Hats Off to Beating Cancer

I made a card this afternoon and I hope I never ever have to send it to someone I know. I'm sure you'll know why when I say the theme of the card is "Breast Cancer friendship and support".  I've had too many friends, relatives and acquaintances who've battled this horrible disease.  

In my last post,  I featured the Hats Off Bundle and I mentioned that although this stamp and die set come off as masculine, they can also make up some pretty special feminine cards. 

Here is my card:

• I began by cutting and scoring the Basic Black card base.
• I cut the Polished Pink Layer and before adhering it to the card base I die cut the ball cap and cancer ribbon from  the center part of the layer. 
• I ran my Polished Pink Blends over the cap edges and along the stitched lines to add some depth to the cap.    
• I used the linked small basic rhinestones strip along the cap brim.  From the Hats Off bundle I die cut the oval sentiment and insert and attached the small pink ribbon from the Artfully Aware dies.  The ball cap was added to the card with dimensionals.    
• I cut the Basic White layer, then stamped it with the large ribbon image from the Artfully Aware set in Momento Black ink. To give this layer a bit more texture I embossed it with the Tasteful Textiles Embossing Folder to give the background a little more texture. 
• I chose the sentiment "Be Strong, Be Brave - you've got this" which is part of the Many Messages Cling Stamp set because it's such a bold statement.  I love this bundle of sentiments as I can pre-stamp and die cut the sentiments ahead of time. 
• To finish off the card I added the Basic Rhinestones around the hat brim and a few scattered rhinestones and to the Basic White layer.  I added a small rhinestone to the center of the ribbon. 

Love this sentiment from Many Messages #154510

• 
  For the inside card panel I stamped off the image of the two girls hugging once and then stamped to the center of the card.  In retrospect I should have stamped in Gray Granite or Smokey Slate for a softer image.  The sentiment was stamped full strength in Pink Polish and then the layer was adhered to the base.   

Details:

Stamp Up Sets:    Artfully Aware (Retired Stampin Up), Hats Off Bundle (#158361), Many Messages (#154510)

The Artfully Aware Stamp set and Coordinating dies by Stampin' Up! have Retired.

Hats Off #155483 for the 15 piece photopolymer stamp set 

Hat Builder Die Set #155964 has 15 dies.  Purchased as a bundle you save 10% just use order code #158361

Many Messages Stamp & Coordinating Die Bundle 

Card Stock:    Basic Black (base), Polished Pink, Basic White 

Ink:    Momento Black, Polished Pink and Versa Mark with Silver Embossing Powder

Accessories:  Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones, Tasteful Textiles Embossing Folder

Card Base: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" scored at 4 1/4" (Basic Black)

Layers:    

1st layer - 5 1/4" x 4" Polished Pink.  

2nd layer - 5" x 3 3/4" Basic White (stamp and emboss), Inside layer 5 /14" x 4" Basic White.  

Note: This card can be made in any combination of colours and for any form of cancer support or other type of support.  It's just a case of changing up the hat and 1st layer colour and you have a totally different look.  

Here's a Masculine Card I made for a challenge over the weekend where I've used the Hats Off stamp set and dies combined with Mountain Air.  The colours are muted and more masculine.

Like I said this becomes a totally different card by changing the background, sentiment and colours.  Although this particular card is earmarked for an outdoorsy kind of guy and an occasion such as Father's Day, a birthday or perhaps retirement event, it could easily be changed into a masculine support card by adding the ribbon to the hat brim and changing the sentiment to the one used above.     

  

Hope you've enjoyed this card and will leave me a comment.  

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot

Penny Hanuszak, Canadian Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

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June Hostess Code: 

If you're placing an order in the month of June that is under $200 (before S&H and tax), apply the above hostess code and you will receive a hand made thank you card and a hostess gift from me for participating.  If your order is over $200 or more (before S&H and tax) you don't need to apply the code because you will receive your own rewards based on your order total.  Cheers! 

Wonderful Presents from Wonderful Friends

What a great week this has been for surprises!  On Friday when I picked up my mail I was so excited to see a parcel from my friend and fellow stamper, Kathryn Mangelsdorf who lives in Woodside, South Austrialia. She'd already given me a heads up that something was coming, but not what or why, so the excitement was building as I rushed home to open the package. Here's a peak:

Love that fold over withthe butterfly and button.............too cute!

