Happy Sweet 16th Birthday to Whitney!

(If you are looking for the May Calendar Girls Blog Hop, please click here!)

Welcome to Whitney's Birthday party Blog Hop!

I had a bit of a challenge thinking of what to make for Whitney. She is an animal lover, but most of the animal stamps or Cricut cartridges I have are a bit too young and whimsical for a 16 year old! I wanted my card to be special...age appropriate, inspirational, and sweet. Finally, when I learned that her favorite color was green and that she liked nature/animals and also the color red, I decided to go with a green tree with red apples. I cut the tree from the Simply Charmed Cricut Cartridge and glued on 16 "apples" which are really small, bright red beads.

Unfortunately, I only took a photo of the card at night in my craft room and wthout the sentiment...so I'm sorry that it's rather plain and dark. I was in such a hurry to get the card in the mail that I didn't get a photo of the finished card!
At the bottom front of the card, I put some burgundy reddish paper down that tied perfectly with the beaded apples...added the verse from Psalm 1:3...


...like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

When I was 16, I was babysitting my little sisters when I came across this album from Evie. (Note to Whitney: This is a record...We didn't have iPods and CD's back then. Ha! Ha!)  

Anyway, I played the album and I fell in love with the song called, "The Tree Song." You can hear the song and a beautiful tree slideshow here. The words really made an impact on me. I printed a copy of these words on the inside of Whitney's card.

Tree Song  By:  Ken Medema

I saw a tree by the riverside

one day as I walked along.
Straight as an arrow and pointing to the sky

growing tall and strong.
"How do you grow so tall and strong?"

I said to the riverside tree.

This is the song that my tree friend sang to me:
I've got roots growing down to the water,
I've got leaves growing up to the sunshine,
and the fruit that I bear is a sign of the life in me.
I am shade from the hot summer sundown.
I am nest for the birds of the heavens.
I'm becoming what the Lord of trees 

has meant me to be:

A strong young tree!

From that point on in my life, I wanted to be a "strong young tree!" I survived a bit of a drought and almost suffered root rot at one point, but after being "transplanted" to sunnier, more peaceful place, I have thrived! :)

My sincerest hope and prayer is that Whitney grows and thrives into a beautiful, healthy, strong young tree!!!

Happy Birthday, Whitney!!! I hope you also like these pair of earrings I made just for you...

If you would like a chance to win your own pair of earrings like these, 

please leave me a short comment here on this post.

CHECK THIS OUT BELOW!!!!

It's Whitney's Birthday, but you could end up with the gifts!!!...For this hop we have an awesome gift to one lucky participant. Please follow instructions below for a chance to win:

A Crop A Dile~From Host

I Rock~From Host

$20 dollar Gift Certificate to Scraptasticalkreations

http://scraptasticalkreations.blogspot.com/

Paper Piecing Piece set by Colleen of CBC Scrapbooking, winner's choice.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/CBC-Scrapbooking/133078110098299

In order to be eligible for grand prize drawing please make sure you check out each blog and leave some blog love, also make sure you leave a comment and become a follower at Rachelle's blog.

Enjoy the hop! Here is the fabulous line up:

Rachelle ~ http://creationsbyrachelle.blogspot.com/

Ashley ~ http://theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com/

Ellen ♥ CardMonkey ~ http://cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com/

Kimberly (KPKre8tions) Pate ~ http://scrappingrookie.blogspot.com

Beth (M&Ddesigns) ~ http://motherandaughterdesigns.blogspot.com

Lynne - http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/  (YOU CAME FROM HERE...)

Angie- http://atuttletime.blogspot.com  (YOU ARE HERE...)

Shelly-http://kccroppers.blogspot.com/  (SHELLY IS YOUR NEXT AMAZING STOP!...)

Suzanne-http://cricutcraftingrammy.blogspot.com/

Patti B-http://pattispaperfun.blogspot.com

Melissa Pinter -http://pinkpolkadotscrapping.blogspot.com

Brenda - http://www.friendscraftinwithfriends.blogspot.com/

Jenny http://cccjalessi.blogspot.com/

Kristy http://scraptasticalkreations.blogspot.com 

Don't forget to leave a quick comment below for a chance to win the fabulous grand prize and/or a pair of handmade earrings! Thanks for hopping by!!!!