May Your Days be Filled with Happiness!

Hello, my sweet friends! I pray your week has been filled with all things lovely. :o) (And thank you for the immensely sweet comments on my last post! I felt the love.)

Today I have another encouragement card to share with you! One thing I love to do when possible is create a card for the mother and/or father when the I Feel the Love Project recipient is a child. As previously mentioned with my seashell easel card, this month we are using our crafty passion to shower delightful 6-year-old Baylee with love. She is battling a rare disorder called Isolated NK Cell Deficiency... and doing it with an admirable strength.

Her mother certainly experiences heartache as she watches her child suffer through the darker days. I wanted to give her a little piece of my heart... a reminder that she, too, is in my thoughts and prayers.

After making an abundance of cool-toned cards of late, I wanted this card to be filled with warm hues. Although I never have time to experiment with different styles, I found that changing up color palettes can make it feel new! I had never made a card in deep oranges and greens and I must say I love it. The earthy tones feel so warm and inviting to me... like a warm summer hug. I wish I could give Baylee's mom such a hug!

I chose adorable Mountain Lily by Sylvia Zet to be my messenger of joy. Isn't she sweet? She is colored with Copics (listed below) and abounds with Star Dust for extra sparkle. I used Polar White Flower Soft to make her vest trim and poms fluffy. Although washed out in the pictures (*sigh*), I sponged a pretty sky for her backdrop.

The lovely papers are from Heartfelt Creation's Sun Kissed Collection. Given their beauty, I didn't want to cover them up with ten billion embellishments. I thought it would be cute to have Mountain Lily watching a trail of butterflies, so I used my new Memory Box Butterfly Vine Border. I cut it twice, making one an offset shadow. I cut a third vine to sporadically place butterflies around the card, surrounding Baylee's family with fluttery love. 

Marianne Design's Anja's Vintage Ornaments 2 (cut down in size) accent the side and are sponged with Tim Holtz Forest Moss distress ink. The velvety Prima hydrangeas had a bright pink center, which I covered up with Forest Moss ink. Lastly, the sweet sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Stampin' Around Spring set, cut out with the coordinating Tiny Doilies metal dies. I added a metal dragonfly charm to the center, along with a sparkling trail of happiness. It is so vital to stay joyous and hopeful, keeping faithful and showing sweet Baylee that everything is in God's loving care... especially in the harder times.

The interior, layered with a leafy paper from the same Sun Kissed collection:

I hope she likes it! :o) Thank you for fluttering on by today. I wish you a sparkling day of love and sunshine. :o)

Supplies from the 7 Kids College Fund Store:

Sylvia Zet's Mountain Lily

Marianne Design Anja's Vintage Ornaments 2

Memory Box Butterfly Vine Border

Copic Sketch Markers

Neenah Solar White Smooth Cardstock

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Broken China and Forest Moss

Stickles: Star Dust

Flower Soft: Polar White

Zip Dry Paper Glue

Copics used:
Hair: E33, E35, E37
Skin: E0000, E000, E00
Greens: YG93, YG95, YG97
Oranges: YR21, YR23, YR24, YR27

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Blues)
 *Card Mania~ Anything Goes
 *Crafty Catz~ Use a Fairy
 *Created With Love~ Winged Things
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ January Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Papertake Weekly~ Bows and/or Dies
 *Sparkles Monthly Challenge~ Show Us Your New Stash (paper, dies)
 *Sweet Stampin'~ Favorite Style (Whimsical with Copic work and fun metal dies)
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

Anything Goes at 7 Kids College Fund!

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

Today starts a new challenge at 7 Kids College Fund! I created a fun easel card for the new recipient of the I Feel the Love Project. Each month, IFTL highlights a person, family, or organization in need of extra love and we have the honor of crafting for them.

