With the withdrawal from Iraq, we have been told that Operation Write Home doesn't need as many of our cards as it used to, but until all the deployed service members are home, there will be a need for our cards. That's good, because the number of cards I made in the past year was substantially lower than the year before. I go through periods of time when I am feeling very creative, then others when I don't have a creative bone in my body. With the need for fewer cards, I no longer need to feel the obligation to force it during my non-creative periods.
With the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012 I've been feeling the need to sparkle and shine. I've once again brought out my beloved little bottle of 3 dimensional glitter paint I bought at Walmart a couple of years ago. This paint is one of the only "legal" ways to apply glitter to my OWH cards, as I can rub and rub the dried paint, and nothing flakes off.
My last card of 2011 was a sunburst pattern, accentuated with flowers that have glittery centers. The flowers give it a youthful appearance, while the bursts of color represent hope. 2011 was not a bad year. Luckily, we both managed to maintain employed, although I did have to take a number of furlough days. We said goodbye to some beloved pets, but we were also able to take on a couple of new ones, giving them the opportunity to flourish and grow.
In my first card of 2012 I've got birthday on the brain, as all three of my brother in-laws have December birthdays. I had some scraps of paper to use up, and loved the idea of wrapping up some birthday candles in a bright red ribbon. So, a happy belated birthday to Eric Splaver, Mark Stiefel and John Thacker, as well as my sister, Laura Silverman-Splaver.
