the homefront blog

We feature a different cardmaker each Friday…This week, meet Dawn! Please feel free to leave a comment on this thread for her!

About Dawn
My name is Dawn, I am married to a great guy who does not mind that I have taken over our bedroom with crafting stuff. I have three boys 17,12,7. They also don’t mind that my hands are always inky! I work full time as a dental assistant (don’t forget to floss) and I love to create, I started as a scrapbooker (gasp) and that just never felt rewarding, there was never a finished project. With cards it’s instant rewards, and I love that I can be out of the box with my shapes colors patterns etc. It’s so much fun. I am so happy that I found Sandy, and Cards for Heroes — what a great way for me to give back to those who give us so much. You can’t put a price on freedom, but you can bless those that serve it!

About Dawn’s cards
How long have you been making cards?
I started a few years ago, I really enjoy it, after all we all need something to collect!

How long have you been making cards for CFH?
Not very long, less than a year. My current goal is 100 holiday cards. I love the thought of our heroes being able to send notes home to their families!

What is your favorite kind of card to make?
Oh, this is a hard one! I really like all cards. I do like making teen punk stlye cards. Those are so fun, using funky colors. (How cool is it for a dad or mom to send a card perfect for their teen)

Do you have a special technique you love to use?
Can you pick an easy question next time!!! I like to emboss & I am fond of stickles. Does that count? wink

Colors, style, or product that draw you? This really depends on the season, I love the hot pink / black combo, I also really like fun patterns and those type of things!

Dawn’s motivation
Finally an easy question . . . Serving is a part of what I need to do. Sometimes as cardmakers we create a card just for the fun of it, and now having a place to send them is like an answer to prayer. Knowing that a wife, husband, mother or father or a little one will get a letter in the mail in a homemade card is just so rewarding. Anyone can email, but there is something about a handwritten letter that just holds close to one’s heart! I was so blessed to find Sandy, and her heart is so huge and so pure how can one not want to help an effort that is one out of 100% love.

We feature a different cardmaker each Friday…This week, meet Glinda! Please feel free to leave a comment on this thread for her!

About Glinda
I am retired from a life insurance company, and then a short stint of care giving. I have always been very active in my church. Health problems prevent me from being as active as I would like to be, so I spend most of my time making cards.

About Glinda’s’s cards
How long have you been making cards?
I have been making cards for four years. I found out about CFH just over a year ago on TwoPeas and I have been hooked ever since.

What is your favorite kind of card to make?
I have never seen a card I didn’t want to make. I am especially drawn to the ones with heat embossing. I like cards of all kinds, but the funny ones are my favorite.

Glinda’s motivation
I feel like our troops aren’t alone in defending our country. Anything I can do, be it ever so small like making a card for them to use, is a small part that I can do to help them. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!

We feature a different cardmaker each Friday…This week, meet Joan! (I think she’s the cuttlebug QUEEN!) Please feel free to leave a comment on this thread for Joan!

About Joan
I’ve been married for 45+ years, have 2 grown children, 2 grandchildren and 1 super sweet great-grandson. My husband and I are very supportive of each others hobbies.

About Joan’s cards
How long have you been making cards?
I have been stamping for over 20 years. About 2 years ago I read about this lady in Ohio that was looking for cards to send to the troops so I started sending her some of mine. Then I was looking for a group closer to me - somewhere in Washington - and read about CFH on SCS. I went to the web site and liked what I read. And that’s how I found you.

What is your favorite kind of card to make?
I like uncluttered and realistic cards. I’m not into making real “cutesy” type of cards. For some reason they are very hard for me to make.

What is your favorite kind technique?
My favorite technique is doing Polished Stone. I love working with the alcohol inks - the way they move around the paper. You never really know what you are going to end up with but it’s always a great design. Guess that is why I have a drawer full of PS papers.

What is your favorite color scheme?
Think my favorite colors are the jewel tone colors. I love the richness of these and think maybe purple is my most favorite.

Joan’s motivation
I really enjoy card making and this gives me an outlet and purpose for the cards I make. But this is something I can do for those who protect my freedom. The soldiers did not ask to be away from the family and friends. They are doing what their “boss” has asked/told them to do. If these cards help them and/or their families in any way, then I have been blessed and repaid.

We feature a different cardmaker each Friday…This week, we have very special guests: Hallie and Taylor, two young girls from Florida, and their grandma Denise! Please feel free to leave a comment on this thread for the girls!

If your kids would like to make cards for our heroes, we would love to show off their artwork here; if their cards are use-able for our service members to write home on, that’s fantastic; if the cards are more…’creative’…have them write a note inside to a hero!

This week we’re featuring the card designs by Impress Rubberstamps that were used in the creation of 284 cards at a Hero Party last Sunday! We’ve linked to products in their online store where we could find the items!

Stamp leaves and flowers on the long white paper, add a sentiment, layer on complimentary paper, and then attach to the base cardstock. Add a little dab of stickles (or bling, or even a brad!) to the center of each flower. If using a wet medium don’t forget to let it dry!

Stamp a scallop tree three times, layer on complimentary paper, and attach to patterned card base; add ornaments with fabric paint or bling.

A super-simple stamp-only card! The swirls are a portion of a long border stamp, and inked in a color just darker than the cardstock. The combo of the brown chandelier and all the blue are just lovely!

This snowflake card highlights a new oversized snowflake punch! The punches are popdotted, layered on the patterned paper which was overstamped with another snowflake in silver, and a little cord added to make the snowflakes ‘dangle’ from the top of the card; the cord is tucked behind the paper before adhering it to the cardstock.

Snowglobe cards are so much fun — and this one utilizes a simple snowman, snowflakes, sentiment, and a little piece of ribbon to make a great card.

The above card features “turkey inchies” (1″ x 1″s), layered on a scalloped square, and popdotted for dimension. Gobble gobble sentiment is stamped on the satin ribbon.

A long thin card is a nice break from the usual. Two-sided cardstock coordinates the colors inside and out; adhere ribbon to the edge of the card which has been cut short to allow the 2nd color to show; sentiment is stamped onto a punched circle and adhered on top.

Get out your colored pencils to spice up these sweet Scarf Penguin and List Penguin! They’re layered on black paper, adhered off-center on a long tall piece of 2sided cardstock, with the sentiment stamped below it.

Many thanks to Impress for providing the designs, materials, and crafting space - and to the women who came to make the cards!