Tali Buchler brings something fresh to the Sharpie blog today as she demonstrates her favorite way to uncap directly onto and into the pages of the encyclopedia. 

The Sharpie Squad’s own Tali Buchler, creative genius behind Growing Up Creative, adds her own twist to the powerhouse of all publications- the collection of text containing every piece of information one could want/need to know.  Clearly though, Tali has found something that the editors have left out and she intends to correct them… 

A new reason to open an encyclopedia…

Used objects and discarded items (or what some may call -trash), always spark my imagination. Transforming an object – giving it a new life and purpose is something I like to do. In the past, I have used discarded magazines in designing a temporary space for a fashion show in an installation called – Read. 

My new “thing” is collecting encyclopedia books that people have been throwing away.  I started folding the books and turning them into sculptural objects.  I’m not sure where this will end, still a work in progress…

In my blogs I have started a series of tutorials called “Eco kids craft” where I use design ideas and craft techniques to encourage recycling creativity and creating with “whatever you have”.

Recently, I had my family over (my brother calls it/ us “the tribe”); a total of 8 kids – enough to start a preschool!  It was so hot that day, we couldn’t go outside. After a while, I started hearing the “I am bored” song coming from all different directions… Quick thinking made me pull out some of the many encyclopedia books I have been accumulating, one per child, and our big box of Sharpie Markers.

My instructions where very clear: DO AS YOU LIKE!

Before I knew it and without any planning, something magnificent happened:  the kids were absorbed, looking through the pages of an encyclopedia, reading and admiring the black and white images.

I gave them the OK to cut and draw as much as they wanted. So they did. And so did I.

We used all kinds of Sharpie Markers! Sometimes we drew together, and sometimes each one on his own.  My favorite thing to do was using the Fine Point Sharpie Marker to layer different colors in across hatch pattern.  These Sharpie markers were perfect for that because of their translucent yet brilliant quality.

To do this at home, you will need:

• An old encyclopedia (you can find it at your parents house or at a second hand store)
• Sharpie Markers
• Scissors
• Glue stick

How to:

1. Flip through the pages
2. Find an image you like
3. Start to color the image
4. Work in layers, it helps create depth and richness to the drawing (try and think like an impressionist)
5. Add details to transform the image into something new. Even add notes!

Ready, set, go!!!

I am so excited to report that one of our stellar 2010 Sharpie Squad members, Erica Domesek and the design, DIY & style expert behind P.S.- I Made This… is currently featured on ReadyMade.com  with a DIY to die for post entitled, “Create Summer Stripes in a Sharpie Snap”  Here, she demonstrates how easy it is to re-purpose empty cartons with Sharpie Twin-Tip markers to make a bold-expression in any room!

“I was inspired by pottery genius Jonathan Adler and fashion designer Paul Smith’s famous colorful and vivid stripes”

                           -Erica Domesek, PS-I Made This…

What you'll need...

"Re-use milk or cream cardboard containers you have at home. After emptying, clean the inside and let dry. Use a sharp pair of scissors and cut off the top of the container."

"Wrap container with white masking or paper tape. Trim any excess tape and cardboard to even out the top."

To make your designer-inspired stripes, pick a color palate from Sharpie Twin Tip markers. I suggest using 3-4 colors that work well together. Start at the bottom using the thicker marker tip to make the heavier lines. Use a ruler to help keep your lines super straight."

"Get creative and vary the stripe designs."

"When clustered together, DIY-striped Sharpie vases in different size heights in like color palates will help spruce up any nook in your home and enhance any summer fete!"

 Be sure to go to ReadyMade.com to see Erica’s DIY project in all it’s glory!

I came across this blast from the past while cleaning up my computer desktop this morning…

Created by Jon Burgerman, this custom helmet derives from aaaall the way back to 2007 and made with a  Metallic Sharpie Marker for The Vader Project for the ‘07 Star Wars Celebration Europe exhibition held in London at Excel.

