Special Thanks

To all those at scrabook.com that have joined the Operation Handmade Blessings.  You all have some great ideas and some of you have already starting making items.  Katie has made a beautiful frame.

If you would like to participate through the scrapbooking site thread please go to http://www.scrapbook.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/1578853/  We have lot's of ideas going on here.  There are about 13 ladies that are participating and having a great time giving back.  If you are looking to see what are some excpeted items please see the tab above for a list of items that are accepted but not limited to.  I hope you are able to join and the turn out for this year is awesome so I am excited that we will be helping so many! 

   

2012 Operation Handmade Blessing

I am back again for OPERATION HANDMADE BLESSINGS!!! Those of you that participated last year we had a blast and thank you so much for your gifts and giving.  Those men and women in the Nursing Home enjoyed every handmade item you gave.
For those of you that do not know what I am talking about here is a little background and you can also get the entire mission at the site I provided above.
This is a differnt swap.  This swap you will be on the giving end.  Over a year ago I came up with operation handmade blessings to use my gift of crafting and scrapping to give back to those who are living in nursing homes and Assisted Living Facilities.  I started making handmade that we make for swaps and made them for the women there.  Shirt pins, altered boxes for their belongings like jewelry letters and photos, hair clips, cards for birthdays and anniversaries, beaded jewelry and so on. I then realized that this really blessed them because of lot of them had no family and the normal life there were used to was now gone.  I decided that If God gave me this gift, I am going to use it to be a blessing so that he can get the glory from it.  Then here is were operation handmade blessing came in.  I said to myself that I may not be the only one that is interested in doing this so I posted it here on scrabook.com and got a great group of people That wanted to help out and make and send items. 
 I will have more than one distribution date.  There will be one in [color:red]October 18th[/color] so any items themed for October you can have them in [color:red]by the 10th[/color]  [b][color:red] one December 22nd[/color][/b] So have those items in by [color:red]December 10th[/color]. I am making and collecting things for the months of August September October Novemeber and December.  Anything that is put on your heart to give.  Here are accepted handmade items: 
[color:red]Crochet hats, socks and scarfs. altered boxes, handmade hair clips, shirt pins, handmade bracelets, greeting cards of all occasions, paperbag albums for those I take picture with for keepsakes for them, handmade pockets to hang on wheelchairs and walkers to put little itmes they like to carry around.  bookmarks for books and bibles, I also give them word search puzzles but I usually purchase those since I don't want anyone to send bought items.  handmade bows for the Christmas tree.  They have a tree in the cafeteria that they decorate, any banners for the tree, fall themed items for the month of October and November, anmd much more... you can be creative and send anything your heart desires.  I got such a variety last time that they were just so exicted to receive bags full of handmade goodness.  Please visit the site to get more details on operation handmade blessing.  [/color]
If you would like to participate please post here and I will add your name.  you can specify what you would like to give and send. For participationg your name will be added on the blog for a 2012 participant and a blinki for your blog that you are participant in Operation Handmade Blessing.  I will also send every person something that participate in this years operation. I will be sending something out in January for the participants.  I hope to see everyone who participated last time and also those that wanted to participate that was a little too late, and those that did not know about this last time.  Please check the information tabs to get all information and details.

-Toccara Feliciano
Owner/Operator
Operation Handmade Blessing

Helping During the Holiday's

Operation Handmade Blessings Is Helping in Sponsoring The Holiday Outreach For Ybor City Rehabilitation and Health care Facility.  This year we are giving out items to these men and women who may not have a family to receive from this holiday season.  No one to come and say that they care or love them.  To get a gift from the heart.  So I am partnering with People of Hope Ministries to provide to a gift bag with items that they can use.   Of course all these items can be bought but the purpose of Handmade Blessings is to make items that you could buy out the store and use your gift to help someone.  This is a great opportunity to give back.  If you will look at the acceptable items tab you will see a list of things that we have made and given out before.  The last time I did this it was a huge success and the smiles are their faces were great.  Please e-mail me if you are interested I will give me more details if needed.  I would like to have these items in my hand by December 20th if possible so that we can distribute them out and be a blessing to these wonderful men and women.  I think it is important to take care of the elderly.  I consider it a blessing to live such a long time as these people have and I want to help take care of them for the remainder of the time that they are here. 

Thanks,

Toccara 

Pictures of Operation Handmade Blessings in June

I Finally got the pictures on here from the Operation Handmade Blessings Distribution day in June.  We had a blast and they all were sooo excited!  I have been so busy with my new job and getting settled there I had not had time to post these pictures from that day.  They all want pictures I took so that They can put them in the frames that Melody made for them.  Again thank you all for giving.  You have truly been a blessing and I hope you will be able to join the next one.  Here are some photo's of the event.  I took photo's of only those that were able to give their consent to take pictures.  When I asked who would like pictures they all said that they were.  The gift bags you see in their hand consist of One handmade card with writing letting them know we love them, one bookmark, and one gift item.  SO received word searches and some gift boxes I made by hand for my two special ladies, Mother taylor and Mother Mary.

 Here are most of the items that I gave out.  I had my three little ladies helpingl me do baggies and spereate everything. They were a big help.  Thanks to my children for getting those bags all set and ready to give out.

 My sister over here so happy and excited to receive her bag.

 She was also excited! She tried toget some for her kids and grand's.Lol.  I told her  this was for her and to enjoy the gift.

