A Blog Called Wanda

Spooky Florals for Halloween!

Heeeeeelllllooooooooo! It's October! Happy October! It's my favorite month of the year... Actually I like any month that ends in ber... October is Halloween, and our wedding anniversary, and (usually) football, and leaves and pumpkin spice! I love it all. So, Happy October everyone! My card today is kinda fun and funky and I had fun making it. It came out just like I envisioned too. I love it when that happens!! 

My husband and I have been watching Munsters reruns and that's what originally sparked the idea for my card! LOL. Remember how Lily Munster only liked dead flowers and weeds?? So funny! Then, as I started gathering supplies in the craft room, the idea morphed into a touch of Phantom of the Opera too! Black flowers??!! Spider webs, old music, cool charms...and it all came together. I used one of my very favorite dies from Pretty Pink Posh - the Stitched Poinsettias. But instead of red, I made black ones!! Are you feeling my vibe on this yet??

The finished card is 6" x 5" and will fit into an A7 envelope. This size gave me just a bit more room for those big fluffy flowers. I started with a dark orange card base and layered black (of course) and then cream cardstock... The music is from an old antique music book I keep for crafting...

 

I started by embossing the Webs Embossing folder onto cream cardstock. I used a sponge dauber and Black Soot Distress Ink to lightly go over the webs to make them pop off the page. I also inked around the edges of that cream panel. I splattered some black metallic watercolor paint onto that part too. I set it aside to dry.

 

I die cut out the poinsettia pieces from black cardstock. See that pretty stitching detail? Love it! I used my metallic watercolor palette and splashed purple metallic paint generously over the black petals. I LOOOOVE my new watercolor palette because see how good it shows up? Even on black paper??? EEKS!! I glued the poinsettia pieces together and then attached a Crypt Cameo in the center!!! I die cut the leaves from green cardstock and splashed green metallic paint over them. I also inked the edges of the leaves.

 

I stamped the sentiment with black ink onto cream cardstock. I used my scissors to free form cut out a spooky banner and then inked it with black ink.

 

The smaller flower has a spooky spider in the center! Beware!!

 

 

 

I stamped a pumpkin and a BOO on the inside of the card...

 

I hand dyed my own seam binding ribbon for this project. I looooove dying my own ribbon! I used the brand new Crackling Campfire Distress ink along with some green and brown inks... 

 

I wrapped the ribbon around the center of the card and then tied it into a bow, which I attached to the left side. I like the texture so much.

 

 

 

In stark contrast... Here's the gorgeous red version of this same exact die!! This is a Christmas card I made last year. I really love these dies - they are so beautiful. I like to think of new ways to use my supplies, and black flowers is right up there on that list!! CLICK HERE to see my Christmas project with these dies! 

 

Here's a close up of my layers and colors... Loving that web!

 

In this photo you can really see the purple metallic watercolor paint. It's so cool on the black paper!!

 

 

 

The other day I made some pumpkin muffins for us to snack on. I used this recipe and they came out great! I made a simple glaze with powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. YUM! I am all stocked up on mini pumpkins at my house - they are everywhere!! 

 

Here is that gorgeous new Distress Ink Color: Crackling Campfire! I love it - perfect for all my Fall projects. I used it today to dye the ribbon and it's the prettiest deep orange.  A great addition to my crafty stash for sure.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today on this first day of October! I'm hoping the temps cool off and I can bust out some sweaters and scarves and enjoy a beautiful fall. Have a blessed and happy day, my friends! XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today's card. (Affiliate Links Used)... As always thank you so very much for shopping with my affiliate links - you help me keep the lights on around here and I'm grateful. 

Taylored Expressions - Hey There Card Kit Launch!

