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Saturday, March 29, 2014

Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons and My Craft Spot Co-Blog Hop!

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! Welcome to the Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons and My Craft Spot Spring Blog Hop! Members from the PPPR Design Team and MCS Design Team have come together to share some springiness with you, featuring Lisa's cut files and Kimberly's stamps! Not only does Springy and Eastery inspiration abound, but there are also fabulous prizes. :o)

If you arrived here from the marvelous Brianna, you are in the right place! If you just stumbled upon my blog and would like to start from the beginning, please hop on over to sweet Lisa's blog!

For my project today, I made a center step card for a loved one to welcome Spring. :o)
The center step card is a PPPR cut file, which made it so easy to put together the base. :o) To create my warm weather scene, I used a few elements from PPPR's fantastic Spring Garden collection. The daffodils, tulips, and hummingbird are all from that set. I truly love every single cut file. :o) The flowers are layered and nestled beneath grass, which I've embossed with the Victoria Cuttlebug folder.

This entire design began with the hummingbird! I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. All of the patterned papers throughout my card are from Heartfelt Creations' Sun Kissed collection. I made the hummingbird with several of the blue designs for a pop of blue to match the center of the flowers.
All of the pretty butterflies are from My Craft Spot's Jar Full of Flowers stamp set, which I've colored with Copics, fussy-cut, and covered in Star Dust. I made a warm springtime breeze along the top of the card (via a My Favorite Things Fancy Flourish), upon which two butterflies are fluttering along.

The Springy sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Stamping All Around Spring stamp set, which I've cut out with the coordinating Tiny Doilies metal dies. It is layered upon one of the new (and gorgeous) Tiny Doilies 2 metal dies. My sun was made with two dies from MCS' Lacy Banners set.
Ready for some BLOG CANDY?!
http://www.prettypapergraphics.com/ http://mycraftspotshop.com/
One lucky hopper will win a $20 Gift Certificate to Pretty Papers, Pretty Ribbons and another lucky hopper will win a $20 Gift Certificate to My Craft Spot! For a chance to win, all you need to do is be a follower of EACH blog and leave a comment on each one.

For extra chances to win, you can "LIKE" Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons on Facebook and "LIKE" My Craft Spot on Facebook. Be sure to a leave a separate comment for Lisa and Kimberly letting them know that you did. :o)

Thank you for hopping along with us! Your next stop is the incredibly talented Leanne! :o) (And here's the entire line-up in case you get lost along the way! Happy hopping!)


Challenges entered:
 *Crafty Catz~ Anything Goes
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ March Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge~ Spring Flowers
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Anything Goes at 7 Kids College Fund!

Happy Wednesday, crafty friends! I hope you're having a lovely week. Today starts a new challenge at the 7 Kids Challenge Blog! The theme is Anything Goes, so share with us whatever your crafty hearts desire!

Have you seen the adorable SugarPea Designs stamp sets? I am truly in love with their sweetness. Not only are the images fantastic, but each set comes with several marvelous sentiments that coordinate to perfection. :o)

For this card, I used goodies from the precious One Big Hoppy Family! They will soon be hopping on over to Maddy, this month's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project. :o)
How heartwarming is this stamp? And it's not even the only image that comes with the set! I colored up these sweethearts with Copics, adding sprinkles of Star Dust to the mommy and Polar White Flower Soft to the tiny tails. I used Springy papers from Wild Rose Studio's Vintage Rose Collection to create my scene.

The pretty card base and arched fence are cut files from the Silhouette Online Store. To go along with the background, I added Pink Mist roses from Wild Orchid Crafts to create a flower garden for dear Maddy. Mini Fanciful Flourishes from Cheery Lynn Designs scroll beneath them. 

A little closer peek at one of the lovely sentiments that comes with the stamp set, which is stamped upon a Spellbinders Nested Lacey Pennant:
The sweet butterfly is from My Craft Spot's Jar Full of Flowers stamp set, which I've colored in Copics and Star Dusted. I highly encourage you to check out the SugarPea Designs line, as it is filled with character that brings such joy to our crafting and to the recipients of our creations. :o) I hope it brings a brilliant smile to this beautiful child, who is indeed some bunny special.
Be sure to hop on over to check out the wonderful creations from my talented teamies! You have two weeks to play along with us, so I hope you'll link up at the Challenge Blog. We love seeing your work! Have a blessed day! :o)

Products from the 7 Kids College Fund Store:


Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Birds of a Feather)
 *Crafting From the Heart~ Anything Goes (Optional: Spots or Stripes)
 *Creative Card Crew~ Animals
 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes
 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration (Garden)
 *Cut It Up~ Anything Goes
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ March Linky Party
 *Love to Create~ Bingo (Sparkle-Yellow-Flowers)
 *SugarPea Designs~ Embellish It
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes


Monday, March 24, 2014

Anything Goes at My Craft Spot!

