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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

OWH.... Operation Write Home

Happy Wednesday everyone! Please bear with me, and grab a cup of coffee, for this is a super long post.  As many of you know I  love and appreciate our troops and the their love ones who are left behind at home. I belong to a group called OWH which stands for Operation Writing Home. Their mission is supporting our nation's armed forces by sending blank handmade greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them. As of August 2, 2010:   497,071 cards have been sent to deployed heroes!! Tell me that isn't awesome!!  I have a girlfriend, Lisa, The Purple Place, who mailed  42 cards yesterday!! YEA Lisa and thank you!!   Jan Hunnicutt started an OWH group over at Simple Scrapping Crafts  and asked me if I could make a card for the challenge today!  I felt extremely honored she asked! Right now OWH is having an all month Birthday Bash, across the nation to celebrate their September 12, birthday! It is an awesome celebration and I am hoping we can all join in one way or another. All the details are here.  Before I post my card I would like you to read a letter sent recently to OWH and I copied it from here. It is written by a wife of a Sgt. deployed to Afghanistan.
______
Thank you so very much for the wonderful creation of cards that you have made and sent to our troops overseas. I have been the lucky recipient of several beautiful cards that my husband sent home to me from Afghanistan. If I could send you all the joy you have helped in creating by such a gift as this, you would know how truly grateful I am for your efforts. Thank you's don't seem strong enough to express my deepest feelings as to what they bring to my life. I know this sounds overly dramatic and I do ask you pardon for such poetic license in this as I will explain a little in the hope you all will understand, as I don't know if you have or had loved ones who have served in uniform but to me these little treasure are a blessing.

I am a Proud Marine wife and madly in love with my husband GySgt H.R. currently on a 12 month deployment to Afghanistan. We are stationed at MCAGCC (Marine Corps. Air Ground Combat Center) Twentynine Palms, CA. I moved out here in August of 09 just in time to watch my husband deploy that September, we are counting down the days till he will finally be home and we hope not to deploy again for a year (if we are lucky). Between the both of us we have 5 very strong children who are greatly missing their father right now. We have dealt with the 6 and the occasional 9 month deployments but, this is our first full 12 month cycle. Through out this deployment my husband has had very few times to call home and for the most part communications leaving the base are left to a 15 min phone call also, with the job he does (infantry) he is constantly busy focusing on his job as it should be and when he can he will write a quick note to everyone before he is off again doing what he must. There have been weeks that have gone by that I haven't heard from him, though I am grateful as we live in the technical era where phones, emails and texts exist the fact that I can get a word on his well being with in moments is a true blessing but, I have to say I have it easy as the wives before me would wait months to hear how their loved one was so, I am truly thankful.

The first card I received was 3 months into this deployment and now I will get one about 1 or 2 monthly. These cards are a welcome gift, truly they are as it allows him to express his thoughts when he feels the impulse to do so allowing me to know im still tucked safely in his heart as he is in mine. I check the mail and find these wonderful cards and I am all aglow telling all that can hear that My husband is the Bomb ..lol and you are all angels. It has been close to 2 weeks now since I last heard from My Henry and wouldn't you know it, there were 4 cards sitting in the mailbox with loving words from a man, stuck in the heat, surrounded by dirty, smelly marines but he took the time to write me and tell me how much he misses and loves me and our children..

I wanted you to know you have had a hand in keeping us all connected, when words fail us, you have given us a way to get it across so not a moment is lost even when they are so far from us. You not only helped him send his love home but made my day a lot less heavy with worries that can be hard to bare. Thank you and Much Awesome respect to all who have taken the time to participate in this cause.

Sincerely,

Mrs. R.M.R. 
________


I have read this letter three times and each time the tears still fall down my cheeks.  Please go to the OWH OWH group at Simple Scrapping or the OWH website and see if you can help with their cause. We make so many cards for the challenges ...lets put them to good use! Those who do not craft they would be more then grateful for donations to help fray the cost of shipping.

There is one rule in making cards for the deploy and it is no glitter on the cards. A tiny spec of glitter makes a man or woman visible with night vision goggles, this is a risk no one wants to take. On OWH website it does say you can use Stickles. However, I choose not to use anything with glitter. I won't even make my cards at my usual place in fear a flec of glitter would adhere to it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this:

My Image today is from Karen Doodles.  Let me tell ya,  I love her images and use them a lot!! If you never been to her site take a quick hop over. I am sure you will be impress!!  I love my card and there isn't one spec of glitter on it!










31 comments:

KymKreates said...

Your project is just awe-inspiring! I think your OWH is also wonderful. Thank you for getting Punched and or Cut up with us at Digi Doodle Shop's Best!

KymKreates
DT Coordinator

Judy said...

What a precious card for any birthday!! Thank you so much for entering this in our challenge at Digi Doodle Shop's Best.

