BAH HUMBUG!

I am going through the motions, but not really in a Holiday Mood at all.  The cards are made, the outside decorations are up and the presents are mostly bought (or at least thought of)....and I could really just skip it all this year.  Too bad we can't afford a cruise, like the Kranks.  Skipping Christmas would be just fine with me.

And the Winner Is Valentine #2!

Please email me your info so i can send out your prize.

Let Us Give Thanks

XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL

If you go to this website, http://www.letssaythanks.com/ you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.
You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

DUSTIN PIKE is having his one day super sale.  I bought mine....did you?

Let Our Troops Know You Care!

Buy a Cup of Joe for a Soldier Serving Far From Home And Have It Delivered With Your Own Personal Note of Encouragement...

In our travels to see the Troops, many share with us their sense of loneliness, isolation and feelings of being forgotten. Their commanders tell us that some Soldiers never receive mail from home. In response, Green Beans Coffee has launched Cup of Joe For A Joe to let anyone, anywhere in the world, say thanks to our troops through the simple act of buying a cup of coffee and having it delivered along with their own personal note of encouragement into the hands of a deployed Soldier.

Please join Green Beans in honoring our Troops. It only takes a few moments plus the spare change in your pocket to say thanks. Simply choose a purchase of any amount and we'll do the rest! Go to http://www.gr/

 

CORRECT Information! Disregard Deleted Post!

A big THANKS to Operation Write Home for providing the CORRECT information!

Send a Touch of Home

Proudly Supported by Pitney Bowes
Send a touch of home to the real heroes of America and their families! Holiday Mail for Heroes is back again!
For the third year in a row, the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are working together to collect, sort and distribute holiday cards to service members, veterans and their families.
The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will begin accepting cards on November 2, 2009. So get your pens and postage stamps ready and watch for the address in the coming weeks on http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail
All cards must be postmarked no later than Monday, December 7, 2009. Cards postmarked after December 7 will be returned to the sender. This deadline ensures enough time to sort and distribute cards before the holidays.
Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.
If you would like to begin working on your cards now, here are some quick guidelines to ensure your cards makes to a hero as quickly as possible:
Do...
•Ensure that all cards are signed.
•Make cards more meaningful to a wide variety of recipients by using “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran” rather than any more specific language. You are encouraged to send holiday-neutral cards rather than religious-themed cards. Note: Cards addressed to specific individuals cannot be delivered through this program.
•Limit the number of cards to 15 from any one person or 50 from any one school class, business or group. If you are mailing a large quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.
Do not...
•Send letters. Only cards are being accepted.
•Include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
•Include cards with excessive amounts of glitter. Because cards may be received by wounded service members and veterans in hospitals, large quantities of glitter could aggravate existing health problems.
•Include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

Wanderings

I still need to hear from some people to claim their blog candy from the Operation Write Home bloghop.  If you haven't heard from me (or contacted me with your address) please email me at ksjennings@gmail.com so I can send it out to you.  Everything is here....just waiting on you!!
Also, the card challenge for Operation Write Home cards is still open.  You can upload a picture before Saturday, November 21 at midnight...you might win!!!  Check the far left sidebar for deets.
I am sick of being sick.  I haven't felt *great* for three weeks now....maybe I should just give it up and go to bed.  I am so tired of this.....I'm done whining now.
I am working on several things at once right now....I have only 30 more recipe pages to make in the albums I am making for my *outlaws* (what my late FIL called all us spouses) and the inlaws....I promised myself I'd have them done by the end of November....if I get off my rear today, I might make it.  I'll post some pictures later.
I'm also making celestial cards for a private swap.  I ran out of tulle and can't remember to ask Carl to stop and get me some.  Maybe by writing it here, I'll remember when he calls.  Anyhoo, if you want to see a picture, there's one in a post if you scroll down.
I started the album I am making for Kaelah, my daughter's BF from High School's daughter.  She will be two in January.  It is titled (originally enough!), Kaelah is 2!  I'm doing a month-by month for her this time.....last year, it was just kind of a general scrapbook....done in pink.  This year our color is purple.  I got the title page and January done yesterday.  Again, if I get up and moving today (which is looking more and more doubtful), I'l do another set today.

