Baby cards: Project Sunshine and Smiles for St. Jude's

Happy Thursday, my sweet crafty friends! Are you smiling lots this week? If not, grab the nearest cupcake (or three), devour them, and finish them off with a sugary caffeine concoction. I won't tell.

Remember way back on Monday I mentioned a special card I was making? It's been one of those weeks. At long last it is complete... and it multiplied into two. Right after I post this I should make a sash, bedazzled with World's Pokiest Crafter in sparkly rhinestones. Hopefully the added hours served to amplify the love content I tried to pack into them.

Erica from My Cricut Craft Room is on a fabulous mission to collect 5,000 cards by the end of August for the beautiful children at the St. Jude's Children Research Hospital. Read THIS POST for more information. The instant I stumbled upon her blog, I committed myself to this project. It's heartbreaking what they go through every single day. Those kids deserve all the love and sunshine possible, and once again the crafting world is uniting for a great cause. The age range is baby through teen... the sky is the limit in theme, as long as it's not a reminder of their illness. General thinking of you, hope you're feeling better, etc... the things we all do so well, right? I will be making more cards throughout the summer, but I began with the babies.

This is my first time making baby-themed cards. I knew that in this special case, it was an excellent opportunity to reach out to the parents through them. These itty bitty babies can enjoy some aspects of cards, but they're so tiny (yet in a gigantic battle) that I made certain to reach their loved ones... particularly with what I tucked inside them.

The sentiment is a reminder to keep dreaming big for their little ones. Miracles happen every single day. :o) The exteriors are basically the same (clearly!), but do have a few differences. The baby boy is embossed and has Glossy Accented clouds, while the baby girl has a few rhinestones. I drew a Peachy Keen face on each moon, added a fluffy pom pom, and inked/faux stitched to make it stand out a bit. It and the bigger stars are pop-dotted for dimension. All of the stars are coated in Glossy Accents to make them like epoxy brads. I love the shiny, hard finish atop the sparkle.

The two stars that dangle from the pom pom are special. Since they're free and the moon is popped up, there's a decent chance they could flip, right? I took advantage of that opportunity to sneak in a little message... Love heals:

And tucked inside the cards, in little pockets:

I attached these to jump rings to replicate the ever-popular "keys" toy that little ones play with. Instead of for playtime, these are keys to win their battle. I kept the same color schemes, but made these bolder... because the families need a bold spirit to fight for their sweet baby. The three cards are Faith, Hope, and Love. On the backs they'll find a message from me touching on the given topic. To end each is a tiny sheep, because the Lord is our shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms, and carries them close to his heart.

Hopefully these cards will fulfill my goal of spreading a little sunshine and reminding them they're not alone in these scary times. And I hope you enjoy them, too! :o) Thank you for stopping by my blog. Every visit means so much to me. :o) Have a gorgeous day, everyone!

(Side note: I have a couple of awards from several amazing people. So as not to turn this post into a novel, I'll do those separately as soon as I can. I am so appreciative... they give me warm fuzzies. I'm anxious to post them and return the love. Thank you, my dear friends!)

Challenges Entered:
 * My Craft Spot (Ink it up!)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Create a Critter, Elegant Edges, Simply Charmed
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: D'vine Swirls, Polka Dots
 * Paper: Bazzill, DCWV, Heidi Grace, Imaginisce
 * Ribbon: American Crafts, miscellaneous
 * Twine: Sew Easy (limeade and lollipop)
 * Miscellaneous: Dew Drop Brilliance, Glossy Accents, iRock, Stickles