3.03.2016

Lasting Hearts Blog Hop // Hero Arts

Hi, today I'm participating in a blog hop to support a beautiful cause, Lasting Hearts, started by Kimberly Saldana, the Hero Arts Director of Sales. Lasting Hearts is here to help comfort parents, mothers in particular, who have lost a piece of their heart.


For more details on this drive, see the end of the post.

For my cards today, I'm using a stamp set by Hero Arts, designed specifically for this cause. There are two others, and Hero Arts is donating 25% of the profits from these stamps to support the Lasting Hearts efforts, in cooperation with Angela Miller, the author of “You Are The Mother of All Mothers.”


The stamp set I'm using is So Sorry Stamp and Cut. This is beautiful little set that makes creating these difficult cards a little easier.
For this first card, I created my wreath by masking off a circle, and then stamping a lot of tiny little branches from the Spring Hello by Lia in Mint Julep.


For a slightly easier second card, I just stamped the Heart Vine in Soft Pink. On both cards, I used a die to add the little dots, but you can always use a sewing machine without thread for a similar look.


Now for more details on Lasting Hearts;

Lasting Hearts is here to help comfort mothers who have lost a piece of their heart. Losing a child, whether in pregnancy or older, can be one of the hardest pains a parent can endure. We would like to raise awareness and show other mothers that they are not alone, that they are stronger than they realize, and that there are people out there who care dearly. Hopefully, our story will move others to do just that.
Just 9 months after giving birth to our first child, we were surprised and overjoyed to be welcoming another one on the way. We did what all parents with a growing family would do: told our close friends and family, looked into buying a larger home, and started planning for another life-changing event. We were elated to be bringing our sweet daughter another brother or sister.
Our joy soon to turned to heartache. We found out at our first ultrasound that we were set to have twins, however one of our precious babies had passed early on in the pregnancy. With heavy hearts, we tried to stay positive and prayed for the surviving twin to be a healthy baby. In our second ultrasound we were relieved and comforted by our baby’s precious heartbeat and left the doctor’s office feeling hopeful. Sadly, our fears became reality in our third ultrasound. After examining the ultrasound, our tech turns to us and asks, “Did you say you heard your baby’s heartbeat”? Instantly, we lost a piece of our hearts. Our lives were forever changed after losing not one but two of our babies in the same pregnancy.
We sat in the examination room, completely devastated and broken, waiting for our doctor. She comes in and does her best to console us but nothing she says could ease the pain. Her clinical response of “25% of pregnancies end in miscarriage” or “there was nothing you could’ve done to prevent this” just fell on deaf ears. None of it satisfied the two questions that kept running through our heads – “How could this happen?” and “why did this happen?” As amazing of an OBGYN as she is, she just wasn’t equipped to comfort 2 people whose world had been turned upside down. The conversation continues to how best to proceed in removing the fetuses, a conversation that’s cold in stark contrast to how we imagined delivering our precious children. We were absolutely heartbroken.
We kept our loss private for some time, not knowing how to express our grief and slightly afraid of the stigma that comes with miscarriages. It was too painful to speak of and too agonizing to share. One of the first people I reached out to was my dear friend, Amy, who had lost her son towards the end of her pregnancy and who knew the heartache all too well. I looked to her for her strength and for guidance on how she’s been able to continue to be a great mom to her young daughter after losing her infant son. A couple of days later I received a book from Amy, “You are the Mother of all Mothers” by Angela Miller. After only reading a few pages, I finally let myself accept for the first time that what happened to us was not my fault and that I did have the strength to continue to be a better mom and wife. The book’s encouraging message is conveyed in a way that is thoughtful, uplifting, compassionate and relatable.
With a newfound strength, I brought this book to our OBGYN and asked her if she’d be open to distributing these to patients who had miscarried if we provided them. She agreed without any hesitation. The author, Angela Miller, has graciously agreed to offer 40% off the list price so that we may help those who are in the disheartening situation we were once in. I can’t help but think of the mothers who don’t have support, don’t know where to turn, or just need to know that “No one else could carry this unrelenting burden as courageously. It is the heaviest, most torturous burden there is”.
In summary, Kimberly is hoping to have copies of this helpful book along with handmade cards available for doctors to give to parents who lose their babies. There are TWO ways you can help. You can do one or both – whatever you are comfortable with. You can donate money and/or cards.
Visit THIS link to donate, and to send cards;

Lasting Hearts Card Drive
2892 N Bellflower Blvd Ste 216
Long Beach, CA 90815

This is really such a beautiful cause - I know several people who have suffered from such a loss, and to have something like this to let you know you are there for them and support them? Just beautiful.

Now, for the rest of the blog hop - be sure to visit everyone on the list and leave a comment. Hero Arts is giving away a special prize to three lucky commenters - Angela Miller's "You Are the Mother of All Mothers" book, as well as the So Sorry Stamp & Cut set. Please comment by Sunday, March 6 at 11:59 PT, and they'll announce the winners next week.

