Christmas card!

Hello, my sweet friends! I hope you're all enjoying this beautiful season of love and hope. :o)

It's been a little while! The days just fly by, don't they? I'm excited to have a card to share today that I made for my sweet parents. :o) (Envision lots of sparkle.. much of it didn't show up in the picture.)

A peek at the red and white interior:

I thought they'd enjoy a cute and sparkly scene atop one of my favorite card shapes from Elegant Edges. The glimmering Christmas tree is cut with Core Couture paper for extra sparkle and adorned with red rhinestones. I made a wreath to put around the sweet reindeer, which I turned into a holly wreath with rhinestone 'berries' and made a bow with twine from My Craft Spot. All of the cuts are from the marvelous Noel cartridge. The reindeer's antlers and hooves are shimmering with Star Dust, courtesy of the swirling snow and his radiant heart. :o)

The pop-dotted snowflakes are from Art Philosophy and the snowy ground is embossed with a Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland folder. Instead of a snowy sky, I opted for this beautiful festive paper from Best Creation's Merry Christmas collection. A few months ago when I showed my mom my holiday papers, she adored these fluttering, sparkly holly and berries. She'll be excited I used it for their card. :o) The interior paper is from My Mind's Eye, topped with a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Square.

The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Joy to the World set. I stamped it upon a Spellbinders Labels Four die, trimmed it in star dust to make it icy, and adhered it with a Wild Orchid Crafts scallop pearl. The greeting is simple, but when you wish someone a Merry Christmas from your heart, a gorgeous light appears in their eyes. So much love, joy, and hope wrapped into that one simple phrase. I always get warm fuzzies when I say it. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration
 *Jingle Belles~ Anything Goes (Holiday)
 *Little Miss Muffet~ It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas
 *Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Holiday
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Paper Playtime~ Winter Fun
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Favorites! (Embossing, Bling, Noel cartridge)
 *Sparkles Christmas~ Button or Bow
 *Winter Wonderland~ Oh Christmas Tree!
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Uplifting/Encouraging

Thank you for visiting me! I hope your week is filled with love and blessings. :o)

Christmas Rosette Wands: I Feel the Love

Happy Friday, my dear friends! I hope you've had a blessed week. :o)

It's been nearly two weeks since my last post, but for good reason! Last week was filled with festive family time and this week I've been fervently crafting away at this project. As mentioned in previous posts, I had my heart set on making some rosette wands for this month's I Feel the Love collection. Our crafty gifts are going to children who will be spending Christmas in the hospital. It is heartbreaking, but I am ever thankful to Madison of Funky Cards for giving us a way to bless those sweet kiddos.

My gift to them: Twelve different rosette wands to brighten their hospital rooms. :o)

I painted bamboo skewers in glittery silver and gold acrylic paint and paired each rosette with two different ribbons. Twirling action is a must with rosette wands! :o) It was impossible to capture all of the detailing that went into these, but I tried. I'll show a few at a time for a bit of a better look. Enlarging will help since I cannot gush about each one, despite the innate desire. ;)

The sweet candy cane paper for the center rosette is one of my all-time favorites! It and many of the twelve rosettes are patterns from Graphic 45's Nutcracker Sweet Collection. **swoon** The rosette topper contains a bunch of Christmas morning elements that I cut out from various papers in the set. The tree is decked out in red rhinestones and topped with a sparkling heart of love. The candy cane ribbon is velvet, which I hope the kids will enjoy. It is a given that Star Dust and rhinestones are used throughout every wand. :o) The other two pretty rosettes are topped with Spellbinders Fanciful Holiday trees, decorated with rhinestones. The white background is embossed for extra snowy texture.

Reindeer and The Nutcracker ballet... they needed to be represented in this set! :o) The reindeer rosette papers are from K and Company, while the gorgeous pointe shoe paper is from Graphic 45. On the left, the sparkling reindeer is cut from the Noel cartridge and I gave him a layer of SnowTex to prance around in. The middle deer also has a SnowTex ground, with sparklified antlers and red rhinestones to serve as holly berries. The sweet ballet dancer was carved out from a Graphic 45 paper, sparkled up, and set upon a snow-embossed backdrop.

