is it Spring yet?

3 Responses »
Mar 102011

Here in Virginia the weather keeps teasing us, going back and forth between warm sunny days and cold rainy ones. The mountains east of us had a dusting of snow on them Tuesday, and (yuck alert) yesterday morning we got a little sleet mixed in with the rain. Personally, I’m ready for more of the warm sunny days!

My daffodils and tulips are growing again, so I suppose Spring really is on its way. The daffodils have buds, but the stems are only about 8 inches tall so they still need to do some more growing before they’ll bloom.

Today’s card brings a daffodil in full bloom.  The image is from one of InStyle Stamps‘ newest sets, Patty’s Bunny Wuv.  I used Copic markers to color the image and used Nestabilities to cut out the image panel and its mat.  The layout is a tweaked version of sketch #54 from the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps blog.  I hadn’t made a square card for a long time so I just kind of scrunched up the rectangular layout to make it a square.  I added some designer papers and a ribbon cinched with some twine, and then assembled it all.  I used dimensional adhesive to pop up the daffodil panel.

I had the current Desert Islands Crafts Challenge in my mind as I was working on this card.  The elements I chose were making a square card, using nature as inspiration, having a hand colored image, using two or more patterned papers, using twine, and not putting a sentiment on the card.  The card also works into the Stars & Stamps blog’s Midweek Throwdown challenge to use polka dots on a card for a hero to send home.

Supplies:
Digital Image: daffodil from Patty’s Bunny Wuv (In Style Stamps)
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Tea Party designer paper, Prints series designer paper (Stampin’ Up); Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Other: markers (Copic); Buttercup ribbon and Apple baker’s twine (Really Reasonable Ribbon); standard circle and big scalloped circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)

 

In the spirit of full disclosure, the image used on today’s project was provided to me by InStyle Stamps to aid in promoting their products.

Posted by PH in VA at 12:00 pm Cards, Desert Islands Craft Challenge, Digital images, InStyle Stamps, Nestabilities, Operation Write Home, OWH Midweek/Midmonth Throwdown, Stampin' Up!

announcing...

Comments Off on announcing…
Mar 102011

We have a winner for the blog candy I offered during the Operation Write Home Bunny Blog Hop!  Random.org chose Erika’s comment:

“Cute! And as a military wife, let me say thank you for donating your creations to OWH!”

Erika put a link to a blog in the information section of the comment form, so I clicked on that to see if I’d visited her blog during the blog hop.  No, I hadn’t – she has a personal blog rather than a papercrafting one.  But what I read got me feeling verklempt.  I emailed her, and she responded, giving me permission to share what she’d written on her blog.  Erika’s husband has been reassigned to a post overseas, so the two of them and their young daughter will have to move away from the States for about 4 years.  While they are overseas, Erika expects her husband to be deployed 3 or 4 times. Erika shared her mixed emotions about moving, being away from her parents, her siblings and their families, and the likelihood of needing to find new homes for their pets.

I’ve always lived in Virginia.  Even though I grew up very close to an Army base and knew lots of Army kids while I was in school, I can’t fully imagine what it’s like to be uprooted every few years.  Being in a foreign country sounds like an exciting opportunity at first, but the idea of being a single mom for a while with no available support from extended family, while in a foreign country, is (in my opinion) a little scary.

And that’s why I am so glad and willing to make cards for Operation Write Home –  to show support for families like Erika’s.  To thank them for the sacrifices they make in their personal lives, being separated from spouses, children, extended family and friends.  To thank the ones being deployed for defending our country and trying to make things better in lands far away, and to thank the ones staying at home for their efforts to keep things as “normal” as possible.

And thank you to Operation Write Home for giving me that opportunity.

Posted by PH in VA at 8:30 am Miscellaneous, Operation Write Home
© 2019 Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha