My Blog: Heart to Heart

Today, in the midst of holiday preparations...I wanted to take a minute and share a special email I received last week. A thank you to all of you who took part in the Heart to Heart Card Drive for Alzheimer's caregivers. This letter is from the Support Services Administrator at the Artman home, where they received over 100 cards for their staff as a result of the drive.

Dear Carolyn,

I’ve attached some pictures of some of the cards that we received and put on display. These beautiful cards still hang in our hallways, as I walk by I still see residents, families and staff “taking a peek” and I love watching the smile appear on their face. We had our annual Resident & Family Christmas parties and we received so many comments about the cards. At these parties, we always do a little speech before grace is said and we mentioned you and your grandmother and how so many amazing cards were sent to us from all over the world including Brazil, Australia, Israel, Canada and obviously all over the United States.

One amazing letter really touched me personally as well as all our staff. I would love to share this with you:

“Thank you so much for all that you do for your patients. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s, so I am all too familiar with what a challenge they can be. In memory of my grandmother, I have included cards for you to use. One for every one of my family members that miss one amazing woman”.

We have read this card in so many meetings and discussions, and it touches our heart time and time again. This particular lady sent us a boxful of beautiful blank cards which we have shared with our staff.

Carolyn, you and your family and the memory of your grandmother will always be a part of the Artman family. Thank you for always keeping us close. And more importantly, thank you for the smiles you brought to the faces of our staff. I hope you stay in touch.

Merry Christmas
Nancy Twomey

Thank YOU all for making these amazing people feel so special and appreciated.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

****THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO PLAYED ALONG****
As most of you know, My grandmother (Mamo) passed away in 2008 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. That was the year that the first Heart to Heart Card Drive began, in her memory, to honor the CAREGIVERS of patients with this awful disease. The Alzheimer’s Association does a great job and finding way to fund raise for research and to spread the word about the disease and how widespread it has become.

This card drive is an effort to thank the silent victims---those who work every day so that someone they love (and sometimes someone they don’t even know well) can survive another one. Because today is my grandmother’s birthday, I held the card drive today in CELEBRATION of the wonderful person she was and hopefully together we can make even one person smile and feel appreciated through our joint efforts this week.

I hope you will participate in this card drive to help a whole bunch of caregivers feel appreciated for all that they do.

Once again, I have asked some companies if they would like to sponsor this worthwhile event and most jumped at the chance. Again….I cannot thank them enough. THEY are the reason that this gets such a big response. So please let them know when you visit their sites that you appreciate them for supporting this cause. Also, I contacted a few WONDERFUL stamping friends to ask them if they would send a card to add to the blog candy. And so I have a big basket of TREASURES donated by some of the best stampers/cardmakers out there! Special thanks to my sweet and awesome friend Nina Brackett who helped me with securing some extra donations. Like so many of us…she also lost a loved one, her grandmother Angelina, to this horrible disease. Thank you for all your help Nina!

The details:
ONE LUCKY PERSON WILL WIN an ESTIMATED $1,000 in prizes PLUS ALL THE AMAZING HANDMADE GIFTS AND CARDS!!!!!!

Every person who plays along will receive a gift—the gift of making someone feel special and appreciated. But, I wanted this to be a big prize so that a lot of people play along. And, part of the fun of this blog candy is that whoever wins will be showered with gifts. I have some of them at my home and so the winner will receive a HUGE box from me. But most companies are sending them on their own and many are gift certificates so the winner can pick what they want. So the winner will be receiving goodies in the mail for a LONG TIME. How fun will that be?

Special thanks to all of the companies and individuals who have donated the following for the Heart to Heart Blog Candy:

Gina K Designs

Your choice of 5 stamp sets.

Gina K Designs will ship choices directly to the winner.

Eclectic Paperie

$25 Gift Certificate

Scor-Pal

Scor-Pal will send directly to the winner

My Favorite Things

$25 Gift Certificate

Our Craft Lounge

Stamp sets- The Spin Cycle and Hot Betty

(I have this gift and it will be included in my box.)

Cardmaker Magazine

One Year Subscription

Hambo Stamps

Stamps pictured in choice of wood mounted, cling or bare stamps.
Hambo Stamps will send directly to winner.

JustRite Stampers

Cherish the Memories set; Victorian Nested Sentiments Set; Horizontal Clear Stamper JustRite will send directly to the winner.

SRM Stickers
1 each of all the new stickers from Summer CHA. Approximate value $50.00
SRM Stickers will send directly to the winner.

Stamper’s Dream

JustRite Let’s Celebrate stamp set and 2” Square Wood Stamper

(I have this gift and it will be included in my box.)

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

$25 Gift Certificate

JenMarie Taylor

Ippity Book It! Stamp

JenMarie will send directly to the winner.

Crafts 'n Things Magazine

One Year Subscription

Dawn Gehring (Managing editor, Crafts 'n Things Magazine)

One Year Subscription to Crafts 'n Things (for a friend)

Paper Crafts Magazine
Collection of Special Issues

Paper Crafts will send directly to the winner.

Paper Pretties

Stamps-

Imagine, Wade E Bug, Go Team!, Sassy Circles, Always in My Heart Sophia

See site for larger images

Paper Pretties will send directly to winner.

Taylored Expressions

Stamp sets- Love Everywhere, Bakery Business
Taylored Expressions will send directly to the winner.

Stamping Bella

$50 Gift Certificate

Flourishes

2 Stamp Sets of Choice

Flourishes will send directly to the winner.

