Flag Day

I cry at parades, baseball games and pretty much any event where the colors are flown or “The Star Spangled Banner” is sung. I can’t explain why. I think much of it comes from our family’s connection to the military. Those stars and stripes just get me. We just found out a couple of weeks ago that our son will be deploying to Iraq for his third time three months sooner than he thought he’d have to go. We are so proud of him but wish he could be here with his wife, daughter and us. I just got off the phone with my Coast Guard daughter who was talking with her new fiance about getting married THIS October before my son leaves so that he could be at their wedding. I think of all the sacrifices that our military is making and the hardships their families endure for our freedom and cry some more.

So, here’s my Flag Day project. I saw this ad on the cover of a trade publication I get and loved the industrial look to the stars. I thought about how I might achieve this look with everyday materials and gave it a whirl. I do like how it came out although it has a somewhat softer look to it than the original. However for the materials I used, I thought it came out pretty cool. Click here to see my version of the finished project. I’ll be talking about how I did it on Cool2Craft live web TV show today at noon EST. Last Monday, a new segment was introduced called “Too Cool”. This is a place where guest designers come on to show what inspired them and how they interpret the inspiration piece to reflect their style. If you miss it, no problem- it’s recorded 🙂

Hope you can join me. This week I will share the fun purchases and resulting projects obtained during out jaunt last weekend so make sure to stop back.

I am a guest blogger today at Lois Winston’s blog. Lois is a mystery writer who also crafts. Her lead character, Anastasia Pollack, is a magazine crafts editor. She’s a widowed, debt-ridden mother of two teenaged boys and the reluctant caretaker of both a cantankerous semi-invalid, communist mother-in-law and a five-times widowed mother convinced she descends from Russian royalty. When the magazine’s fashion editor, suspected of having had an affair with Anastasia’s husband, is found dead and glued to Anastasia’s office chair, and the murder weapon is Anastasia’s glue gun, she becomes the prime suspect. Anastasia must use both her wits and her crafts skills to find the killer before he finds her. We join the story as Anastasia and her fellow magazine editors have gotten together to blog at Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers. You’ll find craft projects and tips; recipes; decorating, beauty, travel, fashion, health, and budget advice; and Book Club Fridays where Anastasia will host guest authors, many of whom will be giving away copies of their books. Stop by!