Craft, Disney & Tech Bits
Daisy Sparks lives in Orange County, California where she raises her two daughters, runs her crafting empire, obsesses over everything Disney, and geeks out with her husband. In other words, Daisy runs a lot. This website is Daisy's outlet to share all of her favorite things about craft, Disney, and Tech.
Contact Daisy by email at daisy@crafteconnection.com
If you haven't heard about this or seen links to it, here you go. If you are big Toy Story fan, than it is a must to watch.
Check out how these young filmakers re-created and filmed Toy Story LIVE. It is pretty amazing. The details merely reflect the love they have for this project that took 2 years to complete. I salute their dedication and creation.
"To infinity & Beyond!"
-Daisy
New Century Timepieces - Disneyland
While working at Disneyland, I became fascinated with Disney watches. Working at New Century Timepieces (now the Fortuosity Shop) on Main Street, USA exposed me to lots of the different Disney timepieces. There were a lot of variety of Disney characters and designs back in the 1990s. Some Disney watches were made to be "collectible" while other designs attracted fans of specific Disney characters.
I simply began to purchase Disney-themed watches that I liked. Wrist watches were functional back then. If I was working at Disneyland, it was fun to wear a Disney watch. I chose to limit myself to certain designs and productions in my quest to start my personal Disney watch collection.
For 2013, I am going to share one watch a week from my personal Disney watch stash. It was fun looking through my watch collection and remembering some cherished moments associated with particular timepieces. A good number of my watches were only available to Cast Members. I have many watches that came with great packaging. There are some good Disneyland stories to tell, too.
My Disney Time starts tomorrow. The first watch is pretty special. See you real soon!
-Daisy
Merry Christmas!
For this last entry of Disney on my Tree, I had to share my tree topper. I can't even remember when I got this but this angel is the star of our Christmas Tree. Angel Minnie Mouse is simply special all dressed in gold. Her wings and hands both move. She is the shinning star.
Wishing you lots of Christmas Cheer. With many blessings to you family, too!
-Daisy
"When you wish upon a star..." That's what the Disney Wonder horn plays when it leaves the dock. My family was lucky enough to take an Alaskan cruise aboard the Disney Wonder this past summer. It did feel like a wish came true with a once in a lifetime family vacation filled with Disney magic enroute to one of the most scenic states in our Union, Alaska.
We chose these two ornaments to remember this dream vacation. The Disney Wonder is a very luxurious vessel so this resin replica conjures up many memories for my family. We had fun remembering the beauty of the ship, the fantastic broadway-like shows, Deck 9, and much more Disney magic. It was really a chance for us to disconnect in order to "connect" together.
This second resin ornament is a reminder of the Alaskan ports we were able to visit such as Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau. We did some zip-lining and my husband even had a chance to go dog sledding with Iditarod dogs. We did see some very intricate totem poles and this ornament is a great Disney interpretation.
On this Christmas Eve, don't forget to check out Norad to see where Santa is. They now have a great App, too.
Wishing you day filled with love and Christmas Cheer!
-Daisy
Day 23 is brought to you by one more Donald & Daisy Duck ornament.
I love the tiny red Mickey Mouse ornament ball that Donald Duck is holding in his hand. The mistletoe that Daisy Duck holds over Donald's head adds another cute factor. She is ready for some Christmas cheer and Donald looks like he is ready, too. It's oh so cute on our tree.
My kids like to refer 2 days before Christmas as Christmas Eve, Eve.
So happy Christmas Eve, Eve!
-Daisy
Day 22 is brought to you from 4 ladies dancing.
I bought these as Disney Store set one year when my kids were younger. My girls loved all the Disney Princesses. They had most of the costumes. They still love all the songs associated with these Disney classic characters. We thought this set was really fun because you got to see the Disney Princess as dancing ballerinas. We especially love the way their dancing costumes were true to their actual Princess outfits.
Belle
Cinderella
Sleeping Beauty (Aurora/Briar Rose)
Hard to believe this is the last big Christmas weekend. Hope all your shopping is all done. My family is simply looking forward to a couple days together to shop, wrap, have a "picnic dinner" under our tree so we can enjoy our ornaments and share some special memories.
Happy Saturday!
-Daisy
I am thinking about and celebrating kids today. We all have some inner child in all of us. Christmas really highlights the innocence and wonder of being a kid....and being a kid at heart, too. Mickey Mouse and friends bring both kids and adults together for all kinds of events and holiday fun.
Day 21 features this fun ornament I got back in 2008 from The Disney Store. It is actually heavier than you think. I love the Mickey Mouse iconic glove that serves as a balloon for Mickey and his friends. Looks like they are ready for a fun adventure.
Up, Up and away!
Back of Day 21 ornament features Donald Duck & Goofy.
Are you ready for the final big Christmas weekend? Find your inner child and go all out this Christmas. Better yet, enjoy Christmas through the eyes of a child in your life. They may be small but have such big hearts to share the season with you.
Merry Christmas!
-Daisy
Day 20! Oh my!
This one is a favorite of mine. It's a 2000 Hallmark Keepsake entitled Donald & Daisy at Lover's Lodge. My husband and I went to Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe for our honeymoon 19 years ago to this date. We did some skiing, drove some snow mobiles, and tried a little cross-county skiing. It was all SNOW fun!
Only 5 more days until Christmas! That's what my kids are singing today. I will just be happy to spend some time with them during the break.
Get some holiday cheer on today!
