Charity of the Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in honor of this, we are spotlighting Susan G. Komen for the Cure® as our Charity of the Month.

Breast cancer affects 122 in 100,000 women, with an estimated 207,090 new cases estimated to be diagnosed in women in the United States in 2010 (http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Statistics.html). It's effects aren't limited to women though, although most cases are diagnosed in women, 1.3 in 100,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer (http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/FactsForMen.html). Unfortunately the mortality rate of diagnosed cases is fairly high nearly 20% for women, and 25% for men. These numbers are more than a little frightening. Susan G. Komen for the Cure® holds events, raises awareness, and their website is full of information on breast cancer. They are dedicated to ending breast cancer forever.

There are lots of ways to get involved in raising breast cancer awareness and doing your part to help find a cure. Such as participating in a local Race for the Cure, Joining a Circle of Promise, or making a donation. We have set up a Passionately Pink for the Cure® team to raise funds for the cure. Our goal is to raise $500 by the end of October. All funds donated through the team link go directly to Susan g. Komen for the Cure. In addition, 10% of all awareness sales from our ArtFire store will be added to the team's donations.

On the personal side, I recently found out that my mom's cousin was diagnosed and is currently battling breast cancer. We are pulling for her to win her fight. My husband was also hit tragically when he was a teenager, his mother unfortunately lost her fight with breast cancer. Our efforts this month are in their honor, and in the hopes that a cure can be found so no one else must suffer through the devastating effects of breast cancer.

On a lighter note, there are many "National this-and-that months", and I was lucky enough to stumble upon a website with a whole list of them. I discovered October is also:

Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrated from September 15-October 15
Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Pizza Month
National Pasta Month
National Dessert Month
Country Music Month
Family History Month
Hispanic Heritage Month
National AIDS Awareness Month
National Book Fair Month
Gourmet Adventures Month
National Car Care Month
National Pretzel Month
National Pickled Peppers Month
Vegetarian Awareness Month
National Seafood Month
National Cosmetology Month
National Apple Month
National Depression Education and Awareness Month
Polish American Heritage Month
National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Month
National Popcorn Poppin' Month
Computer Learning Month
National Stamp Collecting Month
National Applejack Month
Cook Book Month
Gourmet Adventures Month
Hunger Awareness Month
National Caramel Month
National Cookie Month
National Country Ham Month
National Health Care Food Service Month
National Kitchen and Bath Month
National Pork Month
National Restaurant Hospitality Month
National Roller Skating Month
National Spinach-Lovers' Month
National Toilet Tank Repair Month


Until next time, Happy Crafting!
De'Anna

Baby Quilt Kit Giveaway and September Charity of the Month

Our first official 'Charity of the Month' is Project Linus. The Project Linus Mission (copied from their website with permission):

'Project Linus is comprised of hundreds of local chapters and thousands of volunteers across the United States. Each volunteer and local chapter all work together to help us achieve our mission which is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”

Together we have distributed over three million blankets to children in need since our inception in 1995.'

Something as small and simple as a blanket, bringing comfort to seriously ill children. I first came in contact with Project Linus due to a close friend and her daughter's heart problems at birth. She had TOTAL ANAMOLUS PULMONARY VEINUS RETURN or TAPVR. A rare heart defect. She had 2 veins curved back into the same heart chamber. At the Children's Hospital in Oakland, doctors (including one brought in from Stanford) had to remove the problem veins, and a create pathway for the blood to flow properly to the other chambers. They just closed off the bad chamber, and she now has a unique 3 chambered heart. She also had a problem with a valve they were able to repair, but compared to the TAPVR this secondary problem was very minor. Volunteers crocheted her a hat and brought her stuffed animals.

She is now healthy and happy and growing like any other girl her age, and I know the kindness and gifts from people they didn't even know, were a welcome blessing to the family during such a scary time.

In honor of my dear friend, we are donating 10% of all the "awareness" sales in our ArtFire store for the entire month of September to Project Linus. AND:

In addition my mom will be donating this 'Baby Spies' crib quilt that she made especially for her local Project Linus chapter (along with any other blankets she finishes or collects from family, friends, and neighbors!). The quilt was designed with bright colors and fanciful novelty fabrics with pictures of things a very young child would find fun...like trains, candy, mermaids, dogs, cats, zoo animals, dragons, dinosaurs...and so much more. All done in 100% cotton fabrics for lasting durability and with Warm and Safe batting which is Eco-Friendly, Naturally Fire Retardant, Non Toxic, Non Allergenic and Chemical Free.

And now for the Giveaway . . .

'Baby Spies' Crib Quilt Kit

Everything you need to make your own 'Baby Spies' quilt, except a sewing machine and time...hopefully you already have those. The kit will include 48 pre-cut squares of 100% cotton novelty fabrics (the same ones used in the pictured quilt above, 192 pre-cut triangles from 100% cotton Pizazz fabric (the same colors used in the pictured quilt above), binding, backing, Warm and Safe Crib Batting, a spool of white thread, and instructions with pictures. Finished crib quilt will measure approximately 36" X 48".

