The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #23; Home.... and A Vintage Journey; (October) Numbers....The Privilege To VOTE!

 As I type this post; the Voting Polls across the Eastern Seaboard of the USA are open. People are likely already standing in line, wanting to get in and back out, so they can get on with their business for the day. I'm ready to have Election Day over with for several reasons- not the least of which is all the notifications on all SM that come through the Email...annoying to no end by now. Also annoying is the story-after-story-after-story on all news channels as if they would fold up and blow away if we look away for just one second. (If that was the case with my viewing- they'd ALL be long gone by now.) The fighting, the pessimism, the blaming, etc. 

   For my own Citizen's Duty- voting is over. Been there, done that- every opportunity presented- every election, and for 2020; I did so on Halloween. I've always tried to fulfill my duty and made the best decisions I possibly could, given whatever choices of fallible man/woman was presented at my disposal. Sometimes, the choices were pretty good; seeing that NO man, and NO woman is perfect. Sometimes, the choices were pretty poor. But that was all according to my own opinions of the records/job/backgrounds of those running for such positions as they were. That's the great thing about voting; each of us is allowed to say "Yay" or "Nay" and the rest is up to the counters who tally up all the votes. I always pray about the choices given- looking their 'vital statistics' up beforehand, and giving prayerful consideration to the pros and cons of each, then choosing the best option. After that, it's all out of my hands. All I can do is just PRAY MORE. What do I pray for? I don't pray for any one Candidate to win, nor do I put all my hope in any Electoral Candidate. My hope is in JESUS.

   The best part about voting: when it's all OVER. The worst part: Holding out hope that ALL people involved in the entire process- from beginning to ending- will be HONEST. Having a fair, correctly counted, and CONSTITUTIONAL election is what it's all about. If even part of that doesn't happen, then no vote will matter; not even one. So I go home and just keep praying for GOD's will to be done. Whatever comes out of any election should be what the majority of Citizens want for their Country. Any Country. 

   Our United States of America is not perfect, by far. We still flounder in many areas and make many awful mistakes that we could avoid. BUT.... I am THANKFUL for having been born in the USA. I am GRATEFUL for the chance to cast my ballot. And I am BLESSED to have the freedoms I have here. Go ahead; you can fill in the blank "Oh, we still have ________ in America." with any word that is not very 'rosey' (hunger, homeless, murder, COVID19, etc). Tell me a place that does NOT have any of that. And yet, we still have it pretty darned good here. 

   And that's all I have to say about that. 

      It's what led me to this make...

Starting with some of the newer Tim Holtz 2020 Paperie

and a few chosen colors of textured cardstock from Bazzille,

I needed something with numbers, while representing "home". 

I recieved the new TH Alterations Die Deco Frames

and was delighted to find that the oval cut fits into the 

TH Alterations Die Ornate Frame perfectly!

So I added a couple of other elements to go with this for the BACK Side of the Tag.

Starting with cutting textured cardstock (Paper Studio's Farmhouse Stack) in white,

and Tim Holtz' Classic Kraft cardstock paperie- black- 

I distressed both by gently sanding the black and using

TH Distress Oxide Ink in Ground Espresso.

The two stars are Grungepaper cuts (TH Alterations Die Old Glory) that

I found at the bottom of one of my stash boxes- Weeeeee!!!

I covered those in Ground Espresso also.

Heat dried everything, then moved on...

...tearing up pieces of TH Collage Paper (Typeset)

and with just a touch of Glossy Accents on my finger- lightly spread over the backside-

adhered the tissue paper to both sides of my Tag.

Then another layer of Ground Espresso Oxide Ink.

I tore paper strips again- the textured Bazzille Red, White, and Blue,

then put each 3 colors into strip sets that matched up along the tears.

I used the Glider Tape for keeping them together- just one line of tape kept all 3.

Then used the Ground Espresso Oxide Ink again on these.

I heated each, then sprinkled water, and reheated and repeated until I was satisfied.

Remember those Tim 'candles' in his Facebook Demo?

( CLICK HERE if you missed it.)

I was practicing with more than just candles- I make a few FIRE CRACKERS!!

The one I used on this Tag is in the far upper left hand corner in the above pic.

I simply covered both ends with the 1/2 inch circle, then glided the 

hot glue gun back and forth lengthwise to coat the entire 'fire cracker'.

I worked on the Fire Cracker with several things before I finally decided that

my first choice of TH Alcohol Inks would work on the now-dried glue-gunned 'candle'.

For the stars...

I did use the TH Distress Ink Tea Dye and the TH Distress Embossing Glaze (Antique Linen),

heated with a heat gun, and then did just tiny patches of Tea Dye Ink

and TH Distress Embossing Powder in Vintage Photo to make a faux rusted look.

I then added some die cut elements from several of the Tim Holtz Alterations Dies-

(the rest are shown in the second photo from the start).

And then... I VOTED...

I voted on Halloween, no less!

Skelly wasn't ready to be put away, yet, and bombed my photo. :)

FRONT SIDE

Ours is a country of people from all over the world.

Those who embrace being "American" not only want "The American Dream",

they're willing to share in helping all citizens of the USA to have that dream also.

I am so awed of the History we have in this country- we've been through the good,

the bad, and the very ugly, but we're still here!

Let's keep striving to make changes as needed, but keep our focus skyward!

BACK SIDE

BACK SIDE of the Tag in perspective- the paper ribbon and

the layers of embossed die cuts from Tim's Embossing Impresslit Scallops

add to the Primitive Americana look.

FRONT SIDE in perspective- the layers built up.

The elements all made by tearing are the "tearing apart" our country has endured.

The fire cracker is the actual vote all coming to a head as of today.

Both sides of my Tag are meant to encourage my fellow Americans, as I hope it will!

I'm entering this Tag into the following:

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge; Home Is Where The Heart Is

 Sponsored by; The Funkie Junkie Boutique

and

A Vintage Journey; (October) Numbers

where the REQUIREMENT (Numbers) inspired this Tag:

Thanks for the sweet comments on all my SM,

and also to TFJB Challenge Blog Design Team for

putting my more recent make into their Top 3 Picks,

AND for drawing my number/name for the $25 gcert!

Yippee!! I can't wait to browse & shop!!

THANKS! for stopping by!

and

Hey; how about those

L.A. Dodgers :)

Until next time...

STAY SAFE; Wear the MASK, Wash the HANDS,

and

HAPPY BLOGGING!