Cards for Heroes Blog Hop

Caution: this is a long post, but I think worthwhile! I hope you have an extra minute to read and participate!

Happy Early Memorial Day! What a blessing it is to reflect on what this day means to us as Americans--honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can continue to live in freedom. I thank the Lord that there are men and women who are willing to serve in such a way.

I have been asked to participate this weekend in a Cards for Heroes blog hop! This is something new for me---but it is for a good cause, so I thought I would try it out! I hope you will visit some of the other participating blogs and see what is out there--lots of prizes, blog candy and patriotic samples to view. Here what they are all about:

Cards for Heroes' mission is to support our nation's armed forces by sending blank greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them throughout their deployment. We are an all-volunteer group of crafters. To date we have sent over 140,000 cards to our heroes serving in the Middle East. You can find more information on making and sending cards here.

I hope that after reading CFH's blog, you will be inspired to send some cards! I have never sent cards to this particular organization, but my customers and I have sent cards to troops through a local chiropractor's office. However, in the class I am having today, I will be featuring a card that my customers can make and forward on to CFH!

So here are a few details:

• If you are a regular blog reader of mine, or you just "arrived", you can begin your blog hop here. This will direct you to your first step at CFH, as well as give you a chance to check out incentives, RAKs and prizes!
• If you are already on the hop, the next stop is Eva. Her blog is awesome--full of really fun scrapbook ideas! Fun and fresh is the way I would describe her style!
• If you leave a comment on my blog and pledge to send a card to CFH, you will entered in my drawing to win the Stampin'Up! set Botanical Blooms, plus some other goodies I'll throw in the package! I'll leave it open until midnight, May 25. (Please be sure to leave me a link or email address so I can contact you!)

So on to my card:

I just received "Hero" from Artistic Outpost. I think I first saw this image on Broni's blog a long time ago, and I really liked it. How timely! I love these vintage images, but when I go to apply them to paper, I sometimes struggle. I am not too happy with these colors, but I do love that little boy image! Isn't he cute? The star and sentiment are from a little Studio G clear stamp set. I do hope someone will like and appreciate the card.

Again, I hope you can participate and send in a card or cards! I'll bet you have cards just sitting around that you could donate today! A direct link to packaging and mailing instructions is here. You will feel really glad you did!!

• Stamps: Hero, Artistic Outpost; July 4th, Studio G, Linen (ret SU)
• Paper: Kraft, Riding Hood Red, Night of Navy, Naturals White
• Ink: Rose Red, Night of Navy, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa
• Acc: Nesties, Dimensionals, Daubers, Star Eyelets, CAD, Grosgrain Ribbon, Circle Punch, Designer Label Punch

Quick & Simple

Just a quick card before I hit the hay!  Saw this layout on Clean and Simple, the Fall to Layout #43:

 

 

 

 

and I just had to do one!

 

The color combo is from SCS a week or so ago; card is 4 1/4" square; image is from Darling Dots and sentiment is a little clear stamp from Alison Wong!  TFL!

Circle Congrats

I had been wanting to make a circular card for a couple days and when I saw the LSC221 challenge at SCS, I jumped on it!  My niece is graduating in a couple weeks, and rather than do the traditional school colors/theme, I used PTI's Mixed Messages to make her graduation card:

I broke into some hoarded Daisy Bucket DP I had and used my Nesties to make a scalloped card base.  Other Sissix dies were used for the flowers and leaves, as well as a felt flower from Felt Fusion Two; button is from Walmart.  A little crimping on the banner and leaf add some dimension.  TFL!

• Stamps:  Mixed Messages, PTI
• Paper:  Old Olive, Rose Red, WW, Daisy Bucket
• Ink:  Rose Red, Old Olive
• Acc:  Nesties, Big Shot, Birds & Blooms Die, Flower Layers 3 Die, Twill, Taylored Expressions; Crimper, Felt Fusion Two flower, string, button, Walmart

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for something special!

Tangerine Tea Time

I am so sad....I cut into my last piece of Tangerine Tango today.  I know I can get more....but don't know if I can justify it when it will be gone next month!  Anyway, I needed a quick little gift for a customer this morning, and the Project Tuesday challenge interested me, so I thought I would give it a try.

