Breast Cancer Awareness ~ MUSE Guest Designer; ATSM #67; Pixie's #95

Good Monday Morning!

It is my great honor today to be featured as this month's Guest Designer for MUSE Card Club.  MUSE has been a favorite challenge of mine since its inception and I'm always disappointed when I miss a week.  If you haven't played before, I hope you'll give MUSE a try.  It is such a treat to CASE (copy and share everything) the superbly talented Muses in whatever way their cards inspire you!  After the challenge closes, participants vote for three of their favorite cards made by their peers.

Because I inked my stamp with markers, I'm also linking my card with the current Addicted to Stamps and More (ATSM) challenge to "make your mark," which is being sponsored by Nicecrane Designs.  And because I've used snippets of paper, I'm playing over at Pixie's Snippets Playground.

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I hope you don't mind that my card and post today concern a very serious and sobering subject.  For my theme and design, I chose to reflect that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Like me, I'm sure your lives have been impacted in some way by this insidious disease.

Here is my card:

 

 

I have paired the iconic pink color of BCA with spring green patterned paper and layered the border with torn sheets of green and pink vellum paper.  Breast cancer tears into the fabric of all the lives it touches, both literally and figuratively. 

 

I chose the sediment from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps because we are always there for our friends and family members as they make their arduous journey through the treatment process and back to good health. 

 

As a final touch, I chose to use a pearl which is the astral sign for Cancer.  It is the oldest known gem, and for many centuries it was considered the most valuable. Unlike other gems, the pearl is organic matter derived from living creatures: oysters and mollusks.  For centuries the pearl has been associated with the moon because of its orb shape.  Pearls are also associated with water, wisdom, and women.

 

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Unfortunately, I personally know way too many women who have had (or have) breast cancer.  Way.too.many.

For those of you who are currently undergoing treatment and feel like sheet warmed over, please know that you are in the thoughts and prayers of women everywhere, even strangers.  You belong to a world-wide sisterhood where others wish and pray for you to find strength, patience, optimism, and any strands of humor you can muster.
 

For those of you well and able, I hope you will participate in the MUSE challenge this week and CASE my card. 

I hope that in doing so, you will recommit to making your own health a priority in your life, do those self-exams, and get your mammograms because early detection is so key.

I hope you will take some time to reflect on the stress that you are carrying and consider ways that you can alleviate some of it.  I wonder if our evolution in recent years to becoming "super women," with the resultant stress, hasn't played a large negative role in our health and our boobies.  Delegating is a beautiful word ~ it means "entrusting." 

 

So I hope you will recommit each day to taking a little time just for you, just to simply breathe and step away from the madness. 

 

I hope you will give yourself permission to be more in the moment and enjoy EACH day of your precious life.

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And finally, I hope I don't sound too preachy.  I just care about you is all. 

Mwah!






Life is too short.

Paper:  PTI white; K&Company pp;
  Gafix colored vellum
Stamp:  Rubber Stampede 2875F;
  CFC "Calm and Gentle"
Ink:  Markers:  SU! blushing bride, primrose
  petals, pear pizzazz, and old olive
Pearl:  SU!