"Take me out to the ball game! Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack... Oh, root, root, root for the home team!" This seems to be a rally cry for summer fun around here. We sometimes overlook the midwest form of summer fun as a theme for card making. By midwest summer fun, I mean the treats we have here. Sure, the coasts have their beaches and palm trees-- but we have our fairs and baseball games. There are lots of cards we can do with this theme in mind. Operation Write Home needed some summer theme cards to fill in. Cards with the general sentiments of Thank you, Happy Birthday, Missing you, and Love cards. Why not make some summer fun-theme cards. 
We have plenty to choose from: "Any one for Popcorn,Sodas, or Hotdogs!"
There are some summer birthday cards with this theme that are so very cute. I was recently inspired by this card with a popcorn theme.
I loved the pop-up circle. The major theme was with movie tickets as a birthday present. The sentiment was simply, "Just for You!" We could change this to Happy Birthday and place an individual sack of un-popped popcorn, for some home DVD watching very easily, too.
Another common theme is a familiar design with the hot dog pre-print paper in the background, the use the blue paper as a banner with the lace trim paper edging as trim. Cute. Stamp your burger, grill and sentiment to the center and add the utensil as an add-on dimensional."light up the grill"---and this could make a wonderful theme for "The only thing missing is you! " Or you could try this more recent card pattern from OWH with this theme in mind.
Some of these digital graphics were on Flickr and a few we part of a free-commercial product site for vintage ads. I would still steer clear of commercial products like Coca-cola, etc. However, you can use some of the old vintage signs like this one:
Just add some modern embellishments, a tag with your best wishes to this summer theme card and you have just made a hand-made treasure.
Speaking of treasures, there is nothing that says "Summer Fun" or I miss you" like this little guy and his grandpa enjoying a hot dog at a baseball game.
I have had this idea for a card from The Cat's Pajama's design that might be just the right card pattern for the little guy's picture. Make a copy and attach it to the corner with a tag--- then, send it on to grandpa. ( I think grandma will save this one forever!)
Don't forget our heroes and their cards. These were a new variation on that theme.
The digital star and hero sentiment is found directly on the Operation Write Home web site. Look for freebies, and download the digis from there.
We are having a very warm summer here in the midwest. In our area of Indiana, we are experiencing 100 degree weather. I read someone thoughts on this topic, as it reflected our soldiers..." most of us can come out of the heat into our air-conditioning, move around in light weight fabrics and ride in air conditioned cars. We aren't marching through this heat for hours, in full-battle gear, or riding in an open-sided vehicle." They do this willingly so we can remain free and enjoying our summer fun.
Helping these brave men and women to write home to their loved ones, is such a small token of our appreciation. Thank you for keeping this freedom and way of life ours. ~~~~~~~~ "Pop- On!"~~~~~~~~~~
