Royal Purple Freedom Blog Hop Part Deux :)

NOTE: I am entering this also for You Had Me @ Craft's Made It Myself Monday's so others can join the cause too :)


Hello all and welcome back to my little corner of the crafting world. I wanted to share a little story with you. Once upon a time (all great stories start this way), there was a very young girl that did not know her own worth. She spent many years in a difficult situation until the time came when she could get out of Dodge. It took her over a year to heal and realize that she was smart, beautiful, worthwhile and deserved to be LOVED. In rides Don Juan (tee hee, inside joke) and helps this much older and wiser (young at heart) girl trust again. They got married and are raising 3 kids together and will be living happily ever after.

Nice story you say? Could this be true? It absolutely is. I am living proof of this. The reason I shared this story (with a humorous spin) is to give hope to others. You can overcome and, even when it seems impossible, good things can come of it. This blog hop has already touched lives and you can touch even more. You can visit Faith's blog post which is the beginning of the blog hop for more information (HERE).

We had a challenge from my dear friend Scrappy Jak to do a family oriented layout. I did two! Family to me should equal love. My Aunt and Uncle are a shining example of this. My Aunt developed Alzheimer's after taking care of my Uncle all these years. He takes a bus everyday to the home to visit her and bring her chocolate. He loves her so much and I am blessed to have found a love like that the second time around. These layouts are inspired by love.

Because this is an incredibly IMPORTANT issue, Faith has arranged for some PHENOMENAL blog candy. Here are the details:

"What fun would a hop be without some blog candy to reward you for your time and effort in viewing each stop right? Because this cause is so dear to me, I have arranged an incredible array of prizes. First though, lemme share some more information with you. About 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes occur every year while many more assaults and rapes go unreported entirely. Over 3 million children witness violence in their home each year and those that do suffer physically and emotionally (my kids are among this statistic). These statistics are sad and overwhelming, but help IS out there for those that choose to break the silence, but they need help. Places like the Bradley Angle House are often invaluable.

Sponsors for this hop have been very generous and we have several Grand Prizes! To be eligible to win, you must create a purple themed card like the ones featured in this hop and include a hand-written note of encouragement on the inside. Your purple themed card(s) with a hope filled message inside could make all the difference, not to mention give YOU a chance to win the grand prize for this hop. Cards must be postmarked by June 30th for inclusion in basket drawings and can be mailed to the following address: Royal Purple Hop c/o Vicki SmithP.O. Box 1496Millbrook, NY 12545

What are these grand prizes you ask...brace yourselves because you will not believe your eyes!

The Big Deal Basket: Prizes in this basket are far too plentiful to list individually. We have items donated by Robert’s Crafts(including 4 Cricut Cartridges), My Creative Time, Kristal Andrew,Erin Lee Creative, Pink By Design, Verve, KaDoodle Bug Designs,Photocentric, Peachy Keen Stamps. Treasure Box Designs, Our Daily Bread Designs, Kallio Kalleidoscapes, September Ninth and many more items donated by our hop participants. I estimate the value of this basket to be well over $250. One lucky winner will be shipped this basket full of goodies (entire contents not shown):



Because Life After Domestic Violence is Peachy Keen Prize: This prize package includes 1 each of the following stamps: PK-M16, PK-M20 PK 291, PK-287, PK-288, PK-289. You can visit the Peach Keen Store to check out all the images, but included in this prize package are the following new releases:




Pampered Princess: This prize package includes a vanilla scented candle, some Secret Garden shower gel from Victoria Secret, and a Michael Buble CD. Often times when leaving a Domestic Violence situation women forget to take care of themselves…I suspect this is a condition women have in general and the winner of this prize package will have good reason to pamper herself like the princess she is!

Verv-a-licious: Verve stamps are my all time favorite clear polymer stamp ever. The winner of this prize will receive a $25 gift certificate to spend at http://shopverve.com.

Please Note: Only people who send a card to the above address will be entered into the drawing for these prizes. Again, purple as the primary color with a hand written note inside. Want more chances to win the grand prize? Additional entries will be given for each $1 donation you include with your card. Would you prefer 1 entry, 10 entries, or is 100 entries more of what you had in mind? It’s all up to you!

Smaller prizes include: The Bling Thing (an assortment of bling), I’m Turning Pail (a clear pail of Colorbok scrappy stuff, including chipboard albums), Just A Little Peach (more Peachy Keen Stamps), Grab Your Cutters (a craft grab bag from Cutter’s Creek), and perhaps even more as Sponsor items are still trickling in. To be eligible to win any of these smaller items, simply leave a comment on this post telling me if DV has made an impact on your family and who’s card you were most inspired by.
Remember, one in three women will be affected by DV in their lifetime…think of your 10 closest friends…which three of you will suffer this tragic experience? While it was me, I pray it is never any more of you. I hope you will help me give 24 deserving women and their families a chance at recovery. Everyone deserves to be safe! Even if you choose not to make a purple themed card, you can still send a donation to the address above. Thank you in advance for your support!"

I hope that we will join us all in this cause. Help us reach this goal and help 24 women and their families find the freedom that they deserve. Everyone should have a feeling of safety and security and not feel trapped and alone. Thanks in advance for contributing.

Until next time....