Bella Carta

Veteran's Day Blog Hop for Operation Write Home!

2009-11-14T10:00:00-05:00

Veteran's Day was Wednesday, but we saved the blog hop for this weekend! And the "hop starts here"! http://www.owhhomefrontblog.org/ <--- please click on that to start hopping if you came here from a reader or email subscription.

I first got involved with Operation Write Home (OWH) a few years ago, when they were known as "cards for hereos" and I think they're a wonderful organization! Their purpose is two-fold:

Homemade cards for troops deployed overseas for their uses - they can use birthday, all occasion, Christmas, Hanukah, Valentine's, etc.
Any Hero cards - cards of thanks and encouragement to our troops - these can be as short as "thank you for your service" to a longer letter that shares your thanks, cute stories from home or even your kids colored!

There is pretty much only one rule which is "no glitter" as glitter can make our troops "reflective" especially at night, further endangering their lives. Anything handmade is fine, you can even cut up cards you've received - just please no "store bought" cards. They accept cards year round, although there are specific deadlines for holidays. For example, the deadline for Christmas cards for the troops to use to send back home to their families has passed - however, you can work on Valentine's day card OR you can still send Christmas type cards with a handwritten message of thanks for use in the Any Hero program. All these details, and many quick tips can be found at Operation Write Home.

I have some "quick" cards for the "Any Hero" program . And I'm giving away BLOG CANDY! Please leave your comment in the comments section and I will use a random generator to draw for a winner.

Your next stop on the list is Teresa: Tilting at Windmills<--- click to go visit! If she doesn't have her post ready when you stop in, please check with her later!

For both cards I went with "clean and simple" and hand wrote my sentiment. I decorated the back with the OWH stamp and a flamingo with "Greetings from FLORIDA" - I thought that was a fun way for to add some cheer.

I also wanted to share with you some pictures of my cousin Alan's recent retirement from a very full career in the Navy! He served as Commander on a carrier battlegroup following September 11th (among other assignments) and I'm just very, very proud of him! My cousin is the tall guy on the right.

All Spruced Up!

2009-11-13T05:00:00-05:00

I'm working on a new batch of cards of Operation Write Home (and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the OWH Blog Hop!)

The deadline for Christmas cards that are blank to be sent to soldiers to send back home has passed, but they are still accepting Christmas or Wintertime cards for the "any hero" packages. Now is a great time to be working on Valentine's Day cards to be sent.

I've been trying to use my copic markers more, so here is a card featuring them. PS The stamp is from "Fun and Fast Notes" which is available for sale in my "stamp sale" page.

Stamps for Sale!

2009-11-12T19:47:35-05:00

I just cleaned out my stamp room (geez, I swear my stamps multiply when no one's looking!) and updated my "stamps for sale" listing. I've tried to price everything to move out of here! I've got Unity, Stampin' Up, Cornish Heritage Farms, Gina K and all sorts of stamps for everyday and holidays!

STAMPS FOR SALE

come celebrate with us! New Moon blog hop Nov. 20th!

2009-11-12T04:00:00-05:00

Sign up to join us at

Twilight Tuesday

A Veteran's Day THANK YOU!

2009-11-11T05:27:00-05:00

I'll be participating in the Veteran's Day blog hop from Operation Write Home, check back with me this weekend for my projects!

With the holidays coming ........

2009-11-10T12:34:28-05:00

OMW! I just saw this on Amazon, its a year's subscription to Cooking Light for $5.00

TTIC54: The Raven

2009-11-10T07:30:00-05:00

Hey Twerds and Twihards! I'm soooo excited to bring you this week's challenge!

In New Moon, we really get to know more about the "pack" and some of the Quileute traditions. In Quileute legend, the Raven is the trickster figure in Quileute Indian culture. His name is pronounced similar to bah-yuck in Quileute. (I found that tidbit somewhere on the internet!)

Raven is a shapechanger, who could assume any form - human or animal. The Raven is a clever and generally harmless figure who sometimes helps humankind, but he also has many character traits that are viewed negatively in Quileute culture (greed, laziness, arrogance, deceitfulness, and rudeness) and many traditional legends have to do with Raven misbehaving and getting into trouble because of it. The tricks sometimes backfire, but in the manner of great fables - they offered life lessons for the young and old.

Your challenge: make a project that celebrates the Raven or any other Quileute legend (google it if you need some ideas!)

And as always, our Design Team has fantastic projects to display for this week’s challenge - please go and check them out!

~ Erica~ Eve~ Jen~Julie~ Margie~ Alison~Dani ~ Tonya
*Donna will be sitting out this week's challenge!

