Kick-Off to Caring Hearts

 Hello World!

It's been so long since I posted anything that I've almost forgotten how...

Working full-time, managing my crazy household and keeping up at the gym have taken all my time and energy.

However, I had to acknowledge World Card-Making Day.

I don't have anything to show you just now, but I will be spending some time in my crafty space today; I'll be sure to take some photos.

AND

I do want to let you know that the

Caring Hearts Card Drive rides again!

That lovely lady, Vera Wirianta Yates, has organized the biggest Christmas/holiday card drive again this year. This marks the 6th year of the drive and it just keeps getting bigger and better.
Card-makers from the USA, Canada and Australia send in their hand-crafted holiday cards, which are then distributed to nursing homes and seniors' residences. The recipients get a beautiful random-act-of-kindness greeting, at what can be a very lonely time of year. It's a win-win situation! Plus there are prizes...

You can check it all out HERE, at Vera's blog.

I'm really pleased to say that I'll be the  Eastern Canada site for collecting cards again this year.

I'll be sharing how some of the cards will be distributed locally, with help from my friends at Ottawa Therapy Dogs.

More details on what to make and where to send it will follow.

If you would like a nursing home in your area to receive cards, please verify with the administration and send me the address.

Now get your craft on!

Catch you later,

Caroline

P.S.: the photo of the French-Canadian meat-pie, tourtiere is from Christmas last year...

Caring Hearts Card Drive Kick-off

Good morning, crafty friends!

I am off to a slow start today...long and busy week, so I SLEPT IN for World-Card-Making Day (what a slacker!).

BUT I am very excited to share in the kick-off to this year's Caring Hearts Card Drive.

This is the fifth year for the event, organized by Vera Wirianta Yates and Jennifer McGuire.

The holidays are all about family, kindness, tradition and joy. It can be a very lonely time for the elderly residents of nursing homes. The idea of the card drive is to brighten the holiday season through sharing our love of card-making.  Participants make and sign holiday greeting cards, which are then delivered to nursing home residents.  The idea is to spread some holiday cheer: a great cause, and a great use of our crafting hobby. Cards are collected and distributed throughout the United States and Canada; some dedicated card-makers from overseas also participate! Imagine the smile on the face of the person who opens your card...

I participated in the drive last year, making 128 cards (with the help of my "elves") and delivering 150 cards to two nursing residences here in Ottawa. The homes told me they could have used 500 cards! This year, I am proud to be one of two Canadian distributors for the Caring Hearts cards.

Here are the details on how to participate:

•   The card drive will be going from October 4th-November 28, 2014. We need to receive your cards by November 28, 2014. Send them to one of the addresses below, depending on where you live.

• Please use a Christmas or Holiday Wishes theme. Anyone can send a card; you, your children, a church or religious group, scout troops, etc.

• All cards must include a message inside (this can be stamped or hand written).

• Please also sign your name and where you are from (this is part of the fun--cards from all over the country!). 

• Please include an envelope for each card but please don't seal the envelope.

• Please stick to just cards (standard size A2 or 4-1/4" x 5-1/2").

• Don't use any pins, for safety reasons, but glitter, shimmer, bling, etc is completely fine.

• This is totally optional, but if you'd like to include $1 or $2 to help with shipping, it will be much appreciated. We cover the shipping cost ourselves, so any donation toward shipping helps tremendously.

·        

           You can mail the cards to:

          Vera Yates                                             Card Drive                                 

         109 N. Post Oak Lane Ste. 430            c/o Tina Schrof                        

         Houston, TX 77024                               P.O. Box 75                                      

                                                                        Springboro, Ohio 45066           

                                                                                                                            

         Piney-fine                                              Caroline Bredeson

         Attn: Anita                                             7 Brown Street

         P.O. Box 30                                            Ottawa, ON
         Piney, MB                                               K1S 1L9

         R0A   1K0                                               Canada

         Canada                                                 

• In each package, PLEASE include THIS SUBMISSION FORM.  This helps us in keeping track for prizes! For each card you send, you will get a chance in the prize draw.  So the more cards you send, the better your chances.

I forgot to mention the prizes...  The whole paper-crafting industry is on board with this project, and there are BIG prizes. Watch Vera and Jennifer's blogs for the list.
 

Here's a sample card to get you in the mood. 

It's one my elves and I will be putting together, once we start the card-making workshops (watch my blog for more on that initiative; I'll be offering my own prize to the card-maker who sends me the most cards!).

So! Get out there and enjoy World Card-Making Day, and consider joining in this very worthwhile cause.

