Beautiful Butterflies for Domestic Violence Awareness / End of the Week Technique #53 Faux Torn Paper / NAC #17

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Hey y'all. Happy Friday! I hope you've had a great week and are looking forward to a good weekend. We are bracing for Hurricane Sandy to arrive in what forecasters are calling a Frankenstorm. Hopefully it will not be as bad as expected.

For those of you that follow me here regularly, just an update to let you know my daughter J and Princess Tooey (Baby 2.0) should be released from the hospital today following her emergency appendectomy Wednesday evening. Both are well and Princess Tooey seems to have suffered no ill-effects from the surgery. God is Good and has truly blessed my family this week! Thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes. You are appreciated more than you can imagine!

On to today's card. For those of you that know me IRL or have followed me for any length of time here, you know I H.A.T.E. tearing c/s or DSP to make cards and projects. It literally makes me anxious. In fact there's probably only 2-3, max, cards on this blog that feature that technique. It's really only worse for me than crumpling. *Shiver* Know what I don't mind tearing? Computer paper. Or Post-it notes. No problem with those at all. Know what you can do with torn regular paper? You can make it look like torn cardstock. Woo-Hoo!!! Love it! I was looking for a technique for this week and still needed to come up with an idea for this week's NAC challenge and I decided to combine the two into one and save myself a little effort. Here's what I came up with-

Card with Faux Torn Paper
Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Here's the sketch I was working with from the great ladies over at Nacho Average Challenge.

 Seeing as I was surprised Tammy didn't use snowflakes for this, that was my original plan. Then I decided to go in just a little different direction. I decided to flip the card for my interpretation. I just now realized I'm missing the sentiment. I hope the ladies aren't too upset with me about that.

I'm going to go a little bit off stamping for a moment so I hope you'll bear with me. If not, feel free to scroll down to the tutorial but, I think this is important and goes to the reason for the card.

Many people know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Very few know that it is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month, unless of course you read my blog and then you of course know about this. Domestic Violence is an Epidemic in not only our country, but the world. Unfortunately, it is a Silent Epidemic. Its silence allows it to invade homes and communities and wreak havoc on the lives of everyone it touches. The silence of its victims and the people who know about its occurrences, or suspect it allows it to further grow. Only the light of awareness and an un-willingness to allow it to continue can begin to stop it's devastation. I did a card a few weeks ago and received a comment from a very nice lady thanking me for taking the time to shed some light on this horrific crime. She was strong enough to leave her abuser, Thank God, but lost a loved one who was not so fortunate. I figured if she was strong enough to tell me her story, I would tell mine. (Very Briefly)

This epidemic doesn't just affect those of a lower socio-economic group. It doesn't just affect the under-educated. It crosses all races, genders, educations and socio-economic levels. I like to think I'm a pretty smart woman. I'm college educated, have a good job, a good support system and yet I was in not one but two abusive marriages. Yeah, bet you're thinking I'm not so smart now, aren't you? Before I was able to get out of the second one, I took a college course on Violence in Society. I thought it would be a good elective and it was. I didn't however need it to tell me about the situation I was in. I knew. I was an E.R. Nurse and took care of victims  surviors all the time. I just wasn't in a place to leave. For this course I did a paper on Domestic Violence and listed many of the s/s / behaviors of abusers. My then spouse read it and asked "Is this how you see me?" DUH! Everyone's situation is different though and not everyone can leave just because someone else thinks they need to leave or even if they think that themselves. More people die from Domestic Violence when they are preparing to and actually leaving than at any other time. 

If you suspect someone you know is being abused-
1- Please, please, PLEASE trust your gut.
2- Ask them and listen to not just their words but non-verbal clues too. Just because they say "No" doesn't mean it's not happening. Most are so ashamed, they will not admit to it.
3- If they should surprise you and tell you of their abuse, I beg of you to please believe them even if you have never seen any evidence to support this or had any clue. Abusers are Master Manipulators of anyone they come into contact with. My best friends and family didn't believe me when I first told them. How could that be happening? It couldn't possibly be happening to me. I was one of the strongest people they knew, and certainly one of the least likely to tolerate that kind of behavior. They ate dinner with us, we vacationed together, they had never seen or suspected anything was amiss. You know what? Victims are often Mater Illusionists. They survive because they make sure no one knows what's going on. If they didn't, things would be even worse.
4- Be supportive. Let them know that you are there for them in whatever way they need you to be. You can not force them to be on your timeline, no matter how much you wish them to be.

It took me many years to get away from my abuser(s). It is un-fortunate that I wasn't smart enough aware enough to avoid my second one. However- you live and you learn. Besides that, I got a wonderful daughter from that relationship, and would not trade her for anything. Also, we have been very active in promoting Awareness together.

