OWH blog hop winner!!

Thanks to all who commented on my Operation Write Home BlogHop post!!  It's always lovely to receive feedback on my work -- whether it's my writing or my cards -- and I especially loved the personal stories of Memorial Day!


The winner of my Shelter Bay books and BoBunny Liberty paper is. . . Ta dah. . . Carol L!  Carol, if you'll email your post office mailing address to JoAnn @ joannross dot com, we'll get your package out to you!

Operation Write Home Memorial Day Blog hop & Giveaway!!

It's time for the Operation Write Home Memorial Day BlogHop!! 

Happy Memorial Day weekend!!!  This is a bittersweet holiday for me. Marine Cpl. Jimmy Floren -- a friend, schoolmate, and neighbor who was born three days before I was -- received the Navy Cross posthumously for "extraordinary heroism" after being killed in battle at age twenty-one in Vietnam. There's not a Memorial Day that goes by I don't think of him.

Also, our two nephews did multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, so every time I make a card for one of our heroes, I think of Jimmy, Patrick, and Kyle, and all the other military men and women who put themselves in harm's way to keep the rest of us free and safe.

I made two cards for today's BlogHop This first features OWH President and founder Sandy Allnock's Golden retriever, Ciara. The stamp is from StampersBest OWH collection, I cut out the circles with my Cricut, the paper is from scraps, and I used my Copics for coloring. The sketch is #26.

The second card, which is from Sketch #24,  is made mostly from BoBunny's Liberty collection, though the camouflage background paper is from K&C Company's Military Cardstock paper. The sentiment is a sticker that isn't glossy; the camera flash just caught it in a funny way. I also dragged out my sewing machine and did some stitching around the two strips of red star paper. 

I'm giving away three autographed novels featuring military heroes and a BoBunny Liberty paper pad to one person, chosen at random, who comments here.  Scroll down to yesterday's post for details or click here.  Then follow this link to continue hopping!   Thanks to all for visiting; I read and appreciate all comments! 

Operation Write Home Memorial Day blog hop sneak preview & giveaway!

Beginning tomorrow, I'll be taking part in a huge Memorial Weekend blog hop for Operation Write Home.  Since my blog encompasses three of my favorite things -- writing, card making, and photography -- I'm giving away autographed copies of two of my NYT bestselling Shelter Bay books about military heroes settling back into civilian life on the Oregon coast  (where my high school sweetheart proposed):  One Summer and On Lavender Lane. 

I'm also including an uncorrected Advanced Reading Copy for Moonshell Beach, Shelter Bay #4, which will be published July 3rd, so the winner will get a sneak preview read before it goes on sale.

And, as they say on TV, That's Not All!!!  I'm tossing in this 6x6 pad of BoBunny's Liberty collection, which includes thirty-six one sided patriotic papers.  I used these for one of the cards I'll be sharing on the blog hop.  

All you have to do to enter is comment during the weekend on the actual blog hop post.  (Which will be posted here at my blog Saturday morning, May 26th.) The winner will be chosen at random and announced here, on twitter, and Facebook on Tuesday.  Here's a sneak peak of just a bit of one of the two cards I made to share. Hope to see some of you back tomorrow! 

Thanks for visiting! I read and appreciate every comment! 

Operation Write Home card challenge #122

I missed taking part in the Operation Write Home card challenges while madly writing to make my deadline. I managed to send Sea Glass Winter to my editor early Tuesday morning, then we took off to the Oregon coast for a few days R&R. But now I'm back and this was a fun challenge because I had some new papers and stamps I've been wanting to use. 

For this first one, I used black and white linen textured card stock I've had for a long time.  I think from DCWV. The black and white papers are from echo park Dots & Stripes and the darling stamp, which I discovered on an earlier OWH blog hop, is from lawn fawn.  The brads are from my stash.  

This next one's the new paper from BoBunny's Timepiece Collection and although I've had the stamp from Hero Arts OWH  collection for a few weeks, I hadn't had a chance to use it yet.  The brown mat paper is from DCWV jewel colors. When I was done, the white sentiment, also from Hero Arts OWH, seemed too bright for the paper, but I didn't want to ink distress. So, I used my Inkssentials ink blending foam with brown chalk to soften it up a bit.

I switched to horizontal for this one, which was extra fun because I love using pastel polka dots for summer.  And although it's a misty day here in the Pacific Northwest, I'm feeling summery.  Again, the paper's from echo park Dots & Stripes, the Linus stamp, which I colored with Copics, is from Stampabilities, and the Smile sentiment stamp is one I've had for awhile, but I've forgotten where I got it. 

Thanks for visiting!  I read and appreciate all comments! 

Friday photo from the Irish coast

Taking a break from finishing up Sea Glass Winter, today's Friday photo is from Ireland, which is my other favorite place, along with the Oregon Coast, on the planet. (To see the photo full size, just click on it.)  Enjoy! 

OWH Card Party #1 & Cinco de Mayo!

Wow, the Operation Write Home card party on their Stars and Stamps blog for scrapbooking weekend couldn't have come at a crazier time since I'm nine days away from having to turn in Sea Glass Winter, my January Shelter Bay book. However, if you don't tell my editor I'm making cards this weekend, I certainly won't.  :)  


The first card challenge was to make a card for a child using paper piecing.  The minute I read it, I actually knew what I was going to do. Maybe a first for me!  This darling frog is from Hero Arts.  As you can see, on the actual stamp, his tummy is flowered, which doesn't really work for a boy.  

