Category Archives: Memorial Day

Button Farm Club Patriotic Celebration Kit Reveal

Carta Bella God Bless America Patriotic Celebration Kit by Kathy Clement Photo 01

Button Farm Club Patriotic Celebration Kit Reveal with Carta Bella God Bless America

Hello, Friends!  Memorial Day seems like the perfect date to share this Button Farm Club Patriotic Celebration Kit Reveal.  Happy Memorial Day, my friends!  How thankful I am for all the selfless men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.  Today we pause to remember them all, and then we enjoy the liberty they fought for as we gather with our friends, neighbors and families to celebrate the Red, White and Blue!

God Bless America!

I’ve been planning this kit since the end of December 2020!  The minute I saw Carta Bella’s God Bless America collection, I  knew I wanted to use it to help usher in Memorial Day, Flag Day and the 4th of July.  If you love the Red, White and Blue…as I do…and you are a fan of Vintage Americana, then I think you are going to love this kit.  It’s one of the best I’ve created thus far for Button Farm Club.  It’s got a little bit of everything in it: Mini Album, Home Decor, Memory Keeping and even a couple of cards and tags.

The anchor of this kit is this vibrant 6″ x 9″ mini album.  It’s not just a great place to keep all those wonderful family photos from summer fun; it doubles as home décor!  The dimensional cover features this fabulous vintage fire engine, handmade rosettes and handmade mini pinwheels.  And of course, the tutorial shows you how easy it is to make those handmade embellishments.

But just like a great fireworks display, this album has some unexpected delights.

Red, White and Blue Banner

I thought to myself…”How fun would it be to build a box pocket mini album with a red, white and blue banner tucked inside?”  So I did it!  And I ‘m so glad I did!

The mini album also has loads of room for photos and journaling thanks to a flip page/pocket/waterfall feature.

The Exploding Box

Every great 4th of July celebration includes fireworks.  So I build an exploding box mini album into this kit.

Thanks to all the flips and flaps inside this clever little box, you’ll find even more room to add photos of your family celebrations.

Patriotic Cards

Even after creating all these wonderful kit elements, I found enough paper to create a couple of beautiful patriotic cards.  So I added a special bonus tutorial showing you how to make them along with a set of sweet little red, white and blue tags.

When you put this whole ensemble on display together , it makes a real visual impact.  I have it on display in my studio right now, and I just love it!

What Comes in the Kit

Everything you need to make the items seen here comes in your kit.  Just add basic crafting supplies like adhesives and tools like scissors, paper trimmers, and scoreboard.  (If you decide to make the bonus cards, you will need to add 2 sheets of 8 ½” x 11” cream cardstock to the kit supplies. )

Kit supplies:

  • Carta Bella God Bless America 12×12 Collection Kit (comes with stickers) 12 sheets of double-sided textured cardstock
  • 2 additional sheets of God Bless America cardstock
  • God Bless America Solids: 6 sheets of color-matched textured cardstock
  • Frames and Tags Ephemera Pack
  • God Bless America Ephemera Pack
  • Enameled Patriotic Charms (2 per kit)
  • 2 yards Red Lipstick Ribbon
  • 1 yard each red, white and blue burlap string
  • 12×12 chipboard sheet for making the album base
  • Little Birdie Flowers
  • Basic Written Guide
  • Private Links to Video Tutorials that you can watch over and over again
How to Order

The price for the kit is only $49.49!  I can’t even believe that!  You can order your kit today at The Button Farm Club.

If you’d like to see this kit in action, please enjoy this 10 minute video tour.

Ok, my friends!  That’s it for me!  I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day, and take a moment to give thanks for the fact that we live in the Home of the Free because of the Brave!

God Bless America!

Cheerio,

kathy

Memorial Day Patriotic Banner and a Winner!

