Operation Write Home July 4 VCMP

This year's Virtual Card Making Party is well underway, and as of 4:00 p.m. July 4, I've yet to make a single card.  However, by the time the end of the party rolls around on Monday evening, I plan to have all 18 cards completed, posted, and linked to the eighteen party hosts. (Note on July 10:  I didn't make my goal time-wise, but I did complete and link all challenges by 2 a.m. on Wednesday.)

Hostess #1 is Sybrina at There's Always the Other Side.  I love the name of her blog, because my stamping is often crooked, so I flip the paper over to stamp on the other side!

The challenge here is to use one of the OWH Sketches  and make two cards, a his and a hers.  The bonus sketch by Nancy K. on page 66 is the one I plan to use.  I used hexagons which are two sizes, the small Fiskars and large Stampin' Up punches.  His card is embossed with the Darice zigzag folder and Hers with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots. 

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Michelle at Caffeine & Stamps has the next challenge -- make a Thank You card to send to our heroes serving overseas.  There are bonus points for using spray inks to make fireworks, but I had to emboss the navy background with Cuttlebug Stars to give a hint of night sky.  The stamped image and die are from the In My Heart set by Mama Elephant.

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The third stop is Kelly's place, A2Z Scrapbooking Supplies , where the theme is using paper piecing on a card for kids.  Blue white-core  card stock embossed with the Darice Clouds folder and then sanded made the sky.  The images, dies, and sentiment are from the same Missing You set from Mama Elephant as the previous card.

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Lori at Lori's Kreations is the next blog, where the challenge is to use red, white, and blue to make a birthday card.  Cuttlebug Birds and Swirls, and Decorative Tile Set folders were used, as were tiny Sticko gems from EKSuccess. 

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At Bunny Scrap Beth's challenge is to use ink, paint, or scraps to make a colorful background.  This was a great chance to sort through my scraps that were already cut into strips.  One day I'll do nothing but make scrappy backgrounds and clean out that little box of scraps.  The sentiment is from Inkadinkadoo.

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Today's final stop is at JoAnn Ross where the task is to make two winter cards -- one Christmas and one that can be used at any point in the winter season.  The Inkadinkadoo snowman is from the thrift store, and the sentiment is Katie & Co.  The second sentiment is from Unity Stamps.

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More VCMP on Saturday, July 5

Saturday's first challenge is to participate in the July (even though the title says June!) Our Daily Bread challenge to include on a card something with wings.  Birds, butterflies, other insects, or airplanes would fit this challenge.  This card is really blue and purple (same patterned paper as the card above), but the photo washed out the rich colors.  The bird is several layers cut from the Stampin' Up Bird Builder punch, as are the leaves.  The sentiment is from the Heart Flutter set by Dimensions and the purple sparkly dots are Stickos.

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At Cherie's Corner of the World we're to make a card that includes at least one circle plus two banners. The Mojo Monday sketch was altered somewhat for this card.  Papers from a scrap pack from Autumn Leaves, Sticko shiny dots, and stamp from a Hero Arts OWH fund raiser set.

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Andrea at Crafty Tafty asks us to make a masculine card with a vintage image. These papers, ribbon, and stamps are all from Stampin' Up.

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At Bobbi's Treasure the challenge is to include at least three different textures on a card.  Embossing folders, textured papers, heat embossing, ribbon or other fibers, buttons, brads, eyelets, of die cuts...how to choose just three?  I chose Stampin' Up materials:  ribbon, embossing on the butterflies, dimensionals under the scalloped die cut, and pearls on the butterflies.

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The next task is to make a card featuring some type of transportation.  A bike is transportation, right? These are also all Stampin' Up materials.

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Tami has asked us to make a Christmas card that features  Santa ... and is a red, white, and blue card!  This was fun, something I'd never done.  The Santa is nearly 30 years old, and was from Rubber Stampede.  I love the corner punch from Carl and should use it more often.  Once again the Stars folder from Cuttlebug gives a good background to go with the patterned paper. 

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Sunday, July 6, the final day of the VCMP

The first challenge was to make a card that uses OWH sketch 232.  I had the Santa stamp out so used it for this sketch.  Thanks to Marlene at Stars and Stamps for the sketch challenge.   More silver Stickos and some vellum embossed with the Cuttlebug Leafy Branch folder complete this card.

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Annette at by Annette had a creative task - make two cards with the same design but make one thick and one thin.  The thick one is OK for Any Hero mail, and the thin one is for our heroes to use when they write home. 

Really thick gems can't go through the postal machines without ripping the envelope.

Thin Sticko stickers, however, definitely can.

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A card for a teen was next, and this image of a rockin' pup is perfect.  Thanks, Becca from Expressions for the challenge.  The Rockin' Doggie image and sentiment from Birdie Brown's blog are no longer available.  The diagonal strip is just torn from a grocery bag.

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Yvonne at Penguin Papers tasked us with making a love card featuring a furry critter, and I chose this fellow in a bunny costume...so cute!  The stamp and image are Funny Bunny from My Favorite Things, and the zigzag folder is from Darice.

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One year I used these little stamps for  my Christmas card, but Sherry at Bits of Cheer asked us to pair the Christmas inchies with a sketch at OWH, and I chose number 58.  The stamp set is from Close to My Heart, and the bling dots are more Stickos.

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The final card was Cara's challenge at Crafting Adventures.  We were to make something faux.  I have materials to do faux stitching, buttons, or tiles, and I chose the buttons.  I think the image and sentiment are more from the Birdie Brown blog, but are no longer available.  The Martha Stewart button embosser/punch are perfect for making buttons that will go through the mail with no problem.