Welcome to our stop on the Operation Write Home Red Friday Bloghop! If you’ve gotten here without starting at the beginning, you’ll want to go HERE and start from the top. We’re turning “Black Friday” into “Red Friday” by supporting our nation’s heroes!
Operation Write Home is a charity that sends blank handmade cards to service members deployed overseas -- they’ve sent nearly 3 million cards! That’s a lot of letters and love heading home to those who are keeping the home fires burning.
November through February are the slowest months for OWH, and that’s something we as crafters can do something about! We all have a handful of cards in our stash — we don’t even need to take a break from our holiday preparations to just write Operation Write Home on the back and send them in, right? That’ll keep our heroes busy writing home during a long winter away from home.
Be sure to read the information on the Stars and Stamps post so you send in what’s needed (no Christmas cards, no glitter, A2, etc.) AND make a hero’s day by giving them a beautiful creation to write home on!
In addition to the blank cards, they send out “AnyHero cards” -- these have letters from folks across the country to thank and encourage our heroes! If you’d like to write to a service member, the deadline for them to get Christmas cards is December 1st…but if you send in a general-themed one without a Christmas message, you can send it anytime at all! There’s a lot more information HERE about AnyHero mail.
What’s a bloghop without prizes? See the Stars and Stamps post for the full list of goodies by the bloghop sponsors -- and go link up YOUR love card there, too! There are prizes for both those who comment on the blogs as well as folks who share their own creation!
My card today uses Hero Arts Operation Write Home ClearDesign Stamp set Winter Wishes:
To make that pretty red XO background panel, I die cut My Favorite Things Hugs & Kisses Cover-Up Die-namics from Bazzill Peppermint Card Shoppe cardstock. For intricate die cuts such as this one with an overall pattern, I suggest using a Metal Adaptor Plate with your Big Shot cutting sandwich, to ensure firm, even pressure and successful die cutting in one pass. I love these type of die cut backgrounds -- they give lots of interest and texture, without adding too much bulk to a card.
Then I die cut a window in the red XO panel, using the large solid heart from MFT's TRANSFORM-ables Heart Full of Love Die-namics set:
Next, I used the red die cut panel for a template as to where to position the die to cut through my Marshmallow card base, to create the heart shaped window:
One of the pretty sentiments from this stamp set was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Marshmallow cardstock, die cut with MFT's Fishtail Flags STAX, then accented with Hero Arts Clear Crystal Gemstones. It is popped up on the card front with Copic Foam Tape.
Inside, I stamped the sweet snowman, snowflakes, and sentiment with Hero Arts Snow Chalk Ink onto a Licorice Twist panel, to create a chalkboard effect. Some of the snowflakes were accented with more clear gemstones:
You can find Ellen's inventory of Operation Write Home stamp sets and dies HERE in the store, AND Hero Arts donates 25% of their profits from some of these clear stamp sets to Operation Write Home . . . a win-win for everyone!
The next stop on the hop is Seongsook Duncan. Thanks for joining me today! -- Sharon
