Americana

I love the Fourth of July! The parades and the food! The fireworks and the food! Well, you get the picture! In my small community, the Fourth of July celebration is the highlight of the summer. Literally and figuratively, everyone heads uptown for an entire day of entertainment, content to bask in the companionship of their neighbors and friends. Beginning with the Fire Department’s Pancake Breakfast, and ending with a fabulous fireworks display, the Fourth of July in this small Midwestern town is a scene right out of a Norman Rockwell illustration and served as my inspiration for this Americana-style card. Enjoy this slice of American Pie!

• Prepare a 5-1/2″ by 5-1/2″ card base from textured Whisper White card stock. Use a Corner Rounder on the bottom corners.
• Layer with Night of Navy card stock followed by Whisper White and Real Red. (Tip: A Corner Rounder used on opposite corners breaks up the angularity of the card, adding visual interest.)
• “Flick paint” this base with slightly diluted white acrylic paint and a tooth brush. (Tip: When flick painting, I always test it on scrap paper to make certain that the paint is the right consistency and that it is producing suitable flecks.)
• Paint a large chipboard star from On Board Essentials with white acrylic paint. (Tip: After allowing the first coat to dry completely, I lightly sanded with a Sanding Block before applying the second coat.)
• Flick paint with navy blue acrylic paint.
• Position and adhere the star in the middle of the card base.
• For a finishing touch, I added a red button which I had “threaded” with a snippet of Night of Navy card stock.

This was a “Do-I-add-more” card. I debated on whether to add more buttons, or whether to tea-stain it to age it. Should I add more stars? In the end, I decided to keep it clean and simple!

Don’t forget that from July 15th through August 31st, you can become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator for as little as $85. Please join my group! For details, Click Here!

As always, I appreciate your comments. They are very important to me! So feel free to stop in and say “Hi!” Until next time…

Order Your Stampin’ Up! Supplies Now!

Card Stock: Whisper White textured (108693—Neutral Assorted Pack), Night of Navy (100867), Real Red (102482)
Tools: Corner Rounder Punch (109047)
Other: On Board Essential Chipboard (112085), vintage Stampin’ Up! button, White and Navy acrylic paints, toothbrush