Recommendations?

[bluefalconchick.livejournal.com]

Hello crafty ladies!

I would like to make a card for a friend of mine using a photo. I would also like for this card to have some sort of almost scrapbooking-look to the background (Nothing fancy, just a design like some pretty pink scrapbooking paper).

I'd love to find a free website that can help me incorporate these ideas into a finished product-And recommendations?

(Oh, and I do no have an actual hard copy of the photo because I do not want her to know I'm making the card-I want to be able to use my mom's photo quality printer and matte photo paper to print the card, but if the only way to do this is to make a card out of card stock or something and then add the photo, I guess I can print the photo seperately and just use some of the scrapbooking paper I have here at the house-I was just SOOOO hoping for a much simplier way to accomplish this!)

Plain wooden blocks?

[kittycatalina.livejournal.com]

I'd like to paint some wooden blocks for a friend's baby shower. I've found some smaller ones online (3/4''-1''), but I'd prefer some chunkier ones for little hands. Anyone know of a good source?
Thanks!

gift for dad?

[ibinitch.livejournal.com]

My dads birthday is next friday and even though I am giving him a gift card; I want to make him something. I just don't know what :/ Any suggestions?