Encouragement Card :)

Happy Tuesday, my cherished friends! I hope your week is going beautifully. :o)

On Sunday I posted a card I made for Michael, the Autistic son of a fellow crafter who will soon be undergoing two surgeries on his feet. His sweet mom is Naomi from Creative Bug on the Loose and I couldn't resist making a little something for her, too. :o)

"He shall give His angels charge over thee."

When I think of Naomi, I think of beauty and elegance, with a touch of whimsy. (That can be said for both her and her lovely crafts!) I wanted this small gift to encourage her and also symbolize how I view her. She has such a selfless, giving heart, effortlessly portraying the beauty of her spirit. Fittingly, we crossed paths as fellow faithful participants of the incredible I Feel the Love Project. :o) And so, my goal was to deliver her Scripture surrounded by nature's beauty... and a heap of love. :o)

I love lacy frames, but without any such dies I decided to make my own with four cuts of my favorite Cheery Lynn Designs border (Anastasia). I recently saw a Cheery Lynn DT member (Sandy, I believe) create some cards with that technique and I was so inspired. I took the long route of trying to make the four shortened lengths match perfectly, but it was worth it! Although not perfect, it still looks like a lacy purple frame so I'm happy. :o) Since I'm addicted to sparkle and shine, I added two shades of purple pearls to the corners where the diagonals were cut. The base paper is from the K and Company Watercolor Bouquet stack.

The focal point is the powerful K Andrew Designs sentiment from her Scripture Sayings stamp set. I felt compelled to remind her of God's faithful protection. I mounted the golden paper atop a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis square, which I edged with a Wild Orchid Crafts flat-back pearl strand. I cut four short lengths and lined them up the best I could. Next time I'll do the lengths *before* cutting the sentiment paper. ;) A WOC pearl heart was added for an extra touch of love.

For a splash of nature, I made an arrangement of purple and white WOC roses, which are drenched in Sparkle Shimmer Spritz. I wanted to be sure they stayed sparkly all the way to Canada. ;) A Cheery Lynn Designs mini fanciful flourish rests beneath the flowers, along with a double bow of My Craft Spot Buttercup crinkle ribbon (for a touch of sunshine). To remind Naomi how much we all love her, I stacked two Cheery Lynn Hearts (Two of Hearts) for a double dose of love. The top one is pop-dotted for dimension and I topped it with a sparkly rose... just like her love is ever-blossoming toward her sweet Michael. I hope she enjoys this tiny token of encouragement from my sappier-than-a-maple-tree heart. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Charisma Cardz~ Bada Bing! (Bling/Shiny)
 * Craft Your Passion~ Hip to be Square
 * Cute Card Thursday~ Ribbon!
 * Divas by Design~ Use Some Texture
 * Lollipop Crafts~ Something Old, Something New (Old: Stamp; New: Border die)
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * PaperPlay~ Shine On (Sparkle, shine, or gloss)
 * Paper Pretties~ Sentiment-Focus
 * Sentimental Sundays~ Anything Goes (plus a sentiment)
 * Word Art Wednesday~ Encouragement/Uplifting, inspired by love

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a blessed day of love, hugs, and pumpkin delights! :o)