HEROES, PROTECTORS, AND BRAVE HEARTS

If you arrived here from the Smiles for Everyone! blog by Stampin Sher then you are at the right place. I have known Stampin Sher over 20 years, and her blog name really does reflect who she is - a great person with an infectious smile and - she is that special person who started me stamping!

If you arrived here from anywhere else, you may wish to go here to the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps website to get all the information and begin the Memorial Day Bloghop from the beginning.

Thank you for spending a few moments with me on my blog and please do feel free to leave a comment. For each comment, I will make and donate two (2) cards to OWH for our heroes. I did complete the 232 cards representing the fabulous 116 comments you left at the Spring Blog Hop and am hoping and praying for a new record of at least 125 comments or 250 cards pledged! The reality is I had a total hip replacement yesterday (Friday, the 28th and will be in the hospital over the Memorial Day weekend, (but through the use of modern technology, I can still post for today) and the one thing I will be able to do during my 4-6 week recovery period is make cards. YES! As long as I can craft paper, I am a happy camper.

My Father-in-law, Rolleston Fox (below) was a Navy CB (Construction Battalion) during World War II. The CeeBee's are always the first soldiers to land on foreign soil and would make things ready for the rest of the troops who would follow creating roads, bridges, camps, etc.

My father, Harry Salzman, was not permitted to join the service as they discovered he had a punctured eardrum. When I first heard this story, I asked why that would prevent him from enlisting. The answer: nerve gas was commonly used on the battlefield and while a gas mask prevented the nerve gas from getting into the respiratory system through the nose and mouth, the gas would flow through the puncture in the eardrum and into the soldier’s system resulting in death. My father was heartbroken he could not enlist and decided he would move from New York to California to work in the shipyards. Good thing too, because that’s where my Mom was! I wish I could include a picture of Daddy, but sadly there are none that I know of from that time in his life. Daddy is, above all people, my biggest hero!

I know I have written about this before, but those who support our troops, however they do that, could be called our modern day Rosie the Riveters. And to all who support our soldiers through Operation Write Home or any other way that you might find, I salute you too!

Now I have the extreme pleasure of directing you to a person I consider "a heroine, a friend, and very talented artist". Sandy, our fearless leader from Operation Write Home can be found here at her blog A Colourful World . I am sure you will enjoy her blog very much!

Card recipe: I did all of the words with the computer, printing them in red and navy blue on Neenah solar white cardstock. The other papers are from Gina K in Rocket Red and In the Navy. The lace edges are done with a paper edger by Martha Stewart. On the white punched strip, I have poked my red and blue Copic markers through the holes from the back side. The holographic strip and red heart brads are from my stash.

SEALED WITH A KISS (SWAK)

I really enjoy spending a Sunday afternoon making a card for the Stars and Stripes Sketch Challenges!
Here is Lora's sketch:
This card was a real departure from the colors I usually use. I found 2 half sheets of the base card stock in some of my stuff. I am pretty sure it is Stampin Up Taken with Teal and instantly wanted to do something with it. It is a retired color now - what a shame! I combined it with some of my new DCWV Linen Closet DP. Yum, yum!

Also, I wanted to remind everyone who might read this about Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Bloghop on May 29. If you would like more information, simply click on the Badge at the top right-hand side of my blog page. Blessings and thank you for spending a bit of your time on my blog.


Stamps: Unknown (PSX); SWAK (Great Greetings Stampin UP)
Paper: Solar White (Neenah), Linen Closet (DCWV) Taken with Teal (Stampin Up)
Ink: Taken with Teal (Stampin Up); C1, R32, Y08, Y06, RV25, R24, YG05, B00, B23,
Yellow At You Spica

OWH Sketch Challenge #16

Hi and thanks for stopping by. I haven't had the opportunity to participate in a sketch challenge in some time, so I am very happy to have a card to offer this morning. Thanks Vieve for such a great starting point and inspiration!
The sketch:
I just purchased some DP titled Linen Closet by DCWV (although one can hardly see the example used) and I am quite enamored with the entire collection. Many of you will recognize the digi image that Fred, She Said donated to S&S just before our Spring Bloghop. By the way, if you haven't signed up for the Memorial Day Blog Hop at the end of this month, just go to the top right hand side of my blog and click - viola, you will be taken to OWH's Bloghop sign-up page. I can't tell you in words how much I enjoyed the last one and how much I am looking forward to the upcoming one!

Stamp: Tulip Digi Stamp (Fred, She Said)
Paper: DP is Linen Closet; Kraft Card Stock (Stampin' Up), Solar White (Neenah)
Ink: Forest Green (Stampin' Up)
Accessories: Ribbon (Wal-Mart), Corner Rounding Punch

A FLOWER FOR YOU. . .

I don't know why, but I found this navy blue card so appealing. It is my first card using buttons - yes, I resisted using buttons on a card as long as I could. . .

There is something about buttons I don't like. I don't know what it is and even after really thinking about it, I am still not sure why. I wonder if I am resistant because it is yet another embellishment to have a collection of! I will have to have different sizes, different colors, different shapes, etc. To me, there is nothing worse than wanting to use a certain embellishment and can't because I don't have just the perfect one to use. That was my greatest frustration too, when I started stamping. I would get this great idea and not be able to implement it; haven't we all experienced that one? Then I have to wonder if the card is so appealing to me because it has a new element I've not used before. Life is filled with wonderful mysteries!

Stamps: Beautiful Blossoms (JustRite)
Paper: Near East (DCWV) In the Navy (Gina K)
Ink: YG05, Y02, Y06, Y08, YG93, YG95, B23, B00
Accessories: Buttons, Oval Die (Spellbinder); Opaline String (Stash)

WHEW - COMPLETED: 232-CARD CHALLENGE FROM SPRING BREAK BLOG HOP

I completed my Spring Break Blog Hop Challenge of making two cards for each comment left by all of you on my blog. That was 116 comments for a total of 232 cards, AND I finished just in time for the Memorial Day Blog Hop at the end of this month!

The Spring Break Blog Hop was my first and I am very much looking forward to Memorial Day! Who knows what you might find as a challenge this time! Here is a not so great picture of all of them on a towel on the living room floor! I realized after I started this that it was not a good position for my hip, so I sort of put them down there, took the picture, and asked my husband to pick them up. He is so good to me!

Have a great week filled with good things. Blessings,

I'VE BEEN THINKING OF YOU. . .

I have been thinking of all of you, especially those who visit my blog regularly, as I have not posted in several days. I have been under the weather, and as well, I am trying to get things ready for a total hip replacement which will be done on the 28th of this month, God willing! I know I am!

I really like this simple card. You may not be able to see the detail, but the DP has an Asian bent, which I really like, both in design and colors. The flower is pre-made from Gina K (I always feel like I am cheating when I use pre-made flowers, but I wasn't feeling well) and the leaves are little scrap pieces from using the Spellbinders Fleur De Lis template. These little pieces make the most perfect embossed leaves and you get many of them each time you use the die. If you are not cutting green paper, Copic Markers come in very handy!

Stamps: Thinking of You (Stampin Up);
Paper: Classic Crest (Neenah), Far East (DCWV), Fresh Asparagus (Gina K);
Ink: Mellow Moss (Stampin Up), R59 on flower (Copic);
Accessories: Spellbinder dies, bulk half pearls