9-11 Remembrance Card - Home of the BRAVE

Hi everyone.... I decided to do a second blog post for today.... I made this card this morning and really wanted to share it on this day of remembrance of 9/11. It's truly a day of reflection and prayer for me and my household. I was moved this morning to create on the spot - something I love to do. I spent the morning thinking about 9/11 and our country and her people. I prayed and thought back to that fateful day....and made this card in quiet. I miss the days when I used to craft what I was feeling. Nowadays it seems like most of my crafting is scheduled and planned! Today's card is from my heart. 

I will briefly share my 9/11 story. Everyone remembers where they were that morning... I was at home, getting ready for work and watching the Today show in our bedroom. (It was 6am in California). Even though everything started happening in New York, I got ready and went to the office. It was weird, we all showed up for work. I don't think we knew what else to do. My co-workers and I spent most of the day watching TV at the office in the hallway in between the cubicles. I worked in a big insurance office with about 100 employees. Not one single phone was ringing... It was so quiet. There were a lot of tears and shocked disbelief. We sat there stunned until we all finally went home and tried to process what happened.

The personal side of the story is that we were due to be married in three weeks - back East in Cape Cod. In 2001, we had been dating for 8 and a half years...and we had finally planned our wedding!.... Now we were wondering should we go? Can we go? Are we allowed to fly? Will anything be open? Is it appropriate? We prayed and prayed and decided to go ahead as planned. But we had to wait and see if there would be flights... Remember for a couple of weeks there were zero planes in the air.  I distinctly remember thinking - wow, what a reminder of how short life is, and that I'd better live to the fullest while I can. Each day truly a gift. (Our wedding was just us, the photographer and the minister, so it was easy to still go) We got married on the beach at the Chatham Bars Inn - gazebo (I know some of you know where that is!) 

So here's the remarkable thing, and something my husband and I talk about all the time. We flew 3000 miles where we knew no one, to get married. We traveled around New York (Adirondacks), Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, New England, and the Cape and Islands....for two and a half weeks. Every single person was KIND to us. Helpful, welcoming, lovely, sweet, and AMERICAN. People thanked us for traveling (because no one was). People helped us find our way around (no iphones yet). People gave us upgraded rooms because it was our honeymoon. I'm getting the chills writing this. We were in Boston for a few days. Every boat in the harbor had an American Flag flying. Every building had the flag out front. The post office in Salem MA had like 75 flags in front. Everywhere there was a sense of patriotism and love for our beautiful country. Compassion for others. Kindness towards strangers. I will never ever ever forget what that felt like. America at her best, after the worst thing imaginable... Something to think about here in 2020. I literally cannot believe that was almost twenty years ago. Wow. 

If you feel inclined - I would love to hear your 9/11 story in the comments. I think it's important to remember this day and to share our experiences to bring us closer together as Americans. XO

Okay, for my card... I have a couple of plastic bins in my craft room filled with patriotic stamps, dies, papers, stickers, etc. I reached for those bins and grabbed some of my very favorite Americana themed supplies from Taylored Expressions. I have lots and lots of old and new supplies from TE, so some of these things are no longer available. (CLICK HERE to see the patriotic section of TE). The finished card is an A2 kraft card base. 

 

I embossed the stars embossing folder onto kraft cardstock for my top layer. I used vellum and white heat embossed that GORGEOUS sentiment! It's big and bold and the perfect saying for today. Next I stamped the USA map and die cut it with the matching die. I thought the map would fit on the card under the sentiment, but I was wrong! LOL. So I ended up tucking the map underneath the vellum - then I wrapped the vellum around the top layer. I actually love how this looks!

 

After I embossed the stars, I used a sponge dauber and white pigment ink and inked over the stars to make them show up better. Then I squinched the paper and folded the corners using my fingers - to make it look aged. I also inked the edges with Distress ink. I added some Doodlebug Stars shapes. Finally, I used my brand new Metallic Water Colors and splashed some gold over the entire card. On the background of the card base you can see that I stamped some larger stars. 

 

 

Sending you blessings, love and kindness on this day of remembrance. I hope you had a good day. XOXO

CLICK HERE or on the graphic below for the supplies for this patriotic card. 

