Two Happy Birthdays!!

We have TWO important HAPPY BIRTHDAY Challenges today:

1.  The first is our regular Happy Birthday Challenge, which is open to all of you who want to join in the fun.  Simply place your entries at the bottom of this post using Inlinkz.  It will stay open until next Wednesday evening, September 7, at 10 p.m.  The drawing will be for a $25 Gift Certificate for use in our  ONLINE STORE.  The winner will be announced the next day, September 8, on DT Thursday.  So get busy out there, with an excuse to get some great Birthday Cards made, and post the one you like best at the end of this post!

2.  The next Happy Birthday we are celebrating all month long, belongs to Operation Write Home.  Their orgaization was born on September 12, 2007.  To celebrate they are having "CARD MAKING PARTIES" thoughout the month!!! You can read all about it HERE.  To help them celebrate we are having a BLOG HOP FOR TODAY ONLY and we will be have a drawing tonight for a $25 Gift Certificate for use in our ONLINE STORE.  To be eligible for this drawing you must:

• Leave a comment on EACH DT member's blog post for today's challenge and then
• Leave a comment on this blog about your favorite NEW IO stamp (you can view our new catalog HERE)
• All of your comments must be finished by midnight, 12:00 a.m. EST, tonight.
• Random.org will pick the winner, to be announced in a post here tomorrow morning,  Friday, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. EST.

So get hopping out there and have a fun time viewing the cards designed using our NEW FALL WINTER stamps!!!  Here are the DT members participating in today's hop and challenges too:

• Daniela Dobson
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber
• Laura Fulcher

Last, but definitely not least, is some information about Operation Write Home, that you may not know:

• They send blank handmade greeting cards (donated by people like you and me) to deployed troops so they can stay in touch with their loved ones.  If you want to be a part of this great service to our armed forces go HERE to find out more.  They have stamp tutorials, challenges and more fun things for you to do while you are creating your cards for our Heros In Uniform!  Over 1,000,000 cards have been sent so far!
• For just Sept., Oct., and Nov. they expect to spend $13,000 in shipping expenses.  You can learn about more ways to help them with this expense through fun activities by going HERE.  If you are making cards AVOID GLITTER - IT REALLY IS A SECURITY RISK IN WAR ZONES.
• You may also want to donate directly to help with their shipping expenses.  You can have card parties with attendees donating and/or you can find out how to do the direct donatios by going HERE.  Donations can be as little as $11.

So what a great couple of challenges.  I can't wait to see who our winners will be.  If you have any questions, please fee free to EMAIL ME.

Thanks for stopping by to look and join in the fun!!

 

Comments

[Tami B]

Thank goodness for OWH's birthday because that's how I found you. I am totally and completely in awe and in love with all the stamps by Gary Robertson!

[Nancy M]

First, thanks so much for partnering with OWH- they are wonderful and so are you! I am glad to be introduced to you through them.

Second, my favorite stamp (are you kidding–pick just ONE??!!) is:
H1841 SchoolHouse bc it is cute but mainly bc my grandma, who raised my brothers and me, had taught in a one-room country school like that one, so it holds a very special place in my heart. Thanks again for helping OWH.

[Patricia H]

I wasn't familiar with IO's products OWH prompted me to come here today. I have been missing out on too much cuteness!

Your C5588 stamp, "If you think I'm a witch, you should meet my sister", made me literally laugh out loud. I have two older sisters who picked on me a lot while we were growing up. I'd love to get them back with that statement. Heh, heh, heh.

G11003 is adorable too. I love the cat peeking out of the jack-o-lantern!

[Patricia H]

Sheesh. That first sentence should have read "I wasn't familiar with IO's products until OWH prompted me to come here today."

I really do know proper English, but sometimes my fingers work faster than my brain.

[Jean Bartlett]

Thank you for kicking off the OWH Birthday Bash. I did not know about Impression Obsession until now. What a great collection of stamps and I only looked at the new ones! It is hard to pick a favorite, but I will choose CC063 Cover a Card Map. It would be great on masculine cards.

[Tera]

My new favorite is the winter scenen log cabin - haven't gotten it inked yet but soon!!

[Linda Monroe]

I love a birthday blog hop. My favorite new I/O stamp is Stocking with ornament (K10006) by Hannah Davis. That looks like it would be so fun to color up for christmas cards or tags!

[Shirleyone]



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[yvonne]

Great card from all involved! One of my favorites is Welcome Mat.

