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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Baby cards: Project Sunshine and Smiles for St. Jude's

Happy Thursday, my sweet crafty friends! Are you smiling lots this week? If not, grab the nearest cupcake (or three), devour them, and finish them off with a sugary caffeine concoction. I won't tell.

Remember way back on Monday I mentioned a special card I was making? It's been one of those weeks. At long last it is complete... and it multiplied into two. Right after I post this I should make a sash, bedazzled with World's Pokiest Crafter in sparkly rhinestones. Hopefully the added hours served to amplify the love content I tried to pack into them.

Erica from My Cricut Craft Room is on a fabulous mission to collect 5,000 cards by the end of August for the beautiful children at the St. Jude's Children Research Hospital. Read THIS POST for more information. The instant I stumbled upon her blog, I committed myself to this project. It's heartbreaking what they go through every single day. Those kids deserve all the love and sunshine possible, and once again the crafting world is uniting for a great cause. The age range is baby through teen... the sky is the limit in theme, as long as it's not a reminder of their illness. General thinking of you, hope you're feeling better, etc... the things we all do so well, right? I will be making more cards throughout the summer, but I began with the babies.

This is my first time making baby-themed cards. I knew that in this special case, it was an excellent opportunity to reach out to the parents through them. These itty bitty babies can enjoy some aspects of cards, but they're so tiny (yet in a gigantic battle) that I made certain to reach their loved ones... particularly with what I tucked inside them.

The sentiment is a reminder to keep dreaming big for their little ones. Miracles happen every single day. :o) The exteriors are basically the same (clearly!), but do have a few differences. The baby boy is embossed and has Glossy Accented clouds, while the baby girl has a few rhinestones. I drew a Peachy Keen face on each moon, added a fluffy pom pom, and inked/faux stitched to make it stand out a bit. It and the bigger stars are pop-dotted for dimension. All of the stars are coated in Glossy Accents to make them like epoxy brads. I love the shiny, hard finish atop the sparkle.

The two stars that dangle from the pom pom are special. Since they're free and the moon is popped up, there's a decent chance they could flip, right? I took advantage of that opportunity to sneak in a little message... Love heals:

And tucked inside the cards, in little pockets:

I attached these to jump rings to replicate the ever-popular "keys" toy that little ones play with. Instead of for playtime, these are keys to win their battle. I kept the same color schemes, but made these bolder... because the families need a bold spirit to fight for their sweet baby. The three cards are Faith, Hope, and Love. On the backs they'll find a message from me touching on the given topic. To end each is a tiny sheep, because the Lord is our shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms, and carries them close to his heart.

Hopefully these cards will fulfill my goal of spreading a little sunshine and reminding them they're not alone in these scary times. And I hope you enjoy them, too! :o) Thank you for stopping by my blog. Every visit means so much to me. :o) Have a gorgeous day, everyone!

(Side note: I have a couple of awards from several amazing people. So as not to turn this post into a novel, I'll do those separately as soon as I can. I am so appreciative... they give me warm fuzzies. I'm anxious to post them and return the love. Thank you, my dear friends!)

Challenges Entered:
 * My Craft Spot (Ink it up!)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Create a Critter, Elegant Edges, Simply Charmed
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: D'vine Swirls, Polka Dots
 * Paper: Bazzill, DCWV, Heidi Grace, Imaginisce
 * Ribbon: American Crafts, miscellaneous
 * Twine: Sew Easy (limeade and lollipop)
 * Miscellaneous: Dew Drop Brilliance, Glossy Accents, iRock, Stickles

Photobucket

17 comments:

  1. FABULOUS! I love your little cards, super cute. ~Shen

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  2. Darling cards ...love those sweet faces !! Bless you for making these cards for such a great cause !
    Thanks for playing along with us at My Craft Spot !
    Joy

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  3. My sweetest sis...did you know that you are beyond squishable?!?!

