Oddball Art Stamps Blog Challenge - Lily of the Valley

Today I'd like to share with you a card I've created for the latest challenge over at the Oddball Art Stamps Challenge Blog.

We've changed the rules a little this month, and you don't have to play along with the challenge theme, but if you do and you get chosen as a winner, you'll get an extra image on top of the normal prize.

Our theme this month is 'Lily of the Valley', and you can interpret this however you wish, but we'd love you to share with us you an explanation of your interpretation, if it's not obvious.

Here is my project;

For my project I've used 'Tessas Tears image#120' She's coloured with ProMarkers and a little white gel pen for highlights.

I took inspiration for this card from the lyrics of the song 'Lily of the Valley' by Judy Collins;

Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley

They called her Lily of the Valley
And she lived beside the river
The youngest of her sisters
And the prettiest of them all
She was courted by the men in town
She could have married anyone
The one she made her husband
Was the handsomest of all.

They were married in a chapel
Lily bore him seven children
And every night he put her down
And made her feel ashamed. 

He took the face she used to wear
And put a look of sorrow there
The more he made her suffer
The more she felt to blame

No more tears Lily
Don't cry anymore
Tears of yours won't fall another time.
Don't cry Lilly
We know how you've tried
Fighting for your life was not a crime.

One night Lily turned to him
Before he raised his hand to her
One more time she said, and not again
He laughed and threw another punch
The blow knocked Lily to the floor,
Somehow she grabbed the kitchen knife
And stabbed her husband dead. 

The jury they decided it was murder in the first degree
They said she had provoked him
With her wild and wicked talk.
They hanged her by the river
Where so many times she wandered
And left her children motherless
In sorrow and in shock.

No more tears Lily
Don't cry anymore
Tears of yours won't fall another time.
Don't cry Lilly
We know how you've tried
Fighting for your life was not a crime.

A soldier in a uniform is meant to kill the enemy
But Lilly in her own defense was framed to take the fall
Her children watched their father beat their mother all too often
The battlefields of families are the saddest of them all. 

The willow weeps for Lily
As its branches touch the water
The wind is crying, "Lily"
As it sighs along the shore
The river's singing "Lily --
We all know that you are innocent"
You were promised marriage
But you had to fight a war.

No more tears Lily
Don't cry any more
Tears of yours won't fall another time.
Don't cry Lily
We know how you tried
Fighting for your life was not a crime.

Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley

Written by Judy Collins • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group

For the background of my card I used a Lace Paper from Papermania's Eau de Nil collection, along with some sticky fabric ribbons from the Eau de Nil and Oyster Blush collections.  My Paper embellishments are from the same Papermania collections, and i've teamed them up with a selection of flatback pearls and gems from my stash.

My sentiment is stamped with Olive Memento Ink, and the stamps came free with a craft magazine.

Want to see more cards inspired by our 'Lily of the Valley' theme, then hop over to the Oddball Art Stamps Blog and check out the gorgeous creations from the rest of our design team.  You'll all find instructions on how to join in our challenge and win some awesome Oddball Art Stamps images.

Thanks for visiting with me today, and don't forget to use my discount code in the Oddball Art Stamps Etsy store to get 10% off your purchase; DTSUZI10

Bye for now

Suzi

xxx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges;
613 Avenue Create - Challenge #196 Anything Goes with optional Spring Twist. 
My Time to Craft Challenge  - Challenge #343 - No Designer Paper 
Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #237 Make Your Mark 
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge  - Challenge #56 - Anything Goes 
Unicorn Challenge - Challenge #20 Petal Power (Flower shaped gems)