Happy July 4th

Hello Blogger Friends. 

Sending greetings from Pittsburgh to all my American friends as we celebrate the 249th birthday of America. 

Hope you are getting to take part in the many celebrations that go on today. Our community had a fireworks display last Saturday night. But tonight, many of the communities around us will be having theirs. 

We are having a cookout today at my home. Lots of sunshine and warm weather so the day is perfect for it. So, whatever your plans are for today enjoy the day and the country that we live in. America - home of the free because of the brave!!!

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge on Splitcoaststampers. Our colors were real red, blueberry bushel and balmy blue for the color trio. Optional was to make it patriotic.

real red, balmy blue, blueberry bushel

I made this one for a good friend who uses my cards as part of her decorations. She was thrilled when I gave it to her.

I went with an arched fun fold card for my layout. They are really easy to make. Here is a video from Tami White that shows you how to create the layout. 

My dies are from CottageCutz - the patriotic line. I stamped my sentiment in real red ink and cut it out with a Stampin' Up label die. The sentiment is a stamp from Blue Knight. 

That's my card for today. So, until next time......God bless.

Card Details: 

Stamps: God Bless America (Blue Knight Stamps)

Paper: basic white, real red, blueberry bushel, balmy blue (Stampin'Up), firework fiesta dsp (Carta Bella)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: real red (Stampin'-Up)

Accessories: Patriotic Rainbow, Happy 4th of July, Fireworks Dies (CottageCutz), Essential Arches dies (Spellbinders)

Techniques: Arched Fun Fold

I am also entering:

1.  Four Seasons Challenge is anything goes with a summer theme.  

2.  Creative Inspirations has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Creative Creases has an anything goes with a fun-fold. 

4.  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Double Trouble has a summer fun-fold challenge. 

America...Land that I Love

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this first Saturday in July. 

It's our Independence Day weekend here in the U.S. The actual celebration is on the 4th of July but people will be celebrating with families and friends on different days. We will be celebrating with some friends on the 4th. 

Our community had a fireworks display last evening. We were set to go but changed our minds at the last minute.  We have been having bad air quality from the Canadian forest fires. So, we decided to stay home. 

But, I am celebrating today with a slimline card that I made using CottageCutz dies. The inspiration for my card came from a red truck that I saw driving by me recently. I loved the flag furling in the wind from the back of his truck. So, my card idea was born.

Design Steps:
I cut my flag in red, white and blue. I love how the detail in this die that gives the impression that it is waving in the wind.

Next, I cut my truck. I used the CottageCutz die - Flatbed Truck w/Accessories. 

I stenciled some clouds in broken china distress ink and added a 1/2" section of black cardstock with small white lines down the middle as a road for the truck. 

My card elements are ready and I can start card assembly. I attached the truck and the flag with dimensional adhesive. The America Phrase was secured with clear drying glue.

To finish off my card, I stamped a sentiment underneath the America phrase and scattered a few stars.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time......God bless. 

Card Details:

Stamps: God Bless America (Blue Knight Stamps)

Paper: white, real red, blueberry bushel, soft suede, black, smoky slate, basic gray (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: 8 1/2" x 4"

Ink: blueberry bushel (Stampin' Up), broken china distress (Ranger)

Accessories: Flatbed Truck, USA Flag, Patriotic Rainbow

Techniques: slimline card

I am also entering:

1.  Sweet Stampin' has a no designer paper challenge. 

2.  Creative Fingers has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Crafty Calendar has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Krafty Chicks Challenge is anything goes. 

5.  Word Art Wednesdays has an anything goes challenge. 

America - Celebrating July 4th

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. The last Sunday in June- just wondering how this month went by so quickly. It's now officially summer and I am enjoying it. 

Looking forward to my California kids coming in a few weeks. It's always a great family time. My daughter-in-law and granddaughter are up in Boston now with her parents. My son will join them and then they fly here to Pittsburgh. I am anticipating their arrival. My granddaughter and I will have a great time doing lots of fun things together. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made to send out for a 4th of July card to one of my friends. I like to make and send partiotic cards. They are always appreciated by the recipient. 

Card details:

I decided to make a nighttime city skyline card. I started off doing some ink blending of the sky using distress inks. I used Bristol smooth cardstock and prized ribbon, villainous potion, black soot, fossilized amber and wild honey inks. I think this cardstock blends the inks so smoothly.
Slimline Panel: 8 1/2" x 3 3/4"

Then I cut the America phrase and the fireworks image in red and blue cardstocks.

For the city skyline, I used the City Skyline Slimline die and cut it in black cardstock.

Now I am ready to start my card assembly. I attached the images with a clear drying liquid glue and double-sided tape.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time......God bless.

Dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Crafty Calendar Challenge is summertime. 

2.  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends is anything goes. 

3.  Double Trouble has a something, anything, everything challenge - optional slimline. 

4.  Craft Rocket Challenge wants us to use dies. 

5.  Krafty Chicks Challenge is all occasions- Mine is 4th of July. 

 

Patriotic Gnomes

Hello Blogger Friends. Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this last Saturday in May. 

It's a holiday weekend and the kickoff for the summer season. It's rainy and a little on the cool side today but I have lots to do inside. We are having some friends over tomorrow night and I have dusting and sweeping to get taken care of. 

