Kerri Miller
Many of you are already familiar with our Creative Editor, Susan R. Opel. Here at the magazine, she’s the bringer of new ideas, the communicator to our designers, the organizer of projects, and the goddess of Facebook among other things.
You already know she loves taking road trips. (Her most recent road trip left her calling AAA to push her out of a spring snow bank.) She spends her free time organizing her craft room and creating cards, Susan style.
She is a Detroit Tigers fan, a Michigan fan, and a natural-born cheerleader. (If you ever meet her in person, you’ll have to ask her to do the Paper Crafts cheer. Yes, you read that right; she came up with a Paper Crafts cheer.)
But for this birthday tribute, I wanted to dig deeper to find out other little-known factoids that I could share with the Paper Crafts world—tidbits that not everyone knows. So I went straight to her sister, Beth Opel, to get the goods. Here’s what she had to say:
Susan has a real affinity for Miss Piggy, as well as Grover.- Her favorite singer is John Cougar Mellencamp. “Jack and Diane” is her all-time favorite song. (I also have it on good authority that she likes Kid Rock as well!)
- She collects books by John Grisham, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Sue Grafton.
- She is extremely patriotic and used to have flags and other USA memorabilia all around her apartment, even on her Christmas tree.
- She can’t golf because her chest gets in the way!
Here we have confirmation Susan, 80’s Susan, and cheerleader Susan!
Susan is great to have in the office and is always the life of the party—as long as that party ends by 9:00 pm sharp. This lady is very much a morning person.
Being a former English teacher and lover of the English language, Susan is always coming up with haikus. Here is my birthday haiku tribute for Susan.
Birthday girl Susan!
Creative cheerleader fun.
Have a great year. Sing!
Now it’s your turn. Write a birthday haiku for Susan—remember 5/7/5 for syllables. Susan will pick her favorite to receive a little box of paper-crafting goodness. All haikus must be received by Friday, April 20th at 5 pm MDT.
Happy Birthday Susan!
Party on sister!
It’s early in the morning
On your special day.
too much fun – here’s another …
Party on sister!
Lots of birthday surprises
On their way today!
One more birthday fact
Susan’s Pinterest will show
A great love of shoes
On Susan’s birthday
One Haiku is not enough
Shout a birthday cheer!
No mention of age
twenty-nine is looking fine
again and again
LOL now that might be a little cheeky, but you do show an eighties Susan…
you are not alone.
My chest gets in the way too.
Happy birthday Susan!
Who needs golf anyway?
Fun to live the 80′s… back then.
Have a great birthday!
Leah the Orange
wishing Susan all the best
on her twenty-ninth!
Susan is the best.
She sends happy emails.
I like her a lot!
Whoops, I made a mistake!
Susan is the best!
She sends out happy emails.
I like her a lot!
much better:) Happy Birthday, Susan!
Yes it is your day
May the celebration start
For the Birthday girl!
Inky and bubbly.
Fancy, birthday girl, Susan.
Eat your cake all day!
I sent my poem a little too soon. I meant to tell you to:
Have a super fantastic day, Susan!
I am certainly not a poet but here goes:
Oh Crafty Susan
Happy Birthday on this day,
Golfing is no fun!
Well, I dont’ know about Haiku, but here goes:
Good Morning, Susan.
It’s your special day, girl!
Party early – home.
A smile, a laugh, a giggle, with a cherry on top.
Bright and out of the box style.
A Internet friend yet to meet some day!
I am horrible at this but here goes!
Happy day Susan!
Celebrate todaywith cheer.
Drink and be merry!
Happy Birthday! I hope you have a fabulous day:)
A little ditty
about Susan R. Opel
Talented, pretty and fun!
(apologies to John and Supreme Birthday Wishes to a fellow Muppet Fan!)
I could’ve ended that with “growing up in the Heartland.” 7 syllables–JM is a poet!
Puffy Love Birthday
Celebrate Today a Must
Inky Wishes Will Come True
Happy Birthday Susan! ((HUGS))
I went to Meijer.
Could have mailed you birthday cake.
Result? Box of crumbs.
Happy Birthday!
I puffy heart you
A great cheerleader you are
American sweet heart!
PS: happy birthday, Susan!
Susan, it’s your day!
Enjoy it and remember…
You’re the queen, hooray!!
I hope you have a fantastic birthday!!
- April W
Susie-Q is AMAZING!!! Love love love her sunny and cheerful personality, but also her humor!
Birthday blessings to a great friend!
Michigan, we love!
But we love birthdays much more!
Go drink some pop now.
Best Wishes To You
Susan, the Paper Goddess
Have Great Birthday!
Opel’s are the best!
Wishing you some birthday fun.
Paper Craft’s Guru!
Hope you have many
Birthdays to sing and cheer ’bout
You The Best no doubt!
PS: not so sure this was a haiku tribute, but ….
Hope you have a wonderful day, Susan!
A birthday cheer (in haiku syllables) for Ms. Opel:
We puffy heart you!
Susan,
We puffy heart you
We puffy heart you!
Hope your day is full of goodies!
With a smiling face
She brightens everyone’s day
A blessing from God
A little ditty
’bout a happy mail sender
Happy day, Susan!
Ditty ’bout Susan:
Paper Crafts and Tigers fan
Your day… now rock on!
Happy Birthday, Susan!!!
Celebrate, Susan!
It’s your birthday all day long.
Fun, cake, ice cream! Cheers!
Susan Opel Day
My favorite ginger gal
Always love her style
We puffy heart you!
With love from your crafty friends,
Enjoy your birthday!
Oh I just LOVE this clever idea for everyone to write a haiku for Susan! I wrote one late last night for her on Facebook…
Your birthday.
A day of celebration.
For all who know you.
I think I’m going to have to break out the “clever” gene and try to come up with something much for fun & interesting!
Happy Birthday, Susan!!
We prayed for a girl
When our baby was coming
God gave us Susan!
Just love today`s post! Happy, Happy Birthday Susan. English is not my first language and I will skip the poem, but I wish you all the best!
Another year here
To create joy and bring much
Happiness to all
Happiest of Birthdays Susan!
Fun! I’m going to do mine in text just for some extra fun
HB Sue!
HV A LOL Day
UR A QT!
LOL, you are some wackadoodle fun gals.
Awww, who could top Mom’s haiku? I doubt anyone! But I’ll haiku for Susan…
RED, SPARKLING(spar-ka-ling) HAIR
A CHEERLEADER OF US ALL
STAND TALL,GLOW TODAY!
Susan, sweet Susan
A happy birthday to you
Celebrate your day
Not super creative, but I think I followed the rules!
Happy birthday, Susan!
She waves the flag high!
A paper crafter sublime.
Great humor she shares.
I tried again:
English teacher then
Creative editor now
Who knows what is next?
A revision of the last:
English teacher then
Creative editor now
Bright future ahead
Hope your special day is a great one! Happy Birthday Susan!
The morning sunshine
Awakening the soul free
To meet the Birth Day.
(Have a lovely birthday!)
Thank God for Google –
Couldn’t remember how to
Write haiku for you.
(Happy birthday to you and my kitty Gizmo!)
Your birthday is here!
Celebrate, craft, create. But..
Don’t forget the cake!!