It’s hard to believe this is my last week as a member of the Fall 2011 Splitcoaststampers CAS Design Team. Thank you to my fellow DT members Jen, Denise, Taylor, and Cibele for making it a wonderful experience, and a big hug of thanks to everyone who has given me support and encouragement through comments left on my cards.

This week’s challenge is to follow the layout of one of Denise’s cards.  Because I’ll be sending this card to Operation Write Home as part of their Archway Special Mission, I wanted to keep it easy to mail.  So I opted not to use a dangling element for the sentiment.  Instead of piercing around the focal panel, I drew dots with a gel pen.  That way one of our heroes stationed overseas will be able to write on the inside front of the card if he or she chooses.

All supplies were purchased from Stampin’ Up.
Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks, Three Little Words
Cardstock: Blush Blossom, Whisper White, Afternoon Tea designer paper
Ink: Blush Blossom, Mellow Moss, Groovy Guava
Other: corner rounder punch, Groovy Guava ribbon; Signo gel pen (Uniball)

Happy Labor Day!  I’m thrilled to announce that some of the labors of my stamping have paid off because I was chosen for the Splitcoaststampers.com Clean and Simple Design Team for Fall 2011!  I’ve tried out for it a few times before and was chosen for a couple guest designer spots, but this time I finally made it through to the full-fledged design team.  I’m super excited!  🙂

I have to confess that my excitement was dashed a bit when I received the assignment for my first challenge as a DT member.  It’s a theme challenge – shoes.  I have exactly two stamps – both tiny ones –  that would work for that theme:  the boots from Stampin’ Up’s Branch Out set (and I’m still not sure why they put those in there), and a flip flops stamp.  It wasn’t too hard to choose the flip flops.  After a lot of thought, I finally came up with a sentiment that would be nicely suitable for Operation Write Home.  Like a lot of the sentiments I use, it’s a pun.  Then I hesitated on using it because it looks like I misspelled a word in it.  Finally I decided to go with it anyway, because the pun becomes pretty apparent when you see the flip flops.

Then I got to thinking that “sole” could also be interpreted as “only”… so maybe it’s another way of saying “You’re my one and only.”  I suppose it’s all up to the hero who chooses it to send home to his or her loved one, and what the recipient reads into it.

I discovered something pretty cool when I was adding a bit of color to the flip flops. Coloring Apricot Appeal marker over Pretty in Pink marker results in a color very very similar to Groovy Guava (at least on Naturals Ivory cardstock). That’s what I used for the tiny flowers on the flip flops. My Bliss Blue marker (yes, most of my SU markers are THAT old) turned out to be a really close match to Soft Sky.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you get to enjoy a day of rest and relaxation.

Supplies for this card:
Stamps: A Little Love (Stampin’ Up); computer generated sentiment
Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Soft Sky, Groovy Guava, Afternoon Tea designer paper (SU)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU); printer ink
Other: Bliss Blue, Pretty in Pink, Apricot Appeal, and Chocolate Chip markers, dimensionals (SU); standard circle and big scalloped circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders); white Signo gel pen (Uniball); corner rounder punch (EK Success)