Card Cupids Merry Christmas Blog Hop!

Welcome to my blog everyone and happy hopping!  I hope that you have been enjoying the Card Cupids first ever Design Team Blog Hop. I want to make sure that you are coming from the right place, we don't want you to miss out on anything.  The last blog that you should have been visiting was http://www.creativedesignsbyluisa.com and you should have started at http://www.cardcupids.org/. Luisa is a very talented scrapbooker and artist extordare I'm sure you had a great time exploring her blog and leaving her a comment.  Since we are fast approaching the Christmas season we decided that a Christmas theme would be well in order to help everyone get their Christmas Card Creating juices flowing. Here is a card that I created for the hop, this card will be going to one of the children at Legacy Emanual Hospital. 

This card is a very simple design that is made using a Cricut Machine and cartridge Joys of the Season.  Using the layers key I was able to cut different colors out for each of the parts of the Christmas Penguin.  I chose white for the base color, and both black and a checkered orange for the layers.  To spice it up more you can always use a wild pattern for part or all of the penguin.  Then I hand cut the snow mounds out of white cardstock, and the water out of a striped blue paper.  Don't worry about them being perfect, every little imperfection makes it more personal.  Then I cut a two inch strip from blue cardstock and stamped two different blue snowflakes all over it.  Using a basic folded 4 1/2 X 6 inch white cardstock base card I first attached the sky strip, then the snow mound and finally the water.  Then I used glitter glue to accent the snow mounds and the water.  After the glitter glue dried I attached the penguin and stamped let it snow in black ink.  A cute winter or Christmas card for anyone exspecially the children at Legacy Emanual Hospital. 

Card Cupids' mission is to provide encouragement and joy by sending Card Cuddle Care Packages to children who are facing difficult challenges in their young lives regardless of their economic background. A card can make such an impact in a person's life and we hope that this hop will spread awareness as well as flood our gates with cards. To find out who we are collecting cards for at this time check the website http://www.cardcupids.org/ for a current list. 

We are offering some blog candy for the blog hop, one grand prize will go to a random hopper.  Inorder to get entered into the drawing you must become a fan of Card Cupids http://www.cardcupids.org/. You can get one bonus entry for every DT member that you become a follower of and one bonus entry for leaving a comment on their blog for a total of 18 entries.  And if you mention our blog on your site and leave a comment on the Card Cupids site letting us know, you will get an additional entry.  So don't forget to follow, comment and post for a total of 20 entries!  You may just be the lucky winner! A list and pictures of the prize are available on our website. 

Why did I become a supporter of Card Cupids?  Thoughout childhood and into my college years my grandmother and mother, and then later just my mom would send me cards.  My mom would come home from the mail box one day and tell me I had mail.  It would be a card from her telling her how much she loved me.  She would actually send it through the mail!  The effort was little but the thought was unmeasurable.  Now that my children recieve cards occasionally from both myself and their grandmother(my mom) I can see first hand the joy that she saw when I would open my cards. That joy is something that I would like to help bring to other children who are expiriencing a difficult time the warth and love that I am my children have felt from opening a card. 

Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you have enjoyed our hop and will be joining all of us in making cards for Card Cupids.  You next stop is Angela's blog at http://www.pumpkinbutts.blogspot.com. Enjoy your time!


JAEV

The Art of Homemade

Another name for this post could be a Homemade Christmas.  As a child I was always encouraged by my parents to be creative and inventive, especially at Christmas time.  I remember making paper ornaments, clay pots (they looked a little more like blobs) cards, pictures, odds and ends.  As I got old things progressed to sketches, pastel abstract, oil paintings and even scrapbooks.  One year I made a scrapbook of my dad's dog and gave it to him for Christmas and even though both of them are now gone, I have something tangable and uniquely special to remember them by.
Now before I continue on I want to make sure that this is clear...we bought gifts as well, there were numerous things every year to be unwrapped under the tree.  I'm not trying to condemn anyone for purchasing a gift for someone so please do not missunderstand my message.  However, none were as special as the handmade/homemade ones.  My mother still has some of those paper ornaments that I made for her and my father over 20 years ago on her tree every year.  The mug/blob that I gave my dad served as his door stop for just as long.
Now that I am a mother I understand how special even a scribble can be.  I hope that everyone will consider making something for a loved one this year, and yes it is okay if whatever you make ends up looking somewhat or exactly like a blob, because they will love it anyways.
So from now until Christmas I will be posting some of my homemade gifts that I have made for my friends and family.  I hope that you will find inpiration to create your own.  Happy Crafting!

