Christmas Banners for Special Needs Kids BLOG HOP, November 10-12, 2012

Christmas Banners for Special Needs Kids BLOG HOP, November 10-12, 2012

"In the eyes of children, we find the joy of Christmas. In their hearts, we find its meaning."

As joyous as Christmas is for most families, for some, their holidays are filled with worry, medical treatments and tests, and pain -- for their child must be hospitalized or she or he needs long-term care rather than being home with their families. 

For these kids, Santa doesn't slip down a chimney but rather, often comes in the guise of community volunteers who help make the season bright.  

This is the second Christmas season that our own band of dedicated and loving paper crafters have come together to make Holiday banners for children who are too sick to be home for the holidays.  Welcome to the Christmas Banners for Special Needs Kids blog hop!

I am especially pleased that this year, not only have our numbers of generous crafters swelled so our Hop is over three full days, but also, that we have partnered with another great cause and recipient of our banners!

By teaming up with Madison Womack's I FEEL THE LOVE PROJECT, the banners our crafters have handmade will be going to the hospitalized children at Children's Hospital Central California! 

First, let me show you the banner I made for today's post. I'll be sending this to Madison and the children at CHCC who are benefiting from the I Feel the Love project in December:

For this banner I used:

• Birthday Bash circle cut at 5 inches
• Cricut Lite Lacy Labels Hello cut at 3.75 inches
• 3 Birds on Parade 2.5 inches snow and winter guy
• CardzTV Stamps Christmas Joy and Classic Christmas

  Now, have I inspired you to make and donate your own banner or a Christmas card or two to the I Feel the Love Project?  I hope so!  Because if you will, you'll be entered into a drawing to win:

CARDMONKEY's SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Super-Fantastic Gift Basket

Throughout the month of December, I'll be adding crafty goodness to this basket so that it will be over-flowing and ripe and ready for under your tree. I'll be picking the winner on Christmas Eve, announcing the winner on Christmas Day, and if you win, you'll have the basket in your hands by New Year's Day!! 

Stay tuned to the CardMonkey blog over the next few weeks leading up to the drawing, as I'll be posting the contents of the basket as they mount. 

 OK, so to win the GRAND PRIZE (all continents are welcome!), here's what you must do:

1.  Be a follower of the CardMonkey blog and tell me in your comment how I can contact you.

2.  Leave a comment telling me what you plan to make and send to the IFTL project by their deadline, December 10.  Then do it!  Go to www.ifeeltheloveproject.blogspot.com for mailing information for your card or banner.  Your card or banner MUST be received by Madison by the deadline to be eligible to win the GRAND prize!  

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME??  You can still win great blog candy just by being here and commenting on as many banner makers' blogs over the course of the next three days.  

Since we have more than 50 banner makers today, tomorrow and Monday, I'll be picking 5 blogs at random, and then one random comment from that Blog site, for that commenter to win one of five great prizes, which are:

1. Susan Bermudez, Independent Consultant for Creative Memories, donating a $20 gift certificate for Creative Memories products from her catalog (http://www.mycmsite.com/sites/susanbermudez/).
2. Scrappin' Madge: $25 Gift Certificate to The Scrappin Lounge Shoppe (http://madgesscrappinlounge.storenvy.com/)
3. Fresh Brewed Designs: Two prizes - One prize is a rubber stamp, Item #497 "Cutie Pie Ice Skating" (http://www.freshbreweddesigns.com/item_497/Cutie-Pie-Ice-Skating.htm), and the other is a $15 Digital Stamp gift card.
4. The Paper Temptress (www.papertemptress.com) - Owner Patricia Dunbar will donate a $25 Gift Certificate to her online store, the Paper Temptress.
5. The Pinque Peacock (www.pinquepeacock.com) - Owners Jessica Shelton will donate a gift certificate to her NEW store (products are being added daily -- watch as she grows!)
6. In addition, Close to My Heart Independent Consultant Lucy Kelleher will award a $20 gift certificate to a randomly-selected hopper who visits her blog (http://love2createitall.com) and/or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/LucyK.CTMH) and posts a comment about the banner blog hop!

P.S. -- Be sure to check out as many blogs as you can, as several will be providing their own blog candy with their own requirements.  If I catch them along the way, I'll add them to this list, as a shout out of gratitude, and also so you don't miss out on some sweet candy(canes!)... 

