Thyroid Awareness Month Blog Hop (Day 1)

image source: http://www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday/201501/Disease/

Hello everyone!! :o)

Welcome to a special blog hop: Thyroid Awareness Month Blog Hop. :o)

January is Thyroid Awareness Month.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) marks Thyroid Awareness Month for more than 20 years to raise public awareness of the need for preventive screening and early detection of thyroid disease to avoid unpleasant illnesses and dangerous complications.

I've invited some of my crafty friends whom I admire greatly to hop along with me and we have some prizes to be given away to you. :o)

26 designers (including me) from all over the World gathered in this special blog hop, which will last from January 5th (today) until January 30th. Each day one designer will share a handmade project on her blog (see entire blog hop list below).

The aim of the hop is to support Thyroid Awareness Month and to raise public awareness of the importance of a Thyroid Gland and problems it can cause when not working properly.

image source: https://lrbandassociates.com/january-thyroid-awareness-month/

"The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the base of the neck just below the Adam's apple. Although relatively small, the thyroid gland plays a huge role in our body, influencing the function of many of the body’s most important organs, including the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin. Ensuring that the thyroid gland is healthy and functioning properly is vitally important to the body's overall well-being."

source: http://thyroidawareness.com/about-your-thyroid

image source: Encyclopædia Britannica, on-line edition, article: Thyroid Gland 

(https://www.britannica.com/science/thyroid-gland)

"If your thyroid gland isn't working properly, neither are you."

source: http://thyroidawareness.com/about-your-thyroid

Find all you need to know about the thyroid over at American Thyroid Association (ATA) official web pages (link on the photo below).

  image source: https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-information/

How do you know you have a thyroid problems?

• Understand how to recognize symptoms and risk factors of thyroid disease.
• If you are experiencing some of the below symptoms, you should ask a doctor to run blood tests to find out if there is hormone unbalance:
• FATIGUE
• WEIGHT GAIN
• DEPRESSION
• SENSITIVITY TO COLD
• MUSCLE OR JOINT ACHES
• BRAIN FOG, INCLUDING POOR MEMORY AND POOR CONCENTRATION
• NON-REFRESHING SLEEP
• BRITTLE HAIR AND NAILS
• CONSTIPATION
• SHORTNESS OF BREATH (often called AIR HUNGER)
• THINNING HAIR
• SENSITIVITY TO COLD
• PMS
• SIGNIFICANTLY CALLOUSED HEELS
• LOW LIBIDO
• INFERTILITY

  image source: https://lrbandassociates.com/january-thyroid-awareness-month/

• There are nearly 300 symptoms related to thyroid dysfunction (Comprehensive list of thyroid symptoms).
• Ask your doctor for a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test (a simple blood test to verify your thyroid gland's condition).
• Ask your doctor for additional thyroid tests (blood tests): T4, T3, free T4 (fT4), free T3 (fT3), TG antibody, TPO antibody are hormones and antibodies that should be checked (from my personal experience).
• If your hormone and/or antibody levels are not OK, the doctor will probably make an ultrasound of your thyroid and other necessary tests (from my personal experience).
• Take a minute and perform a self Neck Check.
• Thyroid disease often runs in families, examinations of your family members and a review of their medical histories may reveal other individuals with thyroid problems.

sources: http://thyroidawareness.com/about-your-thyroid, https://www.nahypothyroidism.org/comprehensive-list-of-thyroid-symptoms-printable-checklist/, https://www.nahypothyroidism.org/online-test/

More educational sources about thyroid here:

• European Thyroid Association (ETA) https://www.eurothyroid.com/
• American Thyroid Association (ATA) https://www.thyroid.org/
• Asia & Oceania Thyroid Association (AOTA) https://www.aothyroid.org/
• Latin American Thyroid Society (LATS) https://www.lats.org/
• Thyroid Awareness  http://www.thyroidawareness.com/
• https://nationaltoday.com/thyroid-awareness-month/

IMPORTANT NOTE:
I am not a doctor and all shared above is from trusted on-line sources and personal experience. Do not take any steps that might put you or your health in danger prior you consult your doctor.

Theme of our blog hop is THYROID. We will be sharing our handmade projects featuring butterfly, butterflies and/or blue paisley pattern. Thyroid looks like butterfly and blue paisley patterned ribbon is a new symbol of Thyroid Awareness month, so it was our choice to incorporate these elements in our handmade projects.

And here is what I made: Blue Butterfly Card.

