the homefront blog

We’ll be featuring a different cardmaker each Friday; if you’d like to be profiled, please email us using the link at right! This week, meet Dee! She is one of our most prolific cardmakers, and we are SO grateful for all she’s given to this project—pouring her heart, soul, time, and resources into everything she does! Feel free to leave her a comment at the end of this thread.

About Dee
About Me:
I am a wife, mother of five (with 10 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren), and retired business owner. In addition to making cards for family, friends, our troops, and children with long-term or terminal illness. I enjoy scrapbooking, sewing, gardening, and cooking.

About Dee’s cards

How long have you been making cards?
I’ve been making cards for about 3 years. Originally all my cards were computer generated but then I started to use up scraps of paper from scrapbooking over 20 years of pictures.

How long making them for our heroes?
I’ve been making cards for our heroes for about 4 months. I sent the first cards to my sister-in-law who included them with cards she was making for the troops.

What’s your favorite kind of card to make?
Any card that our heroes can send to their loved ones letting them know they are loved and missed. I think it’s especially important they have cards to send to their children so I try to include cards specifically geared toward children. I also try to include cards that can be used for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

Do you have a special technique you love to use?
I enjoy trying different techniques and styles. Some days I prefer to keep things very simple and other days my creativity goes awry and anything goes–the more layering, sewing, stamping, painting, distressing & embossing, the better!

Are there colors, styles, or products that draw you?
Everything to do with making cards appeals to me. I love the wonderful assortment of paper & supplies available although I enjoy using “found” objects on cards, too. Who knew a piece of an onion bag could look so great on a card? Or a flattened beer cap? Or a washer from my husband’s tool box? Or a dried leaf or flower?

Dee’s motivation

What motivates you to make cards for heroes?
Besides the fact that I truly enjoy making cards, my motivation to make them for our heroes comes from a number of places. Knowing these cards will help people keep in touch with those they love is the greatest motivation. Can you imagine how excited a child gets when a card comes from daddy or mommy or an aunt or uncle? How excited a spouse gets to hear from his/her loved one? A parent to hear from their child? When a cousin found out I was sending cards to the troops, I received this message:
“Nice to hear that you are doing things for our troops overseas. I spent a year in Thailand and Korea and know how much I missed home. As a pilot, my living conditions were much better than provided to our soldiers in the middle east. Thanks.”
And, of course, receiving notes of appreciation back from the troops themselves is the #1 reason!