    AHHHHHH!!! They turned out even more incredible than I ever imagined sis!!! GASP! Just look at all the precious details you added to each one. Without question Sunshine, your gifts are going to deliver rainbows of hope to some very special families. I am a mushy mess right now just reading your post. Only a heart as God blessed as yours would think of such incredible and meaningful ways to reach out and inspire as you do sis. Your gift is going to be the burst of hope and faith those families need most of all. Soooooo flippin' proud of you tonight!!!

    *plays with the twinkling stars and hugglers them forever* I have no idea how you think of such stunning ideas sis. Your gift is just surreal.

    Sending you all the moonmean and shooting star hugglers my arms can hold tonight!

    God bless my Sunshine and the extra special families whose lives are about to be heaven blessed by these most incredible gifts of love!!!

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  4. Great cards and a great cause! You are a special person! :)
    Amy
    redheadedcrafter.blogspot.com

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  5. Your HEART sparkles! These are amazing. Amazing, amazing, amazing. :)
    Nita

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  6. Ahhhh, these cards are just the sweetest things. Makes me wish I had a baby to send one too! Just a really wonderful job...love all the detail!
    Cindy Porter http://cardcrazeeme53.blogspot.com/

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  7. Ms. Karen, those cards are just so sweet! I love the shape, the colors, the moon and the embossed cloud! You are my last stop before heading to bed (as I yawn right now!) and the cards are speaking to me that it's my bedtime, LOL! Tomorrow, with a fresh mind, I will follow your link to St. Jude's. I have donated to them in the past, as my heart breaks for those precious children. Excellent work my crafty friend! xx

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  8. My Sweet Friend, these baby cards are so lovely and sweet. Your precious spirit is shinning through each detail. I love the word of love on the stars, and the blocks. You are a loving woman, I am blessed to have met you. Hugs, Pam at http://craftycards4u2.blogspot.com/

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  9. Oh my Your cards are SUPER ADORABLE!AMAZING job with the sweet little moon,Great details and colors!I LOVE IT!!:)

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  10. Oh my goodness Karen, these are so special! What an amazing cause! I love all the darling details on these that I don't even know where to start! I'm sure the recipients are going to be so touch by all the love and thought that went into these! Your such a wonderful crafter! Thanks for sharing these with us at My Craft Spot this week!
    Amber
    I would also love to grab 3 cupcakes right now....mmmmmm!

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  11. These are adorable and for such a great cause! I love the scallop circle shape of the card and the embossed clouds. Of course you know I can't resist some sparkle :) They are spectacular. You did an amazing job!

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  12. My goodness, Sweets. These cards are absolutely adorable and so full of beautiful subtly! The moons are classic, and I am mad about the surprise sentiment hidden in those spinning stars. I am even crazier about the inspirational notes you combined with iconic baby key toys. Brilliant! These families will be so happy to receive your lovely cards, and I pray they bring some peace and strength as they endure what no family should have to go through.

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  13. Karen, these are so absolutely adorable and creative! What fabulous cards you have created for a wonderful cause! The details are spectacular and you can tell they were made with love! You are amazing my sweet, crafty friend! Love, love, love them :D

    Lisa
    http://indymermaid.blogspot.com

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  14. These cards are so sweet! I love all the details you put into them. They are sure to brighten the day of the family who receives them.

    Karen
    craftedwithlovebykaren.blogspot.com

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  15. Beautiful!! I love all of the embossing, glitter, and fun little details you added! Thanks for joining the fun at My Craft Spot!

    Kimberly

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  16. These are precious - and how very kind of you to make them for children you don't even know. May you be blessed for your kindness.
    Such wonderful details you've added. These really are full of love!
    Thanks so much for playing along at My Craft Spot!
    Kate
    Small Bits of Paper

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  17. Wow, these are so adorable! ~ Blessings

    http://gracescraps.blogspot.com/

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Thank you for leaving some love! Have a beautifully blessed day. :o)

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