We Love Our Heroes Blog Hop!!

***If you are looking for the Red, White, and Blue Card Challenge, please CLICK HERE!!***

Welcome to the 'We Love Our Heroes Blog Hop'!! :)

Today is Armed Forces Day, so this is a hop to support and bring awareness to the works of Operation Write Home. You should have arrived here from the talented Sally!!  If you are one of my fabulous followers hopping over from your dashboard OR if you are reading this in an email, please CLICK HERE to go to Misty's Blog, and hop along through so that you don’t miss anything this wonderful group has to offer.

In addition to card makers making cards for service persons to send home to their families, OWH has something called ‘Hero Mail'... These cards can be ANY size (not just the usual required A2 size) and include a personal note to ‘Any Hero'...  We call them 'Heroes' (instead of just 'soldiers') because OWH ships to all branches of service. These hero cards are passed out to deployed heroes who might not get much mail or are just passed around to enjoy news from home.   I would love for you to stop over at OWH for more info or to get started on some hero cards of your own!!

Thank you to all of our Heroes -- past and present, as well as those who serve on the Homefront!  I'd like to share three of the Hero Cards I've made to say 'Thank You' for the generous sacrifices made by the brave men and women of our Armed Forces...

This card was made using the A Child's Year Cricut Cartridge...  Since glitter is a big no-no (but I like a little sparkle), I especially love using this 'shimmer' paper that is 100% 'Hero-Safe'... 

My sentiment ('thank you so very much') is a StampinUp! stamp, and I used my Tim Holtz tiny attacher to staple the sentiment to the card front.

My second card was created with the Create A Critter (for the giraffe) and Stand and Salute (for the humvee) Cricut Cartridges.  The clouds were punched with my Creative Memories Scallop Circle Maker and then embossed with my 'entangled' Couture Creations embossing folder (a gift from my awesome Aussie friend, Carlene!).  The road was embossed with my 'tiny bubbles' Cuttlebug embossing folder.

I really, really, really love giraffes, so it's always fun to create cards with giraffes!!  This guy is happy to be a *USA HERO*!!  And I'm happy to have a FUN card to say thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to a real hero...

Not only am I super-in-love with the shimmer paper (this card is TOTALLY shimmered out!!), but I'm also super-in-love with the fireworks and phrases found on the Stand and Salute Cricut Cartridge!!  They always make me feel like celebrating, they are super easy to cut out, and they look great no matter what!! :)

I added some dot, dot, dots with my silver metallic Creative Memories pen...  And to finish off the sentiment on the front ('Land of the Free'), the inside says...  "because YOU are brave!!" 

Thanks so much for taking the time to look at my cards.  I know these cards are a small gesture compared to the daily sacrifices of our Armed Forces...  I truly feel tremendous gratitude to the men and women who choose to face such intense circumstances so that I can enjoy such priceless freedom...

Your next stop is Anita...  But before you go, please be sure to leave a comment HERE to be eligible for my Blog Hop Candy!!  I have a selection of card-making supplies (perfect for some 'Any Hero' cards!!) to send to one lucky person...  I love giving extra chances in my drawings -- If ya only want one chance, you only need to leave one comment...  If ya like extra chances, here's how to get them all:

• Leave one extra comment if you are a follower or become a follower (you do not have to be a follower to win)...
• Leave one extra comment if you 'like' LoveToCrop! on Facebook (CLICK HERE to 'like' it now)...
• Leave one extra comment if you subscribe via email (enter and confirm email at the top of this page)...
• Leave one extra comment if you join my Red, White, and Blue Hero Card Challenge (CLICK HERE to join the challenge)...
• Leave one extra comment WITH A NOTE TO ANY HERO (I will include your note in a card to be sent to OWH)...

PLEASE be sure to leave your email address in safe scrapbookingwithamy at gmail dot com format so that I may contact you if you are the winner (otherwise, you will need to check back -- Winner will be announced on Saturday, May 28th to allow for the Red, White, and Blue Hero Card Challenge).

Now, hop on over to see what sweet Anita is showcasing for you today!!

In case you get lost along the way, the complete hop list is below.

Misty

Tanya

Kristal

Sally

Amy <<< YOU ARE HERE!!

Anita <<< GO HERE NEXT!!

Kathie

Rexann

Vicki

Darlene

Jenny B

Linda

Patti

Jazzy

Melanie

Jan

Gina