Criss-Cross Christmas Card

Hello, my sweet friends! I hope you're having a sparkly start to the week. :o)

For over a year I have admired the lovely products from Marianne Design of the Netherlands. The exquisite designs of their metal dies especially made my heart flutter... and I am elated to finally own a few that I have longed for. :o)

Inspired by their beauty, I made a criss-cross Christmas card for a dear friend. :o)

This creative process actually began with the pull-out tab for the card's insert. Even before my package arrived, I knew I was going to use elements from Marianne Design's stunning Petra's Heart (LR0280) for an elegant tab. 

First, a closer look at some of the detailing on the exterior:

The festive sweetheart is Rowan Fairy from Wee Stamps (available as a digi or in rubber), which I've colored with Copics and accented with Star Dust. Her two-tone wings were a challenge with red and gold, but I was determined. ;) Polar White Flower Soft is gently sprinkled upon her hair and leaves, while sparkling snowflakes flutter about. The Cheery Lynn Designs snowflakes were cut out with acetate, covered with Glossy Accents, and smothered in Twinklets Diamond Dust. It is incredible how realistic they look in person!

I also used a couple of my new goodies on the front, of course! To create a frame for Rowan, I used Anja's Vintage Ornaments 2 (LR0270). The corner detailing is part of the Petra's Corners (LR0281) set. All of the cuts have been accented with pearls and sponged with Scattered Straw distress ink for a warm Christmas glow.

The beautiful papers (inside and out) are from Bo Bunny's Silver and Gold collection. I lined the criss-cross with a flat-back pearl strand from Wild Orchid Crafts and lace from Jo-Ann's (which makes me think of snowflakes ruffling through the sky). :o)

An angled view of the card's insert to show the golden angel. She is a Recollections stamp, which I heat-embossed with gold embossing powder. The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Joy to the World stamp set. I designed this insert with the possibility of my friend leaving it out for a festive display, so my personal message will be on the back.

Side-by-side... I hope it fills my friend's beautiful heart with Christmas joy. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a day of sparkling happiness. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *7 Kids College Fund~ Anything Goes (Image, dies, and paper available at 7 Kids!)

 *52 Christmas Card Throwdown~ Bling It Up!

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes/Create Your Own Challenge (I used a bunch! Image, sentiment, patterned paper, dies, embossing, Stickles, pearls, bling, ribbon, and lace)

 *Christmas Card Challenge~ Anything Goes (Optional: Flowers)

 *Crafty Little Fairies~ Christmas in October

 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes with Ribbon

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *Marianne's Design Divas~ Winter/Christmas (LR02270, LR0280, LR0281)

 *Moving Along with the Times~ Christmas Cuties

 *One Stitch at a Time~ Anything Goes

 *Simon Says Stamp~ Christmas/Happy Holiday

Apron-Shaped Thanksgiving Card

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

As previously mentioned, this month's collection for the beautiful I Feel the Love Project is for an amazing senior care facility. We have the privilege of creating Thanksgiving cards for the residents of Chancellors Village and I am thrilled to be spreading seasonal delight. :o)

Upon recently winning the newest digi stamp from Elisabeth Bell, titled Apple Berry, I knew I wanted to make one of the residents a card celebrating the joy of baking for the holidays. I settled upon a fun apron-shaped card, with a two-sided tag tucked into the pocket. :o)

A wee bit closer to better see the harvest-themed mixing bowl that is popped up atop the pocket:

The Autumn papers are from DCWV's Pumpkin Patch collection. I filled the mixing bowl with a rolling pin and spoon cut with My Mind's Eye wooden patterned paper. I fussy-cut a sweet gingerbread man cookie from a Graphic 45 Nutcracker Suite paper and nestled him within... every baker needs a helper (or emergency snack) during the busy baking season. ;) A sparkling flourish dances out of the bowl, as all holiday baking is completely magical. :o) My computer-generated sentiment is cut out with the Tiny Tag Metal Dies from My Craft Spot. Wild Orchid Crafts Guipure lace trims the bottom of the apron. The golden ribbon is from my stash.

The pocket of the apron is a Spellbinders Gold Labels Four die, inked with Dried Marigold. The tag within is made with the next larger size die of the same set.

Here's our baking sweetheart:

Star Dust gives a sugary finish to the pie crust and apples, while a Zva Creative flourish adorns the side. To assist in pulling out the tag, I layered a bow made with crinkle ribbon from my friend Karen of Little Scrap Pieces, a button from my stash, and Chocolate Truffle Trendy Twine from My Craft Spot.

