Little Princess Card :)

Hello, my crafty friends! I pray you're all enjoying a beautiful week! :o)

I've switched back to kid mode to create a card for sweet 4-year-old Claire, March's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project. Just after Christmas she was diagnosed with bone cancer, so our mission this month is to bless her battling heart.

Claire's website is called The Warrior Princess Foundation and I spotted some princessy pictures there, so I chose to make her a princess card. :o)

Little Princess (as the tag says, but is a bit washed out in the picture unless you enlarge it):

A wee bit of a closer look at the princess and her carriage:

The sparkling princess is a cut file from Miss Kate Cuttables, titled Fairytale Princess in Yellow. I hid her face from the cut to use a Peachy Keen Princess face, which I drew on since I lack that stamp set. She's dressed in glittery Core Couture purple, adorned with rhinestones because she's sparkling with so much love for Claire. The adorable horse (which I am seriously enamored with) is a cut file from Little Scraps of Heaven Designs, titled Princess Horse and Carriage. She's equally sparkly in purple and silver. :o) For some definition I used my C1 Copic around the edges of the pearlescent white layers. She is the sweetest horsie cut file I've ever seen and I instantly had to buy it for Claire's card. :o)

Instead of using the carriage from that set, I used this one from the Silhouette Online Store. How beautifully it cut those tiny filigree accents! I used Kaisercraft Magic Happens paper for it, as I love the purples and blues and the pretty flourishes. I added a few rhinestones for decoration, including two heart-shaped gems for the wheels. (The wheels are actually from the other carriage.. I played it safe since I was cutting it smaller.)

The "Little Princess" tag is from that same paper stack, which I affixed with a bow of Sky Blue twine, purchased at My Craft Spot. I dotted the 'i' in princess with a rhinestone because princesses need as much sparkle as possible. ;) The butterfly paper is from DCWV, chosen for its whimsical nature. I wanted to send Claire a sky filled with fun butterflies. :o) The shimmering green grass is more Core Couture paper, which I embossed with the Swiss Dots folder for texture. The princess, horse, and tag are popped up with foam tape for dimension. As sweet Claire battles each day toward victory (yes, VICTORY!), I hope this little bit of magic brings a smile to her heart. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *2 Sisters~ Fairy Tales/Fantasy

 *Card Crafter's Circle~ It's Only Make-Believe

 *Craftin Desert Divas~ Linky Party

 *Created With Love~ Anything Goes

 *Cutie Pie Challenge~ Magical

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes

 *Simon Says Stamp~ A Bit O'Green (butterflies and grass)

 *The Ribbon Girl~ Add Ribbon or Twine

Thank you for visiting me! I wish you a beautifully blessed day. :o)

Cupcake Card

Hello, my cherished friends! After a week away from crafting due to a nasty bug, I'm so happy to be back! I celebrated non-dizziness by making a card and playing with lace. :o)

My first day back to my sparkly self coincided perfectly with March 1st... the day we hear about the new monthly recipient for the I Feel the Love Project. Each month the marvelous Madison of Funky Cards highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of extra love and sunshine. In turn, we have the honor of creating for them by using our passion for a far higher purpose. :o) You all know my dedication and love for this cause. I couldn't wait to get started.

This month we are crafting for a 4-year-old sweetheart named Claire who was diagnosed with bone cancer just after Christmas. Before I get started on fun kiddo creations for her, I had it on my heart to do something else...

I wanted to bless her parents, Sheila and Patrick, so I made a fancy cupcake card to send them sweet wishes and prayers. :o)

An angled view to show the layers of ruffles and pop-dotted elements:

I created the shaped card base with the Silhouette software, welding together two cupcakes from a Silhouette cut file. The pretty papers are from Echo Park's Be Mine collection, which I paired with black sparkly Core Couture paper. My photos don't capture that glittery paper very well.. the flourish sparkles, as does the layer beneath the black lace. Twinkles of joy shimmer so much more beautifully in person.

