A Reason to Make Cards

I have many reasons to make cards. I like to send them to friends and family to celebrate different events, or just because. I swap cards with friends every month where we "ooh and aah" over each others creations. I make cards to try out a new technique or use a new stamp, paper or ink. I've made cards with my students. There really are a lot of reasons to make these little "works of art" as Sheila says.

Well, I have discovered a new reason to make cards. It's called Operation Write Home. The goal of this organization is to find cardmakers to create handmade cards to send to our military troops so that they can use them to send back home. Cardmakers can also include "hero" cards with a note of encouragement to send along with their cards. The card above is one of several "hero" cards I made to send out with my latest batch of cards. It is a Stampin Up set "Courage" and ribbon. I love the clean look of red, white and blue.
Here are a sampling of cards that I also made. I challenged myself to use 1 sheet of 12x12 cardstock, and 1 sheet of patterned paper, plus a sticker sheet, and see how many cards I could make from just those supplies. I was happily surprised to discover that I made 14 cards out of just a few supplies! I did add a bit of stamping to some of the cards.
Finally, I was in the mood for a bit of country and used these great Jillibean Soup papers to create these. I had fun trying to keep these masculine. I was thinking of the backyard - birdhouses and mowing the yard; and "down on the farm".

So next time you are looking for a reason to make cards, check out Operation Write Home, and I hope you'll join me in sending some cards to the troops!