Saturday, November 10, 2007

Another Elzybell


Here is another card I made with my new Elzybell stamps. I thought this pink-spotted background paper was perfect for this card. The sentiment is a sticker, and I used a white Souffle marker to emboss the snow and the trim on her outfit. I think these stamps are the cutest I've seen in a long time!

Elzybells


Woo Hoo! I finally found time to play with my Elzybell stamps! My dear friend Katy came over today to stamp with me in my studio. We had a great day and I made a couple of cards with my new Elzybell stamps. Here is the first one. I used Stampin' Up watercolor crayons to color the image. I also used my Gelly Roll shiny gel pen to color some of the snowflakes in the background.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Marine Corps Birthday


Did you know that November 10th is the Marine Corps Birthday? This year the Marines will be 232 years old. Being married to a Marine who is a Vietnam War veteran has taught me a lot about the history of the Marines. The Corps first started celebrating the birthday 84 years ago. In 1923 the Marine Barracks at Ft. Mifflin, Pennsylvania, staged a formal dance. The Marines at the Washington Navy Yard arranged a mock battle on the parade ground. At Quantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Marine baseball team played a Cuban team and won, 9 to 8.
The first "formal" Birthday Ball took place on Philadelphia in 1925. First class Marine Corps style, all the way! Guests included the Commandant, the Secretary of War (in 1925 the term "politically correct" didn't exist; it was Secretary of War, not Secretary of Defense), and a host of statesmen and elected officials. Prior to the Ball, Gen. Lejeune unveiled a memorial plaque at Tun Tavern. Then the entourage headed for the Benjamin Franklin Hotel and an evening of festivities and frolicking.
Over the years the annual Birthday Ball grew and grew, taking on a life of its own. In 1952 the Commandant, Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., formalized the cake-cutting ceremony and other traditional observances. For example, Marine Corps policy now mandates that the first piece of cake must be presented to the oldest U.S. Marine present. The second piece goes to the youngest Marine. Among the many such mandates is a solemn reading of the Commandant's birthday message to the Corps.
Like the U.S. Marine Corps itself, the annual Birthday Ball has evolved from simple origins to the polished and professional functions of today. Nonetheless, one thing remains constant, the tenth day of November! This unique holiday for warriors is a day of camaraderie, a day to honor Corps and Country. Throughout the world on 10 November, U.S. Marines celebrate the birth of their Corps -- the most loyal, most feared, most revered, and most professional fighting force the world has ever known.

Veteran's Day


This is a card I made for one of the veterans in my life. It's always nice to remember the sacrifices they made to keep us safe. Veteran's Day is the perfect time to say "Thank You!" to our fighting men and women.

Stamp Club


This is one of the cards we made at our October Stamp Club meeting at Bonnie's house. I decided to "sparkle it up" a bit, so I used my Gelly Roll gel pen to trace the snowflakes. I really like the effect the gel pen adds.
I have been really sick with a horrible sinus infection, and can't wait to feel better again. I need to start making my Thanksgiving and Christmas cards real soon. Can you believe it is already November?

The other Halloween card


This is the other card I made for Halloween. I love this pumpkin paper. The cool ribbon I used on both cards is from Michael's. I'm pretty pleased with this card, too! I kind of cheated on the brads - they are not really brads at all. Since I had already punched the corners of the patterened paper and didn't want the brads to show on the inside of the card, I punched circles out of scrap cardstock and attached them with glue dots. Then, I used a little Liquid Glass (Close To My Heart) to add dimension to the 1/4" circles, and make them look like brads.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Halloween Card


For this card, I used Glitter Candy Corn from the Heidi Grace Jeepers Creepers Collection. I just love this paper. I don't usually make Halloween cards, but since I get a few cute homemade cards from my daughters every year, I decided to give it a shot. I really like the way this one turned out!