Several weeks ago the Our Creative Corner Challenge Blog had a call for a few new design team members. I recently decided that one of my artistic goals this year was to become a member of a prestigious stamp art design team. I have been a fan of the OCC blog since its inception and try to participate when time allows. Even when I don't participate, I always check out what is happening on a weekly basis. In early August, I was excited to see a DT call. I decided it was now or never and entered a card into the challenge. I held my breath and hoped against hope. I even scoped out the competition by looking at all the cards entered into this challenge - LOL!! The day came when the call closed. I checked my email; I checked my blog comments - I think almost hourly!! And then, almost a miracle - an invitation to join the fabulous OCC design team.
Today's the day of the big announcement and the publication of my first card on the OCC blog. But before I show you my card, I want to introduce you to the fabulously talented OCC Design Team. I hope you will take the time to stop by their blogs and congratulate them on their achievement and their beautiful creations!
So on to this week's challenge. Since this is Labor Day weekend, the last of the summer's patriotic weekends, Dana Grothaus thought it would be fitting to do a stars and strips challenge. The entry didn't have to be patriotic, just that it needs to have some stars and stripes. I actually set out to do a western style card in non-patriotic colors, but somewhere along the line, my creativity took an unexpected turn. I found myself looking through my paper stash for reds, whites and blues. I've had the wonderful western Bronc Buster set from SU for over a year and it has never seen ink. I thought I could use it to do an American Hero themed card. I started out trying to use the DSP from SU's retired Western Sky pack. But I had the idea 
that I would cut out the stars in denim covered chipboard and the Western Sky blues didn't really work with the denim color I was using. Plus with the denim, I wanted to use Night of Navy embossed with the CB Paisley embossing folder that is then sponged with Craft White. It gives it a great washed, weathered denim look. So that's where I was - stuck with denim stars and weathered paisley. What to do? Nothing in my paper stash really worked with those colors. And this was my first OCC DT card. I had to get it right! So I did what I have been doing with increasing frequency lately, I went surfing for digital paper. I came across 
The DesignerDigitals site and this wonderful Stars and Strips paper pack by Katie Pertiet. Perfect! I purchased it, downloaded it and printed it on my home printer. I teamed it up with a Night of Nayv base. A tag was created out of some old, old, old Creative Memories paper in a red bandana print. The red in it was too bright so I sanded the surface off to dull it and then sponged it with Creamy Caramel ink. The tag was cut with the Nesties Long Rectangle die and I rounded the corners to give it more of a tag look. I glued an old piece of denim to some chip board and when dry, I cut it with a Sizzix star die. The smaller stars were made with some old blue bandana fabric that I also glued to chipboard. I used Tim Holtz Crackle Paint along the edges of the stars to cover the gray of the chipboard and to give it a vintage look. When the crackle paint was dry I also sponged it with Creamy Caramel ink. I cut another piece of the bandana, frayed the edges and tied it to the tag along with some red gingham ribbon. The sentiment stamped on the distressed red bandana paper is from a retired SU set (sorry I bought it second hand and it doesn't have the name on it) and says "It is love of country that lights and keeps glowing the fire of patriotism - J. Horace McFarland".
The inside is finished off with the same digital paper. In keeping with the genuine American hero theme, I stamped the Genuine stamp from the set onto the distressed bandana paper and heat embossed it in white. It was cut with the die from the Cuttlebug Halloween Sign set and then mounted on a piece of paisley embossed Night of Navy cut with the Nesties Mega Rectangles. I toppped this off with a frayed piece of the bandana and red gingham ribbon.
There is so much detail on this card. I tried to cover the main points, but if you have questions, please leave them in the comments and I will happily get back to you with the details.
Card Recipe:
Stamps: Bronc Buster, Land That I Love, Baroque Motifs
Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Stars & Strips from DesignerDigitals
Ink: Craft White, Night of Navy, Creamy Caramel for distressing
Accessories: Cuttlebug Paisley embossing folder and Halloween Sign, white EP, Vanilla HodgePodge Hardware, scraps of denim and blue bandana, gingham ribbon from Jo-Ann's and SU, hemp string, Spellbinder Long Rectangle Nestabilities, tag die and Mega Rectangles, Sizzix star die, sewing machine, SU Photo Corner punch
A couple of months ago, I ran across a wonderful new challenge blog called 
