EMAIL RECEIVED FROM IRAQ RE: FATHER'S DAY CARDS!

I had this email in my inbox when I woke this morning & thought I would share.....hope it makes your day as much as it did mine!

"Thank you, I recieved the box yesterday. It took a grand total of 30 minutes for people to find out I had some, and empty the supply. You seem to have found the right number, because no one was turned away without a card. It worked out especially because for some reason, the exchange's meager supply of cards did not include any Father's day cards, or if it did, they ran out a while back.

Thank you,
Peter"

This is them

The Cards are in the Mail!

Thanks to all my helpers I was able to send out Father's Day cards to 2 hospitals & MSgt Mike's replacement, MSgt Jason.....it is their first deployment & he emailed me when I sent a card for Armed Forces Day to let me know that our support is making it easier for them to do their job over there. Lets keep it up. I am so honored to have 'met' you all & hope to make a lot more friends along the way in coordinating this project. I want to say again how much this is helping me in dealing with my son's upcoming deployment. Please keep me busy!! I have pictures to post later of some of the cards I have been receiving.

LAST DAY FOR BLOG CANDY

I am getting so much good news....I love it. You are all definately putting a smile on my face. Some are not linking back to email addy's or blogs tho so I can contact you if you win. Hope you will be checking back to see if you won then. Make sure you post your comments HERE soon.

Also don't forget that Laura at Whirlpool of Imagination is doing the buy a card she will donate a card offer this month so those who aren't cardmakers have another way to participate. Check out her work......very kewl. I wrote up more info here.

BLOG CANDY!!!

Someone finally let me know they couldnt' post on my 360 yahoo page to enter this so I'm moving it here too so those who don't want to sign up for yahoo can still enter.I have been promising some goodies for a couple of weeks now....my how time flies. As you can see I have put together some Michael's $1 Stamps & acrylic blocks to go with them, Joann's $1 stamps, some bling, 3" Scalloped ovals (cut from Wishblade not punch), current issue of Memory Makers & a Support our Troops pin. I am so tired of just hearing all this bad news we've had of late.....School shootings, Tornado's, Freeway collapse, fires, etc so.....Leave me a comment with some GOOD NEWs that is going on in the world (make sure I can get ahold of you if you win, make sure you link to a blog & send me email addy). My inspiration is "The Life & Times of a Butterfly Wife".....check out her blog. On Thursday evening we will draw a winner for all the goodies.

Don't forget I still need more cards for the troops.....collecting Father's Day cards til end of May. Please help......they don't have to be handmade cards but I do need envelopes. Envelope donations would be helpful too......invitation size most needed.

Another way to help with Cards for the Troops

More exciting news. Another wonderful person by the name of Laura O'Shea has made another offer to help out with the Cards for the Troops project. This will allow non-cardmakers an opportunity to help out. She makes cards to sell & has set it up to donate a card to the troops for each card sold. If you do not want to buy a card for yourself she will give a 20% discount for cards purchased to donate. Check out her site, Whirlpool of Imagination, for more information. This will go thru the month of May......hope you can help out.

Card Contest in Progress

EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE!!!
I got an email from Kyla Maestas (a Stampin' Up Demo from WY) telling me she not only wanted to participate in the Cards for Troops project but she wanted to know if it was ok to promote a contest to get more cards to send. Well what do you think I said?? YaHOO! The contest is officially started today & all the information you will need is on her blog, Kyla Maestas~Sweetwater Designs. RUN, RUN, RUN to go check it out. Good luck to all.

NO HALLMARK STORES IN IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN!

I am a member of Operation Mom, a support group for families & friends of active duty servicemembers. My only son (our only child actually) is in the US ARMY. We send packages overseas to the troops (we get names from families & friends plus we have contact names over there who hand goodies out) & also put cards in the packages to them & for them to send home to their loved ones. Cards needed right now are All Occasion Cards (Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, Hello, Friend, Missing you & kids cards for them to send to their children at home) by end of June (next mailing will be end of September). These cards should be blank inside for the service member to write inside to their loved ones, must be with regular envelopes...back of card tucked into envie (no clear ones please) & if you do do dark paper please put light color insert so they can write on that. We always want Thank you cards from you TO the troops....with a personal note inside (thank you for your service, you are in my prayers, hope you come home to your loved ones soon, etc). Due to security issues these envelopes (envelopes are not required for the thank you cards to them if you don't want to put them in one) must be unsealed & if you would like a response (no guarantee on this as they are a bit busy over there but I did get 2 cards at Christmas & several emails this past mailing) you can put your return address on the envelope or include your email address inside (I have been getting emails). We can also always use Sympathy cards. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate. If you are interested in participating please email me with any questions you may have or to ask for the address to mail the cards to: pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo.com (please don't disrespect the troops by using this email to send spam!). This will be a year round project. http://dddzstmpn.blogspot.com

First Servicemember heard from

I received an email from an Air Force MSgt who is in Iraq thanking us for the cards along with all the goodies in the packages that were sent by Operation Mom. Took about a week to get there which was a surprise as I thought it would be 2 weeks but then the last time was at Christmas time & mail is a bit more busy then. The email definately motivated me to keep this project ongoing & I hope you will choose to participate & pass the information along to others.

In checking some of the blogs I try to read regularly I found this link that I thought I would share....some pictures of a Sandstorm in Iraq which is another thing that our troops have to deal with over there.

SENDING PACKAGES TO THE TROOPS

Thanks to those who participated I was able to put together 120 card assortments to send to our troops. I am so pleased by the number of people who were able to send cards in such a short amount of time plus I have many more who have said that they were unable to get involved last time due to other committments but will be sending cards next time. I look forward to seeing how many servicemembers were can send cards to in the next shipment. If you are interested in helping next time please email me at
pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo.com for information.

Cards still needed for our Troops

1 week to go until our next packing. You still have time to send cards for our men & women serving our country. Really needing ones written to them.......Easter, Thank you, thinking of you......with personal notes (Thank you for your service, you're in my thoughts & prayers, etc). Takes just a couple of minutes of your time & they deserve so much. No matter what your thoughts are on the war you must support these men & women! For more information check post of March 1st. Thank you.

A Video to motivate....

Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American) Video

Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American) lyrics - Toby Keith lyrics

Toby Keith Music Videos

Music Video Codes by VideoCure.com

Cards for the Troops

I am a member of Operation Mom, a support group for families & friends of active duty servicemembers....my only son is in the US ARMY. In March we will be sending packages overseas to troops & would like to put cards in the packages. I am requesting Easter cards & Thank you cards from you....with a personal note inside. Due to security issues the envelopes must be unsealed & if you would like a response (no guarantee on this as they are a bit busy over there but I did get 2 responses at Christmas) you can put your return address on the envelope or include your email address inside. I am also sending blank cards that the troops can use to send home to friends & family (ie:birthday cards, thinking of you, thank you cards & just because cards) ....these will need envelopes but they do get free postage. We can also always use Sympathy cards. This would be a great way to use the swap cards you accumulate. If you are interested in participating please email me at pfcrensmom-cardsfortroops@yahoo & I will answer any questions you may have & give you address where to send the cards. I am hoping to do this year round as we send packages multiple times of the year.