Authentique Liberty Patriotic Banner for Summer by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design

Memorial Day Patriotic Banner: Memories from the Past

Hello, Friends!  Today is Memorial Day:  a time to remember and honor all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.  It’s a somber day, but a joyous one as well, as we celebrate the freedom that sacrifice provided to us as Americans.  Now, more than ever, it’s good to remember the price that was paid for our freedom.  It is a thing to be cherished, guarded and appreciated every day of the year.  Coming from a family where my brothers and dad served our country, I am thankful.

Growing up in Vermont, Memorial Day meant rising early to pick lilacs.  The fragrant blooms were still heavy with dew as we gently laid them in a laundry basket to carry home.  Then the work of arranging them in big fan-shaped metal urns began.  Once that task was finished, we drove over to the family cemetery plot where we placed them on the graves of family members who had served.  We always brought along a bucket, soap and a scrub brush along with gardening tools so we could clean up the graves.  It sounds morbid, but I loved this tradition. It was heavenly to breathe in the scent of those glorious lilacs as we worked in the warmth of the sun under the bright blue sky.

After that, we would travel to the main street in our small town to observe the Memorial Day Parade.  Cars filled with Gold Star Mothers, a few marching bands, civic groups and Shriners filled the street for about 30 minutes.  Then we all traveled up to the Warm Memorial in the park where a prayer of gratitude was offered by local clergy.  As a wreath was placed on the memorial, someone always played “Taps” on the trumpet.  The haunting notes of that melody always left me with goosebumps and a tear in my eye.  How I miss those wonderful traditions!

Memorial Day Patriotic Banner: Tips and Tricks

 

Banners are one of my absolute favorite things to make.  I just wish they weren’t so hard to photograph!  But I think you can easily see that this red, white and blue beauty  made with Authentique Paper’s Liberty Collection is filled with lots of fun details.  While I don’t have a tutorial, I will share some tips and tricks with you.

  • Begin by cutting the banner pieces from red ticking canvas.  Use the Eileen Hull House Die for this step.  Lay the die on the fabric and cut around it with scissors.  Use the large die for the outer pennant, then trace around the inside of that die for the natural canvas.
  • Next, cut red glitter paper using the smaller die from the set.  To create the perforated edge, trim half the die cut holes using a pair of scissors.
  • Create smaller pennants with Graphic 45 ATC tags.  Cut covers for the tags with the G45 ATC Die.
  • Rosettes are a must on a patriotic banner.  Cut designer paper with the Tim Holtz Sizzix Rosette Die.  Top with buttons.
Memorial Day Patriotic Banner: Finishing Touches

  • Cut a 2 yard section of 1 1/2″ wide Royal Blue Plaid Ribbon.
  • Arrange the pennants along the ribbon.  Hold them in place with binder clips.
  • Now stitch the pieces onto the ribbon.  I added a border of White Ruffled Ribbon stitched with Red Zig Zag Ribbon in the center.
  • Next, tie bows between the pennants with Scarlet Checkerboard Satin Ribbon.
  • Then add images and flowers to finish the banner.

How do you celebrate Memorial Day?  I know this is not a typical year, but if it was, what would you be doing?  A trip to the beach?  Family picnic?  Back yard barbecue?  I’d love to hear your memories of Memorial Day past, and how you intend to honor the day this year.

Winner of my YouTube Throwback Thursday Giveaway

And, today is the day I announce the winner of my YouTube Throwback Thursday giveaway!  The randomly chosen comment came from Crafty Carolina Gal.  Please contact me at kathybydesign@hotmail.com with your address so I can ship your goodies off to you!

Wishing you all a blessed, happy and safe Memorial Day!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

Authentique Liberty Pie Shaker Card Folio

Authentique Liberty Pie Shaker Card Folio with Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello, Friends!  Memorial Day is upon us, so I thought it would be fun to share this Authentique Liberty Pie Shaker Card Folio with you all.

