God Bless the USA!

Hi y'all! 

Patrick and I went to see Top Gun Maverick this week and wow!  It made me feel so patriotic and proud to be American!  What a great movie!  The first one was made back in 1986 when Patrick and I were still fairly newlywed, living and working in Hawaii.  It was like an extended honeymoon in a tropical island paradise!  Remembering those days always makes me feel all romantic, nostalgic, and happy.  

Of course, as a military family, patriotic holidays are a big deal for us and we've celebrated lots of Independence Days since those beginning years in Makakilo.  Our 4th of July celebrations usually involve a cookout followed by fun and fireworks with our neighbors.  The guys always laugh at me because sparklers and snakes are much more my speed than fire crackers and rockets!

I have always loved Independence Day, even as a child.  My birthday is close to the 4th, so usually there was always a party and a trip to see the community fireworks display which I thought was just for me!  Later it only seemed fitting that as a 1976 graduate of Westlake High School I served on the Bicentennial Commission for Calcasieu parish.  (What a privilege, and wow, that was a really long time ago!) 

So today's Stamp Simply project is one that exemplifies memories of all those things...the parchment reminiscent of the Declaration of Independence, the busy party and fireworks atmosphere of my birthday interwoven with the birthday of our nation, along with a patriotic prayer.

It's busy, but there's a lot of fun stuff going on here!  The card front has a layer of traditional patriotic stars paper.  Then there's a mat of distressed and crinkled Kraft paper.  The background of the focal image layer is stamped in copper with patriotic words (unity, respect, loyalty, devotion, strength, bravery, etc) with the traditional flag nestled among them.  The flag was stamped with Memento ink and colored with Copic markers.  The edges are distressed and distress inked.  There's also splattering of red, blue and shimmery copper inks, and then finally a sprinkling of die-cut gold mirror stars.  

The inside is similarly made, with a strip of fireworks paper from the same paper pad.  It's busy and sparkly and fun, just like the 4th always is!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - The Red, White & Blue
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Patriotic Sentiments
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Patriotic Stars & Stripes (Old Glory)
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Echo Park Let Freedom Ring 6x6
• Bazzill Mirror Cardstock - 8.5 x 11 - Gold - 6 ct
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• tea dye distress ink
• splatters of diluted copper, red and blue ink and white acrylic paint