SMT #139- Nifty 50 birthday

Here is my SMT post...Just for you, Cheryl.
Thanks again for helping me out with your FABULOUS talents!!! 

 "...And Now...The Rest of the Story"  (Do you know that reference??)
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I have two very cool big brothers.  My oldest brother celebrated a milestone birthday a few weeks ago... 50 years of his awesome-ness on the earth.  :)

I started the process of making this card a month before the actual date. However, life interrupted and now this card is a month belated.  YIKES!!

Here are the details for it's l-o-n-g creation process. (Please ignore the poor grammar, sentence fragments, etc. This is more of a "list" than a well-crafted piece of writing).

1.  The genesis of this creation: My brother owns a comic book store.  This just about solidifies his status as "coolest uncle ever" in the eyes of his nephews...and also his nieces.  :)

*I wanted to create a personalized card for this momentous birthday that reflected him.




2. Emailed dear friend and awesome artist (Sassy Cheryl) pleading/asking/begging her to create a custom digital stamp for me.  WooHOO...she created this FABULOUS image that totally reminded me of DB as a kid...He always had a ton of hair.  :)
Note: I did not give her any other details other than "a kid reading a bunch of comic books".
**You can purchase a similar digital stamp from Cheryl's store here (boy version) or here (girl version).

*** I've realized that I did not set a realistic deadline for this card...I take a long time to match the actual "creation" with the "vision/plan" in my head.   So I didn't give myself enough time to work her awesome stamp into a cohesive card design before his birthday. 



3. Found a Sketch I liked (Mojo Monday sketch #330).

Hem and haw over the paper choices....Finally settled on a bunch of  jillibean Soup  papers that have been in my stash for over a year now (Minestrone:Thin Zucchini, Homemade 6 bean:Red Beans, and Winter Tortellini:Fresh Basil collections).

I missed the challenge deadline for this sketch. Oh well.


4. While looking for the perfect word-art...I discovered one in my files from Paulette at Create With TLC that sparked a few new ideas.  I got distracted with ideas for another birthday project. (see below). 

I think this word-art is both clever and hilarious since our family is very competitive with board games!!






Waited 2-3 weeks before actually creating the printed transfer and adding it to a shirt.




 5.  Finally decided to create my own word-art that reflects both the event and the digital image. (Another 3-5 days of "brainstorming"). I designed the word-art in my Silhouette Design Studio software. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

---PAUSE a week because I volunteered for a  few school projects.   AND...I had library books from the "hold shelf" that were begging to be read. :) They all turned out fantastically.

6. Printed several copies of the digital stamp to try and color.   
*Good way to pass time in a doctor's office waiting room (nope, I was not the patient, just the patient's driver). I ended up with about 5 "rejected" versions...LOL.  Loving the final results.
(I colored the stamp with Copic markers as base colors and added pencils for detailed/shading parts) 

---PAUSE a few more days while I was sick with the nastiest virus I can remember in many years...Quality time with ginger ale and soda crackers...FUN- FUN- FUN

7. Put the card together...noticed it is crooked...Gently tore it apart, reglued, and repositioned.

8. Took a bazillion photos...lighting is yucky because it's winter in the Pacific NW...even with ott-lites, etc.  Used the photo anyways because it really needs to get in the mail.

****Now seriously, wasn't that the most ridiculously long, tangented route to a finished birthday card.

I hope my Bro likes the card and shirt. He's a wonderful person and I'm so glad to have him in our family!!! Love Ya T_______!