Happy Monday, my dear friends! I hope everyone had a blessed weekend. :o)

A new challenge begins today at My Craft Spot! It's the popular Anything Goes, so link up whatever your crafty heart desires! :o)

For my project, I made a quick card for sweet 6-year-old Maddy, this month's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project. She is battling leukemia and we are crafting in her honor this month to deliver her an abundance of love and happiness. :o)

Intended as a birthday card by the cut file designer, I opted instead to make it an everyday card to encourage Maddy (and her parents) to celebrate each new day.
The base is a Daniela Angelova cupcake birthday card cut file from the Silhouette Online Store. The flowery detailing on the frosting was cut with a DCWV swirly patterned paper, while everything else is from Wild Rose Studio's Butterfly Glade. Each flower is centered with a rhinestone to put an extra twinkle in Maddy's heart.
Knowing this card would be simplistic, I chose my favorite of the butterfly papers from the collection for the wrapper. It is inked with Dusty Concord distress ink. Because I'm 100% addicted, I sporadically added sweet flutterbys from My Craft Spot's Jar Full of Flowers stamp set. (I know, I know! I need an intervention.) I colored them with Copics, fussy-cut them out, and coated them in Star Dust before layering them.

The sweet sentiment is from Kimberly's Tiny Tags 3 stamp set, cut out with the coordinating Tiny Tag Metal DiesSnow White crinkle ribbon is wrapped around the base, layered with a bow of Grape Fizz Trendy Twine. The candle flame is covered in gold Stickles for a sparkly glow.

A coordinating butterfly paper lines the interior, waiting to hug sweet Maddy when she opens it. :o)
See how she sparkles during her recent hospital stays... she is truly an inspiration.
Be sure to flutter on over to check out the marvelous projects from my teamies at My Craft Spot! I hope you'll join in the fun this week... I love visiting you! :o) Have a beautiful day!

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Birds of a Feather)
 *Crafty Catz~ Bling it Up
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes with Ribbon
 *Created With Love~ Girly
 *Die Cuttin' Divas~ Snack Lovers
 *Divas by Design~ Flower Power
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ March Linky Party (Anything Goes)



Thursday, March 20, 2014

A Touch of Spring!

Happy Thursday, crafty friends! I hope you're smiling brightly on this first day of Spring. :o) (I'm pretending the piles of snow are really piles of pristine white flower petals.)

I'm posting a project today on My Craft Spot's blog using some of Kimberly's newest goodies! I thought it would be fun to use the Jar Full of Flowers and Simply Sentiments stamp sets to decorate a paper vase. :o)
The 3d vase and Double Impatiens flower are Jamie Cripps cut files from the Silhouette Online Store. For each vase panel, I fussy cut one of the gorgeous flowers from Kimberly's stamp set and centered it with a scalloped pearl. The flowers were stamped upon coordinating paper from the same Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed collection for cohesion. These papers are stunning! The colors and designs are so beautiful. Tiny trails of pearls in graduating sizes "connect" them to form a pretty little design around the vase.
Nestled beneath Buttercup crinkle ribbon is one of the lovely sentiments from the Simply Sentiments set, which is cut out with the coordinating Tiny Doilies 2 metal dies. It's a beautiful message to remind someone daily that they are being thought of (and loved). :o)
I used tonal patterned paper for the sunshiny flower for added interest, with sweet tiny flowers and scrolling leaves on each petal. The edges are inked in Scattered Straw for a touch of warmth. The leaves are embossed with the Victoria Cuttlebug folder for texture.
Butterflies flutter along the side panels, courtesy of the Jar Full of Flowers stamp set. They have been layered, Star Dusted, and given a pearly trail of happiness to match the bottom design.
Thank you for visiting! Have a sparkly and blessed day. :o)

Challenges entered: 
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: 2d/3d Flowers)
 *Crafting from the Heart~ Anything Goes
 *Decorate to Celebrate~ Spring Decorations or Birthday
 *Divas by Design~ Flower Power
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Uplifting Sentiment of at Least 5 Words
 *Make My Monday~ Butterflies
 *My Sheri Crafts~ Celebrate Spring!
 *Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Welcome Spring with Ribbon/Trim
 *The Pink Elephant~ Lots of Layers, Ribbon, and a Pinch of Green
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Uplifting/Encouraging Sentiment


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

A Dabble into Stenciling!


Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope your week is going beautifully. :o)

I have a card to share with you today showcasing some new and older Memory Box goodies from 7 Kids College Fund!

One of the surprises from January's CHA was Memory Box releasing stencils. I was ecstatic! Although I had never used one, I admired the beauty they create and their endless opportunities for color and layering. Since I love Memory Box, I chose one of their new releases to dabble into the world of stenciling. :o)

One of the many wonderful options is this gorgeous Birch Trees Stencil, which is perfect for my nature-loving sweetheart:
I confess I was a wee bit nervous when I began! That all proved silly, as in only a few minutes I had a beautiful twilight background surrounding the birch trees. I taped down the corners to prevent movement and was delighted with my baby step into stenciling. Three shades of Tim Holtz distress inks where used for my sky, beginning with the lightest: Broken China, Tumbled Glass, and Faded Jeans.
The stencils are fantastic in quality and design, providing a blank canvas with which to decorate. Many designs can even stand on their own. For this project, I created a little winter scene. The biggest (and layered) snowflake in the right corner is from the Memory Box Precious Snowflakes set. All of the others are from Cheery Lynn Designs. The sweet Deer Trio is from Memory Box, which I popped up with foam tape for dimension. Star Dust accents the snowflakes and snowy landscape because I simply cannot make a wintry card without sparkle. For extra twinkle, I added rhinestones to the pretty snowflakes. The sentiment is from Close to My Heart.
Products from 7 Kids College Fund Store:


Thank you for fluttering on by! A week remains in our current challenge at the 7 Kids Challenge Blog, so I hope you'll join the fun! We look forward to seeing your creations. :o) Have a blessed day!

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes
 *Card Mania~ Something New (Stencil and metal dies)
 *Christmas Stampin All Year Long~ Sparkle and Shine
 *Crafting From the Heart~ Anything Goes
 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Uplifting Sentiment of at Least 5 Words
 *Holly Jolly Christmas~ Winter Scene
 *Pile It On~ For a Guy
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

Monday, March 17, 2014

Pinterest Inspired at My Craft Spot!

Happy Monday, my dear friends! I hope your week is off to a lovely start! :o)

Today begins a new challenge at My Craft Spot! This week we're being inspired by this gorgeous spring color palette:
Isn't it beautiful? I used it to create a soft and spring-inspired card for my dear mom who is enduring a lot of pain.
She loves tea cups, which seemed like a perfect fit for this challenge. It also enabled me to ink up one of my favorite My Craft Spot sentiments that I've been wanting to use! :o)
My primary sentiment is from the Tasty Treats set, which I've stamped beneath the curve in the Marianne Design Fancy Edge with Lattice (LR0202) border die. My other sentiment is from the beloved Tiny Tags 2 set, cut out with the coordinating Tiny Tags Metal Dies. The shape reminded me of the tag holder thingies on tea bags, so I secured it with Natural Jute String and tucked it inside the tea cup.

Enlarge the following picture to see the steam made of microbeads! (It's sparkly!)
I had fun creating the steam! Using the My Favorite Things Fancy Flourish die, I cut out swirls with acetate paper. Not only is it perfectly clear, but it's also sturdy enough to stand up on its own without requiring adhesive all along it. I coated it in Glossy Accents and dumped an avalanche of microbeads atop it. It's a lovely effect in person.  The tea cup, saucer, and spoon are a Marianne Design die set (CR1237).

The pretty papers are from the My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline (Howdy Doody) collection, which came to mind the instant I saw the color palette. I layered My Craft Spot's Buttercup crinkle ribbon with lace from The Ribbon Girl, centering the sunshiny bow with a Wild Orchid Crafts scalloped pearl. The metal filigree corners are also from WOC.
This was a fun card to make! I'll be giving it to my mom later today and I hope it makes her smile. :o)

Be sure to flutter over to see the beautiful creations from my teamies! I look forward to seeing how this Pinterest inspiration guides your creative hearts! :o) Thank you for visiting! Have a beautifully blessed day. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: 2d/3d Flowers)
 *A Gem of a Challenge~ Mother's Day/Female Birthday/Special Lady
 *Card Mania~ Something New (Tea cup, saucer, and spoon metal die set)
 *Craftin Desert Divas Linky Party~ Buttons, Ribbon, Twine, Brads: Use at least 2 (Ribbon and Twine)
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Ribbon and Bows
 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Uplifting Sentiment with at Least 5 Words
 *Hobbybook Designer Challenge~ Make It Girly
 *Just B Creative Crazy~ Anything Goes Linky Party
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting sentiment


Thursday, March 13, 2014

Nuts About You!