"Armed with a silver Sharpie, I scrawled and colored my way over the helmet, dropping in little Star Wars references as I went…." - Jon Burgerman

Recently,  Jon has been traveling the world creating murals for AOL.  Here’s a time-lapse video of him creating a mural at the AOL headquarters in Manhattan, New York.  Check out Jon’s London agents, Debut Art for more of his designs and photos from his “mural travels.”

(That is one awesome sweater! The fact that he turns it around so that we can see it’s awesomeness, wow…what a guy!)

Be sure to take a tour of Jon’s work at on his own website: www.jonburgerman.com !!

Inside, Uncap What Is

Artists have all different quirks, types of personalities and styles, hence such creativity and self-expression!  For instance, maybe you’re  the shy-pensive photographer, or perhaps you know a  moody- heart broken sculptor, how about those out-of-the-box, off the wall painters (Warhol anyone?).  The list can go on and on… but by chance, have you heard of The Gross Uncle?

In short, The Gross Uncle encompasses all sorts of personality and talent beyond compare (see question 3 for an accurate formula).  Unfortunately for you, Fortunately for him, there is and can be only ONE “Gross Uncle.”  Let me introduce you to him..

Grant Gilliland: Artist, Uncle, Super Model

Grant Gilliland aka “The Gross Uncle” is a cartoonist and illustrator with a style COMPLETELY his own.  One cool aspect about this artist is that at your request he will put his Sharpie marker to work, sketching anything you wish and ship it out to you for a measly 20 bucks!! (One-of-a-kind art? Yes please!  Placing my order as we stare at monitors)

Turning a cool hobby into a career, Gilliland strives to enjoy life, have fun and create work that he loves, while being confident in all that he does.  Combining big talent with an even bigger personality, this young artist has a long and successful road ahead of him.  Let’s dive right into it and find out more about this Sharpie artist… 

Tell me about yourself!    Hello! My name is Grant Gilliland; I have a blog called “The Gross Uncle” and I love to draw and make things.  I spend the majority of my time drawing cartoons and illustrations for all sorts of reasons…sometimes for clients, sometimes just for fun.  I am based in San Francisco, originally from Ohio, a place where I spent a great deal of time playing and being creative.  As I recall, I also went to high school there, but really all I remember is skateboarding and making funny home movies with my friends.  I also enjoy coffee, bike riding, daydreaming about absurd images, scouring the web for inspiration, and meeting new people.

How did you get started as an artist?  What kind of experience do you have?   I started my artistic career in my high chair, cranking out crayon-styled depictions of geometric cars, amorphous birds, and freakishly proportioned people. I would probably stop a minute to spit up or scream some gibberish towards the sky, then after wiping my face and getting something to drink, it was back to work… Come to think of it, not much has changed since then…besides the fact that I use a regular chair now.

When I was a little older, I took art classes after school and then once I got too cool (air quotes) for those, I started making comics with some of my friends.  I went to The Columbus College of Art & Design in 2001 and got super-inspired there - It’s when I started to take art a bit more seriously. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Illustration, I balanced a part-time job as a barista with freelance work.  I started getting my feet wet and figuring out my style and eventually met up with my agent, Scott Hull in 2007.  I am still pretty new to the world of freelance illustration and am looking forward to what things I am inspired to make in the future.  

Gilliland's work displayed at an art show

How would you describe your personal style?  This personal style recipe yields one to two editorial illustrations, one overworked 4×4 painting and about half a dozen blog posts with too much writing, it serves an infinite number of portions if rationed correctly.

