Thanksgiving Card?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  You may be reading this blog and thinking...if this is a Thanksgiving themed post, why is there a Christmas Card feel to the image?  Well, here is the deal....

You may have noticed I missed posting last week. I have been traveling for work and simply ran out of time.  The ripple impact was that I also did not get a chance to make Thanksgiving invites for the family or special Thanksgiving greetings.  I thought that surely when I returned home I would still have time. But, when I called my mother to "check in", she made a rush order card request.  Since the final product has to be mailed to her so she can mail it to someone else (I know pretty crazy :)) I went right to work. So what had planned to be an evening of making Thanksgiving cards actually turned into an evening of creating cards that give thanks.  Seemed like the true meaning of the holiday to me! :)

The unique thing about this card was the request that it hold a gift card.

I have never worked with gift cards but this was a lot of fun.  I took a regular 8 1/2 x 11 piece of green card stock and scored it 4 1/2 from each end of the length and then right down the middle (5 1/2).  I "W" folded on the score lines and glued around the fold so that the center crease popped up inside the card and the backs of the cards stayed together. Think of putting glue at the bottom of the W so the two points stick together.  Be sure the glue is only around the edges.  I then cut a slit the size of a gift card and inserted a playing card to hold the space so my mother would see how it works.

Since she requested a Christmas theme and likes bling (you may remember this from a previous post), I stamped the holly leaves with a high shine ink and glittered up the berries. The Thank You is from one of her Bridge Clubs so I thought the theme of Hearts on a regular card would be a nice touch.  By adding red glitter to the hearts and letters gave the card additional sparkle.

Give a gift card holding card a try. With the holidays coming up it is a fun way to say Thanks!

May all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving.  Jeannette

Women's Wellness Table Helpers

Greetings everyone!  What an exciting weekend for Stamp to Cope, Inc.  We were asked to participate in the Women's Wellness Fun Day sponsored by the Madison County Breast Cancer Support Group and the Madison County Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition.  Over 200 women attended to learn about health issues facing women and enjoy some fun.  Breakfast and lunch were provided along with informative speakers, a style show, body recall, entertainment, and an ice cream social.  Health inspired vendor tables and door prizes rounded out the event. A big Thank You to my table helpers... Carly, Kasondra, and Tammy.  It was great to share our mission and outreach at such a high spirited event.

The highlight for me was the recognition of Breast Cancer Survivors at the end of the festivities.  Wow, how motivating to see so many of us on that stage as a reflection of hope and strength to all. I am reminded that every one of us can make a positive impact on others.  Thanks and have a great week! Jeannette

Boo to You

Happy Halloween everyone!  I know I am one day late but I am just not ready for my favorite time of year to end!  This has been such an inspirational year for Stamp to Cope, Inc. and I that I took the time to embrace, with extra thanksgiving, my big 50 birthday, my 9 year survival anniversary, a joyous celebration at DisneyWorld, and all the lovely trick or treat costumes and activities.

During this week of celebrations and awareness events, I was reminded that all survivors have a journey to embrace and share. They are all special and full of impact. For many of us, we pray our travels can provide new knowledge and hope for those that may have to follow in our path. My contribution to awareness surrounds my diagnosis..Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). I encourage you to share the information below with all of your loved ones.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer is a rare but very aggressive type of breast cancer in which the cancer cells block the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast.  IBC accounts for 1 to 5 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States and is more likely to have spread to other areas of the body (metastasized) at the time of diagnosis than non-IBC cases.  IBC is known to occur in men, so any of you guys out there reading please take note.  Symptoms of IBC may include redness, swelling, and warmth in the breast, often without a distinct lump in the breast. Let me repeat this critical reality...WITHOUT A LUMP.  In other words, do not ignore the possibility of breast cancer just because there is no lump. With IBC, you MUST act fast. A common identifier is an area of the breast skin that has ridges or appears pitted and may have an orange tint, like the skin of an orange (called peau d'orange) which can be confused for a extremely fast growing rash. Other symptoms include heaviness, burning, aching, increase in breast size, tenderness, or a nipple that is inverted (facing inward). IBC is still relatively unknown so please share this information with EVERYONE on your social networking lists. 

So, as I wrap up the 2011 Breast Cancer Awareness month and all the wonderful events of October with what might seem a challenging message,  please remember that I am living proof (a miracle really) that there is love, hope, strength, and beauty along the IBC path as well.  My love, thanks, and sincere appreciation to all of you that give my life meaning!  Oh and one last thing..... The BEAST rules..I love Disney!

Blessings, Jeannette