Dollar find - alter cards

While shopping in Michael's the other day. I was looking for envelopes for cards that I am making for the soldiers. I was a bit disappointed but did find something and was able to use my 50% coupon. While digging through the dollar bin, I had a brain storm. There are always package of (8 to 10) thank you notes, or just note cards with simple designs. Well I brought 2 packages of ones that said "Thank You". Brought them home and decided to use them as bases for my own cards. I went into the garage and found some sandpaper and a sandpaper block and went to town on sanding the glossy finish off the front of the cards, and then I decorated them like if they were blank bases. So for $1.00 I was able to make 8 cards that had envelopes. Since I am challenging myself this year to make 30 cards for the soldiers and have sent out to some of my scrapping friends challenging them to make 4 cards each. The 1st of November we will be sending them to a dear friend's son that is stationed in Iraq, for himself and for him to share with the other men and women in his troop. I am also going to try and make at least 5 to 10 if I can each month of "all occasssion" cards for http://www.cardsforheros.org/