I wanted the frosting to be fancy and textural. :o) I layered three rows of black lace (which is a whipped deep, dark chocolate ganache), topped it with two layers of white American Crafts lacy ribbon (a generous dollop of whipped cream), and finished it off with a sweet pink strawberry. The lovely strawberry is a free cut file I found from Custom Creations by Tamara Bennett, which I accented with a Wild Orchid Crafts blossom. Sporadically placed pearls, in graduating sizes, are nestled within the frosting swirls because their sweet treat needed sprinkles. :o)

The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Tiny Tags 2 stamp set, which I stamped upon Kimberly's coordinating metal dies. I always have such fun with these! :o) I affixed the tag to some Blossom twine, also purchased at My Craft Spot, and wound it around the cupcake wrapper base. The flourish whimsically dancing across the cupcake is the Fancy Flourish die from My Favorite Things, which I adorned with black pearls.

The Echo Park papers (inside and out) are inked with Victorian Velvet for extra definition. If I could, I would bake Sheila and Patrick a confection from my heart and encourage them with words of faith. Since I can't, I opted to make a cupcake card which will be filled with loving promises from our dear Lord. I pray they like it. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Craft Us Crazy~ Anything Goes

 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes with Ribbon

 *Cupcake Craft Challenge~ Shaped Cards

 *Delightful Challenges~ 3's a Charm (3 layers of black lace)

 *Divas by Design~ Anything Goes

 *Flourishes~ All that Glitters (Glitter and Shine)

 *Fussy and Fancy~ Pink and Black

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *My Craft Spot~ Pop It Up! (Pop-dots for the berry and layered the lace to make it naturally pop)

 *Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting me today! I wish you a weekend of sparkling cupcakes and joy unspeakable. :o)

Doily Easel Card

Hello, my sweet friends! I pray you're having a blessed week. :o)

The beauty in easel cards is that they're innately special, so you can still give someone a unique gift even if you don't have a million hours to devote to it at the time. This will soon be en route to deliver one more ray of sunshine to Alana, this month's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project.

"Bloom where you're planted"

The doily easel base and daisy are both cut files from Bird's Cards, the talented lady who offers so many beautiful files. I adore my Silhouette Cameo and am so thankful for her generosity!

An angled view of the sweet daisy to show the dimension and a glimmer of the dew drops I added with Glossy Accents:

The daisy is centered with pink rhinestones because it's blossoming with love and prayers. :o) The gorgeous paper for the card itself is from a Susan Winget K and Company collection. I wanted to make a simple springtime scene and many of her designs lend themselves so well for that. There's a light script that scrolls across it, which I envision as new memories being made (and journaled) as Alana moves forward to brighter days. :o) The Cheery Lynn Designs butterfly flutters alongside, centered with the same rosy love as the daisy. I wanted a sparkling border of some type around the circle base, so I made a tiny pattern of three little sparkles every few sections, almost like a butterfly's path.

I was so excited to use the My Craft Spot Tiny Tags 2 and metal dies again, especially with a sentiment so ideal for this card. I want to encourage Alana to bloom in her new home. :o) I alternated blues and pinks for the tiny tags banner, centering two with pink mist roses from Wild Orchid Crafts. (Naturally, they have been Star Dusted!) 

I threaded Blossom twine (also from My Craft Spot) through the tags and secured them with sweet little bows. The pink paper is pearlescent, presenting a lovely sheen when the light catches it. To keep the easel upright, I used a Recollections rhinestone flourish. Two tiny butterflies (an old Fiskars punch) frolic at the base for an extra touch of whimsy. I hope Alana likes it. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Cheery Lynn Designs~ Shaped Card

 *Craft Your Passion~ All That Glitters

 *Created With Love~ Things That Fly

 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration

 *Divas By Design~ Fancy Fold

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *My Craft Spot~ Flowers

 *Paper Playtime~ Sentiment Stamps

 *Papertake Weekly~ Buttons or Bling

 *The Cutie Pie Challenge~ Pretty Pastels

Thank you for fluttering on by! I hope your day sparkles with love and sunshine. :o)

A Dabble Into Vintage: Pocket Card

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

I bought some lovely papers several months ago, but as much as I adored them, I didn't know how to use them. This is barely vintage I'm sure, but it's a baby step. :o) I had a great time making this pocket card for Alana, this month's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project. :o)

I wanted to send her a little more love. :o)

(You may need to enlarge that picture to see the gorgeous Cheery Lynn Designs butterfly. While cream would have photographed better, the shades of rose look very pretty in person.)

