Happy Thursday.
It’s my honor to join the fabulous design team across at Time Out Challenges this week. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a winner for their colorful challenge #245 with this card. As the winner, I was invited to participate in an upcoming challenge and the one I was asked to participate in is very, very close to my heart!
The challenge is being sponsored by Jane’s Doodles and we were provided a digital image created especially for this challenge. We didn’t have to use the image, but I decided it was too adorable NOT to use it. AND… the good news is that we have been given the OK to share the image with anyone that wants to download it. I am sure that you have someone in your life who would appreciate a support card using this adorable image. Oh… and you can share it with us at Time Out, too :-).
And here’s the badge for the Time Out Challenge this week:
I began my card by printing out the Jane’s Doodles image onto Express-It paper. I knew that I was going to need something more forgiving than my normal Neenah as this was going to get a lot of ink from my markers! I set to work coloring each of the critters with my Copic Markers and made sure that each of them – including the butterflies – represented a cancer that has affected those very close to me. Each one of these delightful critters represents someone close that have lost, or survived, a battle with cancer. The cancers represented here include lung, breast, colorectal and lymphoma.
Once I had colored the individual critters, I decided to add some texture to their outfits with stencils. The bear represents my mother and my brother. I lost both of them to lung cancer and because both of them were so protective of me, I thought the bear was the perfect representation. Hence the hearts on the bear’s jersey! The fox represents my bestie and her Mom – both of whom are/were pretty foxy ladies 🙂 The butterfly represents my first hubby who died of colorectal cancer after a very hard fought battle!
To finish up my card, I used the rays from my Paper Rose stencil. After all, anyone who has fought this disease is a hero in my eyes. Hence the title of this post – Not All Heroes Wear Capes 🙂
I hope you will join us and play along with our challenge. We would love to see your creations!
Here’s the png that you can download and use :-). All you have to do is right click on it and then Save As to save it to your hard drive.
On a personal note:
When I was young it seemed that we knew someone who knew someone who had the “wasting disease”. Once I reached my 20s it hit home that it wasn’t just someone who knew someone, but someone I knew. Then, when I was 28 it really hit home when I lost my Mom to a short battle with lung cancer – just a few short month’s after Dad died of a heart attack. In 2001 I lost my first husband to colorectal cancer and then, in 2007 I lost my brother after an 18 month battle with lung cancer. Then my besties Mom succombed after a brave battle with breast cancer and shortly after she was also diagnosed. She was diagnosed the same week as one of my best friends at work was diagnosed with cervical cancer. What used to be a disease that someone who knew someone came to be a disease that seems to affect the lives of all of us. Back in 2010, in the early days of my crafty blogging, I had a follower called Trish. Trish was a great supporter of me in those early days and we lost Trish to breast cancer after a very short battle. Like all those I have known fighting this disease, she fought hard but quickly succombed. But, her positive presence was felt on this blog long after she left this world.
Cancer research and treatment has come a long way since those early days when I lost those close to me. In fact, treatment has improved dramatically even since my friends were diagnosed just a few short years ago. I remember having a long discussion with a cancer researcher back in 2016 who was at the forefront of collecting data for genetic testing and being amazed how they were working on specific treatments for specific genetic sequences and the fact that the data they had collected on successful and unsuccesful treatments could be used to help predict and treat. Those advances in treatment have helped two people very close to me continue to live their best lives and I am grateful to all the patients and doctors who have participated in research over the years. They, and loved ones who have fought this disease are, indeed, my heroes!
I hope this challenge inspires you to create a card of encouragement or friendship for someone you know who has been affected by cancer.
Hugs
Jaydee
6 Responses
Such a powerful post, Jaydee. Your words so perfectly envelop the spirit of this challenge. I have so enjoyed working with you on it, and sharing a bit of our stories. Thank you so very much for the gift of your presence in designing with us, and for this very wonderful tribute to your loved ones. You did a most marvelous job with Jane’s image. Sending huge hugs your way.
Jaydee you have coloured your image beautifully – what a wonderful tribute to all those affected by this terrible disease.
Thinking of you and thanking you for this powerful post. Great image, I’ve downloaded it. Hope you are well where ever you are.
Such a beautiful card, Jaydee!! I really love how beautifully you have used Jane’s image and how powerfully you have shared your message. We can’t thank you enough for guest designing at Time Out. Hugsxx Deepti
Such an inspiring card and story Jaydee, thank you for sharing both with us and joining us as a guest designer for this important challenge at Time Out!
Your sun rays are so hopeful and are the perfect background for this lovely image (which has been beautifully coloured and I absolutely adore the stenciling)!
Hugs, Kate!
When a card is as personal as you’ve made this one it affects all who see it in some way, Jaydee. I love your coloring and how various cancers have been represented. I have been lucky that my immediate family members have survived their bouts and I pray for those who are going through the difficult treatments now. Thank you for using the digital image as our guest designer to bring awareness of how many people are touched by the disease.