Monday, September 5, 2011

Labor of Love Halloween Hop - Sharing the ♥ with special needs kids

I am so pleased that you are visiting us today, as we bring you Day 4 of the four-day Labor of Love Halloween Hop.

This special cause Blog Hop has been co-hosted by myself and Madison at Funky Cards.

Each of nearly 40 fantastic women from all corners of the world -- each of them with amazing s -- have come together here to create about four dozen (!!) Halloween-themed banners for special needs children.  

They have agreed to mail their banners to me  so that I can donate them on their behalf to be hung in the rooms of children at Pediatric Specialty Care (PSC) in Bucks County, PA.  PSC is a home-like skilled nursing facility where children receive long-term, short-term, and transitional care. I work as Admissions Coordinator at PSC/Bucks County. 
The children we admit to PSC range in age from newborn to 21 years.

Some of the children we see have been born too early -- preemies born so small they'd fit in the palm of your hand -- and before their lungs have had a chance to mature. As they age, many of these babies must continue to breathe with the assistance of mechanical ventilators.

Other newborns may have been born addicted to alcohol or prescription or illicit drugs taken by their Mom while she was pregnant.

Other children have shorter stays to receive sub-acute care including a month-long course of antibiotics, or while their family's home can be modified with ramps etc. that enable a wheelchair-bound child to live with some independence there, at home.  
 
Some children at PSC have genetic diseases such as sickle cell anemia, or have birth injuries (e.g., cerebral palsy) that leave them less than able. Other children suffer injuries later in their young lives that forever change their future -- those who have traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injuries from accidents (car, bicycle, struck by a car), or choking injuries that have caused permanent brain injuries, and a lifetime of dependency on medical technology in order to survive, and the love of their families to thrive.

These children and their families -- and our 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. 

THANK YOU to the women who made banners so lovingly!  

Here is the line-up to visit today, Monday (9/5). Please leave some love for:
  1. Ellen~ http://www.cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com
    (This is me ... you are HERE!)
  2. Madison ~ http://www.funkycards.blogspot.com
  3. Michelle ~ http://www.peanutbutterandjellydesigns.blogspot.com/
  4. Dorcas ~ http://www.craftycardangel.com/
  5. Jenny ~ http://www.crazyaboutcricut.blogspot.com
  6. Berenice ~ http://www.karbers.blogspot.com
  7. Lisa ~ http://www.handmadewithlove-lisa.blogspot.com/
  8. Donnalee ~ http://ottersln.blogspot.com/
  9. Tami ~ http://tamboscreations.blogspot.com
  10. Nancy ~ http://www.fancywithnancy.com/
  11. Carol ~ http://www.cardstockscissorsandglue.blogspot.com
  12. Pam ~ http://www.pammejo-scrapbookflair.com/
  13. Gina ~ http://californiascrappin-gcinderella21.blogspot.com/
  14. Shannon ~ http://www.purplelionpaper.com/blog
  15. Sandie ~ http://www.sandieshores.blogspot.com/
  16. Rachelle ~ http://www.creationsbyrachelle.blogspot.com/
  17. Linda Jover ~ http://www.lindaspinkcraftroom.com
  18. Linda Simpson ~ http://lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.com/
  19. Liz ~ http://www.mywhichcraft.blogspot.com/
In case you missed the first half of the Labor of Love Halloween Hop (Days 1 and 2, Friday and Saturday), here are links to each of the bloggers from those days:
Tonya


And we have blog candy
thanks to these sponsors!





Photobucket

My Pink Stamper

Pink Cricut





My Creative Time






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To be eligible for a prize:
1. Leave a comment on any blogger's posting  during Day 1 or Day 2 (Fri./Sat.) of the hop.
and/or

2. Leave a comment on any blogger's posting  during Day 3 or Day 4. (Sun./Mon.) of the hop.

and/or

3. Thank our sponsor(s) for sponsoring our hop by clicking on the badge(s) listed above and leaving a message on our sponsor/s blog saying something fun, like: "What a good GHOUL you are for sponsoring the Labor of Love Halloween Hop, happening today."

and/or

4. Link a Halloween card to Funky Cards and donate it to the children at Pediatric Specialty Care.

How winners will be picked:  Random drawing by http://www.random.org/, from all of the comments received.  You may enter as often as you wish -- in one category (#1 through 4, above), or all of them. There are multiple prizes in each category, and so there will be multiple winners in each!!  The more comments you leave, the better your chances to win one or more prizes!! Anyone may enter -- bloggers, those without blogs, blog hop participants, etc.  Remember: the real winners are the children at Pediatric Specialty Care, who will be receiving the love of those of us who papercraft!

Special news: Each blog stop
may be offering her own blog candy.
Please stop by each, to learn what is required
to win that individual candy.

In addition to the joy I had in coordinating this Hop with Madison, I also created two banners for the kids at Pediatric Specialty Care:



To make this banner, I made six rosettes out of heavy Halloween-themed cardstock and glued on circles cut with my Spellbinders die-cut. (YES, I have the same set I'm giving away in for my blog candy -- it's a MUST HAVE!!) I joined all the rosettes using cereal box cardboard, and wrapped the joints with organza ribbon. Next, I added the paper chain because ... well, I just thought it looked cool. I decorated the fronts of the rosettes using pop-outs, stickers, letters, fussy cuts ...whatever made me smile. I hope it does you, too!!