-Daisy
Today's ornament reminds me of the just how close we are to Christmas. It's definitely time to kick into full gear.
I love the old fashion Pie Eye Mickey and Minnie on their bike. Their legs are made up of springs. This ornament is very glittery, too. It's just plain cute. Mickey & Minnie are ready to go and get their Christmas on.
Today's ornament is brought to you by Donald Duck & Daisy Duck. This Hallmark Keepsake Ornament depicts Donald & Daisy Duck on a gondola. It always makes me think of romance.
It's a special one today because it also my wedding anniversary. Yes, we were married a week before Christmas. Our wedding invites had a Christmas theme and we had mini Christmas trees for our centerpieces. We invited Santa Clause and he happily showed up with a bag of toys in tow for our small wedding guests.
My wedding anniversary is another reason why we do Christmas so big at my house. It's simply the most wonderful time of year. My husband can still sweep me off my feet.
We usually buy an ornament while we are on vacation to remember our fun trip. Finding and then putting up our "vacation ornaments" on the Christmas Tree brings back all those family moments. Great stories and laughter usually follows certain vacation ornaments. It makes tree trimming fun.
Day 17 is brought to you by this Walt Disney ornament that we bought to remember our trip back in 2004. Of course Disney would have specific ornaments to commemorate a special vacation. On the back of the ornament is Tinkerbell. I really love the Mickey with his camera around his neck and Minnie holding the colorful balloons.
Only 8 more sleeps before Santa comes!
-Daisy
Day 16 is brought to you by a Disney Channel character who is described as a "a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of action". Perry the Platypus has become a favorite in my house. We are all fans of the Phineas and Ferb show on The Disney Channel. It is a show we can all enjoy together. We even own the Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites Holiday music. Perry the Platypus is a fun character for all ages. He may be quiet and small, but he is always up to protecting the kids he belongs to while honoring his call of duty as a super secret agent spy.
Today this ornament reminds me of all the kids eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival. It reminds me of being a parent. I am remembering young children who touched many lives, even for just a little amount of time but made big dents in many hearts. I am thinking about the teachers who all have an unselfish heart for looking after our kids in our schools. They are now Christmas angels.
Sharing in sorrow and faith.
Daisy
Abra-ca-dabra! Magician Mickey is here to present Day 15.
This ornament reminds me of all my days spent at The Magic Shop on Main Street, USA - Disneyland. When I worked there, I was asked if I would be interested in working at The Magic Shop. Of course I said yes to a new adventure. You had to go through a week of training so you could learn all the tricks and products that the shop carried. This speciality knowledge allowed me to work as a "magic demo" in The Magic Shop. I happily spent several summers in one of the smallest stores on Main Street. It was great fun working with a very small group of magic demos. I got to interact with an eclectic assortment of Guests who came in excited to see and learn about magic.
This is a new ornament I purchased this year. It is a first of a series from Hallmark. Kind of excited about that. Such fond memories that Magician Mickey brings to me.
Do you believe....in fairies?
Day 14 features Tinkerbell. This ornament also acts as an embellishment for the lights on the tree. Tink's red lantern is actually placed over a Christmas light bulb. I love this little detail.
Day 13 is brought to you by the one and only, Donald Duck.
When you think of Donald Duck, you think of a cranky, pant-less personality, right? I think this ornament captures just what Donald Duck would be like if he were attempting to decorate for Christmas. He adds some character to the Christmas tree.
I do have many Daisy Duck ornaments on my tree. This is one of my favorites. It is a Radko ornament of Daisy Duck inside a Christmas stocking. I love the vibrant colors as you can see Daisy's pink shirt peeking out. Look at her red bow and red Santa hat...Shiny!
There are several Disney castles on my Christmas Tree. Day 11 features a special Disneyland Castle ornament that was available for its 50th anniversary. In 2005, Sleeping Beauty Castle was ornately decorated to mark this big milestone. Each of the five castle turrets featured a gold crown that represented a decade of Disneyland magic.
I love this resin ornament because it is so detailed and is a very good replica of what Sleeping Beauty Castle looked like for Disneyland's 50th anniversary. It also reminds me of how special this particular castle is because it is the only one that Walt Disney ever walked through.
Day 10 is brought to you by The Emporium.
This resin ornament reminds me of my fun days working at The Emporium store on Main Street, USA. When I was hired into Disneyland back in the summer of 1989, I was placed at Main Street Merchandise. I worked many days at the big store. It always felt like Christmas Eve every night as people rushed in to get their souvenir shopping done. It is always hustle and bustle 365 days a year in The Emporium as people look for their special momento of their trip or they were buying a gift for their family/friends.
There are only 14 more shopping days left until Christmas!
Who's the leader of the band....
Band member Mickey is all decked out complete with his big drum. I love the classic Mickey Mouse Club logo featured on his drum. Looks like he is ready to march in the Christmas Parade.
Wishing you more cheer today,
Daisy
Day 7 is brought to you by Walt Disney World.
Loving Disney means you have to go explore all Pixie Dust out there if possible. We've been lucky enough to have been able to vist Walt Disney World. It is truly a big, big world of Disney. There are four separate Disney Parks that offer pure Disney magic.
This glass ornament was purchased on our last trip back in 2004. Way too long ago. I love this vintage suitcase that has the destination labels slapped on both sides. There are two labels per side. You can only guess what adventures happened in those Disney Parks that we travelled.
Wishing you some jolly this holiday!
-Daisy
