Saturday, May 23, 2009

Where Have all the Flowers Gone?

Welcome to this stop on the Cards for Heroes Blog Hop! If you are new here, welcome, friend. If you've been here before, well, hello friend.

**This post will remain at the top of my blog until Monday - scroll down for newer posts**

Here are your instructions for this stop! Hit Play on the song widget below and then start reading...



If for some reason you can't see the song player, click here to start the song and then come back here to keep reading...

Hard to express the depth of gratitude that we all have to our brave defenders, past present and future. I will ask you to do one thing and then I will give you something and show you some art.

I ask you to remember this weekend that each one of your rights is simply a derivative of our right to freedom. This most sacred treasure is in the hands of the beloved, the missed, the brave defenders in whose veins runs unimaginable courage and a passionate devotion to your right to do whatever you're doing this weekend. And every other weekend.

I give you flowers, in song and ink. Poppies, which normally mark Armistice Day (Our Veteran's Day, and also Remembrance Day) are symbolic around the world of the fallen heroes immortalized in this poem - In Flander's Fields - which I cannot read, even for the thousandth time, without completely losing it.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

So for my first card, I give you poppies.
This card is made with the Stampin' Up! Botanicals set and colored with reinkers.

Next, I give you red white and blue daisies from Inspired by Nature. I stamped them in bleach on black and then colored them with pencils, ink and a white gel pen. I'll put a tutorial underneath this post later today so that you can get on about the hop! But come on back for a step by step.

Speaking of the hop - I am AMAZED at the new talent I've discovered in this group. The next blog belongs to an amazing mom - Windy Robinson - of two teenies - a four year old and a one year old - about whom there are great stories on her blog. My fave is the one about the coin toss, so be sure and check out the rest of her blog while you're there. Her crisp and modern, clean style will WOW you.

I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to say thank you to our brave men and women in uniform by being a part of this incredible event this weekend. The website behind all this patriotic and artistic magic is here - please be sure and visit after the hop. These women are doing amazing things. I hope you have a safe and happy weekend.

To go to the next blog - Card and Page by the amazing Windy - click here

Have you signed up for the UBlue Cyber Club? Attended one of my Webinars?? Come on - get your geek on! :)

Want to see my other blog?

114 comments:

  1. awesome! awesome!

    great post girl!! will have to check out some more of this hop!

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  2. Hey there -- I LOVE THE POPPY CARD!! How wonderful! I am a fellow blogger on the hop, just stopping by to say "hi!". Thanks!

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  3. Such lovely cards, and that song brings back a lot of memories!

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  4. Your blog stop is so creative!! You inspire me!! Thanks!!

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  5. The song was a great touch to your blog stop on this hop. Both of your cards are wonderful.

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  6. Love the cards and song.. Have a Safe and Happy Memorial Weekend ♥

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  7. Wonderful card! Great job honoring our military!
    {{cheers}}

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  8. The cards are great, that second one is just outstanding. So gorgeous, love hearing the song, what a great hop post, thank you!

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  9. Wow! Your cards are just STUNNING!! I especially love the daisies. :)

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  10. What a great idea to use poppies, and I like the rwb daisies too! Thanks for including the poem.

    It was a pleasure to hop in!

    Cindi

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  11. What a wonderful & moving post. Your cards are beautiful.

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  12. WOWZER!! These are such gorgeous cards!! What a lovely post you've made!! Thanks so much for sharing this!! ;)

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  13. Hi Lydia,

    Love the poppies!! so beautiful!! Have a SWEET and SAFE Memorial Day Weekend!!

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  14. Beautiful cards! Thank you so much for your wonderful post and participation with CFH!

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  15. *waving* Hi, Lydia. Of course I read you every day so it's fun to see you along the blog hop road, too.

    Love the cards (as always!) So happy to be doing the blog hop for such a good cause with such a great, generous group of talented peeps! *smile*

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  16. Your cards are beautiful and inspiring as is the poem.

    Have a lovely weekend!

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  17. Amazing cards I love them, so creative thank you for posting have a great memorial day!

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  18. What beautiful cards! I especially love the red, white and blue daisies!! Thanks for sharing!

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  19. Hey your red, white, and blue daisies came out great! Now I want to try that too. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  20. Both are gorgeous - but the poppies are so meaningful to me. Thanks for sharing and inspiring.

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  21. Wonderful card! Thanks for the music on this stop!!

