Valentine's Blog Hop with 7 Kids College Fund!

Welcome to the 7 KIDS Valentine Hop! Are you ready for hearts and flowers? Oh, and don't forget love. I hope you will all share Valentine projects with us! Thanks so much for joining us. 

And, one random hopper will win a

$20 GIFT CERTIFICATE to the store!!!

And we will be selecting one lucky guest designer!

Here's how you can win:

1) Make your way through all the blogs on the hop and comment on EACH DT member's blog. 

2) Return to the Challenge blog and comment.

3) Come back to the store blog on Wednesday 2/4 when we'll announce the random winner. 

Remember to support the DT! If you like a project, make sure you click through that DT member's links which will help them earn credit toward purchasing more goodies to make more projects to show you!!!

Let's HOP!!!

Anita

Kelly

Mackie

Michele

Karen H (You are HERE!)

Karen G

Rosemary

Ann Marie

7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog

You should have arrived here from the lovely and inspiring Michele! :o)

For my Valentine project, I made a little wall hanging bursting with love for a precious 6-year-old named Baylee. She is this month's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project, where we craft to deliver love to those in need. While Baylee fights a rare disorder, we are preparing a surprise package of joy. :o)

Hearts, roses, and butterflies will soon fill her room with love from my sappy heart. :o)

A closer peek at the Copic-colored Elisabeth Bell image, beautifully named Bella Sole Love Letters and accented with Star Dust and rhinestones:

The gorgeous patterned papers are from Authentique's Smitten collection (to match the mailbox I posted yesterday). I used a variety of metal dies from Marianne Design to add extra layers of love, all of which have been sponged with Tim Holtz Barn Door distress ink. For texture I added lace and crinkle ribbon, with a rose-centered bow for sweetness. Fluttering out from the trims is a sunshiny trail of butterflies, on their way to Baylee to cover her in the healing warmth of love.

The bottom corner contains a sweet little envelope (made from a doily card wrap cut file), secured with trendy twine and a metal heart charm. It is lined with red script paper, to which hearts are bubbling up with... yes... more love! 

I used my crop-a-dile for the eyelets and strung it with the same cheery red ribbon that rests atop the lace. My base is a Lori Whitlock cut file. It is my heartfelt prayer that this, and everything else I made for her this month, will surround Baylee with the divine love that surpasses knowledge. :o)

*** Your next stop is the incredibly talented Karen G, a constant source of inspiration! Thank you for fluttering along with us! ***

Products from the 7 Kids College Fund Store:

Elisabeth Bell Bella Sole Love Letters

Authentique Smitten 6x6 Paper Pad

Marianne Design Anja's Vintage Ornaments 2

Marianne Design Petra's Corners

Marianne Design Petra's Heart

Memory Box Butterfly Vine Border

Copic Sketch Markers

Neenah Solar White Smooth Cardstock

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Barn Door

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Forest Moss

Stickles: Star Dust

Zip Dry Paper Glue

Challenges entered:
*613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Gift Set)
*Crafting for All Seasons~ For the Girls
*Creative Cutting Challenge~ Valentine's Day (Envelope with hearts, base)
*DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ January Linky Party (Anything Goes)
*Elphine House Australia~ Lots of Layers
*Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
*Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Valentine's/Love plus Ribbon
*Sparkles Monthly Challenge~ New Stash (Image, paper, charm)
*Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge~ Anything Goes with Ribbon and Bows
*The Ribbon Girl~ Anything Goes
*Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes
*Winter Wonderland~ Butterflies

Hello Kitty Mailbox (and mini Valentines)!

Happy Tuesday, my sweet friends! I pray you're having a beautiful week. :o)

I have some new goodies to share with you that I made for sweet 6-year-old Baylee, this month's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project. She is battling a rare disorder (among other things), so we have been honoring her this month with our crafty time. I am ever grateful that IFTL enables us to deliver love and sunshine to those who are hurting.

She is an avid Hello Kitty fan, so I wanted to make her something starring her kitty friend that could sit out for a little while if she chooses. With Valentine's Day falling around the time she'll receive these surprises, I opted to make her a little mailbox!

Isn't it sweet? (All cut files used are listed below.) I covered it in hearts and love, but veered away from Valentine's wording so it wouldn't be seasonal. Love is for all seasons! :o) 

The cute mailbox base is made with heavyweight Paper Trey Ink cardstock to endure her excited little hands and decorated with SEI and Authentique (Smitten) papers. My glittery Love Bug Hello Kitty is on an action wobble and accented with Peppermint Stick and Blossom twine from My Craft Spot, as well as a Prima flower. I also used twine for the flower stem (also from MCS), but cannot remember the shade name. Children appreciate personalization, so I used my favorite heart alpha to add her precious name. For extra love, each corner of the box is accented with glittering hearts from Spellbinders Fanciful Holiday set.

What goes best with a sweet little mailbox? Mini 3x3 Valentines to fit in the slot. :o)

I wanted to make her a million, but time permitted three. An owl, turtle, and puppy are eager to keep Baylee company, showering her with love each time she sees them. I used bright Doodlebug Lovebirds papers to fill her heart with joy. As seen in this picture, the sides of the mailbox are decorated with a sparkling La-La Land Crafts Heart Banner. You can never send too many hearts to a child, especially one who endures more than any child should. I hope this little set embraces her with the warmth of healing love.

I'll be back tomorrow with another gift for a special 7 Kids post! Baylee just lights up a room, doesn't she? She is such an inspiration. :o) Have a sparkly day, my friends!

SVG cut files:
Mailbox (Lori Whitlock)
Love Bug Hello Kitty (Ruthie)
Heart Doily (KaDoodle Bug Designs)
Uppercase and lowercase Alpha font (Kolette Hall)
Scallop square card bases (Lori Whitlock)
Ottie Owl (KaDoodle Bug Designs)
Turtle (PPbN Designs)
Puppy (Little Scraps of Heaven Designs)

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Gift Set)
 *Crafting for All Seasons~ For the Girls
 *Created With Love~ Anything Goes
 *Creative Cutting Challenge~ Valentine's Day (SVGs listed above)
 *Cute Card Thursday~ So Sweet!
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ January Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *My Craft Spot~ Polka Dots (On the owl and turtle mini Valentines)
 *Silhouette Challenges~ Anything Goes
 *The Pink Elephant~ Love

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