Operation Write Home World Card Making Day Blog Hop

 Making cards for our Soldiers to send to their families is such a privilege to me- I hope you will take a little time- grab a cup of tea- or coffee and visit the Operation Write Home World Cardmaking Day blogs for some Inspiration!



  I started making soldier cards about 10 years ago when my kids needed a confirmation project.  I send cards to troops of friends mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I really enjoy that the soldiers all share them with each other. I make a variety of cards- no glitter and flat so they do not require extra postage. 
 We are making Holiday cards for the soldiers:

 I still add glitz to my cards even though no glitter is allowed..... I used shimmery cardstock, Metallic thread in my sewing machine and Sakura Gelly roll pen on this card.

  I know many of the Blog Hoppers make alot more cards than I can for OWH- so I wanted to offer CANDY!
  One Blog Hopper will win any Spellbinders set of your choice from McMahon Five Designs. 
You do not have to follow my blog- but you will need to stop back and claim your prize on the evening of Oct 10th.

 My card:
Christmas Puppy by McMahon Five Designs
Colored with Copics and Sakura Gelly Roll Pen
DSP by SU
Gold Shimmery cardstock adds a touch of bling.

Bless all of our troops AND the families of all of our soldiers!


Thanks for stopping by!
Shelly

Bloggers Challenge-Stars

What's on Trisha's desk post is HERE

For Bloggers Challenge, our challenge is STARS

 I made a card with a digital image from OWH from the past. It uses the Shy Bears- I am sorry I do not remember who gave this freebie away.  (Here are free digi's currently available at OWH).

 The past few days are so full of emotion- I watched a couple of documentaries about 911 and am full of sadness and joy- so many people made it out of the towers alive -but how the event changed us as a nation!  It is so awesome to see how people came together as one to help after 911.  It is really sad to see the first defenders with health issues now and PTSD. 

 My card will go to a soldier in Afghanastan, so I cannot add glitter, but I did add a touch of sparkle with a Sakura Gelly Roll pen to all of the stars- on the image and in the DSP. I added a piece of coordinations in red embossed with stars, and then sanded it so the core color showed through.

If you would like to join in with the Bloggers Challenge this week, add your link to Mr Linky below.  Stop by challenge Mom- LISA's blog too- we play every Friday, and you can join us anytime in the week.



Have a great day!
Shelly

Operation Write Home-Spring Blog Hop

Welcome to my blog and I am thrilled to take part in another Operation Write Home Blog Hop!

  The Hop starts at the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps Blog Home Page HERE

I have three spring cards to share with you PLUS a little sweet candy........!  Please stop back Monday night 3/7at 8PM CST to see if you are the winner of my candy!

 I am alot Irish, so the first Spring card I want to share is an Irish card:

 This is a digi by Glitterbabe and is for the sketch challenge at CDAC. The Patterned Papers and Sentiment are by Create with TLC. The beautiful Gold card stock is white on the inside for writing your favorite Irish greeting!

 Next, Spring is such a great time to welcome a baby- perfect time to be able to get out and take walks and enjoy the outdoors.  

  I used a digi from McMahon Five Designs and did paper piecing and paper piercing. 

And finally, a Miss You card for a soldier to send home to his loved ones- the owl is a punch from Stamping Up. The background is brown and the inside is embellished with the vanilla card stock and the heart from the owl punch too.  So fun- my friend CASE'd this card and we made cards together last night- so fun- I am going to have to break down and get this punch.......!

  I love challenges- and the Operation Write Home Blog has a Sketch Challenge each Sunday and a mid week throwdown each Wednesday.  Please stop back and check out the challenges- it will get your MoJo going and you will brighten up someone's day making a card for a soldier!

Now, for the sweet Blog Candy- I have a set of border stamps to one person that makes a comment on this post- I will draw the winner on Monday evening at 8PM CST using random.org.

  Almost as good as sewing on a card- many borders in two sizes.  I do ship to anywhere in the world. Just leave a comment and please consider stopping back by Operation Write Home in the future!

  Now, for more fun, Hop on over to LONI'S Blog for more OWH Spring inspiration!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Shelly

Operation Write Home-Mid-week Throw down Plus Free Digi’s

  The Mid-week Throw down at the Operation Write Home Blog is Sponsored by Boni Bleaux Designs this week.  There are free digital images available-humorous of course- to make cards for the man in your life.

