A Challenge upon a Challenge

When I started physical therapy for a rotor cuff injury, my physical therapist told me I should give up making cards for now because it physically hurt me to use the paper cutter, punches, ATG gun, etc. It was hard to do because I've been "addicted" to making cards for Operation Write Home for a couple of years now. Due to a recent fall, details of which I won't go into here, my shoulder worsened, and I ended up with a new orthopedist who told me "You've got to start moving that shoulder". What I heard him say, in the style of Charlie Brown's teacher was "Making cards would be excellent moving that shoulder therapy." It hurts. Sometimes more than at other times, depending on what I am doing. It can take several trips to the crafting table, followed by ice, to get a card done, but I am learning some tricks to make the process easier, such as standing when I use the paper cutter and large punches.

In an effort to do my daily Card Therapy and to help OWH receive some free shipping, I decided to play along with the Our Daily Bread challenge: http://www.owhstarsandstamps.org/2012/03/march-odbd-challenge.html

It may not be the best card I've made, but a challenge upon a challenge is a challenge!

Sparkle & Shine in the new year

What a poor little neglected blog this turned out to be! Hopefully I will do a little better in 2012, but no promises. I tend to say it all in my little blurbs I post on Facebook.

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.

Ardith T's Stars & Stamps Challenge

I love a good challenge when it comes to making cards. It forces me to think out of my own little box, and perhaps use some of the products I've had sitting around, but didn't know what to do with. There seems to be a little controversy as to what makes a good challenge. For me, IMHO, I don't like being told that I must own this and I must buy that in order to participate. I'd rather find inspiration in the subject matter at hand, whether it be love, spring fling, warm and fuzzy or whatever. I also like challenges where I am asked to CASE (copy and share everything, I think...) the work of other card members. Today's OWH birthday bash challenge was to find inspiration in the work of Ardith T's cards, posted here: http://www.owhstarsandstamps.org/2011/09/birthday-bash-2011-day-2-case-ardeth-t.html

Be sure to check out Ardith's beautiful work. It is definitely inspiring, and CASEing her helps me to become a better card maker. In the end, it's all for the troops, but making me a better artist will make the troops and their loved ones enjoy my own work even more.

One Special Card Per Week

I've been making cards for Operation Write Home www.operationwritehome.org for about 1 1/2 years now. When I started, I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I had never made cards before, and I had only agreed because I was asked to do it by a friend who had greatly benefited from what they do, both while she was deployed to Iraq, and when she got back and was involved in a horrific 20 car pileup while driving across country. The learning curve was pretty high. I had to learn about various tools, using special papers, layout, etc. I'm not an artist, but I kept telling myself that I could improve on my skill set, and I have.

I follow a blog where the writer started a challenge for herself called "52 letters per year". Every week she writes a letter to somebody. The fun in it is the recipient is not expecting the letter. With email so readily available, people don't "snail mail" much anymore, so it is a very pleasant surprise to receive something other than bills and advertisements in the mail box. I like that idea. I've decided to give it a try myself, with a slight change. I have to make the card before I write the letter.

I actually made and wrote up two cards for my first week, but I only took a picture of one of them. The first one was for my husband's cousin Camie, who has just undergone some major surgery. I figured she could use a bit of cheer as she starts her long recuperation. I also sent a card to my friend Marianne. Marianne was my secretary when I worked at a law firm back in the early 80's. Despite our age differences, we quickly developed a strong friendship which did not end when the firm lost its major client, and I was laid off. Her elderly husband has been going down hill for quite awhile, and is not expected to live much longer. They've always been such a nice couple, and I feel very sad for both of them. Her card arrived just on time, as she was in a terrible car accident Monday, and definitely needed cheer.

Not all the people I send cards to will be in such a state of health or mind. You never know who could be next. All I know is that sending these handmade bits of cheer has made me feel good, and it's nice to share my newly acquired talent of card making with people I actually know. Who is next? I haven't decided yet...but I have lots of ideas.

The Book Nerd

I've had several people suggest that I start a blog. I've always resisted. However, as of today I'm playing with a full deck with two marvelous jokers on the side, so it's as good a time as ever to give it a shot.

Because we are having a family gathering today to celebrate some out of town & mostly out of the country family members visiting the area, Steve and Ian took me out for a wonderful birthday celebration last week. I had been upset about missing my beloved Tom Hank's latest movie, "Larry Crowne", in favor of the most boring summer movie, "Cars 2". "Cars 2" is the type of movie where you keep asking yourself "how could a movie that looks so good, be so bad!!!!" Anyway, "Larry Crowne" moved on quickly, but Steve managed to find it playing at a cheap theater in Pasadena. Neither of the guys told me where we were going, so when we headed out toward the area I was completely left in the dark. Pasadena is not a hangout for me. I was thrilled when I found out what they were up to. First we saw the movie, which was wonderful. Afterward, they set me loose in a local bookstore and told me to get anything I wanted. Being a library fanatic, I ended up with a "Book Nerd" t-shirt and a couple of buttons suitable for wearing to work. We ended our trip at a Mexican restaurant for a full round of cheese enchiladas. Mmmmm!

Today also marks another occasion, aside from my birthday. It is the last day of summer break. I was expecting to go back to school August 15th, but to my surprise I was called in early to attend faculty and department meetings, and no doubt I will be running around like a crazy person afterward, helping various friends get their rooms set up. A couple of rooms went through asbestos abatement over the summer, and some teachers were told at the last minute that they have to change rooms. I'm not looking forward to starting the school year a day early, but I am looking forward to seeing some old friends I haven't seen all summer.

Anyway, this blog is being started on a lark. I'm sure it will contain funny stories about things that happen at school, family stories and outings, and lots of Operation Write Home cards. I'll rant and rave on stupid things in the news. I'll post great recipes. It will be eclectic. Be brave, and follow along...if you dare.