Operation Write Home: Helping Heros Keep in Touch

Justin joined the Navy right out high school.  I was only 15 years old then.  I still remember talking to him on the phone when he told me that he had enlisted.  I don't remember my reaction.  But I do remember the amazingly long letters and sweet cards we would exchange for years after that.  We wrote to each other when he was at boot camp, at nuke school, at the academy, at sea.  We wrote about everything under the sun - from what we ate for dinner to the floor plan of our dream house.  So from personal experience, being in love with a Navy sailor, I know and appreciate the importance of a handwritten letter or handmade card.

Operation Write Home is a non-profit organization that supports our country's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards for them to write home on.  They have sent over 1,656,000 handmade greeting cards to deployed service members around the world!!  "There's no card store in Kabul or Baghdad.  But on the home front, we can help."

I am beyond thrilled that Xyron is partnering up with We R Memory Keepers to help collect another 50,000 cards for Operation Write Home.  This whole week, the Xyron Design Team will be sharing our cards over at Beth Kingston's amazing blog, Ain't She Crafty.  Here are the cards I created.

1.  Happier by the Minute {a greeting card}.  The layout for this card was actually inspired by this beautiful scrapbook layout by Amy Kingsford.  I love the look of strips of washi tape just placed down in a long column.  Instead of using washi tape, I made my own "tape" using paper strips from the WRMK Baby Mine Collection and my Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker.

Supplies:  Cardstock (American Crafts); Patterned Paper (WRMK - Baby Mine); Adhesives (Xyron  1.5" Sticker Maker; Xyron Mega Runner); Buttons (K&Company; Oriental Trading Company); Embroidery Floss (WRMK); Stamps (Lawn Fawn); Punches/ Dies (Fiskars, Spellbinders); Other (Uni-ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen, Tim Holtz Distress Ink).

2.  Missing You {a greeting card}.  I sometimes think that simple is best, especially when a card sentiment itself is so loaded with meaning.  

Supplies:  Cardstock (Neenah Paper); Patterned Paper (WRMK - Baby Mine); Adhesives (Xyron Mega Runner, Gloss Accents); Punch (WRMK Corner Chomper, Martha Stewart Crafts); Letter Stickers (American Crafts); Other (Uni-ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen, Tim Holtz Distress Ink).

This is the back of the card stamped with the Operation Write Home stamp (which you can get for free from their website).

3.  Hometown Hero {a greeting card}.  This final card reflects how I imagine many deployed military members feel about the family and loved ones they've left at home.  (You can read an amazing article here written by a military dad.)  It reminds us that the sacrifices made by those in the military also create tremendous stress on their families at home.  I know that Justin's absence has definitely changed my life in more ways that I ever thought possible.  But I think that if Justin were to write me a handwritten letter today (like he did 15 year ago), instead of sending a card filled with red hearts, the message might be more something like this...

He'll probably keep the pink and red hearts for a card addressed to Charlotte.  :)

Supplies:  Cardstock (WRMK, Neenah Paper); Patterned Paper (WRMK - Red White & Blue); Stamps, Inks and Pens (Amuse Stamps, Impress, Copics, American Crafts); Embossing Folder by Paper Studio; Eyelets by WRMK; Twine by Twinery; Uni-ball Signo Broad White Gel Pen; Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Glossy Accents by Ranger.

If you are interested in helping these efforts, please visit WRMK's Operation Write Home page for information how to send in your cards and win $1000 in WRMK product!  

As always, thanks for stopping by!