JAMSquared

Welcome to the Operation Write Home Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop. I’m super excited to be a part of this blog hop, as it is the first hop I’ve participated in where my blog is a stop. For my readers who don’t know what a blog hop is, a blog hop is an event where participants move from one blog to another to read the entries on a related subject.

Today’s hop started at OWH Stars & Stamps. You should have come from Loni’s Life. After reading my post, you will hop on to Crafty Rika.

Operation Write Home is a wonderful organization that I discovered earlier this year. Their mission is to support our nation’s armed forces by sending blank homemade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude (called Any Hero cards) to encourage them.

I like organizations that support our nation’s troops. I’ve baked cookies for Operation Baking Gals, but making cards is a little less time sensitive in terms of getting to the post office. Both of my grandfathers served in the Army. An uncle retired from the Air Force. An aunt served in the Navy. Her husband, my uncle, retired from the Navy, and one of their sons, my cousin, currently serves in the Navy. James’ grandfather served in the Army and his Dad did a stint in the Air Force. Needless to say, I think it is very important to support our troops. They put their life on the line, so that we may live in freedom.

I’m sharing two cards with you today. The first is a red, white and blue missing you card in honor of Memorial Day. Memorial Day was originally held May 30, 1868 in commemoration of soldiers killed in the American Civil War. After World War I, its observance was extended to all U.S. men and women who died while in military service and is federally observed on the last Monday in May.

My Heart is With You Card

Stamps: Designed to Delight I {Heart} the USA; Stampin’ Up Small Sayings (sentiment card 1); Saltbox Studio Celebration Sayings (sentiment card 2)
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Real Red, Brilliant Blue
Ink: Dell printer; Stampin’ Up Brilliant Blue (sentiments)
Tools: Cuttlebug Stars embossing folder; Stampin’ Up Scallop Trim border punch, Word Window punch

You can pick up the American flag heart digi stamp here for free. The second card is almost the same, but I changed the sentiment to make it an Any Hero card.

Thank You for Serving Card

I didn’t use any ribbon on these cards, but one of my most favorite tricks is for a quickie bow. Check out the video tutorial for it here on my friend Geeta’s blog (***Edited to Add*** Looks like something happened to Geeta’s video and it can’t be played now). I haven’t tied a bow on card without using this technique since I learned it. It is so easy and the bow always comes out looking great.

Back at the beginning of the month, I was very fortunate and picked up three separate blog candies: one for being the randomly selected participant in the All That Scraps Weekly Wednesday Challenge, one from a vender giveaway on Craft Critique and one from a Prairie Fairy blog hop. I want to share my good luck with ya’ll and am offering the following blog candy to one randomly selected commenter on this post. I will select a winner on June 1st at 3 PM CST. Candy consists of Stampin’ Up So Very set, star foam glitter stickers, patriotic adhesive rhinestones, patriotic ribbon, and 5 stamped images.

Blog Candy

I am also offering runner-up blog candy of the 5 same stamped images. There will be 1 runner-up per 100 unique comments.

Thanks for visiting my blog today and have a blessed Memorial Day weekend.

***Edited to Add*** Apparently, a number of people have had trouble leaving comments. If you go directly to the post (click on the title so you only see that post), you can scroll down to the  comment box. Another way, there is a number under the date for the post (upper left side of post). That number is the number of comments. Clicking on the number will take you directly to the post, allowing you to scroll down to comment box.

I came across an awesome organization recently, Operation Write Home. OWH sends homemade cards to troops serving away from home so they can send missives to their loved ones. I recently put six cards from my stash in the mail to them. I’m going to make some more cards for OWH, but in the meantime, I found out about an image swap on the OWH Facebook Fan Page. Since the deadline for Erica to get our 10 stamped images is April 10th, it will be a while before I can make any cards with the stamped images I receive. However, I decided since I had this little bear out (he’s my stamped image), I might as well make a card with him.

I made this card for two challenges. The first challenge is for the Anyone for Anya Challenge #8, which happens to be a sketch challenge, one of my favorite type of challenges.

Anyone for Anya Challenge #8 - Sketch

The second challenge is for the All That Scraps Weekly Wednesday Challenge #23, which is to make a card with spring bling. Ice cream definitely makes me think of spring, since it’s starting to be warm enough to want some ice cream (although we eat ice cream year round). For bling, I used the atYou Spica clear marker, to trace the flowers and doodles in the patterned paper. Unfortunately as it is very subtle bling, it is hard to see in the photo, even in the close-up. However, the glossy accents I used on the ice cream, which I decided should be mint-chocolate chip, and the bear’s nose show up well and really make it look the ice cream is melting.

Life's Too Short Eat One Scoop

Stamps: C.C. Designs Sweet Treats; Stampin’ Up Weathered
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Paper Prints Certainly Celery
Ink: Stazon Jet Black; Stampin’ Up Baja Breeze
Accessories: Michael’s Basic ribbon; Stampin’ Up Certainly Celery brads; dimensionals; Inkssentials Glossy Accents; atYou Spica Clear

Close-up

As you might remember, I made these cookies for the troops back in September with Operation Baking Girls. Well, Stephanie got a thank you from our solider and she posted the card here.  You know, it makes me feel good to do nice stuff like this for people and a thank you isn’t necessary. But it especially makes me feel good when the nice stuff I do is appreciated.

On another note, Geeta organized a get-together tonight to make cards for the troops for Operation Hero Mail. While chatting with friends Lori, Veronica, Michelle, Edye, Amy, and Geeta, I made 15 cards to be sent to the troops. See the cards I made below. Aren’t they fun?

Cards for the Troops

Jen del Muro’s blog, i {heart} 2 stamp, is one of the blogs I enjoy reading. I especially like her Saturday Sketch For You To Try. She is doing a major blog candy giveaway. To enter all you have to do is send a card to the International Student Services Department of Dallas Baptist University. You can send cards too. See below address.

Dallas Baptist University
Attn: Julie Carlisle
3000 Mountain Creek Pkwy
Dallas, TX 75211

Students from over 50 countries then can use these cards to send birthday wishes or hellos to family back home. So last week at Lori’s, I made a birthday card (the second card I talked about in my last post) that I will be sending, along with a few others from my card stash. This card is 4.5 x 4.25.

Monkey Birthday Card

Stamps: Stampin’ Up Outlined for Fun (sentiment)
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Uptown
Ink:  Stampin’ Up Close to Cocoa
Tools:  Cuttlebug Zoo Animals monkey die