THIS is why...

So, I head down to the mailbox today and discover this...

I haven't ever needed confirmation on why I make cards for Operation Write Home and send "Any Hero" letters to our soldiers overseas but let me tell you the swelling in my heart when I read this note!  It was completely overwhelming!  And, THIS is why...

I don't know who made this card but let me tell you the joy it brought ME to receive this handmade card in the mail.  Whoever you are... thank-you!   

Early Bird Card Drive...

 I really didn't think I'd have enough for a shipment to Operation Write Home this month since yesterday was my first day back to making cards. However, with all the cards I left in my card rack for the family to oogle over while they were here AND the Christmas cards I've been making in a challenge with another cardmaker (see side-bar), I had enough to enter into the Early Bird Card Drive ! Add to that 31 "Any Hero" cards from the students at MHS that I did before family came and voilà... a shipment for July! 

Where have I been?

And did you miss me?  Zack, Ernie and I had the most EXCELLENT vacation in a cottage, on the beach, in Maine with my two brothers, their significant others and children the first week of July.  It has taken me this long (ten days) to recover.  I can't WAIT to do it again...

SO... back to crafting! 

I kinda just threw these together after CASEing one Sherry had sent me in an email.  The paper is all from K&Company's "Tim Coffey" collection.  I punched the flourish from the same paper.  I thought my bottom bordered piece was too tall so I added the ribbon and LOVED it!  The sentiment is from Sherry.  She and I have exchanged some sentiments to broaden our card making capabilities.  It's great to try new things... :)

The first day of summer...

It's yellow for the sun!  It's yellow for happiness.  It's yellow for the first day of summer...
  No more school, no more early mornings, no more book bags all over the living room floor.  No more paper tornadoes.  No more breakfast before 7am.  No more worries... until fall.  Now, I'm on the Entertainment Committee... lol.

This card uses the Medallion stamp that has been retired this year by Stampin' Up.  The ink color of the medallion is Créme Brulee.  The ink color of the sentiment is Tulip; both made by Close To My Heart.  The paper and bling are from Michaels.  The ribbon is from A.C. Moore.  The sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts.  And once again, a very eclectic collection of supplies...

Things with wings...

This weeks Midweek Throwdown on the Stars and Stamps blog is to make "Things with Wings".  This card is one of the very first I learned to do.  My mentor Barb, sent me the stamps and inks along with directions.  This might even be "the card" that made me want to do cardmaking instead of scrapbooking... but I'm not sure.  If not, it's pretty close!  The butterflies are from a Stampin' Up set called Two-Step Stampin' Simple Sketches ( I never, and I mean never, understood why it was called "two-part" when it is CLEARLY a three-part process... but anyway).  The sentiment is from a collection by Hero Arts called Holiday Ribbons which I found on Ebay when I knew I wanted to continue making this card.  I'm so glad that the season is upon us again!  Ten of these are ready for my next box to OWH...

  

Find the Beauty...

This paper is part of a K&Company Specialty Pack that I found on sale a couple months back.  It has several sheets of very lovely flowered paper.  I'm very attracted to flowered paper... all flowered paper.   However, I haven't known what to do with this... until now.  This is a nice summer addition to my next OWH box.  Can't you just picture yourself in a field of sunflowers with a lovely summer breeze making it's way across the field?  Close your eyes.  Feel it?

Distressing... very distressing!

My new found friend Sherry, a fellow cardmaker for OWH, sent me an email with a similar card and I CASE'd it.  First, I heat embossed the image (Jumbo Peony by Stampendous) on white paper with clear emboss.  Then starting in the lower left corner, I began distressing with Tim Holtz distress inks going right up over the image.  Since I like rainbows, I switched it up till I got to the upper right corner.  Then (this is the fun part), I put the image between newspaper and ironed OFF the clear emboss.  I had the iron set to cotton.  Finally, I stamped the sentiment in the upper right hand corner using a Stamp-a-ma-jig to be sure it was straight.  And there you have it, a very distressing card...