The Beauty of Birthday Dies

 the special place of die cuts

How to Take Stock of Life | Scrap the Page

 

a little review

happy birthday, heidi swapp

it's a happy happy birthday

sweet sixteen marque love

Had so much fun creating this festive Sweet 16 Marquee Love vignette for my daughter's birthday.

It simply came together like a dream. The Marquee Love letter A was upcycled from a previous celebration (my son's graduation in May).

As stated before, I just don't glue down the inserted paper. The lights hold it all in place. So when I want to create something new, I pop out the lights and pull up the glitter paper and do something else.  That extra diy aspect really makes these letters quite a value.

The little easel chalkboard was found at the Dollar Spot at Target. I can't walk into Target without perusing that space first. You just never know what you are going to find there and must have.

The 'you got this' is from Heidi Swapp's free downloadable printable found here. I printed the image on white cardstock. Then I ran it through the Minc machine with Pink Foil. The image was then punched out in a circle shape. A rosette was created using the napkins from my party supply. The 'you got this' was hot glued to the rosette, then the rosette was hot glued to a lollipop stick, and tah dah! instant mousse embellishment. (p.s...yes...my daughter DID make all her desserts for her party...it's what makes her happy.)

Party sticks. What's a celebration without little festive party sticks? For these simple decorations, I used Marquee Love Glitter Tape. The 1-inch wide tape was wrapped around a lollipop stick, and then notched at the end. A 5-minute diy and not expensive embellishment.

Just a few ways to take a Marquee Love letter all glittered up and use as a focal point for a birthday celebration.

Thank you so much for visiting and happy Thursday!!!

happy day

it's my birthday.
and i have more than my share on my mind and heart right now.
it's just that time of life where there is a whole lot going on and you feel it is up to you to keep it all together.
yeah.
that feeling.
now there is another side to that emotion.
and it is this.
i have a whole lot to be thankful for and happy about even in the midst of the 'whole lot of'.
the whole-lot-of is a reminder that i have been blessed with the work of my hands, that happens to include many souls that are in my care.
and i get one chance at it.
and thank GOD for forgiveness.
amen.

 i want to celebrate with all you lovelies in this creative and visual community that i am apart.
below are a couple of files for cutting...
my birthday present to you.
to remember...
to have a...

click for dfx file

click for png file

I only ask you use these for personal use only. Let's be good to one another in that way.

and have the best day today!!!

special day with chic tags

My Dad recently asked the question, with reference to him and my Mom, "do we celebrate birthdays anymore?" To which I responded, "Yes, Dad! Because it's better than the alternative." We all got a good chuckle out of that, but it got me thinking....perhaps there should be no question as to celebrating birthdays as adults. We should always be celebrating every occasion as we have opportunity.

 

And that is just what this page is all about. Celebrating ME!!! Well, no. Not exactly. My birthday was a very fun fun day for me. It was a beautiful spring day. My girls were home with me most the day. We headed out that evening for a family dinner together. I got cake! And cupcakes! And wonderful warm wishes all day. It was just one of those days worth celebrating by way of photos+words.

 

Today I talk all about the new Cloud 9 Collection just out from Chic Tags. You can see the post here.   

 

The collection has some great embellishments and this layout practically fell into place.

 

I love a collection that works so well together. Don't know about you, but I need easy and fun and doable. Cloud 9 is all that.


 

Plus, the other new Chic Tag collection called Let's Go has these fabulous mint alpha's that are perfect compliment to the mint found in the patterns of Cloud 9 and it makes me happy to mix and match collections.

 

So yeah...you could say that...happiness found. And a little bit of Color Shine only adds to that happy.

Hope you stop in at ChicTags today and see the rest of my thoughts on this layout. And have yourself a fabulous day.

kraft obsession

i almost forgot about my kraft paper obsession.
but the other day the girlies and i were getting the table ready for some serious project making...
and we covered it with kraft paper...
and then we started doodling all over it!

and then there was a birthday party...
for my neice to be exact...
with three of my own girlies in the house there seems to always be a birthday party of some sorts.

well out came the kraft bag.
i am sure i need to stock these in bulk...
because they are more than fabulous with my favorite 6x6 stencil from Heidi Swapp...
and the new White Color Shine + Pink sprayed on top of that.

oh...and can we get a little giddy about that Charm Setting from Epiphany Crafts...
i. love. that Round 25 Shape Tool. so. much.
it adds instant glam to any project...

even a kraft bag.

