Capon Memories

Well, it has been about a month since I've last posted anything, but I have been VERY busy working in my closet, making a couple of mixed media projects for my twins who turned 16. Each year I make them something from the heart, and each year I feel like I have to top the last year's project.  Does anyone else feel this way? Anyway, I will be posting those projects in the future, after everyone here gets to oh-and-ah over them. Now onto the subject of this post.

Every year for over 20 years my husband and I have been visiting the same place, and since our kids were born, they have been going, too. We used to go in the fall and spring, but now we go the same week every summer, since our kids have been in school.  This wonderful place is called Capon Springs and Farms, and going the same week each year has allowed us to make friends from other areas of the country, whom have become our Capon family.  So while other families are having their family reunions at the resort, we are having a reunion with our friends.  Each of us has kids with similar ages, and although we have separate rooms, we share the same cottage. We all really enjoy spending the week with one another, and there are so many activities to participate in together (only some are listed on the card), including planned and unplanned sports and games, scavenger hunts, races, Bingo, dancing, live entertainment, a talent show, and golf tournaments equally enjoyed by the good, bad and the ugly.  (I fit into the ugly category when it comes to golf, but it's all OK at Capon Springs.)

My brother and sister in law live about one and a half hours from Capon, so we tack on some time for an unfortunately brief visit.  I am writing them a thank you note for their always fabulous hospitality.  I decided to make a card for them using some brochures from Capon Springs and list many of the things we so enjoy about this little piece of paradise in West Virginia. We're hoping they will join us sometime!

For the card's background, I stamped butterflies from the Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Heartfelt set using Distress Inks. I chose a map designer paper from my stash, which I embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder. I distressed this with Distress Inks. I layered it on black paper and glued this to the card.

 I die cut the camera (Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Movers and Shapers) from a gum wrapper (I save everything) and the butterflies (also Movers and Shapers) from a Capon brochure (sorry, Capon!  I'm just too excited about the place!) and popped them up with pop dots.  The camera is shiny like the old ones, but this does not show up in the pictures.  I circled Wilmington on the map with the lens because that's our home town. The map is not of our home town, though. I used the postage stamp die cut (Movers and Shapers) and cut 2 from the brochure to symbolize our final destination. If I had made a larger card, in hindsight, I would have included the stop off at my brother and sister in law's home. But they didn't have a brochure!

Next, I used the brochure to cut out words to highlite some of our favorite activities that we enjoy during our week and edged them with Mini Distress Inks. These were glued into place.

It's a busy little card, but then we were kept pretty busy on our mid summer vacation.  With a lot of relaxation included.

I am entering this into the following challenges:Simon Says Stamp Monday A Mid Summer's Challenge, Fashionable Stamping Challenges #77 Dreaming of Summer (although the butterfly stamps do not show much behind the words--I just love this challenge blog!), Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Emboss It, The Sisterhood of Crafters Die Cuts/Punches, and Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge #12 Who's the Boss, and Inspiration Emporium Summer Fun.