• 1/2 cup of season 1 Ren & Stimpy mix
• 4 tsp of Surrealism
• 1 page of The Maxx comic book, shredded
• 2 small vinyl figures from Kid Robot (under $40), massaged in oil
• 1 Sonic the Hedgehog cartridge (Sega Genesis), quartered and cut into large pieces
• Pictoplasma to taste
• 1 pot strong black coffee
• sarcasm to taste

Directions:  Mix in a blender. Pour over a 4 year art-school education, slowly adding strong black coffee to the batter, while playing a post-punk mixtape in the background. Sprinkle sarcasm over the condensed result. Let bake in the California sun for four years, and enjoy. 

Where do you draw inspiration from?  I spend a lot of time absorbing podcasts, YouTube videos, music, comedy albums, you name it… I just like hearing creative material from people.  If there is a sense that they know what they’re doing and have their own voice, usually I’m game to listen.  I get in these modes where I get into a certain podcast and just listen to it nonstop…even if I don’t really like it all that much or wouldn’t want someone to walk in on me listening to it.  I will go into the archives and listen to the whole thing – sometimes I will listen to the same episode several times.  I guess I’m sort of sponge-like when it comes to most things…sometimes vaguely loofa-like, but rarely.

How do you use Sharpie markers in your work?  What is your favorite Sharpie?!   I like the way Sharpie markers make a nice strong line.  I have used other pens in the past, but I always ended up coming back to Sharpie for their consistent quality.  I love the way they draw on laser jet photo paper…so smooth!  I like the regular fine-point Sharpie marker…I have about two dozen lying around at any given time.

Where did you come up with the idea to sell $20 Sharpie drawings?  How does this work?  I wanted to sell something on my blog that was affordable and fun for me to make.  The cool thing about doing these drawings is that I get to post them on the blog and say who they are for and where they are being mailed.  People seem to like the idea, and each drawing is made just for them. Also, it’s really helped me loosen up…the more people that order the drawings, the better they will get because of all the great drawing practice I’m getting. All you need to do to get your own is email me at seegrantdraw@yahoo.com and ask! I am open to creative suggestions and I will gladly draw your dog.

What children’s books have you illustrated for?   Just one.  The book is called “Theo” and there is a blog where you can check the whole thing out (http://theobook.blogspot.com).  The book was conceived and written by the talented author Kentucky Lim.  We are planning a whole series of books together.  

Theo

So tell me, do you have a gross uncle or are you the Gross Uncle?  Maybe I should just ask this: Where did you come up with the name for your blog?

…Actually, the whole alias came about one summer when I was thinking about how great and sneaky it would be to have this “alter ego” that I could get extra illustration work as.  So there’s Grant with his cute little round style and then there’s The Gross Uncle with his bizarre, awkward, hairy drawings…and all the time it’s just one guy.  I basically scrapped the idea when I decided to use the name for my blog, so I just ended up mixing elements from the two styles over time.  Nowadays, The Gross Uncle moniker gets used the most when I participate in gallery shows…seems to fit…and it’s easier to say than my last name.

 If you could design for any one person who would it be? Why?  I would design for the auto-tune machine because that’s the most popular singer these days.  Other than that, I have made a character design for my friend Donny Papermaker…he’s pretty famous on the YouTube nation.

 I’m curious…What do you think is the “funniest looking appendage” and why?  Great question! I like the nose. That’s an appendage, right?  There are just so many great ways to make a nose…you can abstract it and add all sorts of funny joints and angles and planes that shouldn’t be there and it can really add a lot in terms of visual punch.  If your drawing is looking real good, then you could put a blue nose on a guy and it could work.

Laser Portrait

 

Hippie Style

 

 

 

Tattoos

Are you currently working on anything that you can tell us about?  I’m finally getting back around to working on a cartoon show called “Touch Base with Gregg Sween.”  The show is basically a cartoon version of a daytime talk show…it started out as a puppet show that my friend Patrick Kouse and I did last summer.  We performed the whole show live at Fivepoints Arthouse in San Francisco – we only did it twice. We haven’t touched it for a year and now I think it’s time for us to get back in touch with our inner thespians (cue laughter here).

Gross Vans!

