Memorial Day Blog Hop...

Although there are still troops in the field, the original mission of Operation Write Home will be complete at the end of this year.  Final cards need to be OWH by August 1st.  To commemorate my involvement, I'm sharing some of my most favorite "Any Hero" cards that I've done over the last five years during MY involvement with the organization...

 

 This is one of the first I ever made while visiting a childhood friend who became my mentor, teaching me all kinds of wonderful techniques during a week long visit to her home in October of 2010.  Thanks Barb for your inspiration and guidance back in the day...

 

 

 This card was featured by my hometown paper in a Christmas piece they did on me back in December of 2011.  The article can be read in the upper right hand corner of this blog...

 

 Then I learned about Copic coloring... OMG!!  Loved it...

 

 

 One of many that were made during Zack's campaign to have everyone in his high school write an "Any Hero" note to our troops.  He succeeded to get 710 notes in March of 2012, which later earned him a four year scholarship for his efforts...

 

 

Another of my favorites that I've enjoyed coloring...

 

Although OWH is closing down it's doors, my efforts will not stop.  My direction, over the last year, has been to send random cards to people in my circle of friends and family.  The education I have gained from my involvement with OWH is and will ALWAYS be, priceless.  Thank you Sandy and thank you OWH.  I will miss you...

 

 

It's Bloghop time!!

Happy Memorial Day!
Join me as we honor those who have fought for our freedoms...

All of my cards in this post will be used as fronts for "Any Hero" notes that I have to forward to OWH during this month of Military Appreciation.  This first set of cards is using paper from a 12" x 12" pad called "Americana" that I acquired at a Yard Sale for a mere $2.  Talk about score!  All the sheets were still in it and in perfect condition...

This second set of cards are ones I CASEd many moons ago, when Zack ran his campaign to have every student at Marblehead High School write an "Any Hero" note.  I loved it so much, I've made it many, many times since then.  I don't know where the digi is from so if anyone can fill me in, I'd be grateful...
Update:  Click HERE for the link to the digi, thank you Elsie B.

And of course, what's a Blog Hop without the trusty old Scrappy Background and Starburst.  This last set of cards used only scraps from my "Any Hero" box.  That includes previously stamped images, stickers and digis.  Once again, if you know where the "Star Spangled happiness... " digi is from, please enlighten me... :)

SO, why so many "Any Hero" fronts?  One of Zack's final assignments in his Communications class at Embry-Riddle this past semester was to give a Persuasive Argument.  Zack choose to persuade his audience on why they should write a note of encouragement to a deployed hero.  Three quarters of his class obliged.  Sandy, if you're reading this, you would have beamed.  Zack showed me the link of the "argument" and I could not be prouder!  It overwhelms me to know my passion is his passion...

Have a safe and Happy Memorial Day!  Enjoy your time... and remember our heroes, past and present.  To get back to the beginning of the Blog Hop, click HERE


World Card Making Day...

 

Greetings Bloggers! I hope you are having more fun than you can stand and getting all kinds of great inspiration from everyone's blog.

 

When I was trying to decide what to do for this event, I stumbled onto this tutorial on Split Coast Stampers... it's called the Bargello Technique. It caught my eye because it uses up scraps AND makes a rather unique background. I goggled "Bargello" and learned that it is a technique used in needlework and quilting. It translates beautifully into cardmaking, don't you think? I CASE'd the layout from the card on the tutorial and had to find a sketch that it could fit under. I think Sketch #9 translates loosely... 

   

 

I did add a step between 6 and 7 where I dry embossed the whole piece before adding the embellishments and adhered to the blue card stock.  I felt it gave the whole piece added dimension.  The folder had snowflakes keeping with the whole wintry feel.  I LOVE this technique because you can use up some more of your scraps!  I don't know about you but no matter what project I do, I end up with more scraps than I used in the project! 

I think even the Scrap Wrangler would like this technique.

I'm just sayin'... :)
 

Memorial Day "Sketch" Blog Hop...

Welcome, welcome, welcome!  This is my first ever Blog Hop... woo hoo!!  My life has been so full of many "firsts" since I got involved with OWH... :) 

So this card is my take on Sketch #90.  The card itself will be the front to an "Any Hero" note from the students at Marblehead High School.  My son Zack, a Junior at MHS, ran a campaign at the beginning of March to get every student to write a note to a hero who is deployed.  The principal extended their homeroom one Monday so they could write and we received 710 notes.  Since then, we've colored in the notes (which were plain, see this post below) and made card fronts for them.  As you can see on the sidebar, we've completed and sent 462 to the shippers at OWH. I love coming up with new fronts for the cards so if one day someone collects all 710 back, they'll see such an eclectic collection... (I know... a weird thought, eh?)

The "shimmery" stamps are from a package of stars that are meant to be table confetti (found at Hobby Lobby) and adhered with glue dots.  The paper is from a Scrapbooking Page Kit (also from Hobby Lobby), the sentiment is from a sticker set by Momenta (found at Michaels) and the ribbon is from Wal-mart.  It's apparent that I get around in collecting "stuff" to make cards with, wouldn't you say?  ...lol