The papers for the pocket and base of the card are from Prima's Nature Garden Collection, while the tag paper is from Glitz Pretty in Pink. Everything is inked with Walnut Stain. I used the Fancy Flourish die from My Favorite Things for the butterfly's trail, which I accented with graduating sizes of pearls. The sweet butterfly, rosy with love, hovers alongside an arrangement of Wild Orchid Crafts roses and lilies, in light shades of peach, pink, and cream. A WOC crown pearl stick pin is nestled within the flowers because it just seemed to fit the theme so well. :o)

American Crafts crochet lace lines the pocket and tag. The heart is from Cheery Lynn Designs Two of Hearts set, to which I stamped the simple sentiment upon in Rich Cocoa. The fun vintage Valentine key that I added to the tag is a cut file from the Silhouette Online Store, designed by Megan Hardy. I just love the hearts! I used shimmer paper in a sweet rose shade, adorned it with pearls, and made two tiny pearly flourishes.

The Vanilla Bean and Raspberry Truffle crinkle ribbon is from My Craft Spot. I forgot to take a picture of the reverse side of the tag, which is a vintage ledger pattern for Alana to write down the keys to love. :o) Especially during trials, it is vital to consciously remember that love surrounds you... and to remember that the keys to love don't change with circumstance. :o)

The interior: Kaisercraft paper and a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis square, ready to be filled with sappy words from my sparkly heart. :o)

Since I'm short on gushing-time, I'll simply say that I pray Alana feels loved and encouraged by everything I made for her. I just want to make her beautiful heart smile and have tucked eons of hugs within each card. :o) If you'd like to join us, there's still time to create a little blessing for her. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Card Mania~ Love
 *Charisma Cardz~ Anything Goes
 *Craft Us Crazy~ Favorites (butterfly, heart, and flourish dies, pearls, lace)
 *Crafty Ann's~ Anything Love-Themed
 *Crafty Catz~ Bingo! (Pearls-Dies/Punches-Ribbon)
 *Fab 'n' Funky~ What's Inside
 *Flourishes~ Put Your Heart on It!
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Pretty Little Ribbons~ Anything Goes
 *Sentimental Sundays~ Lace and Pearls

Thank you for visiting me today! I wish you a day that sparkles with blessings. :o)

Love Notes Pocket Card: Valentine for my Sweetheart!

Happy Saturday, my sweet friends! I hope everyone is having a blessed weekend! :o)

I have a fun little pocket card to share with you today! For my sweetheart's Valentine, I wanted to make something that mixed cuteness with the base of our love, and also wanted it to be interactive in some way. Not only was this fun to create, but I used something for the very first time: Tiny Tags 2 stamps and the matching metal dies from My Craft Spot! I've had my eye on them for quite some time, so I am thrilled to own them. They're fabulous. :o)

You & Me:

An angled view to show the pretty red metallic foil paper of the love notes and tiny tag base:

Want to see those hearts that are nestled within the pocket? You'll see in a moment! ;)

The sweet owls, musical score sheet, and heart notes (here and here) are cut files from the Silhouette Online Store. The musical score is accented with tiny red rhinestones on each end. My heart-filled owl's pretty paper is from Doodlebug's Lovebirds paper pad and I couldn't resist giving her sparkly eyelashes. This IS a celebration of sparkling love, after all! ;) These owls tugged at my heartstrings the moment I saw them, knowing they'd be perfect for my sweetheart's card.