HEY THERE! Literally HEY THERE! Hahaha. Today's card is bright and cheerful and has a clear message! Yippeeee! I'm happy to share the brand new card kit from our friends at Taylored Expressions! This one is FUN and great for any occasion. Super to cheer up anyone and bring some color to the mailbox. It has a really innovative stamp/stencil combo that adds different colored shadows to the large sentiment. I think it's genius!! The kit has it all: stamps, stencils, dies, envelopes, seals...and more. CLICK HERE to shop the kit before it sells out!

My card today is a big square card. I wanted to get the most real estate from that sunshiny stencil so I made a big card. I started by stenciling the yellow rays with pretty TE ink and TE blender brushes. I also splattered some white paint over it....

 

Here's a close up of the feature! The kit has three versions of the large Hey There.... Then you use stencils to add the shadows - here I've used green pink and yellow. SO FUN!! I heat embossed the sentiment with turquoise embossing powder. It was super easy to line up the stencils next to the letters. Then I die cut it out with the matching die.

 

I added the smaller sentiment with black ink onto a stitched circle....

 

 

 

Here is a photo of some of the contents of the kit. Don't you love these colors together!? I sure do!

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a photo of the stamp/stencil combo. It has a guide on the back of the packaging to make it easy to see how to line up everything. GENIUS!!

 

And here's the full kit!

Thank you for coming by today! Do you love the new Taylored Expressions Card Kit? Do you have some of the other kits?? Most of them are selling out in the first days so if you like it - head over and get yours. We could all use a little color right now, don't you think? I will see you soon, friends! XO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today's card! (Affiliate links used).... CLICK HERE to go straight to the TE Website! 

More Boos!! Sweet little ghosties card!!

Hey Boos! More boos today! Another Halloween card to share with you!! This time it's little adorable ghosties colored with Copics... Lots of fun stamps and dies from Hello Bluebird! Hope you're having a great weekend. We're doing good here. Friday morning we got up to the apple orchards early in the morning and got some cider and yummy warm apple donuts. Then we went for a long drive. It was a wonderful day. Since then, I've been in the crafty cave working away! We'll start sneak peeks for The Greetery new release on Friday - woot! Thanks for stopping by today. BOO!

This finished card is a 5" x 5" square card. I used purple this time to make it spooky but pretty at the same time. Some purple distress ink blending too! It's not a color I use often but whenever I do I like it! Oh, and don't laugh - more clouds! Supply links are at the bottom of my post. 

 

The card base is white, then a layer of purple, then the stenciled cloud layer, then the trees die cut layer.... And I tucked a harvest moon in there too... I used stamps from a couple of different sets to create the Halloween scene.

 

Here's a close up of my ink blending... Two shades of purple, then splatters, then some gorgeous Nuvo drops on top. Love how it came out!!

 

I stamped and die cut the cat, pumpkins and ghosties and colored them all with my Copic Markers. I added some stickles as an accent and shimmer element.

 

Here's a side view so you can see the layers.

 

 

That's it for today's share! I'll be back on Tuesday to share the brand new kit from Taylored Expressions! Yipppeeeee! See you then! XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today's card! (Affiliate Links Used). Thank you for supporting me and shopping my links. I truly appreciate it so much! 

Hey Boo! Halloween pals out for a drive! Fun Spellbinders Dies!

Hey BOO! How are you, my crafty boos? Happy almost Friday! We call it Friday Eve! LOL. September is rolling along, Fall is officially here, and it's going to be 100 degrees where I live again! OY. Maybe if I love Fall hard enough I can will it to come to Sacramento! Hahaha. I hope you had a good week and I hope the change of season is treating you well. I'm in Halloween creating mode and trying to get all my ideas made and shared with you. Also, in the craft room, is the new release from The Greetery. You guys are gonna love it (Christmas!)... Stay tuned for that. I've been taking Christmas photos today. Best wishes for a fun weekend.

Today's card features awesome and super fun dies from the Sunday Drive Series from our friends at Spellbinders! Such a fun concept and this card made me smile the entire time I was making it. The finished card is a 5.25" x 5.25" square white card base. Layered with some lime green paper and then my top layer. Oh, and clouds are back (LOL)!! 