Blog hop order:
Clare Prezzia < you are here!
Libby Hickson
Yana Smakula

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless!

SUPPLIES


Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Tools: Cuttlebug, Avery Elle frame die

78 comments:

  1. Beautiful cards, Clare! Thank you for joining the hop today. xo

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  2. I absolutely love these cards. So beautiful and simple. Just perfect for this campaign. Exactly what is needed.

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  3. Perfect design...perfect colors.

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  4. Love these cards! Definitely my favorite! Simple yet so heartfelt. The baby footprint make the cards that more special!

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  5. Such a lovely pair of cards, Clare! These are so beautiful!

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  6. The footprint elevates this card...beautiful.

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  7. Wonderful CAS design!! And the message is clear!

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  8. I think your cards are perfect for this situation. I also appreciate hearing the story. I too, lost a baby during pregnancy 26 years ago and it still hurts. I think this is a lovely gesture!

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  9. These cards are beautiful! I love the tiny footprints.

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  10. Your cards are so beautiful--simple, yet elegant and so perfect for this wonderful cause. The tiny footprints really touch my heart.

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  11. Such a powerful card. I am inspired to make another batch for the drive.

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  12. Thanks so much. I knew when I first saw those tiny footprints that they'd be perfect for a card like this.

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  13. Very precious and very heartfelt!!!

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    1. Very nice.. Love it...when you see the card you can feel it.. Love this campaign with what happened to my cousin

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  14. Such a cute card. Perfect for this cause. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. Your card is awesome - it brought tears to my eyes

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  16. Very beautiful and powerful. Just broke my heart knowing what the cards are for. They are beautiful, though. Great design.

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  17. I love the CAS style of theses two cards. Elegant simplicity just lovely.

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  18. So lovely! These stamps are a must.

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  19. Such sweet and tender CAS card designs.

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  20. It's hard to write a post with tears in my eyes over the powerful message and beautiful cards. Thank you for sharing.

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  21. So soft and pretty - just right for someone needing comfort.

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  22. Such an appropriate card. Sweet and meaning.

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  23. Great, simple cards for this cause. Thanks for sharing!

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  24. Beautiful cards. And such a worthy cause.

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  25. These are simple, elegant and beautiful!

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  26. Love that heart wreath twchnique

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  27. Sweet cards! I love the footprints in the hearts, and the lovely, soft colors! Beautiful!

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  28. Very sweet! I love the heart silhouette shape with the framed dot detail.

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  29. Simple cards with huge pact. Perfect.

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  30. Very touching cards! Love the simplicity.

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  31. So sadly cute. Beautiful simple cards!

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  32. The little feet inside the heart is a perfect card for this! Very nice layout.

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  33. The little feet are a perfect touch, yet sad at the same time. Simple and perfect for the occasion.

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  34. Sweet cards. Thanks for supporting Lasting Hearts.

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  35. Wow!!! What a lovely initiative!!! Your cards are so sweet!

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  36. What beautiful cards! So elegant!!

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  37. Thank you for your story. For those of us who have never been pregnant or lost a child your story gives us just an inkling of what you and others have gone through.
    May God bless you

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  38. Very pretty cards and love the CAS style.

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  39. Perfect card for such a sad time in a couple's life. Love the heartstamp and little feet inside. Beautiful!

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  40. Love your elegant card and so sad for the couple's life.

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  41. Tiny footprints, what a great card. Great job. Thank you

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  42. This is a wonderful cause and often overlooked. I'm so glad that more attention is being given to this. The set is beautiful and I hope to see the book in our hospital.

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  43. Beautiful, perfect actually. Hugs

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  44. Beautiful, perfect actually. Hugs

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  45. Such a wonderful CAS card....your card turned out really nice.
    Thanks for your support.
    hugs

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  46. Lovely in its simplicity. Such a needed cause.

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  47. Simply beautiful! Love it. Thank you for sharing.

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  48. Very pretty C & S cards Clare. Love the dots.

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  49. Really like the simplicity of this card

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  50. Perfect card for this worthy cause.

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  51. Very nice CAS cards. They will encourage some parents, I am sure.

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  52. Lovely cause. I'm busy making cards with some friends to send in. Thank you for the inspiration.

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  53. What sweet cards. I love this idea

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  54. Very sweet cards. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us.

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  55. Love the simplicity of these cards, Clare, yet totally getting your message across in such a heartfelt way!

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  56. It's very smart how you've stamped on those cards. Love both!

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  57. Beautiful, simple cards! I also like the pierced borders you created.

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  58. Simple and sweet! I love your cards! TFS

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  59. These cards are so great for this wonderful cause, Clare! Simply beautiful!!!

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  60. These cards are so sweet and love the soft colors and the simplicity of them. Thanks for sharing.

    Linda D.

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  61. What a great idea! As a labor and delivery nurse I have been in the counseling and comforting side. Having had three miscarriages myself and unable to have children I've been on the grief side. Neither side is easy. But knowing someone cares always help as some point.

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Thank you so much for taking time to leave me a comment - it is always much appreciated. :)