The heart paper is Recollections, the red foil paper is Martha Stewart, and the top filigree/scroll paper is from Echo Park. As previously stated, the sentiment is from My Craft Spot, as well as the Peppermint Stick Trendy Twine. I had the most ridiculous fun using these tiny tags! They're just so sweet... like mini cupcakes! :o)

Now for the most important part of this Valentine... the love notes. I am truly blessed, as my sweetheart is loving, genuine, and selfless. (And oodles of other beautiful adjectives.) What I most love is that I'm not the most important thing in his life. We strive to make sure we're always second to each other... first is always our dear Lord. 

So for Valentine's, I wanted to celebrate our wonderful relationship with lovey dovey owls and heart-shaped music notes... but also celebrate the greatest example of love, which is the standard we use in how we treat one another. It's the base of who we are individually and collectively, and certainly the base of our love. :o) God's love is what strengthens us and empowers us, building us up to keep living a life of love in this world that has so much darkness.

Love notes:

The Scriptures are from K Andrew Designs Scripture Sayings, which I stamped upon Spellbinders Nested Hearts. I embossed the hearts, lightly inked those areas with Barn Door distress ink, and added a smattering of rhinestones. I'm happy to say he loved his card. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Card Crafter's Circle~ Paint the Town Red

 *Celebrate the Occasion~ Anything Goes Valentine

 *Craft Your Passion~ My Valentine

 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Linky Party

 *Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Valentine's or Heart

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *Moving Along With the Times~ Love is in the Air

 *My Craft Spot~ For Your Sweetheart

 *Papertake Weekly~ Hearts or Flowers

 *Pause, Dream, Enjoy~ Mainly Red

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a day that sparkles with love. :o)

Be Unique, Be Unforgettable, Be You

Hello, my sweet friends! I hope everyone is having a blessed day. :o)

Before the month gets away from me (how time flies!), I wanted to get another card made for Alana. :o) She is this month's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project. We are sending her love and sunshine to encourage her during a string of difficulties from Hurricane Sandy.

After more than two months away from coloring, I've been missing my Copics something fierce... so I made her a Springy pink and purple card using one of my favorite stamps. :o)

(Note: Anything that looks black is actually a gorgeous deep purple.)

This little cutie pie is Sweet Blossom from Wee Stamps, paired with a lovely "handmade" flower-designed paper from Hot Off the Press. My intent with this card is two-fold. Firstly, I wanted to make Alana a creation filled with girly sweetness that will simply make her heart smile. Secondly, I wanted to encourage her to not only rise above these trying times, but to stay true to herself through them.. and maybe even define herself as she perseveres with heavenly beauty and grace. It's easy to develop wrong mindsets and behavior in the presence of ongoing stress, so I'm reminding her to be the Alana that so many people love.. the unique person God created her to be. :o)

With that inspiration, I reacquainted myself with my beloved Copics. Certainly rusty, but it was such fun coloring her in shades of purple and pink. I created the sky background with Broken China distress ink and a cloud template. The scaled down photograph took away the Star Dust I sprinkled throughout the precious little scene... but trust me, it's there. It's always there. ;)

Sweet Blossom sits atop a Spellbinders Lacey Circle, nestled within Wild Orchid Crafts roses and rosebuds. I'm bummed that the true purple shade isn't portrayed, but I'll do that better next time. Cheery Lynn Designs Mini-Fanciful Flourishes swirl from beneath the arrangements, to which I also sprinkled with graduating sizes of pearls and heart stick pins. I wanted some love bursting forth from the flowers. :o)

The middle border of the card consists of WOC Guipure lace, satin ribbon with a WOC pearl heart ribbon slider, and a Swiss Dots-embossed layer. Its pearl-accented purple border is a cut file from the generous and lovely Bird, titled Loopy Border.