 Real Love Does NOT Hurt!

Ok- now for today's technique. Here's what you will need-
Cardstock to do your technique on (I used Glossy White although you can use it on any type of paper), paper to tear (I used computer paper, although you could use sticky or post-it type notes), ink pads in your choice of colors and either sponges or daubers.

Here's what you do-
1- Tear your paper. I decided I wanted a "strip of color" so I tore two different pieces of paper to lay down either side. However, this technique works equally well with just one "torn" edge.
2-Adhere your torn piece of paper to your c/s. I used Dotto Temporary Adhesive, but you could use SNAIL and remove some of the tackiness by tapping your finger on it. If you use post-it type notes make sure to leave a sticky edge to your paper. Here's what it will look like-

Yeah, I realize now that I should have put this on darker c/s for demonstration purposes.
Sorry. :(

3- Pick your colors and sponge them on. You can use separate sections of color or you can layer them on. I started by sponging Wisteria Wonder over my exposed c/s and then added Perfect Plum below that in the middle and then Elegant Eggplant to the bottom. This created a different depth of color and allowed me to avoid any rough looking edges.

4- Once you have your colors layered and blended to your desired effect, remove your paper borders-

5- Finish your card by embellishing it in whichever way you choose. I chose to use Butterflies that I cut out of matching c/s with my Butterflies Embosslet and Big Shot.

6- Smile when you see what you see what you've created and smile even more when you think of the joy it will bring to it's recipient.

Here's how I completed the inside-

I didn't add a sentiment, because I'm not sure what I want to put there yet. I sponged the edges with W.W. ink and attached a few of my left over butterflies with Tombow. I love how this card turned out. It was quick and easy and I love the effect I got from the technique as well as the beautiful coloring and layering effect that was achieved by using two pieces instead of just one. What I love the most is that I didn't have to tear any of our fabulous c/s to create it!

I hope you liked today's card and technique and I hope it inspires you to try something new today. If you liked today's card or have questions, I hope you'll take just a moment to leave me a message below. I read them all and they really do make my day. If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put those buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome too! :)

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. it's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Please also Remember that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month-
Love Does NOT Hurt!

Be Safe,
Shan

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End of the Week Technique #51 - Easel Cards / Domestic Violence Awareness

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Hey y'all. Happy Thursday. I hope you're having an Amazing week and gearing up for the weekend. Just one more day, woo-hoo. :)

I'm a little disappointed in my self that we are 11 days into the month of October and I haven't done a "Purple Post" yet. Most of you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know though, that it is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month? I bet most of you will answer "No" to that question. It's unfortunate that two of the biggest health concerns for women fall on the same month. It's a tragedy that one gets all the attention and the other very little. Football players wear pink, the White House gets bathed in pink lights, there are Nationally known walks and runs all in pink, but none of this happens in purple. One reason Domestic Violence is such an epidemic in not only our country but world-wide is that more people don't talk about it. The silence of it's victims and of the communities it's victims live in only contributes to the strength of this scourge. It's time to remember that Love Does Not Hurt! Please keep this in mind not only this month but throughout the year. We can only stop this epidemic of pain and suffering by shining a light on it. If you know someone that is in an abusive relationship, be it physical, emotional, financial or any other type, please let them know you care and are not willing to let them continue on alone.

Ok, off my soap-box-, although I can't promise that you won't hear it again. :) Today's card is an easel card. I did one of these way back when I first began my blog, just in a different shape, so it's been a while. I thought it was time to do another one and to do one in a shape I thought went well with the month. Here's today's card-

I used the Bigz Butterflies Die and my Big Shot to make this and it came together so quickly. Although this particular style easel card will stay open on it's own (the butterfly wings catch on the notched section) I chose to add a stop as well. I had wanted to add a purple ribbon, but the stamp I have would have been too big. :(

Here's a little bit different angle-

Sorry for the "huge" picture I wanted to show some of the detail.

I used Wisteria Wonder and Whisper White c/s and Wisteria Wonder Classic ink to sponge the edges of the c/s and Elegant Eggplant ink to stamp the sentiment. The sentiment was cut out with the Word Window Punch, sponged with Wisteria Wonder and then edged with a little love from Tink in the form of Dazzling Diamonds. It was then adhered with Dimensionals to make a lovely sentiment and an additional stand. The butterfly wasn't originally sparkly, but I felt it needed just a little something extra so Tink gave it a little love as well and I think that was just the right touch. Since the c/s is so light, an additional greeting could be written on the back of the base piece.