Guess what other theme was essential? TREATS! :o) Gingerbread cuties frolic around the purple rosette, with the main one sporting a trendy twine bow. Christmas sugar cookies are the theme in the center, with individuals cut out for the rosette topper and sprinkled with caramel-colored rhinestones. See the snowman cookie? He's giving the children his sugar cookie heart. :o) On the right we have a plethora of Christmas candy! It is topped with a portion of a sweet tag, upon which I stamped "Be Merry" from My Craft Spot's "Joy to the World" stamp set... and I couldn't resist adding a border of crystal and red rhinestones to symbolize candy cane coloring.

Lastly, the snowy set! Nutcrackers and snowflakes abound, complete with varying designs of rhinestones (and ribbon that is trying to be all willy nilly). Kudos to my sweetheart who happily made an emergency run to Michael's when I ran out of sparkles before I was done decorating the snowflakes... I am truly blessed! The center snowflake is from Art Philosophy.

The backs, which I couldn't bear to leave empty:

All but one of the rosette papers have a festive or wintry reverse side, so I left a border of it visible. The snowflake bases are cut from Elegant Edges and stamped with another sentiment from the Joy to the World set. The 'we' represents me and my sweetheart... although he didn't physically assist in this set, he gave the encouragement I needed when fatigue or design-uncertainty would set in each night. Indeed these appear simple, but they require a lot of work. He is very much a part of all twelve wands.

I hope my super sappy love twirls into the hearts of every child at Children's Hospital Central California. I always pray God's healing love over the things I make for those in need, faithfully convinced that they receive it. I'll certainly say an extra special prayer for these kids on Christmas morning. There is still time to join us in this very special collection. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Craft Your Passion~ Holiday Edibles (The set of three containing candy canes, gingerbread men, and sugar cookies... and the candy cane in the first set)

 *Crafty Ribbons~ Use at Least Two Ribbons

 *Cute Card Thursday~ Snowflakes! (Throughout most of the rosette wands)

 *Decorate to Celebrate~ Holiday Choice (Christmas!)

 *Divas by Design~ Glitter and Sparkle

 *Fussy and Fancy~ I Love Christmas

 *Little Miss Muffet~ Tags or Gifts

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *The Crafty Pad~ Add Some Glitter (Do not let my pictures fool you... I added it everywhere!)

 *Word Art Wednesday~ God's Goodness/Encouragement

Thank you for pirouetting on by today! I wish you a sparkly weekend of love, hugs, and all things beautiful. :o)

Ice Skate Christmas Card :)

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

I had some crafty time this weekend, which I used to create a Christmas card for one of my friends. She loves figure skating, so I made her an ice skate shaped card. I'm excited to give it to her! :o)

Note: The paper that looks beige did not photograph properly! It is a pretty lavender-pink shade that coordinates with the deep plum. I'm short on time, otherwise I'd try again.

She loves elegance and whimsy, sparkles and pearls... so I incorporated all of them into her card. I don't blame you if you just stare at the blade and nothing else. It was kaleidoscopic fun creating that layer! :o) I covered it in Glossy Accents and then dumped an avalanche of Halo-Silver glitter mix atop it. Instead of doing straight-up silver, I wanted twinkles of rainbows throughout. :o) She is often the rainbow in my heart, after all. :o)

The ice skate is from the Noel cartridge and the snowflakes are from Art Philosophy. I added a Cheery Lynn Designs flourish near the heel to serve as a snowy breeze, which I embellished with a few flurries. Some are pop-dotted for dimension. The gorgeous papers are from the Recollections Le Ballet stack, which I was gifted last Christmas. I loved combining both of our loves in this creation... her love of figure skating and my love of ballet. :o)

I heat-embossed the top with a Queen and Company flourish and My Craft Spot snowflakes for more sparkly, wintry fun. I used Holographic embossing powder for extra rainbow love. The pearl-drop strand is from Wild Orchid Crafts, which I used for several reasons: pearls are always happy, they look like snowflakes, and the teardrops look like icicles! And they just felt right for additional pearly flair. :o)

To finish off the front, I added pearls down the 'lace' part and a sweet pom pom-accented bow. The light purple twine is from My Craft Spot, to which I adhered the poms with hot glue.

