Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Operation Write Home Memorial Day Blog Hop

It's that time again!  Operation Write Home Memorial Day Blog Hop!  This year they are throwing in a twist with a sketch challenge.  Feel free to HOP in here:  Operation Write Home.  Should be a very fun weekend ahead seeing all the sketch cards made by over 142 blogs! 

For my sketch, I choose Sketch #17:

How cute is this Mr. Elephant?  You know... elephants never forget.  No matter how far (or near) someone is... it's always great to hear that you're not forgotten.

Operation Write Home is a way to help our service men and women to connect with their loved ones at home with handmade cards.  Want to join the cause?  You can find out more information about OWH cards here.

Please leave some love here with a message to enter to win a Spellbinders Nestibilities set.

Thanks for hopping by!  Have a safe and happy Memorial Weekend!


Supplies:
Doodle Dragon Studios digi - Never Forget set
Provo Craft stitched paper
Making Memories patterned paper - Vintage Antiqued Strip Ocean
Pop Dots
American Crafts cardstock

 Operation Write Home Sketch #17

Teacher Appreciation Door #5 - Secretaries

Okay, I saved the best for last... the secretaries door!  This is personally my all time favorite of the Teacher/Faculty Appreciation Week doors I have created.  We have a tradition that the PTA Executive Board takes care of the office administration.  Who appreciates the admin more than the PTA?  No one!  Usually, the PTA President takes the Principal's door, the PTA President-Elect takes the Vice Principal's door, and the PTA secretary takes the secretaries door.  But once again, I swapped doors with the PTA secretary, so I could do this door.  The beauty of being the TA Door Coordinator and PTA Leadership VP, oh and the fact that I LOVE doors.

Remember in March when I made a card for our head secretary that is retiring this year?  I wanted to tie it all in together.  She's been with our school since it opened 15 years ago.  The other two secretaries are staying, but I will miss Denise with her smiling face.  Our secretaries definitely keep our school under control.

Little additions to this door... amazingly, I found butcher paper that was a dull red color for the bricks.  I cut them all the same height and length, and rounded the edges with my Chomper.  Then staggered each layer.   The giraffe's mane is yarn.  The monkey has an added foliage layer on him with a slightly different green butcher paper.  And the flag has glue dots every so many inches to create the waving in the wind effect.

Next year will be my family's last year at our school.  I only have one more year of decorating doors.  So sad, on so many levels.

If you'd like to take a stroll through virtual tour of our school's Teacher Appreciation Doors, you can find it here:  http://community.webshots.com/user/kbear68100.

Supplies:
Doodle Dragon Studios image - Jungle coloring page
Brown yarn
Big Chompers - rounding corner (for the bricks)
Pre-cut letters
Butcher paper
Glue dots

Autism Awareness Month

Did you know autism affects 1 out of 110 children and 1 out of 70 boys? It's true. You can find more information on Autism here.

Autism Awareness Month has been on my radar for a while. Besides using a Dustin Pike's - Doodle Dragon Studios Awareness image, I couldn't think of a project to honor this event. Then yesterday while I was at Target, I bumped into one of our Small Groups teachers from school. We started talking about her class. Our elementary school two Small Groups (autistic) classes (1st-3rd grade and 4th-6th grade). Some students are in the Small Group classroom all day. Other students are able to attend regular classes and come to Small Group class for certain times in the day. I have seen the teachers in action with the students. They are so caring, loving, and patient. I admire them. On my drive home, I knew I had to create a card for our amazing teachers.

This card is not only dedicated to the teachers at our school, but for all those who are affected by Autism every day. Thank you for who you are and all you do.





Supplies:
Doodle Dragon Studios image - Awareness set
Cuttlebug - Puzzled cutting die
American Crafts cardstock
Pop dots
Font - CK Handprint

Support the Cause Challenge

Yeah, it's way too cold ("feels like" temperature 1 degree) to go anywhere today, so I decided to play in another challenge. Today's challenge is from Fantabulous Cricut - #45 Challenge: Support the Cause - make a project in honor of a cause that is near and dear to you or a loved ones heart.

Who says you need the Pink Journey Cricut cartridge? Okay, I do just to say I have it in my collection, but you really don't. I used Stand & Salute Cricut cartridge to make the ribbon frame. The side ribbon is actually a lanyard I found at OfficeMax in their clearance section a while back. I knew someday I'd use it! I cut it apart to fit my card.

Supplies:
Doodle Dragon Studios image - Awareness set
Stand & Salute Cricut cartridge
Breast Cancer Awareness lanyard (for side ribbon) - found at OfficeMax
Font - LD Mixed
American Crafts cardstock

Dustin's New Awareness Set

Dustin just released an awesome new Awareness set on his blog! Thank you, thank you Dustin! You really could use the images for any cause. I chose to use it for breast cancer awareness. I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. I am amazed and inspired each day as I read her blog. Despite the journey ahead of her, she is always positive and determined to beat it. Go Monique!



Here's the front view:



If you're wondering what other awareness ribbon colors are, check out this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awareness_ribbons

Here is Dustin new Awareness set:

Teacher Appreciation Door #2

Here's my second Teacher Appreciation door I did last week. Originally when Dustin released this digi, Ellie had a birthday hat on her head and a cupcake in her trunk. Remember her now? I substituted flowers instead. We have the best teachers and faculty at our school. I love them!

Love U!

If you haven't picked up Dustin Pike's new freebie this week, go get it! Isn't he the cutest elephant you've ever seen? I couldn't sleep because I knew he was waiting for me! It was a date for Mr. Elephant and me this morning. He's sitting in a purple puddle of love.