Artist Sherrill Willis hand cranks a die cutting machine, sending a metal stencil of evergreen trees and sparkly green paper through it.
“I'm a texture person, so making things with texture is kind of my deal,” she said, explaining her choice of paper.
Willis layers the cutout of the trees onto a cutout frame of cardstock.
It’s the beginning layers of a Christmas card she’s making.
“Having just little trees, and then I have pens and other pastes and stuff that I can put little snow on them. You know, we call that zhuzhing it up,” said Willis.
Other cards she made this week have cut outs of snowflakes, Santa Clauses, candy canes and all other matter of Christmas characters and symbols.
They’re all laid out on tables inside Old School Arts and Learning Center in Rhinelander.
Each handmade card is cut, stamped, and signed by its creator.
Willis made majority of the 551 Christmas cards over the eight days she was working out of Old School, though she did have help.
“I've had 21 volunteers show up and some like Judy, who's here today, have returned day after day,” said Willis. “I'm very, very grateful and lucky that I have so many good friends in this community and people I haven't met that feel so inclined to come and help.”
She’s also been getting donations from people and businesses in the community that she used to buy the supplies to make the cards.
All of the cards will go to residents and staff at nursing homes.
Willis started this tradition four years ago with 50 cards handing them out at Friendly Village. During that visit, an interaction with a woman with dementia solidified this as something she wanted to keep doing.
“The lady looked at me, and she said, ‘Do I know you?’ And I said, ‘No.’ And she said, ‘But you made me a card?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ And she said, ‘Are you an angel?’ And I said, ‘No, but I'm gonna do this for the rest of my life now,’ and so that's what I'm doing,” said Willis recalling the moment.
Each year, Willis has upped the number of cards and number of nursing homes to send them to.
This year, it’s 551 cards going to five nursing homes.
Four of them are in the Northwoods: Grace Lodge, Rennes, Friendly Village, and Legacy of the Northwoods.
She’s also sending some cards to one in Sacramento, California where her dad was living until he passed away earlier this year.
“I wanted to do something nice for all the people that had taken such good care of him,” said Willis.
Louise Perreault is the owner of Old School Arts and Learning Center where Willis has been making all the cards each year.
“It's pretty amazing. I feel very honored to have the space, to be able to have her come and have her choose us as the place to do this,” said Perreault.
Perreault has been making some cards of her own to add to the mix.
Like Willis, Perreault says it’s all about sharing in the giving of love.
“Like Sherrill said, a lot of people don't have anyone to see them and to be with them. If we can touch them a little bit during, especially during the holiday season, because that's the hardest time for a lot of people too,” said Perreault.
While seeing the cards brighten the day of people living in nursing homes fills Willis’ heart, it’s not her main motivation for doing this.
“All of them are assigned love, you know, Sherrill, ‘love Judy’, ‘love Louise’, ‘love Audrey’,” said Willis. “People can hate for no reason. I am trying to show that we can love for no reason and put more love into the world.”
Before this year’s cards were even handed out, Willis is already making plans for next year with a goal of 1,000 cards.
Anyone who wants to help make cards next year or suggest places to give them to, should reach out to Willis.
She can be reached through Old School Arts and Learning Center.