A peek inside, which I need to get better at doing. ;) The boot part is lined with the same lavender-pink paper as the top of the skate and the blade is lined with silver shimmer paper. 

The stamp is from the new My Craft Spot Joy to the World sentiment set, which reads: "Peace on earth will come to stay when we live Christmas every day." She understands the peace and joy found when skating across the ice... just like when I dance across a stage. There is so much beauty in the arts and when it is choreographed to celebrate the Christmas season and the birth of our Lord, it's magical. That's what I envisioned for this card. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Crafty Catz~ Let's Have Sparkle
 *Crafty Hazelnut Christmas Challenge~ Something older than six months (papers)
 *Glitter n Sparkle~ Lots of Layers
 *Little Miss Muffet~ Textiles
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Paper Playtime~ Anything Goes
 *Sparkles Christmas Challenge~ Contemporary Colors
 *The Crafty Pad~ It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
 *The Ribbon Girls~ Lavender Hues
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Uplifting/Encouraging

Thank you for triple-looping on by! :o) I wish you a joyous day and a beautiful Thanksgiving! :o)

Thinking of You Card (and where I've been)

Happy Monday night, my crafty friends! I've missed you!

I apologize for not being around to visit you since my last post. Sadly, my sweet mom wound up in the hospital. It was a trying time, but thankfully she is back home now and doing much better. I am looking forward to catching up on your inspiring projects over the next couple of days. :o)

Shortly before my mom's incident, I happened upon a post that broke my heart. I instantly knew festive creations would take a break so I could reach out to a mother in need of love and comfort. Flowers that never fade entice smiles from a downcast heart, right?

Just as I peruse (and adore) crafty sites, I also frequent baking blogs. I'm sure this doesn't surprise you! Last week I was scrolling through a collection of new treats from various bakers and fell in love with the sweetest pink cupcakes, topped with beautiful hearts. I eagerly clicked on the picture to visit the corresponding post, expecting everything happy. Instead, I was brought to tears. Those lovely cupcakes were baked to honor a birthday that should have been.

Four-year-old Rowan passed away earlier this year. I was going to share her sweet picture, but realized I shouldn't without permission. Her mom's cousin is the baker who made the cupcakes and shared the heartbreak. I'll soon be baking cupcakes in Rowan's honor, too. After reading the story, I wanted to reach out... no, I needed to. I am so thankful that after only a day or two of comments and emails, she had spoken to her cousin and I was trusted with an address.

My card's creation was delayed because of my mom's situation, so when things returned to normal, the first thing I did was get to work on this. Normally I would have caught up with you guys first, but this little card is urgent.

The pretty flowers, sparkling with love:

I hope she likes it. My mind was all over the place, but I tried to settle it enough to focus. The base is from Art Philosophy, with the frame popped up for dimension. The lovely My Mind's Eye papers are from their Sweetest Thing-Lavender collection, which I am crazy about. The Kate's ABCs vase was cut with opalescent SEI paper, which is so pretty in person. I trimmed it in pearls for additional elegance. Amidst the bouquet of Wild Orchid Crafts roses are pearl sprays, added to saturate Megan with all things beautiful.

A Cheery Lynn Designs butterfly flutters nearby, delivering my love via the pearly heart in the center. The sparkling Core Couture paper is trimmed in Victorian Velvet, as she has so much love to share that she's positively glowing. WOC Guipure lace was a must, and I hope she loves it as much as I. For a pop of color I layered it with ruffly American Crafts ribbon... I pray that faith, hope, and sunshine ruffle through her heart when she receives this.

The interior, which inadvertently has the sentiment cut off in this picture. The top of the circle includes a Whimsical Designs "Thinking of You" stamp. At least you can see the pretty polka dots and Picot Edge circle. :o)

Please say a prayer for Megan when you read this... and all parents who have lost a child.

