Operation Write Home VCMP - Represent your state

I live on a farm in Missouri. My husband isn't a farmer like his dad was, so my mother-in-law rents our pasture land to a friend. His cattle do the grazing and he keeps fences mended, mows the hay, etc. Another friend is raising soybeans on some of our acreage. I personally think cows represent a large part of our state.  Except around the big cities, you can hardly drive without seeing pasture land or cattle. And, yes, I have looked at the cows in my back yard and I agree they don't have that shade of pink anywhere, but I used artistic license when I colored this cow.

I designed this card with several challenges in mind. The Virtual Card Making Party for Labor Day Weekend had this last challenge: Represent Your State, which I'm doing with this cute cow from Clear Dollar Digi Stamps, "Farm Critters Digital Image."

Paper Playtime suggested the gingham and Quirky Crafts asked for Farm + one recycled item. I took the plastic packaging from my new Tombo adhesive refill, Used a Sharpie to trace a star that I cut on the Cricut, and cut it out to glue over part of the title. I wanted a star to go with the title and it is so easy to see through the plastic star, I will definitely try this again. Sweet Stamps challenge this week has more ideas for using acetate on cards and layouts.

I also altered the title in Photoshop. I copied Udderly Terrific and hit "New" document/image. I doubled the size of the width suggested in the "New" drop down menu. Then I pasted Udderly Terrific and moved it to the right with the pointer. I copied "You're" from another sentiment in that set, pasted it and moved it to the left with the pointer. I went to Layers and Flattened the layers so I could save it as a jpg to print.

I used the bonus sketch for this week at Operation Write Home. Then I added two die cut scalloped circles - 3/25" and 3.5" to highlight the main image.

 

I'm sharing this card at the following challenges:

Stars and Stamps Operation Write Home - Bonus Sketch

No Matter Which Challenge #2 - Die Cuts and Punches

Paper Playtime Challenge #83 - Gingham and Punches

Quirky Crafts challenge #18 - Recycling on the Farm

Operation Write Home Virtual Card Making Party final challenge - home sweet home (Missouri)

Sweet Stamps Challenge #81 - Acetate

 

 

5.5" x 4.25" Card Recipe:

Paper - Close To My Heart retired gingham, Black and White Daisy cardstock; The Paper Studio "Simple Elegance"

Digital Images - Clear Dollar Stamps  "Farm Critters Digital Image."

Markers - CTMH Cotton Candy Light Alcohol Marker; Copics N00, N02, N04 (grays)

Accents - unknown daisy chain ribbon from my stash; clear star made from "trash"

Tools - printer, Cricut Art Philosophy (scalloped circles, star), 3" circle punch; Adobe Photoshop, Sharpie permanent black marker, acetate cover packaging from Tombow adhesive refill

 



 

Unscripted Sketch #172 for Joy

Tomorrow I'm having lunch with a "girl" that I've been friends with since 7th grade. She just moved into a new apartment after losing her husband this past year. Here is a fun card that I made for her housewarming. She's always been one of the most cheerful people I've ever known. I know her heart gets heavy with the loss of her husband and father this year, but she has that deep abiding love and joy that comes from knowing Christ.

I used the sketch and color suggestions from Unscripted Sketches Challenge 172. I flipped the sketch upside down so that I could try out a card pattern from Cricut Art Philosophy that had a row of four daisies on the bottom. However, I decided to cut the front off of that card and mount it with pop dots over a white card base so that the flowers would show through as white. I tried something new with the baker's twine. I wrapped it around the spaces between the flowers and taped it on back. Next time I think I'll wrap it maybe three times for an even different look.

The joyful verse from Word Art Wednesday this week was perfect for this card. I also stamped a Close To My Heart sentiment inside that is more of a prayer and blessing:

May joy fill your heart and home.

Challenges for this card:
No Matter Which Challenge #1 (since they started their new blog): I used both digital and acrylic stamping - Anything Goes
Ribbon Carousel Challenge 67 - Bump it up = embossing
Unscripted Sketches#172 - sketch and color challenge
Word Art Wednesday #42 - Joy (with a great link to explain this kind of joy)

5" x 6.25" Encouragement Card Recipe:
Paper - Close To My Heart Pear, White Daisy, Chocolate cardstock, Bazzill green cardstock
Stamps - CTMH one of the 2011 stamps of the month
Ink - CTMH Chocolate
Accents - CTMH retired buttons, Mocha pearls, butterfly; My Mind's Eye baker's twine
Tools - CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy, Sizzix Floral Flourishes embossing folder