Mexican Mural - Tijuana Snow

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Snow White Mural, Tijuana, Mexico. Image copyright NathanGibbs. Creative Commons License.

Easel box card tutorial

I'm on a tutorial roll this morning, I've been promising this for so long so and as I posted one of these easel box cards in my post yesterday decided it was time I got on with it, plus the tri fold card which you will find in the post below this one.

All measurements on this one are metric and you can blow each one up to get a closer look by right clicking over the picture.

You will need four sheets of A4 cardstock, or if you use A3 and juggle the pieces about a bit you should get away with one of those and one A4. Also, a scoreboard, ruler, glue....I uses Art Institute dries clear as it's an almost instant fix and as the name implies dries clear.....two 12x12 sheets of DP and a tassel or large brad for the draw handle. I like to use double sided or coordinating DP as this gives the best visual result. Plus your easel card to fit on top.

Cut out all pieces and score as per the pictures (see note below fig 4 before you cut).

fig 1

Join A & B on box parts one and two (fig 1&2) by folding over each other butting to the folds, so you have one long piece. Now fold the whole piece round to form a box shape and glue the longest flap over the shorter one - this should butt to the corner fold and give a perfect box shape.

fig 2

fig 3

Score all round the drawer piece as above, then cut a triangle section out from each corner piece. This then folds inside the next section to create your drawer. I use the same glue for this and find it helps to keep a good shape if you pop a paper clip on each corner until it's totally dry.

fig 4

You can add any shape easel card on top, but if you are going all square as the one below, you can cut this piece all in one : i.e 148 x 296 and score in the middle so that you have the top of your box and base of easel all in one. Then you just need an extra 148 square piece for the main focal element.

Cover all sections of your assembled box with DP's and that's it other that whatever design you add to the top. As always, please mail me with any questions.

Tri fold card tutorial

As promised here are the instructions to make a tri fold card like the one I posted the other day here and below. I know there are lots of different styles of this fold card and tutorials out there in blogland, but I wanted to come up with one that involved the minimum amount of cutting and faffing about and this one uses an A4 sheet of card as it comes without any trimming. All measurements for this one are in good old fashioned inches.

All you need to create the card is one whole A4 sheet of cardstock, a ruler and/or scoring board, pencil and craft knife.

I have tried to make the picture as clear as possible, but you can always click on the picture to get a closer look if any of the measurements are not clear enough. Hope you find this easy to follow, but any problems please do ask me (e.mail on my profile page).

Thumper Meets the Seven Dwarfs Book

In 1944, the Thumper and the Seven Dwarfs comic was bound and sold in the Better Little Books series.

Better Little Book images via Of Times Past.

Thumper Meets the Seven Dwarfs (56-68)

The final pages of the 1943 Dell comic from earlier post...

Rear Cover

Comic book copyright 1942, 1943 Walt Disney Productions.  

Image scans courtesy of the Bob Fergusson Collection. See Bob's blog at Allure.

Some Day My Prince Will Come - Jazz and Pop Covers

Adriana Caselotti's showstopping "Some Day My Prince Will Come" is one of the many touching highlights from Snow White. Composed by Frank Churchill with lyrics by Larry Morey, the song is ranked #19 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest songs in movie history.

Over the years, the tune has been performed by both jazz and pop artists alike. First covered by the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1957, the American jazz pianist was inspired to record the song for his Dave Digs Disney album after hearing the original on one of his kid's Disney records. Other jazz greats followed including Miles Davis whose 1961 arrangement included a sax solo by John Coltrane. Modern day recordings continue like that of Venetians Radu and Violeta Zaplitnii.

Pop covers include Diana Ross and The Supremes (1967), Sinéad O'Connor (1988), Tanya Tucker (1996), Barbra Streisand (2001), Tiffany Thornton (2009) and quite a number of others. Some are welcome renditions of Adrianna Caselotti's original. Others nearly make me ill. But who am I to judge?


Here's a cross section...

