This started out as an experiment. I saw an interesting gatefold card in my Pinterest feed. It led to a Stampin’ Up demontrator’s blog where she did a video.  This starts out as a regular gatefold card, but then you attach a horizontal flap to the top part of the left flap and another horizontal flap the lower right flap – this keeps the card closed without a belly band.  Begin with a 5 x 8 ½ card base, scored at 2 1/8” at each end on the long side. The solid layers for the flaps are 2 x 5 3/8; the pattern paper layer is 1 7/8 x 5 1/4. The horizontal flaps are 2 1/2 x 3 7/8 for the solid layer and 2 1/8 x 3 3/4 for the pattern paper layer. I added an additional layer for the sentiment, cut at 2 1/8 x 3 1/2. I had to play with the layers a little bit because not only am I terrible at fractions, I’m also challenged when it comes to putting my cardstock on the right line on my cutting board. The sample card only had a sentiment on the lower flap and some lovely flowered paper at the top. The pp I chose was a small pattern from a pad by In My Mind’s Eye and needed something at the top. I had separated the Birthday Wishes stamp from Massive Message a long time ago, so stamped that on each word on one of the solid panels in Passionate Pink. The flower is from the Autumn Wreath Builder and the leaves are from the Mini Wreath Builder. I added a bit of bling from Pawsitvely Awersome in the center of the flowers.  Since the card is mostly pink, I decided to enter it in Just Add Ink #516 Challenge, which this week has an inspiration photo with lots of pink. The pp also kind of picks up the turquoise in the picture.  This was fun to do and I’m really pleased how it turned out.

I have been having a blast creating patriotic cards. There are some great new sets out there. I’ve had a lot of fun coloring the USA/Flag design from Stamp Simply’s Old Glory set. I had cut the USA die using red CS to create a mat for an image that I had fussy cut. I was about to toss it when I realized it would work for the Scraps Challenge at Double D. I found an irregular shaped scrap from a patriotic pack by Authentic that just fit behind the aperture. Although most of the sentiments in the PP are right side up, the flag images are upside down – a sign of distress. But I guess that’s appropriate since our country is in distress right now. I embossed the sentiment from Patriotic Sentiments, also by Stamp Simply in gold EP. The mat is Blue Denim and the card base is Kraft.

A fifth Saturday at  Just Us Girls means it’s Wild Card Week. The Wild Card is to use two or more different pattern papers. The two patterns are from a patriotic pack by Authentique that’s been in my stash for a long time. I put the fireworks pattern on the top and the stars and stripes on the bottom.  I found the shiny red textured strip in my stash. The die used to cut the Kraft USA map is from the die set that matches the Old Glory stamp set from the Stamp Simply Ribbon Store. The sentiment is from the same set, stamped in Blue Denim.  The card base is also Kraft. 

For the last couple of weeks The Stamp Simply Blog has been featuring their new set Old Glory with matching dies. I ordered their Patriotic Bundle Trio, that included Patriotic Sentiments, an older set that works perfectly with Old Glory. My stamps and dies arrived yesterday and I just had to play. I love how the USA map is shown with Old Glory waving across it. It’s fun to color too – Copics R27, R24, B39 and R24. I die cut the map with the matching die, then matted it with Blue Denim and Red Hot on a Kraft card base. The sentiment was embossed in gold. I discovered this will work for the Kraft Chicks All Occasion Challenge. Independence Day is a holiday I don’t create many cards for and I’m hoping to change that with these new sets. I’m also entering The Sisterhood of Crafters Favorite Technique Challenge because two of my favorite techniques are coloring and heat embossing. This works for Double D Challenge – Begins with M (Map) too and I’m getting in just under the wire.