Greetings from Miles Away

It’s the first of the month. That means its time for a Papertrey Ink Challenge! This month, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, Nichole asked that we share ways that we can use stamping to help bless the lives of others. I LOVE things like that. Using what we LOVE to make a difference.

I have to say I have MANY places that I send all my (non sent) card creations I do through the year. All dear to my heart. Many people asked what I do with them, and now you will know. I have posted what I do in the past, but will share again today. Always around the holidays I gather them up and either ship them, or deliver the box myself.

This year I have 3 HUGE boxes of cards, and altered items to hand over. The feeling is INCREDIBLE. People say I should sell them on Etsy, but I have to say knowing where these are going, no amount of money could ever make me feel the way donating them to these organizations does. I feel like Im getting to give something back. So much has been done for us, its the least I can do. Plus it helps me NOT feel so guilty for NOT sending as many cards as I should. I guess I could mail photos of the boxes to the would have been recipients and say Hey Look! There is a card in there that was going to be yours but is now being donated in your honor! LOL!

Having had my daughter go through Cancer was the MOST eye opening experiences of my life. In so many ways. The one thing that shocked me most was the POWER of the volunteers, and donations made to make amazing things possible for sick kids and their families.

What does a family do, when they have a really sick child, who is far from home? Well that is where my reason for this card comes in.

One of the places that is so dear to my heart is David’s House.

 PLEASE read the story of how this organization was started –>David’s House

Or go to-

www.davids–house.org

461 Mount Support Rd
Lebanon, NH 03766
(603) 643-2298

This is the place that opened my eyes to the amazing kindness of perfect strangers. The power of donating your time can truly have on families. It provided Alexa with a gorgeous handmade quilt (that she STILL sleeps with every night!) when she first go diagnosed with Leukemia. Someone took the time to make that, and donated it! AMAZING! I use to quilt, so I know the TIME that goes into each and every creation.

David’s House  gave me a place to eat a home-cooked meal-also donated by area families, each night for dinner so I wouldn’t have to pay for yet ANOTHER meal for at least $5, easy.

It provided my husband a place to sleep, when he could come visit with the kids, close to hospital, so we didn’t have to pay for a hotel. An expense we truly could not afford while Alexa had a her LONG hospitalization.

They allowed me to go and do my laundry there, at no cost, so I didn’t have to travel all the way home to get clean clothes. I was able to remain in the hospital with Alexa the entire time she was admitted.

I was also able to just go and take a quick break from reality IF I needed it, and to socialize with other families who understood what we were going through.

This house provided my family with so much support. All run by volunteers! It truly amazing how people give so freely time, out of their own busy lives, to help families like mine. It doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference.

I vowed that I will volunteer more once my kids are in school full time.

I like to give back what I can, and for me that is some cards that the staff or families can use. I cannot tell you how often someone does something amazing for you, that you WISH you had a card handy for.

Last year when I dropped off my box, some of the families actually got teary over the prospect for giving Nurse X a thank you, or bringing a card with them for their son the next morning. Or Volunteer X helped me with this and now I can thank her.

TRULY amazing.

I only send cheery, upbeat cards to this home.

No Im sorry, or sympathy card. When your child is sick that is the LAST thing you want to stumble upon. I also like inspirational cards as well.

I decided to make a few extra for the box from our family, to thank Davids House. They can use them to send out, or give to others in the House.

This place is truly a God Send to families just like mine 😀 If you have a big stash of cards, getting dusty I encourage you to consider David’s House, or maybe a Ronald McDonald house in your area.

Other organizations I enjoy donating to are

Cards for Cancer

Chemo Angels

OR your area Children’s Hospital.

OK now for my card info! I wanted to keep the mass production SIMPLE as possible.

I saw a stamp a while back of a tree with envelopes in it. I thought it was REALLY cute.

I then thought it would be SO cute to use the Father Knows Best tree image, and the envelopes from Mailbox Greetings. With a little masking it looks awesome!

 I just stamped my envelopes first, masked them, them stamped my tree leaf image. I filled in the leaves with various shades of blue and green ink. I love the colors. I punched out the tree top, and layered it onto my card base. EASY PEASY!

I think its just cheery enough for the cause don’t you?

OK now don’t miss the other design team girls creations for causes :

• Debbie Olson  
• Lisa Johnson
• Michelle Wooderson
• Nichole Heady
• Pine

I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts, and if there is a place that is dear to your heart too!

Thanks for reading and remember to “pass it on”.

I have so much going on right now your head would spin off your shoulders if I shared my to do list with you! You truly have no idea. Im actually surprised mine hasn’t fallen off yet 😀 For me to not have time to even check my email, let alone blog is a HUGE deal here.

