I am used to only making cards for family and friends, but this week I was commissioned to make one that I really wanted to do. But fresh back from my holiday, and with my son here for a visit, I didn't have much time.
We have two young Romanian couples who attend our church regularly. They speak their own language at home and are fluent in Spanish, but although they understand quite a bit, they are only just beginning to speak English. Earlier this year they were all baptised in the sea, along with others from our group, and although they were married in Romania some years ago, they decided that they wanted to be married again in church "In front of God and our new family here". They are a part of a rather marginalised group of hard working folk who slave in the heat of the plastic greenhouses (where the salad on your supermarket shelves is grown) for very low wages, so we wanted to give them a special day. So we each did our best. Some made beautiful flower displays, others collected rose petals to spread on the path, organised champagne and glasses, found a last minute wedding cake etc and we all contributed to a 'bring and share' lunch. I was asked to make a card that everyone could sign, and as I knew there would be around sixty signatures and messages, I knew it would have to be a big one!
In the end it was more or less A4 size with a triple page insert. The colour was determined by the colour of the large sheets of card available, and as the only pastel shade was pink, that's what I used.
For the next layer I used heavy white paper cut around with a Martha Stewart 'round the page' punch (eyelet lace I think), and passed through my e-bosser with an A4 lattice folder.
The swans were a cutting file from a Tina Fitch CD that I bought for a family wedding card next year, so this was a good opportunity to practice with it. I cut them from stiff pearl paper and painted white glitter-glue on the feathers.
The church window was another file from my silhouette cameo library which I believe was free from Monica Bjork. I cut it from the same pearl paper as the swans and backed it with two layers of fusion film.
I glued two strips if pale pink ribbon across the lower section and covered the join with some pearl trimming that I bought in UK last week.
The sentiment was computer generated and cut, along with its surround, using Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles, Majestic Elements dies.
For the flower spray I cut two of Joanna Sheen's Signature die Ivy flourishes, and one rose swirl from the Heartfelt Creations Bella Rose set. The larger flowers were made from scratch using ordinary copy paper and hand cut flower shapes, with a gem brad at their centre, and the smaller ones were deconstructed and reconstructed silk flowers.
At first I thought it was all a bit over the top, but knowing the couple, I just knew it was a style they would love. We all managed to sign it before the couple arrived, and I think I can safely say we gave them a day they will remember for a very long time.
When it was time to repeat their vows, the bridegroom spoke in halting English, and the bride in Spanish, and then their friend did a reading in Romanian, so it was quite an international affair!
The smallest girl is their daughter, and the older one is the daughter of their friends. Florentina's new baby is due just before Christmas, so soon we will celebrating with them again.