Performed by Dave Brubeck Quartet. Video posted by daalmelo.

Performed by Bill Evans Trio. Video posted by kenjames64.

Performed by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, et al. Video posted by elnapoli.

Performed by Radu e Violeta Zaplitnii. Video posted by neboske.

Performed by Lena Horne. Video posted by lenahorneclub.

Performed by Diana Ross and The Supremes. Video posted by dreamsupreme4u.



Performed by Linda Ronstadt. Video posted by planetlove71.



Performed by Barbra Streisand. Video posted by StylishlyDemented.



Performed by Ashley Tisdale. Video posted by Pinkgirlie1995. 



Performed by Cheetah Girls. Video posted by wiishup0nast4r. 

 

Performed by Tiffany Thornton. Video posted by DisneyChannelUK.

Allosorts literally

Good Morning everyone, well the snow arrived here last night, how about you ?

Not a lot, but it looks really pretty. It was the puppies first encounter with the white stuff, neither Daisy or Lily were took keen and both wanted to get back to their respective baskets.

I thought I would share the easel box card I made last week for Azaria, it used the really cute slapstick from Penny Black 40-038 Kindness, which I stamped and embossed three times, coloured with Copics and decoupaged. The DP is My Minds Eye, the swirls a sizzix die and the border Martha Stewart trellis fence. The flower is made using Tim Holtz tattered floral die, soaked in water to shape then spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl. This is for the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - Christmas

Something Completely Different - Let it Snow (it is with glitter)

Over at Allsorts we have a brand new challenge this morning were my teami Amanda would like to see Monochromatic projects.

For my DT work I have created a shaped card using Nesties.........it's not huge but I do love the shape of these new labels 17........ which I spritzed the card itself with Glimmer Mist gold. I used Stamps by Judith (Stamp Addicts) 0-90 which I stamped with versamark and embossed with detail clear, then distressed with Tim Holtz scattered straw and tea dye. I then overstamped Stampendous long agapanthus in versafine sepia. The bottom section was run thorough the Big Shot using Cuttlebug bark folder, some ribbon, Swarovski crystals and a small sentiment to finish. This card is also for the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner - Tag it

Alphabet Challenge- E is for embossing
Lots to Do - Embosing (used dry and heat)

One of Adriana's Last Autographs

Pencil artist Darren Clossin started drawing "notable" people back in 1993...

I always draw two identical pictures, so the person can keep one. I generally always draw older people because I've always found them more interesting subjects (and they're more likely to respond). I would say my favorite ones are the people who aren't necessarily "celebrities" but circumstances caused them to be in the right place in the right time to have a place in History. From his blog Darren's Celebrity Drawings.

On this particular occasion, Darren drew a scene from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which he completed on October 23, 1996. He mailed the two drawings off to Adriana Caselotti in hopes of having her sign one.

Darren Clossin drawing autographed by Adriana Caselotti.

But unfortunately for Darren, Adriana returned the drawings to him unsigned and included a price list with her signing fee...

I figured what the heck, she's 80, I may as well. So I sent her $60, her fee for signing both drawings. She signed both of them, and also sent me a nice note on Snow White stationary, and a signed photo for free! Sadly she passed away just two months later at age 80...I was glad I ended up paying her to sign them.  From Darren's blog post.

Adriana developed lung cancer in 1996 and died of respiratory failure on January 19, 1997. Darren's drawing would have been one of the last autographs she ever signed.

Darren's 8x10 and Snow White Stationary autographed by Adriana Caselotti. All images used with permission.

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The Autographed Adriana Caselotti

Later in her life, Adriana Caselotti became a prolific autograph signer and usually sold them to help supplement her income. Most of the signatures below are on 8x10 black and white glossy photographs.

"Love..." Image courtesy of BudsGoods. Used with permission.

" A wishing apple?" Image courtesy of Autograph Collectors Gallery. Used with permission.