  This is one of the freebie images- he reminds me of Sarge from Gomer Pyle ………..LOL  The sentiment says, “I wear the pants….My wife tells me which ones”.
  I made the embossing folder with a Technique Junkies tutorial from the latest newsletter and sanded it exposing the white core under it.  I used a die cut exclusive to Scrap Mart- and cut off the rounded sides and top…….  I also colored and trimmed portions of the image and they are on dimensionals (the hat and the clothes). There is no glitter allowed on cards for soldiers, but I learned I CAN highlight with Copic Spica pens- so I did- on the star, the metal and the flagpole.  The cards are better if not bulky- or the soldiers will have to pay customs fees.
Boni Bleaux Designs is also having a 50% off sale tomorrow on Christmas Digi’s.
  There is another free digi offered HERE- for a chance to be the Guest Designer with the DT on the Dude Time Doodles Challenge Blog hosted by Boni Bleaux Designs.

Challenges:
Stamps R Us-Anything Goes
Artful Inkables-Die Cuts/punches
Stamp Something-Anything Digital
Digi’s with Attitude-Use a Digi
Mami Doodles-Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today!
Shelly

Operation Write Home Valentines Blog Hop

Operation Write Home is a group of card makers that make cards for soldiers AND for the soldiers to send home to their families- wives, kids, parents, brothers and sisters....you get the picture. 

There are deadlines for sending cards in- as it takes some time to get the cards to the soldiers- so we are celebrating VALENTINES DAY with the  OWH crew.  The deadline to send Valentines is Jan. 7th.  Of course, you can send in Valentine cards after this date- they will be saved for next year.  (You can also always send in Thank You cards, Happy Birthday cards- you get the picture.....!).
******The deadline to send in Christmas cards has passed already- no worries- the soldiers love cards all year long!******

You more than likely came to my blog from SHARON's BLOG.  If you go from link to link, you will go around in a big circle- there are freebies and blog candy along the way.  (There is a list of blogs on the OWH Stars and Stripes Home page if you find a broken link so you can keep hopping.......).

I decided not to add a sentiment on the card front, so the soldier could choose a Howdy or a love themed sentiment.  I am hoping a female soldier will send this card home to her man!  The image is by Bonibleaux designs and it is currently available at Firecracker Designs by Pamela (until 12/15).

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Before you 'hop' off, here is a chance for some blog candy:

  This is a set of unmounted stamps (5 1/2 x's 8) from Firecracker Designs by Pamela- no longer available as Pamela is going out of business and this set is SOLD OUT.  It is perfect for any horse lover! 
  Please leave a comment along with your e-mail address.  You will have one week to come back and claim your prize- drawing will be Monday 11/15 at 7PM CST (after I get home from work) and the winner will have until 11/20 to claim the stamps. 
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 Craft for a Cause: PLEASE VOTE DAILY at Joanns - http://www.joann.com/CraftForaCause

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Now, onto the next stop on the OWH Valentines Hop- Megan.

Thanks for stopping by! Shelly

Bloggers Challenge-Patriotic

For this week’s challenge, our Blogger ‘Mom’ Lisa challenged us to a Patriotic theme.  I have quite a few digital images printed out and waiting for me to ink them up, so I took this opportunity to use them. 

I used the Sketch from Operation Write Home to make my first card combined with the OWH midweek Stars and Stripes Challenge of Paper Piecing.  It took me a while to figure out how to get a 6 x 6 piece of SU DSP thru my printer, but as you can see I got it figured out.  The image is by Stamping Boutique and the sentiment Create with TLC.
This next card is another Stamping Boutique image paired with a SU sentiment. The Sketch for this card is from Cards and Things.

Finally, I used an image by Create with TLC and lightly colored with Copic markers. I embossed the background white cardstock and the main image- it needed a little ‘pop’, so I added the red scalloped circle.  I used Wisped Frames from the Technique Junkies for the sentiment part of the image and finished the card off with a nice organdy bow.

Bloggers Challenge players can be found here- lots of great Patriotic inspiration.
Challenges for my cards:
Operation Write Home- Sketch #1
Stars and Stripes- Paper Piecing #1
Paper Sundaes- for a man or boy- sending these to soldiers!
Cards for Men-anything goes
Pink Elephant-Red, Blue, Yellow- card #1
Cards and Things-Sketch #2
Creative Card Crew-Let’s Punch it
My time to Craft- quick and cute
Papertake Weekly-for men/boys
Delightful Challenges-Stitching
Paper Play-circles
Sassy Studio Design-Get Stitchy
Stamp Insanity-Punches
Stampin B’s- a bird in a die cut- #3
Alphabet Challenge-B is for Birds
Raise the Bar- Let’s see those curves
So, my three cards fit into quite a few challenges.  I want to give you the links for some places to find challenges:
Feline Playful lists WHAT the challenges are for the day (gotta love that!)
The Daily Dare-lists challenge blogs
Sketch Challenges can be linked here: Stampin When I Can
I hope you have a great weekend!  Our Cross Country State meet is tomorrow in Peoria- Go Tigers!!!
Thanks for stopping by,
Shelly

D2D Spooky Halloween and OWH card

  This week at D2D (designed2delight) the digital image is a cute cat hiding behind a pumpkin.

