Showing posts with label Epilepsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Epilepsy. Show all posts

Friday, November 5, 2010

Handmade in the Lone Star State curated by cnewcomb


Good Morning! I turned on my computer this morning to find that my new Mandiye bracelet has been included in a Collection. Handmade in the Lone Star State was curated by cnewcomb on ArtFire and features Texas Artfire Guild members.  Click on the collection to view the collection on ArtFire and click here to go to C. Newcomb's Woodworking shop.

Thank-you for including "Mandiye" in a collection from the greatest state in the nation.





Click here to read more!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Epilepsy Awareness Inspires a New Product Line

I have a new line of Awareness bracelets in my shop, the Mandiye. This design was a gift to a good friend of mine, Mandiye. We both work with a company that sponsors us to both speak to groups to help end the stigma associated with epilepsy.  Each year we attend a summit and that is where we met.

I will share Mandiye's complete story in another blog post.
The Mandiye Awareness bracelet features Swarovski Crystal bicones in Provence Lavender and Purple Velvet. It will be available in a silver plated and Sterling silver version.


SDC19439 This very special bracelet has a special purpose. There is no Epilepsy Foundation in Las Vegas, in fact, there is not one in Nevada. We currently fall under the umbrella of the Northern California Epilepsy Foundation. The profit (not a percentage or a portion, the entire profit) from the sale of this bracelet will be donated to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California, to be used for services in Nevada.


The Mandiye will also be available in other colors to indicate support for other causes. Regardless of the color all profits from all Mandiyes will be for Epilepsy.
Mandiye in Color 1
Mandiye in Color 3
Epilepsy affects over 3 million Americans of all ages – more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s disease combined. Almost 500 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed every day in the United States.


Mandiye – ArtFire – Jewelry by Cheryls Purple Cow
Mandiye – Etsy – Cheryls Purple Cow
Click here to read more!

Monday, November 1, 2010


I curated a collection on ArtFire for Epilepsy Awareness Month. Please enjoy and help end the stigma of epilepsy.
Click here to read more!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Cheryls Purple Cow A Bit Of Background

It has been quite some time since I posted on this blog. I can provide you many excuses (some of them are really clever) for my inattention but the main reason is simple. I have allowed too many minor details take over my schedule. I am working on setting up a schedule much like the schedule that I would follow if my business were a regular job. I will keep you in the loop and give regular status reports.

I plan on getting back to the basics with my blogging. I am going to write more tips and tutorials. I won't be writing the follow-up tutorials I promised on the Facebook Store Front but I will be adding a feature that is very important to me. For now, I would like to re-visit the story of Cheryls Purple Cow both for my benefit and for yours.

Pink Needle Felted Dragon Butterfly Fairy by bearbottombearMany of the people that I meet through my shops have been crafting all their lives. They learned crafting at a young age and have been creative all their lives. 

That is NOT my story. My story goes like this:
Most children get A’s and B’s in art class. If you didn’t participate you could actually get a C or D. I failed art class. I found the whole process of creating something bothersome. I just could not and would not do it. I preferred structure and organization. Math class was my favorite.

When I started working I favored jobs that were math oriented with attention to the details. I worked in banks mainly. The last job that I held was working for the department of motor vehicles titling and registering vehicles.
My life started changing in 2004. I remember having "episodes" of sudden inappropriate emotion or rage most of my life. But they lasted a few minutes and happened every few years. I was under a lot of stress starting in the summer of 2004. My "episodes" became more frequent and lasted longer. It was during this time that I started having a compulsion to create things.

Desert Playhouse by Hidden Light PhotosOn Tuesday November 23, 2005 I was on my cell phone listening to my boss explain that I was no longer needed when I received an important call from my doctors office on the land-line. I asked my boss to hold for just a second and listened to my doctors office as they gave me the diagnosis that changed my life, Right Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

I started taking my anti-seizure medication and as my seizures decreased, the need to create grew. And the more I created the better I got and the better I got the stronger the need to create became. That is the reason I attribute my newfound "gift" of creativity to my epilepsy. 

I started trying different crafts and techniques to see what I really wanted to focus on. I tried most of the crafts available when I started beading and making jewelry. And working with beads and making jewelry is what gives me the most pleasure. My favorite is Awareness Ribbon jewelry. I think it is important to raise awareness regarding medical conditions like Epilepsy and Cancer. At first I was giving most of my pieces to my family and friends. They urged me to start a business and sell my creations. It took a while for me to get used to the idea that I could make something worth selling, but I came around.

