Happy Birthday, America!

God bless America, land that I love! May you and yours have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend! Don't forget that freedom isn't free and remember our troops this holiday weekend.

The girls are attending a birthday sleepover while Hubby & I party at my sister's BBQ. (Remember when all the parties used to be here?) Though I don't feel up to partying with my awful head cold, I figure I can sit around, visit, and watch the action. Both girls serve at church Sunday, then look for us at the lake. Enjoy your weekend!


This little festive rosette was so fun to make and came together in a snap. Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday "Fireworks" palette and the Cherry-O paper pack were my inspiration, as was a 4th of July rosette banner that I saw somewhere on the web. I think this qualifies me for the H2H challenge this week too (patriotic stripes). I started with a 4.75"x12" piece of B&T that reminds me of cotton ticking and distressed the two long edges with Desert Sand ink. I cut a piece of the Tulip & Crystal Blue B&T at about 3.5"x12", also distressed with Desert Sand, and glued it down the center of the first piece. Fan-fold this piece, tie together in the middle with hemp, and then open up and glue the ends together to make the rosette base.

On the Cherry paper I stamped "4th of July" from the retired July Word Puzzle stamp set after inking it up in Tulip & Outdoor Denim (rock 'n roll technique, modified). I used the "out of the box" technique for cutting out the circle: I didn't cut all the way around so that I could hand-trim around the little cherries. Can you see the shine of the Liquid Glass on those two? I cut the scalloped circle a bit larger (maybe too large) with my Pazzles on a piece of scrap Outdoor Denim (from the You Rock paper pack).

After letting the rosette dry, I attached the center medallion. It needed a little something, so I added the Outdoor Denim twill bow at the top and then hung it on our front door. Happy 4th of July, y'all!

P.S. As a follow up, I was so excited to be named a "Friday Five" at the H2H challenge blog! Thank you!!!