A Big HOWDY-Do!

Today is my last day to be Guest Designing over at

The Kraft Outlet/Journal

I've had such a terrific time and have enjoyed meeting so 

many new crafty friends :)

This week's challenge is:

WESTERN FLAIR

and I crafted this quick and easy 

"HOWDY FRIENDS" Banner!

 To begin, I took five sheets of the #32 Small Precut Chipboard and embossed them 

with a swiss dot embossing folder.  Next, I distressed the edges and raised embossings 

with a Walnut Distress Ink .  I then machine stitched around the perimeter of each chipboard sheet.

 Using a personal cutter, 3"x4"  letters were cut from October Afternoon's Sassafrass patterned papers, then lightly distressed with Walnut Distress Ink and a spritzing of walnut ink.

A couple of the stars were punched from a yellow library card. 

 Stars were also cut using the personal cutter or collected from the

 October Afternoon Flower Sack assortment. 

 Letters were then applied to the chipboard panels with foam tape

 and then embellished with wooden buttons stitched on

 with #934 blue baker's twine, tiny wooden clothespins, jute, hemp cord 

and red checkered ribbon. A sticker strip from Jenni Bowlin's Brown Apothecary labels

  was used on the letter "D". 

 I wanted to add the word "friends" somewhere along the banner,

 so I used the mini type letters from October Afternoon and applied them with mini foam dots.

In finishing, a small hole was punched at each top corner of the banners and looped together with 1" 

album rings clad in ribbon and jute.

Here are a few close-up pictures:

The precut chipboard sheets really do make this project a snap to put together.

I have a few other ideas in store for even more banners :)

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Looking forward to tomorrow...if the rain holds off, I'm going to wash 

the outside windows and pot some geraniums in my new (but old) washtubs!

See ya'll later

Shellye