Happy Thursday, my sparkly friends! I hope you're having a wonderful day. :o)

Today I'm posting on the My Craft Spot blog with another cute critter card! This is being added to my box of love for Maddy, this month's I Feel the Love Project recipient. She is a precious 6-year-old who is battling cancer and we are showering her with the love she deserves. It is always an honor to create for those in need.

One of my favorite things about animal cards is that they so easily can be made punny. My Craft Spot has an abundance of stamps for those occasions. For this one, I turned to Tasty Treats! I was delighted to discover that this particular sentiment fits inside the new Tiny Doilies 2 metal dies. :o) (The center circle is cut out with the Tiny Doilies metal dies.)
A variety of cut files from the Silhouette Online Store were used to create this card, starting with the adorable Squirrel in Basket of Acorns. Isn't he sweet?! We're nuts about Maddy and I hope it brings a sparkle to her heart. I wanted this to be a fun shape for her, so I welded together a few jumbo acorns to form my card base. For the tops, I used a waffle cone cut file. :o) Gold Stickles accent each one because I can never resist an opportunity to sparklify something. ;)
For an extra touch of sweetness, I added a second sentiment. Hugs is from the Tiny Tags 2 stamp set, which I've cut out with the coordinating Tiny Tags Metal DiesChocolate Truffle trendy twine and Chocolate Truffle crinkle ribbon were added not only for prettiness, but also for texture. The button is from my stash. When creating for kids, I try to add in several elements for their precious little hands to explore. :o)

The brown flourish paper is from Echo Park's Runway Collection, while the pretty golden plaid is from DCWV. Bo Bunny flourishes add extra sparkle and I like how the shape is reminiscent of a squirrely tail. :o) For a splash of green, I made a pile of leaves with a Recollections punch.

I hope precious Maddy enjoys this little creation from my sappy heart! Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a day of sparkles and sunshine. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes
 *Craft Your Passion~ Young at Heart
 *Crafting With Dragonflies~ Make a Shaped Card
 *Fab 'n' Funky~ Animals (NO people)
 *Love to Create~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge~ Buttons or Bows
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Anything Goes at 7 Kids College Fund!

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

A new Anything Goes challenges begins today at the 7 Kids Challenge Blog! Although you can create anything your heart desires, the Design Team added a twist to our contributions this week. We're playing with die cuts!

7 Kids offers so many beautiful metal dies. I decided to feature one of my all-time favorite sets in a small wall hanging: Petra's Heart by Marianne Design.
Much of this is tonal, so it's not the easiest to see unless enlarged. If you look closely, you'll see I sprinkled in some gorgeous Memory Box Precious Snowflakes. They are nestled beneath all of the Wild Orchid Crafts roses.
My heart was feeling festive, as it so often does, and I particularly enjoy this die set for Christmas creations. I used one of the wonderful My Craft Spot Christmas stamp sets that I adore: Joy to the World. I love this sentiment and its design, and it rests so perfectly within the heart of my creation.

While it is always fun to add tons of layers, one of the beautiful things about metal dies like this is that they can shine on their own. To showcase the exquisite embossing, I inked them with Tim Holtz Barn Door distress ink.
I also used Barn Door to make my white flowers two-tone and covered my snowflakes in Star Dust for a wintry twinkle. I used jump rings between the dies and a line of rhinestones between the smaller heart and fluttering snowflake. (I honestly don't know what I was thinking in using a white backdrop for this, except that I liked that it felt snowy!)

You have two weeks to play along with us at the 7 Kids Challenge Blog, so I hope you'll join in! We love seeing your inspiring creations. :o) Be sure to visit my DT sisters to see their marvelous projects with metal dies! :o) Have a blessed day!

