If it Weren't For the Brave...

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! We have completed our trips to the local cemeteries. My Mother still refers to Memorial Day as Decoration Day. She talks fondly of the days when her parents would take her to the cemetery to clean and decorate loved ones graves. It was an all day event. They even packed their lunches! It seems like many view Memorial Day weekend as a chance to catch up on chores around the house and break out the newest rib recipe! Believe me, I love ribs....

But the truth is, many generations of Americans sacrificed years and some their lives in service to our country. And that is why I love Memorial Day. You will find me out at 7AM tomorrow morning lowering Old Glory to half mast. And I will return at noon to raise her back to full mast. It's more than hotdogs and hamburgers. It's about those who put their lives in harms way to preserve the American way of life. There is no doubt God has blessed our nation mightily. And with those blessings come HUGE responsibilities. I am so thankful to be an American. And in the spirit of this stamp...if it weren't for the brave, there'd be no land of the free! There isn't anywhere else I would want to be. God bless you and God bless America!

Today's image is one of my favorite images from Eat Cake Graphics. Enjoy!



Card Recipe

5 1/2 x 7 1/2

Card Stock - Bazzill, Colorbok
Designer Paper - the classifieds from my local paper... (great way to be green)
Image - Eat Cake Graphics
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; Summer Sky (sponged on sky); Copics
Uni-ball Signo White Gen Pen (stars on flags and accents on faces)
Stickles - Diamond (stars)
Jute

St. Bernard Ornament

Hard to believe we are a few short weeks from Thanksgiving. That means Christmas is just around the corner. In Kentucky, we are having wonderful weather. Today will be in the mid 70's (unheard of for this time of year). There's nothing like putting out Christmas decorations in short sleeves... LOL... But with the holidays rapidly approaching, I am looking for quick and easy gifts. Yesterday, I posted a wall hanging and today, I have an ornament for you. This particular gift will be one for a fellow St. Bernard lover. However, you can modify this to go with anything you want. You are only limited by the type of stamp you use! Thanks so much for reading!

Blessings-

Lori

Ornament Recipe

Card stock - Bazzill
Designer Paper - Anna Griffith
Stamp - Eat Cake Graphics
Ink - Memento - Tuxedo Black
Ink - Coloring - Copics
Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels - Iridescent Gold (applied to green and burgundy card stock)
Die cuts - Spellbinders Nestabilities - Large Ovals, Fleur De Lis Pendant, Large Petite Scalloped Ovals
Die cuts - Holly Leaves - Provocraft Cricut - Winter Wonderland Cartridge
Pearls - Kaisercraft - Red
Ribbon - Unknown



Copic Colors

Elves - YG17, YG67, R59
Flesh - E00
Blush - R20
St Bernard - E33, E37, E39
Tag - C1, C2
Collar - R59

The Scoop...

Can I just say this has been a bizarre weekend for me? It started out yesterday when I decided to feed our horse Ally some horse treats. Simple right? Oh, no.... I decided to go out to the fenceline as I often do in sandals. Well, while Ally was busy chowing down on snacks one of the sheep decided my little toe looked like the perfect bite size morsel! OK, who knew that sheep have such sharp teeth? That crazy ram reached through the fence and took a HUNK out of my toe! I really don't like the taste of mutton but boy that guy may wind up in my freezer yet... LOL... Maybe it was the lovely shade of nail polish...

Hubby and I rushed to Lexington yesterday afternoon to deliver a couple of puppies to their new home and what did we forget? The papers! Both of us were flustered after the sheep incident. John had to patch me up after the dastardly deed. But thankfully everyone was fine with us mailing their stuff. But it could have easily been a tougher situation.

And then today, I helped out after church services with one of our youth activities and before I even got in the door I twisted my knee! Yikes! I'm down but not out so to speak. I think I am falling apart, literally!

