Varied-Flap Folded Mini Booklet

Hello, my sweet friends! Thank you for your lovely words and encouragement all week as I've worked on my last contributions for this month's I Feel the Love Project. I'm ecstatic that I finished this last project on time.. and I'll celebrate by seeing what you've been up to the past two days while I was holed up in my crafty area. :o) Then I'll write a little note for the Sotos to accompany this gift.

I had it on my heart to make a little something for each of Vicki Soto's immediately family members. She is the heroic first grade teacher who sacrificed her life to save six or seven of her students in the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy... we've been creating in her honor this month.

At 27 years old, she was the oldest of four kids. One of her younger sisters said the pain was unimaginable. Since Madison gave us the opportunity to reach out to Vicki's family and her surviving students, I wanted my final project to be a little keepsake.

Five different little minis to store favorite pictures or memories of their beloved sister and daughter... one each for her parents (Carlos and Donna), two sisters (Jillian and Carlee), and her brother (Carlos):

I used my Cameo and a Samantha Walker cut file to create these folded goodies. They can be cards or little booklets... I'm using them as teeny mini-albums. I've spoken at length about this collection over the last few weeks. All that's left to say as I wrap up my work for it is that I love this family with all of my heart. I pray they see and feel the love I've poured into these little gifts... creations that Vicki inspired. I hope they know how much they are thought of and that God loves them dearly. And I hope they use these, keeping a few treasured memories tucked safely inside.

A few more pictures... they probably need to be enlarged to see the little sparkles and pearls sprinkled throughout the flower clusters. I used Wild Orchid Crafts flowers and my Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish for the arrangements. The flowers were Shimmer Spritzed for a sparkly finish.

I bet you want to see a peek inside, don't you? An abundance of love, in varying patterns... eager to hold extra special moments from Vicki's life:

I didn't mean to cut off the blue one that much... the interior panels are lovely blue scrolls and vines. The gorgeous green and light blue glittery one is made of papers from a Susan Winget collection. So beautiful in person.

And a glimpse of the other three, ranging from fluttering hearts to bright floral to sweet elegance:

These were a joy to create, particularly knowing where they were headed. I've tucked my love inside them too, so it'll always be there as they face their new reality. It's been an honor to craft in Vicki's memory this month and I hope all my work engulfs the students and her family in an endless hug. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Cheery Lynn Designs~ Tickled Pink (the heart one)
 *Die Cuttin' Divas~ Anything Goes
 *DL.Art~ Linky Party
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Moving Along with the Times~ Punch it Out: Favorite punch or die (Cheery Lynn flourish)
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting me today! You make my blog sparkle. :o)

Love Bug Hello Kitty

Happy Wednesday, my dear friends! I hope your week has been all things lovely. :o) Today I have another card for January's I Feel the Love Project, where we are creating for those directly impacted by the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. This little card will be going to a child who witnessed horrendous events in his/her classroom. It just breaks my heart.

Many of you know I've longed to make Hello Kitty cards, but wasn't able to buy the cartridge before Provo Craft retired it. One of the first things I did upon receiving my Silhouette Cameo this month was check for Hello Kitty files... my heart did the sparkliest happy dance ever when I discovered sweet cut files provided by the generous and talented Ruthie of September Ninth! :o)

Love Bug Hello Kitty stole my heart... and I was compelled to make a quick card to add to the owl tote box for those sweet children. :o) Isn't she precious?!

An angled view to show the red foil hearts, which appear black for the straight-on photograph:

This adorable love bug is fluttering from my heart to theirs, in hopes that she will add some sparkle to one of the first-graders who suffered such horror. She is ultra sparkly for the occasion, with red glitter Martha Stewart paper and black Core Couture. The glimmering grass provides her twinkly path. The heart paper is from a MS Valentine's Collection.. I love the whimsy. :o) The hearts will soon engulf those dear children in a whirlwind of love. Peppermint Stick trendy twine from My Craft Spot was used for the hair and flower bows, as well as the mason jar tie.