The Sunday Drive Dies collection is a car that looks like it's driving away - so clever! And then you can change out the words on the trunk lid and change the characters that are inside the car!! I used the Halloween ones that make a witch and skeleton. But there are also one for Christmas - Santa and a reindeer. EEK. The main die set has balloons and birthday images. 

 

You know I'm obsessed with clouds right now... These clouds were stenciled with white pigment ink onto black cardstock. Voila - spooky night sky! I splattered some white paint to look like stars... To build my scene I die cut a moon from vellum so that the clouds would come through. It looks like they're driving away into the sunset moonset! 

 

There are a lot of little pieces involved here but the set comes with a guide so you know exactly what each piece is. I like that you can customize every single thing to the color you want it. I chose to make a teal and purple monster car... And then customized the witch hair, hat, broom....

 

I die cut some bats and skeletons... I wanted to somehow use the balloons from the main die set... Hmmmmm.... Then it came to me: Skeleton Balloons! Ha! These spooky friends are maybe driving off to a Halloween party??!! The balloons are die cut with vellum and then I glued tiny skeletons onto them. I used several colors of Stickles to add glitter and shimmer to certain pieces of the scene.

 

 

 

I used foam tape and foam dots to assemble everything. A few spooky bats flying around them...

 

I used Copic Markers to add some accents and shadows to the 'hey boo,' the leaves, the hair, broom and skeleton eye sockets.

Hope I didn't scare ya today! Thanks for coming by to see my fun Halloween card. Are you making Halloween crafts yet? I feel like every year it sneaks up on me. Once September comes, the year seems to fly by so quickly. I have lots more things I want to make! Have a great weekend. XOXO 

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today's card. (Affiliate Links Used)

Penguin Palace Stamps - New Release Blog Hop!

Hello! Glad to see you today! Welcome to Penguin Palace Stamps - first ever Blog Hop!  I'm thrilled to be joining a group of talented artists in featuring Penguin Palace's latest Fall 2020 Release. They have super cute stamps and tools for creating! The main feature of the new release is a creative, innovative and very cool new stenciling system. It's called Stencils 360! I had a lot of fun creating with the new system and am excited to show you! Sharon at PP did an awesome video showing the system and how it works - CLICK HERE to watch! I stenciled some pretty florals using the new Botanical Gardens stencil... Let's look! 

This is a big card - to feature more of the pretty design - it's a 5.5" x 5.5" square. I kept it simple, with a pretty pink card base and one layer. The sentiment is also a brand new PP stamp set - Words from the Heart 2. 

 

 

I stenciled the panel using Distress Inks in bright floral shades and using blender brushes. It's SO SIMPLE to get this multi color design! Hint - you don't have to clean your stencil off in between each color...and it's all ONE stencil! Genius!

 

After I stenciled the entire 'image' I stenciled a few extra yellow flowers and cut them out with my detail scissors to add an accent. The sentiment was stamped onto a circle and attached to the card with foam tape. 

 

Isn't this cool?? The Stencils 360 system is a big grid with markings for you to follow as you spin your ROUND stencil inside the larger grid. Here are some photos of it on my work table...

 

To do this you stencil each color and then spin!!! So easy!!!

 

Check it out!!!

 

Here are the parts of the system...

 

Each stencil has a shape on it, and you rotate the stencil according to the same design on the outline piece.

 

 

 

 

 

Truly - May you be happy - ALWAYS!

PRIZE INFO! Hop along to each blog and leave a comment.  A winner, chosen at random, who comments on each stop on the hop will win a prize of a $40CAD Gift Certificate to the Penguin Palace store!  Comments for prize close at 11:30pm PST on 7 Oct 20.  The lucky winner will be announced on 8 Oct 2020 on the Penguin Palace Blog. Good Luck!

