Birthday cards and my very first swap

I made cards this week for two upcoming birthdays. The first is for someone who hasn’t received it yet, so I’m not going to say who it’s for just yet.

I made the envelope as well, and I just love how it looks with a contrasting pattern on the inside. I’m starting to run out of big pieces of my good scrapbook paper, so it will be time to buy more very soon. <sigh> Oh, what a strenuous and boring task.

The second card is for my grandma’s 85th birthday. My mom, sister and I are visiting her in New York this weekend to celebrate.

The colors are a little off in this picture because it was dark by the time I finished making the card, so I took photos of it underneath a lamp:

I didn’t make the envelope, but I wanted to tie it in to the card’s design, so I embellished it with candles to match the card. I get nervous about adding too much “stuff” and going overboard, but I’m very happy with how this one turned out.

I signed up for my very first swap the other day, and I think this might become an obsession for me. Searching for or making the perfect items for people I’ve never met based on the theme of the swap and their profile is almost like a game. It’s so much fun.

The two ladies who are creating packages for me have already sent them (a week early!), and I’m so excited to see what I receive for my first swap that I can hardly stand it. I’ll finish putting together my packages for my two partners and mail them early next week. I’ll try to post pictures of everything.