Thursday, April 2, 2015

Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness

Hello and welcome to the Light It Up Blue For Autism Awareness Blog Hop! As a social worker, I knew that I had to join in on raising awareness for autism. 

 
Autism Speaks shares a lot of information about autism. You can register on their website to officially participate in shining a light on autism! 

According to Autism Society:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability; signs typically appear during early childhood and affect a person’s ability to communicate, and interact with others. ASD is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum condition” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and early diagnosis and intervention and access to appropriate services/supports lead to significantly improved outcomes. Some of the behaviors associated with autism include delayed learning of language; difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation; difficulty with executive functioning, which relates to reasoning and planning; narrow, intense interests; poor motor skills’ and sensory sensitivities. Again, a person on the spectrum might follow many of these behaviors or just a few, or many others besides. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is applied based on analysis of all behaviors and their severity.
In March 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism prevalence report. The report concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 68 births in the United States – nearly twice as great as the 2004 rate of 1 in 125 – and almost 1 in 54 boys. The spotlight shining on autism as a result has opened opportunities for the nation to consider how to serve families facing a lifetime of supports for their children. In June 2014, researchers estimated the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism is as great as $2.4 million. The Autism Society estimates that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism. (This figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, related therapeutic services and caregiver costs.)
Know the signs: Early identification can change lives
Autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. For more information on developmental milestones, visit the CDC’s “Know the Signs. Act Early” site.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:
  • Lack of or delay in spoken language
  • Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
  • Little or no eye contact
  • Lack of interest in peer relationships
  • Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
  • Persistent fixation on parts of objects
© Autism Speaks

We have so many fantastic sponsors that have shown their support for Autism Awareness and you can see the complete list here. If you would like a chance to win a prize from one of these fabulous companies, leave a comment on this blog and any of the other blogs participating in today's hop! Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced on Monday, April 6. Now here is the card I created for today's hop! 

I created a cute layered card with Panda Can't Even and Building Blocks

Since I have a lot of pattern paper, I felt that I could use a few of them and this actually came together quite accidentally. Many things in my scrap bin are die-cut pieces, like the cloud and circles. The panda was stamped in Hero Arts black dye ink and then stamped again in Versamark and heat embossed with Hero Arts clear embossing powder for a glossy look. The labels were die-cut from the Building Blocks dies. I took "omg" from Panda Can't Even and "you're amazing just the way you are" from Building Blocks. The heart was from the panda set. My finishing touch included Smarty Pants and Lemon Chiffon sequins from The Ton.  


Thanks for visiting! Remember, you have until Friday night to comment on The Ton's Blog Hop & Bauble Giveaway!!

Linking this to the following challenge:
Virginia's View Challenge #14: Layers and Dimensions
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Pastel 

71 comments:

  1. Oh Ruby, what a fabulous card! I love EVERYTHING about it!! :)

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  2. So cute! Love all the layers and the sweet panda!

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  3. This is totally adorable! That little panda makes me smile!

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  4. So cute, love the sentiment on the card too!

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  5. A fabulous fun card for this great blog hop.
    Kath x

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  6. Hi Ruby!! Your card is so wonderful; the sentiment is so perfect, too!

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  7. omg! omg! omg! This card is amazing! LOVE it!

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  8. This card is sooooooooo CUTE, Miss Lady!!! Thanks for participating in this AWESOME hop!! You ROCK, Miss Lady!!

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  9. Your card is adorable. Thanks for sharing and for raising Autism Awareness.
    Crafty hugs,
    Dawn
    DesignsByDragonfly {blogspot}

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  10. Great job I really love this card. Thank you so much for being part of this blog hop for such a great cause!!Happy Stamping/Keep Moving Forward!!

    Jessica Lynn
    http://jessicalynnoriginalstamps.blogspot.com/

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  11. Great layers. I really love that patterned paper and how you die cut the edge in the corner.

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  12. ah so pretty ...love all the facts you shared too !

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  13. omg, omg, omg - this is spectacularly awesome!! Love all the layers and the details - such a hopeful and inspiring card!! Way to bring so much together and achieve such incredibleness!!! Thanks so much for participating and supporting this hop!! I hope you have a REALLY GREAT day!!!

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  14. Oh This is so nice! Love the doily!

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  15. What a fab card! Of course pandas make anything fab!! Perf sentiment for this hop!!