I have two cards for this week:

The first features the Wolfpack tattoo stamp from Dragonfly Curls. This stamp is hand carved - isn't it cool? I heat embossed the stamp and the raven/branch is a sticker.

For my second card, I used my ink pads and a "direct to paper" method to recreate a background that looks like something sketched with oil pastels or artwork created with a brush. The raven and branch is a sticker - and he's holding a feather in his mouth (the branches, ravens, feathers were in a package from Martha Steward).

Please join in and play along with us! If you do, here are a few guidelines to follow:

For posting to a blog: Please indicate that you are playing along with the Twilight Tuesday Inspiration Challenge on Twilighttuesday.com and please provide a link back to our site.

For posting on another gallery, such as Splitcoast Stampers or Flickr: Please indicate that you are playing along with the Twilight Tuesday Inspiration Challenge on Twilighttuesday.com and please provide a link back to our site. Please use the appropriate keywords for our challenges; an example is TTIC50 for challenge 50. No number signs (#) or spaces are needed in the keyword. You can also add in more general keywords for Splitcoast/Flickr (such as Twilight, Twilight Tuesday Inspiration Challenge, etc.). Thank you for your help with this!

Comments/Posting your link: Please leave a comment on the Twilight Tuesday blog and add your link to Mr. Linky (be sure to check the box indicated that you played along and link directly to your post). We are big fans of comments around here!

TTIC53: The Transformation

2009-11-03T07:00:00-05:00

The amazingly talented Alison brings us this week's challenge, this is what she writes:

I am so excited to be bringing you my second challenge! This one is a little different, because you get the opportunity to make yourself the subject! Spoiler alert! Don't continue reading if you haven't finished the Twilight Saga!!!

In Breaking Dawn, Bella transforms from human to vampire. In life, we all go through changes...though not as severe as Bella's! What kind of changes have you physically gone through? Cut off all your hair? Dye it blue (like me?)? Nose job? Pregnancy? Lost a lot of weight? We just celebrated Halloween... did you or someone you know wear a costume that transformed them to being unrecognizable?

Craft Challenge: Create something that narrates a physical change you've gone through

I feel a change coming on! Do you ever feel that way? Like there is change waiting to happen? I have that feeling now and can only imagine that's how Bella felt. I'm not comparing myself to Bella, I just can relate to that feeling that change is in the air!

I had sooooo much fun with my challenge last week with paint chips, that I delved into my "stash" again. I made two projects, one I was really happy with, the other I think I want to re-work a bit. For the first one, I used the TTSC14 sketch challenge #14 - and an embossed foil panel. I think the sketch was a great match for my card. {This is the card I'm happy with}.

For my second project this week, I used the sketch challenge but changed the elements. I used the paint chip inside the card and used my curvy rectangle nestability to to scallop the edge of the card so that the paint chip peeks out. I wanted to do something in a bit different color scheme, so I used purple and red together. {this is the project I'd like to tweak a bit, I think there is something that's not quite flowing right with it}.

And as always, our Design Team has fantastic projects to display for this
week’s challenge - please go and check them out!

Beth~ Dani~ Erica~ Eve~ Jen~Julie~
Margie~ Rebecca ~ Alison~ Donna

(Beth, Julie and Jen are taking this week off - but feel free to
visit their blogs and take a look at their fabulous creations!)

Please join in and play along with us! If you do, here are a few guidelines to follow:

For posting to a blog: Please indicate that you are playing along with the Twilight Tuesday Inspiration Challenge on Twilighttuesday.com and please provide a link back to our site.

For posting on another gallery, such as Splitcoast Stampers or Flickr: Please indicate that you are playing along with the Twilight Tuesday Inspiration Challenge on Twilighttuesday.com and please provide a link back to our site. Please use the appropriate keywords for our challenges; an example is TTIC34 for challenge 34. No number signs (#) or spaces are needed in the keyword. You can also add in more general keywords for Splitcoast/Flickr (such as Twilight, Twilight Tuesday Inspiration Challenge, etc.).

A very merry Christmas

2009-10-30T03:05:00-05:00

I bought my Christmas stamps ...... now if I could just get my cards done! This is a card I made this weekend while my friend Tammie was visiting here in FL!

The colors are Rich Razzleberry and Bermuda Blue, all stamps, cardstock and ink from Stampin' Up!

Lucky number 8!

2009-10-29T18:55:21-05:00

I used random.org and #8 was my commenter and winner: Janie Boots

Janie Boots said...

I love what you did with the sample card that is so cool

Janie

Congratulations! Janie please let me know what your address is so I can get your prize in the mail to you!