Happy July Ornament Thursday! We're entering the red-hot season in the Midwest (and in a lot of the U.S.), with temps in the 80s and above and sunlight aplenty. Boy, do I love summer!

One thing I love about this summer in particular is my sun porch. More specifically, when I rented my 1920s flat, I imagined sitting on the sun porch at my drafting table making cards or lounging in my bamboo furniture while reading a book. This is the third summer I've been in my flat, and though I have spent some lounging time on the porch the previous two summers, I really hadn't gotten my paper, stamps, ink, and other stuff organized in a functional way to make cards on the porch. And since it's not heated in the winter, I have to drag all the supplies in from the porch in October and then move them back out there in Spring (the timing of which fluctuates here in Wisconsin).

But this summer, I decided it I had two optiotns:  make some cards or get rid of all the supplies (I talk big, don't I!?), and that seems to have helped me focus. So now I have a stack of cards and idea for many more. The next step is to remember to send them to friends and family when I'm thinking of them or when they need a little extra boost. In a world of e-mail, text messages, cell phones and landlines, I personally get great joy out of receiving actual mail that's addressed to me personally instead of the credit card offers that go straight into the shredder pile. And I know my friends and family enjoy real mail as well. Of course it usually triggers a response via email or phone, but that's okay too. They don't all have a sun porch to play on or the stash of supplies to play with in order to create cards of their own. (And not that I don't enjoy the e-mails, text messages, phone calls!)

As for how I made this card, it's pretty basic. The stamps came from Stampin' Up and the inspiration came from a project in their catalog, though I tweaked it to suit. I traced around a coaster for the circle and then backed it with the black paper. My cutting along the double-border circle edge isn't perfect; I know none of you will pass judgment about that. I saw some black-on-white stamped things at someone's booth at the CHA show and that clean, crisp look must have been lurking around in my subconscious as inspiration. And the ribbon was a playful addition and a good way to disguise the edge of the stamped bottom border. No, I didn't add beads (I know, it's almost wrong considering I'm posting this on the BeadStyle blog), but you could glue or stitch on some beads where I dotted red in the mini-flowers. Or you could replace the ribbon with a beaded bracelet and tie the ends together with a bow (the card is 4-1/4" across, so you might have to add the bow to connect the ends of a 7" bracelet) — literally creating your own gift card. (I wouldn't recommend mailing it with a bracelet in place of the ribbon though; it would be too easy for the bracelet to get damaged.)

This stamp was from a three-pack — the others are holly and fall leaves, so I might adapt this idea and make some for the upcoming season. But lest you think I'm getting a little obsessed, I am not, repeat NOT making 150 Christmas cards again this year to send to my list. But a selection of stamped cards seems like it might make a nice hostess gift, birthday present, or thank you gift, so I might get in the zone and make multiples.

Speaking of friends, check out what my other Ornament Thursday friends created for the Red Hot theme:

Art Bead Scene
ABS Editor Cindy Gimbrone Goes Red Hot Crazy!

Beading Help Web is RED HOT!
Lynn Kvigne takes up the torch and shows you how to make a toe ring using fine silver. 

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Trendy, Popular and Red Hot!

It's a Red Hot July in Arizona!
Lisa finally finishes a project from over a year ago. Check out this "hot" take on a changeable necklace.

Katie's Beading Blog
Check out Katie's Red Hot faux coral necklace! It's a punch of color with a summery feel.  

Michelle is RED HOT!
Well, really, Margot is...

Savvy Crafter
Hotsie Totsie Plexi-glass Flower pendant over on Candie's blog! 

Strands of Beads
The heat is rising, and Melissa is making a Red Hot Firecracker necklace!

Swelldesigner a.k.a. Alexa Westerfield
The Swelldesigner gets red hot with a Hunka Hunka Burner Necklace!

Too Red Hot
Our own Michelle Zimmerman has been hard at work this month sculpting a devil of a project for your enjoyment.