@45

today is my birthday.
i am taking inventory today.
my life is most days controlled chaos.
well...except for the controlled part.
but i think i am getting use to it!

insta celebrations font by RhonnaDesigns

 today i woke to a mental list of what my life has been...
what it is...
and what it is still to be.
45 things in all.

photo by maggie massey

this is in no way all inclusive.
however, inwardly thoughtful.

she is 45
she was born to young parents who are married and committed to one another today.
she was born in a tumultuous era of the country and globe in 1968. times have not changed much.
she has one sister. friends today.
she puts her trust in the LORD daily.
she grew up quiet, reserved and introverted.
she strengthens her strengths everyday.
she met her husband in high school.
this is her 24th year of marriage.
she is served coffee in bed every morning by him.
she has been pregnant seven times.
she has given birth five times to amazing bodies and souls.
they call her mama.
she is currently mother to a 17 year old as well as a 2 year old.
she will this year be mom to a senior in high school as well as a freshman. a middle schooler. one in elementary and a preschooler.
they make her laugh everyday.
she is presently potty training her last.
her days are full of training these souls academically, socially and spiritually.
her life was changed by two books: The Bible years ago and daily. More recently by 1000 Gifts {Ann Voskamp}.
she lists her gifts daily.
she reads truth daily.
she has two life long friends. these friends hold her heart in their hands.
she loves to make them laugh.
she has been to Paris. once.
she has a palatable taste for travel.
she is more dedicated to her faith and prayer than she has ever been.
she falls everyday.
she gets back up again. everyday.
she is an idealist.
she has more hopes and dreams than ever.
she wonders when she will ever grow up.
she creates daily.
she continues to look for her best.
she has volunteered her whole life.
she volunteers her time currently to middle schoolers.
she has friends all over the world.
she thinks starbucks is the best invention of her time.
she loves her country and believes it is still the best hope.
loves an honest political conversation.
her favorite movie is still Philadelphia Story.
she decides daily to enjoy more and endure less.
she knows happiness is a serious problem.
she knows everything will be alright in the end. if it is not alright, then it is not the end.
she is immensely blessed and loved.
if she lives as long as her paternal grandmother, she is half way there.

Scripture tells us to number our days. to renew daily.
i think a birthday is great time to number our years and renew our hearts for what is yet to be.

thank you for letting me share.

junqued party hats

Birthday season is in the air at the Pate household.
A biggy for my oldest daughter is coming up next month...she will be 13.
I am having what I call a 'blessing' party.
Families who have played some sort of significant role in her life have been invited.
And their gift will be words of blessings that I will then place into a mini album for her to have.

Starting the decorations early so I can actually do all that is in my head.
Dear Lizzie's in Utah inspired me to start with junqued party hats set about in a festive manner.
So off to my collection of RhonnaDesigns I went to start the fun for the grey and yellow vintagey theme party.

Just because a kit is thematic, for example it was for New Year's or Easter, does not mean it should sit dormant in your digital folders doing nothing. Re-use them in new ways. Think outside the box.

We start with the It's Time kit...remember that one from New Years? Well...it's timeless.
Included in the kit are hat templates.

So I printed the music print hat several times.
Cut. and glued following the fabulous instructions on the printable.
After the hat was formed a masking paper ruffle was added to the edge.
Then a junque bow was formed from tulle, paper shreds, dyed seam binding and whatever I could add. See how an older kit has found a new use? I love that.

A kit in the RhonnaDesigns collection is the outstanding Quatrefoil Tool Kit. I use this kit quite often.
I made the tag by creating a 2x2 canvas in Photoshop Elements.
The canvas was filled with color.
Then I added tag5 from the Quatrefoil Tool Kit: Tags.
Then...one of the starbursts brushes from the Starbursts Brush Kit was added in white. The opacity was turned down to about 50.
Then print.
Trim.
Add to the junqued up hats.

Lastly, the Easter Celebrations: Printable Sayings was used for some of the sentiments.
Simply open the printable.
Select the sentiment.
Copy to another canvas.
Print.
Cut out.
Notch.
and distress.

Wake up those older kits and reuse them into something fresh and new.

now go.
create.