Day 11: July - Stars and Stripes - Marine Mini Album Cover

Learn to do right; seek justice. DEFEND the oppressed. Take up the cause…

Isaiah 1:17

 Welcome to the Third Annual ’25 Days of Christmas’ in conjunction with My Paper Crafting.com, the blogsite for which I am on the regular Design Team – and loving it!  Here’s a bit of an introduction, history and explanation of what you can expect during this 25 Days of December.  Don’t worry if you’ve missed any of the original posts to this point – You can click on links on Melin’s post to get to posts from previous days.  I am posting on Days 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 18, 20, and 25, corresponding to the days of this month – and possibly some other days in between, depending on how my time goes…

We have almost 30 designers who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to create some spectacular projects to share with you! So pull up a comfy chair and get ready to be inspired! There will be daily projects featuring:

* Cricut Cartridges

*Electronic Die Cutting Files

(Svg type, using Pazzles, Silhouette, Gazelle, Cameo type Machines)

*Digital Stamps with Coloring
(Using Copics, Digital and other coloring mediums)

*Stamping and Inking

*Traditional Dies, Punches and all the other tools we love.

A Little Something For EVERY TYPE of "Paper Crafter"

Format:  Each day the designers were given a “theme” to work with, so each day will be different.  We will also have a daily FREE Cutting File and a daily FREE Digital Stamp-Printable along with some FREE Royalty-Free Vintage Graphics. Today's theme:

Today’s theme is ‘July – Stars and Stripes.’   We, as a nation, celebrate our freedom from oppression after hard-fought wars many years ago on a day in July established for that purpose – that of remembrance and thankfulness to those who fought to defend us.   My son is a Marine Captain (USNA 2005).  He is currently serving our country and has served three deployments to this point.  We, as mothers of Active-duty Military, are called, Blue Star Mothers.  I decided to make a Marine-themed Mini Album Cover for a mini-album that I purchased at Michaels Craft Store a while back – one of the several items I pick up to have on hand when I need a quick gift.  I used the FREE cutting file for today, adding appropriate embellishments – stars – and the Marine Globe and Anchor insignia.

Here is the album – Before –

Here is the album cover now -

*  I painted over the black design at the edges of the cover with white acrylic paint.

*  I cut the elements from the file – white plain and red, blue and gold sparkle cardstock.
*  I embossed the blue section with my Stars embossing folder and my Cuttlebug.

*  I found the ‘wood carved’ Globe and Anchor photo online last year for another project and have used it several times.  I printed it on photo paper and adhered it to the back side of the cutout window.  Because I had a ‘mishap’ while putting the cover together, I ultimately printed another ‘just the globe’ section of the photo and adhered it to the original globe with PopDots to raise it up.  As often happens, I turned a ‘mishap,’ into something better, and I could say I had it planned that way, but perhaps it’s encouraging to you to know that ‘mishaps’ need not be ‘total devastation!’   *smile*

*  I adhered buttons where the pattern called for paper stars to be placed.  I dislike using buttons without thread or something being tied into the holes, but I wasn’t able to do that with these, so I used a red marker on the white stars and a white gel pen on the red stars to simulate stitching.  I did have white yarn that I used on the Blue Star.

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 As mentioned above, Melin will be giving away FREE digital die cutting files, digital printables and vintage graphics. Please note: Each day we will have new files. Be sure to stop by each day as they will be free one day only! Please also note, the free files will have a price listed by them, but when you add them to your cart to check out, they will be free during the day they are posted only. These files have been generously donated by PaperCraftingWorld.com. Be sure to take advantage of the great 50% off sale on all downloadable files through December!

Today’s FREE files are –

Here are just some of the prizes we will be sharing with you!

~ Quick Quotes Prize Pack
~ The Twinery: Twine
~ PaperCraftingWorld.com: Gift Certificate
~ Page-Kits.com: Gift Certificate
~ Melinda Beltran: Close To My Heart Stamping Items
~ Miscellaneous Weekly Prizes

We will share details on all of these prizes as the days unfold. 

SO HOW ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO WIN?!!!!
Be a follower of Melin’s My Paper Crafting blog AND leave a comment on any of our daily posts.   That's it, that's all we ask!!! Please only one comment per day.  ALSO join us on our Facebook Page and leave a comment telling us you did and that will be an extra chance to win! Pretty easy!

Thank you for joining us today. Be sure to go back tomorrow for some more great projects and our new FREEBIES!  I do hope you've been enjoying this December Adventure with us!  We're about half -way through, so come back daily!  ;-}

Pumpkins - Circles - and Dots - OH MY!

