Calling All Sistahs with CAS-ual Fridays

Calling All Sistahs!
1 in 8 women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime.

On August 17th, 2015  an Awesome friend of ours became 1 in 8

Calling All Sistahs was started by Michele Gross, owner of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps, shortly after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It is her hope to create awareness for breast cancer beyond just the month of October by reminding you to do your self breast exams on the 17th of each month, and encouraging us all to remind all the great women in our lives to do the same. You can read more about her story HERE .
The Calling All Sistahs Collection was created by Michele with the specific intent of donating 50% of her profits from this collection to Breast Cancer Research and Awareness programs in honor of all who have been affected by breast cancer.
We at Laura's Loft are thrilled to be one of the first stores in the country to offer this special collection of stamps and dies. It's important to us to be able to remind all of our sistahs to check yourself and we are proud to continue Michele's effort by donating 50% of our own profits from this collection to breast cancer research in VA.
Join us here on the blog on the 17th of each month for CAS-ual Fridays projects dedicated to the fight against Breast Cancer and in support of our sistahs suffering through it along with a personal reminder to get yourself checked. 

 ***This is your reminder to do your breast self-exam!***
And remind your sistahs too! 
If you're not exactly sure how to do a self exam, you can click here  to get the information you need, and then follow up with your doctor at your next appointment.



For More information on Breast Cancer Awareness just click here.
Please do your self exams!
We'll be back next month to remind you again :)
 
Welcome!  I started this hop with my Mom in mind.  She is a Breast Cancer survivor and one of the strongest women I know.  She taught me that there were no limits to what I could accomplish if I was willing to put the work into it. She had relentless faith in me and taught me to ignore the naysayers. She taught me God's love knew no bounds and that He had a specific purpose for my life. She is a large part of who I am and why I am unstoppable.  For me, these cards and this hop are in honor of her.  I used her favorite colors and wanted an edgy, strong look.  I wanted to convey soft femininity ingrained with an iron strength.

Supplies:
Strathmore 140 lb hot press watercolor paper
Colorburst Watercolors in Pthalo Green,
  Ultramarine Blue and Violet
CAS-ual Fridays Hope Ribbon stamp set
CAS-ual Fridays Calling All Sistahs
CAS-ual Fridays Sistahs Die set
SSS Black cardstock
DCWV Foiled Vellum and Vellum
MISTI
Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies
Mama Elephant Peek A Frame Postage die
Delicata Golden Glitz
Ranger Black Archival
VersaMark
Ranger Silver Pearl EP
Add A Little Dazzle Teal Metal sheet
SSS Mini Hearts Outline dies
Stick-It Adhesive Sheets
1/2" Scor-Tape
Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue

I started this card by running my postage die with my watercolor paper through the Big Shot.  Then, I stamped the Hope ribbon in VersaMark ink using the MISTI on my watercolor paper and heat embossed it with the silver pearl embossing powder.  If you're new to using Colorburst, they are a powdered watercolor paint.  I sprayed my paper with 2 sprays of water.  Next, I sprinkled a little bit of Violet over the bottom right corner, Blue over the middle third and Green over the top left corner.  I waited to add more water to see how the color was moving.  I added another spray overall and a bit more water to specific areas.  I also used a brush to move things a bit.  I let it dry for a couple of hours.  I really love the hard edges and the blended areas.  I used the MISTI to stamp the vellum piece in black Archival ink and added Stick-It to the back before I die cut it.  I used the largest of the Stitched Rectangles to add a stitched detail to each edge for a finished look.  I arranged it over the ribbon so the the little blue and purple heart is right in the middle of the sentiment.  The overlap is wrapped around to the back of the watercolor piece.  I ran my bone folder over the vellum to thoroughly adhere it and make it as translucent as possible.  The foiled vellum is die cut with the second largest stitched rectangle die.  Adhere it to the black card base with scor-tape.  To finish it off, die cut the Girl and hearts from the teal metal sheet and adhere them with liquid glue.  I love how bold, edgy and strong this one turned out. 