Spellbinders

Nestabilities: Large Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles

and Classic Scalloped Circles LG

(I have this gift and it will be included in my box.)

Theresa Momber
Hope Grows Stamp set

(I have this gift and it will be included in my box.)

Belinda Langner

Two Stampavie stamps.

(I have this gift and it will be included in my box. )

Kim Hughes

Four sets of ZVA Creative Pearl flourishes

(I have this gift and it will be included in my box. )

Splitcoaststampers

One Year Fan Club Membership

Lydia Fielder

$50 Stampin’ UP! Gift Certificate

Scrapbook Store at Your Door

$10 Gift Certificate

and Popcorn the Bear Stamp set

Scrapbook Store at Your Door will send directly to the winner.

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps

5 Images of the Winner’s Choice of Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps will send directly to the winner.

The Cat’s Pajamas

$25 Gift Certificate

I {Heart} Papers

Stamps- Cake Shoppe and Cake Shoppe Too

I {Heart} Papers will send directly to the winner.

Verve

Stamp sets- Great Friend, Dream Big

Verve will send directly to the winner.

Carolyn King

Jar of Prima flowers (pictured with basket)

Two sets of Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker- Ellie’s Day Out 6 by 6 Mini pad and clear stamps

Imaginisce- Perfectly Posh Collection: Stamps- Flower, Makeup, Born to Shop; ribbons; Fancy Blossoms-Girly; Fancy Blossoms-Flirty; Fancy Blossoms-Les Fleurs; Vinyl Stickers- poodle, sunglasses.

Basket of Handmade Cards

Cards donated by:

Joanne Grzelak (set of handmade cards)

Charlene Merrick (handmade card)

Theresa Momber (four handmade cards)

Dawn Lusk (four handmade cards)

Kim Hughes (four handmade cards)

Melanie Muenchinger (Hope tin)

Denise Marzec (handmade card)

Leigh O’Brien (handmade card)

Asela Hopkins (handmade card)

Cindy Motherway (handmade teapot card)

Belinda Langner (handmade card)

Lee Murphy (two handmade cards)

Kim Van der Sanden (handmade card)

Deborah Anton (handmade card)

Rae Barthel (handmade card and set of four handmade notecards)

Tosha Leyendekker (handmade card)

Kimberly Crawford (two handmade cards)

Jessica Fick (two handmade cards)

Joanne Basile (handmade card)

Charmaine Ikach (six handmade cards + MINI Bugs Autumn Leaves clear stamp set)

Jen del Muro (handmade card)

Carolyn King (handmade card)

HOW YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN:

Because of the size of this blog candy, I am going to be strict about the rules! Please follow the all the directions to be entered. You may only enter one time per person but you can make as many cards as you want!

1. In celebration of my grandmother’s birthday and World Alzheimer’s Day (which was earlier this week), we are reaching out to some amazing people who deserve to be thanked.….the caregivers. Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient is HARD work and an often thankless job. There are so many people who help and so—I am asking you to make a card for a caretaker of a person affected with Alzheimer’s. Yes, you can send it to someone you know. If you do not know anyone to send a card to you can send it to the address below. This is the home my grandmother lived in for the last few years of her life. The nurses, aids and support staff there were tremendous. They loved receiving cards two years ago…it really was such a blessing for the staff and the manager was so happy that we were organizing this again this year. She also volunteered to send me some pictures after cards arrive so I can share them with you on my blog. If you would like, you can put a sticky note on the inside rather than writing on the card. This gives the recipient the option to keep the card for awhile and then to have a beautiful card to send to someone later if he/she chooses.

To the Staff at the Artman Home

250 N. Bethlehem Pike

Ambler, PA 19002

Here is a sample note (in case you are unsure what to write):

Thank you so much for the work you do with Alzheimer’s patients. I just wanted to let you know that you are greatly appreciated. Sincerely, (your name)

2. Reread the donations above. I really want you to see all the companies and individuals who gave to this important cause....cause they ROCK!

3. If you have a blog, please mention this blog candy on it and link THIS POST. The hope is to generate as many cards as we can for those who could use a lift. If you do not have a blog, that is fine...just mention it when you upload your card. If you cannot upload your card (because you do not know how) that is fine. Just tell someone about this!) *You do NOT have to subscribe or become a follower to participate. The object is just to spread the word about this project.

Please, only one entry per person. In your comment please link your card and also list three companies and two individuals who have donated to the blog candy. Finally, be sure to link this post to your blog and spread the word! Don’t forget to include your email address so I can contact you if you win! Your entry should look something like this:

Here is my card http://www.mycardforalzheimersrocks/

Three companies who donated are Crafts ‘n Things, Gina K Designs and Scor-Pal. Two people who donated are Leigh O’Brien and Theresa Momber. I have posted this on my blog. Cammie22@hotmail.com

Other important details: All entries that follow the rules will be printed out on Sunday, October 3 at @ 8 PM (central time). The entries will be printed out, cut up and RANDOM.CARA will pick the winner out of a box. (I will take pictures!) The winner will be posted on Tuesday. Everyone is eligible to play along (even those who donated prizes.) The only person who cannot win is me (and my immediate family).

Please note: By entering to win this blog candy you are agreeing to release your email address and contact information to some of the companies above in order for your prizes to be mailed. If you do not wish for your information to be released, please do not enter.

***QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them on this post and I will be sure to check back often to answer them. Most questions you have probably can be answered by re-reading this post!

Good Luck! And thanks to all of YOU for participating and making this a success!!

Happy Birthday Mamo!