Baby One Piece - Baseball by loveandluckshop
I made several pieces and was ready to open up a shop on Etsy. There was only one thing holding me back, a business name. The name had to hold special significance to me.

Purple is the color for epilepsy and it has always been my favorite color. but I needed a little more than that. I had one word, but I still couldn't figure out the name. 

One day out of the blue, I remembered a gift I received in Junior High from my best friend Dee Dee. She gave me a purple cow with a poem attached:
"I never saw a purple cow;
and I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one."
Teddy Bear by StuffimalCreations 
I had completely forgotten about that purple cow. Now I had a name, Cheryls Purple Cow. The purple cow represents something unusual, extraordinary, remarkable. It is something that we all would like to have or even see just once. 

My best friend Dee Dee was never ordinary and neither was I. We are both still purple cows. I never realized how wonderful it was to be different. I even located her through the Internet and found out that she has Lupus. The Awareness Ribbon for both Epilepsy and Lupus is purple. Strange coincidence?

Now you know a little bit more about me and how Cheryls Purple Cow was born.

I know that my story is not the only interesting story. I want to invite you to share your story too. All you have to do to send me an email at cherylspurplecow@yahoo.com with a brief background and I will send you the interview questions. I will include any links and pictures that you provide in the feature. This is one of the easiest ways to promote your product and your shop.

I used pictures from the following HandmadeInVegas Team Etsy shops in this post:

bearbottombear

Hidden Light Photos

loveandluckshop

StuffimalCreations

Please click on the pictures of the items to be taken to the listing page.
Click on the shop name to be taken to the shop.







Click here to read more!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

New Look for Cheryls Purple Cow

Good Afternoon!

I want to invite everyone to visit my blog and see the new look. If you are like me you don't visit each blog you follow regularly. You read the posts in a reader. The down side of that is that you don't get to see all the pretties.

I was doing the blog walk one day,

that's what I call it when I am on a blog and see a link to a blog that sounds interesting and follow a link on that blog that sounds interesting.... well, you get the idea.

I noticed that a few of the blogs looked real good and they were made by the same designer. So I contacted her and this new look is the result. I will be posting an interview with her when I post this.


I like my new look because I get to have the things I love to see everywhere.  The bracelet is an epilepsy awareness bracelet called the "Mandiye" that I designed for a good friend.  The white cat is Mi Dulcie Corazon, we just called her Dulcie.  Isn't that a pretty heart on her side.  The other 2 cats are the girls I have now, both are her children.  Spaz, the gray, is the only survivor of Dulcie's first litter.  Smokie, the black, is from the next litter.  My step-son adopted her but he made the mistake of leaving her with me when he went on vacation.  I wouldn't give her back.






This new design also brings a cohesiveness to my "branding".  I am using the same header as a banner in my Etsy shops, Cheryls Purple Cow and My Extra Beads and on my Facebook shop. Click on the links to see each one.

I also added a "Grab" button.  Please grab my button to post on your blog and if I don't already have yours on my blog, let me know so I can get it.



I also consolidated the tutorials and put the list on a separate page. Just click on the "Tutorials" to see the list.

I think that I covered the major changes. Let me know what you think in the comments. If you have done a recent redesign, and I know at least 2 or you who have, please leave your link in the comments so we can all come and admire yours too.
Click here to read more!

Monday, June 21, 2010





Serene's Epilepsy Legacy is a blog that I follow because of the wealth of Epilepsy Awareness information found there. Today I found an article about the new iPhone App "Epilepsy Guide"

You can go directly to this article by using the link below:

Epilepsy Theres An App For That         Click here to read more!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Artisans For Awareness

Cause Awareness is very important to me. I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2005. That diagnosis changed my life. Epilepsy gave me a wonderful gift for designing and creating jewelry. One of the ways I "give back" for this gift is through my Awareness Jewelry. I make jewelry featuring the awareness ribbon beads and charms. I have a shop on Etsy, Cheryls Purple Cow, where I sell my designs. I also have a "Shop Now" tab on my Facebook Fan Page where you can purchase anything that I make.
Mother and Daughter Leukemia
Awareness Stretch Bracelet
by Cheryls Purple Cow

I featured an article on my blog last year called " The Story Behind Cheryls Purple Cow". I know that there is usually a similar story for each artisan that creates awareness items to sell.


