Let Freedom Ring!

My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.

Lamentations  3:20, 21

With a great sum obtained I this freedom.

Acts 22: 28

These verses may be taken out of context, but I wanted to get across the idea of REMEMBERING those who have ‘given’ us this wonderful FREE country – and many having paid a GREAT PRICE – for us to be able to inhabit it.  We celebrate this week our country’s Independence from tyranny and oppression back in 1776 – when it was thought that war for us was done.  Not so.  Unfortunately, many wars have been fought since and many of our loved ones are serving and sacrificing in War yet today.  Our country may not be ‘perfect,’ but it is surely the best place to be of all the choices there are!

                                             

I have long been a fan of CookingWithCricut.com and PaperCraftingWorld.com and am now a Design Team Member for the weekly PCW Challenges.  I am soooo excited to be involved here with this!  This week’s challenge was to make something Patriotic and use a Star and the colors Silver or Gold.  Please visit all of the blogs that are listed there, get some inspiration and then link a project You have made at PaperCraftingWorld.com!

I made this Military Sympathy Card for the families of Dear Friends of mine who lost their nephew/son/husband/father just a few weeks ago in Afghanistan.  I used a PCW Flag Frame cutting file, a quote that I liked on the front, a Bible verse and a poem inside that I found several years ago written inside the front of a used book that I purchased.  I have used it several times since in Sympathy Cards.  The Gold Star on the front is indicative of their loss – they are now a Gold Star Family…

 

   

For this week’s post – my FIRST here on the PapercraftingWorld.com Design Team!! – I also wanted to make another card using PapercraftingWorld.com cutting files.  I used the Scallop/Oval Card and the ‘I Heart USA’ files.  I inked the edges of the white cardstock with Night Sky ink.  I cut the Gold inset, the Navy inset border (that I ‘modified’ for this) and the Red for the phrase out of Sparkle Cardstock.  I used Pop-Dots to raise the phrase.  I ‘hand-stitched’ around the oval inset with a Gold gel pen.  (The Betsy Ross in me just HAD to stitch something!)  I added a red gem to the center of the heart.

My son, a Marine Capt. (USNA/2005), has just returned stateside a couple weeks ago from Afghanistan and has had two prior deployments to Iraq.  Whatever your plans for this 4^th of July – and I know many spend the day with friends and family and have a good ‘Day Off’ from work - please do take some time to remember the reason for this holiday – and the Many who have gone before and those still going to ensure that we continue to live in the ‘Land of the Free – Because of the Brave!’ 

 

Most Sincerely and Thankfully –

Lynden – a Blue Star Mother!

A Blue Star ornament I made for a Friend