Christmas Banners for Special Needs Kids BLOG HOP

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!

I'll be sending this to Madison and the children at CHCC who are benefiting from the
I Feel the Love project in December:


The pennants were cut from
Pretty Pennants Cartridge at 3"
using cream card stock (base) and a Royal Green and Red
card stock for the top layers.

The font I used for JOLLY is from
Elmo's Party cut at 1.5" using the same cream and red paper.

The cute little reindeer is cut from Create-A-Critter
at 3" from textured card stock (tan, brown, red, & black)

I also added a few eyelashes and a cute

bow made of Twinery Twine to "cutesy" her up a bit!

  Now, if you feel inspired to make and donate your own banner or a Christmas card or two to the I Feel the Love Project, 
you'll be entered into a drawing to win
the wonderful HOSTESS Prize:

CARDMONKEY's SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
Super-Fantastic Gift Basket
Throughout the month of December, Ellen will be adding crafty goodness to this basket so that it will be over-flowing and ripe and ready for under your tree. She'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, because she will 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 Ellen in your comments how she can contact you.
2.  Leave a comment telling Ellen 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) - Owner 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 Sunday, November 11:

1. Ellen ♥ CardMonkey - http://cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com
2. Jessica - http://jessicascraftshaque.blogspot.com/
3. Lezlye -  http://lezlyes.blogspot.com/
4. Lori - http://www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/
5. Jenny D - http://www.yogimemories.blogspot.com/
6. Lissa Marie - http://somanycrafts.com/
7. Robin - http://scrapandchat.blogspot.com/
8. Jenny - http://crazyaboutcricut.blogspot.com/
9. Scrappin Madge - http://thescrappinlounge.com/
10. Jeannie - http://polkacabana.wordpress.com/
11. Rebecca T. - http://craftingwithrebecca.blogspot.com/
12. Lisa T. - http://bitbythecricutbug.blogspot.com
13. Kimi ~ http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com
14. Beth~ http://motherandaughterdesigns.blogspot.com
15. Patricia ~ http://blogs.papertemptress.com/
16. Robin L - http://create-a-latte.blogspot.com/

  YOUR NEXT STOP is:  LEZLYE

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

Remember to Keep Crafting, 

Because 

♫ CRAFTING ♫ 

♫ ROCKS ♫ 

\m/-_-\m/

:O) 

Jessica