Speaking of which.. the mason jar with hearts is a Lori Whitlock cutting file, which I slightly altered to make half of the hearts larger. It's bursting with super love! :o) To those I added Peachy Keen faces from the Wide-Eyed Kids and Everyday Character Faces assortments. As you well know by now, the other hearts are green in honor of Vicki Soto's favorite color. I 'secured' the jar with twine and two jingly bells for extra Valentine fun for the kids. :o) I hope every jingle adds a sparkle to their hearts. :o)

The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from the With Love stamp set, which I stamped upon a Spellbinders Labels Four tag and outlined in Star Dust. A Recollections rhinestone heart finishes off the card because it's simply impossible to have too much sparkle. :o) Like my Bee Mine card from Monday, this is only 4x4 which is so hard for me to do. I think of them as tiny packages with big heart! :o)

Relatively short and sweet for me this time, as I'm still crafting at a furious pace to finish my final contributions for this collection. I didn't anticipate being down to the wire, but God will help me finish so I can bless Vicki's family with a little crafty gift. I hope they like it. :o) I WILL be back tomorrow because not finishing isn't an option. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Cupcake Craft~ With Bells On
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Paper Pretties~ Square Cards
 *Peachy Keen Stamps~ Cards with hearts
 *{PIN}spirational Challenge~ Photo Inspiration
 *The Pink Elephant~ Hearts

Thank you for fluttering on by! Smile lots today... you are dearly loved! :o)

Sympathy Card

Happy Tuesday, my cherished friends! I hope you're having a beautiful day. :o)

Today I have a card to share with you for the second part of this month's I Feel the Love Project. One of the hardest aspects of tragedies from afar is the helpless feeling that can overwhelm you. That's what I was experiencing upon learning of the horrific event at Sandy Hook Elementary last month. But thanks to this incredible cause, enabling us to craft for a far higher purpose, I'm able to do a tiny bit to help some who were impacted.

This is my sympathy/encouragement card for the family of Vicki Soto, the 27-year-old first grade teacher who sacrificed her life to save some of her students that day:

This was difficult to properly photograph... the shades of green are earthy, not super bright. Because it was her favorite color, many of her family members wore green clothing to her funeral and everyone wore a green ribbon. Rather than having touches of green like the Valentines I've been making for her surviving students, I want her parents and siblings to see her in this card by immersing it in that beautiful color.

The paper is from Susan Winget's K and Company Botanical collection. When I saw the sparkling monochromatic green botanical pattern, I knew I needed it for this purpose. It peacefully rests behind a swirly frame, which is a cut file from Bird's Cards. The Scriptures are from K Andrew Designs Scripture Sayings stamp set, which I stamped atop more of the same paper and mounted it on a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis square. The square is popped up with foam tape for dimension and separation from the frame base.

I used a flat-back pearl strand and roses and rosebuds from Wild Orchid Crafts to frame the vital sentiments. A double-bow of vanilla bean crinkle ribbon from My Craft Spot adds a touch of softness. I sprinkled five heart-shaped rhinestones along the outskirts of the flower cluster to tell the Soto family how much they are loved.

Inexplicably, I forgot to take a close-up photograph of the Cheery Lynn Designs butterfly. If you click on the pictures, at least you'll see it much bigger. Originally I planned to make it cream, but at the last moment inspiration arose. I wanted to make the entire butterfly shades of green to fully represent their beloved daughter and sister. I cut it from the same paper as the base and centered it with bright green rhinestones. Her selfless heart continues to sparkle as she inspires the entire world... or at least those who take the time to see and feel it. It hurt to learn so much about her after she was gone, but I knew it would guide me to create in her honor this month. I'll carry her with me always. And this green butterfly will remind her family that she is very much still with them, too.

The coordinating interior... and a view of Vicki's protective heart in flight:

It's a tiny gesture, but one that I hope will bring comfort to her family and encourage them to receive their strength from our dear Father. I cannot image their horror that tragic day or the depth of their continued grieving... but I hope they seek heavenly peace. Their heroic daughter saved young lives that day... and at least she is safe with our Lord, where evil will never again touch her.

