If Friends Were Flowers #16

I am not feeling very social this week, but I am thankful for my friends.
I am glad I can make and send unique cards to let them know I care.
A simple layout with everyday objects can make a quick but sweet card.
Quilting flower pins, grosgrain ribbon, and Dymo labels.

Sometimes what we chose to see is not what we need to see to grow.

Two great sites to check out it you haven't already:
Save America's Postal Service
The USPS brings the world to my front door.
I love Real Mail in my mailbox, and real people at my local post office.

The World Needs More Love Letters
It's beautiful. Let's send more love letters.

Quilt #14 and Fun with Die Cuts #15

I'm back, with two cards to make up for missing yesterday! I call this a Pocket Tag Card. As I noted before, I like tags and cards that do something more that just open in the usual manner. I was making some library pocket cards, and this design grew from that. I have been using this basic style for quite some time, though I continue to tweek details. I recently began sewing the sides closed instead of gluing them, and I changed the tag style. I often use these for my own notes, and several mail friends told me they enjoyed reusing the pocket. A bunch of these will soon leave my desk and travel to the quilt museum.

Here's a bit of fun for today.
I spent my quiet time playing with an owl Sizzix die.

Rather sweet with it feathered belly!

Quilt Museum Card #13

Another quilt-themed card headed for the Museum Shoppe.
This is a slight variation on Just Off Centre from Sheetload of Cards.
I incorporated two different vintage trims and some machine stitching.
The focal point is another postage stamp; this time a 34c Amish Quilt.
Time to make more cards!

Quilt Museum Card #12

A good friend introduced me to the buyer at The Quilt Museum at the Old Country Store, and every once in a while she surprises me with an email order for some of my handmade cards. I created a line of quilt-themed cards especially for the Shoppe. I received such an email this weekend, so this week I will be working to fill her order and sharing some of those cards before I ship them off to the store.

This is one of my all-time favorite layouts, the very first sketch (I'm aware of) from Sheetload of Cards. I really like the colors on this one. It features a postally used Gee's Bend Quilt stamp with some more lovely K & Company papers.

#10 Mail Art Instead

Mail Art Reply to Superhero

Fragmented Photos (side 1)
Brainless Bureaucrats Are Deadly

Fragmented Photos (side 2)
Bureaucratic Politics

Red White Blue 11

Every day, I am grateful for the freedoms afforded me in the United States.

I am free to create.

I am free to disagree.
I am free to forgive.
I am free to be helpful and hopeful.
I am free to look up into the sky with wonder, not fear.
I am free to love.
I am free to question.
I am free to be thankful.

I am grateful for the men and women, past and present, in and out of uniform, who serve this country so I can continue to enjoy these freedoms.

Today I will hug my children a little tighter.
Today I will not hide my tears when I listen to stories recounted over the public radio station.
Today I will remember exactly where I was when I first heard the news.

Bewitching #9

"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

Fresh off my desk this afternoon, a fashionable card for Halloween. I had not done any vintage pattern book page cutouts or typewriter captions for awhile. I found a different kind of glitter paper, the DCWV Glitter Cardstock Stack, and of course, had to try it out with the flourish die. I finally, FINALLY found a witch hat paper punch, at a local warehouse clearance center of all places! It is a huge punch and includes a bat, ghost, and pumpkin as well. The houndstooth background paper is from the DCWV Mod-Retro Stack. The clock face is die cut from a Tim Holtz paper pad. The jewels, felt flowers, and buttons are from my stash of tiny things.