The reverse of the tag features a beautiful (and free) digi sentiment from Designed 2 Delight. I heat-embossed the flourishes with gold embossing powder for added elegance and warmth. The flourishes are from the Tiny Tags 2 stamp set from My Craft Spot.

I hope the resident who receives this enjoys it. :o) Thank you for visiting! I wish you a day of love and sparkles. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Craft Your Passion~ Embossing (I heat-embossed the golden flourishes on my tag)

 *Die Cuttin' Divas~ Dessert Day (Pie in stamp and die cuts are listed in post)

 *Elisabeth Bell's World Challenge~ Shaped Cards

 *Elphine House Australia~ Shaped Cards

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *Paper Playtime~ Ribbon and Buttons (The button is layered atop the brown bow)

 *Papertake Weekly~ Halloween or Autumn Hues

 *Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Autumn Leaves and Ribbon

 *Sparkles~ Halloween or Colors (any or all: black, orange, purple)

 *The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog~ Cute and Tag-Tastic

In Everything... Give Thanks

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

Today I'm excited to share my second contribution for this month's I Feel the Love Project collection. We are creating Thanksgiving cards for Chancellors Village, a fantastic senior care center. I am truly honored to be making little blessings for these lovely seniors! :o)

After one card away from using my Copics, I couldn't resist hopping right back to them! This sweetheart is Chloe, a harvest cutie pie from Elisabeth Bell. I fear these pictures aren't a completely accurate representation, as it does look nicer in person.

The middle panel is actually a pocket, to which I tucked in a sweet little tag:

I sponged Chloe a Broken China sky with a template and nestled her a top a Spellbinders Floral Ovals base. The pretty papers are from DCWV's Pumpkin Patch stack. For extra texture I doubled-up on ribbon types, using brown crinkle ribbon from my friend Karen of Little Scrap Pieces and lace from Jo-Anns. I colored the white lace with Tattered Angels Tiger Lily Glimmer Mist to coordinate with the papers. The two-tone roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts, selected because they are reminiscent of leaves that are changing to their exquisite Autumn hues.

The basket of apples is a Miss Kate Cuttables cut file from the Silhouette Online Store. I love the beauty of sugared fruit, so I used Core Couture cardstock for the apples. The basket is accented with silver metal brads instead of the plain circles that came with the file. The flourish of sparkling holiday love is from Zva Creative.

Lastly, the tag was created by layering a few of my favorite Spellbinders dies. The two base layers are Gold Labels Four, while the top is from the Timeless Rectangles set. Stamped in Rich Cocoa is the Thanksgiving sentiment, which is from the K Andrews Designs Scripture Sayings set. I wanted to add sparkles or texture, but the fit in the pocket was already a bit snug so I didn't want to press my luck. Thankfully the papers and fancy dies are lovely on their own. :o)

A peek inside where a couple more sugared apples await, along with a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Square for my sappy message.

I hope the senior citizen who receives this card is filled with my and God's love... I did my best to pack in a bunch of it. :o) Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a sparkly day. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Craft Your Passion~ Heavy Metal (Metal brads for the basket)

 *Created With Love~ Any Holiday (Thanksgiving)

 *Die Cuttin Divas~ Use Brown

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *Papertake Weekly~ Two By Two (Two ribbon types: crinkle and lace)

 *Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Fall or Halloween Plus Ribbon

 *Sweet Stampin~ Autumn is Here

 *Sweet Stamps~ Fall

 *The Ribbon Girl~ Make It Sparkly

 *Twist of Faith~ Autumn Colors

Abundance!

Happy October, my dear friends! I hope you're doing well. :o)

A new month means a new recipient of the treasured I Feel the Love Project, hosted by the sweet and talented Madison of Funky Cards. The new collection is for Chancellors Village, which is a community within the Senior Lifestyle organization. We have the privilege of creating Thanksgiving cards for their senior residents. I am truly honored to be playing a small part in celebrating this special day with them. :o) It is vital never to forget our beloved seniors and this senior care facility offers them the love and care they deserve.

My first contribution encourages and celebrates the abundance of love and blessings in their lives.

I went straight-up harvest theme for this one to engulf one of the residents in Autumn's warm glow. :o) The patterned papers are from Authentique-Thankful (the plaid), Papertrey Ink (neutral leaves on the bottom section), and from my stash (the fabric-y brown swirls).

A Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish scrolls along the corner and beside the pumpkin. I used several cuts are from the Silhouette Online Store for this card... The pumpkin is embossed with the Cuttlebug Victoria folder for texture and all three layers are popped up with foam tape for dimension. The Ornate Vintage Frame is adorned with amber sparkle and I used the offset feature to create the inner plaid layer. "Abundance" is from PPbN's Fall Words Set. The little leaves are from a Recollections punch and the Swiss Dots-embossed pinecone is from my stash...I  believe it was from the Create a Critter cartridge.

A little closer in on the focal point:

The lace and metal filigree corner are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The corner was originally silver, so I heat-embossed it gold to coordinate with Autumn's splendor. :o)

I hope it warms the heart of the resident who receives it. :o) Thank you for fluttering on by today!

Challenges entered:
 *'ABC' Challenge~ 3 or More Patterned Papers (The leafy paper on the bottom might look a bit washed out in the photos, unfortunately!)
 *Craftin' Desert Divas Linky Party~ Anything with a Sentiment
 *Crafting By Designs~ Anything Goes
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Dream Valley~ Autumn
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Moving Along With the Times~ Anything Goes
 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 *Pile It On~ Leaves

Elisabeth Bell's World Challenge GD: Shape It Up!

Hello, my sweet friends! I hope you're having a beautiful day. :o)

I am ecstatic to be a Guest Designer today at Elisabeth Bell's World Challenge! What a thrill. :o) The challenge this month is Shape It Up... no squares or rectangles allowed. :o)

For my shaped card, I made an Autumn snow globe to encourage a battling heart while celebrating the beautiful season. This card is my final contribution to this month's I Feel the Love Project. It will soon be delivered to Hope Ministries, which serves the homeless in central Iowa. I pray that this brings both joy and encouragement to someone going through a difficult time.

Inside, a burst of seasonal warmth awaits, along with an encouraging sentiment from the K Andrews Designs Scripture Sayings stamp set:

Frolicking amidst nature's splendor is this adorable Elisabeth Bell image, named Li'l Janiel's Harvest. She is colored up in Copics, with a layer of Stickles Star Dust upon her dress and cloak. One of my favorite things about this cutie pie is the story behind her creation. Elisabeth drew this for a DT member who adores fairy tales (among other things!). Li'l Janiel is helping the squirrel family prepare for winter with acorns, and the birdies of the forest are helping her. Mister Frog is keeping a tally of the acorn count with his parchment of paper and peacock feather quill. How sweet is that? The little squirrel on top of her head is simply precious. There is certainly a reason my heart fills with joy every time I color one of Elisabeth's images. :o)

The snow globe cut file is from Bird's Cards. I popped up the top layer with foam tape and backed it with acetate so I could fill it with Autumn's beauty. :o) The abundance of little leaves is from a Recollections punch. For the outer circle perimeter, I used an Inkadinkado leaf stamp to create a swirling border of leaves and colored them in with Copics. 

The three larger leaves on the pinecone base are a cut file that came with my Silhouette, which I embossed with the Cuttlebug Victoria folder. The bow was made with Chocolate Truffle Trendy Twine, purchased at My Craft Spot. A Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish scrolls along the side, adorned with a bit of harvest sparkle. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a sparkly day of love and blessings. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *All That Stickles~ Fall Harvest (Star Dust on her clothing and the birdies)

 *Created With Love~ Fall Colors

 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Woodland Critters (Squirrel, froggie, and birdies)

 *Die Cuttin Divas~ Fall Colors

 *Elphine House Australia~ Simply Cute

 *Fussy and Fancy~ Dies and Punches (Flourish die and leaf punch)

 *Love to Create~ Color Inspired

 *Love to Scrap!~ Run for the Border (I used a leaf stamp to create the circular border of swirling leaves)

 *My Craft Spot~ Photo Inspiration (Leaves)

 *Pile It On~ Warm or Cool Colors

Sweet Birthday Wishes

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

As previously mentioned, for September's I Feel the Love Project we are creating cards for Hope Ministries... a beautiful faith-based ministry that serves the homeless in central Iowa. It has been an honor to dedicate my crafty time to them this month and I hope my contributions bring a smile to the residents.

I had it on my heart to make a bright birthday card for a homeless little girl, despite the fact that bright Copics and I do not generally get along. :o) I hope she likes it.