Challenges entered:
 *Anything Goes Challenge Blog~ Monochrome
 *Craft-Room Challenge~ Monochrome
 *Little Miss Muffet~ Hearts and Flowers (five rhinestone hearts sprinkled alongside the flowers)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Stampin' for the Weekend~ Something Girlie

Bee Mine

Happy Monday, my sweet friends! I hope your week is off to a sunshiny start. :o)

I spent most of the weekend crafting, trying to meet the (seemingly impossible) goal I set for myself for this month's I Feel the Love Project. We are creating in Vicki Soto's honor, the heroic teacher whose selfless actions saved six or seven children in December's Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. Valentine's cards for those surviving children, as well as thinking of you/sympathy cards for Vicki's family, is the mission. I am so thankful to Madison for giving us an opportunity to tangibly reach out to those impacted so deeply.

My newest contribution for those children is this sweet little card. At only 4x4-inches, it'll easily nestle inside the owl tote box I made for them a couple of weeks ago. :o)

This little bee is bursting with sparkling love! The bee and heart base are cut files from the generous and talented Bird of Bird's Cards. I used ultra-glittery pink paper for lots of sparkle and layered a lacy floral Doodlebug Lovebirds patterned paper atop it. The smaller hearts are pop-dotted for dimension (one of my favorite things to always do on my cards, though I often forget to mention it).

The sentiment is a combination of My Pink Stamper Punnylicious and Whimsical Designs With Love stamp sets. I stamped it upon a Spellbinders Nested Heart and secured it with a Bella Blvs flower button. I debated forever what shape to put the sentiment upon, as I was so hesitant to break up the circle of hearts... thankfully the Lord reminded me that I had a perfect sized heart to continue the flow of love. :o)

The base layer showing in the middle is embossed with the Cuttlebug Baby's Breath folder, my new favorite from them. I sprinkled a few rhinestones among the flowers. I mentioned with a previous card for this month's IFTL collection that everything I make for it will include green because it was Vicki's favorite color. Pink and green is a favorite color combination, so it came easily here. Green rhinestones line the bee's body, who is buzzing Vicki's endless love straight back to the children. Although unseen in the photograph, the bee's wings are glittery DCWV paper, in shades of pink and green. Incorporating green with the sentiment was a must, as she will always Bee with those who she loved with all of her beautiful heart. Thus, a smattering of green rhinestones and Lime Twist twine from My Craft Spot.

Despite the blur, I'm sharing a peek inside to show the card's dimension and sparkle. Spellbinders Lacy Circles and Classic Circles are nested inside, with the top circle being inked in Spun Sugar for added sweetness.

If I can manage to meet (or nearly-meet) my goal, this will be an unusually busy week on my blog. Thank you for always being so encouraging of this passion of mine... using my love of crafting to serve this incredible I Feel the Love purpose all year long.

Challenges entered:
 *Charisma Cardz~ Hearts and Flowers (flower-shaped button, embossed flowers, and flower DP)
 *Crafty Catz~ Cute as a Button
 *Docerela Creations~ Heart and Button
 *Fab 'n' Funky~ Favorite Color Combo (pink and green)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Moving Along with the Times~ Bling it On
 *The Sisterhood of Crafters~ Hearts
 *Whoopsi Daisy~ Card/Project for a Child

Thank you for buzzing on by! I wish you a sparkly and blessed day! :o)

Monkey Valentine's Card: More love for I Feel the Love

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! I hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful weekend! :o) Thank you for your sweet anniversary wishes toward my parents... 50 years ago today they were married in the midst of a snow storm! Even then, no storm could stop their love. :o) I'm happy to say they adore the swan card I made them. :o)

An uncharacteristically short post from me today! I've had to switch gears back to children's goodies to add to my contribution toward this month's I Feel the Love Project. We have been creating Valentines for the six or seven children who survived the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy last month, thanks to their heroic teacher Vicki Soto... January's collection is in her honor. It has been incredible making them surprises the past few weeks!

Kiddos love monkeys, so I made a colorful little Valentine scene.