"Why, you're little men." Image courtesy of Autograph Collectors Gallery. Used with permission.

"Voice of..." Image courtesy of Autograph Collectors Gallery. Used with permission.

"Voice of..." Image courtesy of blueskies239. Used with permission.

"Oh Dopey!" Image copyright dfarley61845.

Uh...Puppies! Image courtesy of PJs Collectibles Plus.

"Some day my prince will come." Image courtesy of American Icon Autographs. Used with permission.

"Some day my prince will come." Image courtesy of Chuck McKeen Autographs.

"Voice of..." Image courtesy of Chuck McKeen Autographs.

"...at age 80!" Image courtesy Phil Sears Collectibles. Caselotti outside her Hollywood home. 8x10 recently sold for $179 (US).

_____________

Graham Clipson runs the Autograph Collectors Gallery in Nottingham, England. In a recent email, he tells how he spoke with Adriana many times...

She used to sing over the telephone to us a few years before she passed away. I have many signed photo's of her as she said, 'I won't last forever.' A delightful lady.

Below is a letter dated November 1994 from Adriana to the Clipsons in regards to their order of 51 signed photos...

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Let it Snow

Mojo missing...............if found please return a.s.a.p.

Oh my goodness, it's hard going no inspiration and Mr Mojo nowhere to be found. Last night I must have spent an hour looking at a collection of lovely new stamps from Teresa at Crafts and Me and nothing gelled. As they were all fairies something is definitely not right.

But before I launch into my cards, I want to say a big thank you to Bee Crafty for selecting me as their winner last week, this is a fairly new challenge so do check it out, they have a super sketch this week and fab prizes. And also the girls at Creative Cottage who selected the card I made for my Grandson as one of their Top 3.

So here are my meagre offerings from a Mojoless craft room. The fairy on the card above is Sweet Pea Hiding, equally as lovely as all the others and I just feel I have not done her justice. She is coloured with Copics and her wings decoupaged and glittered. The DP is Magnolia, Martha Stewart punched snowflakes, ribbon and a flower. This is for the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Dreaming of a White Christmas - snowflakes

Creative Cottage - Untraditional Christmas

Charisma Cardz - One for the girls

Ladybug - Sketch

My next card, also one of last evenings efforts, uses Hero Arts F5075 Sparkle Poinsettia, inked with Tim Holtz dusky concord and bundled sage and spritzed with water before stamping. The DP is My Minds Eye and the flower is mounted onto a 'doily' cut using the Magnolia die - this is a half circle and takes a bit of getting used to lining up, but once mastered worth the effort as it is so pretty. I tend to cut several at a time once I get the technique going. Some adorable lace which was part of a prize and a single flower and pearls to embellish. This is for the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles - Anything goes

Bee Crafty - Sketch

My final card is a Stampalot sample which I shall be delivering tomorrow.........I have prepared instruction sheets for making a tri fold card which will be available at their Third Ultimate Rubber Stamping Day on 4th December 10am through 4pm with free eats and drinks all day. I will also pop the instructions on my blog shortly.

I masked a piece of cardstock to create a moon by sponging distress inks, then stamped Art Impression U1562 Rooftops which I coloured with TH ink and added a liberal amount of glitter to the rooftops. Through the moon I stamped Magenta 02045-6 Santa......this is a silhouette wood mounted stamp and if you go looking for it you will see the actual image is straight, but I 're-assembled' it to curve the sleigh. The DP is October Afternoon and he snowflakes a Martha Stewart punch. This card is for the following challenges:

Scrapbook Sisters - Let it Snow

Simon Says - Let it Snow

ABC - I is for Ice and Snow

Moving Along with the Times - More than one fold

Stampalot goodies winner

Morning peeps.

Thank you to everyone who joined in my candy run for the £30 Sir Stampalot voucher and I am pleased to announce the winner selected by Random Org is:

Troy

Number 129

Well done Troy please mail me brenda@ibas.co.uk and I will explain what you need to do to claim your prize.