God’s angel sets up a CIRCLE of protection around us while we pray.

Psalm 34 : 7  (The Message)

Hello and Welcome to the Terrific Tuesday Challenge in conjunction with Cooking with Cricut /Paper Crafting World!  There are lots of wonderfully creative ideas on that blog, great Cutting and Digital files and links to the other Design Team members’ blogs.  I’m really enjoying my time here on the Design Team and am happy to have you visit my blog!  The Theme for this week is ‘Pumpkins, Circles and Dots’-

I was thrilled on Saturday afternoon to have the privilege of driving a half an hour North to meet ‘in person’ one of my new Blogging Friends who, as we’d ‘met online,’ we had happily discovered that we live fairly close to one another!  Meg has a Great blog and I suggest you visit her, especially if you need a chuckle and an uplift for your day – or a scrumptious recipe!!  (www.justalittlenutty.com)   I met her, her Handsome Prince and their 4 Adorable Children (and a Special Friend) and we visited while they operated a huge Yard Sale of wonderful items.  I poked around in between conversations and ended up bringing home a few items to use in some of my re-purposed projects.   Another Thrill for me!  As I stood there casually looking at various items, my eye caught one in particular that I immediately knew would be Perfect for this week’s Terrific Tuesday Challenge.  I worked hard on it yesterday – had various ‘technical difficulties’ – (Why is it that something SEEMS like it might take a couple hours to complete, when in reality it takes MANY…??!!) – and completed it in the wee hours of today.   I’m excited to share the finished product here!  (And excited to have made New Friends!)

I chose a ‘wooden’ plate with a circular motif to then decorate with a circular Harvest Wreath for the Autumn Holidays.  I decided to keep all of the elements in the neutral palette found in the circles of the plate, so that it might go with anyone’s décor and have the Quietly Understated Elegance for which I strive…  I added Pumpkins and Dots -  Here are photos – with the Recipe Ingredients and Directions to follow.  (Tell me before you read them, if you can tell what the ‘Puffy Pumpkin’ is made of…??!!  ;-] )

Ingredients:

*  Wooden Charger-type plate

*  I used the ‘Dogwood Wreath cf’ – for the Wreath - Cut 2 at 2 different sizes and layer, and 4 of the Flourishes

*  I used the ‘Pumpkins Corner Vine cf’ – for the large 2-piece pumpkin, the vine and the leaves.

*  Cuttlebug and 2 folders – Polka Dot and Butterfly Background Pattern

*  Lace, Button and Twine for the flower

*  1 empty Toilet Tissue roll, 3 cotton balls and heavy Twine – for ‘Puffy Pumpkin’

*  Artificial ‘Fall Berry Garland’ stems (cut from a garland I got on Sale at Michaels recently)

*  Rafia

*  Recollections Gems

*  PopDots, Glue gun

*  Inks, brushes and sponges

Here are some close up photos –

Directions:

*  Cut 2 Wreaths in 2 sizes and layer on the plate with PopDots – along with the Flourishes and Vine.

*  Cut the large Pumpkin and emboss the top section with the Cuttlebug plate (Polka Dot), cut the leaves and emboss with the (Butterfly Background) plate.  Ink edges, and lightly ink on the tops of all pieces.  ‘Roll’ the pumpkin pieces to round them for depth and adhere carefully on just the lower and side edges.

*  Make a flower with the lace, button and twine, using glue gun and a paper circle base.

*  Adhere the ‘Fall Berry Garland’ stems and gems, bending as necessary.

*  Make the **Puffy Pumpkin using a 1” section of the TP roll – 3 cotton balls adhered to front half, twine wrapped around and adhered with glue gun, then back half folded flat, and dabbed lightly with ink - attach stem (cut from ‘Fall Berry Garland’) and leaves – then adhere Puffy Pumpkin to plate

**  Recently on Pinterest, I saw a Pumpkin made by wrapping rope around a whole roll of Toilet Tissue and adding a stick for the stem.  I thought…Hmmmm…I could make a tiny one – in similar fashion…!    ;-}

*  Adhere the Paper Pumpkin and Puffy Pumpkin and remainder of the leaves to the plate

*  Make little Rafia bunches, tucking in here and there and adhering with glue gun

That’s It!!

Here is the FREE file for this week at CWC/PCW –

Thanks for stopping by!  Now YOU make a project with this Theme, link it at CWC/PCW and share it with all of us!  Come again for Digi Dessert Fridaze!  Also, we are looking for more Design Team Members for our '25 Days of Christmas' - Details on the CWC/PCW blog - so, if you or someone you know might be interested, check it out!