The challenge was to make a peek-a-boo treat holder; directions are here.  This is another Papertrey set that Shawn lent me and I thought it would be cute made into a teabag holder.  It's called Tea for Two!!!  So very cute.  I got a K&Co "recycled" pad yesterday (on sale!!) in these wonderful summery citrus colors, so that drove my color selection.  I inked the teapot in Apricot Appeal, then used a dauber to add some shading around the edges with Tangerine Tango BEFORE I stamped it.  I then stamped it on WW and stamped the outline in Really Rust....I think I am in love with this set!!!  I just adore how it turned out!  Anyway, I added a little MS scallop and popped up the teapot on dimensionals. 

 

 

Here are a couple inside shots:

 

 

 

 

You get the picture!  I tied it all up with pretty melon-colored twill from Taylored Expressions!  Very easy, fun project!  Thanks for visiting today!

Color Throwdown #43

Our 43rd Color Throwdown from Broni brings us some lovely colors: Elegant Eggplant, Lavender Lace and Old Olive.

My first thought was to stamp some violets, but my sweet friend Shawn lent me her new PTI Scattered Showers set, and I was itching to play with it! I checked the Mojo Monday sketch for this week:


and then I went to work with my colors and stamps!







I realize that my center panel should have been a square--oh dear! I am pleading creative license! And this card is rather busy for me! Lots of activity going on....you know how you keep adding on and embellishing and layering....I think I should have stopped a while back. Oh well! So let's see what you can come up with! Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery, and then link it back to the CTD blog using Mr. Linky. Use the keyword "CTD43" if you post it on a gallery, so we can find it easily! Don't forget, you could be chosen as a Featured Stamper or even a Guest Designer! If you don't have these exact colors, feel free to substitute! Now lets see what the others have come up with:

• Broni - Splashes of Watercolor
• Tammy - Stamp Happy
• Cathy - Crafty Thoughts
• Barbara - Paper Pursuits
• Danielle – Wild Dragonfly Designs

• Stamps: Scattered Showers, Mixed Messages, Polka Dot Basics, PTI; Enjoy the Moment, SU
• Paper: WW, Lavender Lace, Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Haiku DP, DCWV Textured
• Ink: Lavender Lace, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery
• Acc: Swiss Dots CB folder, SU Brads, Twinkle Dots and Twill by Taylored Expressions, Nesties, Scallop Border Punch by SU, lots of dimensionals, sanding block
  

Jewelry Challenge

Another quick post today--I was able to combine two challenges:  Stacey's Jewelry Challenge #37, and Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #16.  The Flourishes challenge is to make a square card, and Stacey's colors are here:

and you can see the bracelet that inspired them here.

There's something not quite right about this card; it doesn't seem balanced to me or something, but I am finished and need to get on with my day!  I did have fun making it and love these colors---of course, they remind me of Parisian Breeze DP, but I restrained myself and didn't use it today!  Maybe I should have added GLITTER!!!  TFL!

• Stamps:  Flip Out, Impression Obsession (thanks, Tammy!); Shore Thoughts, Lizzie Anne, Polka Dot Basics
• Paper:  WW, Baja Breeze, Bashful Blue, Creamy Caramel
• Ink:  Baja Breeze, Bashful Blue, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip
• Acc:  Nesties, Dimensionals, Gingham, Heart-shaped Bling

Paris in the Spring

I am trying to use up all my Parisian Breeze DP; I will miss it so much.....I just love Baja Breeze, and I will be sad to see these In Colors retire.  You would think I would be hoarding it, but I want to USE it!  I had this card base sitting on my desk for weeks....I cannot even remember from whose blog I got the idea (if you know, let me know so I can credit them!).  It is a little tri-fold card, with a window punched out (using square punches) at the top of each panel:

Each window panel has a flower adhered to it in a different position.  Here is a top view of it, so you can see how it is folded:

 

and the inside:

I shabbied up the flower from Best Wishes and More by stamping it Confetti White, then overstamping it with Sanded in Creamy Caramel.  Then I just daubered and sponged the heck out of everything!  Sentiment is from Oval All.   I dyed Bashful Blue Taffeta ribbon by rubbing it over the top of my Baja Breeze ink pad (I helped it along by rubbing it with the top of a clothespin--so I didn't get my fingers so inky!).  A button from the Latte line was tied over top.  Really a simple, shabby little card!

Next, I went CAS, and used an altered version of the CAS Fall to Layout #41, which everyone seems to love:

I made four of these very quickly; two I made into thank you cards, the other two I left blank and will add a sentiment when necessary.  Flower is from Eastern Blooms; sentiment is from Pocket Silhouettes.  Scallop is SU's Square Scallop punch.

 

Thanks for visiting today; remember tomorrow is Color Throwdown!!  And be sure to visit the CTD blog today to see who made the Featured Stamper!