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  22. What a wonderful post!! I'm typing this through tears, I was so moved by your words. I look forward to visiting here often.
    Thanks for supporting our heroes, including my son, a US Marine serving in Iraq.

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  23. What a sweet post! I loved the poem. Thank you.

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  24. I like your card. I hope you make more. Thank you for letting us see your card. Love, Gigi Nolan (age 7)

    [as typed by her Mommy, Deborah, at dominodebi.typepad.com]

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  25. LOVE, love, love the focus on the poppies! Thanks for supporting the troops!

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  26. OH wow, love your cards!!! Awesome!!!! Off to check out the UBlue Cyber Club linky! :)

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  27. Awesome cards. Now I know what I'm doing the rest of the weekend! Stamping! Well....after I clean my stamping room - have to find my desk and chair first. :-(

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  28. Love the cards! Happy Memorial Day!

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  29. Love your card! Thanks for helping with this event!

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  30. Beautiful cards! I love the Flander's Field poem also. Thanks for sharing!

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  31. I had forgotten about that poem in Flander's Field. It is so perfect for this week-end and it was so perfect for you to give us Poppies!

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  32. You know what.. I know this song and never ever really 'got it' until now.. I also listened to it when I was young...
    I am balling my eyeballs out!!

    I'm sitting here checking out all the Cards for Heros blogs in the Hop, and this one just gets me!
    I'm gonna link up this post on my blog...
    Thanks so much for your words...

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  33. Really heartfelt and meaningful post, thank you so much that poem should be required reading to all Americans at least once a year, so many have sacrificed so much! Thanks again.

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  34. Love the poppies card and the daisy ones - great job

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  35. Wow! I love it! But does the bleach mess up the stamp?? That is a great technique!

    Thanks for sharing!

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  36. Beautiful, inspiring cards! I love how many great techniques you worked into them. Wonderful!

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  37. Well done on your card!
    Long live our Heroes!
    ~ginny

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  38. love your cards. I wish I could color like that.

    Mary

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  39. Your flowers are incredible!!! The red, white and blue daisies are striking!!!

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  40. Loved your cards & tribute! And anyone who is as cat crazy as you is OK in my book...added you to my Google Reader. :)

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  41. Love your cards. They are so pretty!!

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  42. gorgeous cards.. wow! U are uber talented!

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  43. Wow, your cards are so different than anything I've seen before. Beautiful!!

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  44. Great card! I had always wondered about the poppies - thanks for the poem. (Think I will have to come back and check out your site!)

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  45. Loved your cards and the technique you used. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  46. Beautiful cards! Thank you for sharing them and the poem!

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  47. Great cards. Great song. Great poem.

    Thank you.

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  48. Great song, so appropriate and love the poppy card

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  49. This is such an exciting event!

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  50. Your cards are beautiful. Thank you for your wonderful words.

    I'm trying to do my little bit for CFH. I have added a link to this blog hop and embedded the CHF youtube video on my blog. I hope it brings many more people to participate in this wonderful group.

    Thanks for all you do!

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  51. Lydia,
    Wow... I love the daisies... and I'm so with you on both you're song choice and Flander's Field. This is the first time I've been to your blog and I'll be back to see more. Thanks for sharing with us.

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  52. Great cards and wonderful ributes to our own heroes!

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  53. Your cards are so beautiful Lydia

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  54. Gorgeous card! I love your work!!
    Thank you for supporting our troops.


    P.S. Hope you don't mind if I leave an additional comment.

    Visit www.theoriginalscrapbox.com and check out their product catalog and also take a minute and go to www.tinyurl.com/entry257 to cast your vote for me!

    I am in the running to win a scrapbook desk!

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  55. Love your card! Please keep on supporting CFH - they are such an amazing group. My husband is a Naval Gulf War vet. I am inspired by how all the bloggers support each other too! Have an amazing weekend.

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  56. Very beautiful cards...will be back for tutorial! Thanks for taking time to support our troops!

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  57. Lydia,

    Those cards are absolutely stunning! They are just gorgeous! I am so in love with the black one, what a great idea. Gotta try that technique with one of my stamp sets.

    Lisa A.

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  58. One of these days I'll get to the bleach tutorial, and I'll be looking for you. Thanks Lydia for always giving me a laugh or two in your posts.. but most of all thanks for supporting this important cause. - Peggy M (avid subscriber)

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  59. Wonderful, wonderful cards! and the words and the music...

