Wear Your Pink Items You Make and Keep an extra to Give

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month I like to make some ribbons and other items. I wear mine and keep a couple extra in my purse. If someone coments on it, or starts up a conversation about breast cancer I always have one to pass on to that person.

I hope you never know the fear of Cancer, oh how I dislike that word.

I was holding my very good friend's hand when she took her last breath as
breast cancer, that led to other cancers, to her home to heaven.

That was about 10 years ago and their have been so many improvments to care and the
level of treatment. We need to stay vigalant and keep up the fight. Support in some small way any type of Cancer research, I truley believe a cure will come out of the research community that will open the door to helping to cure all Cancers. It just
is not happening fast enough.

My prayers are with you and your families that are having to go through Cancer treatment!
"Never give up, never give up"

I'm still standing and Pink Hearts Inspire Necklace

Hi and I'm missed my blog. I have been on a some new meds for the last month as the doctors try and get me ready for a third sinus surgery. They have not agreed with me, one day left and I will be jumping up and down when the side affects leave my tired body.

On the Happy side I just complete a necklace for our local Womens Shelter. They have a wonderful, family friendly fundraiser each year. This will be my second year to have a piece of jewelry in their silent auction. I'm so excited to see what the other people create and donate.

The Craven County NC Women's Shelter is a special and caring center.

This time I had fun with pink rose quartz hearts, sterling silver and Swarovski Crystals. I created an a-symetrical necklace that can be taken apart and one strand is a dounble strand bracelet. (I want to make one like if for myself now, you know how it is when you get done a piece and its fun to wear) But that is the goal, create what you enjoy and someone out their will enjoy it too.

We are not a large city. Have you ever checked in with your local womens shelter to see what kinds of things they need help with? Ours enjoys "simple things to do" for the children that are there. Sample bath products are always a big hit, even fragrance and sample makeup products. When your dashing out of the house to get somewhere safe, there is a lot you don't have a chance to pick up and take with you. Some shelters have thrift stores.

I keep a small bag that I put extra sample products in and when it is full I drop it off.

I'd love to hear your ideas!
Have a blessed day, Debby

Artist Paints to Help Cancer Research

Anne is a painter. She paints contemporary landscape paintings, mostly. This year, she also started The Recycled Art Project.

Etsy Project Embrace-- for my items tagged 'epe', a portion of proceeds helps to support cancer research.

If you would like to see more of her paintings visit her web page:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CherubimArts

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I completed my necklace to be donated to the American Heart Association

Happy Day! I finished making the necklace that will be part of the silent auction for the American Heart Association’s fundraiser for our area. I work with different colors and bead styles each year the one item that does not change is there is always at least one heart in the piece I create.

I had the privilege of having my work mention in the Sun Journal (our local paper) and interviewed me from a patient’s point of view and what volunteering for the American Heart Association means to me.

The article can be viewed at http://www.newbernsj.com/news/gala-44130-heart-.html

I am looking forward to the event this Saturday. I’ll have some great photos for you of what other area artist contributed to the cause.

Hat Box Foundation (Hand-made items for cancer patients)

I found a terrific organization today. I was looking for agencies that help with donations to Cancer patients. I personally do not know anyone that has not been touched by Cancer weather if through being a patient, survivor or having family or friends go through the hell brought on by this disease.

The organization is called The Hat Box Foundation

The in the next 5 paragraphs was taken directly from their web page.

Volunteer Knitters and Crocheters

Different from other organizations, Hat Box foundation only distributes hats that are 100% hand-made. We believe something made by human hands contain a special ingredient. It is this ingredient that makes each hat unique and helps to heal the human spirit. Without the generosity of our volunteers, we wouldn’t exist. I
We encourage design creativity and we gladly accept all new, well-crafted hand-knitted or crocheted hats. While we have no pre-determined patterns, please visit our links page for free pattern downloads. Hats can be knitted or crocheted; we just ask that the crochet is more of a tighter stitch so that the hat provides enough coverage for the head. In addition, we ask that the hats be long enough to cover the ears and nape of the neck.
Our recipients include men, women, boys, and girls so hats in a variety of colors, sizes, and styles are appreciated.
As far as yarns go, since our hats are sent to multiple climate zones, we accept all sorts of hat weights. But with Spring just around the corner, lighter weight hats are most appropriate for the warmer months. In addition, we like cotton and acrylic soft yarns since many of our patients have little or no hair (Bernat, Lion Brand, and Simply Soft Caron offer some great lines).
We are a non-profit with limited funds and so we ask all of our volunteers to supply their own yarn. Occasionally we receive yarn donations which are sent back out to the volunteers. If you have any yarn to share, please feel free to send it our way.
You can view their website at http://www.hatboxfoundation.org
Please email me if you know of similar volunteer opportunities to help Cancer Patients.
Thanks, Debby

Make a Miracle...Be an Organ Donor

Sue has started something wonderful out of something that can strike fear in the heart of parents and family members. What if someone in your family needed an organ transplant?

Sue writes:

This cause is very close to my heart. I have a 17 yr old daughter who has had two liver transplants. The first, thanks to her living donor, her dad. And we are forever thankful to her donor family for her second.

You can see the organ doner bracelets she has created at her shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/McGdesign

On a personal note, one of the proudest moments in my life was when my son got his driver's license and without hesitation, when the Officer asked if he wanted to be an organ donor he said yes. Tears of joy rolled down my face, I quickly wiped them as he came over to show me his license. That was a day I will never forget. (my husband and I are also signed up to organ donors)

Crochet pattern Designer helping Disabled American Veterans

Chrochet Pattern Designer Deja Joy Jetmir donates part of her sales to the Disabled American Verterans. She is a tallented designer and what a great way to say thank you to those who have served our country.

You can visit the web site for Disabled American Veterans at dav.org

Please visit Deja's shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/JacquiJCrochet to see her original creations.

Getting Ready for Local Heart Association Fundraiser

This is a beutiful art glass bracelet and earrings set my friend Nan made for this years silent auction for the Heart Associations. She has raised close to a thousand dollars over the past five year with her donations. Thank you Nan

You can visit Nan's Etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadgurl45

The National coalition for Women with Heart Disease

The National coalition for Women with Heart Disease has sent me some information to share with you. Visit their web site www.womenheart.org/kit and you can register to get a free Heart Health Action Kit. They also have an on line BMI calculator that I love; I’m not great at math so I never had stopped to figure my own BMI... Great health information that you can share with the women in your life.

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

February 7 - 14 is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week
Visit tchin.org/aware for more information and great support info for anyone living with or that has a loved one with Congenital Heart Defects. Another great source for information is the https://www.achaheart.org website. This is the Adult congenital Heart non profit group that has wonderful information and resources for Adults living with Heart Defects. There are now more adults than children living with Congenital Heart Defects. As we age there we may come across special needs and this website is very helpful.

Heart Donatate by LORiOLA

This is one of Loriola's hearts that is like the one she donated for the necklace I am working on.

February is Heart Month

I am working on a necklace for our local American Heart Association's yearly fundraiser. Have you noticed how hard it can be to match red to red. I am working with a lamp work glass focal bead donated by a glass artist. It is a beautiful red heart with two black stitches on it. She has a great collection in her Etsy store http://www.etsy.com/shop/LORiOLA I was lucky to have it with me at a bead show and spent most my time looking for reds to match. Happy to say there was some great crystals that matched and I also found some black roundels to work in with them. I wasn't able to find seed beads the right color so when I returned home and went through my stash I was astonished to find the exact red (a whole hank of them). I felt blessed. When I finish the necklace I will post a picture.

What other opportunities have you found to support Heart Health?