I have almost all my Christmas Cards done....I made extras of all the ones I made for swaps and have 90 done.  I need to make 10 more for *personal* friends and family....I am using the ones I got from the swaps for all my scrappy friends.  I hope they don't mind.....and I know they won't.
I'm also working on some new Design Team stuff for Scrapping and Crafting Friends....MyGraffico gave us the neatest stamp set this time!  I also need to get busy on DT stuff for Show and Tell Cards and Scraps...I did finish a set of ATCs for a swap...I did Advent Wreaths, since it was a Christmas Traditions theme...then promptly forgot to take pictures of them before I mailed 'em.  Geeze.
Rhetorical question....why does it take Stickles so long to dry?

And The Winner Is:

Comment #9, left by Cr8ive ME!  I used the random number generator at Random.org :

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 80

Result:

9
 
ME, please send an email with your address so I can send your stamp set out to you!

Operation Write Home Wrap Party!!!

Well, I made it through!!  15 hours of bloghopping, laughing, crying, taking notes on ideas, thanking my friends and family who are Military-Connected, making cards (I'm pretty tired of red-white-blue right now!), being amazed at the talent of so many people....Today, my fingers are a bit stiff, but I have that JOY down in my heart!  Thank you, OWH for this amazing experience!
Shari is the winner of the Embellishments.  Please send me your address and I'll send them out to you.

I had over 50 comments left throughout the day!  Amazing.  All of you are entered (some more than once!!) to win this wonderful 19 Piece Patriotic Stamp Set.  I'm waiting until tomorrow to do a random number selection, to give people another chance to comment.  Be sure to check back here after 6:00 PM EST.
I have a bunch of Support Our Troops car magnets left.  If you'd like one, email me your address and I'll send you one while supplies last.  *Note here....these are not actually in my hands right now, but they should be here this week.*
Here are the winners of the Hourly Blog Candy.  Please email me your addresses (ksjennings@gmail.com) and I will get your candy out to you.  Again, a few things I ordered aren't here yet, but you WILL get it, I promise!
Partiotic Card Set (9:00 AM)- Crystal
Martha Stewart Glitter Card Kit (10:00)- JPScrapps
Chipboard (11:00, 12:00, 1:00)- Dixie
Winter Brads (2:00)- Crystal
Christmas Embellishments (3:00)- Paula
Patriotic Ribbon (4:00)- Anita
Martha Stewart Glitter Card Kit (5:00)- Scrappycath
Car Magnet and Scrappy Surprise (6:00)- Dawn
JellyRoll Stardust Clear Pens (7:00)- Crystal AND Kay
Glue Sticks and Pens (8:00)- Bumblebee Creations
Red, White and Blue Buttons (9:00)- Colleen
Car Magnet and Scrappy Surprise (10:00)- MianiKel
Clear Skittles (11:00)- leslierahye
Embellishments (12:00 PM)- shari

Congrats to all of you!
Please check out my challenge in the far right sidebar.  I'm extending it another couple of days so more can enter.
Thanks to everyone for playing with me!

Midnight at Operation Write Home's Bloghop!

Well, I made it!  From 9 this morning until now.....and it's been such a productive day!
leslierahye is the winner of the 11:00 blog candy.  Please email me your address (ksjennings@gmail.com) so I can send those skittles to you! 
The last blog candy is a selection of embellishments, all suitable for OWH cards.  Let's see if we can find one more winner!
I made 10 sets of 6 Patriotic Cards, many service area specific, for my own personal heroes.  Card sets will be going out to Aaron, Chris, Terry, Danielle, Stephen, Ron, Jonathan, John, Brian and Crystal.  I hope they will convey, in some small way, how much I appreciate their service to our nation.  I can't thank them enough for their dedication and sacrifice.
I gathered and wrote notes in 50 Christmas Cards for AnyHero cards to be sent in to OWH.  While I didn't make them all, at some point I made an equal number of Christmas Cards, since these are all from swaps I was in.  I also gathered and sorted 30 winter greeting cards and 20 Valentines, also from swaps I was in.  All together, I have a hundred cards ready to mail out to OWH this next week.  Not bad for 15 hours!
I want to thank all of you who stopped by and left comments.  The stamp set drawing will be held Monday at about 6:00 PM, EST.  I want to give people a chance to stop back, or add comments if they didn't get a chance, what with 75 blogs to visit today.  I am happy to say that I made it to all of them, and left a comment on each and every one.  There is an incredible amount of talent out there, and I am so impressed.
Thanks, OWH, for this opportunity to show my support.  Here are two last cards to look at, and good night!

11:00 and I'm Still Here for Operation Write Home!