Do you have any advice for other young artists? It’s always important to be into what you’re doing for the fun of it.  No matter what circumstances you are under in life, fun plays a major role.  Just being in a good mood can really negate and remove (even permanently) any real or perceived obstacles in life.  Also just keep the world up to date on what you’re doing…post blog entries about it, take progress pictures, share…being active is more important than being really good.What do you hope for in 2010?  There are some major projects that I hope to finish either this year or next…patience can be tough.  Honestly, just to be happy and satisfied with life sounds nice…to be happy with whatever I am working on without doubting it and to spend the rest of my time playing.

Deciding on a new piece of art can be intimidating, yes, but what if I told you that you had the option to pick out EXACTLY what you wanted.  You could tailor your art to fit exactly your needs.  We’re talking size, shape, color, patterns… Forget about spending countless hours, days, months hunting for one specific piece, not to mention you wouldn’t have to break the bank to get this art.  Sounds like a dream come true if you ask me!

Well with the new year comes new opportunity, so why not start off 2010 by hanging a one-of-a-kind “(YOUR NAME HERE)” art work on your wall that actually looks pretty spectacular!  All you will need are plain white canvases (it’s up to you how many), Sharpie markers and a bit of creativity and imagination to create art that will update any space!

An option to make this DIY project a bit easier for those who may be intimidated – just do what I did - hunt around online and search for patterns that you like and can recreate.  I found my pattern online and used an assortment of Sharpie permanent markers in Red, Navy Blue, Green and Yellow to draw on plain white, hard wood canvases (see pics below) to make my Sharpie wall art.  The great part about this is that your options are endless – you can choose to make one giant piece, several small canvases, or collect an assortment of sizes.  With so many different Sharpie colors to choose from, when it comes to color and design the choice is completely yours!

Sharpie markers used

Reverse side of canvases

…What do you think?

*Another great thing about canvas art is how free your are to arrange the pieces until you figure out what works best for you.  Have fun with it!

Do you have any Sharpie art work that you’ve made?  Share it with us on our Facebook Page or post it to SharpieUncapped!

Embarrassing as it may be, I took a wonderful piece of wisdom away from one of “the Girls Next Door,” Bridget Marquardt.  While it has nothing to do with romping around the Playboy mansion with Hef, it does relate to taking pride in your work.  You see, in one episode, Bridget explained that when giving a present, she finds the importance in not only the present itself but the overall presentation as well (aka the wrapping)!

As a victim of receiving unappealing gift-wrap, (ie: a brown paper bag with “Happy Birthday” written boldly in green Sharpie over the grocery store name) I fully believe in this concept.  You should always take pride in anything and everything that you associate yourself with and put your name on.  “Lazy” gift wrapping doesn’t send the message you want (unless you plan to leave it on someone’s front door step in flames - wink, wink) nor does it reflect positively on you, the gifter!  Something like grocer gift-wrap tells me, you either A) Forgot B) Did this in the car C) Don’t care all too much about me or D) All of the above.  It may seem to be asking a lot but it really isn’t difficult to put a little creativity, personality, at least some ♥ into wrapping a present! 

Before you scoff at me, here is a perfect example of simple and thoughtful wrapping that has been created by a veteran to the Sharpie Blog, Brian Graves.  Brian was previously featured for his Sharpie art work at the J Bar in Chicago in a post entitled, “BIG Sharpie Art.”  Today, however Brian shares his take on gift wrapping… 

Attending a benefit this month, Champagne Wrap-ture 2009, this BIG artist designed his own wrapping on faux alligator paper from a local paper store with just 2 Sharpie Chisel Tip Permanent Markers!  Overlapping different quotes about France, champagne and style, Graves created this beautiful presentation to house a bottle of champagne. (Thank you for sharing  Brian!) Take a closer look..