I truly didn’t think people would notice, but I did se some very concerned emails, so yes, I am OK! Thanks for asking 😀

We have more My Timeless Templates to prepare for YEAH!! They seem to have been a big hit with everyone who has tried them, so thank you!

With Harvest parties, and deadlines its nuts. Plus I have MANY errands for my brother and his girlfriend. Then my dog and 3 cats got fleas today :C. So I spent the day de-fleaing and taking Daisy to the groomer. Poor baby.

Then it was all the Harvest party stuff for my 3 kids. Between ALL their parties I ran ALL day.

Now keep in mind my family doesn’t celebrate Halloween. I allow my kids to par-take in the parties and stuff at school, but we don’t Trick or Treat. No big deal in my house, we never did it. Today while we were at Noah’s harvest party, his teacher decided to do a “poll”.

 Raise your hand if you are going Trick or Treating tonight. EVERYONE raises their hand, EXCEPT for Noah. She says OK 15 kids are Trick or Treating. Now “Who ISN’T going Trick Or Treating? Raise your hand.”

” Noah? You aren’t going correct?”

 Noah looks embarrassed and wouldn’t raise his hand. He turns to me and says “Mom Im going Trick or Treating too right?”

I just stood there, feeling so awful and Noah being singled out with a room of people. I didn’t say anything.

He said “Yes, I am going too”

So she put him in the “yes” colum.

She said “OK so 16 kids going trick or treating, and no one isn’t going”

That concluded the “poll”, then Noah left for a reading group. I approached the teacher upset, and asked her what was the point in that poll?

I told her “Noah is really NOT going trick or treating. We don’t celebrate it. But you singled him out, and he was so embarrassed and singled out. You saw there wasn’t another child, why point him out? I don’t understand what the point was”

She replied “Oh its no big deal, no one cares”

I then said ” You are wrong Noah cared, as he was the ONLY one, and you blatantly pointed that out. I hope you rethink your questions in the future.”

He then went on to be upset that he is the ONLY one not going. Its times like that, that make being a parent hard. I know he doesn’t understand WHY my family chooses not to celebrate it. He sees it as just a fun thing to do, and it is made fun. It just made me have a guilty mommy moment, you know?

When you believe in something, its not always easy to be the ONLY one, or stand up for it when “everyone else” is doing it. I saw this today.

Just had to share that. I still feel upset seeing what went down.

We are off to go for ice cream sundaes instead. So that should help

OK totally sorry about that interruption but Im still upset over it.

I do have a nice gift set to share with you though. This also answers my post question.

Personalized stationary is ALWAYS a great gift, I think! LOL! So when it came time for a gift idea, that is the way I went.

I made these cards as a set.

Well my dear friend Alicia has had a lot on her plate with her son Ethan having Cancer. I am certain she always needs some sort of quick note to send somewhere. I have a care package I have been putting together for her & the kids (still not done) but this was part of my “plan”.

I wanted to make her some notecards, so  I whipped up 8 cards. 2 of each design. Now to fit my box, these are 4 X 5 1/2. I used the left over scrap strip for my accents on my cards 😀 NO WASTE!!

The designer paper panel is 3 X 4

I used myJustRite Stampers Harmony classic oval set, colored the flower border using various markers, to match my K & Co paper.

I then assembled her name in the center using my Curlz Font. I decided on the 50pt for this one. It was the perfect font for this funky paper!

If you have any of the JustRite Stampers you may want to check this tutorial for conditioning them on SCS—>HERE!

They were also the product focus on SCS-HERE!

I decided to accent my card using my AWESOME Bazzill flowers, and some buttons I had. I HOPE Alicia likes these because its not a “re-giftable” item! LOL!

OK now for the answer to the question, “what do you do with 8 cards?”

Chipboard Chic Box by Lauren Meader ©

You make a ROCKIN, chipboard, desktop holder! I never made all the squaes ones that were all the rage, but this version of mine was fun for me No more forgetting to send a card out. Its out in plain view!

I made mine using cut down chipboard coasters!

It was SUPER fun, and SUPER easy.

On the sides I punched my holes, and inserted a big eyelet. I then popped in a silver handle from a Paint can.

How cool?!

Here it is all full and ready to go!!

The front/back panels are 4 across, 3 inches tall

The sides are 1 1/2 wide, and 3 inches tall.

Now my bottom piece was  4 1/2 X 2.

Holder done in UNDER 15 minutes 😀 LOVE IT! I bet once I get moving I could WHIP up a bunch of these no problem I’m thinking TEACHER gifts!

Well thats all for me, I have to run.

Enjoy.