Operation Write Home

Happy Sunday stampers! This week's challenge from Stampin' Sisters in Christ is hostessed by Candace who chose the verse from John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Jesus laid his life down to save us from our sins, to give us eternal life in heaven.

Our American armed forces lay down their lives every day to ensure we have freedom in our country. Their sacrifice was demonstrated in a heart breaking manner this week in Texas at Fort Hood. We can thank them in a tangible way using our skills as card makers, putting our hearts into our creations. This week's challenge then, is to support Operation Write Home.

The mission of Operation Write Home (formerly known as Cards for Heroes) is to support our nation's armed forces by sending blank (handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them.

The challenge for this week is to make a patriotic-themed card for a soldier and as a bonus, donate it to Operation Write Home, so that a soldier may be encouraged by your words of thanks. Write a special message of gratitude on the inside and sign your name. They will be distributed to soldiers who rarely get mail, or just need encouragement. Be sure to put your card in an envelope and write “Any Hero” on the front. For more information on how to make a card for “Any Hero” click here (http://www.owhhomefrontblog.org/2009/09/anyhero-cards-q.html).

Please note that it is not required to donate your card in order to participate in the challenge. However, I do encourage it!

THE EXTRA CHALLENGE

OWH also collects blank greeting cards (any theme) that soldiers may send home to loved ones. For example: birthday, thinking of you, hello, etc. Various holiday cards are also needed. According to the OWH website, “miss you” and “love you” cards are most requested by the soldiers. To read more about card themes needed, click here http://www.owhhomefrontblog.org/2009/03/card-themeswhat-needed-most.html.

There are some rules about what you can and cannot use, for their safety's sake . . . for instance, no glitter! We don't want a speck of something shiny making our armed forces a target and visible at night. Also, standard A2 size cards are preferred. You don't have to include an envelope with an A2 card if you don't have any. However if you do choose to send a square card, please include a corresponding square-sized envelope for that card. Donations are always accepted to help pay for the postage required to send these packages to our brave men and women. So if you can slip in a dollar or two or five with your card, it is gratefully accepted.

One thing you CAN do . . .which made me happy personally . . .is you don't have to worry about bumps and lumps! Use those buttons! Make a pretty bow! The armed forces, when they send cards home to their loved ones, don't have to pay that extra postage for a lumpy card. :) I love ribbons, bows and buttons!

Candace has volunteered to collect the cards sent to her and mail them in a bundle to OWH. The link for her blog is here.

If you notice on my sidebar there are a few upcoming blog hops. One of them I will be participating in next Saturday and that is for Operation Write Home. You can sign up to be part of that blog hop too, it isn't too late, or just go blurfing next Saturday to see some awesome artwork and have a chance to win some great prizes.

Speaking of prizes, our sponsor at Stampin' Sisters in Christ this week is Paper Pretties. Thank you for donating that lovely stamp set which one lucky winner will receive for posting their creation on the SSCC blog. Thanks for looking.

ETA: My recipe . . . one of my friends thought I used Roses in Winter . . . I never could get the hang of two-step stamping, so I had that set at one time and gave it to a more deserving home!

Stamps: Penny Black 'the heart of the rose'

Paper: Neenah solar white, SU real red, brilliant blue, glossy white

Other: black craft ink, clear EP, sponge, red and blue inks, cuttlebug swiss dots folder, blue ribbon, post it notes for masking