In today's card I used an image of a large dog colored to look like a Saint. I couldn't resist using the sentiment from Hero Arts as it seemed to fit this image to a tee! Thanks so much for reading and posting feedback. And make sure you don't take bare toes near hungry sheep! :-)

Lori



Card Recipe

Finished design 5 X 7 inches

Card stock - Bazzill
Card stock - image - Gina K. Pure Luxury
Designer Paper - Basic Grey - Max & Whiskers - toby/max
Stamp - Image - Eat Cake Graphics
Stamp - Sentiment - Hero Arts
Ink - Image and Sentiment - Memento Tuxedo Black
Ink - sponged on background - Memento Desert Sand
Ink - Coloring - Copics
Pearls - Kaisercraft
Ribbon - Offray (created with my Bow Easy)
Stickles - Ranger - Diamond
Punch - EK Success
Adhesive - Scotch Brand Dimensional Foam

Land of the Free

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."

What powerful words! A group of men risking everything to stand up for what they believed in. Don't be mistaken... Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison instantly became traitors... The British Crown most certainly had put a price upon their perfectly wigged heads. These men wanted a country where aristocracy was no more. A land where people could become anything they wanted... And if they worked hard anything could happen. I am so blessed to live in this wonderful country. I had the opportunity to go to college and make something of my life... not because of where I came from but because I worked hard to achieve my goal. Thank you to those brave patriots and to those who fight on today so freedom can ring! God Bless America!



Card Recipe

Cardstock - Bazzill - Metallic Copper - Unknown
Cardstock Image - Gina K Pure Luxury
Pattern Paper - Reminisce - Celebrate, Freedom
Ink - Memento - Tuxedo Black - image
Ink - Memento - Desert Sand - sponged onto image
Alcohol Inks - Copics
Stamp - Eat Cake Graphics - Home of the Free Because of the Brave
Ribbon - Stampin Up
Pen - Uni-ball Signo Gel Pen - White - Accents on cheeks

Gift Card Holder

I have a hard time buying appropriate gifts! Does anyone else suffer from this syndrome? I never know what people REALLY want. A few years ago, I decided to give gift cards. I thought this was being impersonal... but if the recepient never uses your gift... LOL... This little one will go to a special young lady who grooms my Saints! Enjoy!

Materials List

Cardstock - Black, White Bazzill
Bling - Aquamarine Bazzill
Stamps - image - Eat Cake Graphics
sentiment - unknown
Nestibilties - Large Circles and Large Circle Petite Scallops
Markers - Copic
Ink - Memento Black Tuxedo - image and sentiment
Memento Blue Sky - Sponged daubed background
Ranger Stickles - Copper - dog tag
Martha Stewart Punch - Edging of card

Waxed Paper Technique Card

We St. Bernard lovers are a die-hard breed! (Pun intended) One of my Bernard loving buddies loves to exchange photos and letters about how her dear "Mabel" is doing. So I decided to send her a little note to let her know that I am thinking about her... and maybe include a photo bragging about my babies... :-)

Materials List

For background paper -

Waxed Paper
Glossy Cardstock
Iron
Memento Ink - Rich Cocoa
Towel

Remainder of card -

White, Black and Brown Bazzill Cardstock
Petite Scallop Circle Nestibilites
St. Bernard Stamp - Eat Cake Graphics
Prismacolor Premier Markers - color image
Sentiment - Unknown
Black Ribbon - Unknown

For background -

Crumple a piece of plain wax paper. Smooth out flat and place between two sheets of glossy cardstock, glossy side facing wax paper. Cover with towel. Heat with a hot (dry - no steam) iron. Let cool and remove. Rub Memento Rich Cocoa pad over glossy cardstock in large swathes. Cover to intensity desired and then wipe with paper towel. Cut background accordingly for project. (Here I used it as a background for my Saints card.) Enjoy!

Friendship Card - St. Bernard Theme

I love my Saints! And I love my friends. It stands to reason the two would come together in some form of card! I recently purchased some stamps from Eat Cake Graphics and was dying to try them out. I used Premier Markers to color the image, Nestabilities to emboss and cut the image. My trusty Cricut provided the dog bone (Mickey and Friends). I couldn't resist using the new Martha Stewart drippy goo punch to give it that Beethoven feel... My Saints are offended by this analogy... Thanks for looking and have a great week!