OWH Finishing Strong Bloghop

 

Operation Write Home Finishing Strong Bloghop 

Operation Write Home, a charity that has supported heroes with handmade cards since 2007, will be closing later this year. All cards need to be sent in by August 1st, so I’m helping to get the word out!

OWH Finishing Strong Blog Hop

Card made with the large balloon from the Simon Says Stamp Balloon Crafts Dies and the Paper Smooches Happy Birthday word die.  Blue balloon paper made with alcohol inks on glossy card stock.

I started making cards for OWH in 2009 just before my youngest son enlisted in the Army.

I started my blog in 2012 and these are some of my past OWH Memorial Day Blog Hop cards.

2014 OWH Memorial Day Blog Hop

2013 OWH Memorial Day Blog Hop

2012 OWH Memorial Day Blog Hop

Colored Background Challenge

Happy 4th of July everyone! I'm am delighted to be one of the hostesses today for our VCMP.
The 4th of July means more to me than just celebrating our country's birthday.  22 years ago my youngest son was born. He just got back to the US from 10 months in Afghanistan and I am so glad to have him home!

I hope you all enjoy the day and have fun making cards.
My challenge for you is to make a card with a colorful background that you create from ink, paint, or scraps. If you use paper, you must use scraps or at least 5 different papers.

Here are some examples of cards with ink or paint backgrounds.

I applied Alcohol inks with a felt applicator to glossy paper

I used Distress inks with a sponge applicator, then flicked water onto the paper to create watermarks

 

I put distress inks on a craft sheet, misted with water, and dragged the paper through the inks

Here are some cards made with scrap backgrounds

If you want to see a tutorial on a scrappy background go here http://operationwritehome.org/tutorial-scrappy-backgrounds/

These card backgrounds were made by using thin strips and glueing them in a diagonal pattern

Now go and create your cards and use the InLinkz to link them here.
If you want to return to the OWH blog, click here

An InLinkz Link-up

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Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop

 

Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop

This weekend take a few minutes to think of all our armed forces who have served and are now serving. My son is in Afghanistan and it makes me really appreciate our military and be more aware of what is happening to the them.

I made a couple of cards for the bloghop.  For first one I used a background I made with alcohol inks and OWH sketch #220.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler. The red ink is Hero Arts Midtone Shadow ink.

 

For the next ones I used a technique Jennifer McGuire taught using a stamp that is inked once, then stamped several times and each time the ink gets lighter. The sentiment is from Hero Arts Dauber Bunch set and the butterflies are from the Hero Arts/Basic Grey Butterflies and Print set. The black ink is Hero Arts Black ink.

Playing with Watercoloring and Embossing Paste

I made these cards at the Cozy Crop Weekend in PA.  I had lots of fun playing with the inks and water and trying out some new techniques. The Love card was made with the distress inks then I used a Hero Arts fancy die.

I made the background with the distress inks then used the Mosaic Heart stencil and embossing paste to create the heart.  The love is a Simon Says Stamp die.

Jennifer McGuire demonstrated a technique I wanted to try. She inked her stamp then stamped the image several times.  Each time the color is lighter and it looks like different colors of ink but it is only one color.  I used several colors and stamped a bunch of card fronts.  I liked the darker colors better because the lighter colors were only good for 2 times before it was too light to see.

This was my sample card to try out this sketch (OWH #220). It is really pretty with the heart paper. I didn't like the sketch when I first saw it but after looking at some of the other cards that were made I wanted to try it.

Top 13 of 2013

 

http://operationwritehome.org/starsandstamps/

To celebrate the new year we are looking back at some of the cards we made in 2013. I didn't put most of them on my blog but these are the best of the cards I posted.  I have been working with a group of ladies from my church to make cards and we get together once a month.  I create the card kits and they put them together.  We have sent in 1,414 cards and AnyHero cards this year.

Operation Write Home World Card Making Day Blog Hop

Thank you for visiting my blog today.  I chose Sketch #184 for my Thank You card.  I used a Hero Arts Thank You background stamp and the Hero Arts Neon blue ink.  My ribbons are from May Arts.
I tried a new technique I just learned, Reverse Background, and I really like the way it turned out.

If you would like to return to the blog hop just click on the WCMD banner at the top. 

Birthday Bash 2013 with Stamper's Best

We are celebrating Operation Write Home's Birthday with a blog hop with Stampers Best, who makes some fabulous fundraiser stamps to benefit Operation Write Home.
If you arrived here from Nancy's blog you are in the right place. If you want to start at the beginning, here is the link to the Operation Write Home's Stars and Stamps blog.
Here are my 2 AnyHero cards. AnyHero cards have a thankyou message written in them before sending overseas and are given to someone who doesn't get mail.

Welcome Home stamp by Stampers Best

A friend showed me how to use the smoke from a lamp to get soot on some glossy cardstock then we used our stamp to remove soot and create an image.  We sprayed the paper with a fixative to set it so the soot would not come off.
I love the unique look it gives to the image. Background stamp is Hero Arts Envelope Liner background.
Here is the link to this stamp. Welcome Home

Old Glory stamp by Stampers Best

On this card I used the Stampers Best stamp, Old Glory, a Hero Arts Thanks A Bunch sentiment, and Hero Arts Charcoal shadow ink. Here is the link to the Old Glory stamp.

The next stop on the blog hop is PAULA at Handmade by Paula.