Comments

[Debbie]

Wanda,
Thank you for a beautiful card and a beautiful post. I love checking in to you from time to time because I am inspired by your cardmaking and even more inspired by your words.
On 9/11, I was teaching at a small, private preschool on Cape Cod. It was before the days of computers and televisions in classrooms. My boss and I were oblivious to what had occurred. We knew nothing until Morning session parents started to arrive for pick- up. I think we looked at each other in disbelief, wondering if somehow these parents had misunderstood. Soon the reality sunk in as we quickly began checking on the safety of our own families.
We recalled hearing jets earlier that morning and later learned that fighter jets from Joint Base Cape Cod had been dispatched to attempt to intercept any additional planes. Bourne, the town I call home and where the preschool was located, is where Joint Base Cape Cod formerly called Otis Air Base is located. So hearing jets at that time was not unusual.
We muddled through the remainder of the day and upon returning home was glued to the television reports.
I am thrilled that Cape Codders and New Englanders were so kind to you and your husband.
Chatham is truly one of those lovely, quaint Cape Cod towns. You often mention your connection to and love for Cape Cod. Your story has helped me to understand why. If you don't mind me asking how did you choose Cape Cod as the location for your wedding?
Thank you again for the eloquence you shared and reminding all of us that we can come together as a nation for the common good... an important lesson for 2020.

[Maria Alder]

I was sitting watching tv at home in the UK when the programme got stopped for the horrible news of what was just happening in New York.
I saw the second tower being hit. The feeling of disbelief and sadness is something I will never forget. My husband and I was on holiday to New York in 2015 and we visited the site but I couldn't go in in the museum at the time.
Your card is very beautiful.
Take care and stay safe xx

[Frederica S Bond]

Such a beautiful card! We were stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky. For some reason I did not have the tv on. My neighbors yelled to turn on the tv. My heart sank and then panic set in. I am from Washington, DC. My whole entire family from both sides still live in the area. And most work in the area. Of course the phones didn't work and I wanted to go home. Of course the base was locked down and my husband came home to calm me down and tell me to stay put. He understood that if he hadn't come home I would have left. He is from Maryland. He had to go back to work, but talked me into waiting. Our oldest daughter was there. After a couple of hours, the calls started coming. My daughter was okay. Our families were okay. They hadn't heard from my mom, who didn't work far from the capitol. She called saying she had her keys in her pocket and when she felt the impact from the pentagon and saw the news, she didn't get her purse. She got in her car and drove as fast as she could to my grandmother's house in Maryland. All I could do was cry for weeks for the people who died and for our country and for those who went in to rescue and are still fighting illness. We came together as a nation. We need that now. God Bless America my home sweet home.

[Janet Sisk]

It was such a scary day for me. I lived in the Poconos at that time and worked in a school library there in Stroudsburg. Because we were in the library we had access to tvs. Someone ran in and told us to turn our tvs on. We were in disbelief, but also scared. Our community was a bedroom community for NJ and NYC. I had friends' whose husbands worked in the city. A lot of our students had parents, grandparents and other relative who worked in the city. We watched the second tower get hit and fall. Our school went on lockdown. Parents couldn't get in to get their kids and we couldn't leave at the regular time. It was oh so awful. My hubby worked in NJ and it took him hours to get home since all the highways were clogged with people fleeing and/or trying to get home. We ended up losing some parents and other relatives of the students in the school. So sad.... I will never forget that day - EVER!

[Troy Louise Seegmiller]

What a heartfelt post! Thanks for sharing your special story & happy anniversary. My brother’s youngest daughter was born on 9/11/00. We had celebrated her 1st birthday the day before. My son & I had traveled to New York in June of 2001 & have many pictures of the Trade Center buildings. So sad to look at them now. Thanks for your beautiful blog posts!❤️

[Anne Sturgeon]

I remember it well... working first shift at Gerber Baby Food. Just came back from my coffee break and it went out over the PA system that we had indeed been attached. Everyone was ordered to a common area and were told that we would finish running the days product and no more would be run on second shift. Because it is a canning plant it took several hours to complete the cook, bottle the product and palletize the packs to go to the warehouse. We had a radio at the palletizer and the local radio station broke in with any updates but from that point on they played a song by Diamond Rio called One More Day. That song played for the entire broadcast over and over... I felt so badly for the families who were finding out their loved ones were gone. It seemed so strange that anything like this could happen in our "Land of Liberty" Amongst all the rubble our glorious flag stood proud and strong even being torn and dirty. Please Lord, let this kind of terrorism never happen again. Keep us strong and protected to live "One More Day"

