Mother-in-Law Day

My mother-in-law and I have a wonderful relationship.  We've known each other for almost 29 years, and during that time, we have grown to respect and admire one another.  We don't always agree about everything, but wouldn't it be boring if we did?  In celebration of Mother-in-Law Day (October 28), I thought it would be nice to share with you some ideas for making your "other mother" feel special and loved.

Every Mother's Day, I try to make my mother-in-law a card that is even better than the one from the previous year.  This year, I decided to use a floral motif.  Using papers by K and Company, plus matching cardstock from Bazzill, I created a Z-fold card.  (*Directions are found at the end of this article.)  I added scalloped oval shapes that I punched with a Marvy punch, stamping my sentiment on one and placing my focal embellishment on the other.  (I used Flower Soft to make the sculpted flowers.)  To add a small but elegant final detail, I added some Liquid Pearls in groups of three to highlight specific areas of my card.  To adapt this card for Mother-in-Law Day, just change the sentiment.

In browsing the Gallery at Scrapjazz, I found some lovely scrapbook pages dedicated to mothers and mothers-in-law.  Here are a few of my favorites:

This layout by Kaye222 caught my eye because of the beautiful photo, lovely colors, and gorgeous Prima flowers that she used.  The various shades of pink, green, and cream all work together to complement the stunning photo of her mother.  The pearls add a final elegant touch.  This idea could easily be used for a mother-in-law tribute page.  To add more journaling to this layout, you could add a journaling card or include hidden journaling behind the photos or flowers.  I sometimes do this when I don't want very personal journaling to be seen by everyone.

This beautiful page was created by Helbert.  I just love the way she draped this graduation photo of her mother-in-law in lace and crocheted doilies, like these from Petaloo.  The paper she chose, by Kaisercraft, is perfect for this type of heritage layout, because the colors are soft and ethereal.  They bring out the beauty of this vintage photo without overpowering it.  In addition to choosing just the right products for heritage layouts, since photos like these are priceless, you should use reprints in your scrapbooks.  That way, you can preserve the original photos and do a little experimenting without worrying about destroying something irreplaceable. 

Whether you choose to make a special card or create a scrapbook layout, remember to celebrate the mother-in-law in your life this month.  You'll both be glad that you did.

* To make a Z-fold card, start with an 8 ½" by 5 ½" piece of cardstock.  Score at 2 1/8" and 4 ¼".  Fold your cardstock back at the 2 1/8" score, and fold forward at the 4 ¼" score.  Layer papers and decorate as desired.