I knew I wanted to use a sweet treat of some type, and this adorable little image from Elisabeth Bell seemed perfect. While frolicking about picking flowers, our Sweet Tooth happened upon a sparkling path that led her directly to a gumball machine. :o) Rather than create my normal sky and grass background, I opted for this patterned SEI Couture paper that has long been in my stash, waiting for the right opportunity to shine. I could not resist setting her atop a shiny flurry of gumballs. :o)

The beautiful background paper is from Best Creation's Fairy Collection. I love the brightness.. and of course the sparkle. ;) The nesting shapes I used as my base for the image is from the Silhouette Online Store, as part of this Vintage Badges set. My card base shape is from a Lori Whitlock thank you card, also from the SOS. Glittery Core Couture cardstock was used for my middle panel, which is embossed with the Swiss dots folder to resemble gumballs.

I searched out my brightest pink and blue Wild Orchid Crafts roses because you're never too young for celebratory flowers. :o) The hot pink crinkle ribbon is from the lovely Karen of Little Scrap Pieces. Zva Creative flourishes dance with delight and I tucked in a Cheery Lynn Designs heart from their Two of Hearts set.

Lastly, I used my beloved Tiny Tag Metal Dies from My Craft Spot to frame my computer-generated sentiment. I pray that this card will be a reminder of how much the recipient is loved. Although this is for a little girl, I realize it is also for her mom or dad. I can't imagine the emotions as they celebrate their little girl's birthday without a home, far from what they envisioned for their lives, so I hope this also delivers extra love to their hearts. It means everything to be a tiny part of her special day. :o)

A peek inside, where the flurry of gumballs continues!

Thank you for visiting me today! I wish you all a sweet and blessed day. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Created with Love~ Anything Goes

 *Creative Creations~ Photo Inspiration

 *Divas by Design~ Anything Goes

 *Elisabeth Bell's World Challenge~ Hot Summer

 *Love to Scrap!~ Run for the Border (Borders!)

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *My Craft Spot~ Favorite Technique (Coloring with Copics)

 *Papertake Weekly~ Make It Sparkle 

 *Simon Says Stamp~ Use Something Available at Their Store (Copic markers and Star Dust Stickles)

 *Stamp and Create~ Birthdays

Another Encouragement Card :)

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

I made some crafty time this week and am happy to share my newest card for this month's I Feel the Love Project collection. We are creating for an incredible organization (Hope Ministries) that faithfully serves the homeless in central Iowa. Soon they will have a bushel of homemade cards to give their residents at the appropriate times. It is heartwarming to use our crafty passion for such a purpose.

I think I'm at a record number of consecutive Copic creations! I can't get myself to put away my markers. :o)

This cutie pie is a Wee Stamp, beautifully named Hopeful. The radiance within her lantern instantly made me think of God's love and light... so I filled it up with warmth to deliver His light to the special heart that will receive it. For the sponged sky, I used Broken China instead of my typical Tumbled Glass for a softer backdrop. Star Dust has been sprinkled at various points within the image for extra twinkles of love.

The angled view (which isn't so blurry when viewed at original size) better shows the Cheery Lynn Mini Fanciful Flourishes. I placed some roses along the vines to make them the climbing variety.

The encouraging sentiment (from K Andrews Designs Scripture Sayings stamp set) is nestled inside:

The lovely papers are from Graphic 45's May Cut-Aparts from their Place in Time collection. I layered my two newest Spellbinders sets, which ended up working together quite nicely! The card base is Timeless Rectangles and the image and sentiment bases are from the Gold Labels 4 set. Kaisercraft lace serves as a soft border and the flowers are my favorite Pink Mist Roses from Wild Orchid Crafts. The two butterflies are from a Fiskars punch, centered with a rhinestone. A sprinkle of gems sparkle around the base... and before I mail this, there will be some added to the purple base, as well. I was rushing and forgot them! (Gasp!)

I hope this little card brings comfort and joy to one of the residents. Their rainbow will come. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! Have a sparkly and beautiful day! :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Card Crafter's Circle~ Portrait of a Woman (Special ladies!)
 *Charisma Cardz~ Fancy Flourishes
 *DL.Art~ Thankful Thursday September Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Flutter By Wednesday~ Butterfly or Fairy
 *Love to Scrap!~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Pile it On~ All That Flickers
 *Sweet Stamps~ Butterflies