Very happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies:

All card-stock, patterned paper, stamps and ink, Close to My Heart.

Embossing folder: Sizzix.

Tree die: Papertrey Ink.

Ribbon: Michael's

Liquid Pearls: Ranger Industries

 

Doubly Irresistible how-to...

I'm back from the awesome World Card-Making Day OWH blog hop with a quick lesson on how I created the focal image for my card, posted HERE.

All credit goes to the ever-inventive Jennifer McGuire. See her post, with video tutorial, HERE.

Briefly, you want to use a stamped image with an outline, such as the True ThankYou stamp I used:

• Start with a piece of white card-stock, and using VersaMark ink, heat-emboss the message with white, fine-detail powder. 
• Colour the letters or image as desired (I used alcohol markers), filling in the outline. 
• Apply more VersaMark over your colouring, this time heat-embossing with CLEAR powder.
• Your image is now sealed & secure and you can begin sponging colour over the whole thing, to make the white really stand out. I used the Tim Holtz ink-blending tool, and my dye-based ink pad, starting in the middle of the image and working my way out.

Jennifer McGuire used a "Wink of Stella" pen to wet her image before adding the final layer of clear embossing powder. Not having that nice little item, I just used a Versamark pen.

I did add clear embossing to my little hearts, though, for some extra shine.

Have fun experimenting with this technique!

Happy crafting,

Caroline

World Blog Hop 2013

It doesn't get much bigger or better than that, my blogging friends...

What an incredible day--card-making going on all over the world! 

And why do we love making cards?

Because our recipients know the hand-made greetings convey our thoughts, love and warmest wishes. 

(and just maybe because we like our hands sticky and inky!)

I am VERY pleased to be participating in this hop, organized by 

Operation Write Home.

This is a most worthy cause--Operation Write Home collects and sends hand-crafted cards to armed forces members, stationed all over the world, so they can send wishes to their loved ones back home.  I feel an even greater connection now as my son joined the Canadian Armed Forces this year. There is no equivalent organization in Canada per se, but if you contact me I can put you in touch with the grassroots group doing the same thing.

Anyway, on to the blog hop!

The assignment:

Choose an OWH sketch.

✔Check

Create a "thank-you" card using the chosen sketch.

✔Check.

Encourage hoppers to leave some love (comments) and continue hopping.

✔Check!

Off you go--there will be HUNDREDS of cards for you to admire, CASE, and comment on. You might also want to consider supporting OWH. They are always in need of more cards and $$ for postage.

What a great day, eh?

Especially happy crafting,

Caroline

Supplies Used:

Cardstock in Sweet Leaf, Pacifica, Buttercup and White Daisy

Inks: Buttercup, Sweet Leaf,  & Versamark

Alcohol markers in blue and green

White and Clear embossing powders

Stamp sets:  CTMH's A True Thank You, One-way Borders; Paper Smooches' Many Thanks

Sizzix die

Kraft alphabet stickers

Check back Monday, Oct. 7th for details on how I created this awesome focal:

♡♡♡

Thankful for World Card-Making Day

This weekend marks the first anniversary of my blog!

I remember posting about World Card-Making Day, which I had just found out about. Imagine, a day dedicated to creating things which give joy to other people!
Some similar joy this past week, when I ran two card-making workshops. One was for clients at the Rehab Centre where I work, and one was for friends of my sister-in-law. In both cases, the true enjoyment was watching people get excited about the creative process. I love it best when the projects I've provided only serve as a departure point for further inventiveness, when people make their own variations or take off in an entirely new direction.

It is also Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada.  All in all, lots for which to be thankful.

Here's a selection of some of the cards we made this week:

 The two thank-you cards feature the CTMH stamp set "A Little Thanks." The clean-and-simple card design is from my friend Kristin.
The DP in the left side shows both designs on the double-sided "Flirty" paper from CTMH.
A little shading of Sizzix die-cut leaves, some seasonal ribbon and voila.

This "turkey2stamp" is another fun set from The Stamps of Life. The turkey outline, body and feathers are all stamped separately, so you can choose your own colour and pattern combination.

This particular card design was CASEd from Emily Niehaus, one of the design-team members from the Stamps of Life. She is a very versatile stamper and can do whimsical, as is the case here, elegant, shabby-chic...worth checking out her blog.

I added a little Flower Soft for the turkey to scratch upon.

The newbie stampers had a lot of fun with this guy!

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian pals, and to the American ones, its never too early in the season to enjoy some roast turkey!

Happy crafting, 

Caroline