Dec 19 2007
Seventeen Candles…
We’re past sixteen candles here and onto seventeen. My oldest son, James turned 17 yesterday. Where HAS the time gone?! I remember it so clearly it seems like yesterday. As for me…I don’t FEEL seventeen years older since then! But wow…he certainly has grown-up. We celebrated James birthday yesterday, as always, amid the busy holiday preparations and the elementary school Christmas Concert. As an aside to that…whatever happened to singing traditional Christmas songs at the Christmas Concert?! It just isn’t the same anymore. So anyway…amidst my busy day yesterday, I whipped up this little card and wrapping for him for one of his gifts. 
Celebrate Seventeen
For this design, I actually got the idea from some striped paper I have. I had this little book to wrap up for him and for some strange reason, it popped into my head that I could use some of my older thin patterned paper to wrap it up. So fun! I trimmed off 2 inches from the length and width to make it 10×10 size so that I could work the trimmings into a coordinating card design. More about the wrapping later. I pulled the color combo from the striped paper. I believe it may have been from a Rob and Bob Studio Slab pack from Michael’s a few seasons ago. I pulled out my Prism cardstock swatch book and matched up my cardstock. I love Olive and aqua colors together and the change for that red and blue boy card is so welcome!
To create my design, I decided to use panels of color on a dark brown cardstock base. The design actually works three Cornish Heritage Farms backgrounders into it. I’m having so much fun with them and the texture and interest they provide. Instant patterned paper in exactly the colors you want. For the top panel, I stamped the Grid Paper stamp in Old Olive ink and then inked the edges with it. My bottom panel is overstamped with the Burlap backgrounder. Hard to see in the pic but the texture looks fabulous in person. I stamped the word celebrate from Kim’s Scripty Words set in my Black Palette Hybrid ink. The tails are quite long and didn’t fit into my space so I just inked up the very middle of the stamp to make it work.
Next I was on to working on the circular part of the design. The circle was punched with my Marvy Mega circle punch and the edges sponged with more Old Olive. For the present, I decided to use this little clear present sticker from Heidi Swapp designs. It is from the Silhouette Images - Bridal White sticker sheet. It was fun taking the presents off a Wedding themed product and using it on a birthday design instead. I added this fun Making Memories Mesh Star Brad, set with my Crop-a-dile.
The design still needed something! I then remember these fun Clear Scraps Stars I had picked up a few weeks ago. I think I’ll be heading back for more! So cool! I stamped Lined Paper on my star with Black Stazon and inked up the edges to get a more urban look. To tie in the black and personalize it a bit more, I added “seventeen” with my Dymo Label Maker on the grid paper. I’m quite pleased with the look now!
As for the wrapping, I had never seen a present wrapped on the diagonal until last week. One of the toy shops here offered free Christmas wrapping and I took them up on it. The lady wrapped one of the gifts on the diagonal and it was kind of neat. I just had to try it here. I need to work on those corners a little but I don’t think anyone will care…especially not a 17yo! I tied up the package with some of my May Arts ribbon and tied on a little buckle from the We R Memory Keepers hardware set….just to make it a little special.
Hoping your day is special! Have a good one!
Cornish Heritage Farms Design Team Coordinator
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Perfect gift set. Your card is so awesome, Julia. There are never enough ideas for boys and men, and you really showed me how to put a masculine card together without stamped images (I have no masculine stamps). TFS.
Love the card with the matching gift wrap idea! Great card, love all the little details!
My daughter Noelle turned 15 yesterday too and I’m like you. I’m not old enough for that. I have a son who is 18, graduating midterm from High School and today is pretty much his last day of school. We took his picture today before school to match the “first day of school” picture.
I love the card. It’s really hard to come up with those.
Merry Christmas,
Yvonne Wickenkamp
Fantastic card, Julia — so perfect for a teenage boy (I mean, young man). I love the way all the patterns and elements work together in this great design! I know how hard it is to celebrate birthdays during the Christmas season — my daughter’s birthday was Saturday, and my birthday was Sunday! eeek!
Yeah, where does the time go. My son is going to turn 25 next month, and I just can’t figure out how I can be old enough to have a 25 year old!
Great card and perfect that you used the matching paper to wrap.
Happy Birthday to your son! My Daughter just turned 18 a couple weeks ago, went way too fast.
Love your card, great design for a 17 year old guy, I too had to use some scrapbook paper for a present, ran out of wrapping paper!
This card is positively awesome! Love your creativity!
Happy birthday to your son…hope you both enjoyed the day!
This is a GREAT card, and I love the way you wrapped the gift. Who would have thought that ribbon could look that masculine?!? I also love the way you used the background stamps. I recently bought a couple of them (the grid and lined paper ones) and now you’ve stirred up some of my creative juices in using them — love the way you stamped the clear star with the lined paper stamp. This is a color combo I wouldn’t have thought of, but you made it look great and now I can’t wait to try it! TFS!
What a great card. I love the clear star.
I know what you mean about Christmas concerts!! My daughter has violin and the songs were so formal! Love the card you made for your son, and the time does go too fast. My son will be 16 next month, and I don’t feel all those years older….well some days..lol
Happy Holidays to you Julia and your family. I have truly enjoyed reading your blog this past year. You are so creative, and I love how you share your family too! Have a blessed season! Chris
Hi Julia, Loved the card. The clear star really set it off. It is hard to come up with a masculine card that isn’t outdoorsy but you hit right on the money. My oldest grandson turned 18 in Sept. and graduates this spring. Where do the years go? The oven buzzer is summoning me so you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
This card is PERFECT!!!! I adore your creations Julia. It amazes me how quickly children grow. Although my oldest is 5 now I know he will be 17 in a flash.
The card that you made for your son it is beautiful! The wrapping is very cool.
Mary
So we both have 17 year old sons! Mine turned 17 on 12/02. Should we trade for a week?? This card and gift are great. You are so clever!
This is so cute! I love the paper and colors you used! I bet he loved it!
I thought I needed that grid stamp when I first saw it… now I HAVE to have it! Very stylish card.
Happy birthday to your son! What a great card!!
Oh he is sure to love it, J! Cool design!!!