Thanks for stopping by today to see this fun new concept in stencils. I'm happy to be able to share it with you today. Please head over to the Penguin Palace website to learn more, watch videos and shop! XOXO 

BLOG HOP DESIGNER LIST FOR TODAY'S HOP! ENJOY!

Sharon Yeung (PP Blog)

Anja Glauner

Ashley Young

Jo Thompson

Bobbi Lemanski

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Jenny Colacicco

Jessica Frost-Ballas

Ashley Tucker

Wanda Guess

Ilda Dias

Justine Hovey

Sharon Yeung (PP Blog)

Awesome new stamps from Catherine Pooler - Fall & Winter!

Hi there sweet and crafty friends! Happy Weekennnddddd! I hope you're having a delightful day today! I'm super happy because I finally got my hair cut last week! Yipppeeee! And, one of my favorite crafty friends is here visiting her family in California and I get to see here tomorrow! And go wine tasting! Yeah! Cannot wait. I also cannot wait to share two cards with you today! One Fall, and one Christmas! I'm making both right now and thought, well, why not share two things today?

Both of these cards were made with awesome new stamps and dies from Catherine Pooler. LOVE. Like really love. Fresh and pretty but still cheerful and cute all at the same time. Lots of color too!! CLICK HERE to shop the CP Store - you are sure to find something you like. Be sure to scope out the patterned paper section because their patterned paper is GORGEOUS and thick and fabulous.

First up is this sweet Fall card with warm shades and adorable images. Everything for Fall: coffee, pumpkins, acorns and leaves. What else do we need?! The finished card is an A2 cream card base then layered with orange cardstock and more cream. I used the stamps and dies from the September Club Sursee... But if you're not a subscriber, these stamps will be available for purchase at a later date! 

 

The stamps are all layered stamping and so easy to line up. To make these I actually die cut all the shapes out and then stamped right onto the shapes. Easy! I stamped some of the pieces a second time and cut out the details to make a different color (the to go cup, thermos lid, etc). All the fall shades...

 

I love Fall....and YOU!

 

NOTE: These stamp sets are from Catherine Pooler's Club Sursee Kit!! They will be available for purchase separately in the future, but right now you can only get them in the kit. Please click here for all the details! I highly recommend signing up!

 

Here's a close up of that beautiful background! I die cut the Petal Connection Cover Plate (one of my favorite CP products) and layered it over teal cardstock. Then I framed it behind a frame. I feel like it mimics clouds and wind swirling?? Are you seeing that?? 

 

I didn't use all the images I stamped for the first card.... So I made a mini card with the extras! EEK! I'll tuck this into a present this season!

 

 

 

Next up is a bright and colorful Peppermint Twist Holiday Card! Lots of glitter! This finished card is an A2 white card base. Then I layered the wonderful Peppermint Twist Cover Plate over the white. I used new patterned papers too....

 

I splattered some white paint onto my pink peppermint layer. Then I used two of the patterned papers to make a layer of color in the middle. I stamped the sentiment onto a white circle and layered that with a vellum circle!!

 

I stamped and die cut several peppermints and candies in happy colors and added lots of Diamond Stickles!

 

These cover plate dies are so precise and cut like a dream...

 

 

 

This pic shows the layers and the patterned papers up close! 

Okay! Have a great week ahead! Thank you so much for stopping by today! I'll see you soon my dears! XO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today's cards. (Affiliate Links Used).

Mama Elephant 8th Anniversary Stampede Blog Hop!

 

 

 

Welcome back to Day 3 of the Mama Elephant Celebration blog hop! We are all helping ME to celebrate 8 years with a fantastic new holiday release along with lots of amazing crafty friends! There are three days total for this hop, so be sure to check out all three days by visiting the Mama Elephant Blog! Yippee!