I will be back later with some cards and more candy in a day or so, so keep your eyes peeled.

Adriana Caselotti - The Voice of Innocence

A boss with a vision. Hundreds of multi-talented artists at the ready. And a project the likes of which had never been seen before. Nothing short of monumental was the collaborative effort put forth by the men and women who made Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Fans and animation historians today can easily rattle off a throng of celebrated names whose creative and dedicated labor contributed to the massive success of the film. The animation was stunning, the multiplane photography innovative, the music composition sublime, and the story tight as a drum. Yet, the crowning stroke was Walt Disney's choice of Adriana Caselotti as "the voice of Snow White." She was the perfect "icing" for this awe-inspiring "cake".

Caselotti was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, May 16, 1916 to a very operatic family...

Her father Guido, an immigrant from Italy, taught music in New York City, her mother Maria (from Naples) sang at the Royal Opera, and a sister Louise was a noted opera singer and voice teacher. Source: IMDb.

Adriana received her formal schooling at a convent near Rome while her mother sang in the Opera. Upon returning to America, her father trained her in the art of hitting those high notes.

Authentic Autographed Adriana Caselotti 8x10 courtesy of Brian Sibley (signed in his presence).

As Hollywood looked to expand its use of this new technology called "sound", the early 1930s saw operetta being incorporated more and more into motion pictures. MGM's The Merry Widow and Disney's own Silly Symphony The Goddess of Spring  were two such projects released in 1934. Snow White, already in development during this period, would feel their influence.

Left: The Merry Widow (1934). Image via Alt Film Guide. Copyright Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Right: The Goddess of Spring (1934). Image via ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive. Copyright Disney.

Snow White Wishing Well scene (1937). Image via Ink and Pixel Club. Copyright Disney.

Walt knew that finding the right voice for his heroine would be critical to the charm and success of the movie. Snow White more the anything was the embodiment of innocence. The actor who played her must exhibit this vocally. So important was the quest to find the perfect lead that more than 150 girls had already auditioned for the part when Guido Caselotti, now working as a vocal coach in Los Angeles, got a call from, Roy Scott, a Disney talent scout.

The story of how Adriana listened in on the extension to her father's conversation is an oft-repeated Snow White anecdote. When Scott asked Guido if he knew of any young singers that might fit the role, she immediately chimed in with a recommendation of herself. Hearing that Walt Disney was looking for the voice of a younger girl, Adriana, 19 at the time, sang and spoke into the phone with her now familiar operatic child-like intonation. Her embarrassed father told her to get off the line, but not before Scott had invited her to come to the studio for an audition.

Walt Disney Studios 1926-1940. Image via Floyd B. Bariscale. Creative Commons License. 

Candidates for the title role would be brought into the soundstage where they'd sing and read lines for the casting director. If the girl seemed promising, Walt would be paged to come hear the voice for himself. Not wanting to be influenced by the appearance of the girl, he had a wire run to his office near to the stage so he could listen in on a speaker without having to see what she looked like. When Adriana performed, Walt knew she was the one. "That's the girl! That's Snow White!" The search was over and the contract signed.

Adriana started recording on January 20th, 1936. She was paid $20 a day for 48 days of recording and took home a total salary of $970. During the sessions, she continued to speak and sing her lines in what she considered to be the voice of a 14 year old, "but I never told Disney that. He never knew."

There was no one to play off of for her lines and no musical accompaniment for her singing (except for Frank Churchill plunking away with one finger on the piano). She had to carry it all on her own which she admitted was not always easy.

Occasionally spoken lines gave Caselotti's child-voice trouble... 

One of the lines was, 'Grumpy. I didn't know you cared'. Instead of that I couldn't get the DNT at the end of: 'didn't'...I would say 'din". We rehearsed this thing over and over again and Walt said, "Listen, you're going to have to put this thing in there'. So I tried again--fine in rehearsal and came the take. I still got it wrong and Walt said, 'Oh, the hell with it...' And it's still there.*

Image via AcePhotos, posted by crown022002.

