The llamas are hopping again! This time we are showcasing our favorite products from the Occasions Mini as well as the Sale-a-Bration brochure. If this is your first stop, no worries. You can follow the links at the end of this post on to the next stop and loop through all the stops or use the button to hop back to start at the beginning. Just be sure you don't skip any of these amazingly talented and fun ladies!
When I first saw the intricate flower image from Punch Bunch in the Occasions Mini my mind traveled back to sign I remember seeing at my grandparents house when I was a child. Now I haven't seen this sign in about 20 years so the memory was foggy but the connection was there. I remembered the colors were bright against a black background and there was a chicken or some strange bird on it. I started searching online for similar images and soon discovered that what I was remembering was a traditional Dutch hex sign like these.
These signs were used to decorate the homes and barns of early Pennsylvania Dutch settlers and being of Dutch heritage, my grandparents hung one in their home with pride. That 'chicken' I was remembering is actually called a distelfink and was a sign of luck and happiness. You can read more about these beautiful hex signs and their meanings here. The first card inspired by these designs was a 3x3 love note.
I love the symmetrical patterns and swirls of this image. I simply inked the stamp image with Black, Garden Green, Real Red, Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie and remoistened the ink with the "breath of life" before stamping it on white. The coordinating punch was a real time saver! The Daffodil card stock was embossed with the Dots Embossing folder for a little added dimension.
For my second card I decided to take things a bit further but I'll be honest, I had no idea where this card was going till it was done. I knew I wanted to attempt to recreate the distelfink using our bird punch but after that there were numerous changes and "do-overs". I was very pleased with the final result though.
The tail of the bird used the new Blossom Punch and those tear drop shapes came from the Triple Layer Punch. I probably had enough of those on my craft room floor to use but I was too lazy to pick them all up so I punched more! And did you notice the new Doily Die?? That is quickly becoming my favorite product of the mini.
This card went out in the mail today to my grandparents. I wanted to thank them for the Christmas money they gave us and remind them that even with our upcoming long distance move, they won't be far from our hearts and minds.
I hope you will leave me a comment and then hop on over to Kathe's blog. I think she's creating with that adorable kite stamp set. I have a feeling whatever it is is going to make resisting the urge to purchase that set pointless! Happy hopping!
Heather
