Today I'm sharing a card with a patriotic vibe which is perfect for the current challenges over at Fusion and SUO Challenges:

Ben needed a card for one of his school friends who is about to leave the UK and go to live in America, so a little stars and stripes were the order of the day:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

Textured Stars and Stripes - I got my textured embossing paste out again for this card and using two retired stencils, in turn created my stars and stripes design. I love the depth the embossing paste gives to the overall finish and is really different to any of my previous patriotic designs. This is the third card featuring embossing paste I've shared in recent days and I'm having lots of fun with it. If you would like to learn more and get 'hands on' with this fun new product, it will be featuring in my upcoming technique class featuring the Oh So Eclectic Suite on 11th July - read more about it here and get in touch by the weekend if you'd like to book a place. The lovely people at Stampin' Up! have also made a short video to show easy embossing paste is to use - check it out here:

Get Glossy - I wanted a shine to contrast with the texture of my stars and stripes, so used glossy cardstock for my background and simply swiped my Real Red and Night of Navy ink pads in turn diagonally across my card base and waited for this to dry before adding the embossing paste. I love the shine this adds to the colour, although must confess it did cause the red to bleed through my embossing paste more than I would have liked, even with a second application, I think maybe because it is less absorbent than regular cardstock. 

A Banner For You - I finished my card with a two-tone double banner created with the 'Banners For You' stamp set and cut it out with the co-ordinating Bunch of Banners framelit and reversed the colours to contrast with my flag-inspired background.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Embossing Paste	Palette Knives	A4 Glossy White Cardstock	Real Red A4 Cardstock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
Night Of Navy A4 Cardstock	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Banners For You Photopolymer Stamp Set	Bunch Of Banners Framelits Dies	Versamark Pad
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)

It's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of my dear friend LeAnne to host our challenge this week and she has a great colour combination for you to play along with:

I thought these colours were calling out for a patriotic red, white and blue card. I toyed with creating something in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II who is celebrating her official 90th birthday this weekend, but in the end decided to go with something more appropriate for American Independence day as 4th July is not that far away. This is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

Thoughtful Banners - I used the new 'Thoughtful Banners' stamp set to create my abstract stars and stripes card today. This set is all about the sentiments, with many combinations to choose from. It also has a useful stripe stamp, that can be used with or without the words and banners to create a striped pattern, as I've done here. This is a photopolymer stamp set too which makes it easy to line up without the need for a stamp-a-ma-jig - bonus! 

Duet Banner Punch - I could have used so many of the stamps in this set on my card today, however when I thought about independence and the armed forces both here in the UK and abroad, the one word that summed up how I felt was 'blessed' - blessed that so many men and women are prepared to serve our countries and protect the rights and freedoms we so often take for granted, so this was the word I chose to feature on the banner of my card. A banner that was easily created with the co-ordinating Duet Banner Punch. Buy this with the Thoughtful Banners stamp set as a bundle and save 10%; don't mind if I do!

Shine Like A Star - I backed my sentiment banner with a layered star, cut from silver foil with the Star Framelits and centred with a smaller one in Whisper White. 

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I hope this card is a fitting tribute to those who give of themselves in order to protect the freedoms of us all, for whom we should all feel truly blessed.

I'm linking up with the ladies over at SUO Challenges today where their current challenge is Summer Celebrations.

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

I look forward to seeing what you create with our colour palette this week. We have basketball this morning then an afternoon of music practice for Rebecca who is singing in a concert on Monday evening, along with more practice of her lines in readiness for her stage performance as Dorothy in her school production of the Wizard of Oz in just a few short weeks time. 

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Thoughtful Banners Photopolymer Bundle	Stars Framelits Dies	Cherry Cobbler A4 Cardstock	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad	Dapper Denim A4 Cardstock
Dapper Denim Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Silver Foil Sheets

Happy Monday everyone! It is a happy one here in the James Household as the oldest of my James Juniors is 10 years old today! I will share her birthday card tomorrow, but for today I have another rather patriotic-themed card for this week's challenge over at Colour Me where they have the following striking colour combination: 

This was definitely calling for an all-out stars and stripes combo - so I dug out my SAB Irresistibly Yours paper and got sponging! I am also linking up with SUO Challenges again today as this card fits their theme of stars and stripes perfectly. Here's my card:

I just love how this card turned out! Some simply sponged panels in the challenge colours and the paper really does all the work - I'm so glad we now have the Colour Me Irresistible paper in the annual catalogue too. The stripes in the pack are diagonal so I cut the paper at an angle to straighten them up, added a 'Bravo!' stamp from the set of the same name and some stars cut with my Big Shot and star framelits to finish. Simply but I hope you agree, rather effective! 

That's all from me today - lots to do! Back tomorrow with a rather special birthday card to share; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' up! Supplies Used:

Bravo Photopolymer Stamp Set	Color Me Irresistible Specialty Designer Series Paper	Big Shot	Stars Framelits Dies	Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy A4 Cardstock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Cardstock	Whisper White A4 Cardstock