So, since I've been in a polka dot mood lately, I went right to my Echo Park Dots & Strips paper.  The green cardstock, which I ran through my Cuttlebug embosser,  is from Die Cuts With a View. 

I colored him with Copics (YG 01, 03, 07), made the paper buttons with my Martha Stewart embossing punch, and cut out the sentiment shape with my Cricut George cartridge.  I stamped Be Happy, from  Hero Arts on white card stock, then chose another sentiment with the same font, stamped it on the green card stock, then cut out the "o" which I glued over the "a" in Happy.  The embroidery thread's from my stock.  

Then, since it's Cinco de Mayo, but too early for margaritas, I decided to make a couple more cards before I get back to writing. These went really fast, because other than the turquoise card stock from Die Cuts with a View textured bright matchmaker collection, the sentiments, paper, little chihuahua and bird came from  the Fiesta Collection from We R Memory Keepers.  What you can't see is that the red on both the pictures are embossed with felt, which not only pops the color, gives a really fun texture to them. 

Thanks for visiting! I read all comments, which are always appreciated!  

Friday Photos

Today's Friday photos are from Ireland, where J.T. Douchett and Mary Joyce will be visiting in Moonshell Beach for an emotional reunion with her family.  You can also see more Ireland photos I've taken in my album here.  
Enjoy and have a super weekend!  

OWH Card Sketch Challenge #119

Invariably, when I wake up on Sunday morning, I have a card in mind to make for the OWH Stars and Stamps weekly challenge.  And so many times the sketch is not at all what I was considering.

This was one of those times.  The circle threw me for a loop until I went digging through scraps from papers I'd bought to make cards to send to deployed men and women we've "adopted" through Soldiers' Angels.  Since we've had troops from the Marines, Navy, Army, and the Air Force, I have both specialized papers for the different services, along with general red, white, and blue.  When I found the circle inside the square, I was set.

This can work as as either a general card, or for the 4th of July.

The paper was all scraps; the buttons were made with my Martha Stewart button punch; the scallops were cut with my Martha Stewart scallop edge punch; I created the embossed star background with my Cuttlebug; the blue stars around the circle were cut out with a punch; and the gingham ribbon and embroidery thread were from my stash.

Thanks for visiting!  All comments are read and much appreciated!

Moonshell Beach Sneak Preview #12 & ARC giveaway!

Today's Six Sunday sentences are, again, from Moonshell Beach, Shelter Bay #4, which will be out July 3rd.

After his final duty as a Casualty Assistance Calls Officer, notifying family members of a fellow Marine's injury or death, J.T. Douchett isn't settling back into life in Shelter Bay all that well. After his brothers stage their own style of intervention by throwing him in the bay, his soon to be sister-in-law, Sheriff Kara Conway, informs him that she needs him to act as a bodyguard to keep visiting Irish movie star Mary Joyce's crazy fans at bay.

Although she warns him that he shouldn't mess with a pregnant, hormonal, armed woman, he's still not happy.  But then his older brother, Sax, ups the stakes.  Enjoy. . . 

"Plus, there's the fact that if you upset my woman, I'll have to shoot you," Sax warned on something close to a growl.  

Although J.T. didn't believe for a minute his brother would follow through on that threat, he thought back again to the pregnant woman he'd bought sheets for — the one who'd begged to sleep next to her husband's casket — and felt his resolve crumbling. 

"Well, Kara asked, "do I hear a volunteer?"

Damn. He'd had drill instructors who weren't as tough as Sheriff Kara Conway.  Knowing when he was outnumbered, J.T. managed, just barely, to stand at attention and snap a salute.

"Aye, aye, Ma'am."

One person who comments will receive an Advanced Reading Copy of Moonshell Beach! To allow for more time, since not everyone's online on Sunday,  I'll announce the winner here, on Twitter, and Facebook Saturday, May 5th.

Because of a deluge of spam, I've had to put the dreaded Captcha back, but if you have to post anonymously, please sign your name or your first name and last initial at the end of your comment, so I'll know who you are.  :)

Thanks to NAL generously sending me a big box of ARCs, there'll be six more sentences and another giveaway here next Sunday. For more chances to win, just "like" my Facebook page where I'll be giving away more ARCs and this gorgeous photo book of the Oregon Coast (where my high school sweetheart proposed and my Shelter Bay series is set), in my exclusive fan zone in May.

Moonshell Beach ARC giveaway winner!

The winner of this week's Six Sunday Moonshell Beach challenge is -- ta dah! -- SusannahC!!!  If you'll just email your mailing address to JoAnn@JoAnnRoss.com, or message me on FB, we'll get your copy out to you!

Thanks to all who commented.  And if you didn't win this time, I'll be posting a new excerpt and thanks to NAL's generosity sending a box of ARCs, another Advanced Reading Copy will be up for grabs starting tomorrow, Sunday, April 29th!

OWH Summer Card Challenge

This card is for an Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps card challenge with a Sweet Summertime theme.  To me, one of the best things about summer is going out for an ice cream cone with a friend.  And the dotted paper from Echo Park Paper reminds me of dotted swiss summer dresses.  I colored the Stampabilities stamp with Copic markers and the sentiment stamp's from an OWH Hero Arts stamp.  I cut out the white and pink circles with my Cricut Sweet Treats cartridge and the turquoise one with my EK Success circle cutter. 

Although I seem to be genetically incapable of making multiples, I made this card for a deployed hero to send back home and another just like it for a friend who, this week, learned that her that cancer's returned. 

Thanks for visiting!  I read and appreciate every comment!