My mother-in-law, Margie, celebrated a big birthday this year and my family of four as well as Rick's brother's family met her at Ocean Isle, NC for a fun beach birthday.  I enjoyed myself immensely as I decided I was going to enjoy my time at the beach by reading a naughty book and getting a little Vitamin D -enriching tan.  After we got home, I wanted to give her a more tangible gift that was also heartfelt as well as handmade.  I settled on making her a gift that was part remembrance, part home decor, and part pretty little thing.

When we lived  in NC we often visited Ocean Isle, staying at a condo that Rick's family had owned for years.  Rick and I had collected hundreds of sea shells from the beach one year when we visited right after a storm.  I'm talking an entire paper grocery bag FULL of shells.  I used some through the years but I still have a pretty selection of small shells perfect for my project.  Before we moved away from NC we made one last trip to the beach and I collected a medium sized Tupperware bowl full of OIB sand.  You know, because you never know when you need a bunch of NC sand.

In May I made and blogged about the "Birthday Configuration" I made for a swap.  I decided to make Margie a Birthday Beachy Configuration.

Its hard to see but can you find the little Party hat in the bottom right square?

I glittered the shells- shocking I know- and added pearls, starfish charms, tiny bottles of sand and glitter, a handmade birthday hat, bling, more shells, velvet flowers, birthday banners, shells, rub ons and ribbon.   While I did line the little boxes with paper on the back and edges I left the entire Configuration the original color because it looks beachy and matches the Marjoline Basic Grey paper I used.   The edges of the inside boxes are again covered in Tim Holtz Tissue Tape.

Of course I needed to make a cool card to go with it.  I must say the card I came up with that it was one of those things that I threw together.  I had NO plan when I started and I can't believe how great it came out.

I started with the Marjoline paper and the wood laser cut cake plate from Parisian Anthology collection by House of 3/Pink Paislee.  As I added the cake plate and decided to make a cake I released the pearls would make a perfect "icing".  I added vintage text for candles and Martha Stewart tear drop bling for the flames.  I finished it up by making little wrapped gifts and adding a Tim Holtz stamp sentiment (which I didn't get a good picture of-oopsie).  I love the cake "icing" and will play around with this idea again.

We are having a rainy sleepy day here in Michigan.  School starts soon and I am NOT happy to see the carefree days of summer come to an end but keeping the kids entertained gets more and more difficult as time goes by.  They need to get back to school don't they?

Laters...