Page 8 - Harnett Life Fall 2019

You won’t find this in

a greeting card store

By Morgan Brown

son received on what date. Blair also keeps a binder with
sheets of numbered pockets for each design, in the same
manner a baseball card collection would be stored. Some
of the sleeves contain a card waiting there to be written
in and given away, while others have a placeholder pho-
to that serves as a guide should Blair need to recreate that
design. One piece of paper cut vertically means there will
be two cards created when Blair begins a new design. She
said sometimes the card may not turn out quite the way she
imagined, so only those two will be used. Because of the
lengthy set up and preparation process involved with taking
out and organizing all the card making materials, if Blair
knows one design will be used more frequently than anoth-
er, a sympathy card for example, she will create multiples
of that design to keep close at hand when it is needed.

The design Blair said she has made the largest quantity of
since the start of her card-making days is one she creat-
ed for Captain Armstrong at the Harnett County Sheriff’s
For the past decade, the friends, family, and acquaintanc- Department. It was a single card intended as congratula-
es have received ‘thank you’ notes, condolences, notes of tions for Armstrong when he was promoted to Captain,
encouragement and everything in between in the form of but Blair said she felt led to do more, telling Capt. Arm-
handmade cards, an endeavor Blair describes as “just a strong, “I want to make a card for each and every deputy
love and ministry for people.” Blair credits Sunday school in Harnett County.” She had approximately 50 cards of the
classmate Tami Taylor for sparking the idea. As the pas- same design already made up when she approached Capt.
tor’s wife at Piney Grove church, Blair is active and well Armstrong with this idea, but Blair said she was surprised
known within the church. After leading the week’s Sun- when she was given the full list of names from him, a list of
day school lesson, Taylor came to Blair with a handwritten around 220 people. Blair said, “I continued to make cards
card, a ‘thank you’ note describing how much she enjoyed for a little while until I [sent a card to] every single deputy
the Blair’s teaching. “I wanted what I felt from this card, I in Harnett county.” Blair wrote an individual message in-
wanted to do the same thing,” she said, “it all started from side each card. Law enforcement, she said “deserve [for]
just wanting to be a blessing” to others. somebody to tell them” how much they are appreciated.

There are approximately 1,000 individuals listed on the Of the hundreds she’s created, Blair said she has discov-
spreadsheet Blair created in April of 2009, but this number ered her favorite designs to be those that are unique to one
doesn’t include the several hundred cards she created prior specific person. “Most of them are made specifically for
to the start of the record keeping. Blair said the spreadsheet somebody, or with somebody in mind,” she said. A card is
was a necessity because she had created and given away tailored to the church pianist by incorporating sheet music
so many cards to so many different people and didn’t want into the design, with a clever message inside: “Just a ‘note’
anyone to receive a duplicate. Now with her meticulous to say I’m thinking of you.” For tradesmen who come to
record keeping, she can search any of the names on the work at her home, the ‘thank you’ card’s theme would cor-
list and see which type of card and design a specific per- relate: maybe an outlet or light bulb for the electrician, or

Page 8 Harnett Life ~ Fall 2019