50 STATES BLOG HOP - ***COLORADO***

Welcome to the 50 States Blog Hop!!

Welcome to the 50 States Blog Hop! Most of us would love to travel but are having staycations this year. What better way to travel but through a blog hop. This hop was inspired by our host Shawnee's journey across the United States as she traveled with her family to their new home. The United States is truly beautiful with many wonderful places to visit and see.

If you've hopped along from *Nebraska*, then you are in the right place!! If you are just joining me from your dashboard or happened along from somewhere else, please be sure to CLICK HERE to start with the first state in the union, Delaware, because you won't want to miss out on any of the fun (or any of the blog candy!!)...

There is an AMAZING Grand Prize Package for one LUCKY hopper (winner chosen by Rafflecopter)!!  To be entered to win, please do the following:

• Visit each state and leave a comment on each project (simply follow the links provided below)
• Like Blessed on the Bright Side and Handmade By Lisa FB Pages.

So what's the Grand Prize???
Cricut Cartridge - Destinations, beautiful handmade flowers from Shannon at Creative Chaos Flowers, and a $20 Gift Certificate to Scraptastical Kreations.
Now on to my state and my project....
I have created a book. I think that I will give the book to my in-laws, for Christmas,who live in Colorado. I hope you enjoy it. I had fun making it.

Colorado is the 38th state to be entered into the Union. I used paper from K&Company from the 4th of July pack for this page. The trim in the middle is also K&Company. The letters are from a pack of die cut letters that I have in my stash and then I added stickles for the sparkle.

Colorado is known as the Centennial State, because it was admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876.I added the new quarter for Colorado. Although I had to search awhile for one. The paper and trim are from the same packs as the last page.

The state tree is the Blue Spruce. Oops, what happened to my P in Spruce LOL I will have to fix that tonight. I used paper in my stash and distressed the yellow for more of a dirt look. The trees were cut with a Sizzix die and then I used an embossing folder for the texture. The letters were from a pack that I found in my stash.

The state bird is the Lark Bunting. I found this paper in my stash and cut it to leave the bird house on it. Then cut out another birdhouse and added it on pop ups and distressed it to take the green out. The bird and branch are from another piece of paper, also doubled and popped up. The bird was colored with copics and a white pen. The letters are stamped on with black ink and then embossed.

The state insect is a Hairstreak Butterfly. I used more paper from my stash and the letters were stamped on with black in and embossed. The butterflies were hand drawn and cut out. I used copics to color them, popped them up and used wire for the antennas. I found a little inch worm brad in my stuff and put it in the corner.

The state flower is the Columbine. I struggled with this page. I had a different one and threw it away. My flowers didn't have the right number of petals for a columbine flower. Actually the petals on the inside should be rounded, but I used my SU flower punches for the inside and outside pedal and left them pointed. Paper out of my stash, some dragonflies for bling, and the letters were stickers in my drawer (ancient ones).

The state animal is a Bighorn Sheep. I have seen these on my visits, in the hills, by my in-laws. The mountains were made with a Sizzix die cut, the sheep were made from the Cricut Animal Kingdom cart, paper and stickers out of my stash. I ran the sheep bodies through an embossing folder and used Peachy Keen stamps for the faces. The rocks are popped up, as well as the sheep.

The state fish is a Cutthroat Trout. I used paper our of my stash. Rocks from the same paper used on the sheep page. The boy/fish/dog is all one stamp. I used copics to color it. I added a fish basket and fish buttons in the water. The lettering was done with letter punches.

I wanted to put a skiing page in the book, because of CO being known as a ski destination. CO has 22 ski resorts today. I used paper in my stash. Stamped and embossed the words with black ink. The boy and girl were die cut with a sizzix die. This is the original body and clothes, which has been retired. I used Peachy Keen stamps for the faces. The ski poles are made from skewer sticks, but down, wrapped with red electrical tape and then red and white twine added for the straps. The snow flakes on the bottom of the poles are made from a punch out of plastic and then I did a shrinky dink by heating them so they would shrink and curl up.

The capital of CO is Denver. The Rocky Mountains divide the state with the west being called the Western Slope. I70 runs East and West through the middle of the state. The Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel is noted as the longest mountain tunnel and highest point on the highway system. It was opened to the public March 8, 1973. Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the US. Co has 11 National Parks.

Colorado has State Gaming towns in Blackhawk and Central City, which are both right next to each other. They are north of I70 and west of boulder. Cripple Creek is west of Colorado Springs, at an elevation of 9,494 feet. Drinking at that altitude and gambling is a dangerous situation. LOL I took my husband there for his 40th birthday. Neither of us had ever gambled before that time. It was like going back in time though. A great small town with the fronts of the buildings being facades and the backs have all been rebuilt. Gaming was legalized in 1991.

Colorado has many train rides to enjoy. I have only been on the Silverton Durango train during the winter. It starts in Durango, goes half way to Silverton and then turns around. It is a beautiful trip. My advice is that if you get the chance to go and do not have children with you, buy a ticket for the parlor car. They serve alcohol in it and only the people who hold a ticket for that car may go out on the back platform. It is a great view of the whole train. You pack a lunch or buy something on the train for a short rest at the half way point before returning.

Aspen, a popular ski resort town, was named for the abundance of Aspen trees.






Now you can hop to the NEXT STATE IN THE UNION, North Dakota!!  Remember to leave a comment on each state to be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE!! 



