The Final Countdown....

4, 3, 2, 1....Earth below us, drifting, falling....  I LOVE that song, and the countdown has begun for my final days on the Card Patterns Design Team. I have loved every minute, and I'm excited that my leaving gives someone else this awesome opportunity to grow and be challenged creatively.  Michelle has really amazing talent and an eye for good sketches.  So...this was my card for challenge #16, which you can check out HERE.  Toni, owner of  The Digi Shack is still the sponsor of all of the fun prizes that one lucky winner will receive.  Toni is actually the sponsor all the way through my last sketch, which is next week.  She offered to sponsor for 3 weeks in a row!!  How awesome is that?!?!?

This card was made at the last minute, but when I saw the sketch about a week before I had this idea in my head.  I didn't really want to use an image, I wanted to use a sentiment as the focal point.  This is because I don't own Copics and SU! markers make digital images smear.  I was not too enthusiastic about using my Prismacolor Pencils again - they take a lot of layers to get the colors nice and bright, so I did go with the sentiment instead of a line art image this time.  This card pretty much came together exactly as I imagined in my head, except for the fact that my sewing machine went a little wonky on me and messed up the zig zag stitches in about a 1-1/2" spot.  I hid it the best I could with my flower, but I'm not one to pretend I'm perfect and I'll usually point out my flaws to you so that you can learn from them.  Hide, hide, hide when you make a mistake and don't want to trash the card!! ;)  I'm feeling too lazy to post the recipe, so if you have any questions, please ask.  That's a Heidi Swapp ghost flower over some SU! Sweet Always DSP.  The other DSP I used was Raspberry Tart.

Anyway, I hope you like it and I hope that you're having a great Memorial Day weekend.  This year, this weekend is even more meaningful for me.  Not only am I a veteran of the US Air Force, my grandfather, father-in-law and grandfather-in-law and many other relatives in both my own and my husband's families are veterans, but my husband is currently deployed in service to our country.  He is a C-17 pilot for our great Air Force, and I am so proud of him and what he does day in and day out to help us to enjoy the freedoms that we sometimes take for granted in this fabulous country of ours. 

In the midst of shopping all the great sales that stores shove in our faces over this holiday, and during the picnics, pool time and parties with friends, I would encourage you to stop and thank someone who has served this country.  It is through them, and those that have fallen before them - sacrificing the most that one can possibly give, that we are able to go about our daily lives in pursuit of our dreams. 

Take care and Happy Memorial Day!!!