I want to know your story!!

When I created this blog it was my intention to devote the same amount of time to both promoting Awareness and to promoting my shops. I am working on changing the direction of the blog to include Awareness.

I will still have the same features, series and tutorials. I will be adding a feature called "Artisans For Awareness" or "Crafters With A Cause". I haven't decided yet which one I want to use. Feel free to comment with your opinion.

The new feature will tell the stories of artisans who support specific causes and the story or reason behind their support. The story may be in the style of an interview or with the artisan as a guest blogger.


Diabetes and Heart Health
Crystal Awareness Bracelet
by Cheryls Purple Cow
If you create Awareness pieces or if you know of someone who does, and you want to share that story with my readers, please contact me. I would love to feature you. This is your chance to plug your Cause and your shop.


If you actively support Epilepsy Awareness I would also like to feature you. i can either set-up some interview questions for you to answer or you could write your own story as a guest blogger. This would be a great opportunity to bring a little more attention to your efforts towards epilepsy awareness.

You can either email me or leave a comment if you are interested. I moderate all comments so your information will not be published if you leave it in the comment.
Click here to read more!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Treasury East Epilepsy Awareness Treasury

Treasury East on Etsy is now open. I have already created my first treasury there. Epilepsy Awareness is the Name of My Game

Epilepsy Awareness is the Name of My Game

Click here to read more!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Story Behind Cheryls Purple Cow

This post was originally published on June 6, 2009.  I had occasion to refer to it a few days ago and I wanted to share it again for my new followers.  I did make a few changes to make it easier to read. 


Handmade Wire Wrapped RING
Purple Mother of Pearl
by gabeadz
I have been crafting and making jewelry for about 5 years. Before that I seemed to gravitate to highly stressful clerical type jobs. I worked in banking and also in motor vehicle registration and titling. How did I get from there to beading and crafting? If you will listen I will tell you.

 

Do you remember the kid in art class that just could not make anything? That was me. Most people get A's and B's in art class. I failed art class. I found the whole process of creating something bothersome. I just could not, would not do it.


That was my fast-paced stressful life and I loved it. My life started changing in 2004.  I remember having "episodes" of sudden inappropriate emotion or rage most of my life.  But they lasted a few minutes and happened every few years.  The stress became too much around the summer of 2004 and the "episodes" became more frequent and lasted longer.  It was during this time that I started having a compulsion to create things.  I received many incorrect diagnoses during that time but finally in November 2005 I received the correct diagnosis, Right Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.



Grande Vanilla Latte Shawl
by CordovaStudios
I lost my job as I tried to get my epilepsy under control. As I started to control my epilepsy and my seizures decreased, the need to create grew.  And the more things I created the better I got and the better I got the stronger the need to create became. That is why I attribute my newfound "gift" of creativity to my epilepsy. 



I started playing with different crafts and techniques to see what my potential was. I went through most of the crafts available and then I started beading and making jewelry. And that is what gives me the most pleasure.

I have been making jewelry since early 2007. I really like making the Awareness Ribbon jewelry. I think it is important to raise awareness regarding medical conditions like Epilepsy and Cancer. At first I was giving most of my pieces to my family and friends. Everyone urged me to try to sell my creations. It took a while for me to get used to the idea that I could make something worth selling, but I came around.

Stained Glass Candle Holder
by African Sand Stained Glass




I found the motivation to open my own store, but the store needed a name. I wanted the name to be something that I could connect to. March 26 is "Purple Day" and wearing purple on that day shows that you support Epilepsy Awareness. 



 
Purple has always been my favorite color so I decided that the name of my shop would include "purple". I was getting there. I had one word, but I still couldn't figure out the name. Then one day out of the blue, I remembered a gift I received in Junior High from my best friend Dee Dee. She gave me a purple cow with a poem attached:

"I never saw a purple cow;
and I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one."

I had completely forgotten about that purple cow. I surfed the web looking for a purple cow. I was surprised to find that a book was written based upon this popular poem. The book helps you to succeed in business by being the purple cow among all the regular cows. The purple cow represents something extraordinary, different. It is something unusual that we all would like to have or even see just once.


 
Purple and Pink Dragonfly Necklace
by Simply Raevyn
My best friend Dee Dee was never ordinary and neither was I. We are both still purple cows. I never realized how wonderful it was to be different. I even located her through the Internet and found out that she has Lupus. The Awareness Ribbon for both Epilepsy and Lupus is purple. Strange coincidence?







