Capture The Date Blog Hop

Welcome to our November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month Close to My Heart is offering a stamp set called "Capture the Date" throughout the month of November. This versatile set can be purchased exclusively through a Close to My Heart Independent Consultant for only $5 with a qualifying purchase of $50. (That’s a $17.95 value!)

We are also proud to announce that Close to My Heart wants to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. To show our support of Red Cross relief efforts for those areas of the US severely affected by Hurricane Sandy, Close To My Heart will donate $1 for every Stamp of the Month set sold as a part of this promotion during November.

In this hop, you will see projects featuring this fun stamp set from many talented crafty ladies! Enjoy our blog hop. 

If you have just hopped onto my blog, please start at the beginning at Lucy's blog – Love 2 Create. If you came from Lucy's blog – Love 2 Create then you are in the right place!

Given that tomorrow is Remembrance Day, I decided to use this set to make a card to give to a few veterans we know well, as well as a few to tuck in my bag for any veterans we see selling the poppies around. My husband is in the Navy, father-in-law served in the Air Force and numerous other family members serve(d) in the military as well (both Canadian and US) so this is a very important one for me.

If you are one of the countless military people serving now or served in the past than "Thank You!" this card is for you. 

I'd also like to take a moment to say thank you as well to all the families that help support these men and women from home, I saw this posted on someones facebook (which I immediately shared on my own as well), and I will share it here as well so you understand how I feel towards you the supporting families:

"I wear no uniforms, no blue or army greens.

But I am in the Military in the ranks rarely seen.

I have no rank upon my shoulders - salutes I do not give.

But the military world is the place where I live.

I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get. 

But my husband is the one who does, and this I cannot forget.

I'm not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line.

But my job i

s just as tough. I'm the one that's left behind.

My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man.

And the call to serve his country not all can understand.

Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free.

My husband makes the sacrifice...but so do our kids and me.

I love the man I married. Soldiering is his life.

But I stand among the silent ranks known as the Military Wife ♥"

Of course no remembrance day post would be complete without "In Flanders Fields" being recited now would it??

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

- John McCrae

Given the importance of this holiday I am also including the Cricut Craft Room file for this project and the instructions in case any of you out there want to make this as well, and you can find it here in the cricut project center. If you need help on what to do with this file after you've saved it somewhere on your computer please see my video on Importing/exporting files in CCR

All of the white is 1 piece with the exception of the "Thank you" tag piece tucked in.

You will need to line it up with the fancy edge piece at the 0 mark and score it at 1.25" and again at 3.75"

Here is what is in the file as well as the folding diagram and how I made the poppy.

Cut slits partway to the center like I have indicate with the scissors and --- marks on the diagram.

Place front side down on a foam mat (the back of a versamat works wonderfully, or you can use a mouse pad) and using an embossing stylus (preferrably a large one) rub the backs of all the petals and they will cup up around your stylus... then turn it to the front and press your stylus down in the middle of the flower causing the 4 petals to lift up around the center. Please ignore the fact that my poppy already has glue on the back in this step.. I forgot to take the photo before I actually did the next step.

Now cup all 4 petals up in your hand and turn over.

Put glue all around the center on the back as shown and let it dry like this... This will keep the petals from laying flat again.

Glue your black center on the front.

I cut black panels at 3 3/4" square for the inner part and another piece 3 3/4" x 2.25" for the front. You could cut the inner piece shorter to save cardstock if you wanted to since you can't actually open the card to see all the way to the fold line once it's assembled.

Apply glue were I put the blue lines on the photo below. Fold closed. Now glue your smaller black panel on the front and glue/fold your decorative flap down. Sorry I forgot to take a photo of this step before I stuck it down.

I stamped the "november" and "1" "1" from the Capture the Date stamp set on the decorative flap. 
I also used the label or tag image from this set to stamp on the smaller piece of white card that is in the file (this cut can be found on page 47 of the Artiste cartridge and the size is indicated on the carrier sheet for the stamp set). The "THANK YOU" is from a set available only to consultants that I masked off the rest of the sentiment but you could really use individual letter stamps here, handwrite it  or use any other thank you stamp you have that fits. 

Now I am also including a picture tutorial on how I got the poppy flower shape from the Artiste cartridge... Let me know what you think of this type of tutorial as I bought a new screen capture/editing software to allow me to do this much easier. :) If you're more of a video person you can look at the picture tutorial and then go watch my video tutorial on Basics of Cricut Craft Room and Hide Contour.

Your next stop on our Capture the Date blog hop is Jennifer over at 4 Hearts Scrapbooking.

Products Used:
Here is the complete lineup in case you get lost along the way:

1. Lucy ~ Love 2 Create
2. Darla ~ Caution: Crafting is Contagious
3. Jennifer ~ 4 Hearts Scrapbooking
4. Theodora ~ Celebrate Crafts
5. Stephanie ~ The Quilted Scrapper

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you.