 

 

 Looking at the two stamp sets, I imagined arranging them together to create a bold, graphic statement, reminding the women around us that they are important, they are loved, and that we will fight for each other.  The message of hope and support is so crucial to survival.
Supplies:
Wplus9 Oatmeal cardstock
CAS-ual Fridays Hope Ribbon stamp set
CAS-ual Fridays Calling All Sistah's stamp set
CAS-ual Fridays Love Notes stamp set
CAS-ual Fridays Sistah Die
MISTI
Lindy's Stamp Gang EP in Midnight Violet
Lawn Fawn Ink in Plastic Flamingo
Simon Says Ink in Cotton Candy
Simon Says Ink in Doll Pink
Simon Says Ink in Hydrangea
Simon Says Dies in Mini Heart Outlines
Delicata Golden Glitz Ink
Add A Little Dazzle Metal Sheet in Fushia
Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue
1/2" Scor-Tape
Neenah Solar White 110 lb cardstock

To the right you can see how I laid out my stamps.  I like to do this to get an idea how the stamps are going to look and fit together as well as to get an idea of the arrangement.  You can just take a picture with your phone so you know exactly what to put where.  Using the MISTI, start with a piece of 4.25" by 5.5" oatmeal cardstock.  Stamp the Hope Ribbon towards the bottom right of the panel in VersaMark.  Heat emboss with the LSG embossing powder.  Using my phone pic as a guide, I stamped the largest images first, after the ribbon.  The MISTI made this process super easy since I could place my stamps exactly where I wanted the image on my cardstock and pick it up with the cover.  I was also glad to have it because I didn't get good coverage of ink a few times and was able to ink and stamp again with precise placement. I changed the ink color for variation and to magnify the bold and graphic style I was going for.  I added the music notes along the right edge in gold; it added to the composition of the design, but two songs kept playing in my head while making the card: "Fight Like A Girl" by Bomshel and "You Are Loved" by Stars Go Dim.  To finish up, I die cut Sistahs and Girl from a fuchsia metal sheet as well as the tiny hearts and adhered them with Tombow liquid glue.  I colored the hearts in the ribbon pink using a Spectrum Noir marker.  Adhere the panel to a card base and it's complete!

  
Last, but certainly not least is my third card.
This background was inspired by a summer sunset over Lake Leelenau in Northern Michigan.  I find being by, in or on the water restorative and relaxing.  Here's the link to a tutorial for how I create my spray ink backgrounds.  This one is the same technique, but on a smaller scale.
Supplies:
Distress Watercolor cardstock
Distress Spray Stain in Dusty Concord
Distress Spray Stain in Spiced Marmalade
Distress Spray Stain in Picked Raspberry
Dylusions Spray Ink in Pure Sunshine
Perfect Pearl Spray
Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles Die
Mama Elephant Peek A Frame Creative Dies
CAS-ual Fridays Hope Ribbon Stamp Set
Black Vellum
Lindy's Stamp Gang Embossing Powder in Chateau Rose
DCWV Glitter Paper in light pink
Stick-It Adhesive
Lawn Fawn Quinn's ABC dies
1/2" Scor-Tape

After the spray inked piece is completely dry, run through your Big Shot with the largest Stitched Rectangle die.  Stamp the Hope Ribbon in VersaMark in the middle of the black vellum and heat emboss using the LSG embossing powder.  It gives such a pretty iridescent sheen to the ribbon.
Die cut the ribbon using the rounded rectangle from the ME set.  Adhesive doesn't show behind black vellum like it does behind regular vellum, so I used 1/2" Scor-Tape to adhere it.  Apply Stick-It adhesive sheet to the back of the glitter paper.  It's so thin and die cuts beautifully.  Die cut the letters and add to the vellum so that the ribbon is the "o" in "hope".  Adhere the card front to a card base and it's complete.







Emma is the next stop on the hop.  If you get lost, just click here to head back to the beginning.  Don't forget to comment on each and every stop on the hop to increase your chances of winning one of five prizes!  Michele is has a generous 3 gift cards to the CAS-ual Fridays shop to give away and Laura has a generous 2 gift cards to Laura's Loft to give away.  So be sure to leave some love along the hop as Michele and Laura will pick random winners from the blog comments on February 20, 2016.

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you to Michele for the opportunity to participate in support of such an important cause as Breast Cancer Awareness, Prevention and Research.

Much love,
Jasmine