  I used DSP from K&C Company for the background- I stitched that onto the base with Silver Metallic thread on my sewing machine. Next, I used my new ‘bats’ Sizzix folder on a bright green cardstock, and highlighted the bats with a black stamp pad. I used a a deckle Nestability for the image which I colored with Copic markers. I used Creative Inspirations Paint for the yellow ‘insides’ of the pumpkin so it would be shimmery. I added glitter rub-ons by Momenta for the bat, the spider and the spider web. I added a computer generated sentiment- No Guts?
 Fir my next cars,  I used another D2D image for a card to send to Operation Write Home.  You can read about OWH at the above link- they are celebrating a birthday and there are TONS of challenges to make cards for soldiers (and many companies are offering Free Digital images too).  I used the OWH Stars and Stripes Sketch for my CAS card.  The card is also for the Double Delights challenge- use a D2D image for the OWH cause- you get a FREE digi when you play along.

I watercolored and used Copics on the image. The DSP is from SU

Other Challenges:
My Time to Craft- Kids at Play
Papertake Weekly- Animal Magic-card #1- the cat
A Spoonful of Sugar-anything goes
Stars and Stamps-Sketch card #2
Stampin’ Sisters in Christ-Fall colors
Kenny K Crafty Girls-Stitch it
I Did it Creations- Keep it simple- card #2
Double Delight-D2D image and card for OWH
Totally Gorjuss-animals
Sweet Stampin-stitching
Daring Cardmakers-things that flutter/fly in the sky- card #2 dragonfly
Delightful challenges- pumpkins

Thanks for stopping by today!
Shelly

D2D bear and OWH cards

I was on a card making frenzy today!  I used all digital images- the first is my weekly D2D (Designed2Delight) card:

And a close up of the shimmer and the popped-up flowers:

The first week of each month, D2D gives a free digital image. If you make and post a card with that image, you get the next one free- a perpetual free image….of course, if you miss one, you can still purchase it from the D2D store.  Image colored with Copics (flowers Y21, Y23, Y26 in center)

I also have a big place in my heart for the soldiers- I have been sending boxes to Iraq for ~ 5 years.  The Operation Write Home Group is celebrating a birthday,  and there are tons of challenges going on right now.  I wanted to make cards for the challenge:

Digi Image by Firecracker Designs by Pamela
Colored with R29, R59, YG63, G94
and sentiment Stamp set also FCD

Digi Image- unknown-  (Please drop me a line if you know!)
Sentiment FCD clear stamp set

Challenges:
Double Delight- Sewing on your card (Faux-#1)
Sketches By Carly-card #1
Kah-Wink-E Dink-OWH and Birthday card
Stamps R Us-Birthday for a Child
Lexi’s Creations-Flower Power (card #1)
Karber –Girl card #1
Stars and Stamps-Sketch for the 2nd two cards + Christmas
Stampin Sisters in Christ-Stitching Faux or real (card #1)
Sentimental Sundays-OWH + Christmas card
Cowgirl Sunday-OWH + Christmas
Fussy N Fancy-Christmas Colors
Gingersnap-punches
Pile it on- OWH
Whew!!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Shelly

Operation Write Home Blog Hop plus Candy!

Operation Write Home is a project of Volunteers that make cards and donate time and talent to send cards to the troops.  I am participating in a Blog Hop this weekend to support the soldiers that choose to do what they do so I can live comfortably in America-Home of the Free and Land of the Brave!!! I am also very appreciative of the families of the soldiers- they are blessed and proud, but I am sure there is alot of praying going on in their homes!  Sit back and grab a cup of tea or coffee and join in on some Red/White/Blue fun-the Hop officially starts at 10AM! There about 135 stops as of Thursday!
I started sending boxes to the soldiers about 5 years ago and recently found this great organization with a group not too far away from my home. 

The cards that are sent to the soldiers can not have any glitter on them at all- so I used my sewing machine and some metallic thread to add some sparkle!  I used the sketch from MoJo Monday to put the card together.  The background red panel is ‘sanded coordinations’ and the white is cuttlebug highlights.
The stamps by Firecracker Designs by Pamela are perfect for soldier cards- and you can WIN a set just by commenting on this post.

You do not have to become a follower to win, but you must come back and drop me a line to claim your prize within 48 hours of the end of the hop.  (Winner can e-mail me at Shellymc2 at Comcast dot net).

Next Stop on the Hop is Bonnie Rose
If you are so inspired to make a red/white/blue card, you can link up to the OWH blog which is the last stop on the tour.

Thanks for stopping by today!