Dream Valley 45 – Anything Goes

Over at Dream Valley today our challenge is an nice easy one, Anything Goes, we are sponsored by Joanna Sheen with a £10 for her fabulous online store.

When I saw we had an ‘Anything Goes’ challenge coming up at Dream Valley and it was due to be published on Remembrance Sunday then I knew I had to make this card, not only in remembrance but as a thank you to all our fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price. The poppies are one of Sheena Douglass’s beautiful stamps, and I coloured them with Festive Berries and Evergreen Bough Distress Inks. The poem was written by my Daughter when she was only 14. They had just covered WW1 in history and it clearly affected her deeply as she came home and wrote two poems which, to my mind, beautifully sum up the horror, sadness and losses of war. I have to admit to being proud that she has such a sensitive soul. Please respect her and do not copy the poem.

My Father was unable to fight in WWII due to having had an horrible accident with fire a couple of years before, but he was one of the many people who worked the land, working for the Surrey WarAg to keep our people fed, and my Grandfather, again too old to fight was stationed in London as a Fireman. His eyes would glaze over on Remembrance Sunday and I know he was reliving the horrors that he had witnessed during The Blitz. My Mum used to tell me how they would look out of their bedroom windows in their Surrey home and could see the sky bright red as London burned following a bombing raid.

Last year I was absolutely horrified when our local Poundland store forbade their members of staff to wear a poppy! They said it was unfair on the many religions that frequented the store. Utter poppycock, the remembrance poppy transcends religion, it’s a symbol of sacrifice and remembrance, not of any specific religious belief . When I look around me today I sometimes wonder why these brave men and women gave their everything as we seem to become less and less caring and respectful of our fellow human beings, but I am grateful for the many sacrifices these men and women have made.

I shall also be remembering today the people who are no longer here, but who have had an influence on my life.

I am entering this into the following:-

Amusing Challenges – Thank You

Card Crafters Circle – #48 We Remember

Card Makin’ Mamas – Thanksgiving/Thank You

Crafts and Me – #108 Reds

Crafty Sentiments – Poppies

Critter Sketch Challenge – #140 Veteran’s Day/Remembrance

Daisy Doodles – Remembrance/Veteran’s Day

Delicious Doodles – #10 Remembering

My Sheri Crafts – Give Thanks

Paper Pretties – PWC231 Thank You

Party Time Tuesday – PTT93 Thank You

Poodles Parlour – Thank You

Scrappy Frogs – Give Thanks

Sentimental Sundays – 128 Thanks/Thanksgiving

Sparkle and Glitter The Rick St. Dennis Challenge – #3 Remember

That Craft Place – Red for Remembrance

The House That Stamps Built – DCC117 Anything that Gives Thanks

The Outlawz (PAM) – Thankful

The Paper Girls – #19 Thank You

Wags N Whispers – #92 Be Thankful