Note from Mom: Project Linus is dear to my heart because of the wonderful people at San Joaquin Hospital where my grandson Skyler and his twin brother Sonny were delivered 2 months early and spent several weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where they received tiny little knitted caps and mittens, Children's Hospital of Oakland where Skyler had surgery to remove a computer battery that had lodged in his esophagus and been misdiagnosed for several weeks leading to scar tissue that had to be removed and his esophagus dilated every other week for several months and where he received a small teddy bear with scrubs and a mask on every visit (I believe he has 12 of the little teddies),

U.C. Davis Hospital where Skyler was airlifted via helicopter due to a near drowning and was given a flannel blanket with rubber ducks, and last (hopefully!!!) to Kootenai General Hospital where Skyler was taken by ambulance to have stitches put in two very deep cuts after falling and landing on glass and where he was given a fleece blanket with crocheted edging. Skyler and Sonny just turned 5 and Sonny thinks it is unfair that Skyler keeps getting to go to the hospital in ambulances and helicopters and gets teddy bears and blankets and he has never been to the doctor except for checkups and shots where all they give you is stickers and sometimes a sucker. Thank you to all the wonderful doctors and nurses out there who give so much of themselves each and every day, and thank you to all the volunteers who lend their time and their hearts to make others feel comforted.

Easy to win, do the Mandatory Entry, and any of the Additional Entries you like, add a separate comment for each. If your email is not in your Blogger profile, be sure to leave it on each entry comment.

Mandatory Entry

You must do this before any of the additional entries

~ Look around our ArtFire store, and tell us your favorite item. Be sure to visit the growing awareness section of our ArtFire store for items that will benefit the Charity of the Month

Additional Entries

Post a separate entry for each

~ Visit us on eBay and find a fabric that would look great in a baby quilt.

~ "Like" Captive Illusions on Facebook

~ Follow CraftGals on Twitter

~ Tweet about this giveaway (only 1 Tweet per giveaway)

~ Add a post to your Blog about the giveaway, link to this post and to Project Linus

~ Follow us with Google Friend Connect

This drawing ends at midnight on September 30th (MST, -7:00 GMT). Winner will be chosen from all eligible entries using random.org on October 1st. Winner will be notified via email and will have 3 business days to claim prize (by providing shipping information) or a new winner will be selected from the remaining entries.

Giveaways Returning and Charity of the Month

I know how much everyone LOVES to get something for free, right? Well beginning September 1st, we'll have a fun new giveaway for you. It will run the month of September and will launch our new Charity of the Month drives. Each month we will feature a different charity, there will be portions of the proceeds from specific items that will go towards the charity, and depending on what the charity does, we hope to have other fun ways to help. For instance, the Dress a Girl Around the World drive we did a while back.

It's important that we give something back to those who need our help. September's charity will be Project Linus. Their mission to provide blankets to seriously ill children is one that is close to me. I have chosen this charity for September due to a dear friend of mine and the struggles she and her husband faced with their newborn's heart issues. With her permission, I'll tell you their story with the big September announcements.

We'll also be listed with Giveaway Scout, a giveaway search engine.

So stay tuned!

Happy Crafting!

De'Anna

Dress A Girl Around The World Campaign

A few weeks ago we posted instructions on how to make a pillowcase dress.  Here is my granddaughter wearing the first pillowcase dress I made.  Yesterday my daughter and Partner in Crafting, De'Anna, found out about a wonderful campaign of Hope 4 Women International entitled 'Dress A Girl Around The World'.

Originally two women from the United States delivered new or gently used pillowcases to women in Smile Africa Ministries and  taught the women how to make pillowcase dresses.  Sewing the dresses not only teaches the women to sew, but also clothes their children.

We would like to become involved in the campaign that asks you to 'Imagine a world where every little girl had at least one dress!  What if that dress where made by you?'  We would like to invite you along for the ride.  This Saturday my daughter, my sister, my granddaughter and I are going to spend the day making pillowcase dresses.  We'll take pictures and post them on Monday.

Next week we'll send out invitations to all of our family member for a Create a Dress Fest, where we will all work together to see how many dresses we can put together in a day.  Then we'll deliver fliers door to door in our neighborhood and see what happens on the day we set aside for Neighbors dressing Neighbors in Need. 


Please become a part of this with us.

There are so many ways you can help:

One Way To Help:  Take an hour or two and make just one pillowcase dress and send it to us.  We will add it to the ones we've made and add your name to the donation card when we forward all the dresses we make and collect to Hope 4 Women International.

Another Way To Help:  Send a new or gently used pillowcase to us and we will make a dress out of it.  I've read that a good place to find lots of gently used pillowcases is from the Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Another Way To Help:  Send any of the items needed to make a pillowcase dress from your supplies on hand...1 yard pieces of cotton fabric from your stash, 1/2" to 1" wide elastic, or thread.

Another Way To Help:  Purchase 1 yard of fabric from our eBay store and ask us to make a dress from it.  You will not be charged shipping, so don't pay the automated invoice.  We'll send a revised invoice without shipping charges.

Another Way To Help:  If you decide to do something with your church, family or sewing group for Hope 4 Women International because of something you read on our blog . . . please let us know.  And if you can, please send us pictures of your work.

Now I better give my sister a call and let her know that instead of recovering my dining room chairs this Saturday, we'll be working on the Dress A Girl Around The World pillowcase dresses!

Use our Pillowcase Dress Instructions or use How To Make a Pillow Case  Dress directly from Hope 4 Women International.