My card was made using the adorable new Little Fox Agenda stamp set! I made it into a sweet greeting for a crafty pal by using the Heart, Letter, Coffee and Paint foxes! I also did a bit of Distress Ink Blending! The finished card is an A2 card base....Take a look! Thanks for stopping by today! XO

 

 

 

 

 

That's it for my project! Please read below for all the details on specials and giveaway! YEAH!!! So happy you stopped by today my friends! XO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for today! (Affiliate Links Used)

Join us with some free goodies and the Mama Elephant annual sale! 

 

 

You can shop the newest release which is LIVE in our store now!

 

www.mamaelephant.com

 

 

That's not all! To celebrate this special Anniversary release, Mama Elephant is giving away ten $25 gift certificates to our store!!! That is 10 winners!!! Winners will be chosen at random from the collective blogs in the 3 day Stampede. You have up to 4 chances to qualify to win!

» 1. Leave a comment on this blog post «

» 2. Like/share us on Facebook: facebook.com/mamaelephant «

» 3. Follow/tweet us on Twitter: twitter.com/heymamaelephant «
» 4. Follow/leave a comment for us on Instagram: instagram.com/mamaelephant «

(Each action qualifies for one entry, max 4 entries per stampeder please!)

Here are the designers for today. Please make sure to visit each of them and leave some kind words and comments!

Mette Witus » www.mettewitus.home.blog

Alberto Gava » www.loshakeratoalbertoblog.wordpress.com

Wanda Guess » www.ablogcalledwanda.com

Jessica Frost Ballas » www.allthesparkle.com

Nichol Spohr » www.nicholspohr.com

Claudia Mauri » www.mrsclocards.com

Leica Palma » www.leicacrafts.blogspot.com

Mama Elephant » www.mamaelephantblog.com

Thank you and Happy Stampeding!

Pinkfresh Studio Holiday 2020 Stamp and Die Release Blog Hop!!

Hey friends! Are you ready for some Christmas and Holiday Cheer today!? I sure hope so! It's a BIG blog hop to celebrate the Winter 2020 new release from Pinkfresh Studio! And....it's GORGEOUS! Lots of stamps and dies sure to fit every style! I have three cards to share with you today, and they're all completely different - showcasing different stamps and dies. I'm so excited to see what everyone else made today! Prize information, Hop links, and supply lists are at the bottom of my post - so be sure to read all the way to the end! CLICK HERE to shop the new release if you can't wait! I'm so happy that I was invited to participate today. Let's look at cards!

First up is this totally cheerful and bright Christmas card sure to make you smile! It reminds me of a Dr. Seuss book! Like maybe Who-ville??! I used one of my favorite color palettes: Lime, aqua, pink and red. The finished card is a white A2 card base, but that little reindeer is poking out the top! Hee hee. 

 

 

I used the dies from the Our Home To Yours new set to die cut out a bunch of little houses. I wanted the sleigh to be flying over my colorful town. The scale is way off, but that's what makes it fun! They're flying along dropping presents as they go! I layered aqua cardstock and then a white layer. Then a hill...

 

This is super fun! I stamped and die cut this image and then colored with Copics. I added a tiny pom for his hat. Oh, and lots of glitter!! Oh! And gems!

 

When I assembled the card, I first frosted the houses with white paint... Then I tucked them inside the hill and glued them all down. Feels frosty!!

 

Next up is a card with a totally different look! I used the beautiful new Pop Out Folk Christmas stamps and dies to make this traditional red and green card with a bit of a vintage feel. The card is A2 sized. I also used the AMAZING new alphabet dies - uggghhhhh - so pretty!!! The deer and tree are white embossed onto cardstock and then inked with the matching color to add some depth.

 

This stamp/stamp set is really nice - gives a homey feeling. I stamped the light images in the background with Antique Linen Distress ink onto cream cardstock. It's subtle and nice. The letters are mounted onto the card with foam circles.

 

Here's a close up of the deer and tree. Such detail - love it. I'm hoping you can see the inking over the paper. 

 

And here's a close up of the layers, the background stamping and the letters...

