Happy 4th of July!!  It’s so much fun to have a holiday in the middle of the summer because not only do I not have to do the normal routine, I also don’t have any To-Dos that I’ve saved for a day off!  LOL  So today, I plan to take it easy and hopefully get a bit of a nap in.  😀

For today’s project I put together a fun festive card using Flag Waving Mae and Sunflowers from Some Odd Girl.  Last week I noticed her in the SOG store and decided she would actually be very fun to color up and because her flags are blank, I was able to add a little bit of Texas flare.  The Sunflowers are ones I’ve actually had on my list to color for a while now and it was fun to pair them up.

I’ll have to admit I’m not one to have a lot of patriotic colors around the room.  I don’t know why those colors always look good on the flag itself but down close on my desk they’re always too bright – so lucky for me I managed to find some reds and blues that didn’t clash.  LOL They’re not perfect for the theme but hopefully I was able to fake it.  😀

I hope everyone has a great day whether or not you’re in the midst of celebrating Independence Day.  Who knows what I’ll be up to day but I’m sure I can squeeze in a little crafting too.  😀

Today is my day to share something on the Some Odd Girl Blog and I’m bringing you a little bit of inspiration using one of the Nouveau Girls Believe!  I don’t use flowers very often but I was inspired after organizing my craft room to use of a few of the bundles I have… after all, they were over flowing the draw just screaming to be used!  LOL  Plus I wanted to try grouping my flowers off to the corner like so many gorgeous projects I’ve seen lately.

So I grabbed some of my gray and white flowers, papers, ribbons and embellishments then decided to pair them up with a Nouveau Girl which I knew would be perfect in a black and white dress – I particularly liked Believe as she looked like she was reflecting upon time so I threw in some time elements too.

I don’t know about you but I always have a few scattered pieces of extras laying on my desk!  Sometime they’re a bit too messy and need organizing themselves but I tend to grab things from that “pile” and add them to my card… this one was no exception and that’s where I found the clouds and green leaves!  Other than the leaves and some coloring I kept everything else in the monochromatic scheme.  Here’s a closer photo of Believe and her dreamy face…

The flower grouping went well, I think, but I wish I had some sort of wispy element coming out of them… maybe pearls or something else sticking out in different directions.  Anyway, that’s my next excuse for shopping!  He he he!  Thanks for coming by today and I hope you’ve enjoyed my project and have been inspired today!

Today marks the mid-year and also another challenge at Some Odd Girl!  This month is a simple sketch and there are all sorts of way to make up your projects.  I kept true to the sketch this time around and then had fun adding a few embellishments for a finishing touch.  Here’s what I did…

For this project I used Fan from Some Odd Girl as a clear stamps.  I even remember a few of the color combos… can you believe that?  LOL  Ok, so for the skin I used E50, E51 and E53.  The Hair was E55, E57 and E49; then the reds were R02, R05, R08 and R29.  The last thing I remember was using T3 for the sharp shadows; oh and E04 for her lips.   So except for the teals and gold, that’s pretty much all the colors!

Thanks for droping by and hopefully you’re all having a great weekend.  For those in the US, hopefully you’re getting ready for a great 4th of July!  We just got out our July books and the kids delved right into reading those so I guess I’m off to a good start.  Now if only I can find a place to watch the fireworks without the overwhelming crowd and endless traffic to get home!

I can’t turn down a good reading image and this one is no exception – this is the new Reading Mae from Some Odd Girl and you have to check out everyone’s projects at the SOG Blog!!  She’s a cutie and fun to color and I can never have too many bookworm cards for teachers. I think this one is by far the most favorite of the release – but check out all the images and decided for yourself.  😀

In addition to using Reading Mae, I was able to sneak in another ticket sentiment from Whimsy Stamps – I have a whole bunch punched out from the coordinating diecut and so it’s easy to grab one and add to a project.  Lately I’ve been stocking up on diecut shapes in craft paper and they’ve been great embellishments.  Plus it saves from getting out the diecutter and putting it away on projects that I need to finish quickly.

Growing up, there was a saying on the wall of my home which said “Use it up, wear it out,  make it do or do without.”  Come to find out my Mom loathed the saying but it still sticks with me today… so when I reached for my orange flowers that I’ve been “saving for that right project” I decided it was time to use them up.  LOL  I guess I can apply that to all my stashes.  He he he

Thanks for coming by and I hope you’ve enjoyed my project for today – I hope it has inspired you to make something, color something or even read something!  😀

It’s a special day over at Some Odd Girl today as they celebrate all day for their FaceBook Fun day!!  There are challenges, tips, games and all sorts of fun activities to join in with so head on over and see what they’re up to.  😀  But before you leave here is a little SOG inspiration using Tobie and his Puppy…

For this project I had the paper selected first then went and colored my image so I could match the colors better.  The only thing I didn’t know what what ribbon I was going to use so if I was to go back I would change Tobie’s hair color to be a little darker.  However, it still works so I chose to leave it.  😀  Besides, the receiver of this card probably won’t even notice.  LOL