LLD ♥ BHF

Vintage Valentine's card available here.

If you have a heart condition then perhaps (like me) you will not be much looking forward to the onslaught of hearts that is February.  The blighters are everywhere at the moment, constant reminders of thoughts far removed from love and romance.  This year I have decided to reclaim February from all those perky, symmetrical little hearts (so unlike my own misshapen lump) and hopefully raise some money for my own true love, BHF, in the process.  So, for the entire month of February, I plan to donate 50% of my Etsy sales to the British Heart Foundation.

The British Heart Foundation is an amazing charity, which does so much to help my situation in so many ways.  As well as funding vital research into a huge range of heart conditions (the biggie) they also do loads of other little practical things that you might not know about unless you need to make use of them.  They have an amazingly informative and well-maintained website - great if you suddenly have a question at stupid o'clock.  They publish a wide range of leaflets and books to give patients and their families information on their condition and the implications of it, covering everything from medication and lifestyle advice to breaking the news of your diagnosis and legal matters.  The British Heart Foundation even pays the salary of a specialist psychologist who deals solely in helping people with heart conditions.  I'm sure they do a million other valuable things for other people too.

I can often be seen lugging bags full of goodies to the BHF charity shop, but given how much I value the services they provide, I'm keen to find other ways to pay them back.  That's why I'll be donating 50% of all my Etsy sales (excluding postage) for the entire month of February.  This probably won't amount to much, to be honest, since my shop is not exactly bustling, but it is a start.  Perhaps you've had your eye on something in my shop for a while?  If so, February would be the month to go ahead and treat yourself.  You'll be treating others at the same time :)

Here are a few suggestions of what you might like to buy.  Visit my shop to see the full range of goodies on offer.

Beware The Hulder - limited edition gocco print
You pay £6, BHF receives £3.

Large Pat Butcher embroidery
You pay £15, BHF receives £7.50

Acorn brooch
You pay £5, BHF receives £2.50

 The Sandboys - four gocco printed notecards
You pay £6, BHF receives £3.

Paint chip emergency sewing kits 

You pay £3.50, BHF receives £1.75.

Now Is The Winter... gocco printed notecard 
You pay £2, BHF receives £1.

Small Ethel and Willy embroidery 
You pay £6.50, BHF receives £3.25.

Two hand(made)kerchiefs in vintage fabrics
You pay £5, BHF receives £2.50.

Or, if you'd prefer, you can make a one-off donation directly to the British Heart Foundation here.

ps If you don't want to buy anything yourself, maybe you would like to point others in the right direction?  Or perhaps you would like to donate a small percentage of your own sales this month?  And ten bonus points to anyone who can guess what that second L stands for.  But be warned - I did once famously strangle my sister for referring to me by my middle name...