Adriana breathed life into the title character and imbued her with the endearing qualities of innocence and grace--just what Walt was looking for. It's difficult to imagine the film without her. And yet, it's interesting to note that at the 1937 Carthay Circle premiere, she was not considered to be one of the invited guests. The main artists and animators were given tickets, but apparently the voice actors were not. This didn't stop Adriana.

She showed up with Harry Stockwell, the voice of the prince, on her arm. When they reached the ticket booth, they were told by the attendant that their names were not on the list. 'Tickets? We don't have any tickets--I'm Snow White and this is Prince Charming!'** The attendant, of course having no idea who these two were, refused their request. The two stars of the film stepped aside and waited until no one was looking. Then quietly they slipped upstairs to one side of the balcony to watch the movie.

It was the Golden Age of Hollywood and a time when studios held contract over their actors. Walt owned Caselotti's voice. Not wanting to spoil the illusion of Snow White, he prevented her from working in other films or even appearing on radio shows. Except for a vocal bit part in The Wizard of Oz (1939) and an uncredited performance as the Singer at Martini's in It's A Wonderful Life (1946), Adriana would never really work in motion pictures again.

_______________________________________________________________________

Later in life, Adriana was to say that she may have only received $970 for her role, but it really didn't matter if she ever got a penny. She was just grateful for having the opportunity of being part of this great film.

Actively involved with many of the re-releases of the motion picture including the 50th Anniversary in 1987, Adriana would appear on radio, in television specials and at other publicity events.

She was also asked to re-record the "I'm Wishing" song which plays at Disneyland's Snow White's Grotto.

(Left) Adriana poses next to Snow White poster outside Mann's Theatre in Hollywood, 1987. Image via of David Lesjak at Vintage Disney Collectibles. Used with permission.

At age 70, Adriana is seen in this 1986 video below with the same spirit and spunk she possessed as an 18 year old. It's a wonderful glimpse into her joyful personality.

Adriana Caselotti interview. Video posted by yensidnaf.

This autographed 8x10 photo of Adriana is one of thousands that she would sign and sell to fans as a form of income...

Autographed 8x10. Image via AcePhotos. Posted by sunrise1982.

Adriana embraced her Snow White persona even to the extent of having a full size Wishing Well built in the front yard of her Beverly Hills home. Located at 201 S. Larchmont Blvd., the house contained Snow White figurines and other memorabilia. Even her telephone answering machine was set with her recording of "I'm Wishing".

Adriana Caselotti's Larchmont home. Images (top row) courtesy of btmeacham, (bottom row) via California Jarod. Used with permission.

Snow White researchers and authors Brian Sibley and Richard Hollis visit Adriana outside her home in 1988. Pictured (L-R): Brian Sibley, Adriana, her then-partner Florian, and Richard and Christine Holliss. Photo shot by long-time Snow White buff Muir Hewitt. Image via Brian Sibley's flickr. Used with permission.

Honored as a Disney Legend in 1994, Adriana was invited to leave her handprints in cement during the ceremony. Later a bronze cast would be created and the plaque put on display at the Disney Legends Plaza (dedicated October 16, 1998) at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank .


Image (left) courtesy of Scott Wolf. Used with permission. Learn more about the Disney Legends at Scott's MouseClubhouse.com.

Bronze Handprints. Image courtesy of DarthValley. Used with permission.

Adriana was the true embodiment of the childlike nature that Walt Disney sought to reach in people--and the perfect choice for the role of Snow White. In 1995, she told a reporter, "I know that my voice will never die." She was so right.

Adriana Caselotti passed away on January 19th, 1997 at the age of 80.


* Adriana Caselotti quoted in Walt Disney and Europe by Robin Allan, p.41.
** Adriana Caselotti quoted in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs--The Making of the Classic Film by Brian Sibley and Richard Hollis, pp. 35-36.