ABC Challenge-Letter U/Three Clovers Challenge

This week there were a lot of challenge sites looking for patriotic cards. I missed most of the deadlines, oops. The ABC Challenge letter this week was U and that seemed like the perfect way to use my new Cricut cartridge, Stand and Salute. I highly recommend this cartridge. My main use for this cartridge will be to do my son's Marine scrapbook album. But I can see lots of other uses for it. I like that it has a ribbon on it that can be used for so many causes. For me, it will be a pink ribbon for breast cancer, as I am working at this moment to become a survivor. Onto this card. The supplies I used:

• White and Blue cardstock from DCWV
• Red patterned paper from Scrapbook Wizard Paper
• Martha Stewart glitter pens in red and blue
• Buttons from my stash
• Red floss
• Star rhinestones from Me and My Big Ideas
• Cricut-Stand and Salute cartridge

I cut the United We Stand phrase from the Stand and Salute cartridge at 4" and used the frame feature. I placed that on the front of my white cardstock. Then I cut the flag from the cartridge at 1 3/4" in red and blue, using just the corner of the blue and gluing it onto the red. I outlined the blue square with the blue glitter pen but it doesn't show up very well in the photo. I cut two blue fireworks at 2" and used the glitter pen on them too, which shows up a little in the photo. It looks way better in person. I ran the red floss through the buttons and attached them to the firework pieces and put one in each corner of the card. I cut the two stars at 1" and put them on each side of the phrase. A little glitter pen on them and a star rhinestone in the middle to finish them off. I will be using this card as part of a centerpiece on my table for the 4th of July.

Card Patterns Sketch 19

I'm really happy with the way this card turned out. Many years ago I bought a pack of red, white and blue paper from Current Catalog. The Cutting Cafe's (http://www.thecuttingcafe.typepad.com/) 4th of July printed stamps were just the incentive I needed to dig this paper out of my stash. I just love, love, love Regina Easter's printable stamps from the Cutting Cafe. I hardly make a card without using them. "Let's hear it for the Red, White & Blue" and the Happy 4th of July circle stamp are both from Regina's 4th of July set one. She has a special going right now with some freebies if you order the 4th of July set so head over there to check it out.

The supplies I used:

Current red, white and blue printed paper, white cardstock

DCWV textured cardstock in blue

Cricut-Plantin Schoolbook and Mini Monograms cartridges

Ribbon from Walmart

Flowers from Bazzill

Star brad from Joann's Crafts

Color Box Chalk ink in Blue Iris (to ink edges of blue & white cardstock)

The dimension of the card is 6 3/4" x 5 1/2". I used sketch #19 from Card Patterns (cardpatterns.blogspot.com) for my design. I cut the pattern paper using a red, white and blue plaid and a red with blue and white stars for the front of the card. I used a piece of textured cardstock in blue to separate the two prints. I cut the scallop from Plantin Schoolbook fit to length 6" with Tall Ball on. I added a piece of the cardstock to the top of the scallop to make it wider then added the ribbon to hide the seam. I printed the "Let's Hear it for the Red, White and Blue" then cut it out by hand and placed it under the scallop and on top of the print. Then I cut a scallop circle from the Cricut Mini Monograms at 2" with Real Dial Size on. I printed the "Happy 4th of July" circle stamp but before I printed it I shrunk it to 80%. I used a 1 11/16" circle punch to cut it out and placed it on top of the scallop circle. Then I added a star to the middle of the stamp cut at 3/4" from the blue textured cardstock using the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. To finish it off I embellished the card with a small red flower on top of a larger white flower with a blue star brad in the center. I was planning on sending this card to my Aunt who just loves the 4th of July. I like it so much I don't know if I can part with it.