Challenges entered:
 *A Gem of a Challenge~ Spots/Polka Dots
 *Crafts With Cutters~ Bingo (Die-Cut/Ribbon/Ink.. the butterfly is inked)
 *Crafty Catz~ Add Texture
 *Fab 'n' Funky~ Die Cuts/Punches
 *Fussy and Fancy~ Pearls and Flowers
 *Little Scrap Pieces~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Out of a Hat Creations~ Nature
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Shaped Cards
 *The Crafty Pad~ Anything Goes

 Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a day that sparkles with love and light. :o)

Christmas Joy :)

Happy Monday, my dear friends! I know many of you are in Hurricane Sandy's path.. you have been and will continue to be in my prayers. **extra hugs**

I used my crafty time this weekend for the upcoming I Feel the Love Project collection. With a hunch that it'll be Christmas cards for kiddos in unfortunate situations, and my crafty time not what it once was, I wanted to get a bit of a head start. There's nothing more rewarding than using our passion to bless others, so I want to get my Christmas stash started for those sweet kiddos. It would break my heart to run out of time.

When creating for I Feel the Love, my heart is divided between happy-fluttery and panicky. I get myself so nervous, wanting everything to be just so! At the same time, it's when I have the most fun. :o) For my first Christmas surprise for a child in need of some extra love this season, I had it on my heart to create a festive scene.

With such a special recipient, I wanted to add something extra fun. I'm thrilled to finally own the Cricut Noel cartridge, so I was eager to use it. I chose the beautiful window, backed it with a reindeer scene from a K and Company paper, filled it in with Glossy Accents for realism, and added shimmery microbeads to the corners for frostiness. I hope the sweet kiddo likes it. :o)

This card was built around the precious Elisabeth Bell stamp, titled Star of Bethlehem. I colored the children in Copic golds and reds, adding Star Dust, Christmas Red, and Gold Stickles at various points. I dabbed Star Dust down the gold dress, as if she's leaving a trail of sparkles wherever she goes. :o) I originally was going to have them approaching a die-cut tree, but it wasn't working out as planned. I was so thankful to have this gorgeous Best Creation Merry Christmas paper to salvage the theme. The tree is beautiful and very sparkly in person. There are also sparkling flourishes throughout the entire sheet. :o)

The gift may seem disproportionate in size, but this is for I Feel the Love... I totally want to give them a life-size Christmas present! :o) I added buttons to the Art Philosophy gift for textural detail and sparklified the ribbon. I like to think it's ready to explode with sparkling love. Or maybe it's dusted with shimmery snow because Santa just delivered it. :o)

Lastly, I made a banner to help deliver the message of Christmas joy. :o) The cut is from Art Philosophy and I used golden paper with musical scores.. the heavenly angels are singing! The "joy" stamp is from CTMH Art Philosophy collection, which I heat-embossed in gold for shininess and a bit of dimension. The banner is 'secured' with rhinestones and Christmas twine. :o) I hope this little card delivers tangible hugs and love to its future recipient. I squeezed in as much sappy, sparkly, festive love as possible. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Christmas Crafting~ Buttons and Twine
 *Crafty Ann's~ Christmas in October
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Christmas
 *Elphine House Australia~ Buttons and Bows
 *Inspire Me Fridays~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Paper Playtime~ Anything Goes
 *Sparkles Christmas Challenge~ Traditional
 *Stampin' for the Weekend~ Anything Goes
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting

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

Sweet Christmas Wishes

Happy Tuesday, my sweet friends! I hope you're having a sparkly week! :o)

After far too many days away from crafting, I finally was able to make a card! Woo! I opted for a Christmas card with a feminine flair, which is new to me. But it stayed on my heart... so I made a lovey-dovey card for someone with a heart as sappy as mine.

"Sweet Christmas Wishes"

This was designed to remind her of all the beautiful moments shared with the love of her life. :o) A flurry of love, if you will! Admittedly, this was challenging to photograph well. You have to look closely to really see the varying snowflakes and such, but in person it's a sparkling pink and white winter wonderland. :o)

The sweet Lili of the Valley image is Ice Skating, which I've colored with my Copics. Oh how I love this stamp! The adorable girl's hat and skates are sprinkled with Star Dust and her trims are fluffed up with Polar White Flower Soft. The boy's hat is paper pieced.. a first for me! He looks so dapper! Hehe. :o) The skate blades are filled with silver Stickles and the ice is covered in Star Dust. The image is mounted on a Spellbinders Picot Edge Circle, which always makes me think of a big snowflake.

