One more patriotic banner!

I like to dress up my fireplace with banners for holidays, but I didn't have one for July 4th. I got busy with my papers and vintage postcard prints and came up with this. I layered card stock with background paper, my prints, and then added assorted embellishments. I used some similar elements on each panel to unify the arrangement, but each one is different. The chipboard flourishes are covered with variegated metal leaf for a little shine and interest.

I have my own collection of vintage postcards but some great sources for free are:

http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/
http://www.vintageimages.org/index.php/
http://antiqueimages.blogspot.com/
http://alteredartifacts.blogspot.com/ 

Some sites that have great images for a reasonable price are:

http://www.thevintageworkshop.com/store/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlteredArtifacts?ref=em  

Most of these sites also have great ideas for using these images, too. Take a few minutes and browse...

Here are close-ups of each panel (left click to enlarge):

 

Envelope Accordian Album

   I have been planning to make an envelope album for a long time, but kept delaying, because I thought it was going to be a lot more difficult than it turned out to be. I also have had a fairy-themed album in mind, so I decided this was a perfect opportunity to combine the two ideas and create a fairy envelope album.
   I used  seven 6" x 9" manila clasp envelopes that I cut down to 6" x 7" after cutting the clasp and the glue flap off of the open end. The covers I made from sturdy chipboard and covered both sides with papers from the Once Upon a Time Stack from Premium Stacks. I made the closure from a strip of thin leather attached to the back with glue and decorative brads. It slips under a stained grungeboard bracket attached to the front with rhinestone brads. Here are some inside pages:



 I inked the envelopes to give them a vintage/shabby effect.
This page has double-slider pull-out tags.

See the rest on my album page!

Unique Embellishments

   I was looking through my stash for something to add a little bit of sparkle and dimension to a gift tag I was working on, but nothing caught my eye, so I finally decided to make my own instead. I wanted it to be somewhat translucent, but glittery, too. The theme I was working with involved a heart, so that's where I started. I pulled out my Cricut and a transparency sheet, finally deciding on an element from the Damask Decor cartridge. By the way, this is an awesome cartridge--it has lots of designs that have separate layers, as well as tags, cards, and envelopes. I don't buy many carts, so when I do buy one, it has to have lots of options; they're just too pricey otherwise. The complete instructions are on my tutorials page.

Supplies used:
Bazzil basics paper, Glossy Accents by Ranger, lily white sugar coating by doodlebug design.