Always Thinking of You- Hope You Can Cling To along with Just Add Ink

Hi Stampers!

For the entire month of October, Splitcoaststampers has been hosting their annual Hope You Can Cling To Challenge (HYCCT) to promote Breast Cancer Awareness and create cards to encourage those with cancer and their families. 

My husband, Dave has been recently diagnosed with a rare non-Hodgkins lymphoma (blood cancer called Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia –WM for short) and he will need to start chemotherapy for 18 to 24 weeks.   

Needless to say, we have been a bit busy back and forth to various doctors and tests and we are praying that he is in the 90% that respond to the chemo (since there is no cure for this type of cancer).  We know that the Lord has a perfect plan for us and we are trusting fully in Him. 

Due to my husband’s recent diagnosis and the busyness of the appointments, etc., I did not think I would be able to participate this year in the HYCCT Challenge, but after heartfelt prayer and consideration, I decided to get started on the challenges yesterday and will try to create a card for each challenge (I have until November 7^th at noon to complete all 35 of them)- wish me luck!

This first card was created for the Lydia's HYCCT1401a Challenge- "You Raise Me Up" (see the gallery here and the details here) along with the Just Add Ink JAI238 SketchChallenge  (check out the links to see the great creations at both sites).

To create this card:

Using Stampin’ Write Markers- Early Espresso and Wild Wasabi, color the branch stamp from the retired set, Take Care and stamp onto Whisper White cardstock.

Trim the panel and round the corner using the Envelope Punch Board.  Mount onto a piece of Early Espresso cardstock (rounding the corner as well) and add a strip of retired Eastern Elegance Designer Series Paper (DSP).

Use the Big Shot™ with the Woodgrain Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder to emboss a piece of retired Poetry Print DSP, mount the panel onto the Early Espresso card front and add the tree branch panel using Stampin’ Dimensionals®. 

Add a bit of distressing with the Gorgeous Grunge splatter stamp using Soft Suede Classic Ink. 

Stamp the nest image using Early Espresso Classic Ink onto Whisper White cardstock.  Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Soft Suede Classic Ink to the image and color the leaves with the Wild Wasabi Stampin’ Write marker.  Carefully cut out the image and mount to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals®. 

Stamp the eggs using Coastal Cabana Classic Ink and cut out each by hand.  Add a bit of shadowing using the Sponge Dauber with Soft Suede Classic Ink and mount each individually to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals®.  Add a few more speckles using the White Gel Pen.

Stamp the sentiment with Early Espresso Classic Ink onto Whisper White cardstock and create the banner with the Hexagon Punch.

Mount the sentiment to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals® and add the retired Designer Brushed Bronze Button with Coastal Cabana cardstock strips in the center to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Take Care, Express Yourself, Gorgeous Grunge

Ink:  Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Coastal Cabana; Stampin’ Write Markers- Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi; White Gel Pen

Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso, Coastal Cabana, retired Poetry Print and Eastern Elegance DSP  

                                         

Accessories: Big Shot™, Woodgrain Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder, Hexagon Punch, Sponge Dauber, retired Designer Brushed Bronze Button

Thanks again for stopping by- I will be sharing each of the challenges as a separate entry so I hope you can visit again soon and possibly play along!!