Authentique Liberty PIe Shaker Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 01

This 5″ x 7″ top fold card folio features a really fun shaker frame focal.  Here’s how I made it:

Authentique Liberty Pie Shaker Card Folio: The Ribbon

Tie a bold and beautiful Electric Blue Diamond Satin Bow and adhere it in the lower right hand corner of the frame.  This gorgeous ribbon is part of the RRR May Ribbon Club Assortment. Top this with a loopy Gold Metallic String Bow and a red posy.

Note: because so many of you ask, the die cut behind the focal image is a combination of the Heartfelt Creations Circle Basics Large and Eyelet Circle Dies.

Authentique Liberty Pie Shaker Card Folio: The Flower Cluster

To go with the pie theme of this fun card, I added some (retired) Petaloo Blueberry picks to my Little Birdie Roses, WOC Gold Bead/Berry Clusters, and Glitter Stars.

Authentique Liberty Pie Shaker Card Folio: A Peek Inside

Oh, look!  It’s a party!  Here’s a flip page and a pocket detail tucked inside the card.

To make the flip page, cut a 7 1/2″ x 6 7/8″ panel of Authentique Spectrum Tricycle Red Cardstock.  Score it just short of 5″ on the long side and fold to form a flap.  Then cut a couple of 4″ x 3″ images from the Liberty Collection and mat them on Old Glory Spectrum Cardstock.  Adhere these on the front side of the flip page, then decorate the back as you see fit.

Create a 4″ x 6″ envelope with an envelope punch board.  Adhere the envelop flap to the card base.  This is a really quick and easy way to make a flip element for a card.  Tuck the recipe inside the envelope.

To fill the bottom pocket, create a magnet!  Place 2 Large Basic Grey Magnets on the back of the mason jar image.  Stitch the image onto a panel of red canvas ticking that you’ve edged with burlap trim. Top with a double loop bow tied with 3/8″ Patriotic Plaid Ribbon.

I can’t believe the summer holidays are already upon us!  The year is really flying by!  I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have served in our military, or offered up a loved one in service.  I salute you!

Did you find some tips, tricks and techniques you can use in today’s post?  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below! To check out another fun patriotic card made with the Authentique Liberty Collection, Click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio

Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio for The Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop

Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 01

Hello, Ribbon Lovers!  Welcome to the Really Reasonable Ribbon May Blog Hop! You should be coming here from Karen’s lovely blog.  Today I have a Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio made with the red, white and blue ribbons in the May Ribbon Club Assortment and papers from Authentique’s Liberty Collection Kit.

 

I look forward to this lovely assortment every month, but the red, white and blue assortment is always a special treat.  Let’s take a look at the details of this festive card folio.

Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio: Stars and Stripes Forever

Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 02

Every cowgirl needs a pair of star spangled boots, don’t you think?   I’ve dolled this card up with the Tiny Stars on Poppy Red Grosgrain Ribbon from the assortment.  Then top the double loop bows with Ivory Burlap String and a star shaped button to amp up the patriotic vibe.

Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio: A Party on the Inside

Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 03

The festivities really get started on the inside of this interactive card folio, and there’s more ribbon at work here, too.

Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 04

This shaped magnet is all dolled up with a 3/8″ Patriotic Plaid Bow, a posy and more star  buttons. The Tiny Stars on Poppy Red Grosgrain ribbon serves as a handy closure for the 4 1/4″ x 4 1/8″ accordion folio.

Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 05

I’ve dressed this up with patterned papers, ribbons, pockets, stickers and inserts.

Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 06

Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 07Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 08Authentique Liberty Star Spangled Cowgirl Boots Card Folio by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 09

Top a tag with a snippet of the same Tiny Stars/Poppy Red Grosgrain Ribbon, some Ivory Burlap String and a cute Uncle Sam Hat charm, and you’ve got a party on your hands!

On With the Hop

From here, you will hop on over to see what treats Cherry has in store for you.  Be sure to visit the RRR Blog where you will find the complete hop list.  While you are there, answer Bonnie’s question of the month.  You’ll be entered into a drawing for your very own May Ribbon Club Assortment.