This month we are creating for a precious 6-year-old named Baylee. She has a very rare disorder called Isolated NK Cell Deficiency, meaning she has low/nonexistent levels of NK cells and is highly vulnerable to infections. Life expectancy varies among patients, as the condition may lead to fatal infections. However, I am praying and will continue to believe she will be healed and have a long, strong, and healthy life! Sunday was a tough day for her, but her prayer warriors came forth in abundance! (You can follow her progress and encourage the family on her Facebook page: Prayers for Baylee.)

Baylee adores Hello Kitty, which will certainly be making an appearance in my box of love for her. But my first little gift is a whimsical easel card. :o)

The sweet little mermaid is Shelley by Sylvia Zet, colored with Copics. Sparkles and pearls have been added throughout, as I wanted to make this extra bubbly. :o) The shells and starfish are from the She Sells Seashells Lettering Delights collection. I used my Silhouette Cameo to create my easel card with the shell cut file.

My papers are from two KaiserCraft collections: Enchanted Garden and Sweet Nothings. The top paper is foiled in gold, which is lovely in person! The flowers are an assortment of Primas, to which I've added two Jillibean Soup Butterfly Sugar Picks. The pearl borders are from Michael's... I've been so anxious to use them! I hope Baylee likes the pearly texture. :o)

A better look at the bottom, including the Lili of the Valley sentiment and fun sea-inspired goodies!

Lastly, an angled view to show my final touch: hidden treasure! There's always hidden treasure in the sea, right? I adhered a row of heart-shaped rhinestones in graduating sizes behind the easel for her to see when she's facing it from the side. The greatest treasure is sparkling love, after all.

Baylee fights with such an admirable attitude, despite the pain that can storm through her. She continues to give back as she battles, collecting pull tabs from cans to help raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. Her goal is 100 lbs of tabs to recycle! Hopefully whenever she sees this little scene, it will bring a smile to her selfless heart. 

Thank you for swimming on by! Have a blessed week of sparkles and sunshine. :o)

Supplies from 7 Kids College Fund Store:

Sylvia Zet for Whimsy Stamps Shelley

Spellbinders Picot Edge Circles

Spellbinders Fancy Tags 3

Spellbinders Standard Small Circles

My Favorite Things Fancy Flourish

Copic Sketch Markers

Neenah Solar White Smooth Cardstock

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Tumbled Glass

Ranger Industries Stickles: Star Dust

Zip Dry Paper Glue

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Party/Celebrate)
 *Craft Your Passion~ Cool Colors
 *Created With Love~ Color Challenge (Pink and Purple)
 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Sparkle
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ January Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Love To Scrap~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *One Stitch at a Time~ Starting New (New stamp, pearl borders, and butterfly picks)
 *Papertake Weekly~ New Year, New Stash (New stamp, pearl borders, and butterfly picks)
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

Sweet and Sunshiny Sympathy Card

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

One thing I did not anticipate near Christmas was needing a sympathy card. A sweet little girl that I will forever love passed away after a fierce battle against brain cancer. She inspired me every single day and will always be an inspiration to all who became a part of her journey.

This isn't a typical sympathy card, but Trinitie certainly wasn't a typical child! In creating this for her grieving mother, I wanted to represent what Trin showed us daily: sweetness and sunshine.

Sometimes when a card is particularly painful to make, simplicity is your friend. Knowing the design wouldn't be overly detailed, I turned to one of my favorite techniques. Using Spellbinders for shaped cards innately adds elegance and beauty, so I chose Gold Labels 4 for my base. I used the coordinating Labels 4 Nestabilities to cut and emboss a frame for the top, sponging the embossed area with Tim Holtz Scattered Straw distress ink for a warm, sunshiny, heavenly glow.

The lovely cupcake is my first CottageCutz die. This is the Sweet Filigree Cupcake, which I cut out a few times in varying papers and adorned with pearls (as non-pareils, of course). The Anastasia Border is from Cheery Lynn Designs, which serves as a pocket within my frame. Upon taking out the cupcake...

