A-Squared: How To Make a First Grade Birthday Card

Tomorrow we are celebrating my aunt's and cousin's birthdays. Instead of stopping to get a card, I got the bright idea to create one using some leftover card stock and ribbon, glitter, and gel pens that have been inactive for about ten years. And by leftover, I mean from making my wedding programs just over a year ago. I also remembered I brought home some stencils from a recent visit at my parents. Yes, I still have a closet full of crap that I need to figure out what to do with. And no, mom and dad, I don't know when I'll get to cleaning it out. It will probably come when I finally get to changing my last name. Love you Alex Markov! Anyway, these stencils are about 20 years old, if not older.

I gather the essentials: a cutting board, exact-o-knife, and this new paper cutter thing Em just gave me. My idea is to cut out balloons from the card stock and use the ribbon for the string. I was a little nervous at first to start with the exact-o-knife because of the last time I used it (making the wedding programs). The programs looked liked flowers and a bunch of my fabulous friends and family helped me cut out each petal and glue them to the center. Before anyone had arrived, I began cutting out the petals. About four petals in, I knick my thumb. It bleeds for a bit, but nothing serious. But you know how when you bite the inside of your mouth once and then you always happen to bite that same place not very long after? And it hurst like a mo-fo? Well, I sliced a big hunk out of my thumb not too much later. Blood begins pouring out and I can feel my heartbeat pulsing in my thumb. Awesome. About eight paper towels and three bandaids later, it stops bleeding. So, you can imagine my hesitation with the exact-o-knife.

Fortunately, I didn't have any problems this time and was able to make plenty of balloons. I cut the base paper to size using the paper cutter thing and and stencil on happy birthday. I next place the balloons appropriately and glue them on. Of course, some of the glue leaks out the sides and you can totally see the dried glue (first grade). I put the ribbons on to look like string and later Alex asks, "what are those lines there for?" Guess they don't look like string. Anyway, I write a little message on the inside to my cousin and call it a day.

But I couldn't call it a day because I have all these leftover balloons. I tried putting them on the left side of the card, but couldn't find a way that I liked them. Then I remembered the stencils. I knew there were some animal ones and hoped that there would be something birthday related. Woohoo…there's a birthday cake! I stencil it onto the card and glitterize it. No spray glue this time. :) I then arrange the remaining balloons around the cake and am now waiting for it to dry. I must say that it doesn't look half-bad…for a first grader!

Happy First Day of the Year!
--Am