For today's technique you will need the following- Embossing tool (I used my Big Shot), Butterflies Die, scoring tool (I used my Simply Scored Tool) Embellishments as desired (I used the Perfect Polka Dots E.F., Word Window Punch, Dimensionals, Two-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds and a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes).

Although you can make an easel card in any shape and without the aid of a die, I chose the butterfly die, because of the symbolism of butterflies. To me the change they go through is similar to the change/rebirth someone emerging from an abusive relationship goes through.

Here's what you will do-

1- Cut and score your c/s in the size you will need for your particular shape. Mine c/s was approximately 8 x 3 1/2 scored to form a 4 x 3 1/2 piece of c/s. I placed this over my butterfly die with the folded edge just below the top of the wings so that when I ran it through my Big Shot I ended up with 1 cut out piece of c/s instead of 2. Next you will need to decide where to score your top piece. I simply scored across the center where there was already a notch in the design.

Ooooh, sorry that's blurry!

2- Fold and re-enforce your score line down-wards.

3- Cut out another piece of c/s using the same design but this time cut out the entire image.

4- Adhere your new cut-out image to the bottom portion of your scored c/s. I used Tombow to adhere my two pieces together. 

*Tip* apply the adhesive to your scored piece of c/s and not your top cut-out image. If you apply adhesive to the top image and you apply extra it could later get stuck to the area above the score line and then your card will not function correctly.

5- If needed by your design add an element to the base of your card to act as a "stop" to keep your card open.

6- Optional - Embellish as desired. You will likely want to do this before doing your final adhering. I ran my top piece of c/s through the Perfect Polka Dots E.F. for a little added texture and also did my sponging after the fact. (You live and You learn and then you embellish just a little more!)

7- Smile when you see your finished project and smile even more when you think about the smile that it will bring to it's recipients face. (This really is the best part)

That's all I have for you today. I hope you liked today' technique and card and I hope it inspires you to try something new today. There are many different types of easel cards and I will be trying more including some that don't include dies, but to be honest, I've been so busy with different issues this past week I didn't have the time to figure out a design from scratch. Hopefully I will be able to do this soon. I love hearing from you, so if you liked today's card or technique or have questions, I hope you'll leave me a message below. I read them all and they really do make my day! If you'd like to +1 or Pin today's card, I've put the buttons on my blog for your convenience. Friends and Followers are always welcome and thoroughly appreciated! :)

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my little corner of the world. You are very appreciated! Till next time-

Remember- Life is often more about the storms than the peace they seek to overwhelm. It's not about Waiting for the storms to pass, but Learning to Dance in the rain.

Please also remember that Love Does Not Hurt-

Be Safe,

Shan

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A Quick Reminder and Plea for Safety.

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Hey y'all. No, I'm not doing two new posts in one day. This is NSR and showcases an old card/post from October. Hopefully people will see this post.

For those of you that know me personally, or have been following me here or on FB (Shannon Angel), Twitter (ShanAngel), or Pinterest (Shannon Angel), you know how passionate I am about Domestic Violence awareness. Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence is Silent Epidemic that wounds and kills far too many people not only here in the U.S. but worldwide. It continues on in large part because of the silence of it's victims and of those people who know victims and see the results of the violence yet do nothing about it. For too many years victims have felt a sense of shame that their attackers use to continue the violence. We must learn to speak up, as individuals and as nations, to stop this horrible blight upon our societies. We must realize that the people who should feel Shame are Not the victims but those who inflict the violence upon them.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month, but it is almost always overshadowed by Breast Cancer Awareness, which is also in October. Even my beloved NFL only showcases Breast Cancer Awareness, much to my  despair.

Did you know that statistics show Domestic Violence rates climb during Football season? Yep. People don't handle their teams losing and often take it out on those around them and yet the NFL wears a ton of Pink but not a purple ribbon to be seen anywhere. Truthfully it makes me sad to be such a huge fan during October. Think of all the people they could reach if they just gave even equal time and fundraising efforts to both causes instead of just one. ARE YOU LISTENING NFL?

I just saw this article on CNN.com

Here are some statistics pulled from the article.

* 1 in 3 women are affected by their partners Violent behavior.

But you know it's not just women that are affected. Men are victims too. In fact the numbers listed are probably much lower than the true numbers due to most men's resistance to reporting they were the victims of violence, especially if it was perpetrated upon them by women.

* 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men report Severe Physical Violence
* 3 in 10 women and 1 in 10 men report the Effects of Violence- Fear, Concern for their safety, PTSD symptoms and more
*1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men reported Rape or Attempted Rape. More than half of the women, 51% who reported, stated the attacks were by Intimate Partners
* 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men report being victims of Stalking behavior with 2/3 of those reported being perpetrated by partners or acquaintances.

