Wednesday Stamper Challenge

This week's challenge over on Wednesday Stamper is to create something with the theme "Growing Old." This is mine. I used a Gentle Thoughts stamp, by Quiet Fire Design in British Columbia Canada. I printed the image twice, cut one and layered it on top of the ribbon. I LOVE old faces! Thanks so much for this challenge, and for stopping by my blog today.

For my friend

October is breast cancer awareness month. Over at Saturday Stamper, the challenge is to use pink ribbon somewhere on our project.

This afternoon we said our final goodbyes to our beautiful friend, a wise, compassionate woman, a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, who died of Inflammatory Breast Cancer a short eighteen months after she'd been diagnosed (see post below).





These are samples of many cards we created together, shortly before she died, to be auctioned at a fund raiser in Halifax Nova Scotia to provide financial support to women who need it while they're coping with breast cancer.

This card uses a photo of beautiful White Point Beach here in Nova Scotia. I was privileged to use the same photo for her wedding invitations last year.

The first stitched card above, and this card, have a stamped verse on the inside (available at Verses Rubber Stamps):

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer is so limited.
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot erode faith.
It cannot destroy peace.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot suppress memories.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot erode the spirit.


I DID believe all these things, "once-upon-a-time," but seeing how it has silenced hope for far too many women in my life, I guess I'm just not so sure any longer. Thank you for this wonderful challenge.

Mar 25 1965 to Oct 11 2007: Gentle Peace

My dear and beautiful friend "Dr. Debbie" died this morning, Oct. 11th., just after 3 am. She was a wise and brilliant woman, a compassionate physician, a phenomenal human being who had been diagnosed with Stage 4b Inflammatory Metastatic Breast Cancer a short eighteen months ago.

Very quickly, Debbie became a fierce advocate for education about IBC, and was indeed the "local face" and a significant online presence in the communities of fighters. This "Warrior Princess" accepted every opportunity to teach us what we needed to know.

I was able to fly home from Quebec on Sunday night, as soon as I'd learned she'd made the decision to lay down her sword, to stop fighting.

In July of last year, Debbie married the love of her life, her Jamie.

Jamie's precious gift allowed me to be with Debbie at the hospital.

Jamie, her father Colin and I were with her when she died, at gentle peace, with the same amazing grace and dignity that characterized her entire life.

Please say a prayer for Jamie, her warrior prince, for her son Ryan, for her wonderful family, and for all the families you know who are coping with this dreadful, unpredictable, aggressive disease.

Please educate yourselves.

Wednesday Stamper...Autumn!

The challenge at Wednesday Stamper this week is to create with fall colours. I challenged myself to try Stampbord, and have found a delightful new part of this burgeoning addiction! I painted the Stampbord with Lumiere metallic paints, dabbing them on rather than painting, to add texture. Then I used a Stampendous stamp with Top Boss Clear Embossing Pad and Top Boss Black Embossing Powder, heat set it, adde a couple of Swarovski crystals, and that part was done. Then I used a Quiet Fire Design sentiment stamp, and a Celtic border stamp produced by Heather's Stamping Haven in Ontario to complete the card. Thans so much for stopping by!