Disney Pixar Blog Hop

Welcome to the best-ever, original Disney-Pixar Blog Hop.  

It's hard to believe that this Hop has been going on now for 5 years (as has my blog!) and I have had the privilege of participating in every one of the Hops. 

(Thank you, Shawn Mosch, for having me, and for your friendship!)

Now, it's hard to believe that I'm not what I would consider a Disney Super Fan, but I have been to Disney World more than a dozen times, and Disneyland just once.

This year, I'll be in Disney World in late June for the national convention of Close To My Heart, and in October, I and my daughter and her family (including husband Josh and my grandchildren Charlotte and Evan) will be going on our first Disney Cruise aboard the Disney Magic.

I guess we qualify as "Super Fans" after all ... and especially now with grandchildren who can't get enough.

Granddaughter Charlotte turned 5 in December, and wouldn't you know it, her most favorite Disney story "E-V-E-R" is "Inside Out," which is the first movie she actually saw in a movie theater. And here's the surprising part, her favorite character is "DISGUST" -- that's the green one. LOL!!!  Charlotte can really put on that attitude, that's for sure!  

My daughter Emily pressed my papercrafting and graphic arts abilities into service to make the birthday party invitations, favors, decorations and more ... and I share them here for this hop.

In the upper left of this post, you'll see the invitation I designed. It printed 4.25"high and 5.5"wide, and fit perfectly in a colorful standard A2 envelope.  I used my favorite online design software, PicMonkey, to make this invitation, and printed it at home on a color laser printer by Dell.

Next, I created the favor bag tags, using fun "Inside Out" images I purchased on Etsy. Again, I turned to PicMonkey to layout the tag with colorful "thought bubbles" behind the characters, some personalization in the upper left corner of the tag, and a thank you sentiment at the bottom.  I printed these at home on my color laser printer, trimmed them into a tag shape, mounted them on colored cardstock and put an eyelet at the top to tie the tags to the bags. Here they are finished, with the treats wrapped in "thought bubbles" tissue that Charlotte's Mom, Emily, found:

(Sorry the picture's so blurry!  I swear we only had juice to drink at the party at Bounce U in Horsham, PA.)

And then there's the cake ... I purchased the entire cast of "Inside Out" characters made out of plastic/resin, from Amazon.com. Each of the 10 characters is about 4" high. I then took them to a local bakery and asked them to create a layered cake, incorporating the figures into their design. Funny -- they never heard of the movie, so I really had to describe the "thought bubbles". I wish the colors were more primary and bright, but still, I think they did a nice job:

The event was a pajama party (9 a.m.!!), so what better than to outfit the birthday girl in "Inside Out" pj's?  Here's Charlotte on the right, with her bestie, Violet.

Charlotte's brother, Evan (age 18 months) is more into pirates, so he wore his treasure-hunt jammies but still enjoyed the party with about 20 other little ones. That's Evan in the center, with big blue eyes to match his jammies:

I also made Charlotte a pretty "Inside Out" necklace, featuring her favorite Disgust-ing character:

To make this necklace, I used Base & Bling charm and glass, dabbed with
CTMH "Liquid Glass" and hung it on a CTMH faux silver chain -- all reasonably
priced jewelry suitable for any age. Charlotte just loves it!  I packaged the
necklace onto a CTMH necklace card that I decorated with watercolored
"thought bubbles", and made a box using a "crayon box" file from the
Silhouette Online store, and cut with my Cameo.  

I also started work on a name banner for Charlotte's room. Here are the first two letters of the nine; they're all done but I haven't figured out yet how I want to string them all together. I used thick chipboard for the base of each letter, and honestly, it's much heavier than I anticipated. It might be better to stand these on a shelf than to hang them, but I wanted you to see them anyway. 

The thick chipboard letters were purchased at Michael's. 
I covered them in gift wrap that I found at the grocery store;
doesn't it look like the "thought bubbles" of Inside Out?
I then cut more colored bubbles from cardstock, and layered
cut-outs of the 10 principal characters from the movie onto the letters.

Have you seen the movie "Inside Out"?  I have to tell you, it's one of my very favorite Disney / Pixar movies. It was full of puns, innuendo and references that only a grown-up would understand, but perfect for little kids to watch and enjoy. Its script is just out-of-this-world wonderful!  I sat there watching it -- with Charlotte, of course, and her Mom Emily -- and kept imagining all of the ways that Disney could design a theme park around "Imagination Land."

