A heartwarming story

Good Monday morning, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We got home from our holiday in Sicily yesterday. Oh what a glorious week it was. This was the view we woke up to every morning, with Mount Etna in the distance.

and the wonderful village of Castlemola, perched right up on the hilltop (top right).

 More photos to follow very soon.

This is my 2nd post today, if you are looking for my Country View challenge DT post you will find it here.

This is my design team sample from me today for the new Visible Image release and today I am using the 

Just breathe stamp set

Now when I first saw this set I was delighted to see that it is "anatomically" correct; it really appealed to the medical side of me. As my long term blog readers know I was a Chartered Physiotherapist for 34 years until I retired 3 years ago and my darling daughter is a doctor. I got out my copy of Gray's anatomy, bought when I started my training at King's College in London . I started my training in 1979 and this was the latest edition at the time. Nothing was on line in those days and it weighted a ton!

I wanted to check the correct position of the heart

as it is many years since I studied the heart (I was a musculoskeletal specialist). As I flicked through the huge tome that it is, it reminded me of my daughter's very first work experience placement as a 6th former, still at school. She had written many letters to try to find a placement and 2 answered her requests, one a charming Cardiologist.  She shadowed him for a few weeks at Queen Mary's Hospital in London. He really took a shine to her and followed her with pride throughout her medical school training and even bumped into her again years later when she had been qualified a few years. He had always seen her potential to be a wonderful doctor. 

At that moment I had the inspiration to make a "anatomy specimen for my first "just breathe" sample.

 I also thought that using book pages would be a cool background to use.

As you know I have a copy of A tale of Two cities which I have cut up for many previous projects. I remembered that in my stash was a book page which I had already stuck onto a piece of card to back it, left over from the "Greek Tragedy" card I made 18 months ago for Visible Image. I thought that the glue being really dry, would make it the perfect page to use.

I stamped the thorax onto white stamping card and when I looked at it it really reminded me of my anatomy dissections up at Kings'. We learnt so much form those sessions and I gained a lifetime interest and fascination for anatomy. I got out my craft knife and scissors and decided to "dissect" one half of the chest and fussy cut the rest.

I used red embossing glitter when stamping the heart and then added Glossy Accents for a very 3D effect.

I stamped and cut out the words adding some detailing with glitter and GAs. 

I also stamped breathe around the page in red versafine and then noticed that the chapter was called "Calm in storm" so I thought my stamped words were most appropriate.  However things were going to get a lot more "spookily" coincidental as my make went on. 

I started to put everything together on a corrugated card background I made. 

As I went to stick the Immortal sentiment at the bottom of the page I laughed as I noticed the word "doctor" and found that it even fitted around the shape I had cut the sentiment. So there was the perfect spot to stick it.

But there were to be many more rather incredible coincidences as I looked at my finished piece.

I had no idea that a Doctor appeared in this book as I have never read it (it's an old copy my Hb gave to me) so that was extraordinary but when I look closely at the text  I had left uncovered I found the words; " Sent a letter" and "Doctor's hand"

I also saw "Doctor", " Daughter's" and "Beloved child" staring out at me. It was as if it was recounting my daughter's first work experience and her journey into her medical career. It really made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. How on earth did that page remain unused until that day and that those words were clearly visible around my finished piece?

I like the way the glossy accents really give the glittered heart a life like appearance...and look the word "kind" even shows through the lower ribs, under the heart which I had placed anatomically correct. 

Here is one last shot of my piece, which I dedicate to my wonderful daughter, such a caring, hard working and well respected doctor and yes beloved by me. 

This was a piece which was obviously just meant to be.

I would like to enter my project into the following challenges;

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes
Craft catz 2/3 anything goes

All the Visible Image links can be found here;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you there. You will see lots of gorgeous makes by the DT and customers to inspire your own creativity.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are regular giveaways...open world wide.

And the shop web site is here; where all their gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased.

A little reminder again that I will demonstrating Visible Image stamps and stencils, including the new release,  for Stampers Grove at the Stamperama Show, at Newbury Race Course, this Sunday 7th July . If you are coming do please stop by and say hello. I really love meeting "virtual" friends in person. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x