[Paula S.]

Great birthday hop! Thanks to IO and their DT for supporting Operation Write Home and helping us to celebrate.

What a wonderful catalog. I had no idea how large the IO line was. My favorite (as if you could pick just one) would be the "take Me To Your Cake" sentiment. Very funny!

[Shirleyone]



[Dana]

My fav new IO stamp is the Christmas Text CAC... Lots of great new CACs and I can't wait to see more!

[Judycs]

My favorite new IO stamp is School Days. Then there is........................... So many!

[CarrieAnne Curtis]

Fabulous stamps and great ideas that do with them! My favorite is Decorate the Season Fence. Can someone tell me how I can get one? I am in LOVE!

[Crafty Math Chick]

OWH is such a wonderful cause (I need to get another box out to them soon now that I think of it!) to share your birthday with. Your DT's creations were lovely, but no one selected to use my favorite image, E8612 Comfort Cocoa - I love images of desserts and frothy beverages - truly comforting when it is snowy outside. Thanks for the chance to win!

[Shirleyone]



[Dawn C.]

My favorite stamp is 1843 - Live, Love, Laugh Tree! What a breathtaking picture! Really reminds me of everyday life and how much we should appreciate our blessings! Thanks for sharing! Happy Birthday OWH!!

[Bonnie]

Wow!! Pick only one favorite!! I like first F8634 Starry Branches
and second, but not last, E8630 Snow Many Presents. There are a lot of terrific new stamps!!

[Linda Carson]

Wonderful blog hop! Love all the eye-candy! My new favorite is Bird on a Branch!

[Carol Lewis]

Thank you so much for sponsoring this with OWH because now I have found your site with the beautiful stamps. I don't know how anyone can choose just one favorite. They are all so wonderful. But, I think I have to go with the E8642 Open Sleigh. I can see some beautiful cards being made with that. Thanks again and I have definitely bookmarked your page so I can come back to make some purchases!

[Lynn Ramsey]

Wow! What awesome stamps! How to choose??? I like the Starry Window, it looks so country and since I am a farmer it is perfect! I am posting my Birthday card which I will make several of to send to Operation Write Home. Thank you for celebrating with us!

[Katie B.]

My favorite new stamp would be Pumpkin Swing, Winter Tire Swing, or Fall Porch. I love them all and can not choose a favorite. :) I love the movement of the leaves in the fall stamps.

Oh, wonderful blog hop everyone. I saw some really great cards. I always enjoy seeing what this design team has to show. I am glad you chose to honor Operation Write Home. Thank you for sharing.

Katie B.

[Marianne]

I love that you are offering wood mount stamps and clings. I like the natures view stamp. Thank you for supporting OWH.

[Rufus]

I've got a number of IO stamps, will have to dig them out and try to find the time to enter your challenge. THANK YOU of helping to support OWH!!
R/

[Rufus]

Forgot to say I really like the new music score background stamp! Just what I've been looking for.
R/

[MJ]

Thank you for supporting OWH. I enjoyed the blog hop. There are so many stamps that I like yet I think my favorite is H1851 Side Winter Church. It is so beautiful, though way beyond my skill level...I can always dream of getting better.

[MJ]

Ok I just wrote the above post, I am note sure how it listed me as D. Maggie

[Sandy]

Pick a favorite? How? So much goodness. The image that stuck in my craw was the three mailboxes - so perfect for heroes missing their loved ones at home!

Thanks again for hosting us for the hop - hoping we get some OWHers making cards for the challenge!

[Shirleyone]



[Shirleyone]



[Christine Reynolds]

Thanks to Operation Write Home Birthday Celebration post this morning I have discovered IO. My favorite new stamp is a toss up between Santa Head E7634 and Snowman with Ornament G7640. What really caught my eye was the video spotlighting the Mega Mount Tool that lead me to the Cover-A-Card Stamps. I was so excited with this new discovery I ordered the Mount and 2 CACS this moring. Happy Birthday to both OWH and IO.

[Shirleyone]



[April Carey]

I missed the challenge but enjoyed the new ideas I got by checking out your site. Thanks for the tips.

[Karla Schroeder]

My favorite stamp is H1833 The Bell. I love the morning glories that are on the post of the bell.

It is hard to choose from all of the beautiful stamps!

[Tera]

Ahhh fouy - it said above that the collection would stay open till 10 pm and its only 640 pm - pout....