Breast Cancer Awareness, Gel Press & An Altered Hat

I’m thrilled to be a new member of the Gel Press Creative team. I so love my Gel Press plates! Love them! Gel Press has wonderful, creative and caring team members and staff on board, as well as amazing products to create with! I’m thrilled to share more about the Art of Well Being in the future.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and as many of you know, I am a survivor and I love the color pink. Did you know that this month Gel Press came out with an awareness ribbon plate? Of course you can use it during the month of October and create with hues of pink, but you can also use it for other awareness campaigns and causes. I am so grateful to Gel Press and the National Breast Cancer Associations for teaming up and their fight against Breast Cancer during this month. I join other women and artists in telling a little about their breast cancer journey and sharing products using this amazing ribbon plate. So grateful for these ladies and how they are sharing their stories . . . see more HERE, HERE, and HERE. What a different we can make together no matter what the cause and how powerful community is when rallied behind something good and impactful.

I wanted to share a couple of hats I created with the awareness ribbon plate. Of course hats were a regular part of my wardrobe when I was going through chemotherapy. I’ve always been a hat girl, but during treatment, hats were a regular staple. Why not deck out a hat with an awesome awareness ribbon front and center?

Note for the rolled flowers, I used strips of fabric as well as medical gauze (special meaning intended). I had a double mastectomy and gauze is something I’m all too familar with. But it can also be used for beauty as well like for making these flowers. Isn’t that life? Much like scars, they are tough to incur, healing takes time, but there is strength in beauty in surviving the journey. So grateful for the beautiful and strong women that went before me on this journey who were such an example.

• Hat – Walmart – $5
• Gel Press Ribbon Plate – $9.99
• Acrylic paints already on hand – pennies
• Scraps of fabric – pennies
• Medical Gauze I had on hand – free
• Hand crafted gift for a Warrior = Priceless

I want to encourage you, because I care, to practice good breast health and to get the checks you need according to your age and doctors advisement. Regular self exams are also so vital. Remember that men are diagnosed with breast cancer as well. You matter, you are speciall and it’s important to take care of you!

Thank you to each of you who were with me on my breast cancer journey. I can never truly express my heartfelt gratitude to God, family, friends, co-workers, the artist community, and even strangers, for the love and way you lifted me up! I am forever grateful and I cannot fully express my thankfulness. I still tear up thinking about it. If you’re a new friend, thank you for being here. We are all better together.

Looking for more Gel Press inspiration? More HERE and HERE. Also, I have some prior blog posts you can check out if you’re looking for ideas.

With the warmest gratitude,