What you need to recreate this beautiful gift-wrap:  

1. Assorted Sharpies (black plus another color works well)
2. Plain paper
3. Ribbon
4. Literacy (you’ve made it this far so guess what…)

With these same materials here are a few other inspirations created by our very own Phil Ginnodo (Associate Creative Director). Thanks Phil!

And so, if I may ask one thing of you, my Sharpie enthusiasts, this holiday season pleeease don’t be THAT person gifting poorly wrapped presents.  After all the hard work you put into choosing the perfect present why stop short?  Wrap that baby up and let it stand out as the envy of all the other gifts!

How are you adding a personal touch to gift wrap this season?

UNWRAP what’s inside this Holiday with Sharpie!

www.SharpieUncapped.com

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Looking At North Forty One West Eighty Seven Milky Way Galaxy Solar System Earth Northern Hemi America United States of America Illinois Chicago Six One Six North Rush Street Six Zero Six One One Exact Point You Are Looking At North Forty One West Eighty Seven Milky Way Galaxy Solar System Earth Northern Hemi North America The Lovely United States of America Illinois The Corrupt City of Chicago Six One Six North Rush Street Six Zero Six One

No, this is not gibberish and don’t worry, we haven’t lost our minds over here at Sharpie either.  These words are in fact a work of Sharpie art and the newest permanent fixture at Jbar, a well-known Chicago hotspot neighboring The James Hotel. 

“Everything inspires me.  Some artists paint pictures and shapes, I paint using words.  Words create images in my head, but I like the way words look when they are placed next to and on top of each other, taking on a form of its own.”  “My technique allows the viewer to think simple letters form complex words, serving to create language as a form of art.”

-Brian Graves

Local Chicago artist, Brian Graves made his Sharpie mark on the bar’s walls with Jgrooves I & II and Jposition I & II, installations from the Jbar Project.  For this project, Graves drew inspiration from different areas, including famous one-liners from popular club songs that have been fixated into his own mind.  The words above are from a portion of the installation, stating the precise location of Jbar itself; beginning with outer space progressing to its exact coordinates on Earth.

*I would like to take this moment to thank you, Mr. Graves, for cursing me with the musical mash-up that is repeating in my head, consisting of Madonna’s Hey Mr Dj, U2’s She Moves in Mysterious Ways, Tina Turner’s Proud Mary and P!nk’s intellectually stimulating, Get this Party Started.*

Graves focuses on the development of self-taught expression of both feeling and emotion in his own form of abstract painting. Letters, words, everyday expressions and emotion combine and collide with color and texture through layers of acrylics, oils, pastels and yes, Sharpie markers!

Artist Brian Graves (second from left) and friends at Jbar

Trust me when I say that you need to see more of Brian Graves’ artwork. Absolutely incredible!  BigArtChicago <— Check it out

Hey, why not see his work up close and personal?!  Grab a cab and jet on over to the JBar at The James.

*A BIG thanks goes out to Raul Ruiz, Sharpie Highlighters Brand Manager for suggesting Brian’s Jbar project for the Sharpie Blog.  Follow Raul on Twitter! (He has a great profile pic)

I received an email from a co-worker today that was absolutely beautiful.  I’m so thankful to have recieved this, as it is something that needs to be shared.  I hope by posting and sharing with you that I am able to make even a tiny difference in someone’s life, just as Elena, the miracle behind this message, has done herself. 

The following is the email that was sent by Jeff Wheaton, Manufacturing Engineer, Newell Rubbermaid (pictured below).  Thank you for sending this, Jeff.  Sometimes, it can be so easy to lose sight of what the important things in life truly are.

Most people want to feel that their work is making a difference in the world.  That it is not just about making money to pay the bills.  Well how does making/selling Sharpies make the world better? 

The below story beautifully illustrates how Sharpie markers make a difference in the world.  They are all about enabling people to share feelings with each other.  To give each other “hugs” when least expected and most needed.  I don’t know if Elena used Sharpies for her notes, but I would like to think she did; that my job helped enable her beautiful expression of love for her family.

