Thank You!

It's Memorial Day weekend and time for Operation Write Home's bloghop. All participating blogs are listed HERE. Enjoy!

This year we're featuring "Thank You" cards, and I'll add this one to my collection of Any Hero cards I'm writing this month. My goal is to send 31. Thanks to Ann M. for issuing the challenge!

I used this sketch for the starting point for my card.

Memory Box - Grove Branch, Lorelai Leaf dies

Hero Arts - Year Round Sentiments, white embossing powder

Bazzill - Woodgrain card stock

Neenah - Desert Storm and Solar White card stock

Stampin' Up - Old Olive, Pacific Point, and Real Red card stock

Provo Craft - Swiss Dots embossing folder

Memorial Day Blog Hop

Stars and Stamps Blog Sketch #109 

Inky Antics "Aviator Benton" clear stamps

Fiscars cloud punch

Impression Obsession "Thin Chevron"

Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Tsukineko VersaMark, Copics
Ranger Glossy Accents (goggles)
Cut for the stamp created in Silhouette software

On this Memorial Day Weekend, I remember my father (Navy, WWII) and honor my nephew (Army, Iraq War).

Participating blogs for the hop can be found HERE.

Memorial Day Blog Hop...A Miss You Card

No patterned paper was used on this card.

I have "blog candy" for a random commenter! I'll announce the winner on Monday on this post and on the OWH Facebook Fan Page.

Blog Candy winner is #3 poster: Erica!!

Your next stop on the hop: 

Kyra at The Bunny Nest
(HA HA HA... Hop to the Bunny nest! Love that!)

Bunny Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Operation Write Home Bunny Hop! You should have arrived here from Hambo's Talk to the Ham! If you just landed here out of the blue, and you want to start at the beginning of the hop, here's a link to the Stars & Stamps Blog. Today's my sister-in-law's birthday, so I made a birthday card for her. Happy birthday, Phyllis!! (She's an Army Mom too!) The OWH East Coast Shipper wants me to remind you of these deadlines: Easter cards: March 18 Mother's Day cards: March 31 (The OWH East Coast Shipper also wants me to remind you it's OK to send  Christmas cards early. That deadline is October 31.) If you're wondering about what kinds of cards to send to your shipper, check this page: Current Needs. Very helpful information there!! For example, we don't need cards that say, "Wish You Were Here!" or "You're Invited to a  Barbecue!" Cards with these sentiments are only good for comic relief for your shipper. Sometimes that's important. Now that you've nearly made it to the end of the post, let's talk about BLOG CANDY!!! Leave a comment on my blog for a chance to win this T-Shirt. I'll use the "random integer generator" to pick a winner on Monday.

Your next stop on the hop is the awesome Jan!!  You can find her post at She's Gone Stampin'!

S&S Bloghop

I'd like to dedicate my card to Heather Godwin Barton, a former student, who recently lost her husband, Specialist Chris Barton of Harrisburg, NC. He was killed Monday after a firefight with insurgents in Afghanistan. He was with the 101st Airborne of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Heather and her family will be in my thoughts and prayers this Memorial Day. Our community mourns a hero, one of our own.

Welcome to my stop on the Stars and Stamps Bloghop! If you arrived here from Julie's Handmade by Julie, you're on the right track. If you want to start at the beginning of the bloghop, go to the Stars and Stamps Blog.

My Card

This card has NO STAMP!!! I've been stamping off and on for 25 years, but I've never considered myself a "stamper." I'm a paper crafter, a paper crafter with a lot of stamps and even more paper.

This card is based on a Finally Friday card from KWernerDesign, my absolute favorite blogger for card inspiration. Very rarely does she craft a card not to my liking. I've used this design several times to make cards for the notes I write to the military contacts who receive boxes from Operation Write Home.

The gray card base, white clouds, and darker blue scalloped strip are Bazzill card stock.

All the patterned paper is from Creative Imaginations.

Clouds were cut on a Cricut using the Pooh and Friends cartridge.

Pennant triangles were cut following a template I made with chipboard.

A tip for card makers

See these two cards? They are just alike except for the cut of the card base. The left one is made from a piece of card stock measuring 11" by 4.25". The one on the right is made from card stock measuring 8.5" by 5.5".  Both cards are lovely. Both cards measure 5.5" by 4.25" when folded. 

What's the difference?

Here's the difference:

We want our cards to be "attached" to the envelopes because some of our heroes don't have a place to display the cards, and they may get dumped onto someone's bunk. The left card is tucked all the way into the envelope, and the card on the right only has the back flap tucked into the envelope. Which card is easier for our heroes to see?

Some cards need to be cut like the card on the left for design purposes, and that's terrific. If the design doesn't require that cut, it's easier for the shippers to tuck the "normal" cut, and our heroes will be able to see the card without removing it from the envelope.

Some entertainment

Ever wonder how an Operation Write Home shipper sorts cards? Want to see how this "job" can overtake a kitchen? 

The BLOG CANDY

Leave a comment on this post. I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner on Monday evening at 9:00 EDT. I'll post the winner on my blog and on our Facebook Fan Page.

Here's where you go next!!!

Hop on over to Kristy's blog,

The Jolley Scrapper!