The winner of the 10:00 blog candy is MiamiKel!  Congrats!  Please email me your address (ksjennings@gmail.com) so I can send it to you!
The 11:00 blog candy is a package of 1000 clear skittles, all ready to color and add to your OWH cards!  Post the first comment under this post and I'll send them off to you.
Can I make it up one more hour?  I hope so!  I'm watching a very interesting show about the battles of the Bible....that Moses was a very canny fellow!  I'm also planning some Christmas cards...I need to get going on them....I think that's what I'll be doing tomorrow.  I have new Cuttlebug folders to use!  But, back to OWH.
Here are two more cards I'm sending in.  I'll have my tallies up in the midnight post!

10:00 And All Is Well at the Operation Write Home Bloghop!

Colleen is the winner of the 9:00 Blog Candy.  I'm pretty sure I have your address, but could you send it to me just in case?
Just 3 more sets of cards....and 3 more prizes to award.  There's a good chance I'll fall asleep before I get to them all, so I'm putting them all on here, just in case.  I'll go by the time of the comments to award the blog candy.  The 10:00 candy is another car magnet, showing support for our troops, along with a scrappy surprise.  The 11:00 candy is a bag of 1000 clear skittles.  The 12:00 candy is a selection of embellishments.  I hope to stay up to do the posts, but it's been a long day, and my meds are kicking in!
I can't say enough about the people who are the driving forces behind OWH.  I have heard from my own kith and kin how much it means to get mail when you are far away from hearth and home.  Pleae include the AnyHero cards when you send yours in....yours might be the only mail some *soldier* gets! (Please note, by *soldier*, I mean any service person.)
Here are a couple more of the cards I'm sending in,,,,,

9:00 at Operation Write Home's Bloghop!

Bumblebee Creations was the winner of the 8:00 blog candy of glue sticks.  Please email me your address and I'll send them out to you.
The Blog Candy for 9:00 is buttons...shiny buttons in red, white and blue.  Be the first to post a comment and they will be yours!
Scroll down and see my other cards....as I said before, I didn't make all of them, but am sending in many from swaps I've been in.  The service people won't mind, and I've thinned out my stash some.  I did make all the patriotic ones....
Speaking of cards, here are a couple more...

8:00 and Here's the Scoop with Operation Write Home!

Crystal won the glitter pens, but Kay came in such a close second I'm sending them both one!  Kay, please send me your address so I can get it out to you!
The Blog Candy for 8:00 is a couple of glue sticks.  I don't know about you all, but I'm always needing more adhesive!  Be the first to comment and they are yours!
Be sure to check the other posts of the day, to see what other blog candy is up for grabs!
I thought I'd post some family pics of people currently serving....my nephew Aaron and his wife, Julie...Aaron is in the Air Force. Next is my Army nephew, Stephen, who just got back safely from Iraq!  Then, another nephew, Jonathan, with his wife Charity and baby Seth.  Jon is in the Army as well.  Then there is the Navy man, Brian, who is my daughter's guy.  They are certainly worth a card or two to me!

And, a couple more of the cards I'm sending off:

BlogCandy for the 7:00 Hour of Operation Write Home's Bloghop!

Dawn is the winner for the 6:00 Blog candy!  Send me your address and I'll send it out to you!
So, for 7:00, we have some great glitter pens....2 Jelly Roll Stardust pens in clear...one of my favorite ways to embellish...and it's sparkle you can use on OWH cards!  Be the first poster and they are yours!

So, why do I do this?  Until a month or so ago, I had been sending indivdual cards and card sets to people my niece, an Army Vet, put me in touch with.  But my nephew's unit, where most of them went, has scattered and he is home now. I had also sent cards through the Cricut Board before I sent to Steve, and didn't really want to have a middleman anymore.   So, I am now at Operation Write Home, so I can continue to support our troops. 

Events for the 6:00 Hour of The Operation Write Home Bloghop!

Scrappycath is the winner of the 5:00 blog candy!  Please send me your address, so I can send you your Martha Stewart Glitter Card Kit.  My email is ksjennings@gmail.com
Now....what to give away at 6:00?  And who will win it?  Hmmmmm.  How about a Support Our Troops Car Magnet, with a scrappy little surprise to go with it!
Be sure you leave a comment, even if you aren't first.  All who leave comments are entered to win a 19 piece stamp set with cool Patriotic stamps!
Here are two more cards for you to see....let's keep on supporting our troops!  We wouldn't be here without them!

5:00 Events for the Operation Write Home Bloghop!

