Wednesday, July 18, 2012

These Boots

Hi Club Scrap! It's Sandy Allnock from Operation Write Home, here to bring you a little project update as well as inspire you in using my favorite new boots!

First, the inspiration....as you probably know by now, OWH sends beautiful handmade cards to our heroes overseas so they can write home to their families. We're working toward our second million cards....we're at 1.7 million so far! We'd love for you to join us. This video footage will make your heart happy about helping out...enjoy! (Direct link on YouTube: http://youtu.be/LgMLq0tSWyo)


And now....for those boots! I have two cards to share: this first one is a card that a hero can send home, and I can just imagine a hero loving to send this to a wife who may have complained about his stinky boots at one time - but would give everything to have them in her mud room right now. I used alpha stickers to create my own sentiment - and I bet you have plenty in your collection that could pull off a fun sentiment on a card! A little more detail on the card is on my blog here.
The second card is what we call an "AnyHero" card. These have messages of gratitude inside them...and one of my favorite things about making them is that I can get lumpy with them! They go into ziploc bags on top of each package of cards we send, so they don't need to survive the mail. So I decided to lace up the boots. This lacing technique could also make a fun boot embellishment on a scrapbook layout too! Here's how I did it:

First, stamp the boots on cream cardstock and color as desired. Make sure it's heavy enough cardstock to handle liquid adhesive and curling from it - or you may have a wrinkled mess. I did much simpler coloring this time - I used Copic markers E33, E35, and E31 on the boots themselves, and W7, W5, W2, and W00 for the shading around the edges. Then I punched holes in approximate locations for the laces - it's not exactly even, but after the threading is done, no one will know :) I cut a 12-inch length of this suede cord from May Arts for each lace.

Next I began lacing, from the front of the shoe, just like you'd do with a real shoe.

Criss cross the laces, just like on real boots. Then get some adhesive - whatever will work with the kind of ribbon or twine you'll be using. I've got some Tombow Multi, my favorite liquid adhesive.
I drew the adhesive in the areas I wanted to wind the laces; it's not all that exact either, but again, nobody will notice later!
 Next I laid the laces carefully in the adhesive, even twisting them as a normal shoelace would. If I were doing this on a card to put in the mail, I'd keep it as flat as possible, but for this usage, not going postal, it's just great. Trim the extra bits of cord or ribbon.

Now about adhering this to a card - with the shoelace lumps in the center of the image, it's going to be a bit of a lumpy problem. I solved that by putting my dimensional adhesive around the edges of the back of the piece; then the whole image is popped up, so the laces don't get in the way.
Here's the finished card - I used the Tour of Duty paper to complete it, along with a repeated stamping of the "Thank you thank you" sentiment in the stamp set! I found the metal Army brad in a dollar store - and it's the last one of the pack. (I've been hoarding them a long time, it feels good to find just the *right* card to use it for!)
So, in this month of patriotism, having just passed Independence Day - how about deciding to help out some heroes and make some cards? You can make blank AnyHero cards to take to a summer BBQ and get others to write notes in them - or get some of your scrappy friends together to make some supernice cards for deployed service members to write home on! There's a page for newbies if you just want more information to get started.

Thanks so much  - hope you have a super day!
Sandy


8 comments:

  1. you take those boots to a higher level! I'll have to try lacing on them next! This reminds me to pack up my box of cards and get them in the mail to you!

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  2. Absolutely fantastic cards! Thanks for sharing the video too. So proud to say that I have been involved with your organization.

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  3. Loved the laces idea!Those make absolute work-of-art cards! Hopefully I'll have another package to send you by the end of the week! I'm enjoying so much cardmaking-with-a-bigger-purpose...

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  4. Gorgeous cards, Sandy! Thanks so much for showing us how to do this very cool technique!

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  5. Love the cards and the lacing idea!! Thanks!

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  6. Great card, Sandy! Love those laces, not to mention the coloring! OWH rocks!
    R/

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  7. I just love the laces on those boots! Super cool!

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  8. Fantastic upgrade to an already outstanding card. Thank you Sandy for all you and your organization do!

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