Now you know a little bit more about me and how Cheryls Purple Cow was born.


I used pictures from the following Etsy shops in this post:
African Sand Stained Glass
CordovaStudios
Simply Raevyn


Please click on the pictures of the items to be taken to the listing page.
Click on the shop name to be taken to the shop.
Click here to read more!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Purple Day

Cassidy
I would like to share a story with you today.  This story takes place 2 years ago and is about a young girl named Cassidy.  Cassidy, who was 9 years old at the time, has epilepsy.  But she is not the type of girl to let that get her down. 

Cassidy wanted everybody to know that she has epilepsy and that it was OK to talk about epilepsy.  She wanted to explain to people that epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide.  That is more people than MS, MD, Parkinson's Disease and Cerebral palsy combined.  Cassidy wanted everyone to know the truth about epilepsy and dispel some of the myths. 

It is very important to Cassidy that everyone know that people with epilepsy are ordinary people.  She also wanted other children like herself to know that they were not alone. 

March 26th - Purple Day
Cassidy was very motivated to make her wishes come true.  She decided that one way to get people talking was to ask everyone to wear purple on one special day of the year.  Purple Day was founded in 2008 by Cassidy with the support of the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia. Epilepsy Awareness Month is celebrated in March in most of the world.  Here in the U. S. we celebrate it in November.

"Purple Day is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On March 26, people from around the globe are asked to wear purple and spread the word about epilepsy."

 A little bit more about Cassidy in her own words from the Purple Day website.
"Before I started Purple Day, I was afraid to tell people about my epilepsy because I thought they would make fun of me. After the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia did a presentation in my class, I started to talk with the other kids about my seizures. That is when I decided to become a spokesperson for kids with epilepsy."
I am asking everyone who reads this post to wear purple on Friday March 26th.  Do it for all 50 million people in the world who have epilepsy.  Do it for Cassidy.  Do it for me.
Click here to read more!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

What's Going On?

I am pretty sure that if you are following my blog you want to know what is going on.  I have not been posting as often as I like.  And what is with the actual blog page?  Why is it in funcky colors and changing all the time?  Here are some answers.

I am in the process of totally renovating my blog.   My home page was just too busy and that made it hard to focus on any specific thing.   I am also testing different themes and colors to see which will work the best with the other changes that I am making.

If you really like a color I have used or can't read because of the colors, please let me know in the comments.  I moderate all comments so I will be the only one to see them.  Unless it is a comment on the content of a post, then I do publish them.
 
There will be one page for Cheryls Purple Cow and another for My Extra Beads.  That  way if you want to see some of the items in my shops you can navigate to that  shops page. 

I will have a separate page for social networking badges and links.  I am still working out how I can put my Twitter feed and Facebook feed on that.

There is a page for Epilepsy Awareness.  I will have badges and links to Epilepsy Related Materials on that page.

The next page is the one that is giving me the most trouble. It is the Ribbon colors page.  I spend about an hour a day on my Awareness Ribbon Colors and Causes document.  I am trying to format it so that I can have the complete, legible document on this page.  That way anyone can look up the color ribbon for their particular cause.  I have finally been able to publish the document, but it is not legible.  I need to figure a way to format it so that it remains legible when I upload it to the storage site and then embed it in the blog page.

I am trying to devote at least an hour or two a day to this project but life does intrude.  Since last Monday I have had 2 doctors appointments, an EMG test of the nerves in my legs, an MRI of my brain and  a 24 hour sleep deprived EEG.  It takes about 3 days to get back on the sleep cycle after the EEG.  And for those who question whether or not I have a brain, I have pictures to prove that mine exists, do you?  LOL

OH, and last but not least, I am finally working on that blog giveaway.  It is going to be a collaboration with at least one more shop, maybe more.  I should have an announcement ready this weekend. Click here to read more!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Purple Stands For... Treasury

Purple has always been my favorite color.  I have Epilepsy so I guess it should come as no surprise that the ribbon color for Epilspsy in Lavendar.  The purple color Awareness Ribbons represent the following Awareness Causes:

Epilepsy, Lupus, Alzheimer's, General Cancer Awareness, Domestic Violence, Pancreatic Cancer, Animal Abuse, Cystic Fibrosis, Fibromyalgia and too many others to list.

Please visit my new Treasury "Purple Stands For" and click on all the pictures and leave your comment. Thank-you




Click here to read more!