PaperCutz Challenge Star Spangled Blog Hop!

Happy Friday and welcome to PaperCutz Challenges first ever blog hop!  We are celebrating America's birthday with the challenge of a banner with lots of bling.

If you got to my page from Lisa's  you are headed in the right direction!  

If not, the Challenge starts at the PCC blog.

  Don't forget about the blog candy on the PCC site.  One lucky person will win a Cricut summer collection luau cartridge.  So, be sure to stop at everyone's blog and get creative over this long weekend. The good thing about it though is when I was done inking I sprayed water on my craft sheet and soaked it all up with a coffee filter, so I have a very cool background for a card!

I heat embossed each of the letters using Judikins Diamond Sparkle EP (I love it!!) and then used Versamark on the edges of the stars and embossed those as well.  I punched smaller stars from DCWV glitter matstack and used red, white and blue twine to hang my banner.  I wish you could see the sparkle and shine, it is very pretty.  I've already started hinting to my husband that I need a new, upgraded camera - but Christmas is a long way off (my b-day is also in December)!

I had to take the banner back in, because it looks like rain here in Maine, but it will be out again on my lower deck later this weekend when all the (adult) kids are here!

Every 4th of July brings back memories of the one Independence Day I was very far from home.  In July, 1998 I was in Sarajevo, Bosnia as part of the peacekeeping force in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.  The American contingent treated all the multi-national troops to a cook-out of typical summer foods.  Later that night there was a fireworks show over the camp.  The interesting part was looking up in the hills and seeing tracer rounds be fired at the end of each burst!  I'm sure it was there way of saying "Happy Birthday, America"!

Be sure to stop by everyone's blog and leave some love and good luck with the blog candy!  In case you need it, here is the blog order:
Paper Cutz Challenge http://www.papercutzchallenge.blogspot.com/
Lisa  http://www.mypurpleplayroom.blogspot.com
Penny  http://www.pennydouph.blogspot.com/
DeNetra  http://www.craftynanny3.blogspot.com/
Shelly  http://www.cardsbyshelly.blogspot.com/
Kristie  http://www.kreativekristie.blogspot.com/
Patti  http://www.pattispaperfun.blogspot.com/
Diane  http://www.happyscrapperdiane.blogspot.com/
Mary  http://www.cardztv.blogspot.com/
Dee  http://forum.paperwishes.com/album.php?albumid=31

Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July weekend!  I'd love to hear from you!

Happy Birthday America - the land of the free because of the brave! 

Your next stop on the hop is the very talented Denatra.