 

My third card is and icy, wintery, graphic card with lots of impact! The finished card is A2. I used the Diagonal Background die in white over bright red to look like candy cane stripes. I added a bit of white paint snow on the red before gluing the white part on top.

 

This die set is called Layered Snowflakes and there are tons of ways to put together a pretty look. I chose to use silver cardstock and vellum because I just wanted that really shiny look. The sentiment is from Our Home To Yours and I love that it comes with a matching die. I added a few pearls as accents.

 

 

 

I know I'm going to use these snowflakes dies a lot this season!! 

Okay! Whew! That's it for my cards for today! Thank you so very much for coming by my blog today! Be sure to keep scrolling for prize info and the full hop list. XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for my cards. (Affiliate Links Used). CLICK HERE to go directly to the Pinkfresh Studio website to start shopping! 

Pinkfresh Studio is offering free US or discounted international shipping on all orders $50+ from September 17th to September 24th.  There are several ways to win prizes too!! Pinkfresh Studio will be giving away the full release on the Pinkfresh blog,  Instagram feed, & YouTube channel so be sure to follow them across social media!! AND... Each stop on the hop will be giving away a $25 gift card on our blog posts!!! YEAH! The winners will be picked randomly from the comments. Winners will be posted on September 24, 2020 on the Pinkfresh GIVEAWAY PAGE. You must check that page & claim your prize within 2 weeks. GOOD LUCK!

The Blog Hop Link List is below - enjoy the hop! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Hey there pumpkin pie!

Hey there, sweetie pie pumpkin pie!!! Hee hee. I LOOOOOOVE THIS CARD! Lolz. Is it okay for me to say that? It has everything I love: Fall, gingham, texture, warm colors, leaves, and PIE! (I'm cracking myself up here!) How was your weekend? Happy Monday! The temps have changed here and we are having cool nights and it's so amazing. The smoke from all the surrounding fires is thick in the air, so we spent all weekend inside. Which meant lots of crafting. I hope you're doing well this morning! Thank you to everyone who shared their 9/11 story on my last post. And thank you to everyone who sent me an email with warm thoughts. I'm grateful! 

I keep a big bin on the counter in my craft room and I put my new/never used products in it so I can quickly find them and craft when I'm ready. This card today uses three things from the new bin! A couple of new stamps and dies from My Favorite Things, and new patterned paper for Fall. The finished card is an A2 card base from cream cardstock. Lots and lots of layers of papers, dies and textures...and colors! Usually I'll pop in some teal or aqua with my Autumn colors, but today I'm using a true blue, kind of on the dusty side, to match that blue in the patterned paper. 

 

I chose all my papers before I did my Copic Coloring - that's a good tip for having everything match! I started the card by doing my layers: Cream card base, kraft layer, gingham layer, wrap of pumpkin paper, then an orange circle, vellum circle and textured circle. Whew. 

 

I stamped all my images using brown ink on cream cardstock. This gives the card a warm feeling - totally different from using black ink on white cardstock. I colored everything with Copics - pumpkin, leaves and acorn. I die cut the little pie and inked the edges with distress ink. Is that not the cutest thing ever??

 

The textured circle is a beautiful embossing folder from Taylored Expressions. SO much pretty texture!! Love it. All the elements were attached to the front using foam circles. I used liquid glue to attach the sweetie pie word dies over everything else.

 

I stamped the sentiment onto a stitched rectangle (again using brown ink) and put it up in the corner of the card. I adore the mixed fonts!

 

 

Okay, sweetie pies! Take on the week! Thanks for coming by today to see my project. On Thursday I'll have two posts - two different blog hops! It's gonna be fun, so make sure to come back!! XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below to see the supply list for this card! (Affiliate links used)

9-11 Remembrance Card - Home of the BRAVE

Hi everyone.... I decided to do a second blog post for today.... I made this card this morning and really wanted to share it on this day of remembrance of 9/11. It's truly a day of reflection and prayer for me and my household. I was moved this morning to create on the spot - something I love to do. I spent the morning thinking about 9/11 and our country and her people. I prayed and thought back to that fateful day....and made this card in quiet. I miss the days when I used to craft what I was feeling. Nowadays it seems like most of my crafting is scheduled and planned! Today's card is from my heart. 