Please Be Safe! Love yourself enough to know this one simple Fact.

Love Does Not Hurt!!!!!!


If you or someone you know are victims of Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence please get help.


You can call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
1-800-787-3224 TTY


Thanks for taking the time to let me vent. I want you all to be safe.


Till next time, which will be a happier post, I promise.


Be Safe,
Shan Pin It

Purple Passion - Hope in the fight against Domestic Violence

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Hey everyone- Hope you had a safe holiday weekend and enjoyed an extra day off with loved ones. I got to sleep in and then got up and spent some quality time stamping. Of course with a test coming up on Wednesday night I should have been studying, in fact I said I would as soon as I made this one card but somehow, one card turned into three and then I started on my team swaps and then my afternoon was gone! Time somehow just flies when your doing something you love.SMH!

Today's card is very special to me. It came together quickly and I think it's very beautiful. It's also full of meaning and every time I look at it, it makes me smile. I hope it will make you smile, but more than that, I hope it will inspire you to make a change.

As just about everyone nowadays knows, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In fact, the stamp set, I used today was designed by Stampin' Up in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness and a portion of the sales from each set was donated to that cause. Now don't get me wrong, I think it's a great cause, in fact, my aunt is a survivor of Breast Cancer and most of us know someone that has been affected by this horrible disease. However, how many of you know that October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month? I would be willing to bet that outside of the people that know me and are forced to hear me drone on about it every October, not many. The President lights the White House pink, the NFL wears pink, everyone wears pink and raises money and awareness for the pink but how many wear purple or raise money and awareness for the purple and Domestic Violence Awareness? Sadly, very few.

Domestic Violence is a Silent Epidemic, a stain on not only our great nation, but in fact our world. It survives, thrives, and destroys lives and families through the ignorance, fear, and silence of its victims and those who could save them. Remember, Abuse can be Physical, Mental, Emotional, Verbal, Monetary. Please if you know or suspect someone is being is abused, let them know you care, offer to help get them in contact with someone who can help. Often just knowing someone is on their side will mean more than you know. Just please, don't ignore the signs. Like a cancerous lump, Domestic Violence will not get better, it will only get worse, and if left unchecked it often ends in death. Remember Love Does Not Hurt.

 Now,I will get off my soap box and show you today's card-



I used a base of Wisteria Wonder. My second layer is Concord Crush and Wisteria Wonder that I popped up on Dimensionals. Sorry, the lighting is not showing the colors better. I stamped the swirl with the heart and the words at the bottom in Wisteria Wonder. The words say- Courage, Hope, Believe, Unity, Survivor, Caring, Together, Love, Kindness, Support, Strength, Blessed, Thank You. I  stamped the H/Hope in Concord Crush. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig  so it would be aligned just right. I then went back with my Two-Way Glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to add a little shimmer to the top.

For the butterfly, I stamped it three times. The first time, I stamped it in Wisteria Wonder in the middle of the card. The second time I stamped it in Concord Crush on Wisteria Wonder cardstock. The third time, I stamped it in Concord Crush on Whisper White. I crumpled up both butterflies and then cut them out and using my bone folder curved the wings a little giving them some lift. You can see it in the picture.

For those of you that are new to my blog, I HATE distressing stuff! It distresses me! So crumpling up paper is very hard for me to do, in fact, I rarely do it. But for my butterflies, I did it, because it signifies that even though they may have been battered in some form they have survived and are still soaring and are still beautiful. I used my Two-Way Glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to add Glitter all over the top butterfly because after all, she's beautiful. I then topped her off with a row of rhinestones because after all, you can never be too beautiful or have too much Bling! I stuck both butterflies together with Glue Dots and then adhered them to the card with Glue Dots.

And because I try to do a little something for the inside here's a pic.

Initially it was just the cardstock base but I tried stamping the butterfly over the swirl and it didn't look as good as I had hoped.
TIP- Once your card is all but finished try a sample stamp on your grid paper first! :-)
I took Whisper White Cardstock and  layered it on the inside of my card (to cover my oops), inked up my stamp with Concord Crush and then stamped off once to decrease the intensity just a little and then stamped it in the lower corner.

Well, I thank you for stopping by today and looking at my blog and hopefully for reading my rant about Domestic Violence. I love how my card turned out and I hope you do to. Every time I see it, it reminds me of where I've been and where I will never again go, and of the difference I can make in others lives.

I hope you make a difference in someones life too.

If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

If my card made you smile and you would like to make some cards too, remember you can shop in my online store, HERE, 24 hours a day.

Hope to see you later this week.

Be Safe,
Shan Pin It