To make this card I was inspired with my own card I made last year (CASE). Design is pretty much the same, but there are some differences: sentiment, color scheme and some more. :o) If you like you can find card that inspired me here. :o)

How I made my card...

I die cut a beautiful butterfly in a white cardstock paper panel. Then I stamped a sentiment on the panel and blended Distress Inks on a white cardstock paper piece and created Ombré Effect with various blue DI. 

I glued the colored piece on a white top folded card base, glued some 3-D foam on the back of the panel and glued the panel on the card base. Lastly I glued some foam on the butterfly die-cut, inserted it in a window and my card was finished. I LOVE how my card turned out. :o)

Card dimensions: 89 mm x 120 mm (3 1/2" x 4 3/4")

List of supplies:

• Happy Little Stampers 'Doodled Flowers' stamp set (sentiment)
• Sizzix butterfly thinlits die 
• white cardstock paper
• Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
• Tim's Holtz Distress Inks:
• Tumbled Glass
• Salty Ocean
• Blueprint Sketch
• UHU liquid glue
• 3-D foam 3 mm thick
• Sizzix Big Shot
• Fiskars High Precision Personal Paper Trimmer
• Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool
• acrylic block (102 mm x 102 mm)
• bone folder
• post-it paper
• crafting needle

GIVEAWAYS

This blog hop is not sponsored by any artist or company. Instead, there will be couple giveaways on couple blogs along the hop. I won't reveal designers who will have giveaways on their blogs. You'll have to find that by yourself, so be sure to visit each designer to find out if they are offering a prize, details about prizes and how those can be won. :o)

GIVEAWAY ON MY BLOG

I am giving away Jane's Doodles 'Butterflies' stamp sets to two lucky winners.

One stamp set is kindly provided by Jane Beljo of Jane's Doodles and the other by me. Thank you Jane!!! ♥

Giveaway is opened Worldwide (+18), except for minors.

2 prizes will be given away to 2 winners on my blog.

For your chance to win, hop along blogs of the participating designers and leave comment on each blog hop stop. You will have 30 days to leave comments on all blog hop stops.

After commenting, return back to my blog and add your name to Inlinkz.

Prior you enter the giveaway on my blog, please read giveaway terms, rules and privacy notice shared at the bottom of this post below Inlinkz.

Inlinkz opens on January 30th, 2019, 9:00 PM CET (UTC +1).

Inlinkz closes on February 3rd, 2019, 11:55 PM CET (UTC +1).

Winners’ names will be announced on my blog on Sunday, February 10th, 2019, during the day.

Winners have to confirm prizes by Saturday, February 16th, 2019, 11:59 PM CET (UTC +1). Unconfirmed prizes will be redrawn. 

Read more at the bottom of this post below Inlinkz (giveaway terms, rules and privacy notice).

BLOG HOP LIST

The hop will last 26 days. Each day one designer will share her handmade project on her blog at 9:00 PM CET (UTC +1).

• Milka Gubo (January 5th)
• Imke Ludwig (January 6th)
• Jane Taylor (January 7th)
• Kaja Vezenšek (January 8th)
• Samantha Mann (January 9th)
• Andreja Lampe (January 10th)
• Анна Коссаковская (Anna Kossakovskaya) (January 11th)
• Ksenija Rizova (January 12th)
• ValentinaBizjak (January 13th)
• Alexandra (aka Ale) Suta (January 14th)
• Kristina Pavlović (January 15th)
• Tanja Kabel (January 16th)
• Željka Jurkovic-Grizic (January 17th)
• Donna Mikasa (January 18th)
• Sabrina Lamarina (January 19th) SKIP COMMENTING
• Darnell Knauss (January 20th)
• Nonni Niskanen (January 21st)
• Larissa Walgemoed (January 22nd)
• Dunja Trautmann (January 23rd)
• Neha Bhatt (January 24th)
• Beverley Brown (January 25th)
• Ishani (January 26th)
• Maja Macura Sakač (January 27th)
• Naz Sasayakiglitter (January 28th)
• Sue Hastead (January 29th)
• Preeti Datta (aka Dutt Preety) (January 30th)

Update, January 21st, 2019:
Sabrina's blog post is not published on her blog yet. To enter the giveaway you can skip leaving comments on her blog.

Update, January 25th, 2019:
Sabrina didn't create anything for the blog hop. To enter the giveaway on my blog you can skip commenting on her blog.


To make hopping easier for you, I will share each day on my blog a designers name and a direct link to hers blog post, as well to this blog hop post.

