FIGHT like a girl! -- Opposites Attract, Songbird, Stand and Salute, Walk in my Garden, 12x12 Breast Cancer Layout

As many of my followers may know, The-Girl-Child wants to be a doctor...  Actually, not just a doctor, but an oncologist...  And, if given the opportunity, she'd like to be a pediatric oncologist...  So we're big on kicking cancer in the dupa here in our home...

I also have a wonderful friend who is a SURVIVOR...  I made this layout for her.  I remember her telling me recently that she had some photos from this challenging time that she wanted to scrapbook...  I was hoping this layout would help her get started on that -- She's a pretty amazing person, and her story deserves to be preserved and shared...  I've known this friend for a very long time...  We lost touch for a while and miraculously reconnected -- What a blessing to have a friend like her back in my life. :)  I often think about how amazing it is when things like this happen. 

The background paper I used is a soft gray patterned paper from the Creative Memories Simply Beautiful Designer Prints Paper Pack.  The daisies were cut at 2" from the Walk in my Garden Cricut Cartridge.  The pink striped ribbon is from my ridiculously overflowing ribbon stash...

Not sure why I never noticed before, but the font on the Songbird Cricut Cartridge is absolutely PERFECT for welding!!  I have a feeling I'm going to be using that font a whole lot more (welded, of course, cuz it looks awesome that way!!)...

I used the Opposites Attract Cricut Cartridge for 'FIGHT' and welded some of the ribbon border in the Stand and Salute Cricut Cartridge then cut it in two shades of pink).  I added a little faux stitching to the ribbons for two reasons -- #1 I thought it finished it off quite nicely, and #2 I wanted to enter this layout at Getting Cricky with K Andrew' Sew Fabulous Simply Sunday Challenge and I thought the stitching made it even more 'legit'...

Not that it had to be any more 'legit' because Kristal said that the interpretation was totally up to each participant (and I had a whole different interpretation when I completed the layout HERE for the challenge!!)...  But as I worked on this layout for my friend and thought about the amazing courage and strength she has now, I also thought of a wonderful poem that was once given to me...  For anyone who has ever seen a tapestry (or for someone who weaves, embroiders, or even cross stitches), you know that the backside of the tapestry is not very pleasing to look at -- It can be full of knots and jumbles of threads...  Most of the design is completely unrecognizable and any of us would prefer to only look at the finished front in all of its beauty.  I know that difficult situations are part of the tapestry of our lives...  The dark threads are needed to make the bright colors more vibrant and beautiful -- to really stand out!  My lovely friend has only become more vibrant and beautiful with the experiences of her life, and so she is the inspiration for my 'Sew Fabulous' submission...  Aside from her really being so fabulous, she is a bright thread woven into my life...

My Life is but a weaving
between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the under side.

Not til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares,
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives His very best to those
Who leave the choice with Him.

NSD Challenge #3 over at My Pink Stamper was to create a project with a Breast Cancer theme, so while I originally created this layout for that challenge, I'm glad that I took the time to think about why I was making it and what it meant to me... 

Until next time,