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  60. Thanks for make cards for heros... nice cards and nice blog.. :)

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  61. Lovely cards and tough poem. Wow.

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  62. beautiful poppies and daisies!!!

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  63. love your cards - just beautiful!
    Thank you for supporting CFH and have a wonderful Memorial Weekend! :)

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  64. Lovely post today, Lydia. Thank you. :)

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  65. Your cards are AMAZING!! I absolutely love the bleached one. Thanks for being involved in this GREAT organization. Blessings.

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  66. Thanks for sharing these cards with us, and for your thoughts. I appreciate your post a lot!

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  67. Love the card. Thank you for speaking in the poppy. I remember the flower and vets selling them but never knew why that particular flower.

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  68. oh, your cards are beautiful and thanks so much for the tutorial!

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  69. Beautiful card, love the poppies!

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  70. thanks for the song and the card!!!

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  71. Wow, I love the black card. What a great technique!

    The bloghop is an amazing event and my family will celebrate Memorial Day by making cards for CFH. I look forward to being a CFH contributor!

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  72. What a gorgeous card!! Love the poppies! tfs!

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  73. THe cards and your post are both just wonderful! The bleach technique is one I don't use enough!
    Kerilou

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  74. Lydia, I got chill bumps listening to the song and reading Flander's Field. Brings back lots of memories. Your cards of beautiful and such wonderful reminder of what Memorial Day is all about.

    thanks for sharing

    ceashark at aol dot com

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  75. Beautiful card and AMAZING post. So true!

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  76. Such a beautiful post in the cards, music, and poetry. Thank you.

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  77. You make some beautiful cards! Lovely flowers!

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  78. wow great cards! that song says it all. Thanks for supporting our troops!

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  79. Love your cards, especially the poppies!

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  80. Love that card with the bleach! Can you send me some instructions or a link back?

    http://crazyscrapn.blogspot.com/

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  81. Thanks Lydia for the awesome post! The cards, the poem and the music and the words from the heart! You rock girl! Have a blessed Memorial Weekend. - Jean

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  82. BEAUTIFUL!!! Thanks for sharing these great cards.

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  83. I don't know that I've ever read the poem before, or truly understood the poppies that the veterans give. Beautiful cards, songs and post. Thank you.

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  84. Absolutely Fabulous!
    Blessings,
    Beth Redding

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  85. WOW... I knew the song from heart!!! and the poem, yes brought tears... I am so grateful to these men and women who serve and who gave their lives... Thank you so much for sharing.

    from my heart,
    Faith

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  86. Thanks for sharing a beautiful card. And I really enjoyed your tutorial. In the middle of the Copic craze, it's nice to see a pretty alternative. Happy Memorial Day.

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  87. Such beautiful cards....and I love having the music playing while visiting! Really lends a nice atmosphere. (And I love that it's not automatic, I get scared when I open a post and someone sings unrelated lound music at me, lol!)

    Beautiful beautiful post, thank you!!

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  88. Beautiful cards. Thank you for the tutorial.

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  89. Beautiful cards. thanks for helping out,

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  90. Love your tribute on this post....yes, it did get me teary-eyed. Awesome cards that you created!

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  91. Wow! I love your daisy card.
    Thank you,
    Terry F.

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  92. Love the cards, especially the poppy one - beautiful. Like you, I've found so much inspiration on this hop and so many new blogs to come back to!

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  93. Happy Memorial Day! All of your cards are so beautiful and thank you for your creativity and dedication to this great cause. : ) Sb

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  94. Your daisy cards are beautiful!

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  95. What a beautiful post. Your words are as wonderful as your cards. Thank you.

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  96. Wow, just stunning. Both cards are lovely; the daisy one is particularly inspiring. LOVE it! Glad to be hopping through, TFS.

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  97. WOW - what a beautiful, touching tribute! so genius to use poppies! and the red/white/blue one is particularly gorgeous as well... very creative! i hope you have a blessed memorial day! :)

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  98. awesome cards - one of my favourite songs too.

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  99. What a nice post, and a great reminder of what today is all about! Thank you so much for joining our blog hop today, and for your support of Cards for Heroes!

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  100. I love your poppy card. I bought one from a Veteran on Saturday. When I was a little girl, I use to sell them for the VFW.

    Love your blog.

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  101. Your cards are stunning. TFS!

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  102. Great cards. Loved the bleached look.

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