And in case you missed my banner from Days 1 and 2, here it is as well:

To make this banner, I cut 6" squares from cereal box cardboard, then used the 3" center point at the bottom to trim at the angle so the top is 6" wide, to the center point at 3". I punched 1.5" paper circles from various Halloween papers, and glued them around each of the two sides, making the scallop. I trimmed the top edge with a fold-over of a piece of coordinating plain cardstock that I punched using Martha Stewart's double-loop punch. I covered the front of each pennant with Halloween papers, and the backs with alternating plain orange and black papers, and embellished the fronts using My Minds Eye cardboard Halloween-themed punchouts.
Because each of the pennants has a cardboard core, they were sturdy enough just to be hole-punched to join them with ribbon. I used alternating black-with-white-dots, and white-with-black-dots, ribbons to tie into bows. The banner is long -- 5.5' -- and will bring a lot of joy to the kids at PSC!

Here are some close-up views:


Thank you for your interest!
And as your reward for reading this far,
I do have my own blog candy!!
It's a super special CardMonkey
"My favorite things" package!
ONE lucky winner picked from those
who leave a comment
on this CardMonkey blog site
and is a CardMonkey follower
will win this NEW/never used gift pack
purchased and assembled just by me:


Spellbinders Nestabilities Die-Cuts:
"Standard Circles Large"
(this contains 7 sizes ... it's a favorite because
we all know Cricut can't cut perfect circles!)

TWO Copic markers:
E21 (Baby Skin Pink) and E33 (Sand)
(Some of my favorites for skin tones
-- both human and monkey)
and of course, there has to be a Monkey
if it's coming from me:
HERO STAMPS' "Playful Monkey" rubber stamp
OK now, on to your next stop
on this fantastic
LABOR OF LOVE HALLOWEEN HOP:

Please indulge me for one more minute while I tell you a bit about my friend, Madison. At just 16 years young, Madison has a heart that's bigger than California, where she lives. She is enthusiastic, energetic, kind, gracious, arty, smart and wiser well beyond her years. She's a high school student and she also works at Michael's (I'm jealous!) where none of her co-workers believes she is just 16. This is the first blog hop Madison has sponsored, and she's been fantastic!! Thank you, Madison.  I you!!

Thank you for stopping by!


12 comments:

Eva Laney said...

Day four, wow, I love your second Banner too. The rosettes are awesome and so is the paper chain. The kids will love these. I am almost finished with my card to send in. Thanks for this wonderful hop.
Eva :0)
http://evasscrapsncards.blogspot.com
I have 2 giveaway's on my blog

Scrappin Rabbit Designs said...

Your banners are amazing!!!! Thanks for sharing. Sorry for the late comment. :)

Tami
AKA Scrappin Rabbit Designs

K Clark said...

wow... all the banners look amazing! you ladies are doing a great thing for the children at the hospital - thanks for sharing

Sugarlips said...

Your work is fabulous. I love the chain at the bottom of the banner. I hope the kids love them and you are so sweet for doing this for them.

iluvkatie74atyahoodotcom

Michelle said...

On wow Ellen you have really out done your self with this hop. I am so happy that I could be a part of this. Thanks for all of your hard work here and at your job because I know that can't be easy either. Everyone of your projects are wonderful. I know the kids are just going to love all of these banners.
Michelle
mpetrovich23 at yahoo dot com
http://peanutbutterandjellydesigns.blogspot.com

joydee1963 said...

Wow,That banner is great!!! I am a follower,joydee1963 at yahoo dot com

Madison said...

Ellen my wonderful co-host, this blog hop has been truly amazing!! You are the best:) Everyone should know what a big heart you have!!! You never stop giving. Thank you so much for all that you have done and for the very kind words at the bottom of your post. I love you too:)
~Madison

Michelle said...

I just finised up day four of the Labor of Love blog hop.... I just loved the whole hop... everytime I saw a banner I liked it even more then the one before it.... Everyone is so different and unique in it's own way. Thanks for getting us all together for this very great cause.
Thanks,
Michelle
mpetrovich23 at yahoo dot com
http://peanutbutterandjellydesigns.blogspot.com

Felicia - Scrapper in the Making said...

This is a great thing you and madison are doing. Love the banners. Smooches... Felicia - frankleecrafts [at] gmail [dot] com

Unknown said...

Ellen I love your banners. You and Madison have put together such a wonderful event for these poor kids. I hate seeing kids and pets in any kind of pain or illnesses. I have a huge box coming your way with 4 banners in it. You will be able to put any banners that are pretty flat inside of it to take with you to work. Let me know if you think that will work for you. It is 4 feet tall my hubby went out and purchased it. Once you fill it you take it back to the purchase place and they cut it down and finish the closing up of the package, but I thought you could use it also. Let me know what you think.

quilt4fun2 said...

Congratulations on the success of this fun hop. It is for a very worthy cause and will put smiles on many faces.
quilt 4 fun 2 at hot mail dot com

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