Anita is the winner of the last blog-candy.  Please send me your address, and I'll get your partiotic ribon off to you!
I have another Martha Stewart Glitter card kit up for grabs for the 5:00 hour.  Be the first comment poster and it's yours!  There are other great prizes to look for as well.  Scroll down and check my hourly posts to see what you could win!
I'm currently getting 50 Christmas Cards ready to send in for AnyHeroes....I want all those men and women to get at least one holiday greeting!  Valentines are also being accepted as cards for them to send back to loved ones.
Here are two more cards that I'll be sending...to my own personal Heroes in friends and family sets and also to OWH to share with the service personnel overseas!

4:00 Operation Write Home Bloghop Blog Candy Here!

Paula is the winner of the Christmas-y Embellishments from the 3:00 give-away.  Please send me your address (ksjennings@gmail.com) so I can send them to you.  I wonder who will win the Patriotic Ribbon that is the candy for 4:00?  If you leave the first commet, it's yours!
Be sure to check my previous posts....I started at 9 AM EST time, and will keep going until midnight.  I'm finally taking time to visit some of the other blogs...great stuff out there!
Here are a couple more cards I'll be sending in.

3:00 Operation Write Home Bloghop Events Here!!

Crystal is the winner of the brads....they are so cute, and I will toss them in with your cards.
I have been sorting all the Christmas Cards that I have collected from swaps....pulling out the ones with glitter, putting cards on the ones that are just fronts and putting a stamp inside the ones that are blank.  When I am done, I hope to have 50 cards with notes for AnyHero Cards to send in.  It's hard to believe that the Christmas Season is almost upon us!
In anticiaption of Christmas, I have some Christmas-y embellishments for the first person who puts a comment under this post!
Here are some of the cards that will be going in to OWH and into my friends and family card sets.

2:00 Operation Write Home Bloghop Events Here!

The winner of the chipboard is Dixie!  Please email me your address to ksjennings@gmail.com so i can send it to you.
The 2:00 first commentor prize is a set of winter-y brads in a cute little bag.  Be the first to post a comment under this post and they're yours!
Be sure to read through my other posts for today to find out what else I have going on.  And enter a card in my Bloghop Challenge---you could win some incrediblog candy!

I have finished my Family and Friends sets.  I made 60 Partiotic cards yesterday and today....they will go to family members and friends who are Veterans or in Active Service.  Now, I'm working on writing AnyHero Christmas Cards and making winter cards and Valentines to send out to OWH.  Here are a couple that are going out....Please note--I DID NOT make all the cards I have posted....many are the creations from very talented people I swap with.  But they won't be used by me--I have far too many--and I know our troops will love them, no matter who made them!

1:00 PM Operation Write Home Bloghop Events!

No posters again....:(  Guess that's what I get for starting early.  If there seems to be a problem leaving comments, please email them to me at ksjennings@gmail.com so I can put you in the drawings or award you a first poster prize!
I have only 7 more cards to make for my Friends and Family sets.  Then, I'm on to writing AnyHero Christmas Cards and making Valentines and Winter cards to send to Operation Write Home.
Just a quick recap---if you are the first to post a comment, you win a blog candy....right now, it's a set of chipboard.
If you leave a comment under any of the posts for today, you'll be entered to win a set of 19 patriotic stamps.....there's a picture in a previous post.
If you send me the name and address of a service person to send cards and gifts to, I will send you a Support Our troops car magnet.
If you make a pledge to send cards to Operation Write home, I will send you some blog candy in the form of some embellishments.  I'll mail them out to yu when OWH posts your name on the received blog.
I'm doing hourly posts....here are some cards I'll be sending in to Operation Write Home!

12:00 Noon Operation Write Home Bloghop Events!

So, no comments at 11:00---maybe because I was late with the posting!  I got caught up making cards!  The chipboard prize will roll over to 12:00---be the first to post a comment and it's yours.
As I have been saying, I have a number of family and friends who are either in the Military or are Veterans.  My family has a proud history of service to our country and I used to teach at a school that backed up to Rantoul Air Force Base....I had lots of military children come through my classroom.  It is so important to show our Troops (and their families) that we support them.  It doesn't matter what your political views are, or what you think of the current situations.  If it weren't for our brave Service Personnel, our nation would not be enjoying the freedoms we have today.  If there weren't Revolutionaries, we'd be speaking with a British accent and eating bubble and squeak.  If it weren't for Soldiers, our country would be one based on enslavement and abuse.  If it weren't for Airmen, may citizens of our country would have died in Viet Nam.  Hitler could have been our world ruler....and we would be in the dark ages again, because our oil supplies would have dried up.