JAEV

More on the Christmas Front

Still been working away on Christmas cards.  Went to a scrap party on Friday night hoping to be super productive, however, as usual I couldn't find have of the things I needed and ended up chatting more than creating.  Oh well, gotta love good friends!  Here's some of the latest creations! Happy Scrapping!

JAEV

Christmas Cards

I have started to create my Christmas cards for this year already.  Some how I always try and start early and never actually create them until the last minute.  This year is different, I have already started my creating.  Here are my creations as to date.

These cards were entered into the Christmas Colors challenge on http://scrapbooksisters.blogspot.com/

Which is your favorite so far?

Nervous and Excited

Now over the years I have written many different types of papers and even a few publications(all research) of course, but never a press release.  I knew they needed to be all facts and straight to the point.  What I didn't know was how hard it was going to be to actually write it.  Cutting it down to just what it needed to say without fancy language or cute little extras.  I couldn't explain anything in detail, just hit the main points.  Well it has been sent...and lets hope that one paper, or station, either tv or radio picks it up. 
The first press release from Card Cupids:

Legacy Emanuel’s pediatric patients to receive some acts of “Cardness”.

Card Cupids and The Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland Oregon have joined together to provide their pediatric patients with handmade cards and stuffed animals.  Card Cupids is an all volunteer organization that sends card packages to children around the world that need extra support and love. Legacy Emanuel on average treats 200 children a day with a number of different medical problems making the need for cards enormous.

Founder Stephanie Busby and her brother Michael have seen first hand the benefit that a card and a few kind words can have on a person.  Her mother spent months in the hospital after being struck by a semi-truck almost five years ago.  Cards and well wishes helped them all to make it through the difficult time and helped her mother heal both physically and emotionally.  Negative experiences have a way of showing people how they can make a difference and Stephanie along with Michael decided to make their difference by sharing, the “cardness” as they call it, with the children of the world.

To help promote this new organization Card Cupids will be hosting a blog hop to help promote their new formed partnership with Legacy Emanuel and encourage card donations for all their recipients on November 26^th.  One lucky participant will win a prize package valued at over a $100.  Visit www.cardcupids.org to find out more information.

Card Cupids boasts a design team from not only all over the country but the world.  Each team member brings a unique style and perspective to the art of card making and their creations can be found on Card Cupids website for crafters and artists to use as inspiration.  There will also be informational posts about trends, how tos, and sketches to help individuals that want to create cards for Card Cupids.

Want to donate cards? Please send only cheerful cards, not get well cards, visit the Card Cupids website for a list of sentiments. Make sure to sign the card as Card Cupid Your First Name and the state that you are sending it from (ie: Card Cupid Steph from Virginia). Again, please do not send get well style cards.  Please write the child's first name on the front of the envelope and do not seal, if the recipient is not known then leave blank.  Also the use of glitter or confetti in the cards is not permitted and there are no size requirements for the cards.  Card Cupids is starting to focus on and accept Christmas and Holiday cards for our recipients.  Any and all card donations are greatly appreciated.

Donations can be sent to Card Cupids
C/O Stephanie 

13203 Overcup Oak Court, Apt 201

Herndon, VA 20171

If you know of a child or organization that could use a little extra cardness please submit the request at our website http://www.cardcupidsrequests.org/.