Here is the Hop line up for Saturday, November 10:

1. Ellen ♥ CardMonkey - http://cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com
2. Jessica - http://jessicascraftshaque.blogspot.com/
3. Lezlye -  http://lezlyes.blogspot.com/
4. Edwina -  http://edwinascreations.blogspot.com/
5. Jenny - http://crazyaboutcricut.blogspot.com/
6. Shawnee - http://quiverofangels.blogspot.com/
7. Scrappin Madge - http://thescrappinlounge.com/
8. Jeannie D. - http://polkacabana.wordpress.com/
9. Jessica E.~ http://chick-n-scrap.blogspot.com
10. Kimi ~ http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com 
11. Janet ~  http://www.ladyluvbug.blogspot.com/
12. Theresa Neubaum ~ http://www.scrappyartcrafters.blogspot.com/
13. Khrista -  http://creativeandcraftyteacher.blogspot.com/
14. An'Jenic - http://anjenicgibson.blogspot.com/
15. Jennifer R - http://craftycardgallery.blogspot.com/
16. Gloria W. http://gloriawest.blogspot.com/

  YOUR NEXT STOP is:  SCRAPPIN MADGE

Thank you again for visiting us here for a beautiful and worthwhile endeavor.  God bless all the little children wherever they spend their holidays!!

Halloween Spooktacular Banner Hop for Special Needs Children!

Welcome to the annual Halloween Spooktacular Banner Hop for Special Needs Children!

I am delighted to join with more than 3 dozen other women who have each made at least one Halloween-themed banner that will be donated to hang in the room of a medically-fragile child at Pediatric Specialty Care in Pennsylvania.

Our Hop Hostess (Ellen CardMonkey Jarvis) works at PSC’s Bucks County site as Admissions Coordinator. The Banner Hop starts there, so please be sure to circle back to the beginning to see all of the terrific banners have been made for these very special children.

Ellen shared this information with us about Pediatric Specialty Care: “PSC is a very special place where children stay either long- or short-term, typically after hospitalization.  Most are dependent on ventilators and other technology to survive. Some have been born too early or with genetic diseases or birth injuries.  Other children suffer injuries later in life that require constant care later, including brain injuries from trauma or loss of oxygen (from choking, suffocation or drowning) and spinal cord injuries.

These children and their families -- and PSC’s staff -- will be thrilled to receive the Halloween banners, to help brighten the season when their friends and siblings will be out trick-or-treating.”

Here is the banner I am sending to a child at PSC:

For my banner today I used:

Cricut Craftroom

Birthday Bash Cartridge - cut at 5.5 inches

Create a Critter 2 - ghost - cut at 4 inches

Close to My Heart Art Philosophy - Cut at 4 inches

Foam stickers for Halloween

White Gel Pen

Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distress ink

Close up of the Banner

This Hop is two days (Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2), and on each day you will see different banners. Be sure to visit on both days to see the truly inspirational work of these generous bloggers, and leave some love (comments) on as many sites as you can – because if you do, you can up your chances to win some Spooktacular blog candy, including from these sponsors:

Madge's Scrappin' Lounge is donating a $25 gift certificate to her store at http://madgesscrappinlounge.storenvy.com/!

Lisa Peters - $15 shopping spree to her adorable paper piecing store at Scrapping With Lisa Designs at www.scrappingwithlisadesigns.com

Lucy Kelleher - Independent Consultant for Close to My Heart is donating a $10 Gift Certificate which you can use towards any Close to My Heart products! ( http://lucyk.ctmh.com/). To enter to win, you will need to leave a comment on her blog (http://love2createitall.com/) and become a follower of her blog. For an additional entry, "Like" her Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/LucyK.CTMH.

Debi Weidleman - Independent Consultant for Stampin' Up is also donating a $10 Gift Certificate which you can use towards any Stampin' Up products - http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/debiweid/.

Erica's Craft Room is donating two Cricut cartridges (!!!) -- Pretty Pennants and Mini Books.  Please visit and say thank you to Erica at http://www.shop.ericascraftroom.com/.

To qualify, all you have to do is leave at least one comment on our Hostess’s site (www.cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com) to name which banner spoke to you – ghostly or not!  
What made it appealing to you?  Leave additional comments on as many banner makers’ sites as you’d like for extra chances to win!  Prize winners will be announced on Monday, September 3 on the CardMonkey site, where there will be a round-up of all of the Spooktacular banners for 2012.

Please move on your way to the next stop, which is: Beth! 
Thank you again for visiting!