Operation Write Home

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Becky

Funny how you can find something, and it’s instant KISMET. That’s what happened to me on Sunday morning, September 9, 2012. I was hunting on the ‘net, looking for pages that would answer the question, “What is the point of 6×6 paper pads?” Well, I got some good answers which converted me to the concept as well as sparking a desire to add 6×6 designs to my 5-1/2″ line of album die cuts. But what I also got was this little link on a comment left on someone’s blog. Just an innocent little link. Where did it go? Why, to the Operation Write Home website!!!

OWH’s mission statement – “Supporting our nation’s armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as ‘AnyHero’ cards of gratitude to encourage them.”

I’d been thinking for several months that I really, really need to start making and giving away cards with the HORDES of craft supplies I have, but I hadn’t found anything I wanted yet. I grew up with my Dad in the Army, moving every several years. I still remember how it felt to wake up in the morning and hear the troops training in the distance. How proud I was of them! I have good, deep positive feelings towards the military in general and I love the idea of donating my crafting skills and supplies towards that cause. Finding OWH was a great blessing and it has rejuvenated me in wonderful ways.

It’s such an instant, strong feature of my life now, that I’ve given OWH its own tab on my blog! Here is a list of Becky’s Craftroom blog posts featuring my OWH cards, etc:

My First Box of OWH Cards
OWH Box #2

My Treasures – Craft Cutting Dies

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Becky

Okay, hold on to your britches!! I have hundreds of shapes, mostly centered around cardmaking, mini scrapbook albums, flowers, snowflakes, tags, and gift boxes. Most of them are made by AccuCut, including my custom dies.
Eventually, I’d like to get all of them listed here. Within each category are the pictures & links to each individual shape I can die cut. Each shape will also eventually have its own Gallery of sample project photos, and I’ll add those over time. You are also welcome to email pics to me of the projects you have made with me dies, and I can post all the info here on my blog! Here are the main categories:

New! – These are the shapes that have just arrived in the past month.
A2 Card Convertibles (Window Cards) – These are all the strictly-rectangle card shapes that are 5-1/2″x8-1/2″ flat and 5-1/2″x4-1/4″ when folded. They also have shapes cut in one side to form windows into the inside of the card.
A2 Card Mats – These are all the inside mats for A2 cards, starting at 4-1/8″ x 5-3/8″ and going smaller.
A2 Card Shapes – These are also all the card shapes that are 5-1/2″x4-1/4″ when folded. They also have unique shapes beyond the standard rectangle but the outmost points are still 5-1/2″x4-1/4″ when folded.
A7 Card Convertibles (Window Cards & Mats) – These are all the card shapes that are 10″x7″ flat and 5″x7″ when folded. They also have shapes cut in one side to form windows into the inside of the card.
A7 Card Shapes – These are all the card shapes that are 10″x7″ flat and 5″x7″ when folded. They also have unique shapes beyond the standard rectangle but the outmost points are still 5″x7″ when folded.
5-1/4″ Square Cards – These are all the card shapes that are 10-1/2″x5-1/4″ flat and 5-1/4″ square when folded. This includes all the Convertibles (Window) cards, coordinating mats, and other 5-1/4″ square shape cards.
Other Cards – These are all the other card shapes I have, such as gift card size and 3-3/8″ square.
Envelopes – Envelopes of all shapes and sizes. Not just for cards, envelopes also make great mini albums!
5-1/2″ Mini Albums – Everyone has an obsession, and after cards, this project/shape is mine. So cool!! I probably have over 50 dies related to this theme. These are also the “word” albums (each page is a letter of a word). All the album pages are 5-1/2″ high, with a great variety of widths for stylish album pages.
Mini Albums – These are all the OTHER sizes of mini albums, including 6″x6″, 8″x8″, and journaling albums (i.e. smash albums).
Bags & Boxes – These are all my 3-D bags and boxes die cut shapes.
Page Backgrounds – These are all the mat shapes designed to be page backgrounds for 12″x12″ and 8″x8″ scrapbook pages.
Tags, Frames, & Mats – These are all the shapes that cut tags, frame, and decorative mats for cards and scrapbook pages. Great for journaling and stamping greetings on cards.
Snowflakes – Another obsession!! Love snowflakes!!
Borders – These are all the shapes that cut decorative strips, most of them 12″ long.
Alphabets – These are the alphabet sets
Holidays & Occasions – Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s, Birthday, etc. themes.
Everything Else – All the other shapes that don’t neatly fit into other categories. But still cool!

Becky’s Wish List – My ongoing list of dies I wish I had and ones I dream about ordering. Feel free to comment and make your own suggestions for dies I should order!

About Me

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Becky

May 19, 2018 Update:

I’ve been a paper crafter for at least 20 years, dabbling in scrapbooking but truly loving cardmaking! I started out as a scrapbooker, then moved on to cardmaking when someone showed me the beauty of using rubber stamps to make greeting cards. Been an addict ever since!! My true crafting “babies” are my AccuCut dies, of which I now own hundreds. No, you don’t want to know how much money I’ve spent on them. Kind of embarrassing. Which is one of the reasons I love sharing my dies with everyone else. I’ve already paid the price for them so others don’t have to. I’ve often been asked when I’m going to open a craft store with all my dies, and I may move towards that goal, but I’m testing out the waters right now with my free Friday night crops at the White Mountain Library.

I do sell online at eBay, http://stores.ebay.com/Beckys-Craftroom. I’ve been on eBay since April 16, 1999, and I’ve been actively selling various things, mostly crafting adhesives, since 2008. I currently have 100% feedback rating and have reached a feedback number over 10,000+!! Fast shipping and great service are the hallmarks of my eBay business and I will continue to expand my product offerings.

My artistic motto – “Let the paper speak!” I ADORE paper (I have boxes and boxes of it)!! I love combining just the right colors and patterns into simple, but beautiful designs. While I love embellishments, particularly ribbon, I don’t like them to overwhelm the design. I see many designs that look like an embellishment and ink box exploded all over them and the beautiful paper gets lost. I don’t mind empty spaces if they are filled with beautiful or interesting paper. In fact, I get annoyed when too much of the paper gets covered up. There are so many wonderful colors and patterns out there, so LET THE PAPER SPEAK!