AWESOME DIY EASTER GIFT BAGS

  Putting a Personal Stamp on 'em

 

I hope my grandchildren think the gift bags I have made them are awesome. I picture them looking at the bags lovingly, and exclaiming "Wow! Bamma made the bags just for us?" 

Of course, that is a dream. They are not likely to spend much time looking at the bags since there are gifts inside, and they are only six and eight years old. 

However, I really enjoyed thinking of their personalities, and preferences, as I made the bags. It also gave me another opportunity to use an adorable Easter stamp set, and some of my favorite papers, and inks.

Hopscotch Paper Packet

Some of the gift bags are made from scrapbook paper, and others are ready made bags I decorated. I hope you like both styles, and get some ideas of your own. 

From Bags to Riches

It really makes a gift special when it is in a handmade gift bag with a handmade card. You don't have to purchase expensive gifts, when you take the time to personalize the wrappings and card, the gift becomes special.

Hopping by Holiday Stamp Set

I'm not sure if my grandchildren will ask for countdown gifts for Independence Day, but I'm sure I will have to make some for Halloween. Don't tell anyone, but I'm really looking forward to Halloween Bags. 

I've Got This One in the Bag

I recorded two short videos to show the different types of bags. I used Cricut cuts, stencils, stamps, and more. Below the videos I have included links to the Close to My Heart products I used.

I appreciate all of you who take the time to watch my videos, read my blog, and especially those who help me donate to the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society with your purchases. 

Supply List
Glacier Exclusive Ink Pad
Black Exclusive Ink Pad
Pixie Exclusive Ink Pad
Canary Exclusive Ink Pad
Hopscotch Paper Packet
Brushed Paper Packet
Seaside Paper Packet
Shinhan Marker in Barely Beige
Shinhan Marker in Cerulean Light Blue
Shinhan Marker in Cherry Pink
Shinhan Marker in Clay
Shinhan Marker in Golden Yellow
Shinhan Marker in Leaf Green
Shinhan Marker in Peony Purple
Shinhan Marker in Tender Pink
Shinhan Marker in Marine Blue
Hopping by Holiday Stamp Set
Bonding Memories  Glue
Liguid Glass - liquid glue



Did you make Easter gifts, bags, cards, etc for someone special? I would love to hear about your creations in the comments below.



A WALK FOR CANCER RESEARCH ~ LIGHT THE NIGHT

The Damon Divas Walked to Raise Funds and Awareness for Blood Cancers

We have been working hard to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Last night was the culmination of all that hard work. The evening began with a Remembrance Ceremony that left everyone in tears, but was a great reminder of why we had all gathered there.

 Thousands of people met at NRG stadium, for a celebration of life, and a remembrance of those we have lost. The total raised by all of these people was nearly $850,000. Our team raised $1899!

 Everyone was given a lantern; yellow for remembrance of a loved one, white for cancer survivors, and red for supporters. It was awesome to see all of those lanterns raised as we began our walk. 

 The two mile walk was a breeze in years past. The fact that it was difficult this year means I have a lot of work to do. Chemo and other medications can really take a toll on your body. I was proud, and thankful, to see so many other white lanterns raised in the air. 

We made it! It was a wonderful evening, but I was happy to see I had made it to the finish line. Now fundraising begins for next year. A percentage of my Close to My Heart profits go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, so I will be raising funds all year. 

Thank you to everyone who helped us donate to a cause that is so important to me. If you would like to form your own team, or get more information about Light the Night events, check out their website.

Please take a moment to comment below with a cause that you feel passionate about.  

 

Another Ally in the Fight Against Blood Cancer

I have recently discovered an organization working towards wiping out blood cancer. They have made it very simple for anyone to help. You can have a kit sent to your home, simply send a swab back to them, and they will enter you in a registry of bone marrow donors. You can also send a donation of $65, which is the cost of entering one person in the registry. If this is something you have wanted to do but have just never gotten around to being tested, this is your opportunity. If you have never considered being a donor, I hope that you will give it some thought. Here are some facts that I learned by visiting the site;

6 out of 10 patients can’t find a bone marrow donor on the national registry. 

 Every 4 minutes, an American is diagnosed with a blood cancer.

 Only 30% of all patients are able to find a compatible bone marrow donor in their family 

 

Of course the organization was founded in an effort to save a loved one.

 Delete Blood Cancer DKMS began with one family’s search for a bone marrow donor. In 1990, Peter Harf and his daughters went door-to-door in an effort to find a donor match for his wife and their mother, Mechtild Harf. They registered 68,000 donors in just one year. Sadly, Mechtild lost her battle, but in her honor, the Harfs started a bone marrow donor center (DKMS) that has since grown to be the world’s largest. We have branches in the U.S., Germany, the U.K., Poland and Spain. Globally, we have registered over 4.5 million donors and provided more than 40,000 patients with second chances at life.

Please check out the website and decide if you can help @ http://www.deletebloodcancer.org/en

Do you know someone who has been a donor, or benefited from a donation? Please leave a comment below and tell your story.

 

 

 

The Ups and Downs of Having Cancer

At first you would think that having cancer is just a downer and a struggle. It is that, for sure, but there are also many things that have improved in my life since my diagnosis.When it was time to tell extended family and friends, I decided I wanted to do it in a humorous way that wouldn't make people sad. Here is my facebook post from that time:

The upside of cancer:
1. If you choose to stay in Spongebob Squarepants pajamas (even if they belong to your husband) all day, no one will dare say a word.
2. If you get a chemo port in your chest your grandchildren will think you are part robot, which makes you cool.
3. You will be encouraged to eat more fat and calories.
4. You will fit back in clothes that you "outgrew"
5. Your children will cook, clean, and use appliances that some of them claimed not to understand.
6. Your family has an automatic out for anything they don't want to do, as in "I'm sorry, I can't, my mom has cancer."

I can now add to that message of June 2012.

 7. Having cancer has made "I love you" something my family says a lot more often.

 8. We take more trips and more photos.

 9. Priorities have shifted and we try harder to focus on the important things, like family time.

Ringing the bell on my first 6 courses of chemo.

Of course, there have been times when I have not been able to keep a positive attitude, and I hit another one of those "down" times recently. I know that I will be dealing with this cancer for the rest of my life. Sometimes that just seems like too much, especially as my energy level is low, and chemo brain makes it hard to focus. We are told to keep a positive attitude because it's so important for our recovery.That's a lot of pressure during times when you are throwing up and running a fever, having a bone marrow biopsy, or learning that other friends battling cancer have lost their fight.

I read something about a year ago detailing how an actresses was coping with breast cancer. She told the interviewer how chemo had been easy to deal with, that she had continued her daily walks, and felt wonderful. Again, that is a lot of pressure on the rest of us who needed a loved one to help us bathe, and kept a large trash can next to our beds all night. 

Reading the things I wrote in 2012 has reminded me of the up times, and that this will pass. I hope that during the times I am feeling up, I will remember that others might be having trouble coping. There shouldn't be any pressure on anyone dealing with a chronic illness, we are all just doing the best we can, through all the ups and downs.

FDA Approves New Drug for blood cancer

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Applauds FDA's Approval of Idelalisib To Treat Three Types of Blood Cancers

(White Plains, NY) - July 23, 2014 - Today's U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of idelalisib to treat patients with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), follicular lymphoma (FL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) is a significant advance for patients with these blood cancers. 


For full report follow this link:

http://www.lls.org/aboutlls/news/newsreleases/07232014_FDA_Approval_of_Idelalisib

go to LLS.org to find out how you can help