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  16. This is such an adorable card!! Love the treble OMGs!! =)

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  17. Great combining of these two sets into a perfect card for the hop!

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  18. Adorable card! Love all the different elements!! Thank you for joining this hop ♥♥

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  19. This card is so adorable! Love the way you stamped the sentiment and the panda peeking out from the layers!

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  20. Super cute card, love the design. LIUB!

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  21. P.S. Your information intro on autism is so thoughtful, insightful and informative. Great job on the post and the adorable card :)

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  22. Panda, doilies and flowers: fabulous X amazing!
    ~c

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  23. Fabulous card Ruby. It's so cute. Thanks for joining in on the hop.

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  24. Fabulous, the words are perfect!

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  25. Beautiful card for a great cause.

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  26. Adore the detail and cuteness of your creation, Ruby!

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  27. What a super fun card! I have two children with autism. Thank you for supporting this cause.

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  28. Great card! I love the Panda! Thanks for participating!

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  29. What a fun card, so nice of you to support such a worthy cause.

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  30. What a cute card! This is a great way to raise awareness about autism.

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  31. A fun card, great design and I love the sentiment. xx

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  32. Great card! Cute and fresh! Tanks for sharing some great information!

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  33. Such a beautiful card! I absolutely love the sentiment and all of the layers go together perfectly!

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  34. to cuuteee love the add of doily on your card..lovely color combo too
    AWESOME MADE
    hugs,
    Monika
    (I love and proud to join this hop and hope you like to hop back to my card it is #155)

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  35. Love the colors you used, your design, the way you did the sentiment and your whole card!!

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  36. Beautiful card!!!
    Hugs and Kisses;)

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  37. I was delighted to find this blog hop in aid of Autism as our 8yo son has low spectrum autism. He is a wonderful boy, much loved by many. Your card is brilliant! Thank you to all the sponsors for supporting this cause.

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  38. So fun, Ruby ... such an adorable panda nestled in among all those lovely layers! Anita :)

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  39. Po! Love these new Panda stamps....and your card us just beautiful, Ruby. Nice work! facebook.com/wavingmywand

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  40. how fun is this card?! I love the Panda at the bottom

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  41. awwwwwwww...so ADORABLE!!!!!!!

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  42. Adorable card and fabulous sentiment!!

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  43. Ha ha! This card is totally cute!!

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  44. Adorable, sweet and terrific card! Love this :)

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  45. This is soooooo adorable! Lots and lots of layered goodness. Love the way you repeated those circular patterns over and over again. Super cool!

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  46. Love this card....and just the perfect message!

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  47. Darling, love how you added the sentiment! ♥ Sue Kment

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  48. What a lovely card - gorgeous layers, patterns and sentiment! Thanks for sharing the info as well - great post :)

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  49. Beautiful card ! Great sentiment ! Thank you for joining this heart-warming blog hop !

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  50. I LOVE the sentiment! Your card is beautiful and the panda is so cute:)

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  51. Such a sweet card! LOVE the doilies! HUGS! :) Mynn xx

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  52. So fun with the happy panda!!!
    Thanks so much for participating in this important hop!
    <3 J

    jwoolbright at gmail dot com
    HerPeacefulGarden.blogspot.com

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  53. Such a sweet little panda! Wonderful sentiment

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  54. Love everything about this card from the panda to the layered embellishments, and especially the sentiment!! So darn cute!

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  55. Oh Ruby this is purely adorable! I love this little scene and that great sentiment. I'm so glad you joined in this hop that is making my heart sing :)

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  56. Such a fun card ! Love the panda! Thank you so much for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge. Hugs, Sandra

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  57. Beautifully done card! Just perfect for this blog hop!

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  58. Very cute. I like how this all came together.

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  59. Any card with a doily and a Panda is just Fantastic!

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  60. Such a cute Panda! Thanks for all the information on Autism too.

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  61. What a fabulous card. So glad to participate in such a fun and talented way to raise awareness.

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  62. Wonderful card. I love that panda and how happy he looks.

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  63. How fun is that Panda! Thank you for sharing!

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  64. Such a fun card with a heartfelt sentiment....love all the layers :)
    Jenny x

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  65. How fun! That panda is so cute! Thanks for taking the time to spread Autism Awareness!

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  66. What a sweet card Ruby. Love the darling panda... great colors and design.

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  67. Adorable card perfect for the hop!

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