Natural Cards and Support our Soldiers ...

I often combine my stash busting efforts with making cards for charity, and when my friend Sherri suggested this one in particular, I thought it was a great idea. 

I suppose it is a bit ironic, given that I am Australian and a pacifist, but I do support people who are doing a job, and I think people in the military are doing just that.  Therefore I think it is a nice idea to perhaps give them a bit of comfort so that they in turn can send more personalised messages home to their own loved ones.  To me, that's what card making is all about!

So I got to and pulled out a very old combination kit of basic ingredients.  The rose patterned paper and lace cardstock is left over from a class I taught in 2008, I think.  But the rose patterned paper  must originate from 2003/2004, because I got it from my friend Tara who used to have a connection at Hobbycraft. 

The dragonflies, stripes and botanical paper was A4 in size and was left over from a class I taught in 2005! 

I think using up old stash is also about combining it with newer elements - so here in the card below I had some left over lace cardstock from ki memories in one of my class kits. 

The stamp is a new one from Stampin' Up! "Elementary Elegance" Sale-a-Bration and goes perfectly here.  I used the Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers die which doesn't match precisely, but is good enough, in my opinion!  The card was quite time consuming to make, given the handcutting of the roses and paper piecing the scraps of lace cardstock onto the base card, but I like a challenge! I think it appears as though the roses are peeking through the trellis. 

Much the same - but the greeting is stamped onto a scrap of caramel Bazzill. 

A masculine card - so minus the roses, but plus a bit of ribbon and using more sombre colours. 

This card uses a Personal Impressions "Frames and Greetings" stamp set and stash-busts some of those small Prima flowers and a couple of green brads. 

Another masculine card, perhaps?  I stickled around the greeting and the greeting spot as it was a bit drab otherwise.  The green patterned paper is from the "Bloom" range by My Mind's Eye. 

Using a scrap of ribbon and a sentiment from Craftwork Cards, which I toned in to match with my Promarkers.

The square journalling spot stamp above is from Basic Grey - it is easy enough to notch out the corner with scissors when cutting the shape. 

I am also using up my pile of miscellaneous cards - ie the tall DL card above - so I am left with more standard shapes and sizes.  Don't you hate it when you can't match all the cards and envelopes?  I am determined to be even more organised in the future to ensure that this doesn't happen.  It is peeving when I have to go to Hobbycraft and pay over the odds to match up odd cards whose envelopes have seemed to walked away!  At least I've finally started to use that felt ribbon that I had to buy at 49p per packet!  It is only a bargain if you use it all up, and quickly. 

 I will be showing more cards made for the charity using the same batch of supplies, so please drop back again .... it is quite amazing how far sheets of A4 paper will actually go!

Supplies:
Gems, Pearls, Stickles
Papermania Felt Ribbon and floral accents (pearl centre)
Craftwork Cards Birthday sentiments
Plaid Dragonflies and Bees decoupage kit by Anna Griffin - green stripe, writing, check and dragonflies and bees patterned papers
Paper Adventures - Stampendous design Heirloom Interiors Vintage Rose - Yellow
ki memories - lace cardstock
Stampin' Up "Elementary Elegance" (happy birthday)
Basic Grey "Journal Block" set
Personal Impressions "Frames and Greetings"