Hey Crafty People!
Today I’m co-hosting a Mental Health Awareness Hop over on Instagram and we have so much talent and so many prizes squeezed into a single hop that it just blows my mind!!!!
I have a long and complicated history with my own Mental Health; it’s been a very long and winding road to get to the places I’m in right now, and does that mean I’m ‘cured’?
Absolutely not.
Mental Health illnesses are managed, not cured.
One of the most important steps in my treatment was accepting this fact.
I have learnt that it’s OK to not be OK.
It’s OK to ask for help when you need it.
It’s OK to have bad days where you feel like the world is pressing in on you.
But more than anything I learnt that I am not alone.
I am not the only person who feels like this, and somehow that thought keeps me going.
Today I have an IG post as part of the hop; head over to IG to leave comments, so that you are entered into the chance of winning any of the FABULOUS prizes,that were so kindly donated to us by our wonderful sponsors.
Today I have an IG post as part of the hop; head over to IG to leave comments, so that you are entered into the chance of winning any of the FABULOUS prizes that were so kindly donated to us by our wonderful sponsors.
My Card
I cut the Fancy Die by Pinkfresh Studios and covered it in two layers of Copper Ultra High embossing powder from WOW. I absolutely adore the way that turned out!!!
All of the heat did warp this slightly though, so I added it onto a second Neenah 110lb die cut frame to straighten it out.
I ink blended the gorgeous florals from Friends Blooms using the Island Oasis inks; I decided to go for a green shade as my main focal point because green is the colour of Mental Health Awareness Month.
I chose to use warm grey tones for my foliage and used the Gentleman’s Grey set from Altenew for this.
Once I had all of the layers blended, I stamped the outline over the top with Detail Black ink.
Then I fussy-cut all of these images and set them aside whilst I worked on my panel.
I added a couple of score lines vertically onto the panel, and then flipped it to add two more horizontally.
I laid out my images and frame to get the look that I was after, and I added some vellum Leafy Branch die cuts to balance out the design.
I used low tack tape on the front to keep this layout steady whilst I turned it over and added foam adhesive across the whole back, making sure to cover any joins between different elements to make sure everything was adhered together well.
I used this to gauge where I needed to stamp my main sentiment, so that it would be sitting inside the frame.
This was from the You Make A Difference set that Pinkfresh and Hero Arts collabed on previously.
I stamped a seperate sub sentiment and trimmed this down to a skinny strip, that I mounted onto the florals after this was stuck down onto the panel.
I finished the design with some sparkling clear gems from Trinity Stamps.
Sharing My Story
On top of creating a card for the hop, I also decided to make a video where I talk a little about my story and experiences.
I created an Art Journal page, which is something I do when I am feeling particularly badly, or when the world becomes too loud.
I used a quote from a Taylor Swift song that I really feel describes how I feel. It’s one that I fell in love with the moment I heard it and I have been saving it for a ‘special’ page of my journal.
If you’d like to listen to the song I’ll have it linked here.
Before watching my video, please be aware of potentially triggering subject matter.
I hope that hearing my story helps someone understand that your mental illness does not define you.
If you are struggling, please contact specialist support services.
If you would like to share a story with us, we would be honoured.
Whether that is privately, or as a more public post. If you do share your story publicly, then I would be honoured to include it in my list of supporting posts below.
PLEASE KNOW THAT WHILST WE ARE SHARING EXPERIENCES, WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED AND OUR STORIES SHOULD NOT BE USED TO SELF DIAGNOSE. WE URGE YOU TO SEEK SPECIALIST SUPPORT. ?
Giveaway Prizes!!!
- Gina K | $50 gift card
- Alex Syberia Designs | $15 gift card
- Crafty Meraki | $25 gift card
- Ann Corbiere-Scott | Prize Pack
- Unity Stamp Company | $25 gift cards x2
- Rachel Vass Designs | 2x digi stamps x2
- Pear Blossom Press | $25 gift card
- Trinity Stamps | $25 gift card
- Maker Forte | $50 gift card
- Angie Blom Designs | $20 gift card
- Varada Sharma | 2x $10 digis
- Tim Holtz | Goodie Package
- Hanlyn Art | Handmade Watercolour Art
- Sandhya Iyer | Handmade Art
- Pinkfresh Studios | $35 gift card
- Joy Clair Stamps | 3x digi stamps of choice
- Catherine Pooler | $25 gift card
- Lisa Mensing | $25 gift card to ANY craft store
- Lisa Mensing | Prize Pack ($25 value)
- Card Making Success Summit | VIP All Access Pass
- Picket Fence Studios | Slimline Die Cutting System
- Time For Tea Designs | £25 gift voucher
- Lawn Fawn | $35 gift card
- Colorado Craft Company | $25 gift card
- Creative Scrapbooker Magazine | 1yr Subscription
- Pink & Main | $25 Prize Pack
- Handmade By Tasha | Prize Pack ($20 Value)
- Handmade By Tasha | 5x Happy Mail
- Erin Lee Creative | $50 gift card
- Notable Ink | Zentangle Patterns digi stamp pack
- Taylored Expressions | $30 gift card
- Altenew | $30 gift card
- Pocketful Of Happiness | Prize Pack
- Hero Arts | Prize Pack
- WOW Embossing Powder | £/$15 gift card for US or UK site
- Jo Herbert | $25 Waffle Flower gift card
- Colleen Balija | Goody Bag
- Jennifer McGuire | Prize Pack of stamps & stickers
- Concord & 9th | $25 gift card x2
- My Favorite Thing | $75 gift card
Links To Wonderful People!
Resources & Support
- Mental Health Charities/Support UK
- National Alliance Mental Illness (USA)
- National Institute of Mental Health (USA)
*Affiliate links are used, where available; this means that I may get a small commission if you purchase using one of these links, at no extra cost at all to yourself. A huge thank you goes to anyone who does purchase using my links, it is so highly appreciated. ?
Well done, I know that wasn’t easy for you. You make me so proud,, every day.
Thank you ??? love you millions ?