- J.Wheaton, Newell Rubbermaid.

When 6-year-old Elena Desserich was diagnosed with brain cancer, she began hiding hundreds of little love notes around the house for her parents to find after she was gone.  Here’s the story:

Just before her sixth birthday, Elena Desserich (pictured) was diagnosed with brain cancer and given 135 days to live. She lived 255 days, passing away in 2007. After her death, Elena’s parents, Brooke and Keith, found hundreds of notes from Elena hidden around the house — in between CD cases, between bookshelves, in dresser drawers, in backpacks….

“It just felt like a little hug from her, like she was telling us she was looking over us”

Elena left hundreds of notes like these:

See more of Elena’s notes

 Elena’s parents, Brooke and Keith Desserich, have now published these notes in a book called Notes Left Behind to fund a non-profit organization The Cure Starts Now dedicated to fighting pediatric brain cancer.

Purchase your copy of Notes Left Behind.

Urbane Apartments celebrated the grand opening of their new Michigan location in a unique way.  On October 22^nd, owner Eric Brown hosted the Sharpie “Draw on the Walls” contest by opening up the space to the public and inviting 12 local artists to create innovative and eccentric designs on the walls of the building’s Co-Work space’s meeting rooms.

*The Co-Work space is designed for small to medium sized companies needing a trendy office space, as well as for Urbane residents’ use of office machines and desk space.

 The winner of the Sharpie “Draw On the Walls” contest and $750 was Urbane resident, Ryan Gardner.  I think that the best way to describe Gardner’s creation (this pun just happens to fit perfectly) would be this:  Uncapping What’s Inside of an imaginative mind. Now, I know that you think I’m just plugging the Sharpie campaign, but seriously, look at the pics and tell me that’s not a pretty accurate description!

1st place Winner, Ryan Gardner

Gardner, Writing on the Walls with Sharpie!

Spotlight on the Winner!

With about 100 attendees, the event was a success.  Taking place in the Co-Work space, the 12 artists drew live on the walls with an assortment of Sharpie markers.  The outcomes are pretty amazing! (See pictures below.) I don’t know about you but I get nervous writing my name on a nametag with 1 person watching, let alone 99 people watching me draw on a wall –Talk about pressure.  I have to give big props to the artists.  Great work guys; you’ve made Sharpie proud!

In addition to live art, Urbane Apts. also provided drinks & appetizers, gave property tours, hosted a live raffle, all the while, moving to the beats of DJ Terry Hall, with photographer Rachel Wade capturing every Sharpie moment!

Here are some pics of the artists drawing at the Urbane Apt. event!

For more on the event check out Urbane on Facebook and their blog.  Of course get the scoop about Urbane Aprtments at www.urbaneapts.com

Sharpie? Yes, please! www.sharpie.com

Designer: Donna Karan

Meet Donna Karan, American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.  Growing up in NY, Donna Karan was influenced by fashion from a young age by her step-father, a tailor and her mother who was a model.  After attending Parson’s School of Design for two years, she began designing for Anne Klein and eventually head of the Anne Klein design-team.  In 1985 she left to start her own company that quickly became known for her Essentials line, which offered 7 easy pieces every woman should own.  Three years later, in ‘88 the DKNY collection was introduced,  as a modern, moderately-priced young collection, drawing from the spirit of big city life.

Karan’s clothing is designed to enhance and look good on every woman, not just coming down the runway.  Donna Karan is known to support the needs of modern women with her clothing. The saying goes, that before the production of a piece of clothes is approved by Karan, it has to look good on her! 

Find Donna Karan’s fashions at Donna Karan New York.  This desinger’s information was acquired at Fashion Infomat. 