The Create a Critter monkey is offering his sparkling heart in one hand.. and his treasured banana in the other! Surely the child will know just how much it means for a monkey to share his banana. ;) I sprinkled a trail of bananas behind the sparklified Memory Box Spring Border. The Wall Decor and More tree is embossed with the Swiss Dots folder and swirling with love via heart rhinestones. I hope it engulfs the sweet kid who receives it. The background paper is from the Doodlebug Lovebirds collection, where every adorable bird is tweeting their love for everyone impacted by that event.

Love abounds inside as well, along with an extra surprise monkey. :o)

The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from the With Love set, layered upon a Spellbinders Lattice Rectangle base. I hope this card encourages a smile to the little one who needs all the extra love possible. :o)

We are also creating cards for Vicki's grieving family, which I will spend this weekend doing. There are still a few days left to participate, so I hope you'll consider joining us. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Cupcake Craft Challenge~ Make a Scene
 *DL.Art~ Thankful Thursday: Use Red or Pink
 *Paper Playtime~ Use Brown

Thank you for swinging on by! I wish a beautiful day of love and light. :o)

50th Anniversary Card for my Parents!

Hello, my dear friends! I hope your week is off to a beautiful start. :o)

There is an incredible event this weekend within my family: my parents' 50th wedding anniversary! It gives me warm fuzzies. They've been together since high school and have been through so much over the years... when the storms come, they persevere. I have no doubt there will be some happy tears from me on Saturday! Being the youngest of five kids, they still refer to me as their little girl. :o)

The inspiration for this card stems around the sweet swans... my dad has swan decor throughout his backyard and he *always* pairs them up just like this! (He's beyond precious.) I thought they would make a wonderful anniversary card. I aimed for sweet and (relatively) streamlined, with touches of whimsy and elegance. My parents make my heart sparkle. :o)

My first card using my Cameo. :o) How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... I fell in love with this flourished hearts background and so badly wanted to use it for this card. The flourishes make me think of waves and with the hearts sprinkled throughout, I just kept thinking "waves of love!" I knew this would be gorgeous for a scrapbook LO or home decor, but I felt I would be pushing it as a card base. There are so many ultra thin parts, especially when scaled down. Since I couldn't stop thinking about it, I gave it a whirl... and the amazing Cameo cut it beautifully as a 5.5-inch square! I was elated! I used Core Couture burgundy paper to replicate sunbeam reflections dancing atop the waves. :o)

The pretty swans:

The gorgeous Sarah Bailey swan file is actually just a silhouette, so I originally planned to hand-cut some feathery wings since I wanted them dimensional. However, I stumbled upon the talented Lisa Barrie who had also used this swan cut. She brilliantly paired it with a file that contains wings, so I happy-danced and did the same. So much quicker than hand-carving! To make these Trumpeter swans, I made them black beaks and used teeny black pearls for their eyes. Since my mom adores pearls, I couldn't resist making a pearly necklace for one. :o) To add a few more 'waves' beneath the swans, I used three from this file since they matched my background perfectly. I lined the thinnest one with tiny sparkles for extra sunbeams. :o) Lastly, I added a Recollections flourish.

The pearlescent white background is embossed with the Swiss Dots folder. The hearts are from the Cheery Lynn Designs Two of Hearts set, which I accented with pearls and layered with pop-dots for dimension. A flower was a must for this card, so I sprayed a white Wild Orchid Crafts rose with Candy Apple Red glimmer mist for color and sparkle. It centers a little bow made with Snow White crinkle ribbon from My Craft Spot.

