My time and dedication to Operation Write Home is coming to an end.  I've just finished packing the last box I'll be shipping to them.  And I had a slightly hollow feeling as i gazed over my craft table/area at the litter of paper scraps and die cuts organized in ziplock bags, Clear storage boxes of cardstock and fancy papers and decorator boxes full of inkpads, the cutting mats and tape guns, scissors, craft knives, paper punches, marker trays, folding bones and sheets of glue dots and foam adhesive squares, and binder books full of stamps.  I've so enjoyed not only the creative outlet making cards for OWH has provided, but also knowing I was doing really something special for our Troops overseas, in less than friendly countries and circumstances.  I just wish, as i have so many times before, that I'd found OWH earlier! 

So now I will spend a day reorganizing and turn my efforts to other organizations - having diligently searched SplitCoastStampers (where i found OWH in the first place) for ideas.  I've found 2 places that will take donated card - the Monthly Ronald McDonald House on rotation, and Cards for A Cause which rotates through charities each month.  My schedule makes my ability to contribute somewhat inconsistent, so i may change the way i do things - more cards at a time and bank some for next month's charity maybe.  And this will give me a chance to do other sizes of cards, as i don't believe either of them restrict size - which means i can play with concepts I normally only get to play with on my Christmas Cards I've been making for work. 

Below are the last of the cards to OWH - a total of 160 in this my last shipment - and this should give me a grand total of 775 cards to OWH - not bad for the 15 months I've been sending cards.  As always, they're on StampinUp cardstock base, with either StampinUp or Big Box background paper backgrounds and accents.  Die Cuts are on StampinUp, DCWV Shimmer , or Michaels Shimmer cardstock. Some DieCuts are done on my Bosskut Gazelle machine, and other on my Cuttlebug, and still others on my cute little Sidekick.  Stamps used are from all over, and it's impossible for me to track since they're all in books.  Ink is either StampinUp or Tsukineko Dew Drops.

I loved putting the vellum backed butterflies together for these cards! This is one of the newer papers from StampinUp I believe.	DieCut phonographs with Love You stamped on the banners coming out of the bell...very soft with Gold and Silver shimmer cardstock.
I love you always - I love you forever.  Hopefully generic enough for man or woman. What more can be said?	No sentiment -I had to make more of these - they're lovely!  DieCut on Bosskut Gazelle, with shiny background paper.
The silver on Grey - with red and white is kinda stunning!	I had this stamp waiting for ... something. If I thought I could have I'd've made dozens of these - See You Soon!!!
Window cards are still one of my favorites, and being home is somewhere I believe our troops want to be...  the outside says Miss You All The Time around the clock face on the left, and Home is Where the Heart is on the right...	And behind the panels on the front is home...in shimmery silver and gold cardstock from Michael's with brown vellum.  Again I let my Bosskut Gazelle do the cutting.

The end is nearing - and i'm almost done with the box - a large Priority Shipping box.  They hold between 150-180 cards in my experience - and i'm just about at the 150 count now...and still have a little bit of room.  I went ahead and took pictures of the additions from last month's post - and there will be one last photo shoot before the box is sealed and shipped here in about 2 weeks.

As always, StampinUp card bases, and this time lots of StampinUp DSP for backgrounds, with a couple of BigBox papers and DieCutsWithView card stock pieces thrown in for accent.  Inks are either StampinUp or Tsukineko, and the stamps are from all over, but include StampinUp and Maya Road for sure. The generic mulberry flowers from a vendor overseas.

For the most part these cards are more classic and simple - with more cards that could be used for man or woman than usual.  I tried hard to make 'generic' cards.  With that thought, the last couple of cards have no sentiments at all, and I'm working on a few more the same way. I figure they stand on their own as a way to send a message home. 

Birthday for child or adult!	Pretty sheer ribbon for Birthday
Birthday, highlighted by foil dots on the background paper	Thank You with one of the newer SU papers
Thank You with Mirror paper, and jewel sticker borders	Simple Thank You with DCWV shimmer cardstock
Thank You cards with cute bows	You're always in my heart, with a variety of papers.
Beautiful mirror papers, gold and silver mirror stock.	Love You, with ribbons, bows and mulberry flowers
Eye Chart - I LOVE YOU - Maya Road I believe, with Silver shimmer accents.	I do so love mulberry flowers - but do need to control myself!
Miss you for man or woman.	Yellows and purple - with silver shimmer paper accent.
Love the watercolor stamps by StampinUp	HandColored PeelOffs on Shimmer paper, Blue Shimmer accent, no sentiment.
About the only card cut on my Gazelle - i think it speaks volumes without a single word on the card.

Working on the last cards I will be sending to Operation Write Home - as Sandy is shutting down operations on August 1st.  It will be difficult to know I'm no longer supporting our troops, but the fact that the troops are coming come is why OWH is shutting down is not a bad thing!!

I decided to start taking pictures now - so below are some of the cards that will be shipped mid next month.  As usual they are on StampinUp cardbase, and I've used a lot of StampinUp papers this time, but a few are from discount packs from big box discount stores.  I've also been working with multi-part stamp sets, Lotus from StampinUp, and roses from KitchenSink stamps. And of course there are die-cuts done on my Cuttlebug or Gazelle, and mulberry flowers from a vendor in China.  Inks are either StampinUp or Tsukineko.