 SisterMaira, love her.  She is so sweet.  She wipes her seat before sitting down and she does not come to bible study unless she is in full makeup and hair is out.  She is such a perfectionist.  Her room is beautiful and nice and neat.  She only speaks spanish but understands english very well.  She also sings up a song in spanish every thursday.

 Mother Mary gives me a high five every week.  She get so excited to see us.  She knows the word and she will getup and teach if you let her.  She is 85!  She loves my little handmade items I make for her.  She used to be a missionary.

 My sister here came out and had a good time.  She tells me each week that she loves the way I teach bible study.  I thank God for the gift.

 She is always smiling and doing well.  She is a sweet heart and she loves to listen to the word.

She does not come every Thursday she is very sick.  SHe has diabetes and it has her down a lot and we always keep her in prayer about it.

Stay Turned for the next open time frame for Operation Handmade Blessings.  This was an exciting time for me and our Minisrty.



Almost Time

The time is almost here where I get to put smiles on a bunch of faces.  Thanks to those all around the world who helped me make this mission's first 3 months a success.  I am over joyed that so many thought this was a very nice mission and wanted to help.  I received so many donate handmade items that I have enough to go give to every person in that home.  June 23rd Is the day I will be distributing items out to the elderly.  Some of you know that I already attend the nursing home on Thursday's to teach bible study.  SO that day we will teach for a few but the rest of the time we will be giving out bags with items for people all over the world.  I am so happy.  I will be adding pictures so you all can see. 

Second Round.

There will be the second round which will start in July end in Septemeber.  If you did not get a chance to participate here is your chance.  I know so responded over on scrapbook.com and said I would love to be right now I don't have time but would love to for the second round.  It is almost here.  Please sign up!  If you have a gift to make things by hand this is a great opportunity to give back.  To bless someone else with a free gift made with your hands.

If you are a memeber over on scrabook.com just look for Operation Handmade Blessing round 2 in the swap forum in july and you can sign up there.  If not please see the tab on how to participate and it will give you the sign up guidelines. 

BIG, HUGE THANKS!!!!! To everyone who participated.  you are awesome and you put thought and care into the items you sent for them.  I am so happy and thankful to you.  May God Bless every effort you have made towards this mission and may he bless the works of your hands.  I pray that he answer a special prayer that you have just because you made a scafrice.

Thank You!

Toccara

Hello to all!  I hope everyone is doing well today.  I wanted to share some more photo's from the nursing home.  This is my newest friend.  She has been coming to bible study for the last 2-3 weeks and I have been speaking with her trying to get to know her and let her know we are all here for whatever needs she may have.  This Thursday she was the first one in bible study and I gotthe opportunity to do a one on one with her.  She is really sweet.  Amy from scrapbook.com signed up for operation Handmade Blessing and she sent some of her beautiful jewelry to me to give to those in operation handmade blessings.  I showed her all the ones I had and she picked this one.  I asked her if I could get a pricture of here with her item because I told her a friend of mine made this and she would be so happy to have a picture of her wearing it.  She said yes.  so these are some photo's of here with the bracelet on.  She did not put on the earring because she had diamonds studs in and she did not want to take them out so I told here that was okay.

Thanks Amy for your generosity and you helped make someone's day!  I appreciate you all!  Much love Toccara!  IF you would like to help see the tab how to participate to be a blessing!

My ladies

I wanted to share some photo's of those those who bring me such joy when I go to the Nursing home for Ministry.  I am always so excited to see all of them!  I have a few that are my little ladies that I love dearly!  They were in the mood for photo's today! i brought them some word seach puzzle today and some book marks for the puzzle books! They were so happy and thankful.  I got a lot of hugs and kisses! Let me intorduce them.  This is myself and Mother Taylor! She had a birthday two months ago and she is in her 90's.  That clip she has on is something I received in a swap and I thought she might like it.  She decided to wear it on her hat instead of on her shirt.  I gave it to her about 3 weeks ago.  She also got to pick two of her favorite book marks that Melody sent in to me.d

 This is me and mother Mary! below She sure loves the Lord.  When I am teaching bible study she always finishes my sentences and she get's so excited when we teach!  She is such a blessing because she knows the Word of God.  She also got to pick her two favorite book marks!  She is in her 80's I believe.

Now this is me and Sister Maria! I just love her.  She always has a smile on her face and she sings really well! She always sings us songs in spanish about God! I only know a few of the words she says but she has a beautiful voice.  She loves to look good.  She wears her makeup, wears all her bling bling and her hair is always fixed nice. She loves shirt pins, hari bows and combs, and liltle ornaments to dangle from her walker.  She just love Martica's binder clips that she sent me and she took her favorites.  She also loved the box Martica to put her items in! 

I also gave the men's today Crochett hats too! We don't want to leave them out and my Grandmother made 5 of them for me and I gave them to five men.  They were not in the picture taking mood today so maybe next time.

 This is what Handmade Blessings is all about! It is so great to give to someone who is in need and brighten someones day.  We are like family to them and they love to see us come.  Thanks to all of you who have given your time, efforts, and talent to make this happen.  I can't wait until we do a blig distribution and bless everyone!  If you would like to join us and help us please see all the details on the tabs of the site!  I Thank you all who have sent your packges and gave out of the abundance of your heart!

Hugs!

Toccara!