Just to give a little background before I show you what I received, I met  Kathryn on UStamp With Dawn and Friends during the first session that I signed up for.  Kathryn's become one of the shining lights in terms of her fantastic tutorials and designs and I so look forward to chatting with her on the open chat line.  During our chat's we've gotten to know each other a little more personally and Kathryn shared that she had tragically lost members of her family to breast cancer.  Since Kathryn is not one to sit back and do nothing, she decided to sponsor a Breast Cancer fund raiser called "Kathryn's Girls Afternoon", and it's become a great annual event.

As you'll know from my earlier posts I am a big supporter of Breast Cancer and have been involved in the Walk for Life events here in Abbotsford, so when I heard she was doing it again this year I wanted to jump in and help out too.  I spent a few hours going through my stack of Stampin' Up! card swap fronts to find ones that would make "good sellers" and made them into full cards, packaging them in cello wrappers and sending them off with some breast cancer stickers and other goodies.  Kathryn was delighted to receive the package from me and sent me this wonderful appreciation gift, along with the fantastic news that the Kathryn's Girls Afternoon had raised $969.00+ for the Cancer Council as a result of their card sales and donations.  Isn't that fantastic???  

Congratulations Kathryn...........you go girl!  And thank's for the appreciation gift, which I'm now going to share.  Fabulous card, and love the chocolate bar wrapper so much!!!!

This is a Lindt Dark Chocolate Bar...........mmmmmmmmmmm yum!  hidden beneath this clever little cover.  I'm tempted to eat it cause I love dark chocolate, but I don't want to take it out of the wrapper!  Talk about diet control!

Isn't this card fabulous.  I think I'm going to case it for one of my Christmas designs. 

We ate the chocolate bar before I had time to take a photo
and it was delish.........................YUMMY!!!!

Okay my second surprise of the week came from our lovely neighbors Linda and Barry who arrived for my Wednesday night dinner party with a surprise hostess gift.  How thoughtful and how exciting!  They filled the bag with goodies that my mom, who was visiting, and I would enjoy during this snowy weather spell..........hot chocolate, winter tea, some great napkins and a to die for Milean's Demerara Butter Crunch White European Chocolate Bar (local choclatier). Yum, Yum!!!  What lovely gifts!



Now I have to tell you I would have been totally happy to have received just this gift bag........ and that's the truth.  I just found it totally awesome and couldn't take my eyes off it.  Isn't it amazing?


Here's a closeup of that deer.  He's so stunning..............covered in glitter (Dazzling Diamonds or Irridescent Ice Comes to mind) and I love the Baroque Motif styled swirls in the background in the gold and white.  Just beautiful.  Here's a closer view.

I also loved this little Tea Box with it's Jolly old snowman!  Isn't this a cute idea. 

Well now I have to go and spend some time in my studio seeing if I can use these ideas........................  see you!  Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

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A "Walk" for the Cure - Breast Cancer

We all know someone touched by breast cancer, whether it's your mother, sister, friend or work colleague.  Although it hasn't been in my immediate family, I've lost friends to this dreadful disease, and I also have valliant friends that are Breast Cancer survivors.

My good stamping buddy Sheri works for CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada), and has been an active participant in fund raising for their annual "CIBC - Run for the Cure" held on October 3rd.  CIBC is just one of the many great corporate sponsors who fund raises in tandem with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation in BC.  To show her support this year, Sheri held a card class and set up an on-line donation site for her portion of the fundraiser. Sheri also participates in the "run", and because I'm a fan and supporter too, I was fortunate enough to join her yesterday along, with thousands of others at Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford for this annual event.

Putting on the Corporate Team Shirt

Okay a little big in the shoulders but it really looks good!

  Now you have to know that Sheri and I aren't runners..........let's face it, our love in life is "stamping" what else.  But, occasionally we do get out and enjoy the fresh air and the joy of "walking".  So that's what we did.  We accomplished the 5k walk in under an hour, yakking about "stamping" the whole way!  What fun!!!   I was fascinated by all the "in the pink" participants, sporting pink wigs, t-shirts, runners and you name it in terms of costumes and props.  Also along for the walk were hundreds of willing children and pooches dressed in tutus, t-shirts, pink collars and shades!    It was hard to say who was cuter the dogs or the kids!  It was a great way to spend a Sunday morning and it felt terrific getting out for such a worthwhile cause .  My pledge is to get in shape for next year so I can actually run the 5k, raise some donation funds of my own, and make sure I get my annual mamogram. It's important!

Here's the starting gate - and we're on our way to5K!!!