JAMSquared

Tag Archives: Designed to Delight

September Sketch for You to Try

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I know that my family and close friends read my blog even if they don’t comment very frequently (although you make my day when you do), so if you feel like you might be one of the ten or so people I intend to send Thanksgiving cards to this year, don’t read this blog post. Unless you don’t care about being surprised. Granted, you may not receive this particular card, because I’m not sending the same card to everyone.

I had really wanted to finish this card up last night in time for the Designed 2 Delight Friday Image Challenge deadline, but alas I was five minutes too late. I should have just gone to bed and finished it today, but oh well. I really really like how it turned out and I got a better picture today with natural light than last night under my lamp. I used Jen del Muro’s September Sketch for You to Try. I almost always think the cards I make using her sketches are some of my best cards. And I’m 9 for 12 for the year in using her sketches.

The large background panel is homemade pattern paper using the leaf stamp in the Hero Arts November stamp set. I stamped it in three colors for a real fall look. And it was easy to make a whole sheet, enough for the four cards I made.

I’m entering this card in a few challenges:

Thanksgiving Card

Stamps: Designed 2 Delight Autumn Harvest; Hero Arts ClearDesign November (leaves and sentiment)
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Close to Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, So Saffron
Patterned Paper: Stampin’ Up Sweet Pea
Ink: Dell laser printer; Stampin’ Up Old Olive, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie
Embellishments: metal leaf brad
Tools: Stampin’ Up markers; atYou Spica markers; Nestabilites Classic Circles Small & Large; corner rounder punch

Have a fabulous day!

OWH Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop

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Welcome to the Operation Write Home Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop. I’m super excited to be a part of this blog hop, as it is the first hop I’ve participated in where my blog is a stop. For my readers who don’t know what a blog hop is, a blog hop is an event where participants move from one blog to another to read the entries on a related subject.

Today’s hop started at OWH Stars & Stamps. You should have come from Loni’s Life. After reading my post, you will hop on to Crafty Rika.

Operation Write Home is a wonderful organization that I discovered earlier this year. Their mission is to support our nation’s armed forces by sending blank homemade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude (called Any Hero cards) to encourage them.

I like organizations that support our nation’s troops. I’ve baked cookies for Operation Baking Gals, but making cards is a little less time sensitive in terms of getting to the post office. Both of my grandfathers served in the Army. An uncle retired from the Air Force. An aunt served in the Navy. Her husband, my uncle, retired from the Navy, and one of their sons, my cousin, currently serves in the Navy. James’ grandfather served in the Army and his Dad did a stint in the Air Force. Needless to say, I think it is very important to support our troops. They put their life on the line, so that we may live in freedom.

I’m sharing two cards with you today. The first is a red, white and blue missing you card in honor of Memorial Day. Memorial Day was originally held May 30, 1868 in commemoration of soldiers killed in the American Civil War. After World War I, its observance was extended to all U.S. men and women who died while in military service and is federally observed on the last Monday in May.

My Heart is With You Card

Stamps: Designed to Delight I {Heart} the USA; Stampin’ Up Small Sayings (sentiment card 1); Saltbox Studio Celebration Sayings (sentiment card 2)
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Real Red, Brilliant Blue
Ink: Dell printer; Stampin’ Up Brilliant Blue (sentiments)
Tools: Cuttlebug Stars embossing folder; Stampin’ Up Scallop Trim border punch, Word Window punch

You can pick up the American flag heart digi stamp here for free. The second card is almost the same, but I changed the sentiment to make it an Any Hero card.

Thank You for Serving Card

I didn’t use any ribbon on these cards, but one of my most favorite tricks is for a quickie bow. Check out the video tutorial for it here on my friend Geeta’s blog (***Edited to Add*** Looks like something happened to Geeta’s video and it can’t be played now). I haven’t tied a bow on card without using this technique since I learned it. It is so easy and the bow always comes out looking great.

Back at the beginning of the month, I was very fortunate and picked up three separate blog candies: one for being the randomly selected participant in the All That Scraps Weekly Wednesday Challenge, one from a vender giveaway on Craft Critique and one from a Prairie Fairy blog hop. I want to share my good luck with ya’ll and am offering the following blog candy to one randomly selected commenter on this post. I will select a winner on June 1st at 3 PM CST. Candy consists of Stampin’ Up So Very set, star foam glitter stickers, patriotic adhesive rhinestones, patriotic ribbon, and 5 stamped images.

Blog Candy

I am also offering runner-up blog candy of the 5 same stamped images. There will be 1 runner-up per 100 unique comments.

Thanks for visiting my blog today and have a blessed Memorial Day weekend.

***Edited to Add*** Apparently, a number of people have had trouble leaving comments. If you go directly to the post (click on the title so you only see that post), you can scroll down to the  comment box. Another way, there is a number under the date for the post (upper left side of post). That number is the number of comments. Clicking on the number will take you directly to the post, allowing you to scroll down to comment box.