Products from 7 Kids College Fund Store:


Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes
 *Card Mania~ Something New (Memory Box Precious Snowflakes metal dies)
 *Christmas Stampin' All Year Long~ Photo Inspiration
 *Crafting from the Heart~ Anything Goes
 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes
 *Love to Create~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Papertake Weekly~ Bingo (Gems-Die Cuts-Flowers)
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting

Monday, March 10, 2014

Cute Critters at My Craft Spot!

Happy Monday, my dear friends! I hope you had a blessed weekend. It's time for a new challenge at My Craft Spot and it's one of my favorite themes: Cute Critters! :o)

It provided a perfect opportunity for me to make another creation for this month's I Feel the Love Project, where we are crafting for 6-year-old Maddy who is battling leukemia. There's another layer of sadness to this story. A ruthless person stole a very special jar from a local restaurant, which her community fills with heartfelt notes and monetary donations to help offset expenses. :( She is the one for whom I made the sparkly treasure box of happy moments.

For my cute critter, I made a loving bee bear to brighten Maddy's day. :o)
Isn't she adorable? She is a Stinkin' Cute Valentine Bee Bear cut file from the Silhouette Online Store and I fell in love with her! I couldn't resist adding two honey dippers to make her extra sweet. The precious My Craft Spot sentiment is from the Tiny Tags 3 stamp set, which I've cut out with the coordinating Tiny Tag Metal Dies. The Black Licorice twine is also from MCS.
The pretty yellow and green papers are from DCWV. The hexagon base is from the SOS, as is the honeycomb background. The pretty beehive has been adorned with sparkles and I used the heart metal die from MCS's Scrapping Life Cards for the door. The heart rhinestone on top of the hive was chosen because love always sustains us. :o) The branch is from KaDoodle Bug Designs, which I've layered with tiny flowers from a border punch. A tiny rhinestone centers each blossom.

An outdoor scene gave me a chance to play with the butterflies again from MCS's Jar Full of Flowers stamp set! They are colored with Copics and covered in Star Dust. I pray each one flutters straight into Maddy's gorgeous heart.

The interior is the same sunshiny paper as the front. :o)
I hope sweet Maddy's beautiful smile emerges every time she sees her new beary happy friend! :o)
Bee sure to buzz on over to My Craft Spot to see the lovely work from my DT sisters! I look forward to seeing all of your cute critters this week! :o) Have a beautiful day!

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Irish Blessing/Saying)
 *Craft Your Passion~ Young at Heart
 *Crafting for all Seasons~ Spring into Spring
 *Crafting From the Heart~ Anything Goes (Optional: Use Favorite Colors)
 *Created With Love~ Think Spring
 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes
 *Cute Card Thursday~ What a Gem!
 *Love To Create~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting Sentiment


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Spring-Inspired Home Decor Item

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

With the abundance of cold, snow, and ice, I thought it would be fun to make another Spring-inspired project to feature a few dies from the 7 Kids College Fund Store. (I apologize for the poor lighting! I had trouble properly capturing this one.)
While I've made several projects with Spellbinders bases, this is my first time using a Marianne Design die for that purpose. Anja's Vintage Decoration worked beautifully! Because the die is open-ended, I was able to make the base my preferred width. The embossed areas are sponged with Victorian Velvet distress ink to bring out their beauty. I adorned the base with a few pearls.
The rose basket is a Marianne Design die (CR1206), which I've threaded with American Crafts ribbon and accented with pearls. I used a couple of Memory Box dies in my basket: the tallest flowers are lovely Fairy Flower Drops, which are adhered to Small Olive Branches. I do wish I hadn't glued them down flat... I'm not sure what I was thinking! For varying layers and texture, I incorporated Wild Orchid Crafts sweetheart blossoms (trimmed in Victorian Velvet) and played with some Flower Soft. 
The beautiful My Craft Spot sentiment is from the NEW Simply Sentiments stamp set. The gorgeous papers are from a Susan Winget K and Company collection and the church-window lace is from The Ribbon Girl. This currently stands on a shelf, but can easily be turned into a wall hanging or simply framed, as desired. :o)

A week remains in our current Anything Goes challenge at the 7 Kids Challenge Blog, so I hope you'll join us! We love seeing your creations. :o) Have a blessed day!

Products from 7 Kids College Fund Store:


Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes
 *Crafting from the Heart~ Anything Goes (Optional: Use Dies or Punches)
 *Created With Love~ Think Spring
 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes
 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration (Pistachio, White, Rose)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *One Stitch at a Time~ Anything Goes
 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 *Pile It On~ Sweet/Soft or Bold/Bright
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes


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