The whimsical and sweet Christmas paper is from the Memory Box Yuletide collection. The mix of candy canes and flowers was irresistible for this theme. The background is dark brown with tiny little snowflakes. Together they felt like a sweet Christmas indeed. :o)

The beautiful snowflakes are from Art Philosophy, which I've cut with white and pink Core Couture cardstock for silvery sparkle. I nestled a couple of Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourishes in one corner, to which I adhered the small negatives from the big snowflakes.. tiny snowflakes dancing along the snow-covered vines. :o) They're centered with pink rhinestones. The bottom corner arrangement includes medium-sized snowflakes with pink gems at each point. I wanted a variety of snowflakes. :o)

Since this is a lovey-dovey Christmas card to celebrate sweet holiday memories, I centered most of the bigger snowflakes with Star-Dusted Wild Orchid Crafts roses. (Which works with the base paper anyway... that's my excuse.) The pretty white Guipure lace is also from WOC. I typed up the sentiment on my computer, cut it with a Spellbinders Labels Four, and inked it with Spun Sugar for a final dollop of sweetness. This was out of my Christmas norm, so I hope my heart was right and the recipient enjoys this tiny blessing. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * ABC Christmas~ Up to You
 * Cheery Lynn Designs~ Texture
 * Cupcake Craft Challenge~ Paper-Piecing (little boy's hat)
 * Fashionista~ Anything Goes
 * Frosted Designs~ Sports/Dance
 * Jingle Belles~ Creature Feature
 * Lili's Little Fairies~ Anything Goes
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * Papertake Weekly~ Glitter and Sparkle
 * Stamp and Create~ Winter Wonderland

Thank you for skating on by today! I wish you a week of all things sparkly. :o)

In Everything... Give Thanks

Happy October, my dear friends! I hope this gorgeous month is off to a sparkly start. :o) Are you surprised to see another card from me so soon? Me too!!! :o)

I simply needed to create this weekend, so I made an Autumn-inspired card to encourage someone to live each day with a thankful heart... ideal for the upcoming Thanksgiving season. Hearts become so much more tender the last few months of the year.

Edit: I made this card mere hours before the sweet and talented Madison of Funky Cards posted the October recipient of the beloved I Feel the Love Project. Each month she highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of extra love and sunshine. In turn, we have the honor of creating cards to bring smiles to their hearts.

I created this card yesterday out of crafty desire, unsure yet who to bless with my and God's love. I truly believe the intended recipient is at the nursing home receiving this month's collection... Sweet elderly residents of Surrey Place Care Center who deserve an abundance of Thanksgiving cards from us. :o)

The papers for the Art Philosophy card base are Recollections (plaid, shimmery orange) and PaperTrey Ink. I nestled a colorful Autumn scene within the popped-up frame, which is accented with amber rhinestones to give it a golden sunset appearance. Indeed I view these amber stones as harvest sunbeams from above! :o) The pretty leaves are cut from Gyspy Wanderings, which I embossed with the Victoria Cuttlebug folder and trimmed in Gold Stickles. The pinecones are cut from a patterned paper from my stash. The leafy cluster is held together with bows of Vanilla Bean crinkle ribbon and Chocolate Truffle twine, both from My Craft Spot.

The flourish is a Cheery Lynn Designs die, which I continue to be in love with. The sentiment is from my beloved K Andrew Designs Scripture Sayings stamp set, which I stamped with Rich Cocoa Memento onto another PTI leafy paper. The lace is from Wild Orchid Crafts. I do wish I had taken an angled view of this card.. there is so much beautiful shimmer and dimension. Just pretend you can see it. ;) I hope this little card delivers an abundance of love and encouragement to its recipient.

