Thursday, April 26, 2012

Library Chic products in the Shop and Two Vintage Journaling Card Freebies

Assorted Set of 25 Library Cards - Curtsey Boutique
 I've been super busy adding fun items to the shop.  As a teenager I spent my Summers volunteering at the local library on my military base. One summer I transferred over 1000 books from the old card catalog system to the new bar code scanners we all take for granted these days. You might think, I'd never want to see a library card or stamp again, but just the opposite is the case. I love use library cards for gift wrap, journaling in my scrapbook and Project Life projects and making tags.

One of my favorite finds is these monthly periodical check out cards. They already have the day and month on them, so pop them in a typewriter, run them through your printer or hand write some journaling and voila you're finished. So fun!!

Cards can be purchased by color or in assortments in the shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/curtseyboutique?section_id=10783255

Library Calendar Journaling Cards - Curtsey Boutique

I've also been hard at play with digital images again, and have two 3x4 journaling cards below for you to use.  I really like the idea of the ledger paper inside the doily on the second one - what do you think?
Free Vintage Ballerina Journaling Card - Curtsey Boutique

Free Vintage Doily, Kraft Paper, and Graph sheet Journaling Card - Curtsey Boutique

Getting carded,

CarrieAnne

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Miss Arts, Operation Write Home and a Deployment Digital Freebie

Curtsey Boutique Deployment Project Life sized Journaling Card

My husband and I were military sweethearts. We meet while we were both ROTC cadets at the University of Dayton. To my parents dismay we were engaged only after a few short months. After 12 years of marriage they've gotten used to him and we've pretty much proved that love at first sight can be a lasting thing. 

With both of us being active duty military our first years of marriage were mostly spent apart. September 11th, the War in Iraq and other domestic deployments had us passing like to ships in Battle Dress Uniforms that weren't even sailing on the same night. 

To say the least military charities are close to my heart. When Alyssa from Miss Art's approached me about doing a post on Operation Write Home and Miss Art's Papercrafting School's support of it I couldn't have been more excited.

Here is the Skinny:

Operation Write Home:

A charity that serves our armed forces by sending them blank handmade greeting cards they can use to write home on. It also provides the soldiers with cards of gratitude and encouragement.

Why this charity is so AMAZING:

In March 2011, they passed the 1 million card mark and crafters like us helped them do it!

How Miss Art's is Getting Involved:

Each Tuesday, visit the Miss Art's blog to view the tutorial. Then join designers Karen Hanson, Alyssa McGrew, Tina McDonald, and Jodi Baune in creating cards to donate to Operation Write Home. Cards will be collected at the Miss Art's office, then forwarded as a group to the Operation Write Home distribution center.

The first tutorial, giveaway rules, and instructions for creating and sending in cards can be found HERE

Miss Art's Paper Crafting School Operation Write Home Tutorial Project #1


How Helping Other's can Help You:

Besides that warm fuzzy feeling you'll get for doing something nice for a complete stranger, Miss Art's will be giving a free April Kit for every card you send them for Operation Write Home.

Where to get More Information:

Operation Write Home Link HERE

Miss Art's Paper Crafting School Link HERE

Miss Art's Papercrafting School Operation Write Home Giveaway

I have a shoebox full of letters in the bottom of my closet. Notes that we sent to each other over those first years of constant separation. Some of them have sprinkles of desert dust on them, a few are smeared with mud, but all of them are witnessses of a great romance.  They mean more to me than just about anything else I own.  Even years later, I don't like to discuss my feelings about being separated from my husband during deployments. So, I haven't yet used the journaling card at the top of this post, but it is free to all those who would like to use it. 

I am excited to help others build up their own shoeboxes and hope you too will be encouraged to give back to our soldiers.

Create with love,

CarrieAnne