For the Troops

These are more cards for deployed troops to send to their loved ones at home. Continuing with the Valentine's theme, here are some hearts on strings...or ribbon, as it were. You've seen this layout before. I repeat it because I love it. These cards are easy to mail, easy to make, use up four inch scraps of ribbon, and, well, if you can think of something bad about them, keep it to yourself because I don't want to hear it. I heart them.



This last little scrap of SU striped ribbon was perfect for this polka dot heart. Some people like to send Valentines to friends and moms and children and such, so a non-red valentine shows love without the romance. Sort of like this one:


Wouldn't this cinnamon one be perfect for a mom or sister? I thought so. But of course, we need red ones for wives and girlfriends and husbands and boyfriends. Having been the wife of a deployed spouse on three occasions, I would have loved getting a card like this.


Instead, I got emails telling me he was still alive after he flew missions. I really appreciated those, and the fact he could send them to me. He had lovely, hand-stamped stationery during Operation Iraqi Freedom, but stationery is intimidating...so much writing to do! Cards aren't so intimidating. If he'd had them, he would have sent them.

If you live in a country that has troops deployed, please remember that those troops deserve all the support we can give them. So do their families. 'Cause I'm here to tell you, they struggle. It's hard, in more ways than civilians can imagine: the fear, the uncertainty, the stress, the absence, the difficult readjustment period after those happy homecomings, the times when there are no happy homecomings. And they rarely complain outside the military community because that's simply life as a military family.

For those who would like to send cards to the American troops, I recommend Operation Write Home. Their deadline for Valentine's cards is January 6. I also have another person I ship cards to, but I need to verify with her that it's okay to share her contact information here.

If you live in another country with deployed personnel, please share contact information for similar organizations in the comments.

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Heart Prints
ink: various
paper: PTI white
accessories: ribbon, dimensionals