I hope you've enjoyed my multiple "Inside Out" projects as much as I have enjoyed being a part of The Original Disney Pixar Blog Hop.  I'll be sending you on to MIRANDA's blog next, but before you go, make sure to enter for a chance to win our prize for this hop . . . a Disney paper pack from Queen & Co.  The "Rafflecopter" entry form is below.

The paper stack will not even be shipping out to stores until late February 2016, so you can have it before the stores are even selling it!  Note: Due to the fact that we received this paper stack so early, it is considered a promotional proof and there could be some slight variations from what will be shipped to stores.

- - - 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Good luck, and enjoy the rest of the hop!  Now, move on to MIRANDA's cute blog next. If you want to start at the beginning, jump over to Shawn's blog and follow along; 

the full blog hop line up is below.  

Shawn

Jessica

Melissa

Ellen

Miranda

Lori

Nancy

Tammy

Midge and Madge

Jenny

Give Thanks -- for Thanksgiving!

As we head into the week in which we celebrate our gratitude, allow me to share a very personal bit of my life with you.

 

Thirty-two years ago, on Thanksgiving, I suffered a miscarriage, losing my first baby suddenly. It was heartbreaking, and for years, it was very hard for me to show my gratitude for much of anything. I'd lost hopes and dreams.  The first loss even made it hard to invest a piece of my heart into my pregnancy a year later. I was so worried! 

 

I still remembered that loss and linked it to Thanksgiving every year for more than a decade. Then in 1994, just a few months after I left my husband of 17 years, my entire feeling about Thanksgiving changed forever...

 

My husband had my daughter for visitation that Thanksgiving, and I could have been in the dumps as a result. Instead, there was a guy I had just started talking to, on the phone, for hours. We met online (yes! In 1994!! Before cyber-dating, Google, eBay, or Match.com) in September. And he wanted to know if I'd meet him for dinner on Thanksgiving Eve, our first date, our first meeting. That's John. We met, and it was kismet....we've been together ever since -- 21 years! 

 

I am forever filled with gratitude for so much! Thanksgiving is now "my" holiday. May yours next week be as stuffed.

"Cupcake Wars" at St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne PA.  My daughter Emily is pictured at left, along with the fellow members of the "Swirls and Pearls" ER Night staff.  The team took 3rd place out of 33 competitors!

 

 

I made the banner above using my Cricut Explore and a Cricut subscription for it. For the base, I used cereal box cardboard. I covered it in Close To My Heart cardstocks (Whisper and Blush), and cut the letters from Bazzill silver metallic cardstock. The banner is to decorate a table full of cupcakes at my daughter Emily's workplace -- there's "Cupcake Wars" later this week, and Emily is using my family's Carrot Cake recipe in cupcakes as one of her entries. Her team name is "Swirls and Pearls" so this banner is heavily embellished in rhinestone swirls and adhesive pearls. The banner in the middle is stamped (using CTMH's new "Jennifer's Hand" stamps) with the competition's slogan. It's all tied together with grey organza ribbon from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Make It A Party: Christening Decorations Done on Commission

Recently, I was contacted by the grandmother of Ari Michael to make these very special decorations for the celebration of her grandson's christening.  She had found similar decorations on Etsy, and had contacted the seller to do a rush order, but the seller was unable to do the project in time. I stepped in and was able to complete this project in just a few days.

I put a little bit of my own spin on the Etsy seller's designs to make this precious banner, flower inserts and door sign. 

Directions:  To make the banner, I cut chipboard pennants using a album scoreboard die by Sizzix and my Big Shot machine.  The background paper is by American Crafts from A.C. Moore; the light blue and white solid cardstock is A.C. Moore's open stock (on sale last week for just $1.00 for 8 sheets!)  I cut the flower inserts (they're like cupcake toppers, on lollipop sticks) and the sign's scalloped square background using my Cricut Explore.

I cut the letters in the inside of a white doily by "attaching" the letters to a Cricut Design Space doily file.  The crosses in the banner and on the top flower insert are cut using Sizzix dies. The other two are printed on my computer. 

If you have a special project that you need help executing -- with or without your own involvement in my craft room -- please don't hesitate to contact me.  I'm happy to help!  Let me help YOU make your next event a little extra special, by doing, brainstorming or helping you make your projects.  I can be reached by e-mailing me at cardmonkey@Comcast.net.