... words of encouragement, via K Andrews Design Scripture Sayings stamp set:

The beautiful patterned papers are from Graphic 45's Secret Garden collection. The Cheery Lynn butterfly and My Craft Spot buttercup ribbon are centered with Wild Orchid Crafts scalloped and heart pearls. The butterfly was cut with sparkling Core Couture paper, as Trinitie will forever be a sparkling angel in our lives.

The interior, with Spellbinders Labels 4 layers and a Whimsical Designs sentiment:

Trinitie's courage, sweetness, and sunshiny disposition never faltered as she suffered as a child never should. She is dearly missed, but there is peace in knowing she is no longer in pain. I hope this card brings a smile to her mom's heart.

Supplies from 7 Kids College Fund Store:

Spellbinders Gold Labels 4

Spellbinders Labels 4

CottageCutz Sweet Filigree Cupcake

Graphic 45 Secret Garden Paper Pad

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Scattered Straw

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain

Sizzix Big Shot

Zip Dry Paper Glue

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

Challenges entered:

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional:Color, Sight, Sounds of Winter)

 *Craft Your Passion~ Fancy Borders/Edges

 *Creative Creations~ Anything Goes

 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ January Linky Party (Anything Goes)

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *One Stitch at a Time~ Anything Goes

 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes

 *Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge~ Anything Goes

 *The Paper Girls~ Wishful Thinking (Sending up wishes and prayers for peace to abound)

 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

Anything Goes at 7 Kids College Fund!

Happy New Year, my dear friends! I wish everyone a beautiful year of health, happiness, and all things sparkly. :o)

Today starts a new challenge at 7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog! The challenges are always Anything Goes for participants, but the Design Team has added a twist for our inspiration. We are showcasing White-on-White creations, with the option to color a stamp. :o)

Seeing as it's like a snow globe outside, I made a wintry scene that is warmed by the gift of friendship. :o) This sweetheart is Apple Blossom's Skates by Elisabeth Bell, which I've colored with Copics and accented with pearls and sparkles. 

An angled view would have better shown the layers, but I was rushed at the time. Using the out of the box technique, Apple Blossom is cut out with a Spellbinders Labels 18 die. This is layered atop a Spellbinders Floral Ovals die, which is popped up atop lace and pom trims. The heart is from Marianne Designs Petra's Heart collection, which I've adorned with a snowflake and a tiny Wild Orchid Crafts rose.

My card base is a Samantha Walker cut file from the Silhouette Online Store, titled Crown Base Square. It reminds me of the trail left on an ice surface as a skater performs her choreography. :o) I embossed the entire background with a folder from the Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland set. The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Stamping Around Christmas, which is cut out and layered with the coordinating metal doily dies. The cuffs on the sweet mittens are fluffy with Polar White Flower Soft.

I am truly honored to be a part of this fantastic team and I hope you'll skate on over to check out my DT sisters' lovely creations! :o) Happy Sparkly New Year, everyone!

Supplies from 7 Kids College Fund Store:

Elisabeth Bell Apple Blossom's Skates

Marianne Design Petra's Heart Creatables Die

Spellbinders Floral Ovals

Spellbinders Labels 18

Copic Sketch Markers

Neenah Solar White Smooth Cardstock

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Tumbled Glass

Star Dust Stickles

Flower Soft: Polar White

Zip Dry Paper Glue

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Black and Favorite Color)
 *Craft Your Passion~ Something New (New Spellbinders dies!)
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ January Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Elisabeth Bell's World Challenge~ Snow and Lace (The WoW makes the lace harder to see.. it is below the pom trim.)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *One Stitch at a Time~ Anything Goes
 *Papertake Weekly~ Pick of the Year (I chose Snow and Ice from 11/12)
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

Christmas Tag, Exciting News, and WINNER!