Hugs
Judy

Nancy said...

Colleen, this is totally adorable!! I just love the dog image...super cute! The butterflies rock...thanks for fluttering with us this week at FBW!

Sharon said...

Your post is very heart-warming today Colleen. What a wonderful project that you are involved in. Well done to you and all the other crafters taking part. 42 cards... wow Lisa, you are a gem!! Love your card. hugs Sharon

helloholley said...

Thank you for posting that letter....makes it all worth while ;)
Your card is super cute,I love your quilled butterflies...it adds a fun touch!!!
Congrats on being featured ;)

ThePurplePlace said...

Awwwwwww..... you have me in tears, what a wonderful post and although I have read that letter before, it always make me teary.

I am so happy that you were chosen to create a card for OWH and I love it!!

Hugs,
Lisa

ThePurplePlace said...

I LOVE LOVE your new Watermark...let me know how you created it...it's wonderful!!

:)

Jóna said...

Beautiful coloring and beautiful card !!
Thank you for entering in our challenge at Digi Doodle Shop's Best.
All the best, Jóna

Jan Hunnicutt said...

Hi Colleen! Thank you so much for making the sample card for OWH Stars & Stripes this week, I love it! Your coloring is fabulous and that image is adorable! Thanks for your support of Operation Write Home too, as you know it's so appreciated. I'm so excited about the birthday bash next month at OWH, we are going to have so much fun!

Tracy said...

Thanks for joining Polkadoodles challenge with this great entry, good luck.
Happy crafting
Tracy x

Ayelet {Jenny} said...

WOW such a fantastic project, so moving to read all about it and the letters as well :) Love your card! The image is just perfect! x

Powerful Search Engine said...

Oh wow I love the quilling and great colouring of the image. Thanks for sharing with us at Digi Doodle shops best challenge. Hugs Pascale

Danni said...

How fun to have quilled butterflies!! Such a cute card!! Thanks for playing along with my flutter by challenge!

Anonymous said...

Your cards are amazing. You must have the patience of a saint to color like that! AWESOME

Paula S. said...

What an adorable card! Always so much fun to "meet" other OWH card makers through the challenges.

Michelle said...

So cute - LOVE those quilled butterflies and your image is super cute! Thanks for joining us at FBW this week - keep fluttering :)

Tammylee said...

I have to say that I know all about this first hand. My son was in Iraq for 22 months. He had sent home the most beautiful cards that had been sent to him. I do have to say I didn't know about the glitter, but I guess I never used it for his cards either as he never said anything! Such a wonderful thing to do! Colleen your card is wonderful! Keep in touch!

Beebeebabs said...

Beautiful card tfs

Joanne (jojot) said...

what a delight...this little pup looks just like my Cairn terrier.....how cute.....thanks for playing with the Stampin B's

Karen Howard said...

Thank you so much for sharing this card and about Operation Write Home. I make as many cards as possible for OWH and hope that others will join too!

Thanks for playing along with us at the Digi Doodle Shop's Best! Hope you will join us again next week!

Hugs, Karen
www.felineplayful.blogspot.com

Amber said...

Super creation! Thanks so much for joining us this week at The Digi Doodle Shop's Best!
Hugs
Amber DT

Katja said...

Really great!!!Very pretty card! Thanks for joining our challenge at Digi Doodle Shop's Best!

Greetings,
Katja (DT)

Unknown said...

Super cute card. I really enjoyed reading your post today. I learned something!! I knew about the no glitter rule, but never knew why! Amazing!! As much as I love glitter on my creations, I can see how this would be a problem for our soldiers overseas!! Thanks for stopping by my blog, too!!! Hugs...

Yenni Natalia said...

Colleen..to answer your question in my blog..if your house not to far i would love to drop by and help you tidy your stamps ^_^...sort of short escape to find inspiration..lol.
oh thanks for the tutorial also..what a nice of you ^_^

Anonymous said...

Ohh thats so gorgeous and pretty too
I have a new challenge over at dezinaworld if you fancy a try.
Have a lovely day my friend
Hugs June xxxxxx

Peggie said...

Great card. Love the quilling.

Monika/Buzsy said...

Such a cute card! Love the quill(ed) flowers.Thank you for playing with us at DDCC.

Mary Frances said...

Colleen, Love this card! The quilling is beautifully done. I am also a big supporter of our troops and will be happy to head on over to OWH and send them some cards! :) Hugs..

Peri said...

What a pretty card - love the quilled butterflies. Keep up the good work for your boys!
Thank you for playing along with us at Karen's Doodles and good luck!
Hugs
Peri x

Tip Top said...

Lovely card! Thanks for entering the Polkadoodle Challenge - hope you can join us again next week!

JustYolie said...

The quilled butterflies are so pretty! Great card! :)

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