2009 June » » Page 4

A Storm in the Brain!

Jun 052009

I’m sure y’all are thinking that this is a humorous post, as I often joke about having brain storms. However, this is a very serious post and one that is near and dear to my family. This is a follow-up to Kate’s Story.

Kate has asked that I give an update and to once again ask you to help us help those with seizure disorder.

Kate has recently graduated from college and is now certified by the State of Indiana to teach science. She is currently looking for a position in Indiana for the upcoming school year. She has remained seizure free for two years and was recently given a years reprieve from her neurologist.

Very recently, one of my readers sent me the April 20, 2009 issue of Newsweek. The cover story of this issue is The Mystery of Epilepsy, Why We Must Find A Cure. The article was an excellent read and one that pulled at my heartstrings as a mother of a child with Epilepsy. I was completely taken aback by the stark and sobering statistics that I wrote about last year. The statistics on one year have grown amazingly fast.

Epilepsy in America is as common as breast cancer and takes as many lives
Up to 50,000 Americans die each year from seizures and related causes, such as drowning
One in 10 people will suffer a seizure in their lifetimes
Between 1 and 3 percent of the population will develop some form of epilepsy before age 75
Public and Private funding for epilepsy research ($35/patient) lag far behind those of Alzheimer’s ($129/patient) and multiple sclerosis ($280/patient)

To quote the article, “Most people with epilepsy are not in a constant state of seizure – they are, rather, in perpetual but quiet danger.”

For the fourth year now, I will be walking along with Kate, her friends, and the rest of our family, in a 5-K walk to support the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana on June 20th. The Epilepsy Walk is in memory of Heather R. Macy, a young girl who passed away on January 29, 2004 from a seizure. We have been lucky in that we have not had to take advantage of the programs and services that the Foundation affords. However, that may change this year. Kate and I have discussed what might happen if she does not find a job and is removed from the family health insurance plan. Her anti-seizure medications are over $400 a month without insurance.

If you have ever been touched by someone with a seizure disorder, whether it is a friend or family member, please help us help others by making a donation to the Epilepsy Foundation in support of the Bug Bug Walkers. If you are in the Louisville, KY area, we even invite you to join us in the walk. All you need to do is register as a member of team and join us at the Louisville Zoo that day.

To make a donation for the 2009 Walk Around Kentuckiana, please visit the Bug Bug Walkers Team Page at Epilepsy Foundation Kentuckiana. If you would like to join us, please click on the Join our Team link at the top. (I have also added a link in my sidebar on the upper right)

You can learn more about Seizure Disorders and Epilepsy at the Epilepsy Foundation.

Thank you for reading the update of Kate’s Story and helping us support the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana!

Gift Boxes!

Altered Art, Gift Boxes, Spellbinders 17 Responses »

Jun 042009

Happy Thursday! A few days ago, I was asked to make one of my post-it note boxes as a gift card holder. I have one that sets on my desk that I couldn’t be without. I pull them out, write myself important notes that I don’t want to forget and then stick them to the wall in front of me. (I still forget what I’m supposed to do . . . CRS, yes!) The idea is to put a gift card into the box and then the recipient can use the box for sticky notes. I put in the box a packet of post-it notes leaving enough room for the gift card to be placed in as well.

I first tried this box when it was a challenge on Splitcoaststampers. You can find the directions here. Because I like to have a lip on the bottom and top edges, I use a 10×10” of paper to make the origami box. The top and bottom and heavy weight coasters.

I used Spellbinders dies to cut and emboss the labels and flowers on the top of the box. The flowers were covered with matte accents and then sprinkled with glitter to add a touch of bling.

The border along the outside edge was also cut and embossed with a Spellbinders borderabilities die. Because this box is meant to hold post-it notes, I stamped music notes on the top panel and to give an aged look, misted it with water and dabbed off.

Stamps: Large Sheet Music from Stampington & Company
Paper: My Mind’s Eye BellaBella “French Flea Market”
Ink: Ranger Tim Holtz Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Spellbinders Daisy Heads Shapeabilities, Labels One Nestabilities, and Grand 12” Classic Lace Borderabilities; Ranger Matte Accents; Art Institute Krystallos Vintage Shards Glass and Seap Sprite Vintage Glass Glitter; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Sanding Tools; Brad

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Wacky Wednesday!

Rubbernecker 12 Responses »

Jun 022009

Wow has it been crazy around here the last few days. I bought a new computer Monday and spent the last few days trying to get it up and running. It’s amazing how much I rely on things already there for me and I keep forgetting things I need to add.

Since today is Wednesday, it’s for another WACKY WEDNESDAY Challenge! Broni is our hostess this week and has challenged us to a Color Challenge – Prism Spring Willow Medium, Intense Orange and Intense Yellow. She has given alternatives for SU colors on the Challenge post on the Rubbernecker Blog. The prize this week is a 40% off coupon good for your entire order at Rubbernecker Stamps. Check out the challenge, we would love to have you join us!

Now at first I turned my nose up at these colors . . . I am so not a user of intense bright colors. I always have to do some sponging to mute the colors down for my taste. However, I was quite surprised that I did like these colors together. See challenges really do make us think and/or use something that we typically wouldn’t.

I used “that inky thing I do” a/k/a Wrinkle Free Distress to color the tag and then had fun stamping images around the edges, etc. The sentiment was stamped with embossing ink and then embossed in Black Distress EP. If you’ve never used Distress EP before, the embossing powder doesn’t gloss up, and once it has cooled you rub off the excess powder. It really is a great way to add a little extra distressing.

Stamps: 463 Flourish Set, 467 Floral Silhouette and Stamp Oasis Believe in Your Dreams Sentiment from Rubbernecker Stamps
Paper: Prism Spring Willow Medium, Intense Orange and Intense Yellow; 7 Gypsies Market; and small manila shipping tag
Ink: Ranger Distress Embossing Ink, Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade, Black Soot, Broken China, Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw, Shabby Shutters and Archival Jet Black
Accessories: Ranger Tim Holtz Black Distress Embossing Powder, Non-Stick Craft Sheet, Matte Accents, and Mini Mister; May Arts Ribbon; Scallop Punch; Brads; Venture Foam Tape; Tsukineko Sponge Dauber; Candle Lighter (to melt ribbon)