Christmas Cards 2013

Since I've finished making Christmas and winter cards for Operation Write Home and reorganizing my workroom, I've forgotten to take photos of the Christmas cards I've made for my use until I starting making some with the 'leftovers'.

This one is using package tape I happened to see at $$$ Tree and pieces of black and white cardstock I had in my stash.  The "photo" is actually a free sticker set sent with some freebie cards by an organization looking for a donation.

OWH Winter and Valentine Cards

Miscellaneous cards for the December 31 deadline...

These are some of the cards I've been working on since I sent my Christmas box to OWH.  The deadline for Valentines/Winter cards is fast approaching and I need to buckle down and get the box filled!

Antique Multi-folded Card

Someone posted a photo of this card on Pinterest:  "A watercolour-on-paper puzzle-purse Valentine, dated 1816, probably American, adorned with hearts and roses, symbols of love, and forget-me-nots; a magical folding technique enables this to be folded into a secure packet; once opened, it is difficult to reassemble; the folds are numbered, and as opened, gradually reveal separate images and poems. The prize at the centre is often a romantic image or poem, and perhaps a special memento, such as a ring or a lock of hair. (victoriana.com)"

I got busy and tried to replicate at least one...My first attempt was to discover, you have to use very light weight paper and 12"x12" is the easiest size to start with the folding.  If you look really closely at the photo you can see the diagonal fold lines.

Step-by-step:

After creasing at 4 inches and 8 inches across and top to bottom, start folding the corners in toward the middle.

Keep folding toward center, all four sides

Keep folding toward center

At this point, the "card" will fit into a small envelope

 Then I decided to see if I could actually use all the folds and make another one that would end up 4 inches square:

Click on the photo to see the directional arrows to begin folding

Start folding the corners

Begin folding with one corner toward the left, moving to the right

Keep going!

Nearly there!

Finally!  A four-inch square card.

November 2013 Cards for Kids

This is my version of a card uploaded to Pinterest by Lori Gunderson to her "Despicable Me Minion Party" board.  I guessed at the measurements for the different pieces and added a small heart sticker.  Not having seen the movie(s), I don't know this character's name or if he even spoke.  

Our local big box store does have a craft section but has a very limited selection of items, therefore, I had to paint the brads.  I tried a black permanent marker but it looked too shiny and was uneven. I then tried black nail polish which worked but was too thick at first until I thinned it a little with a couple drops of polish remover.

Christmas Game Cards for Children

When I saw these game cards posted on Pinterest by www.oopseydaisyblog.com , I knew these were cards I could make for the service members serving overseas in remote locations to send to their kids for Christmas.  Also I will make them again in late November for the children's ward in the local hospital.




The game cards are in a set of twelve on the web site, two to a page.  I needed enough for twenty cards, knowing I could only put maybe four or five and still have the card and envelope less than 1/4 inch thick in order to go through the postal system without costing the soldiers more - they normally send their mail for free when serving in remote areas.













The snowman is an image I found on Google Images when I searched for cartoon snowman"  which I printed then cut out.  When I make them for the hospital, I'll mount them on woogles so they have action.  I made a slit in card stock after printing the "game rules" and taped it inside the card to make a 'pocket' for four cards.

New Tape Gun Fiasco

When I've tried to buy refills for my AdTec/Scotch Brand tape runner locally, none are available....And as I had to get a box of Christmas cards shipped within a few days to Operation Write Home, I ordered this tape gun from TheTapeDepot.Com in southern Florida.  It came within a couple days along with the refills that I ordered.  One of these refills is equal to more than two of the others, plus ends up costing one-half.

I watched a video posted by Sandy on how to use it, then started making my cards again.  After I replaced the used spool, this is what happened!  I wasn't getting any glue tape on the piece I was trying to put on a card front - the tape had wound itself around the larger of the two wheels in the front of the gun;  I got that straightened out.  After a little while, I noticed again that I wasn't getting any glue tape on a piece of card stock.  The yellow backing (pictured) that the glue tape is actually on was trying to come out the front of the gun instead of winding up on the take-up spool in the back of the gun.  WHAT A MESS!!!

The mess

This is what started it all (that's the glue)

p.s.  I finally figured out that if I cut a heavy plastic circle to fit the back spool (the one on the right), I would not have any problems with "backlash" when using the gun.

World Card Making Day 2013

Operation Write Home is celebrating World Card Making Day on October 5, 2013.  Any 'thank you' cards can be submitted so I decided to use their sketch #191 and make some for my friends and me to write notes to the service members to be included in my next box of cards.  Hopefully, I can get this all done by the deadline!

Operation Write Home Christmas Cards 2013

Sometime early next week I hope to get these cards in the mail to OWH 

and beat the deadline for Christmas cards.

These are some of the 30 Any Hero cards I made and my friends helped write notes to the heros serving in our military on deployment in remote areas..

Work Room Reorganized (maybe for the final time!)

All my ribbons removed from the spools and hung on the wall, now fit into three 12x12 drawers with  twines and tapes in the fourth drawer

Most of my punches are now where I can readily see them and all my inkpads are now a lot easier to find and keep in order.

The wall where the ribbons on spools were on dowels and brackets
Now I have all my cutting dies in Stampin' Up clear mount cases plus I now have room for a small bookcase to hold my Big Shot and the containers with the embossing folders.

Sorting the many, many scraps of cardstock

I was able to put most of my uncut 8.5x11 cardstock and card templates in one file drawer on my work desk

One drawer in my desk holds all my re-inkers, Stickles, glitter glues, and miscellaneous tools.

Fall Cards for Operation Write Home

These are the cards I'm mailing to Operation Write Home this month, just a small box of fall themed cards of which about twenty are for service members to mail back home to their children. I normally only make Christmas, birthday, and general (thinking of you, just a note, and blank) cards for this organization but wanted to try making fall cards.

Christmas in July 2013

It wasn't until someone asked me about a card making session for Operation Write Home that I realized I had not posted these cards from Emily's last card making event on July 13th. (She will have another Christmas card making event in November). Unfortunately, I cannot use glitter for any cards we make for OWH as this would endanger the military personnel who get them to send home to family and friends. I like sparkle on cards but if it gets on a uniform, it makes the person wearing it a target in the dark.

Much Delayed Card Gallery Session

These were the cards we were to have made a few months ago at Emily's but it was delayed until this past Saturday due to illness and some other planned activities.