UPDATE:

 

The Christening Party was a lovely event, and Ari's grandmom said that "everyone loved your decorations."  She shared this picture:

 



Celebrating Evan's First Birthday

 

 

It's hard to believe that this time next week, my adorable grandson Evan will be ONE year old!  Whew, that year just flew by. 

 

I have had the privilege of being Evan's primary daycare provider for the past year, tending to Evan on the three, occasionally four, days a week that his Dad Josh was at work, and while his Mom Emily had to sleep following her overnight shift as an ER nurse. Just recently, Evan started to go to a real "school" (where his sister Charlotte attends) half-time -- a day or two a week -- and he's still with me for another day or two each week. 

 

Family and friends are gathering next weekend to celebrate the "superheroes" ...Evan who's turning one, and his Dad who just turned 30 (POW!) in May. Since the theme is "Superheroes", I used a darling font file I found in the Silhouette Online Store, and primary colors of red, yellow and blue, to make the celebratory banner (above).  I hope the birthday boy loves it!

 

I also made the mini-banner above Evan's smash cake (at right), used in the professional photos below:

Here are just a few pictures of Evan, taken by professional photographer Elizabeth Moore. "Pot" (hubby John) and I bought the session and the copyright to the photos, as our gift to Evan and his family, for Evan's birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. :  I also made the ties Evan wears in the photos above.

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Little Man.

 





TBB Friday: Big Girl bling!

Welcome back to another TBB Friday, short for "The Buckle Boutique," a fabulous online store where you can purchase all sorts of bling to make your projects sing!

Over at the home of my sweet granddaughter, Charlotte, things are really popping!  My daughter Emily is now 34 weeks pregnant -- it's hard to believe how time has flown.  Here Emily is four weeks ago, looking obviously expecting. And here is one of Baby Evan's first baby pictures. Can't make it out?  It's the face! 

Well, Emily and Josh have moved Charlotte out of her "baby room" and into a "big girl bedroom," and are changing out the name and dots on the baby's wall.  I cut the baby's name using my Silhouette Cameo and vinyl from Expression Vinyl.



 
Gii treated Charlotte to a pretty new comforter for her big Queen-sized (make that PRINCESS sized!) bed in her new room.  The "Swirly Paisley" bedding is from Pottery Barn Teen. We all love how girly it is, but at the same time, how adaptable it will be to Charlotte as she grows through the years.

When Emily frst showed me the carpet, I remarked how very similar the pattern and colors are to Close To My Heart's (now retired) "Chantilly" paper line.  I offered to make a banner for Charlotte's room, to dress it up a bit. 

Not only did I use the retired paper from Close To My Heart, but I also used retired pennants in two sizes. But the piece-de-resistance, I think, is how I added blinged letters cut from The Buckle Boutiques' fabulous rhinestone sticker sheets.  This is how it turned out:

And here is a close up of the cut letter. The TBB rhinestone sticker sheets cut like butter in your Cricut machine!

 

Well, stop by again next week for some more nifty TBB projects!

The Buckle Boutique’s Link Listing

The Buckle Boutique’s Website . . . click HERE
The Buckle Boutique Blog . . . . click HERE
Facebook Page . . . click HERE
Twitter Page . . . click HERE
Pinterest Page . . . click HERE

 


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

A Hair Salon's Banner using CTMH and TBB products

I've been having a lot of fun creating using The Buckle Boutique's adhesive rhinestone sheets.  For this banner for a friend's hair salon, I cut the very fine letters using my Cricut Expression 2 and Cricut Artbooking cartridge.

To cut the letters, I referenced the tips that The Buckle Boutique's Design Team Coordinator Shawn Mosch posted on TBB's blog earlier this month.  Go HERE to see them for yourself, and make sure you read all the way to # 6 about flipping the letters. (Dohhhh, I didn't at first!) 

I adhered the rhinestone letter to a white cardstock cut in the same size, and popped it with cardboard underneath, to raise the letters up. 

I made the rest of the banner using a Close To My Heart pre-cut Mini Banner (discontinued) and covered it with "For Always" CTMH designer paper called B&T Duos. I made the rosettes using a Silhouette Online Store file (on my Cameo, using another B&T Duo, "Laughing Lola". 

I tied the banner pennants together using CTMH black tulle ribbon (also discontinued). There are chains at either end to hang it -- and those chains are from a CTMH Base & Bling Necklace that I cut apart and used every last link! :) 

I hope you like it --  I'm sure my friend, Chris, will too! 


