Each year, thousands of
people throughout the world deal with these two terrible
diseases, AIDS and Breast cancer. I originally designed
the AIDS ornament as a gift to a friend who had just
recently lost her son. Not only was she touched by the
gesture but she encouraged me to release it as a design
in my wholesale line. At first I was reluctant, not
feeling that our society was ready, but three years
later I released it at a West Coast market and donated
the proceeds to a local AIDS organization who offered
support and home care to those in need.
I was visibly touched by the response as well as the
personal stories of how this disease had affected so
many people's lives and family. The following year I
released the Breast Cancer ornament to the same response
and donated the funds to help cover some of the costs
of operating a mobile mammogram facility.
I knew I had made the right decision to pursue these
designs when I was visiting the needle art show held
at the Woodlawn Plantation in December 1996. A lady
came up to me with a finished Breast Cancer ornament
in her purse and told me that stitching on her ornament
was how she was able to cope with chemotherapy and that
she now kept the ornament in her purse as a touchstone
for hope.
Each ornament can be finished as an ornament, or appliquéd
onto a pillow. This sounds sad, but so touching, a hospital
auxiliary in the mid-west stitched a bunch of ornaments,
adding a Child's name who had died from AIDS across
the front of the ribbon and hung them on a tree in the
lobby of the pediatric ward. After Christmas, the ornaments
were given to the various families who had lost a child.
If you know of any organization who would benefit by
adding a different colored ribbon to this collection,
please contact me. As in the past, once the designs
is first released, a portion of the proceeds will be
donated to a charity of your choice. The donation for
these two ornaments continue, for each ornament ordered,
$5.00 per ornament will be donated to a local charity
supporting those living with the disease.
Designs are on 18 count canvas and the design size is 5 inches.
|
AIDS Ornament
$42.00
(click on image for a larger view)
|
Breast Cancer
Ornament
$42.00
(click on image for
a larger view)
|
