Halloween already??? Sure! Planning ahead!

So I haven't added anything in awhile! Summertime!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer has been busy! So I thought I would pop in quickly this morning and give you some photos to use for card fronts. Feel free to save and make your own cards from these... Embellish as you like! Have fun! :O)

Life is good, because of you!

Riley's Owl

This card is created from a painting I did for 3 year old Riley. Love to her, and her parents!

Love and Joy Medic's Bouquet

This bouquet looks great on either white or light yellow cardstock!

Makes a great addition to any package, especially if you want to say thank you!  Photo by D.M.Rice

On the Beach

Foot Warmer, Friend

This card is created using a photo from Leslie Scott. Leslie is our *LWT Top Dog,  on SoldiersAngels.org
Thanks, Leslie, for sharing your 'foot warmer' !

*Letter Writing Team

Flower Pot of Colors Card!

Two more cards!

Top is Maine Coast painting, and the angel is my primitive gal...

Sending a Package of cards and goodies to a soldier? Use Regional A/B boxes and save!!!

Have a printer, and a credit card??? (you must do this on line, to use the regional boxes, and print out your own mailing slips to tape on to boxes, and you NEVER put tape over the scanning rectangle!!!)
When shipping packages to the military, you can save $ by using regional box es! 

I save a bout $4 to $5 on each box, when shipping to east coast zips, since I am on the east coast!
The regional boxes save the most for the West, and East , but the middle states don't save as much this way, so do check the prices!! It depends on the zip you are sending from, and to... as to how much you can save! 


Regional boxes are ordered on line at the link below. They are FREE boxes. You order on line with a credit card, but there is not a charge. When you order, the link offers Stamps on line ... ( I don't use them!!) I buy at the post office downtown. The online stamps cost extra) And they have nothing to do with the package order!
Of course, the site is trying to have you buy stamps on line... ) Don't! ;O)

TO USE THE BOXES, you MUST PRINT OUT YOUR OWN SHIPPING /Mailing paperwork, and tape it to your box. You must weigh your box, and fill out the same paperwork for military boxes as per usual. (When a box weighs 4 lbs, I put 4.8 on the paperwork to make sure it is accurate for the online payment!)
The whole process took me about 10 minutes to set up my account, and it takes about 5 to do a package now...)

Steps :

1. Go to  United States Postal Service (online)
2. Sign up, or sign in, if you have not, and open an account. (top right corner of the page)

 3. Order your boxes on line (Click order eco friendly boxes, under Order Supplies).
Takes up to 10 days to have them come to your home. Remember, they are free. I don't buy stamps on line!)
 
 Once you have your boxes, Fill them up with Goodies that are under 15lbs. (I have hit 6 lbs , no more! ) LOL!

Weigh your items and fill in the custom forms paperwork for the itemize as you normally do when shipping to military.  and weigh the total box, after taping it up.You may do the customs on line, (I was told) but I never have done that. I go to the post and get the form. I am not as savvy on line as some!

Go back to the USPS link, and 
go to:
PRINT A SHIPPING LABEL                                        

You are shipping domestic...
Follow the steps carefully filling in all necessary info.
Ignore the tracking thing, it doesn't apply to military
Pay on line with credit card. Do NOT hit your back button while printing out your shipping label!! WAIT for the process to complete, check the paper for accuracy, and then hit the button that asks if it printed out correctly. (yes, you get billed, no... the link goes back to try again. ) 

 Hints.
I don't insure my packages. I always put another name to deliver to in the paperwork I fill out, or put Chaplain with the same address. This way your package will not come back to you, and you know it is going to someone who can use the items.

Hope this is clear, and if it isn't or you have ways to improve these directions, don't hesitate to comment! Thanks all! :O)

                                                                                                                    

White peonies in blues

Painted flowers (3 versions)

Kids on the fence

Thanks to Lori !!! for this shot... She is allowing me to use it for the soldier's cards!

June Blooms

Our peonies are in full bloom! These were hanging so low I had to cut a bouquet and bring them into the house. Of course I grabbed the camera, and played in photoshop... so I could share with you!
Hoping all the cards I create here bring a bit of 'back home' to many soldiers!

Wild Flower Garden

Red Squirrel!

Serenity...

With all the rain, and then the sun, the plants are lush!

For nature lovers, this is amazingly fun to catch in a photo! I went out right after a rain, and this plant seemed to talk to me! The droplets! They line the edges like diamonds!

What to Write About?

When I talk to people about writing to soldiers, I keep hearing the question,

                     "What do you write about?"

Here are a few ideas for you!

Write about your own daily life, (it may be routine to you, but it is new to the soldier you are writing to!)

Keep it positive and up beat, (not the negative dramas of your life! ) 

Did something fun happen ? Are you planning an outing? Share it! Do you love sports? Tell them about the AWESOME play you saw last night on tv! 

Find Cartoons that are GP and funny! Add them to your cards and letters! Clip them from the papers, and pop them into a card! 

Did you see a great movie recently? Talk about it! (and maybe send a dvd to the soldier, while you are at it, if the soldier can play it where he/she is deployed.) 

Go for a walk downtown, in the woods,  out in the garden, anywhere in your COLORFUL environment, and take photos , print them on cardstock , and send them along ... and write about them! 

 

If something silly or embarrassing (not rude, or adult) happens to you, and it is really quite funny... write about it!  

Send crossword puzzles, or word search pages.

Send drawings and coloring book pages that your kids have made! Don't have kids? Do some yourself, or ask your friends kids to help! 

The most important thing, is to write! The soldiers look forward to hearing their name for mail call... and a colorful card, or drawing can light up the dreary environment they are in. Just a smiley face sticker can be the most important part of the whole letter! 

LISTEN to the words of the soldiers that write back to you... learn to "hear" what they are saying. 

My first soldier said he 'has a good sense of humor'... and about the third email in, I was telling him things I didn't tell my kids at his age!  LOL! Of course, now that I  am nearly 60, I can get away with all sorts of silly writings! :O) 

HAVE FUN with the writing !!!  The soldiers can 'hear' your smiles, too! 

 

Today's card is brought to you by...
My front garden from last year's photos! As the flowers bloom about the yard, I will be adding new photos for cards... but this year's garden is mainly green, as of today. The peonies are going to pop open in a week or two, I am sure of it! :O)!!!
Make sure to click open ALL THE WAY... to the larger size photo, before you download... it works best that way! :O)

May 31, 2011 Where did May go?!!!

May 29th Memorial Weekend Sunday! Thank You to the Soldiers!

May 28th!

Fun to create... and share! Use White Card stock and download, print out, cut... and you have two cards ready to send!

May 27th

You can pop open, and save... print on white card stock, 8.5" by 11", and have 2 cards ready to fold, cut, write!
I buy my envelopes on line, via  Heinrich Envelopes