DD June challenge

It’s that time again!  The 20th of the month rolled around and it’s time for the SCS Dirty Dozen & Alumni’s June challenge.  This month Jami took a break and I came up with the challenge.  I wanted to create some happy mail so the recipients of the cards smile as soon as they see it in their mailbox.  I LOVE to see decorated envelopes (and the inside of cards too).  So I wanted to see how creative we all can be decorating the “inside” and “out” to coordinate with our cardfront.  Here’s the rules I gave the ladies:

Challenge Focus: “Inside & Out”……stamp and decorate both the inside of your card AND the outside of the envelope. (any card size is ok) Please upload two photos.
Required Element: Patriotic element – interpret this any way you like (ex. color scheme, sentiment, image, whatever)

Restricted Element: No ribbon

Optional – Send your card to the troops so that they can in turn mail it home to family or friends (all themes and occasions welcome).

I made 2 samples this month….the first one is more for a woman in the service.  I have always loved this retired SU! Raggedy Ann set and recently I purchased it from someone who no longer had a use for it.  I thought it would be perfect for the red, white and blue theme!  The buttons were cut from a Sizzix die and the “thread” is actually a very thin sliver of cardstock.  This image was colored with plain old colored pencils. 

I added the same paper button to the inside along with a row of flowers.  I accented 2 with some Prima flowers.  Half of the envelope was wheeled with the retired Flower Power wheel.  I stamped and masked the heart first before wheeling. 

stamps- Old Friends, Flower Power wheel

paper- Non-SU Red, White, Blue, and SU Bliss

ink- Bliss, Black, Not Quite Navy

accessories- rectangle Nestabilities, colored pencils, gel pen, Primas, Stickles, Sizzix button die, and NO ribbon  😉

My second card was made while thinking of the men in our troops.  Cheryl Rowley sent me an awesome card with this Biker Bee and I just had to get him!  You can find all of the images used on this card from Eclectic Paperie.  And I’m not sure what the name of the paper is, but it came from All That Scraps.  Cheryl doodled stars on the card she sent me and I couldn’t mess with perfection, LOL, so I added some of the same doodles on the cardfront and the upper left corner of the envelope.  The Liberty Bee was stamped on the bottom right of the envelope.  He was colored with colored pencils instead of the Copic markers because I didn’t want the Copics to bleed through to the back of the envelope.  In hind sight, I guess I could have just inserted paper in the envelope while coloring.  I’ll have to remember that next time!   

And this is how I decorated the inside of the Bee Free card.  I added some more doodled stars and cut one of the stars from the patterned paper to place in the upper corner. 

I hope the troops like the cards we made.  And I hope they bring a smile to their loved ones back home!  I can’t wait to see what everyone else came up with.  Here’s a link to check out all of the challenge cards.  Have a great weekend!

stamps- Biker Bee, Liberty Bee, Bee Free- Stampendous

paper- Ruby, Black, Shimmery White, White

ink- Black, dp from All That Scraps

accessories- Copics, Word Window punch, Stickles