cake.  I have a problem...I watch shows like American Chopper, Coast Guard Alaska, Cake Boss and my newest, The Next Great Baker.  I totally feel that in an hour, I can build a motorcycle, become a rescue swimmer and bake a 4 foot Fairytale cake. 

 First let me tell you about the mat.  I used a piece of cardboard that was cut 20 x 24.  I attached red cardstock to the cardboard.  I then attached playing cards to the cardstock.  I was going to use saran wrap to cover the cardstock, but I remembered I had cello wrapping.  That was much easier to work with than saran wrap.

 For my cake, I used 2-9" round cake pans, 1-9 x 13 pan (only used small portion of this cake for the hat) and 1 sheet cake (my sheet cake was made on a cookie sheet).  I used 2 boxes of cake mix for my sheet cake.  The directions I followed to make the rabbit are from Betty Crocker.  The pink ears and nose are Extra bubble gum sticks, teeth are marshmallows.  I did use 4 tubs of  white icing and 1 tub chocolate icing.

This side view is not the greatest.  I wanted to show you the brim of the hat.  The brim is made out of 2-10" cardboard cake circles cut in half.  I pushed them through the sheet cake and frosted them with chocolate frosting and a whole bottle of black gel icing coloring mixed. 

Deck of Cards Tissue Box

This sounds more than it is...I was cleaning today for the party and put out the tissue box.  I can't just have a Kirkland tissue box when everything else is decorated...so I grabbed my tape runner and added playing cards to it...all the away around and on top. 

"Magic Beans" Goody Bags

Oh boy, do I have a lot to post.  Today we had a

Magic Show Birthday Party. 

I had so much fun with this one. 

 I wanted to make "Magic Beans" for the goody bags.  I found these Belly Flops at Big Lots for $3.  They are Jelly Bellies, but some of them are fused together so they cannot be sold with the Jelly Bellies.  The amount I have spilled is from one of my "Magic Beans" bag...not many fused in there, are there?

 The top hat is from Create A Critter cartridge cut at 6", the cello bags are from Hobby Lobby and the "Magic Beans" label is computer generated.

This is not a great picture, I was rushing before the party started.  I bought all my goodies from Windy City Novelties.  You can't really see the hat, I bought top hats and used that as the bag.

Heart Anniversary Card

This post is long overdue...by 6 months.  Dave and I celebrated our 14 year anniversary over the summer.  I found this card last February and knew that I had to make it.  Especially because there is an amazing tutorial over at  Valita's Fresh Folds on how to make them.  I am also doing a little "Daisy Duke" one, but that has not been finished.  I do not have Stampin' Up punches, I used my Creative Memories heart punch.  Valita gives you tons of cute ideas. 

Lego Notebook

I made Bradley his own little "Handy Dandy Notebook"...no we do not call it that, he is too old for Blue's Clues.  Anywho, at the convention I went to my favorite booth...Inky Antics and bought the CarlaCraft Binding System.  I love this little tool.  Bradley is quite the artist, this is for him to have whenever he gets the urge to draw.