Happy Friday, my dear friends! I hope you're having a lovely day. :o)

Before I share my tag and announce the My Craft Spot stamp set winner, I have some happy news! I have been invited to join the Design Team for the fantastic store 7 Kids College Fund! This is such an unexpected blessing and I remain a wee bit in shock. :o) They carry a plethora of inspiring crafty lines and the DT is bursting with talent. This is truly an honor and I'm excited for this new adventure! My first DT project will be on January 1st. What a way to start a new year. :o)

I made a quick tag to coordinate with the Christmas card I created for my sweet parents! I used different cuts, but kept the same wintry theme.

A closer peek at the jingling reindeer and filigree tree:

For the base of my tag, I used Spellbinders Gold Labels Four. The musical paper is from K and Company, while the snowy brown paper is from Memory Box. I used a few beautiful cut files from the Silhouette Online Store to create my little scene: the frolicking reindeer, filigree Christmas tree, and lovely poinsettia. The poinsettia is centered with a Wild Orchid Crafts scalloped pearl and each layer of petals is separated with foam tape for dimension. The tree is adorned with red and green Recollections rhinestones.

The blanket of snowflakes are from Cheery Lynn Designs, which I covered in Glamour Dust. The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Joy to the World stamp set, which is cut out with Kimberly's Tiny Tags metal dies. The Peppermint Stick trendy twine securing the jingly bell is also from MCS. Although unseen in the picture, I used a tiny black pearl for the reindeer's eye. I hope they enjoy their little tag. :o)

And now for the WINNER! Thank you all for the beautiful comments on my shadow box book card! The winner of a My Craft Spot stamp set of your choice (generously donated by Kimberly) is...

DIANA L.! 

Congratulations, Diana! Zip me an email with your address and stamp set choice to claim your prize. :o)

Thank you for visiting! Have a blessed and sparkly day. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Craft Your Passion~ Let It Snow

 *Crafty Catz~ Anything Goes

 *Die Cuttin' Divas~ Tag It

 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Christmas

 *Fab 'n' Funky~ Snowflakes

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *Paper Playtime~ Winter Fun

 *Papertake Weekly~ Christmas Creatures

 *Pile It On~ P is for... (Pearls, Poinsettia)

 *Simon Wednesday Challenge~ Let It Snow

Winter Birthday

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

With the busy-bee days leading up to Christmas, it's not often I get cards made for December birthdays. (The shame!) I was determined this year, so I carved out some time to make a wintry birthday card. :o)

This precious Wee Stamps image is called Friendship is the Greatest Gift, available in rubber and digi. I've colored the sweet friends with my Copics, adding Glamour Dust, Star Dust, and Polar White Flower Soft to certain areas. There's a significant amount of Glamour Dust throughout the card, but I fear I didn't capture that well in the photographs. It's so twinkly in person! :o) I colored all of the berries purple and sparkly to make them sugar plums. :o) The image is layered atop a Spellbinders Picot Edge Circle.

The papers are from Recollections' Le Ballet paper pad, which is a personal favorite. I love the purples and greens. The sweet Heart Banner is from La La Land Crafts, which I cut out with coordinating paper atop a snowy white layer. All but one of the snowflakes are from Cheery Lynn Designs, which are covered in Glamour Dust and centered with a rhinestone. The largest snowflake is from the Silhouette Online Store.

I wanted to send some flowers to the birthday girl, so I turned to my favorite Pink Mist roses from Wild Orchid Crafts. A few of them center snowflakes for wintry delight, including the one securing my sentiment from Pink Gem Designs' Vintage Occasion Sentiment set. The flower arrangement rests atop a Cheery Lynn Mini Fanciful Flourish and a couple fluttering snowflakes.