Challenges entered:
 * Crafty Ribbons~ Anything but Square
 * Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration
 * Cut It Up~ Fall Photo Inspiration
 * Frosted Designs~ Embossing (leaves are embossed)
 * Little Miss Muffet~ Anything but Square
 * Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Use Ribbon or Twine
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * My Craft Spot~ Falling Leaves
 * Sentimental Sundays~ 3-2-1 Recipe (3 leaves-2 bows-1 flourish)
 * Word Art Wednesday~ Encouragement/Uplifting sentiment

Thank you for fluttering on by! You make my blog sparkle. :o)

Spinner Cards of Encouragement

Happy Tuesday, my crafty pals! I hope you're having a sparkly week. :o)

Last Friday I posted a couple of cards for a sweet friend who asked me to make encouragement cards for cancer patients in her area. It is truly an honor! Thankfully I had some crafty time to make two more simple designs. Despite the time crunch, I wanted to make something interactive to entice even bigger smiles from the battling recipients. :o)

A peek at both, with the sentiments withdrawn from the corner pockets. :o) (Is this like reading the end of a book first? I should have taken it with them tucked in!)

The pink and yellow version, created with sparkly papers from First Edition Love Letters:

The brown and pink version, designed with ultra sparkly papers from First Edition Isabelle:

Originally these were just going to have fun little pockets of blessings, but then I decided a fluttering butterfly would be fun for the patients. :o) To make the spinner tracks as hidden as possible, I made the backing paper with the identical sections of the designs. For the same reason, I cut an Art Philosophy flower for the butterfly base using the same patterns. That way it looks more like the butterflies are twirling amongst the flowers without a track glaring at you in the face. :o)

The pockets are trimmed with the first fancy punch I ever owned, which is a Fiskars border punch. (Unsure of the name.) The hearts are the large and medium dies from the Spellbinders Nested Hearts set. The Cheery Lynn Designs butterflies are from the Exotic Butterflies Small #2 set, which are cut with sparkly Core Couture paper and accented with rhinestones, coordinating with the sparkly flowers they're fluttering upon.

Victorian Velvet and Mustard Seed distress inks were used on the embossed areas of the first set of hearts, while the second set used Victorian Velvet and Walnut Stain. I only accented with three rhinestones on each since they will be going in and out of the pockets. I didn't have time to sew the perimeters, but a simple trim of white satin ribbon adds a touch of delicacy to the cards.

The K Andrew Designs sentiments are from her Scripture Sayings set, which I pray deliver strength and hope. I used hearts for the sentiment base to give them a piece of my sappy heart, too. :o) Maybe they'll even feel my and God's love with every twinkling butterfly pirouette. :o)

Challenges entered:

 * Craft Your Passion~ Bingo! (Emboss-Bling-Yellow and Pink-Ribbon-Border Punch)

 * Little Scrap Pieces~ Action

 * Lollipop Crafts~ Break Out Your Punch (Use two different punches or dies: Hearts, butterfly, border punch)

 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 * Paper Playtime~ Punches and a Sentiment

 * Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you all a gorgeous day, filled with love, light, and cupcakes. :o)

Encouragement Card Set

Happy Friday, my sweet friends! I hope you've had a blessed week! :o)

A dear friend asked if I would make a set of cards to give cancer patients in her area, to which I readily agreed. I treasure every opportunity to use this passion for a higher purpose. Due to time constraints, I need to keep them fairly streamlined (which you know is so hard for me!)... I'm quickly sharing the first two today and hope to get another two designed over the weekend.

First, a peek at both:

"For with God, nothing is impossible"

I often gravitate to nature themes when Scripture is the focal point and that is the case once again. The beautiful papers are from the Kaisercraft English Rose collection, which I paired with a few of my favorite things. The K Andrew Designs sentiment stamps for both cards are from her Scripture Sayings set. This one is nestled within a pearl-accented Spellbinders Nested Heart, inked up with Victorian Velvet distress ink as it radiates with the love of the Lord. I positioned the hearts between a "chain" of pearls, as if hanging from the bow. The Raspberry Truffle crinkle ribbon is from My Craft Spot, which I centered with a Wild Orchid Crafts pink scallop pearl.