Designer: Jill Stuart

Designer Jill Stuart was deep into the fashino industry since birth, as her parents owned a popular ’60s Manhattan clothing store called Mister Pants, dressing stars including Natalie Wood and Lucille Ball.  Leveraging those connections, Stuart was able to  jump-start her own career.  At 15, this Manhattan native designer had jewelery and handbags displayed in the windows of high end stores including Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel and Neiman Marcus.  

The Jill Stuart label became well known for innovative ad campaigns with top fashion photographers.  While other designers were going grunge in the early 90’s Stuart turned to preppy and plaids, which became notoriously linked to the popular teen movie, Clueless.  Stuart’s feminine, sometimes frilly collections can be found in her Soho flagship, as well as in higher-end department stores, and has come to include handbags, shoes, and perfume. In 2007, Stuart launched a secondary line called Jill by Jill Stuart featuring ready-to-wear pieces at lower prices.

You can find Jill Stuarts beautiful collections at JillStuart.com.

All designer information was found from an article featured in New York Magazine. 

Designer: Tia Ciabani, Ports 1961

Designer: Rachel Roy

Originally from California, Rachel graduated from Washington DC then moved to New York to pursue her passion for design, working freelance – styling magazine shoots and music videos ultimately landing an internship at Rocawear where she was able to master her craft and build several influential relationships.  In Fall 2004, Roy introduced her own collection, RACHEL ROY, which debuted in department and specialty stores for Spring 2005. Using her sophisticated aesthetic to her own collection, incorporated with striking silhouettes, a sophisticated color palette and day-to-night pieces, Roy has attracted editorial acclaim in publications such as Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, W and Vanity Fair.

Dressing icons and starlettes including the likes of Michelle Obama, Kate Hudson, Lucy Liu and Penelope Cruz, also featured on The Oprah Winfrey show, RACHEL ROY is making a prominent and influential mark on fashion.  

RACHEL ROY NEW YORK has grown to include four full collections each year and recently created a joint venture with Jones Apparel Group Inc. in the hopes of expanding the wholesale business globally, introduce new product categories and open stand-alone stores in the United States and abroad.  To date, the RACHEL ROY collections are available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and top specialty stores worldwide.

Click HERE to find stunning RACHEL ROY collections.

All of this designer’s information was found at RachelRoy.com

City of Hope:

Hundreds of fundraising events are held for City of Hope across the nation each year. Every dollar raised advances our mission to transform innovative research into treatments that save lives here and around the world. Hundreds of thousands of people share your desire to make a difference by driving us to work even harder to conquer cancer and other serious diseases. On behalf of patients and their loved ones, we invite you to join the effort.

Such Events include: Walk For Hope, Eggleston Desert Gold Classic , Fight For Life and the Sierra Madre Wine and Jazz Walk.  

Breast Cancer Facts:

The seriousness of invasive breast cancer is strongly influenced by the stage of the disease; that is, the extent or spread of the cancer when it is first diagnosed. There are two main staging systems for cancer. The American Joint Committee on Cancer classification of tumors uses information on tumor size and how far it has spread within the breast and nearby organs (T), lymph node involvement (N), and the presence or absence of distant metastases (spread to distant organs) (M). II, III, or IV is assigned, with stage I being an early stage and stage IV being the most advanced. The AJCC staging system is commonly used in clinical settings.

 A simpler system used for staging of cancers is known as the SEER Summary Stage system and is more commonly used in reporting to cancer registries and for public health research and planning.  According to this system:

– Local-stage tumors are cancers confined to the breast.

– Regional-stage tumors have spread to surrounding tissue or nearby lymph nodes.

– Distant-stage cancers have metastasized (spread) to distant organs.

This information was provided by the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Facts and Figures 2009-2010.  Find the PDF version HERE.

Auction Details:

Visit www.sharpieuncapped.com to participate in the auction and bid on designers’ Sharpie art work  and be sure to read Works of Art From the Heart for more info on the auction and Know the Facts 1 & 2.

Sharpie, Uncap What’s Inside!