I will briefly share my 9/11 story. Everyone remembers where they were that morning... I was at home, getting ready for work and watching the Today show in our bedroom. (It was 6am in California). Even though everything started happening in New York, I got ready and went to the office. It was weird, we all showed up for work. I don't think we knew what else to do. My co-workers and I spent most of the day watching TV at the office in the hallway in between the cubicles. I worked in a big insurance office with about 100 employees. Not one single phone was ringing... It was so quiet. There were a lot of tears and shocked disbelief. We sat there stunned until we all finally went home and tried to process what happened.

The personal side of the story is that we were due to be married in three weeks - back East in Cape Cod. In 2001, we had been dating for 8 and a half years...and we had finally planned our wedding!.... Now we were wondering should we go? Can we go? Are we allowed to fly? Will anything be open? Is it appropriate? We prayed and prayed and decided to go ahead as planned. But we had to wait and see if there would be flights... Remember for a couple of weeks there were zero planes in the air.  I distinctly remember thinking - wow, what a reminder of how short life is, and that I'd better live to the fullest while I can. Each day truly a gift. (Our wedding was just us, the photographer and the minister, so it was easy to still go) We got married on the beach at the Chatham Bars Inn - gazebo (I know some of you know where that is!) 

So here's the remarkable thing, and something my husband and I talk about all the time. We flew 3000 miles where we knew no one, to get married. We traveled around New York (Adirondacks), Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, New England, and the Cape and Islands....for two and a half weeks. Every single person was KIND to us. Helpful, welcoming, lovely, sweet, and AMERICAN. People thanked us for traveling (because no one was). People helped us find our way around (no iphones yet). People gave us upgraded rooms because it was our honeymoon. I'm getting the chills writing this. We were in Boston for a few days. Every boat in the harbor had an American Flag flying. Every building had the flag out front. The post office in Salem MA had like 75 flags in front. Everywhere there was a sense of patriotism and love for our beautiful country. Compassion for others. Kindness towards strangers. I will never ever ever forget what that felt like. America at her best, after the worst thing imaginable... Something to think about here in 2020. I literally cannot believe that was almost twenty years ago. Wow. 

If you feel inclined - I would love to hear your 9/11 story in the comments. I think it's important to remember this day and to share our experiences to bring us closer together as Americans. XO

Okay, for my card... I have a couple of plastic bins in my craft room filled with patriotic stamps, dies, papers, stickers, etc. I reached for those bins and grabbed some of my very favorite Americana themed supplies from Taylored Expressions. I have lots and lots of old and new supplies from TE, so some of these things are no longer available. (CLICK HERE to see the patriotic section of TE). The finished card is an A2 kraft card base. 

 

I embossed the stars embossing folder onto kraft cardstock for my top layer. I used vellum and white heat embossed that GORGEOUS sentiment! It's big and bold and the perfect saying for today. Next I stamped the USA map and die cut it with the matching die. I thought the map would fit on the card under the sentiment, but I was wrong! LOL. So I ended up tucking the map underneath the vellum - then I wrapped the vellum around the top layer. I actually love how this looks!

 

After I embossed the stars, I used a sponge dauber and white pigment ink and inked over the stars to make them show up better. Then I squinched the paper and folded the corners using my fingers - to make it look aged. I also inked the edges with Distress ink. I added some Doodlebug Stars shapes. Finally, I used my brand new Metallic Water Colors and splashed some gold over the entire card. On the background of the card base you can see that I stamped some larger stars. 

 

 

Sending you blessings, love and kindness on this day of remembrance. I hope you had a good day. XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below for the supplies for this patriotic card.