TCC135 God Bless the USA

Hi Friends!

Welcome to The Card Concept #135 {Red, White and Blue} Challenge! 

I just love patriotic décor and was inspired by all of the stars and stripes to create a Shabby and Vintage Memorial Day card!

I decided to pull out of my favorite retired stamp sets from Stampin’ Up!. Courage and used the main Armed Forces image for the focal image panel.

I paired the Courage image with paper and a sentiment from Divinity Designs- the sentiment is from Heat & Soul and the papers are from the Patriotic Collection Paper Pad.

I decided to use the Splitcoaststampers SC792 Sketch Challenge for the layout and am also participating in the Cardz for Guyz #244 “Vintage” Challenge.

To create this card:

Ink the Courage image with Versafine™ Onyx Black ink and stamp onto white cardstock. Heat set the ink with a heat tool before coloring with water-based markers and distress ink (see colors listed below).

Die cut the panel with a stitched square die, mount onto navy cardstock, trim and mount onto red cardstock.

Emboss a piece of the navy paper from the Patriotic Collection Paper Pad with a 3D Star Embossing Folder, lightly sand the embossing. 

Using a water brush, dilute and add a bit of brushed corduroy distress ink around the edge of a piece of white cardstock trim and mount the embossed blue background onto the panel.  Mount the entire panel onto a piece of red cardstock, trim and adhere to a white card base.

Dilute brushed corduroy distress ink and apply to the patriotic paper to “antique” the paper, die cut into a banner and mount onto red cardstock.

Adhere the banner to the card front and mount the layered focal image using dimensional foam or chipboard.

Stamp the sentiment from Heart & Soul with Versafine™ Onyx Black ink onto white cardstock, heat set with a heat tool and use diluted brushed corduroy paper to “antique”.  

Trim and mount onto navy cardstock, trim and mount onto red cardstock.

Add the sentiment to the card front to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets:  Courage (retired Stampin’ Up!), Heart & Soul (Divinity Designs)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Stampin’ Write Markers-Night of Navy, Real Red, Soft Suede; Tim Holtz™ Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink

Cardstock/Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Real Red; Patriotic Collection (Divinity Designs)

Tools/Accessories: Gemini, Jr™, My Favorite Things Dies- Stitched Square STAX, retired Jumbo Fishtail Banners; Darice™ 3D Stars Embossing Folder, AquaPainter™, Heat Tool

Thanks again for taking the time to visit!  I hope I have inspired you to create your own card based on our {Red, White and Blue} photo and link up to our gallery at The Card Concept- we would love to see what inspired you! The challenge is open until May 25^th at noon EST.

Remembering Those Who Have Gone Before

Hi Stampers! 

I hope all of you are having a great Memorial Day weekend!  I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the reason for our holiday- remembering those who have sacrificed their lives for service to our country and our freedom.

I am praying for those families who have lost loved ones in our military and other branches of service- may we never forget their sacrifice nor their courage, bravery and commitment to our country and freedom!  May the Lord richly bless America and may we always be free!

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by and visit- have a wonderful day!

Service and Sacrifice

Hi Stampers! 

Have I mentioned how much I love the weekly challenge blogs?  They provide so many new ideas and inspiration and they motivate me not only to stamp, but to stamp “outside” the box :-) 

It was late this evening when we returned from our nephew’s Awana award ceremony and I wanted to create a quick card utilizing the fantastic SSC204 sketch at Stamping 411 (see http://www.stamping411.blogspot.com ) and decided to combine the sketch with this week’s  Memorial Day HSSCSC68  Challenge (see http://handstampedsentiments.blogspot.com).   

The Design Teams at both sites have created some amazing examples and the other entries are just as wonderful- if you have a moment, stop by and leave them some stamping "love"!

To create this card:

Use the Big Shot with the Square Lattice EF (one of my absolute favorite embossing folders) and emboss a piece of Whisper White.  

Stamp the large image from Courage (I love this set!) with Night of Navy onto Whisper White and mount onto Night of Navy. Adhere a few scraps of Cherry Cobbler (for the offset piece behind the focal image) and mount the focal image.  

Using the large star punch, punch out a few stars from Cherry Cobbler.  Stamp the small star from Service and Sacrifice on Whisper White and punch out with the small Star Punch (the punch is retired, but you could use the Star Original Die).

Stamp the sentiment with Night of Navy, punch out with the Decorative XL Label Punch and mount onto a Cherry Cobbler layer.  Adhere a Whisper White scrap over the Night of Navy band, attach the sentiment and stars to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets:  Courage, Service and Sacrifice

Ink:  Night of Navy

Cardstock: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories:  Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Decorative XL Label Punch, Large Star Punch, Small Star Punch (retired SU!)

I personally feel that we can never thank our armed services and their families enough for their service and sacrifice that they make each and every day for us!  May the Lord richly bless them and protect them as they serve our country.  May we never forget nor take for granted the cost of our freedom.  

Thanks again for stopping by- I hope all of you have a safe and blessed Memorial Day week!