I'm between business trips and vacation - with more business trips coming up. I had worked on a bunch of cards while based out of a hotel room for 9 days - and have done a bunch since i got back.  I've started packing a box, instead of trying to wrap everything in an envelope. I've got 70 cards so far....

The cards are all done on StampinUp card base and the background papers are also StampinUp, unless noted.  Stamping was done on Recollections White/Gold shimmery paper, or a cream colored paper purchased in bulk at one of the National Chain craft stores.  Accent DieCuts are cut from papers in one of those "pound of paper" you can get at the same National Chain craft store. The stamps, although from different manufacturers, were all done with Momento ink, and when colored, were with Letraset markers.  And the kit-cards are from a StampinUp kit I'd purchased a few years ago from a vendor on that really big auction website. And all pictures taken after the cards were already tucked, so the insides you can't see any of the inside motifs, but each card does have something!!

There is also some 'templating' going on here (other than the kit-cards) - the one of a kind cards have mostly the top/bottom layout - with a gap in the middle - although i did change that up a few times depending on the stamps being used.  And then there's the groups of the same cards ...But that's OK.  I saw a couple of the "Open the Box" videos, and it would seem that the favored card designers do groups of all the same cards, not all unique like i have a tendency towards.  Admittedly the groups do go much faster!

Sandy from OWH has asked everyone to focus on a few themes - so here's my offerings for her categories.  I will be kicking off again when i get back from Vacation to finish filling the box with Birthday and Miss You/Thinking of You - but wanted a clean break before i left, getting everything in work finished, labeled, tucked, photographed and into the box behind dividers.  

Happy Hellos - These from a StampinUp kit I'd bought years ago - when StampinUp had really nice Stickers.	These are also "thinking of you" cards - i really like the chairs under the umbrella in the garden.  I may do that again!
Happy Birthday for little Princes and Princesses!  and one of the Kit Cards	More Kit Cards - Cheers to You - Happy Birthday!
And still more KitCards, and one just because for Birthday!	And "Love You" is another requested Theme.  I really believe this sentiment will speak to military families...
As will this one! Passion from the Heart!	And my Fav - Based on Corinthians!
Thinking of You ... and home....	I Miss you - Thinking of You...
OK - so i'm a sucker for this stamp too!	"Thank You" - another requested type of card.
A couple more Thank You cards -	And the card kit had a Thank You sentiment in it!
But i did particularly like this Thank You sentiment...	So It became the basis for a group - The pink ones for the ladies...
A Group of 'Love You...This Much!'  with hand colored balloons - good for guys or gals! These were done with a DCWV printed paper on the front.	And these green based ones could be for either the ladies or the gentlemen.  The simplicity of the design appealed on this one.

When I get back from VaCa, I'll do groups for Happy Birthday, Miss You, and Thinking of You i think.  I'm going to try to to work in sets, some for Ladies and some for the Gentlemen - or as with the Love You - something that could work for either!  And maybe some more Castles and Princes and Princesses for the children's Birthday Cards.  

I've decided to take pictures of the cards i have ready to go - there's more on my table - but they're not finished yet.  Having watched a few videos at the OWH site  I figured I'd go ahead and do more cards in groups - color groups and design groups...

These 8 cards were done as a group	One of my favorites - from Corinthians
I'm hoping these appeal to someone...	Dreaming of you takes me home
Home is where the Heart is - Home is where love is ~ Miss You	There's No Place Like Home another of my faves
A trio of Thank You Cards Thank You for Being so Very Thoughtful	I thank my lucky stars for You Thank You So Much - You're Amazing
Hand Colored...I envy whomever receives one of these! I so enjoyed coloring them in.	I couldn't help but be in awe of how well I was able to capture what I had hoped to achieve.
Done on shimmer paper from Recollections...	They still hold the shimmer under the colors

I ran into someone today who also has been doing cards for OWH.  We swapped notes a bit.  I'll be seeing her again on Thursday and I'm hoping we'll be able to come up with something for May's Military Appreciation effort. 

Again - it's been quite a while since i've spent time here. 

Turns out a lot of my time has been spent working on making cards - the past cupla years i've been growing a skill set in card making.  2 years ago i did Christmas the cards for my own use, and have pretty much made all the Anniversary, Congrats, Sympathy, Graduation, Thanksgiving, Wedding, Engagement, Mother/Fathers Day cards I've needed since.  Last year i added another 120 cards for the 2 offices I support, using that as a way to keep occupied in the hotel rooms I was staying in for a week to 10 days at a time while assisting sites in the enterprise with software implementation.  I had a whole separate rolling bag with nothing but my Craft/Card Supplies.  The housekeeping staff got a real kick out of it - and I was even questioned about the cards by the front desk at one hotel. 

Over the past cupla years I've accumulated quite the collection of dies, stamps, stickers, Peel-offs, and papers and cardstock, and am working on the markers - and I'm not too bad at all this! I'll probably never make money at it - but my efforts seem to make everyone who sees them happy - so i'm banking on that for our military!  

Late last year i discovered Operation Write Home, which is a perfect fit for me!  I wish i'd found them sooner!   I get to create cards - lots of them - and them mail them off to get shipped out to deployed military groups.  My efforts directly benefit military members, and their families!  Regretfully, with the exception of a really cool Wedding Card i made for my daughter last spring, I've not taken pictures of any of them!  I shipped off a box of 59 cards to OWH a cupla weeks ago containing some of my best work ever, and took not a single picture.  

Butterflies - Birthday for teen maybe	Male oriented
I love window cards!  This is a Happy Birthday ,,,,	with Love - and Flowers!
Another male oriented Birthday card	Classy maybe - I Love You.
I Miss You - Home is where the heart is type quote. These are my favorite kind of cards to make, mayhaps because i spent time overseas while in the military, and understand what it's like.	Inside of the card. I leave plenty of space on the inside of all my cards for the military member to write notes - blank area and a lined area, with some kind of accent, and occasionally a border.
Generic Best Wishes - longer shelf life...	Operation Write Home is reminding those of us who create cards to start really focusing on Mother's Day, as the cutoff is the end of this month.   So...i will start focusing on Mother's Day... This will give me a chance to use some of the really cool floral stamps I've collected!