Happy Mother's Day

Well, today's card is a little different.  I always like to do something special when I make a card for my Mother since she also creates cards.  This is one that sort of evolved.  The "belly band you see in the picture above is not really a separate belly band like you often see (and like might have been better used here - except that I wanted to make sure it stayed in place to hide the message).  This is just a couple strips of card stock that are attached to the back of the card.  I punched holes in the ends, threaded a piece of ribbon through each side & glued it to the back of the "belly band" before covering it with the patterned paper.

Card Front:

• Background: The background papers are old HOTP papers.  I covered the card with the diagonal striped paper.  Next I cut two white strips of light-weight card stock for the borders.  I added slightly smaller strips of a coordinating patterned paper to the white card stock borders before adding them to the card.
• Focal: The focal is stamped with a HOTP stamp from the Janie's Girls set. After coloring it with watercolor pencils & a water brush, I hand drew the lettering for her sign.  She was cut out & frame embossed with a Spellbinder's die from the Tile Works A2 Card Creator set.  I also used the die as a stencil to add color to the frame. After gluing in place on a mat (scrap of printed glossy card stock), I added some sticky-backed "jewels" before creating the "secret".
• Secret: The reason for the belly band is that the center piece is a bit loose - so that it can stand up like an easel card (the card also opens like a normal card).  This was created by folding a strip of cardstock and gluing it to the focal & to the card front in such a way that it can stand up as you see here (sorry I didn't take a picture of the mechanism!):

As you can see, there's a tag added with foam tape that the easel can rest against to keep it upright.

Here's the INSIDE of the card:

• Borders: The borders are made with scraps of the patterned papers & white card stock.
• Sentiment: I stamped the verse using a stamp from JustRite's "For All You Do Vintage Labels Three".  Then I used a rectangular piercing die (from Fun Stampers Journey) to form a frame and used my paper cutter to cut closely around the piercing.
• Finishing: I added a flower (stamped/die cut/molded using Heartfelt Creations Poppy set) & then added a jewel for the center of the flower, and more jewels at the top of the sentiment, and in the lower right corner of the card - on the border.