2018 Stamping for Autism Awareness Blog Hop

Hello! Today, stampers across the world have come together to spread knowledge, awareness, and understanding and to show our support to all those who are touched by autism.  April is National Autism Awareness Month, and this blog hop affords us an opportunity to further the message of the Autism Society by "encouraging friends and collaborators to become partners in the movement towards acceptance and appreciation by getting [us] one step closer to a society where those with ASD (autism spectrum disorders) are truly valued for their unique talents and gifts."  

For a significant portion of my life, I have had the pleasure and the privilege of working with autistic adults in a college setting, and they have been an incredible source of inspiration for me.  Each semester, they teach me something new and open up pieces of the world that I was blind to.  They are also a testament as to what can be achieved with patience, understanding, guidance, and acceptance.  I encourage you to visit the Autism Society or Autism Speaks to learn more about ASD; and please, share what you learn with your friends and your loved ones.  The more people that are informed, the better chance we have at making our world a kinder, gentler place for those living with autism.

I have been away from the card making world for quite some time, but when Veronica Zalis asked card makers to join her in spreading this loving, encouraging message, I knew I had to dust off my markers and play along.  For my card, I wanted to create something that expresses the honor I feel when I am welcomed into the world of a person with autism.  It is not something they do with ease, and they are in fact entrusting you with a piece of their heart when they develop enough trust to finally let you into their world, and it is never something to take lightly.  As I stated earlier, the students I have worked with have taught me far more than I could ever teach them, and for that I am truly grateful.  

Just an added reminder, there are loads of generous sponsors who have graciously donated prizes to help raise awareness and to encourage support, love, and creativity to promote this incredibly worthwhile cause and the message of acceptance and understanding it provides.  

For all of us card makers, each one of us extremely passionate about promoting knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of ASD, and we want to join Veronica in spreading this loving, encouraging message of love, understanding, and acceptance.  I hope you will join us by creating a card and posting it at THIS LINK, and if you are not a paper crafter, please visit the talented card makers in the hop and leave them a little love.

Have a wonderful day, and thank you so very much for dropping by!

Note: The image of the little boy is an image created by my friend Thomas Goins and is not one that is available for purchase.

The "Love" image was created by Amy Purdie for the "Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness Blog Hop" in 2015.  I love this image so very much, and I could not resist using it for today's hop. :)  If you love this image as much as I do, Amy has graciously allowed me to post it here to share with you.  All you have to do is click on the image and save it to your computer.  Please, drop by Amy's blog and thank her for sharing her heartfelt creation with all of us! <3