Inspired by OWH... who?

I spent my recent birthday at an event where, for $20, card makers were given a packet of material and instructions to make 30 greeting cards, at least half of which were to be donated to Operation Write Home. My invitation to the event was also my introduction to this organization, which sends handmade greeting cards to deployed troops, which the troops can then use to write home to friends and family.  What a treasure that can be... so much more of a keepsake than a printout of an email!  My friends Glenda and Micah came with me and we worked as a team... and even at that, we only accomplished half our packets! 

May 1 was National Scrapbooking Day, and the folks at Operation Write Home challenged those of us who follow their blog to "rebel" and make cards instead!  Every couple of hours was a new online challenge theme, and over the course of a busy day and evening, I managed to produce 4 cards for 4 of the challenges.  But that was yesterday's creativity, so I made a couple of others today to post today.  I used a vivid piece of watercolor paper on which I'd experimented with wet-on-wet techniques and salt several years ago...  art packrats never throw anything away. (The jury is still out on whether this is a good, practical and green impulse or a destructive character flaw!)