Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Patriotic Bookmarks

I remember when I was nine years old, sitting in my 4th grade classroom wondering how I happened to be so lucky to be born in a country where I had plenty of food, freedom, and a good family. (We were often reminded to eat all of our food because there were hungry, starving, children around the world.) We read about other countries in Weekly Reader that didn't have as many freedoms as we did. As I matured, so did my understanding of the cost of freedom. I lived in an Air Force town where I saw the toll taken by long family separations and war. 

I began to research family history and found so many of my ancestors who had fought in the wars defending our country from the Revolutionary War to World War II.  Some died in terrible battles, one lost limbs and became an artist.  My g-grandfather hid out in a cabin after his injuries to be alone after years of fighting beside his sons in the Civil War, Everyone thought he'd died. One uncle survived D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge and returned to farming and his sweet wife, meeting his war buddies every summer into old age with no obvious injuries. More recently, nephews returned with PTSD unwilling to have it treated due to the stigma associated with it.

The price of freedom is high, and often unappreciated. So it's my firm belief that we should be supportive of those who have worked or fought to maintain the freedoms that many of us take for granted.  So I've made bookmarks today to celebrate those whose sacrifices we should celebrate and remember.

I used a scrap what might have been Scenic Route "Liberty" paper for the fronts. I stamped "freedom" from a long retired CTMH stamp set Let Freedom Ring. "You Are Not Forgotten" is from an ODBD stamp set, Not Forgotten. I added small patriotic pictures from Authentique's "Honor" paper pad and finished it off with some retired CTMH ribbon from my stash.

 The backs are simply covered with pieces of BoBunny Anthem paper:

Thank you for visiting! May you always be able to celebrate freedom and  those who have helped you obtain and maintain it. They need your encouragement and support!



I'm sharing this project with the following chllenges:
Always Fun #13 - Patriotic
Creatalicious Challenge #118 - anything goes with optional red, white, blue
Dragonfly Journeys #95 - Red, White, and Blue-tiful
Glitter 'n' Sparkle #246 - Freedom and what it means to you
Paper Sweeties #57 - photo inspiration:

Shopping Our Stash #310 - colors of your flag
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - red, white, and/or blue


8 comments:

Donna said...

WOW!!!!
Love your patriotic bookmarks!!
What's red, white and blue and FABULOUS all over??
Those bookmarks!!
Thanks for joining the SHOPPING OUR STASH crew for our Flag Day challenge this week!!

Jeannie said...

Hi Vickie! I just love your bookmarks and your story and great reminder of what today is all about. Happy 4th of July to you and thanks so much for joining my Red, White, and Blue-tiful blog challenge :)

Jeannie T.
Dragonfly Journeys

Oh You Made Me Ink said...

Your bookmarks are all super cute! Thanks for joining us at Always Fun Challenges! Cyndi, DT

Mimi said...

Wow-- powerful post. Thank you for speaking your mind and sharing a bit of your family history. I think many Americans must share similar histories, and it is blessing and a curse that we must be reminded that freedom isn't free. I have daughters, 9 and 14, and my husband and I engage in discussions with them as the opportunities arise to discuss the simple fortune of us being American citizens-- and for them we say females in America. Anyway... thanks. And thank you for sharing these awesome bookmarks with SOS this week-- I love all of the detail... including the fabulous reverses!

Maria Rodriguez. said...

Your tags are amazing, beautiful, vintage images in all of them, the papers you used are gorgeous.
I feel fortunate and grateful to live in this Country, I'm an immigrant from Mexico, came here as a new bride 44 years ago and I love, respect, cherish my adoptive Country every single day of my life. I'm an American Citizen now and I feel the freedoms we enjoy should be appreciated and cherished and we should be forever grateful to all who have fought to provide this very freedoms we enjoy every day.
Thank you for sharing your story and your beautiful tags with us at SHOPPING OUR STASH, hope you join us again next time.
Hugs,
Maria Rodriguez.

Debbie said...

Vickie, these bookmarks are so yummy! I especially love the pretty red & white striped ribbon! Thanks for sharing with us at Paper Sweeties!!

Kath Stewart said...

beautiful bookmarks Vickie and we live in a world where Freedom is taken for granted...thank you so much for sharing with us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge...hugs kath xxx

Melanie said...

Wonderful bookmarks!
Thank you soo much for taking part in our "anything goes with optional red, white & blue” challenge over at Creatalicious & good luck in the draw.
Hope to see you again in our new challenge as well…

Hugs,
Melanie
(DT-Coordinator Creatalicious Challenges)

(DT Crafty Friends)

(DT The Sketchy Challenges)


PS: Sorry for the late comment, life had been very busy the past couple of weeks…