SAS4K Blog Hop - Christmas in July

Good morning - I have been invited to be part of a blog hop.  This is a first for me, so I hope I do things right.  This hop gives you a chance to see creations made by 17 different card makers.  It is full of fun ideas and awesome cards.  Hope you enjoy.  Here is some general info and the "rules" of the event.  Please participate as you can win some great prizes, just by leaving comments.  The prizes are listed on the SAS4K blog.  Read on...

Welcome to a huge blog hop and celebration of Send A Smile 4 Kids’ 175th Challenge! The theme of this blog hop is Christmas in July 4 Kids because it is never too early to start making holiday cards for all the kids in the many children’s hospitals we now serve. We would love for each child to receive a holiday card as well as be able to pick some for special medical staff or loved ones they are missing during the holiday season. There are 17 stops in the blog hop and at each stop you have one or two chances at winning just by leaving a comment. You can also earn a chance to win a prize by commenting on the blog post on our SAS4Kids blog and also by entering the Christmas in July challenge which starts July 21st and runs through August 3rd at noon. Here are the rules for this blog hop: **You do not need to comment on every stop of the blog hop to have a chance to win a prize. One comment on any of the blogs or on the main SAS4Kids blogpost qualifies you to win one of the prizes on that blog. If you leave a comment on each stop, you will have earned 16 chances to win a prize, and if you enter a card in the Christmas in July 4 Kids challenge, you will also earn a chance to win one of 8 random prizes there. **You MUST have an USA mailing address to qualify to win any of the prizes. We apologize to any of our readers outside of the USA, but this is a requirement to win any of the prizes in this blog hop and in the Christmas in July challenge. **The blog hop will start July 21st at 8:00 a.m. CST and continue until July 31st at midnight CST. When the blog hop is done, all the winners will be drawn randomly from the commenters on each blog and on the main blog, and announced on the SAS4Kids blog on August 4th and on each individual blog. If your name is listed as a winner, you must contact Karen at khasheck@gmail.com BEFORE August 18th at midnight CST with your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS AND MAILING ADDRESS. If you do not contact Karen before August 18th at midnight CST, your prize will be forfeited. **The Christmas in July 4 Kids challenge at SAS4Kids will run from July 21st until August 3rd at Noon CST (as is typical of our two week challenges.) You can qualify for one of 8 prizes by entering a Christmas or holiday card appropriate for a child following the rules of all of our challenges found in the page above. The prizes will be awarded by random drawing and announced with the rest of the winners on August 4th on our blog. Thank you so much for supporting Send a Smile 4 Kids and our wonderful sponsors of this blog hop. Good luck in the drawings! Leave a comment here and hop for more chances at many prizes. Here is the link to the beginning of the blog:         SAS4Kids Blog (six prizes awarded here)               https://sendasmile4kidschallenge.blogspot.com/2018/07/christmas-in-july-challenge-and-blog.html

And back to me - now that you know the rules for winning prizes, check out my cards:

I try to make cards for all ages since the patients range in age from young to 21.  And since they are allowed to send these cards to whomever they want, I'm sure some go to adults.

Just some fun cards - hope you enjoyed and maybe were inspired.  

In addition to the prize you might win from SAS4K, I am offering a prize to one of the readers who posts a comment on this blog.  A random drawing will determine the winner.

Tip of the Day:

I know I say this a lot, but it bears repeating...glitter and sprays and things that rub off and get onto other cards are frowned upon.  Keeping this in mind, I was at my local craft store yesterday and found some really cute bats I wanted to use on my cards.  But, they were the glittery kind that does indeed rub off on everything.  I stopped by the dollar store near me and bought a $1.00 bottle of clear fingernail polish.  When I got home, I applied a coat of clear polish to the top of each bat and when it dried, no more glitter problem!  It is still shiny but nothing rubs off.  

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hugs, Jill

The next stop on this blog is:

Cyndi Amaya

Be sure to stop by Cyndi's blog and see more great creations.

https://ohyoumademeink.wordpress.com/2018/07/21/christmas-in-july-challenge-and-blog-hop-celebrating-our-175th-challenge/

Nurse Appreciation Cards Follow-Up

This morning I delivered 275 hand created Thank You cards to Texas Children's Hospital.  They were delighted!  A huge Thank You back to all the card makers who helped make this deliver a reality.  It was hard for me to pick only one card from each donor to showcase here because there were so many awesome cards! So many styles, techniques, designs......see for yourself!

Connie M. 

  Carole G. Brenda Z.

  Inside Barbara R.  Barbara R.

  Donna L.

  Donna G.

Inside Jane L.

Jane L.

  Kate D.            Lenora S.

  Penny W.            Rita M.

  Ruby H.  Robin H.

  Sandy J                      Ginny B.

  Garlene P.

  Kayte W.

It is my greatest fear that I forgot to acknowledge someone or got the wrong name on a card.  If I did either, please let me know so that I can fix my mistake.  I may be creative, but I am not necessarily organized at times.  I just do my best and hope for the best.

TIP OF THE DAY:  

Having just sorted though all these wonderful Thank You cards and so many more, I find this worth repeating.....It would help me if you would not tuck the card inside the envelop.  Just open the card and place the envelop inside.  Some of you place your envelopes at the end of the box and that works well also.  Here is a red card opened, with the envelop placed inside.

Card closed, envelop placed inside all ready to be boxed.

Thank you so much for stopping by today.  

Hugs, Jill