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Chill, My Friends! :)

Ahh ... summer! 

This adorable digi-image from Hambo Stamps really speaks to me -- how about you? 

I'd love to be floating on the ocean in an inner tube about now ... drink in hand or not, but definitely being CHILL.

I colored this image using Copic Markers and yes, intentionally made the doggie a bit sunburnt and still carefree. I rested the image on a bed of paper-torn "waves" and suspended a banner made of Close To My Heart "Dream Pop" papers and Nikki Sivils adhesive letters. I stitched the banner to the card on my Husqvarna sewing machine.

Hope your having a chill weekend! :)

"Be A Blessing" Blog Hop - April 27

Felicity -- the precious daughter of a dear scrapping friend, Shawnee -- has turned one, and in her honor Shawnee has organized the "Be A Blessing Blog Hop".  

What a wonderful way to celebrate the life of this darling baby!   

Felicity, the youngest of 10 children, has special needs and so her first year has been a challenging one for her and her family.

Yet every day, Felicity has brought smiles to her family, doctor and therapists who work with her to help her live her life fully and with joy.

The purpose of this blog hop is to have crafters -- and that includes YOU! -- "Be a Blessing" to those around you, bring a smile with your touch of humanity. Perhaps you might make a card for a neighbor in need, or bring cookies to a shut-in?  Whatever it is, join us today ... and make it a habit.

For my project today, and my ongoing commitment, I have volunteered with Operation Birthday Box, a local organization that provides a box of birthday goodies to children living in shelters. 

 
For this month, I have decorated a gift box and have made a party banner (shown above).

Gift boxes prepared by the OBB are loaded with goodies purchased by the volunteers (like that at right) or by the OBB Founder's daughters, Jonna and Eva. 

Each box also gets a book donated by a local bookstore; and each recipient gets a decorated cookie made by a local

bakery. OBB has just started this month. They're hoping that with time and continued generosity of individuals and businesses, more children can be served in our local community. 


Update:  I've spoken to the wonderful and enthusiastic founder of Operation Birthday Box, Christa Nielsen, to get a drop-off/mailing address for this month's box. I hope to be of service to her organization in the future, helping in any way I can and/or is needed to serve our community's less fortunate children. Other volunteers are always welcome -- at OBB or in a similar organization in your own community. Please help!

The cake I bought and show in this picture will be given today to another birthday girl -- my dogs' groomer, Mindy!  I'm sure it will make her Smile, too!

Incidentally, Mindy herself is a warm and generous soul who not only makes my two Bichons look their best, but she gives generously of herself to make others look great, too.  

See this gorgeous, long hair of Mindy's at the picture, above left, (shown with her niece, Juliana)?  Today, when I had my dogs groomed and dropped off the cake, I noticed Mindy has a cute, short bob now. Mindy told me that she'd shorn off 12" just yesterday for Locks of Love -- "I had fun! I hope someone can use it," she said. 

12-year old Georgia has Alopecia Areata

Locks of Love, a national nonprofit organization, takes donated human hair and crafts it into beautiful hairpieces for disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis (e.g., alopecia areata). The prostheses provided by Locks of Love help restore a child's self-esteem and confidence.


It is my honor to know such beautiful people as Mindy, Felicity and Shawnee!

OK, now that I hope I've inspired you to "Be A Blessing" by sharing your talent. Please do leave a little comment/love below for a chance to win blog candy. Felicity's Mom Shawnee will be giving some out, and more has been donated. For an extra chance at the Candy, do a good deed (or "Mitzvah"), and Tweet or post on Facebook about it. 

Now, it's time to move on to see other projects by other crafters participating in this hop.  Your next stop is RACHELLE

In case you get lost on the blog hop, here is your full list of participants:

1. Shawnee - http://www.quiverofangels.blogspot.com/
2. Beth ~ http://thecraftyscrapyard.blogspot.com/
3. Lisa ~ http://bitbythecricutbug.blogspot.com
4. Janis ~ http://pausedreamenjoy.blogspot.com/
5. Amanda ~ http://craftsbyamanda.blogspot.com
6. Ellen ~ http://cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com/
7. Rachelle ~ http://creationsbyrachelle.blogspot.com
8. Lori ~ http://www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/
9. Julie ~ http://www.readysetstamp.com
10. Lucy ~ http://love2createitall.com
11. Stacey ~ http://staceyscreativecorner.blogspot.com
12. Michele ~ http://michelescraftroom.blogspot.com/