Last day to collect cards

Hey everybody! 
I am working my booty off (I wish 😜) to get the cards sorted, counted, and boxed up! Today is the cut off for collecting cards, so if you haven’t sent them yet, Please don’t. You can either keep them for next year to send, give them out locally, or maybe find someone else that is accepting Valentine cards. I have to have a cut off day or I’ll never get them counted and packaged and they have to get to the hospitals before Valentine’s Day and the way the postal service has been...I need to send them ASAP! It looks to me that some of your packages that you sent in are a few days delayed on the dates on the packages. The cards you are sending in are so Adorable and inspire me so much! I’ve still had a few that aren’t by the rules, but most are, so Thank you for those!  I still have several days of packaging, so I better get back to it! I just wanted to check in and let you know I’m still here and still working hard. Thanks again for all of the cards & love that you have sent me! ❤️ I’ll be checking in again soon.
Have a Great day!

~Winter

Get your cards sent in!

Hey everybody! 

Just checking in letting you all know there is still time to get your cards sent in! I haven't received a ton of cards yet (not like normal). I'm sure the ice storms have something to do with it and the delays of the mail, I know they will come, they always do! :) But there is still time to get them sent in, and the sooner the better! If you will, please the get word out about the Card Drive and lets make this another Great year! 

Thanks so much and have a Great weekend!

~Winter

Cards and an Update

Hey everybody! 

Just a quick update. Here are the packages that came in today. Thank you to all those who have sent them in already! I also wanted to mention again about reading ALL the rules! In these packages, there were cards with last names, Glitter, brads and some that were larger than 5 1/2 X 4 1/4, and envelopes sent with cards. Just because you send an envelope with a bigger card, Does Not mean I can use it! I use clear A2 envelopes ONLY! There is no need to send Any envelopes with your cards. SO Please read the rules carefully, it makes my life so much easier! And Thank you to all those that did!

Here are a few of my cards. I usually make all my cards in October...and well that's when we lost our house. :( I had actually just brought all of my patterned paper to the house that night, that I had at my office. So I was WAY behind on making mine and I didn't get to make near as many as I usually do. I had to buy all new Valentine stamps and my regular supplies and a very sweet friend sent me a huge package of supplies that were Exactly what I needed to get these cards made! 

Thank you, sweet friend! <3 font="">

Something I really realized that I'm terrible at, is stamping on die cuts! 

I can't seemed to line them up right, so just ignore that! :)

I wish I would have had time to make more cards, but I just don't this year. 

But I am glad that I got to make some.

I love the bite marks on this one, it was really an accident, it was from another card that I needed clouds on! ;)

Well that's all I got for tonight. We've been home all day with a "snow day". No school, no college classes, cancelled dentist appointments, and cancelled basketball games. We didn't have much snow, more like ice, but being home and nowhere to go, I was able to get caught up on Card Drive stuff. 

We have another "snow day" tomorrow too, but I think it's suppose to warm up by noon. I sure hope so, this Texas girls isn't use to this cold weather, even if my name is Winter! ;) 

Thanks again for everyone sending in cards or working on cards, I sure appreciate it! 

I'll be working hard the next few weeks, so please don't think anything if you don't hear much from me. I'm about to be working Lots of hours to get the cards ready for those kiddos! :)

Have a Great night!

~Winter

2018 "Cards From the Heart Card Drive"

Happy New Year! It's time for the 9th Annual Valentine's Day Card Drive! 

It's my blogs 9th anniversary, so as always...it's time to celebrate by having a Card Drive!

Last year's Card Drive was another HUGE success! We collected 7,268 cards and sent them to 21 hospitals, 2 foster homes and 1 nursing home! I'm praying that this years card drive will touch many more kids hearts this Valentines Day! 

As always, here are some of the guidelines from the hospital's and a few of mine. 

(Please read all rules carefully.)

* Cards need to be a Valentine theme ONLY!

* Cards can't have anything about 'Get Well Soon', 'Feel Better', or anything reminding them of being sick. (Only Valentine Cards)

* Please make cards that can be used for any gender or age. 

(This could be a little tricky, but I think you can handle it!) :)

* NO buttons, glitter, glitter pens, glitter glue, stickles, wink of stella, sequins, rhinestones, brads, googly eyes, or anything that looks glittery or can be pulled off and become a choking hazard. This is the hospitals rules! I know that some of the products that look glittery may seem harmless, but the hospital said NO glitter, so that's what we will do! 

* Cards MUST be able to fit into a 4 1/2 X 5 3/4 envelope (A2 size, but can be smaller, just not bigger). I CANNOT use them if they are bigger! (I will provide clear envelopes for each card, so there is no need to send an envelope with your card.) The clear envelopes make it easier when they hand them out to the kids.

* You can include a message in the inside, but please remember, nothing reminding them of being sick. (Maybe just a Valentine sentiment.) You can also sign your first name and what state you are from ONLY, no last names and cities! No religious sentiments either, as most of the hospitals are non denominational in their beliefs. 

* And Do Not add your blog addresses, email address, or your  website to your cards! Some hospitals have rules against patients knowing who the donors are.

*I will be excepting cards for the whole month of January. (Jan. 1 - Jan. 31) I have to have them in my hands by Jan.31! Please do not send any after that, because I have to send them off early, so they will get to the hospitals in time for Valentine's Day. And please make sure you allow enough time for shipping as well. 

*And Please NO smoking around the cards! You may not realize that they smell like smoke, but they do and it could effect the children who are already sick!

*Please send cards to me at:

Winter Sims

"Cards From the Heart Card Drive"

P.O. Box 754

Warren, TX 77664

*You are welcome to use the Card Drive badge on your blog to spread the word, just remember to save it to your computer first.

*If you have a hospital in mind that might want some cards, please send me the contact info and I will email them.

I know it seems like there are A LOT of rules, but they are the hospital's rules and we want to obey them, to keep the kids safe. So I hope you will join us again for another great year and help us put some smiles on those sweet kids faces on Valentines Day! :)

I'm a little sad to say that there won't be any prizes or sponsors this year. I hated to share this on this post, since it's suppose to be happy, but my family and I suffered a house fire in October and lost our new dream home and everything in it! :'( (I'm sure I'll share the story with all of you at another time, but we are all safe, that's the most important thing!) At the time that it happened, I was unsure if I would even have enough strength to have the Card Drive, since my heart was broken! But through a lot of prayer, strength from the Lord, and support from my family, I decided, to continue to have it this year! As you can imagine, I have A LOT of responsibilities with insurance and building our new home, and all the other responsibilities I had before, so for me to be able to have the Card Drive, I had to eliminate something this year to make it a little easier on me. I put a lot of thought into this and I feel this is the best decision for this year. We will start the prizes up again next year.

I hope you all understand. 

I just really wanted those precious kids to get their cards this Valentine's Day! 
Please send your name, address, and email address with your cards, so I can update all my records since I lost the ones from the previous years. I sure would appreciate it! Thank you!

If you have any questions, please just send me an email at:

wintersims1@aol.com

Have a Blessed New Year!,

~Winter