Lastly, a WOC metal filigree corner adorns one corner, while the sweet Whimsical Designs~ Whimsical Fun, Volume 1 sentiment rests in another. I stamped it upon the same patterned paper because it's just so pretty and secured it with more tiny pearls atop a purple base. I hope she enjoys this little bit of springtime. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Cheery Lynn Designs~ Frame It
 *Craft Us Crazy~ Die-Cutters and/or Favorite Technique (Silhouette Cameo and Big Shot)
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes with Ribbon
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Linky Party
 *Lacy Sunshine~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Moving Along with the Times~ Girly cards!
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Have a Heart (stick pins, ribbon slider)
 *Stamp and Create~ Spring is Coming
 *Stampin' for the Weekend~ Something Metal (filigree corner)
 *Sweet Stampin'~ Pearls and Swirls

Thank you for visiting me today! I wish you a sparkly and joyous week. :o)

Love Rises Above All Things

Hello, my dear friends! I hope you're having a beautiful week! :o)

A new month means a new recipient for the cherished I Feel the Love Project, hosted by the sweet and talented Madison of Funky Cards. Admittedly, I was burnt out from cramming in my last projects for January, but I couldn't stop thinking about the new recipient, so I made her a card. :o)

This month we are honoring Alana, a 21-year-old student who lost her family home and nearly all of her home and personal belongings when Hurricane Sandy came ashore last October. With no home to return to from school, she lived with an Aunt before moving to a hotel for another month, fearful but fighting during the difficulties. Her family eventually was able to relocate to a new home, but losing everything right down to her clothing was a scary and trying experience for her and her loved ones. Replacing everything will take time, so I am thrilled to be able to send her some love as they rebuild their lives.

"Love..."

"... rises above all things."

What better way to send Alana encouragement than via a pearly hot air balloon bursting with love, floating amidst a rosy sunset of butterflies! Oh the joy in creating this! I've longed to make a hot air balloon card, so upon receiving my Silhouette I quickly searched one out and fell in love with this cut file by Samantha Walker. Isn't it gorgeous?

A closer peek:

I love rose and browns, so I went with that color combo for most of the card. The hot air balloon was cut with textured brown cardstock and a lovely rosy pink pattern from the Susan Winget K and Company Floral Collection. The basket is embossed with the Cuttlebug Baby's Breath folder, which I centered with a pearl. All those intersections were begging for tiny pearl accents, so who was I to resist? ;) For extra whimsy and texture, I added two bows with Chocolate Truffle trendy twine, purchased at My Craft Spot. 

The double-layered hearts are cut-outs from the Multi-Fold Varied Flap card/album cut file that I bought last week to make for Vicki's family. I made them pearlescent white and the rosy design from the balloon. They are tumbling out in graduating sizes, with so much love for Alana that the enormous balloon cannot contain it. :o) I used a sweet Sarah Bailey tree border file for a soft green landscape, decorating the path to Alana's lovely heart.

The pretty font is Lavenderia, my favorite ever, which I downloaded for free online. I LOVE that the Silhouette Cameo lets you cut in any font on your computer! :o) I used three tiny pearls to trail off the sentiment. The beautiful background paper is from Magnolia and I hope it makes Alana's heart flutter, as it does mine. :o) To complete the card, I added some May Arts ruffled ribbon and two tiny butterflies... one of which landed atop the hot air balloon, so eager to reach Alana. :o) 

The interior is simply my computer-generated sentiment atop a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Square, along with a final frolicking butterfly. I lined it with the same pretty paper as the hot air balloon. I hope this card lifts her spirits and reminds her that love truly does rise above even the most difficult of things. :o) God has so much love for her.. that alone can sustain her and her family as they persevere through these trying times. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Charisma Cardz~ Love

 *Craft Us Crazy~ Use Cutting Machines and/or Favorite Technique

 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration

 *Fab 'n' Funky~ Valentines or Hearts

 *Frosted Designs~ Use the word 'Love' and at least one Heart

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes

 *{PIN}spirational Challenge~ Photo Inspiration

 *Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes

 *The Pink Elephant~ Photo Inspiration

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