[Lin Brandyberry]

Bless you, Wanda - I loved hearing your story about the kindness you experienced. My how things have changed in the short time - kindness is surely in short supply now, isn't it?! My memory of that day was how beautiful it was - a perfect autumn day, blue skies and sunshine. We had planned our annual vacation to drive to New England later that week, and wondered whether or not to go, and like you, we did. We were in Maine in Kennebunkport a few days after the memorial service and happened to be in the same place as the older President Bush. He couldn't have been kinder, and I remember telling him that we were praying for his son. He was so gracious.

[Lynda]

Lovely card. You are right - we all know where we were at that time - and for the rest of the day.
Even here in the UK - I was at work, nursing a patient who had their TV on - to see it all unfurl....
so many tears were shed over here for you all that day.........
Best wishes xx

[Cindy Ofcharik Cottrell]

Thank you for sharing your heartfelt story. Here’s how my day unfurled in NC on 9/11.. On this horrific day in 2001, I was an executive in-house travel agent for a company that traveled a great deal -both domestically and internationally.
Someone came over to my desk right before 9am and said, "I just heard on the radio that a plane 'accidentally ' flew into the World Trade Center in NY. We both stated that's really odd~ still thinking it was a small plane with an inexperienced pilot. Very soon afterwards, she hastily returned and said, "it's another jet" & I replied, "I think we're being attacked".
My priority was to get the passengers home asap. Since all airspace was cleared and all planes were forced to land at their nearest runway, we couldn't get anyone back via a plane~ including executive private jets.
I recall making over 50 phone calls in a short amount of time to let those travelers, who had rented cars, know that they needed to keep the vehicles for their return trip back. For those who did not have a vehicle, it was virtually impossible to get them a rental. Try explaining that to executives who weren't prone to hearing "no".
The conference room at this company kept the coverage on all day and we all stood there in silence watching with mouths agape. It was one of the longest days ever.
Nothing at all in comparison to what thousands and thousands experienced firsthand. The sense of loss for our nation unfathomable.
I went to NY several times soon after that date and still could not wrap my head around what had struck at our core and found it sobering to even go near the devastated areas that remained sanctioned off.
It wasn't until 2010, when on my honeymoon to NYC, that I was able to grasp more closely the significance of the rallying and sacrifices when we went to St. Paul's Chapel. The WTC buildings were right across the street from this chapel. It was not damaged. It provided round-the-clock rescue and relief on that day. When you're inside this Chapel there is an incredible serenity, and an unequivocally feeling of angels present.

[Nancy]

I just love your posts as you share your world and life with us. Love your “from the heart” card today - you are so very talented! I too remember 9/11 very vividly. Our son had just graduated from college and was backpacking Europe for a month. Of course as a mom I began worrying about where he was and as you said no cell phones back then. My phone rang around 9:30 EST and it was our son! He was calling just to check in and he had no idea about the tragedy here in the US! It was a God thing ❤️

[Ida P. Krause]

Wonderful Patriotic card. My first memory of 9/11 was waking up to a phone call from my mom to turn the TV on. I was shocked and horrified by what I was seeing. It was also the 2nd week of Bowling League and I really didn't want to go bowl but you know we went and the other ladies all came and we bowled and consoled each other over what was happening. I still to this day cry whenever I watch any footage on 9/11. I hope that our country will someday get back on track and be "Americans" and proud of it.

[LeAnne Pugliese]

I love your card, it's fabulous! Your story of 9/11 was heart-warming too. Our country is sadly in need of a good dose of patriotism! TFS!

[Deborah Cooper]

Your card is beautiful. I miss the unity and patriorism that came out of the tragedy. I heard about the first tower being hit right after I dropped my children off at elementary school. I was glued to the tv, radio, and internet for most of the next three days in complete shock.I was staying at my friend's home and watching her two children along with my two. When they all got home that first night, I had to explain to them what had happened in terms they understood (Kindergarten to 3rd grade). It still breaks my heart to think about it today.

[Kellie]

Beautiful card!! Lovely story. Would love to get back to that kind of togetherness as a country!