Visit our site for more info http://www.cardcupids.org/

Creative Spaces

So what type of area do you create in?  Is it an artists dream studio, a corner of your living room, or maybe your kitchen table, or are you a mover and always bring supplies with you to create when the inspiration hits?
I am fortunate enouf to have a craft space in our living room.  I started out having my own craft room in our second apartment my husband and I had while in college five years ago.  We then moved back to our home town and my parents home and my creative endevours moved to their basement.  I had more space there than I knew what to do with, downside was, the lighting was horrible!  After much searching...80 houses, we found our home and I again had a spare bedroom for my creative juices to flow in.  Now that we have added another addition to our family, the spare room was no longer a spare.  My craft room was happily made into our sons nursery!  Problem!  What am I going to do with all of my stuff?
We moved furniture around three times in the living room to try and get a good layout and incorporate the pieces that we had in the craft room.  Most importantly my rolltop desk that was a present from my parents when I was young (one of the two pieces I will not let go of, ever), and the other my hope chest, again something that my parents gave me.  We came up with a layout that allowed an area dedicated to TV and board games, along with an area open for the boys to play in, and a relaxing space with the recliners.  However, this left my desks(rolltop and computer) about 15 feet from each other, my supply boxes all over the living room stuffed in wherever I could find a spot, and my creativity going right down the toilet.  It didn't help that I was pregnant while trying to create in this new situation.  Needless to say I didn't end up getting many things done.  It took too long to find the item I was looking for and I had to get up and move to another part of the room if I wished to use the computer.  I basically gave up for about two weeks and didn't touch any of my art supplies.  Then I had our baby boy...
After getting home from the hospital and getting everyone settled in, it was about two weeks and yes I know I shouldn't have been doing this, but I felt good and just had to, I was having a creative moment, I started to rearrange the living room again.
The area that was once our TV/Game spot became my artistic nook!  All of a sudden it clicked in my head.  I knew how our living space needed to be layed out and I started the moving process. I think it took about two hours to move everything, I had to take a couple breaks. Haha.
Once I had the furniture where it needed to be I just had to figure out creative ways to make my supplies visiable and organized while on a tight budget.  I have always been a pretty good repurposer, gotta save the planet and reusing is a good thing, so I started looking through the house and garage to see what we had that I could use.

This is the list I came up with:
laundry rack

medium size table
cupboard

part of a book shelf(couldn't fit all the books in the closet)

curtain hangers(ones with hooks on the top and clips on the bottom)

bags with hangers on them

 


Now it is just a matter of me getting everything organized into a easy working manner.  Check back often to see updated pictures and hopefully soon, the finished Artistic Nook!

Connected

It is truly amazing how much the Internet means to me.  Our connection has been broken, literally, and I am falling behind on work by the minute.  I have things to post, people to e-mail and message, and tons of research that needs to be done.  However, living out in the boonies where we do my phone does not receive the best service, so I am limited to what I am able to do.  Friday cannot come soon enough!

The Card Cupid design team has been working hard on setting up schedules and promotions for all of the card donors.  I can't wait to see this organization grow and blossom.  It is a wonderful thing to be able to bring some love into a child's life. 

Who Am I?

My name is Janel and I'm a 28 year old stay at home mom of three.  Cole is three years old, Huck is 2 and our newest addition, Bear, just turned a month old.
Blue is the general theme at our house along with cars, trucks, mud and mess.  It is an adventure everyday.  The new things that they learn and the new things that they teach me everyday make my life so very wonderful
My husband and I have been married for just over five years and have been together for nine.  My life would not work without him by my side.  He supports me in all my crazy endeavours.
By schooling I am a Geo-scientist, but have never worked in my field.  Instead my HB and I made the decision for me to be a stay at home and work periodically as a substitute teacher when time and schedules allow.
I've been crafting and creating ever since I was very young.  I began with basic sketches and progressed through chalks, oils, and paints.  In high school through a photography class I started scrapbooking and have continued to express myself through the art ever since.  For about three years now I have been creating and sending my own handmade cards.  Some are personal notes, others are for Jimmy's Friends, The Trisomy 18 Foundation fundraiser A Friend's Wish and now I am part of a design team for Card Cupids.  Jimmy's Friends is in honor and remembrance of my father who passed away from cancer on 12-24-09.  All cards go to cancer patients and their families.  A Friend's Wish is a fundraising opportunity for T18 in honor of a little angel friend of ours.  And the newest endeavour, Card Cupids sends cards to deserving children all around the country.  I am so blessed that I am able to be a part of all of these wonderful life-changing experiences.


Janel