One falling leaf = September

I looked out my window last week, and my heart stopped when 5 red maple leaves drifted down the warm air and fell to the grass below. This week I made peach preserves. These things mean the end of summer to me, and the start of a new school year. I am never ready for it.

I used leaf and maple seed stamps from Junque to make this card. The Chinese proverb is from Serendipity Stamps. First I stamped the proverb with Versamark and embossed it with black detail powder. Then I stamped the leaf and embossed it with clear powder. I stippled a few colors of Radiant Pearl paints over all to bring out the shape of the leaf. I used the word window punch from Stampin Up for the oval cut-out, and my trusty DYMO label maker to dry emboss the word September on a strip of orange paper. I dragged the orange strip over black ink to highlight the letters and then positioned the word so that it was centered behind the cut-out. Lastly, I stamped the maple wing seeds in black for interest on the margins.

Scream Day

You can always find something to celebrate at BrownieLocks. October 12 is International Moment of Frustration Scream Day. According to Wellcat Herbs' Thomas and Ruth Roy, October 12 is the ideal day for everyone to go outside and scream, in unison, at 12:00 p.m. Greenwich time. Sign me up.

This ATC uses three people in varying stages of distress. All three stamps are from Mars Tokyo. Mars Tokyo no longer sells rubber stamps, but you MUST visit her Theaters of the 13th Dimension.

I stamped the woman with the knife first, masked her, stamped the falling man and masked him, then stamped the newspaper reader last. I punched out the words Scream Day on my trusty DYMO and used a q-tip to rub red ink over and between the letters. I stamped the phrase International Moment of Frustration with the Making Memories magnet backed Rummage set. I wish I had made the people are little darker.

Citizenship Day

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day commemorate the creation and signing of the United States constitution, and recognize all who have become citizens of the country. When I was looking for information on Citizenship Day, I found a great resource from Cornell Law's Legal Information Institute. It is the U.S. Code and it is searchable.

At the Department of Defense website, I found a short course on the Constitution. This course is part of the orientation for new employees in federal jobs, and was created to recognize the importance of this holiday, and to encourage employees of the Department of Defense to reflect on the part they play in defense of the constitution.

For this atc, I stamped the Marching for America stamp on glossy paper. This stamp is made by The Queen's Dresser Drawers. I then used a brayer diagonally across the image with blue on top, and red on bottom. I punched squares from the image, being sure to pick up the man in one, and the woman in the other. I had also intended to punch out and use the flag, but I didn't have enough room on my card for that.

I used a fireworks stamp from Rubber Stamps of America for the gold tinsel embossed background, and added a tiny Hero Arts flag stamp to fill in the space at the bottom of the layout. I used red paper cut to fit my old Dymo labelmaker and punched out the words Citizenship Day Sept 17. I dragged the paper strip over a Versamark pad, then sprinkled white detail embossing powder on the strip and heated it.

Sisters Day is August 3, 2008

This is the card I like the best out of the lesser known holiday series I have been working on.

My sister and I are certainly not from this time period, but I like that the two are happy, and walking through town enjoying each other's company. My sister Mary maintains an artist's sketching blog and a fine art website.

The stamp is from The Queens Dresser Drawers. I stamped over a direct to glossy paper background of pinks and yellows, then embossed with black detail powder. I dry embossed the phrases with an old DYMO label maker, then highlighted them with a sponge loaded with orange ink. I punched the corner of black atc sized stock, and slipped the stamped image into it so it would look like an old photo album.

By rights I should send this card to Mary, but I like it too much!

World Juggling Day

Juggle this! TSEKMAO... I like to think the juggler is thinking "Ask me to." He is giving a subtle message in a flamboyant way...

World Juggling Day was celebrated somewhere on June 14th this year. You can visit Brownielocks for information on this obscure holiday and many others.

I embossed this juggler from the Ornamentum line at Uptown Design Company with red detail powder. I like that he pops out from the polished stone blue and silver background. I dry embossed the letters with an old Dymo label maker and dragged them over a black ink pad to highlight them. I sponged some red ink on them too, to junk them up a bit.

Addicted to Rubber carries a lot of the Ornamentum stamps. I like this line because they are just strange enough to have you look twice.

Respect for Chickens Day

Another of the lesser known holidays, Respect for Chickens Day, was celebrated on May 4th this year.

I used a rooster stamp from PSX for this card, and embossed it with silver fine detail powder. I dry embossed the letters with an old Dymo label maker, then dragged the strips of paper over a black ink pad to highlight the letterforms.

I liked the black dragged effect, so I did a little more with that, and got some on the rooster paper. I still like it - I am not that neat when it comes to fooling around with these cards.

National Cowboy Day

Did you know that National Cowboy Day was celebrated July 26th?

I made this ATC for a Midwest Stampers swap of lesser-known holidays. Because it was for a July holiday, I wanted to use red, white, and blue. I had some background paper left over from a shaving cream technique session, and was able to stamp the cowboys on that. The cowboy stamp is from Acey Deucy.

I used an old Dymo label maker to dry emboss the letters, and then sponged blue ink over the raised letters to bring them out. I wish I knew how to get the letters to read from left to right!