The pretty Pink Gem Designs digi sentiment is from their Vintage Occasion set, which I already love. It will get a lot of use. :o) I accented it with three pearls to match the heart and swan. This card was a joy to create as I thought of the extra special celebration... I pray they love it as much as I do. :o) I could wax poetic about the love that went into this card, but I think I'll save it for when I post the gift I'm making them next. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *A Gem of a Challenge~ Emboss It (dry embossing on white base)
 *Card Mania~ Oh, So Girly (hearts, sparkle, flower)
 *Cheery Lynn Designs~ Sweethearts
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Love/Romance/Anniversary
 *Cute Card Thursday~ Diamonds are Forever!
 *DL.Art~ Linky Party
 *Joanna Sheen~ New Beginnings (anniversary)
 *Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Use a Flower
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *My Craft Spot~ Bling it Up!
 *Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Valentine's Day/Love, plus Ribbon
 *The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog~ Use Three Different Textures

Thank you for floating on by! (hehe) I wish you a lovely week of blessings and joy! :o)

Sweet Saturday: Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! Thank you for the bloggie love for my little owl project. It was a favorite of mine and I'm so happy you liked it, too! Are you ready for a sweet treat? :o)

Growing up, a favorite treat of mine was Hostess Cupcakes. I was always excited when my parents bought them and my heart danced with glee with each bite. These days, I most enjoy homemade versions of my favorite confections because I know exactly what's in them and everything just tastes better freshly made. To my delight, the nostalgia was still there as my family and I shared this homemade rendition of a childhood favorite. :o)

Note: In my rush to finish these before my mom arrived, I did not let the glaze thoroughly set before piping the trademark swirls. Thus, melty swirls. (I like to consider them HUGGING swirls.)

I had such a fun time baking up these cupcakes! The chocolate cake batter is made in a way that renders it the fluffiest cake I've ever made. They're so tender and airy, you can simply insert a pastry tip in the top to fill it with the fluffy marshmallow filling. Regrettably, due to my haste I didn't get an interior photograph. They're topped with a smooth and satiny chocolate glaze, with the final touch being the swirls of marshmallow delight. You can never go wrong with the chocolate-marshmallow combination and this was a hit, sure to be made time and again. I did make one change this time, which was to use semi-sweet chocolate for the glaze because that's my mom's favorite. I'm sure they're just as scrumptious with the called-for bittersweet chocolate.

There are a handful of bakers who I whole-heartedly trust and will make any of their desserts with unwavering confidence. This recipe is from one, and ironically the day after I baked these, another favorite food blogger posted her own version. I may try the other recipe the next time we're craving chocolate and marshmallow cupcakes... if I happen to love the other one even more, I'll be sure to re-post. :o) However, these were so loved and enjoyed by all that I'm in no hurry to do a recipe comparison. :o)

Make these and feel like a kid again. :o)

Thank you for visiting! I hope your weekend is filled with love, crafting, and sweet confections. :o)

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Yield: About 26 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 large eggs at room temperature, separated
1 cup canola oil
1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
6 tablespoons water

For the filling and frosting swirl:
2 cups marshmallow cream/fluff
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon cream or milk

For the chocolate glaze:
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, canola oil, 1½ cups of the sugar, and the water. Whisk to blend well. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Continue beating, gradually adding in the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add a quarter of the egg white mixture to the bowl with the batter to lighten. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed, about 16-18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the marshmallow cream and butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Blend in the confectioners' sugar and salt and whip until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes more. Transfer the majority of the filling mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip, reserving ½ cup in the mixing bowl. (The opening of the recommended tip is just under ½-inch in diameter.) Blend in the cream to the reserved filling mixture to make it smooth for piping the swirl on top of the cupcake. Transfer this to another pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (Wilton #3 is recommended). Chill until ready to use.

Fill the cupcakes by inserting the pastry tip directly into the center of each cupcake and squeezing in a dollop of the marshmallow mixture. (See this post for a visual-- an injector tip will not work for this recipe because the filling is too thick.) If excess filling comes out of the top, scrape it off with a knife so the top of the cupcake is essentially smooth.

Make the chocolate glaze by placing the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan or the microwave. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk together until a smooth ganache forms. Let cool briefly, about 5 minutes.

Take the cupcakes one at a time and invert them, dipping the tops into the chocolate glaze. Transfer them to a wire rack or baking sheet to let the glaze set. (You can speed up this process by chilling in the refrigerator.) Once the glaze is set, use the reserved portion of marshmallow frosting to pipe a uniform swirl across the top of each cupcake. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Source: Annie's Eats