Beth’s Belief

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you will remember me telling you about my lovely friend Beth and sharing her story with you:

This is a little project I have been working on for a while now. I have often mentioned how much I enjoy designing for the digital scrapbook community because it allows me immediate and personal contact with my customers, well this is probably the most poignant example of that interaction and the friendships that grow from it.

A little while ago a special customer contacted me and asked if I would consider making some cancer themed doodles for the cards and journal she was working on while she underwent various treatments for cancer. We ended up exchanging a number of emails and having quite a brainstorming session about what she needed and this little freebie pack was the final result:

Beth is the special customer and her story moved me greatly. Sadly, I am sure that almost everyone reading this will have had their lives touched by cancer in some way.

Beth created these cards to give to other cancer patients she knows, both young and old. Visit her blog to hear more of her story and to download the cards (I love the “Chemosabe” pun!)

I’d just like to say thank you Beth for trusting me to create these and for involving me in the way you did. It was a very moving experience for me and more than a few tears have been shed along the way. I hope your cards can bring some love, support and smiles to all those who receive them and may you always find a way to give voice to your heart xxx

April 2010

Tragically, less than 6 months after we completed these doodles, Beth lost her fight with cancer. We had kept in touch, exchanging emails and layouts, private messages and memories and we had a lovely online friendship that I hold very dear. I had never met her, never even spoken to her on the phone but her shining spirit and generosity touched my heart very deeply and I miss her very much.

A few months after Beth passed away, we heard the news that our next-door neighbour had also lost her battle with cancer. Tracey was a fun and bubbly character, the same age as me and her youngest son is in the same class at school as my daughter. Every day (weather permitting!) my kids played with hers, playing dodgeball over the fence.

Since then, this dreadful disease has touched more amazing women in my life, both in my own family and in the Lilypad family (you can read about Pollywog Melissa’s story and marvel at her utterly beautiful photography on her blog Life as a Lewis).

In honour of all these women I know and love, and in the hope that with enough fundraising and research I’ll never have to add another name to my back-sign again, my daughter and I have taken part in Cancer Research UK’s fundraising Race For Life every year since 2011, leaving a trail of pink feathers and glitter through the Cheshire woodlands!

Thank you so much to everyone who put their hands in their pockets to sponsor us every year, I don’t have the words to express how moved and grateful I am for the contribution from our wonderful online scrapbooking community, you really are the best! Together we have raised over £1500 in Beth and Tracey’s memory.

Beth’s Belief revamped

I spent some time this past week reflecting on friends both new and old who are battling this terrible disease, reading through the old comments on the original post (you can find them below if you would like to read them too) and shedding a few tears as I worked on creating the stamps for this set. The download now contains stamps in the usual three formats, along with the revamped coloured doodles and wordy-bit strips.

I hope that these illustrations will help you record your memories; tell your story; indulge in a bit of scrap therapy or create cards, posters and other personal items for your friends and loved ones as Beth herself did. More than anything, I hope that Beth’s loving, creative spirit lives on in the hearts of everyone affected by this dreadful disease.

Shine bright my friend, shine bright.