A peek at the snowy interior:

It felt strange making a non-Christmas project! ;) Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a day of sunshine and festive treats. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *7 Kids College Fund~ Anything Goes (Image and 3 dies available at 7 Kids)
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Calendar)
 *A Gem of a Challenge~ Anything Goes
 *Allsorts~ Anything but Christmas
 *Card Crafter's Circle~ Celebrations
 *Craft Your Passion~ Let It Snow
 *Crafty Catz~ Use 2 or More Dies (I used 5!)
 *Fussy and Fancy~ Hearts
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Pile It On~ P is for... (Purple, Pink, Present)
 *Stamp and Create~ Anything Goes

My Craft Spot Guest Designer: Shadow Box Book Card!

Happy Friday, my sweet friends! I am ecstatic to be guest designing today at My Craft Spot! It is truly an honor and I am so thankful for this unexpected blessing. I adore Kimberly and her talented DT, where inspiration always abounds. :o) For an extra special treat, there is a wonderful giveaway at the end of this post!

Inspired by several of Kimberly's goodies, I combined the true meaning of Christmas with the beautiful whimsy of the season. For this special occasion, I created a Shadow Box Book Card for a dear friend. (For the structure, I followed a fantastic tutorial by Delightfully Crazy.)

The papers throughout this book card are from Bo Bunny's Silver and Gold collection. For the spine of my 'book,' I heat-embossed one of the snowy flourishes from My Craft Spot's Ornate Labels-Christmas. That same stamp set graces my cover (repeatedly), where I heat-embossed the golden label outline and cut it out with the coordinating Ornate Labels metal dies. The sweet holly flourish is centered with garnet rhinestones and I couldn't resist using the holly jolly sentiment. :o)

A closer peek!

My MCS focal point is bordered with Wild Orchid Crafts roses and surrounded by a flurry of glamour-dusted snowflakes from Cheery Lynn Designs. The metal filigree corners are also from WOC, which I heat-embossed with gold embossing powder.

Inside, heavenly joy encourages a Christmas dance!

The gorgeous sentiment is from MCS's Joy To The World stamp set, surrounded in pearly snow and golden elegance. It is stamped upon a Marianne Design's die, Petra's Heart (LR0280). The embossed portions are sponged in Scattered Straw for a warm Christmas glow. I created a frame for the page using the Anastasia Border die from Cheery Lynn Designs, a technique I first saw many moons ago Cheery Lynn's blog.

For the shadow box part of my book card, I designed a scene from my heart. The glorious Christmas star (from the Silhouette Online Store) has turned the wintry landscape golden and inspires a ballet dance of pure love.

The joyous Christmas dancer:

The ballerina is a Marianne Design's die, Ballerina 2 (LR0166). I made her a tutu of white lace (the same as the book's border) and accented it with festive red and green rhinestones. I used crystalline gems for the waist and straps of her costume. The pearl-dusted snowdrift that she dances upon is another MD die, Fancy Edge with Lattice (LR0202). The golden lace framing the scene was purchased on eBay... I was determined to find just the right one for this project. ;)

The back, finished off with one more MD metal die. I used one of the dies from Anja's Vintage Ornaments 2 (LR0270) to act as hinges. This project was a joy to create and I hope my friend loves it as much as I do. :o) (I confess I will miss having this!) ;)

**STAMP SET GIVEAWAY!!!**

One of the many things I appreciate about Kimberly is her generosity! Do you want to be entered to win a My Craft Spot stamp set of your choice? Simply leave me a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite My Craft Spot stamp set is and you will be entered! How sweet is that?! I will draw and announce the lucky winner on Friday, December 13th!

Thank you for pirouetting on by and sharing in my excitement! I wish you a sparkly day. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Cheery Lynn Designs~ Tis the Season (I used Snowflakes and Anastasia Border dies)

 *Crafty Ribbons~ Spots or Stripes

 *Created With Love~ Christmas

 *Divas by Design~ Feeling Festive

 *Love to Create~ Holiday Gift/3-D Project

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *Marianne's Design Divas~ Charm and/or Ribbon (I used dies LR0166, 0202, 0270, and 0280)

 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes

 *Twist of Faith~ Baubles and Bells