Link to this post will be in a right siedbar (Featured Post), until the Blog Hop ends.

Inlinkz will open on the last day of the blog hop and will stay open for four more days, to give you enough time to visit everyone and comment. :o)


I hope you'll enjoy the hop and get inspired. I can't wait to see what everyone created. This will be an exciting month. :o) 

Thanks to all amazing Ladies who have joined me in this hop, for your tremendous help and support. This couldn't be done without you. ♥

Happy hopping and good luck to all!!! :o) And don't forget to check your neck!! :o)

Milka

Inlinkz

Update (February 27th, 2019):

In line with Giveaway Terms and Rules and Privacy Notice (see below) and my Data Protection and Privacy Policy Statement, I've permanently deleted all Inlinkz entries to this giveaway.

PLEASE READ PRIOR YOU ENTER GIVEAWAY


GIVEAWAY TERMS, RULES & PRIVACY NOTICE

By entering this giveaway you are confirming that you have read these terms, rules and privacy notice and you accept the same.

• These terms, rules and privacy notice are given in line with my Data Protection and Privacy Policy Statement.
• These terms, rules and privacy notice are given for a giveaway on my blog. 
• Terms, rules and other information about giveaways on several participating designers along the hop will be given on their own blogs.
• All parties joining the hop (designers, commentators, giveaway players etc.) are covered by my Data Protection and Privacy Policy Statement.
• All commentators on this blog are also covered by Google Privacy Policy.
• No personal data will be used in any other way than to run this Thyroid Awareness Month Blog Hop.

• To enter the giveaway, you have to hop along blogs of the participating designers and leave comment on each blog hop stop.
• Each designer will share her handmade project on her blog one day during 26 days of blog hop.
• After commenting, return back to this blog and add your name to Inlinkz.
• Update: to enter the giveaway you don't have to leave a comment on Sabrina Lamarina blog, as she didn't create anything for the blog hop.

• Inlinkz entries are covered by an Inlinkz Privacy Policy.
• Fill only name and e-mail row.
• E-mails are not visible on this blog.
• Please don't add links to your blogs or any other profile (skip filling the first row or write your name in the first row too).
• If any technical difficulty occurs you should contact me.

• Only one entry per person!
• Double entries will be removed.
• Entries who don't leave comment on each blog hop stop will be removed and won't be entered to the random draw.
• If you entered your name to the Inlinkz and changed your mind, you can remove your entry by yourself, as the Inlinkz provides that option. If any technical difficulty occurs you should contact me and I'll delete your link through my Inlinkz account or contact Inlinkz by yourself.

• Inlinkz opens January 30th, 2019, 9:00 PM CET (UTC +1).
• Inlinkz closes February 3rd, 2019, 11:55 PM CET (UTC +1).

• I will permanently delete all Inlinkz entries from this posts latest one month after the giveaway is closed and winner's names announced on this blog.
• No data will be kept neither shared with any other party.
• If you want to delete your entry to Inlinkz earlier (before I permanently delete all entries), you can do it by yourself as the Inlinkz provides that option to anyone or contact me and I'll delete your entry through my Inlinkz account or contact Inlinkz by yourself.

• 2 prizes will be given away to 2 winners on my blog.
• Prizes can't be exchanged for money.

• Winners will be randomly picked using Random.org from all entries to Inlinkz.
• Winners' names (they provided) will be announced in winners post here on my blog on Sunday, February 10th, 2019, during the day.
• Winners have to confirm prizes by Saturday, February 16th, 2019, 11:59 PM CEST (UTC +1).
• Unconfirmed prizes will be redrawn and new winners' names announced on my blog on February 17th, 2019, during the day.
• Prizes will be redrawn until both prizes given away.

• Once you confirm the prize, you can not change it for another prize.
• If you're unsatisfied with your prize, you can not change it for another prize.
• Winners announced in winners' blog post on this blog, will not be considered in a prize re-draw, if there will be any.

• After winners' names announced here on my blog, winners have to contact me via e-mail to arrange prize delivery details.
• Winners have to send confirmation e-mail from the e-mail entered to the Inlinkz.
• I will be mailing prizes of this giveaway to winners.
• Winners' names will be permanently deleted from winners post on this blog as soon as all prizes confirmed (or redrawn), as well as correspondence with winners, latest one month after the giveaway is closed. 
• Winner's post will not be deleted from my blog.
• No personal data will be kept neither shared with any other party.