Instructions for Cards for Soldiers

Operation Write home Guidelines:

Here are the guidelines set forth by The Operation Write Home website. I have narrowed down the guidelines even more to make our project more specific. If you want to help reach our goal of 1,000 cards, have a card party and get your friends together.  These do not need to be fancy, just put your heart into it. Please read the guidelines below.
I will collect these and then show them on Ustream Friday June 3, 2011
So, try to have them mailed in time, I will wait a few days for late mail, but to be in the random drawing they need to get to me by June 3rd. I will show this at 8:30pm EST Our 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog hop will begin with me showing your cards.
I will then ship them to Operation Write Home after I have showed them to you all and chosen (random) winners.

You do not have to be a follower to enter, if you can get your friends to make cards, or ANYONE you know. I would like to send a box of 1000 cards. I know we can do it!

Here are the categories:Birthday
Love
Thank you
Missing you
Thinking of you
Blank (no sentiment)

Your card must fit into one of the above categories.
These are the only categories that we will be sending this month.
I am sure to do this again and we may do different categories next time.

Remember these cards are for the soldiers to use to write home, so remember that as you are making your cards.

No glitter. It's a safety hazard for our heroes, so no cards with any glitter that will flake off the card are accepted.

Many of our deployed heroes live in very primitive conditions. Primitive as in no showers for a couple weeks. No laundry. Nowhere to get cleaned up. And if they open a box of cards and get sprinkled all over, they might have absolutely nowhere to get rid of all that mess; they may not even realize it's all over them. And if they have glitter on their uniforms it can put them at risk — it can make them visible to night vision goggles, and that is just not a risk we're willing to take!

A2 sized cards. 4.25" x 5.5"  Best card size: A2

The preferred size for cards for our boxes are A2 cards - 5.5" x 4.25". These are achieved simply by using a piece of cardstock cut in half and folded. (Either direction, a vertically-opening or horizontally-opening card, both shown at right)

The bottom line
So, if you'd like to help with making the most of our donated shipping dollars so we can get the most cards possible in a box—go for the A2s! And include a little donation in your box to cover envelopes for your cards....ship the creativity and leave the envelopes to us!

Line cards made with dark cardstock. If a pencil won't show up, add a liner.

Limit multiples. no more than 100 for year-round cards. Some crafters love to make one design again and again. Others only do that when in a hurry to fill a box or meet a goal. And some have told us many hurdles they had to overcome to meet that goal they'd set.

Any quantity is JUST fine. One, a bunch, or a box full; each and every card is a treasure!  

Do NOT handwrite sentiments. Neither outside or inside the cards.

Card themes. Remember who's sending these: adults. No cards to Daddy, no "wish you were here," or party invitations; no explicit images or sentiments. See the Needs page for a list of desired themes.
Desired general themes:

Undesired themes:Wish you were here
Party invitations
Baby/bridal announcement
To mommy/daddy
Baby/bridal announcement
Retirement, other rare themes

 Absolutely no storebought.

Stamped on the backs? Operation Write Home. I HAVE A STAMP FOR THIS, so don't worry about it.

Tucked? Envelopes for A2 cards aren't required - but having cards arrive tucked and ready to go assures your cards can be mailed out quickly and saves the shipper hours of labor.  

Have fun and put your heart into this. I will have fun giveaways for this. But do this for the soldiers not for the giveaways.

You do not need to use the Cricut to make these, I would love if you do, but as long as it fits into the guidelines they have set forth, anything goes. If you have any questions please email me EricaCraftRoom@aol.com

Please send these to :

Erica's Craft Room
4364 LaBurnum Drive
Akron, Ohio 44319