Military

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Welcome Home Banner

My son just finished a two-year tour in Guam with the U.S. Navy. His next tour is attached to the Marine Corps, so he is headed off for training in San Diego and will then be moving to Hawaii.

I am certainly proud of Christopher, but I miss him terribly.

Naturally, when I found out he was coming home for a few weeks, I had to do something special to welcome him home.

I created this banner that says “Welcome Home” to hang in the window and put out a few flags in the flowerbeds. I know the glare is awful, but that is my beautiful son standing under the banner.

I created it with a Lifestyle Crafts die. The set cuts both the outer pennant and the inside for a perfect mat.

I used papers from My Mind’s Eye American Made collection, and added cardstock from American Crafts for the mats and letters. The embellishments are also from My Mind’s Eye (leftover from another project I made). The letters are Street Sign, cut on my Cricut.

Mounting the banner is easy … I used a bit of baker’s twine. The dies create these tabs, you just put adhesive on them and fold them over the string and it is done.

The project is quick and easy, but it provides a large “punch”.

Since then, we have had a BBQ and fireworks, gone on a boat ride around the lake, visited Cabela’s and endured several days without power. Welcome home, Christopher!

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Look beyond the obvious

Finding the right embellishment is not always easy — unless you look in less obvious places.

For this thank-you card for a member of the U.S. Navy, I wanted something special. I wasn’t able to find what I was looking for in the military section of my favorite scrapbook store.

But, in the travel section, I found this 3-D ship porthole. I love the finished card.

Paper: Karen Foster Designs

Porthole: Reminisce “Under the Sea”

Anchor: Jolee’s

Font: QuicKutz Olivia

When you are struggling for something, think outside the box a bit. Look for school embellishments in the fall section, candy and baking in the Christmas and Halloween department, romance in the wedding and Valentine’s Day sections, theater, dances and concerts in the school department, etc.

And then have fun creating!