This one I love

Oh my goodness, sometimes I am just so happy with the way a card turns out. My dad's birthday is April 1st, so yes, that does make him an April Fool. Growing up, we always had to try prank him, and he really was remarkably patient and resigned to the whole annual ordeal.

At 83, maybe the poor guy deserves a break, but now he has 10 grandchildren who want a turn teasing him.

Anyway, back to my card. This is similar to what I did for our 2011 Christmas cards, so some of you might recognize parts of it:

Did I mention he is going to be 83? LOL decided to make sure everyone knows! The card is a gatefold with a 5 inch base. Because that meant I need a 15 inch wide piece of cardstock for the base, I had to add the front panels after I scored the 12 inch piece at 1", 3 1/2", 8 1/2" and 11". A new 2 1/2" panel was added to the 1" flaps to create the front. Clear as mud?!

I used the My Favorite Things Perfect Bracket Edge Die-namic to cut the outside edge of the panels. The largest die in the Nestabilities Reverse Wonky Rectangles is used to cut the green patterned paper for the panel under the numbers. The piece is cut down to fit on one side, then matched up the other side, leaving about an inch of the center left over.

This photo gives you a better view of the pattern paper that really just peaks through when the card is closed flat.

These next two photos show my favorite parts of the card - the banner and the baby photo!

 Papertrey Ink banner dies were used to make the WOW banner and strung across the opening with Martha Stewart Bakers Twine. Very old Scenic Route stickers spell out WOW.

I was showing the card off to my family and the kids asked if I was putting a family picture in the middle panel - this is what we had done with our Christmas cards. I definitely wasn't planning on that, but dear daughter said "hey, I know what you should put there - a picture of Grandpa".

What a GREAT idea - what she didn't know is my dad had digitized an enormous amount of family photos and documents over the last few years (decades?) as he compiled massive geneology files. I knew immediately what photo was going on this card!

Yes, that's my dear dad in 1929, the year he was born. And, no, no photos like that exist of me.

The sentiment is from a Technique Tuesday/Ali Edwards set Kids Are Cool that I was happy to find at my local scrapbook store.

I am thrilled that this card will be in the mail and should arrive before his birthday - something that does NOT happen every year.

Until we meet again,

Jacquie