Whimsical Wednesday Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Whimsical Wednesday blog hop! You should have arrived here from the fabulous Carlene at Me 'n' Miss Pink Cricut. If you just happened to drop by to say hi, please go to the Whimsical Wednesday blog to start at the beginning of the hop. For this hop we all made banners/wall decor that will be sent to a nursing home. The link to read more about this is posted at the Whimsical Wednesday blog.


For my project, I created a vertical door hanging. Each square is adhered to chipboard for support and durability. For a nicer finish and a softer surface for the door, the backside is covered with fabric. I decided on a classic black and white base, with each section adding a different pop of color in varying shades.

A few pre-assembly close-ups:

"A sprinkle of joy..."

"A touch of grace..."

"Love blossoms within this place."

The main inspiration for this project is the incredible love found within nursing home residents... and how they're full of so much spirit. Their love is ever-blossoming in strength and beauty, being shared with everyone who enters. All it takes is a sprinkle of joy (depicted by tiny liquid pearl droplets in the heart of the large flower) to start an outpouring of infectious happiness. Each of the three pieces can stand on their own and have elements unique to themselves, but together they're the most powerful. The sprinkles are shared and transferred by grace, as in a butterfly... then bloom in love from heart to heart. The white bases are Core'dinations Gemstone cardstock, supplying such a beautiful pearlescent sheen. The orchid and purple inks are also shimmery, giving gentle luster to the stamped background of the butterfly and the soft 'sunset' sponging along part of the heart vine. Dangling from the bottom is a sweet, sparkling flower.


These are our generous sponsors for our blog hop and what they are giving away for prizes:

Patsy from the Prairie Bird Boutique:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/prairiebirdboutique- 
Your choice of one bundle of Shabby Crinkle Ribbon

Babette from The Kraft Outlet: http://www.kraftoutlet.com/store/Default.asp-
The Kraft Outlet has generously donated their “Inspiration Play Pack." This is a collection of The Kraft Outlet's top selling items valued at over $45. The play pack comes with 10 yards each of the red and brown baker’s twine, an assortment of 50 of the plain and grungy tags, an 8 sheet assortment of their cardstock and text weight papers, an 8 envelope assortment, one sheet of Kraft labels, a set of their vintage dictionary pages, 1 yard of black twill tape and a CD full of 100 graphics and backgrounds.

In addition, the Kraft Outlet is offering 10% off all purchases made during the ENTIRE  month of July. Simply enter the code JULY10 at checkout.

The grand prize for the blog hop is a Gypsy, generously donated by Stephanie. In order to qualify for the grand prize you must leave a comment on each of the designers' blogs. At the end of the hop, please return to the Whimsical Wednesday blog to leave a comment saying that you finished the hop and left a comment under all of our posts. The blog hop will run through Sunday, ending at Midnight.

I'm so excited for my very first blog hop and am offering up some Blog Candy in celebration! One lucky random winner will receive an assortment of goodies, including:
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder
 * Flower Soft sprinkles, in your choice of original or ultra fine
 * Dew Drop Brilliance ink pads
 * Plus a couple of surprises!


To be eligible to win, simply leave me a comment telling me your favorite color or color scheme to create with. (Or just leave a comment... there are so many wonderful blogs to get to!) I don't require that you become a follower, but of course would love it if you do. The more, the sparklier! :o) I will announce the winner on Monday, July 11th! Due to high shipping costs, if the winner is from Alaska, Hawaii, or outside of the USA, the prize will instead be in the form of a gift certificate to a wonderful craft supply store.

Thank you for joining us for the Whimsical Wednesday blog hop! Your next stop is the incredibly sweet and talented Glora at Glora's Crafts. Have a beautiful weekend! :o)


In case you got lost along the way, here's the entire line-up:
1. Whimsical Challenge Blog: http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/                             
2. Stephanie: http://www.alwayscrafting.com/
3. Star: http://starspaperpassion.blogspot.com/
4. Jessica: http://chick-n-scrap.blogspot.com/
5. Shelly: http://cardsbyshelly.blogspot.com/

6. Chloe: http://chloeandherclipons.blogspot.com/
7. Amber: http://my3escrapbooking.blogspot.com/

8. Melanie: http://inlovewithabug.blogspot.com/

9. Faith-Abigail: http://www.faithabigaildesigns.com/
10. Cindy: http://cindybcreations.blogspot.com/
11. Joni: http://justcounting.blogspot.com/
12. GiGi: http://thecricutbug.blogspot.com/
13. Amber: http://stayingcrafty.blogspot.com/
14. Carlene: http://misspinkcricut.blogspot.com/
15. Karen: http://kaleidoscopicsparkles.blogspot.com/ (YOU ARE HERE!)
16. Glora: http://glorascrafts.blogspot.com/
17. Nanne: http://nannes-creations.blogspot.com/
18. Cathryn: http://inthepinkcathryn.blogspot.com/
19. Whimsical Wednesday: http://whimsicalwednesdays.blogspot.com/

Key Recipe Components:

 * Cricut cartridges: Kate's ABCs, Storybook

 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Swiss Dots

 * Paper: Core'dinations, Papertrey Ink

 * Stamps: Hero Arts~ Sweet Petals; Autumn Leaves~ flourishes; Stampendous~ Agapanthus Long
 * Copics: RV10, RV13, RV14

 * Ribbon: Essentials (from JoAnns), Offray

 * Brads: American Crafts

 * Flower: Prima Fabric Fancies

 * Butterfly Punch (two smallest butterflies): Fiskars

 * Miscellaneous: Dew Drop Brilliance, Flower Soft (in Fuchsia), Liquid Pearls, Recollections Pearl Flourish, Stickles