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9-11 Remembrance Hop Blog Candy Winner

I have a winner to announce for the blog candy I posted ont he 9-11 Remembrance Hop.

I threw out 3 comments, because 3 people commented twice. I ended up with 35 comments. Thank you all very much for the wonderful comments.  I hope to see you come back for other posts in the future.

The winner is:

Patti Ross said... Humbled and speechless are the two words that come to mind when I look at your album. You did an amazing job.

My husband and I were married (35 years ago today) on September 11, 1976. We were in Vegas, celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, when we woke and turned on the tv we thought it was a movie...until we realized it was on all the channels. We jumped into clothes and went to the lobby of the motel, where people from all over the world just stood watching the big screen coverage...not even a slot machine made a sound...we walked across the bridge between excalibur and new york, new york...where someone had placed an american flag. A mid-eastern man who spoke in broken english, with tears running down his face, fingered the flag and then looked at us, "but this is America." he said and sobbed. People were already placing things on the fence surrounding The New York New York casino and vegas was silent.

It took us another week to find a way home - and three days before we could contact our sons on a North Carolina army base...Our personal lives, as well as the nations, stood still.

A story many Americans experienced during that time.  I know that my daughter chose to work in NY at a kids camp that summer and had just arrived back home a few days before the event. She had toured both the towers and the Pentagon, after her work assignment was finished. She had thought about going to Europe for college graduation with her two best friends, but didn't have the money. They returned to the states on the 10th and were waiting in line to buy tickets to see a show. They saw the plane crashes into the tower and watched them fall. They were stuck in NJ and finally rented a car and drove back home to WA state. They had talked about doing site seeing and going to the Towers like my daughter did, amongst other spots, but were not headed there until that afternoon. 

Thank you all for leaving your stories and words of compliments on my project. I might need to make one more so that both of my grandsons can have one when they grow up.

Tami

9-11's10th Anniversary Remembrance Blog Hop

Welcome to a blog hop devoted to the remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11th. If you just happened up my blog, then you are at the beginning of the hop.

The terrorist attack against our nation, which happened a decade ago, is a long time for some.  However for many, the day feels all too close. The deeply seared memories of the human sufferings and acts of heroism, which took place on that day, changed our nation.

The nation was in shock when terrorists decided to hijack our airplanes and turn them into weapons.  It was beyond anyone’s belief that something so horrific could happen on our own soil.  It would be one thing if it were just the destruction of the Twin Towers or damage to the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, PA, but almost 3,000 people perished, from the attack, leaving a scar on the sole of America.

Americans came together as one, in the emotional aftermath of 9-11. We were united by grief, had compassion for those who died along with their families, and showed loyalty to our country.

Please join the country in a moment of silence on Sunday morning, at 8:46 (Eastern Time). This should be a time to reflect on what we all lost, as well as on the courage and common purpose that lived and still resides, deep within the American people.

10 of us blogging friends would like you to join in this day of remembrance, by stopping by each blog to see a project made for the tenth anniversary of 9-11.

If you get lost along the way, here is the lineup:

1. Tami - http://tamboscreations.blogspot.com/   <<<you are here>>>
2. Lynne - http://slasewcraftiness.blogspot.com/ <<<next blog>>>
3. Vicki - http://mawmawsthoughts.blogspot.com/
4. Amy - http://www.lovetocrop.com
5. Nicole- http://crashingcreatively.blogspot.com/
6. Lisa - http://bitbythecricutbug.blogspot.com/
7. Susan: http://susanascorner.blogspot.com/
8. Lynda - http://memoriesintyme.blogspot.com/
9. Theresa - http://www.thescrapbookingqueen.com/
10. Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com/

I will also be offering blog candy. All related to the Red, White, and Blue, including an altered journal that I made.  Please leave a comment of where you were the morning of 9-11-2001, when our nation was attacked.  Please become  a follower of my blog if you are not one already and leave a comment on everyone's blog who is participating in the hop.  Also, leave me a way to contact you. I will choose the winner through random.org and announce the winner by Tuesday, Sept. 13^th.

Your next stop on the hop is Lynne.

Now on to my project. I have made a book. My two BFF's and I get together about twice a month to work on projects. We get to pick the theme. So, I can't take the credit for the design, that would go to my BFF, Gina. She did all of the research for the book and designed the layout. Her husband provided all of the pictures. This is definitely a book that will be handed down in my family, as a remembrance of that tragic day, 10 years ago. 

The pages are all a 6 x 8 size, with a chipboard front and back cover of 7x9. The sticker embellishments are K&Company as well as the paper. For some of the borders we used a Martha Stewart punch. The pennant banner was made with a triangle punch and one was made with a stamp.  Some of the others were made with the Cricut, such as the heart border on the bottom of the 1st page.  Some of the basic shapes were cut on the Cricut using the George and Basic Shapes Cart.  The square letters were made from stamping letters on inches and dabbing with SU refill bottled ink.

I have to say that it was incredibly emotional making this book. Reliving the experience of the time. I was unaware that so many memorials had been erected since the tragic day. Maybe because I am on the west coast and not near the memorials, I didn't realize so many had been made or even the  magnitude of each one.  I hope that some day I will be able to visit at least one of the memorials.

 

Now please go see what everyone else has created in this day of remembrance. Your next stop on the hop is Lynne.

I am entering this project in the: 

SweetSassyDiva Design Challenge: Remembering Honoring 911