Happy Birthday, Ashley!

 

Today is a very special day in our household!  It's my daughter Ashley's 10th birthday!  

It seems just like yesterday that the Lord blessed us with a little angel on that blustery November day...  She had a rough start with a difficult pregnancy and then when we thought we were all in the clear after the pregnancy, a scary first couple of hours with her lungs not being fully developed much to everyone's surprise - but God was gracious and choose to let my princess grow and thrive and be part of our family.  Brad and I are always taken back to those terrible first hours and days after her birth and wish we had pleasant memories of her birth like we do of our son's day but in a way maybe it's better because we realize the gift of life and how fragile our breath of life really is. 

On this very special day, I sat down a bit ago and designed a birthday card for my little birthday girl - I hope she'll like it!  These little MFT Pure Innocence girls are near and dear to me since they remind me so much of my own little girl...

Card Details

Stamps: MFT PI Something Special Just for You

Ink: Memento; Distress Broken china and spun sugar

Card stock: DCWV scallop rectangle; Girls Paperie 6x6 dp; Copic express-it paper

Other: Sewing machine; copics; buttons; doily; quikutz die; Martha Stewart border punch (for inside); heart punch; daubers

While designing this card, I decided to focus on stitching since that is the current MFT guest designer challenge, so you can see some zig-zag stitching, buttons sewn on and I even picked out some patterned papers with stitching on it too to complete the theme. 

One other important note is the white paper I used with my Copics... For the first time I tried the Copic brand X-Press it paper and let me tell you - I am IN LOVE!  I highly recommend it and will be stocking up my stash soon.  It really does blend the Copic ink beautifully.  Many of you know that I like Neenah, PTI, and GKD white and ivory card stocks with Copics and I still do like them and will use them.  But, this paper is different - it's hard to explain, but I felt that the blend-a-bility of the X-Press it paper works really well.

I have linked the MFT's store for the paper pack but know that you can find it many other places.  Ask for it for Christmas if you are a Copic lover like me - you won't be disappointed, I promise!!

Here's the inside view of the card...

 

And, for the first time I thought I'd share a photo of the Copics I used on the image.  If it's helpful to you I'll continue to do so, so please let me know if you like the photo included or not.  By the way, do you see those Copic storage shelves in the background of my photos today?  My dad made me a couple of shelves after I showed him some of the shelves I've been seeing out there in blog land... I love them, dad!  Thank you!

And, finally - here's a photo of the birthday girl on the first day of school!  Isn't she adorable with her head tilted a bit -

Have a fabulous day and enjoy something sweet today in honor of my little Sweetie!

Jessica