For my card today, I am going patriotic. I was on the Kirkland's website the other day and noticed the patriotic gnome theme in wall art, pillows and hand towels. That gave me the idea for this card. I focused on a July 4th theme since that's a big celebration for the US. I used the Flower Power Tomte dies from our 2020 Gardening release collection and dressed them in patriotic colors. I also used the Windows Slimline die.

I decorate my home in a patriotic theme that I leave in place until mid-August. So this card will be part of my decorations. So let's get started with some details on how I created my card. 

Design Steps:

I started the card off by selecting my designer paper. I wanted a patriotic theme but nothing that would overpower the gnome images. My patriotic paper is limited and I didn't want to make a run to my local Michael's store so I looked online for something that I could download for free. Yay- I found some on Pinterest. And it printed out nicely as well.

So I cut the windows slimline once from the designer paper and then again in a red and blue cardstock. My card base is white and measures 6" x 8" and scored at 3". It's the same size as the window frame.

Next, I cut the gnome images in red, white and blue cardstock. I didn't want them both to be exactly alike so I cut their hats in different designer papers and cut the hat bands in two shades of blue cardstock.

For the center panel, I decided to make that a solid color. I used the banner that comes with this slimline die and stamped my sentiment in blue ink. The July phrase is part of the Calendar Months die from our Valentine 2017 release, but is currently out of stock.

Now that all my elements are cut I am ready to start card assembly. I attached the red window frame to the white card base with glue dots. Then I attached the inlaid panels with double sided tape.

To finish off my card, I added my patriotic gnomes and secured them with dimensional adhesive. I decided to use the garden flags that come with the die. In the red, white and blue I think they look like flags that you would wave at a parade.

Well that's it for me for this post. Have a great holiday weekend and until next time......God bless. 

Dies I used to create card:

I am also entering:

1.  Allsorts has an any celebration challenge. 

2.  The Fairy and Unicorn challenge is anything goes. 

3.  Simon Says Stamp has an anything goes challenge. 

4.  Crafter's Castle has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Polkadoodles has an anything goes challenge. 

6.  Cute Card Thursday has an anything goes challenge. 

July 4th

Happy Birthday America!

 

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. We are celebrating the 4th of July here in the US. It's a day of celebration with cookouts, parades and fireworks. Hope whatever your plans are, it will be a day of relaxation.

 

My card for today was created using the colors from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #745.  I was the hostess and the color trio I chose was real red, blueberry bushel and white. Optional was to make a patriotic card.

real red, blueberry bushel, whisper white

I used the swirly scribbles framelits die for the background. Thanks to my teamie Chris for helping me out there. I didn't have this die but she did.

I decided to place my stars in a circular fashion and use 13 stars for the original 13 colonies.
The July phrase is cut in blueberry bushel cardstock from a CottageCutz die. To finish of my card I cut a couple of larger stars and added the 4 to the center.

I sent this off to my nephew to thank him for his military service. And that completes this post. So until next time...….God bless.

 

card details:

Paper: real red, whisper white, blueberry bushel (Stampin'-Up)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: swirly scribbles thinlits, star framelits dies (Stampin'-Up), starry die (Verve), stitched numbers, calendar months dies (CottageCutz)

 

I am also entering:

1.  Stinkin' Inkers has a stars and /or stripes challenge.

2.  Addicted to Stamps and More has a holiday challenge.

3.  Fab 'n" Funky has a stars and/or stripes challenge.

4.  Simon Says Wednesday has a stars and/or stripes challenge.

5. 

Celebrate America

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with the Charmed Life Blog today.

 

Hope all my American readers had a wonderful 4th of July celebration yesterday. We were over a friend's home for a cook-out and fireworks celebration. Then once it got dark and we were sitting in the backyard talking, we were able to see fireworks from 4 different communities. It was a great day!

 

And this card was part of the celebration. I made it for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #694 with the intent of giving it to my friend. She uses my cards for her seasonal decorations. It's always such an honor when I see them on display. She had this one as part of the centerpiece on the food table.

 

So here are some details on how I created it. Stef was our hostess and she chose blueberry bushel, real red and white. Optional this week is 4th of July or Americana. I love making patriotic cards, so this option was perfect for me.

I started this card with designer paper (not this one) and it sort of took on a life of its own. After I had my card idea figured out and laid out, it started changing. First to go was the original designer paper I selected, then the stamped sentiment changed because of that.

When I went to get the real red cardstock, I found this designer paper in my stash that had all the challenge colors in it. And I thought it had the Americana theme. So, I went with it. I couldn't stamp directly on the paper because it was a bit busy. I decided to cut a larger star and stamp my "celebrate America" sentiment there.

Added the July 4 die cuts. The July phrase is from CottageCutz and the 4 is from an MFT die. I cut the city landscape from brilliant blue- don't have blueberry bushel yet. It's coming in my July order.

I finished off my July 4th card by adding a scalloped star border cut in real red cardstock. This die is from the Verve scallop trim trio set.

Well, that's it for me for today. So until next time...……..God bless.

card details:
Stamps: patriotic cocoa (SNSS)  
Paper: brilliant blue, real red, dsp (imaginations)  
Paper Size: A2  
Ink: night of navy  
Accessories: city landscape die (Impression Obsession), calendar months die (CottageCutz), little numbers die (MFT), star framelits die (Stampin'-Up), scallop trio die (Verve)

I am also entering: 

1.  CraftaholicsRUs has an any holiday challenge.

2.  Crafty Gals Corner has a red, white and blue challenge.

3.  Simon Say Wednesday has a red, white and blue challenge.