DEADLINE
Midnight Tuesday - November 17th!

ENTRIES
Only 1 entry per person please.

*SEASON OF THE WOLF III Entries Folder

Lupus is most often represented by two things primarily:
The Wolf and the Purple Ribbon. ~ So, just be creative!
Since it's Autumn, those tones and/or backgrounds would
be great. Wolves and the moon together are powerful...
What about text art? Collages? Portraits of Lupus patients?

You will have the freedom to create your Lupus Awareness Artwork using
multiple resources. Both ~Solitairemiles and I have stock accounts at *SophStock
and ~SolStock, respectively. ~ BUT, you can also use any other stock photos
here on dA. Just BE SURE to CREDIT and give LINKS to any stocks used.
I would love it if you chose from stockers that allow prints to be made.
(*In case we would like to purchase one!)

Photography, Traditional Art, Vector/Vexel, and Mixed Media is also allowed.
The entries must be new to your gallery and have something written in the
artist's comments that refers to "Lupus Awareness" or this contest.


JUDGING

If you have Lupus and would like to judge, please note me!
*I am asking a few fellow Lupies to be preliminary judges.
And then I will announce the Top Ten from which, you will
all have a chance to vote for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.
Judges can enter too, but can't vote for themselves, of course.

PRIZES

In this economic crisis, we are all struggling... I know.
So, I am asking for small prize donations from multiple people,
so that no one has to give a lot of what they can't afford.
So, if you can offer anything at all, please note me about it.
It will be so very greatly appreciated. Thank you sincerely!

<sub>(Here are the prizes so far...Some to be determined how they
will be given out, once we have received all of donations!)

Her New Jazz CD...
Personal Portraiture
& Winner Stamps from ~Solitairemiles
Exclusive Stock from ~SolStock
A Custom Fairy from *Queen-Uriel
An Exclusive Stock Pack from *MixAndMatch-Stock
A 3 Month Subby for the 1st Place winner...
and 1 Month Subbys for 2nd & 3rd by =phantoms-siren
1 yr, 6 months and 3 months subbys from `Sophquest
1 yr sub to the 1st Place winner from =mediabanana
A Journal Feature for the winners from *vulcania
A Journal Feature for the winners from *Kira73
A Journal Feature for the winners from ~Iwien
A Journal Feature for the winners from *vhartley
A Trad Art Drawing of 2 or less animals from ~Kitsukitty
(esp birds and dogs/wolves)</sub>


RAISING $$$ FOR THE FOUNDATION

*You can also take part in my Fundraising for Lupus Awareness, by simply
submitting an entry! ~ All entries will be counted... and for each one,
I will donate $1.00 to the LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA [[link]

HOW ELSE CAN I HELP?

If you would like to participate in a radio interview show
being put together by ~Solitairemiles, please send her a note!
*Your donations can also be made to Lupus Foundation of America: [link]


There ya go! I don't want to limit you. So, start creating things
that gets the attention of deviantART! This is a virtually unknown
disease, so do your best artwork for a really GOOD CAUSE!

*Just note me with your entry links or thumbs and I will put them
into my contest folder here: *SEASON OF THE WOLF III Entries
Thanks for your participation!


Sincerely, Sophquest

(Please Watch this quick video if you don't have time to read everything!)
[link]
(Video found at X-Plain.com)


*INTRODUCTION TO LUPUS
(Information found at www.lupus.org)

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body,
including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain.
Normally the body's immune system makes proteins called antibodies,
to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign
materials. These foreign materials are called antigens.

In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the
difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues.
The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself.
These antibodies - called "auto-antibodies" (auto meaning 'self' )
cause inflammation, pain and damage to various parts of the body.

Inflammation is considered the primary feature of lupus.
Inflammation, which in Latin means "set on fire," is characterized
by pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, either on the inside
or on the outside of the body (or both).

For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs.
For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems.
Although epidemiological data on lupus is limited, studies suggest
that more than 16,000 Americans develop lupus each year.

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) estimates between 1.5 - 2 million
Americans have a form of lupus, but the actual number may be higher.
More than 90 percent of people with lupus are women. Symptoms and
diagnosis occur most often when women are in their child-bearing
years, between the ages of 15 and 45.

In the United States, lupus is more common in African Americans,
Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans than in Caucasians.

SYMPTOMS

Although lupus can affect any part of the body, most people
experience symptoms in only a few organs. The most common of
symptoms with SLE are listed below. Occurrences of particular
symptoms happening are listed as percentages.

* Achy joints / arthralgia (95 percent)
* Fever of more than 100 degrees (90 percent)
* Arthritis / swollen joints (90 percent)
* Prolonged or extreme fatigue (81 percent)
* Skin Rashes (74 percent)
* Anemia (71 percent)
* Kidney Involvement (50 percent)
* Pain with deep breathing / pleurisy (45 percent)
* Butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose (42 percent)
* Sun or light sensitivity / photosensitivity (30 percent)
* Hair loss (27 percent)
* Abnormal blood clotting problems (20 percent)
* Raynaud's phenomenon (17 percent)
* Seizures (15 percent)
* Mouth or nose ulcers (12 percent)


*I have personally experienced all of these except the clotting problem.
*If you have several of them, please see your doctor about being tested.

Sophquest