If you haven’t signed up for the ribbon club yet, this is a great month to join.  You can find all the details and information HERE.

Enjoy the hop!

Cheerio,

kathy

 

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio and Video Tour

Just in time for Summer: Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio and Video Tour

Hello, Friends!  And Happy Memorial Day to all my US friends!  This holiday weekend is the official kick off for summer here in the states.  We enjoy parades, picnics and family fun. It’s also a day when we honor those who gave their lives in the service of our country.  As a young girl, our family always visited the local cemetery to decorate the graves of those who served in the military.  It’s a somber day, but also a day when we celebrate the freedom that was won for us with great sacrifice.  So it’s the perfect day to share this Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio and video tour with you.

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 1

To make this folio, I first created two 5″ x 7″ side fold card bases from kraft cardstock.  Then I overlapped the cards to create a trifold base.  Next, I scored the base at 4.5″, 5.5″ 10.5″ and 11.5″ to create a trifold folio with two 1″ spines.  This gives you lots of room to add pockets, mini folios, and waterfall features.

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 2

Decorate the album with stickers, Petaloo flowers, die cut stars, ribbon and scrabble tiles.  To add extra texture, machine stitch around the perimeter of each page.

A Peek Inside

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 3

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 4Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 5

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 6

Create a decorative belly band for photo mounts by wrapping them with a 1″ strip of patterned paper, gluing together on the back side.  Then cut an image from a 3″ x 4″ journal card and glue to the front of the belly band.

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 7

A large center pocket holds two mini 3.25″ x 4.25″ fold out folios.

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 9Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 10Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 11

The small pocket on the inside can hold a gift card or other small memorabilia.

How to make a Waterfall Feature

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 12A waterfall feature is a great way to mount loads of photos in a small space.  Here’s how I made the waterfall feature for this Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio:

  1.  Begin by cutting five 4″ x 5″ rectangles from patterned paper.
  2. Then score 1/2″ from the left on the long side of each rectangle.  This forms the flap for your waterfall feature.
  3. Use a corner punch to shape the edges, if desired.
  4. Crease the score lines.
  5. Add glue or adhesive to the back side of the first rectangle and line up along the top edge of the panel.  Glue in place.
  6. Continue adding panels, lining each flap up so that it is flush with the previous rectangle.  Do not overlap, just line up.
  7. Add a decorative cover to the waterfall feature, if desired.  I mounted mine on waste chipboard to add a little extra dimension.

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 13

In this photo you can see how each flap lines up.

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 14And here is a side view.

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Heroic by Kathy Clement Product by Authentique Photo 15This is a project that you can easily complete in an afternoon.  To help you get an idea of the flow of the album, I prepared a short 5 minute video tour.  Enjoy!

Authentique Heroic Patriotic Folio Video Tour on YouTube

Be sure to stop by the Authentique Blog today as we are doing a group share of projects made with this beautiful Heroic collection.  I know you’ll be inspired!

I’d like to wish you all a very safe and healthy Memorial Day. And I’d also like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all the service men and women who keep our country free.  You are appreciated more than words can say!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Supply List & Product Links

Please note:  I have provided product links when possible, but some items have been in my stash for a long time, and may no longer be available online.  Feel free to substitute when necessary.

Authentique Heroic 12×12 Collection Kit

Heroic 6×6 Pad

Petaloo Botanica Chantilly Mixed Blooms, White

Blue Baby Botanica Mixed Blooms

Red Botanica Chantilly Mixed Blooms

1.5″ Silky Crush Ribbon, Red

Patriotic Plaid Ribbon

My Favorite Things Die-namics Stitched Star Die

Scrabble Tiles (U, S, A)

Tim Holtz Idea-Ology metal embellishment from my stash

2 Sheets of 8.5″ x 11 Kraft Cardstock

Red and Blue Cardstock for Matting