Hi everyone, Greg here! We’re grateful at Concord & 9th to participate in this special blog hop for Ukraine. I’m touched by all the efforts being made in the crafting community to uplift the people of Ukraine.

 

 

My wife’s old roommate, Nancee, and her husband, Troy, met while living in Ukraine for a few years. As news of war broke, they quickly and naturally jumped into help. They initially connected with an old friend, Aleksey, who was using his personal car to shuttle a few people at a time to the borders. When asked what was needed, he simply said he needed a little money for fuel and repairs. Nancee and Troy responded without hesitation and he was back on the road. However, the help didn’t end there. Nancee and Troy continued expanding the fundraising with friends and family and other similar grassroots efforts. In a matter of weeks, they have helped raise over $100,000 dollars, which has allowed them to purchase multiple large passenger vans, help set up supply and rest areas along the way to the borders, purchase fuel and car maintenance, and provide many other needs to help get as many people as possible to refuge.

If you feel inclined to help, this is a great place! From now through Friday, April 8th, we will be donating ALL the net proceeds of Buds & Blossoms stamps and dies, Fresh Cut Florals Editions 1-4 dies (Editions 1-3 sold as a bundle or separately, Edition 4 sold separately), and All the Letters dies to this fundraising effort.

 

 

Supporting your craft can directly impact saving lives. These funds are carefully handled and distributed with equity to do the most good for as many people as possible. I have personally contributed to this cause and I know that every cent is appreciated. If you would just like to make a donation, you can here:

 

 

 

I created this card using the products mentioned above. I wanted to make something with a sunflower image, since it’s the national symbol of peace and hope in Ukraine. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a sunflower image in any of our products, so I got creative and I kind of like how it turned out! The center of the sunflower is from the Buds & Blossoms bundle. It’s actually a simple dahlia type flower, but easily becomes a cluster of sunflower seeds with a little imagination. The flower petals are from Fresh Cut Florals Edition 4, which are actually poinsettia leaves until seamlessly turned into sunflower petals. The stem and leaves were pieced together with Fresh Cut Florals Edition 2. I finished off the card with “HOPE” using our All the Letters dies, which I layered three times for a little more impact. One of my favorite things to do is stretch stamps and dies in a totally new direction.

Thank you for joining us in the blog hop! Please continue on to the next blog to be inspired!