Bling is a girl's best friend!

I love bling and it doesn't need to be in the form of diamonds (although I've not been known to turn them down!). Guylou is hosting a challenge over at CDAC to use bling, bow(s), and buttons. She provided this adorable freebie for us to use, too. You can get one yourself if you join CDAC. Check out the challenge here. I had fun making this card, although it took me a few days. I started it, let the stickles dry, then left it sit and sit and sit. I finally finished it up. Introducing little Dorothy and her sparkler!

Isn't she adorable? This image brings back many, many memories from when I was a kid. I remember summer picnics and playing with sparklers. We used to wave them around, writing words in the air with them. I can still smell the rather chemical, nasty smell they had as they burned. I can hear the sizzle and pop. It makes me smile to think back to those innocent days, where I just got to be a kid and not worry about anything but having fun.
Now, on to details about the card. I used Spellbinders Label #14 to cut around the image. I colored her with copics, then added red ink and outlines with a blue stardust pen and gold stickles. Dorothy's dress is polka dotted using a signo pen, and her sparkler blings courtesy of more gold stickles. While I had the stickles out, I outlined the background paper, too. The stars are cut with a Creative Memories star punch and I attached some star-shaped buttons with KI Gloo. I love that stuff. It holds practically everything. I got the cute red gingham ribbon at a store in Germany. It was what we used to call "five and dime"s here in the US. In other words, lots of fun stuff super cheap. Oh, yeah, I added some freckles to Dorothy's cute little cheeks using my Creative Memories journaling pen in brown.

When coloring the background, I wanted to get away from doing the solid thing (like a sky). Instead, I remembered how the ash from the sparklers used to fall all around us. It inspired me to use the dot technique. I used C00-C5 and then hit it with some silver sparkle from a stardust pen, too. Here's a close-up so you can see a bit better.
 This card is headed out to one of our soldiers in Afghanistan.
July 4th is fast approaching! I hope you have a fun Independence Day with lots of sparklers, fireworks, and yummy picnic food. Darnit, now I want a hamburger.....