Sale News & Project List

This weeks' sale is still going on! You only have until tomorrow to save big $$$$!

This week's sale includes ALL Stickers, Alphabets, and Bundles. Nothing over $5! There were over 100 items that are $1 or less! Where can you get scrapping supplies for a buck for a 12" x 12" sheet of alphabet stickers? No where!

Also a reminder that I have brand new Copic Ciaos for $3 each! I had over 40 colors when I put them up for sale. Now I have just over 20 colors available! Copic raises their prices yearly so you will be very hard pressed to find them for $3 anywhere.

What's on my Project List for the week?

I need to make a bunch of cards for Operation Write Home and for a friend who's sending cards to a friend in the military. I just heard about Operation Write Home a few weeks ago. It's great organization that helps out our military women and men. There aren't any Hallmark stores overseas. I know some of our military folks are in great places like Germany and they can shop there, but so many overseas in horrible places like the desert. There's no water. Forget a Hallmark store! So people make cards and send them to OWH who has military contacts and sends what they are requesting.

They take holiday, seasonal, and general cards. They have very strict deadlines because they want the folks to be able to send the cards in time for the upcoming holiday. They do have several rules about the cards they accept. They MUST be handmade! Absolutely NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO glitter! Glitter can get our soldiers killed. It can be seen with night vision eyewear. Stickles? NO! Quickie Glue Pen? NO! Gel Pens? NO! Glitter embossing powder? NO! NO glitter. Period. I know this sounds harsh and OWH really harps on this, but the safety of our soldiers is #1! Our cards are supposed to help them and their families not hinder them. You can still add bling like a rhinestone or pearl!

Adhesive. Don't go cheap on adhesive. Remember this cards are going to be shipped at least three times! Once from you to OWH. From OWH to the military contact. From the soldiers to their loved ones. Use something made for major crafting like ATG or Beacon. Glue sticks do not work! Remember, these packages will also go through crazy temperatures from freezing cold to well over 100 degrees!

There's a video for tucking your envelopes with your cards on OWH. They do ask for your help when sending your cards. They handle hundreds of thousands of cards a year and this is all done by a handful of volunteers. Anything we can do to make their jobs go a little faster and easier means they can spend more time with their families and other projects they have going on in life.

Remember, NO glitter!!!! Use really good adhesive. Tuck your envelopes. Stamp your cards with the stamp you can get for free or one of the ones you can purchase through OWH. Use heavy cardstock. Include a letter to a soldier! If you have kids, have them color a page in a coloring book and send that in as well. There's a whole section on OWH about letters to soldiers. I think it's a pretty great program. Many soldiers don't receive letters or mail from home. Many also miss their families tremendously and this little things help them in so many ways. Imagine being able to send your five year old son a Christmas or birthday card from Afghanistan! Knowing you can't be there has to incredibly difficult, but something as simple a card from mommy or daddy can make a child's holiday!

So a bunch of cards for OWH is on my project list for the week. I'm also making my Christmas Family Feast invitations. Time to start thinking about my Christmas cards as well!