I am sorry to say this week I am only working on one project that I will post on etsy. I have another tin box (the same style box I used for my last card and recipe boxes) that I will be decorating and making into another card/keepsake box. Over the past couple years I have collected a bunch of My Minds Eye Bohemia paper and it has become one of my favorite paper design lines. Normally I like very clean lines and I have a more simple, elegant look to my designs. My color palette is usually more natural as well – a lot of blues, browns, greens and occasionally reds and yellows. This Bohemia paper, while it uses natural elements a lot – flowers and birds – and a lot of swirls that I like – it also uses more pastels and their patterns are a little more … Urban Outfitters … than I would normally use. Nevertheless, I really love this paper and I think they have some beautiful designs and colors and this is the line that I am going to use to decorate my next card box this week – as well as an assortment of cards to be included. I’m excited for this project, especially because I haven’t used the Bohemia paper for a while – it has been at the bottom of my paper cube for a while and I found it while I was sorting and organizing my paper this past week!

The other project I am working on this week and the rest of August before my husband and I leave for a trip to California (Disneyland!) is making cards for a Cards for Troops campaign through the publishers of Scrapbook Trends magazine and Cards magazine. I am a subscriber of Cards magazine and received an email newsletter about a month ago about this Cards for Troops campaign. Many of us now have friends or family that are stationed overseas in Iraq – and various other places around the world I am sure. A husband of one of the ladies who works at Northridge Media stationed in Iraq told his wife he wanted some handmade cards to send to family and friends back home. Apparently there are no Hallmark stores or stationary stores nearby out in the middle of the desert. So they started a campaign to raise … cards … handmade cards (all occasions) to send to troops in Iraq. They had such great feedback last year and such a great response that they are continuing the campaign this year and I am eager to participate. Not only is it helping to support our boys overseas, but it’s enabling me to try some card and design ideas and use some paper that I wouldn’t necessarily want to sell on etsy. I just found out last week that one of my good friends is looking to be shipped out in November, too, so I’m working on building up my own stock of cards for us to send over there.

If you are interested in participating in this campaign as well they want handmade cards of all genres and occasions – envelopes included please – blank inside. These are for the troops to be able to send back to their own family and friends. Any colors or patterns are welcome! Be creative!

You can send any cards for Cards for Troops to:

Cards For Troops

Northridge Media

563 E 770 N

Orem, UT 84097

Thanks for reading with me!