Here are some cards I will be sending to Operation Write Home.  Please make some and do the same.

11:00 AM Events for the Operation Write Home Bloghop!

The winner of the Martha Stewart Glitter Card is JPScrapps!  Please email me your address so I can send it out to you!  My email is ksjennings@gmail.com
I was so happy to see my daughter's BFF Emily post! (inside joke, there!)  Em has been part of our family for 20 years....and is the proud wife of a Marine Veteran!  Are there any buddies of Chris's who would like a card, Em?  Or any other soldiers out there who would appreciate being remembered?  Send me their names and adddresses and I'll send you a Support Our Troops Car Magnet.

Any pledges out there for cards for OWH?  They are accepting winter and valentine cards, as well as general ones like birthday, get well and so on.  Here are a couple I'll be sending to them.  I'll send you a prize if you pledge cards, and then follow through with them.
The comment prize for 11:00 is a set of chipboard.  Leave the first comment, and it's yours!

10:00 AM Events for Operation Write Home's Bloghop!!!!

My good friend, Crystal (a veteran herself!) was the first commentor at 9:00.  She'll get a set of 6 patriotic cards----I've already got HER address!

These are 2 more cards that will be going to OWH and one of my friends/family as a thank-you for their service.  The Valentine will be sent to OWH, the patriotic card is going out to a friend as part of a set.

Up for grabs to the first commentor at 10:00 is a Martha Stewart Glitter card kit.  All you have to do is be the first one to post a comment under this post.

Want a Support Our Troops car magnet?  Email me the name and address of a Vet or Service Person I can add to my list of card receivers.  Be sure to include your own name and address so I can send you your magnet.  Send them to ksjennings@gmail.com

Operation Write Home Bloghop 9:00AM Events!

Hello, and welcome to this very special bloghop!  Here are two of the cards I have created for this event.  The Valentine, made using a Dustin Pike Digital Stamp, will be sent to OWH, where it will be sent on so a Service Person can use it to send love to someone close to them.  The inside says, "You Wormed Your Way Into My Heart".

The Patriotic Card is part of a set of 6 that will be sent to a family or friend who is either a veteran or on Active Duty.  I have 9 such people in my life, and will be making 10 sets of 6 cards during the day today.  Why 10, you ask?  So I can send a set to the first person who posts a comment under this 9:00 AM posting!  I will have hourly postings throughout the day, with the first-poster on each winning some blog candy.....If you post first, please take the time to email me (ksjennings@gmail.com) with your address, so I can send you your card set!

Other offerings of blog candy are described in the sidebar to the right.  Enjoy your time here, sign my guest book (all the way at the bottom of the blog!) and then check out the Blog Challenge in the far right sidebar.  After you've uploaded your photograph, move on to Paula's blog, the next stop on the hop!

Productive Day....

So, today was a fairly productive day, in spite of the flu and feeling like...well....like I have the flu.  I managed to make 20 of my planned 60 cards that I am sending out to 10 different friends and relatives who are either Veterans or still on active duty.  Wanna know if you're getting cards?  Well, you'll just have to wait and see!  I'm also making some extras tomorrow during the bloghop, because I'd love to expand my list of people to send cards to.  I also plan to start some Valentines to send off to Operation Write Home...some service personnel will be sending my creations to their sweeties in February.  A lot to do in one day....stop back periodically, win some prizes and see how I'm doing.

I also had time to watch the Twilight Movie with my daughter.  I liked the books okay, the movie less so.  Guess I'm never gonna hop on the Twilight Fast-train. I seldom like movies as well as the books....and I try to read any book before I see the movie.  I guess I have have problems with Hollywood (or any-wood) casting.....the people never look the way I picture them when reading the book.  The only exception is Harry Potter....they did a great job with him....less so with Ron and Hermoine.  Emma was just never gawky enough to be the Hermoine in the early books. And then there's the way the screenwriters play fast and loose with the plotlines.....If I watch a movie of a book, it's because I LIKED the book....don't mess with it! But, anyway, it was a great way to spend time with my Kate...which was the whole point. (I need to stop calling her *my Kate*.  She is officially in a relationship with Brian, who she has known since she was 6...and I couldn't be happier.  He is in the Navy and will be joining us for dinner on Thanksgiving...his first *official* family function.  Wish I could say the same for son Bill....but I digress....)

Enough rambling.  I'm watching Ina, the Barefoot Contessa.  The Nealey's are on next...love her, can't stand them, so the news it is!

Getting Ready for The Bloghop

I am getting ready for the Operation Write Home Boghop, happening this Saturday.  I have come up with some incredible prizes to offer, all to help get more cards and support for our Service Personnel.  The *comment* prize is the 19 piece stamp set pictured here....I also have patriotic embellishments, skittles, card making kits, chipboard, brads and all sorts of other things. There will be prizes for the card(s) that get the most votes during the week following the bloghop---this will work like my Monthly Challenges---download the cards to the Photobucket account I set up and vote for your fav's starting at midnight on the 14th. I'm offering an hourly prize LIVE for the first person who comments with a pledge for cards during December (a hard month, since everyone is so busy!) and another incrediblog prize for the person who pledges to make the most cards. (In order to ensure that the cards are indeed made and sent, I'll be checking the OWH Mailroom on Thursdays for names before I mail out the prize!) My live prize giveaways will begin at 9:00 AM EST.
So, as soon as I finish the Ron and Arleen recipe pages I'm in the middle of, I'm on to making cards for Our Heroes!

REMEMBER TO THANK A VETERAN TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honoring a Fallen Hero

SSG Amy Tirador, serving in Diyala Province in Iraq, was killed on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009. Over 206,000 American women have served us in the current conflicts in the Middle East, primarily in Iraq. More than 100 servicewomen have died, and upwards of 600 have been injured. We are grateful for Amy's sacrifice - as well as that of all those who have served our nation over generations.

Following is an excerpt of a news article:
Staff Sgt. Amy Seyboth Tirador, 29, died from non-combat-related injuries in Iraq on Wednesday, her father, Gerard Seyboth, said in an interview Thursday.
The 1998 graduate of Colonie High School was working as an Arabic-speaking interrogator on her second tour of Iraq at the time of her death, he said. "I'm very proud of my daughter."
Tirador joined the military in 1999. She had met her husband, Mickey, while serving in the Army in Germany. They were married two years ago. Mickey was serving in his third tour of Iraq when his wife died, Gerard Seyboth said.
Tirador had seen action and saved at least one American life during her first tour, when she served as medic. In 2004, she was credited with saving an American soldier who had been shot during a convoy mission, according to military reports.
Condolence cards can be sent to this address and will be delivered to a local family member:
Operation Write Home, 35205 13th Pl SW, Federal Way WA 98023.  Please note Amy's name on the outside of the card.

Christmas Card Prototype

So, I've been playing with Christmas Cards and I think this is it. I have to check with Carl, but this is relatively easy to make and I like it. And I have most of the stuff I need to put it together. It's a criss-cross card of white vellum. I used the new holly stripes embossing folder to emboss the triangle I cut off and then adhered it to the front flap. The white card inside is edged with Fiskar's snowflakes emossing punch....it will have our greeting on the front, with a picture of the two of us on the back. For the first time this year, we aren't putting a pic with the kiddos....Bill has his own home and Kate is in *a relationship*, so it's going to just be us. *sigh* Anyway, the ribbon I got off ebay and the embellies on this one are from Jolene's....all the embellies will be different, because I am using up all my extras and my stash. If I run out, I'll buy some, but I bet I don't. let me know what you think......I only need to make 99 more of 'em!

Looking for the Moon

"Looking for the Moon" is my favorite song by my favorite singer-songwriter, Tom Paxton. A folk singer who came of age just about the same time as Bob Dylan, he has not made the same kind of name for himself as did some of those who covered his songs--Pete Seger, peter, Paul and Mary and Dylan. If you are the parent of a small child, you may be familiar with his children's tunes like "Jennifer's Rabbit"...if you are into political humor, you may recognize some of his satirical numbers, such as "Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation", which he updated to "George W Told the Nation"...if you love folk music, you will recognize "Ramblin' Boy" and "The Last Thing on My Mind". I know you'll hear his "Marvelous Toy" on the airwaves this Christmas.

Anyway, the theme for Kay's swap this time around was to make a card with a celestial object on it. I have been toying with what I could do with this song....and this is what I came up with. Kay's theme fit perfectly. I am going to have to warn my fellow swappers, though...this is a heavy one!

If any of you happenes to know the artist of the original painting (acrylic. maybe?) could you let me know? I have searched all over and find it inevidence all over the web, but never with an artist listed. I would give them credit if I could.....and this card is not for sale, so I should be okay using it....I hope.