The middle panel is trimmed with my Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch, accented with tiny pearls. The dark green paper is designed with script, purposely chosen to symbolize the memories yet to made. The recipient of this card will persevere and be healed.. of this I am sure. The filigree metal corner is from Wild Orchid Crafts, which I am in love with and can't think of a better purpose for its first use! I sewed around the card layers with my sewing machine and lightly inked the paper edges with Walnut Stain.

"Do not fear, for I am with you"

This lovely paper is from DCWV, which I've been waiting to use! It's so pretty I wanted a fair amount left open, so it was perfect for this cause. I love the peaceful white birds and the striking red blooms. Spellbinders Floral Ovals frame the Scripture, which I accented with pearls. The middle layer is embossed with the Swiss Dots folder. I added portions of a Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish and a Wild Orchid Crafts rose to the top for some extra texture and layers. I thought the battling patient might like a sweet birdie, so I used one of my favorite cuts from Art Philosophy, gave her a black pearl eye, and set her atop a leafy flourish. 

To finish the card, I combined My Craft Spot Vanilla Bean crinkle ribbon with a few more WOC favorites: white scallop pearl, cream guipure lace, and a flat-back pearl in the corner. When fears try to quell the voice of Truth, I hope this little scene brings peace as she is reminded that God is always with her.  I hope with all of my heart that both of these cards fill the recipients with hope, assured that there are prayer warriors lifting them up.

Challenges entered: 

 * Craft Your Passion~ Blast from the Past (Challenge 106: Die-Cuts and Punches)

 * Cupcake Craft~ In Stitches (First card)

 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 * Word Art Wednesday~ Encouragement/Uplifting Sentiment

Thank you for visiting me! Have a blessed day, remembering how much you're loved! :o)

Christmas card :)

Happy Saturday, my sparkly friends! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. :o) (Sweet Saturday returns next week!)

I've been anxious to create a Christmas card. It was getting painful. So when some free crafty time presented itself, I dove for this Lili of the Valley stamp like it was Christmas morning! It warms my sappy heart. :o)

Isn't she adorable? She is LOTV's Christmas Dance and I fell in love with her immediately. Dancing on Christmas goes beyond magical. :o) After stamping her on a Spellbinders Labels Four base, I colored her with Copics and created a wintry wonderland with my Polar White Flower Soft. It looks so pretty in person.. so soft and textural, with beautiful twinkles throughout. After using it for the trims of her pretty jacket and the ground, I decided to adhere some sporadically to the Wild Orchid Crafts flowers.

The papers are from K and Company, with the burgundy piece possessing a musical score that doesn't show up all that well in the picture. It's the music she's dancing to. :o) The green layer is edged with my Martha Stewart Lace Heart punch, creating hearts of gold. The gorgeous trim on top is a Wild Orchid Crafts flat-back pearl strand, which I adore. I liked it for this project because it made me think of little pearly snowflakes.

I couldn't resist using some beloved Cheery Lynn dies. The mini fanciful flourish is cut with pearlescent white cardstock to replicate a snowy vine. And oh how I love that heart! It is from the Two of Hearts set. The piercing in the center is so beautiful, but not well captured in the picture. I used a heart instead of a snowflake because as I was designing this card to celebrate Christmas, I kept thinking about one of my favorite Scriptures... about the Lord guiding our hearts into the love of God. :o)

The Whimsical Designs "Merry Christmas" sentiment is from the Snow Much Fun set, which I heat-embossed with gold embossing powder. The tag is from Art Philosophy, which I accented with tiny pearls. All of the card's sparkle is missing in the picture, but it's there! Star Dust covers the stars, part of her outfit, and an icy dusting outlines her body. I stitched around the base with my sewing machine and centered the largest snowflakes with pearls to finish it off. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Craft Your Passion~ Emboss It (Heat-embossed sentiment)
 * Cute Card Thursday~ A Stitch in Time
 * The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog~ Borders and Frames
 * Jingle Belles~ Holiday B-I-N-G-O (Bling-Flowers-Heat embossing)
 * Krafty Girls~ Anything Goes
 * Make it Monday~ Anything Goes
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes
 * Winter Wonderland~ Walking in a Winter Wonderland (I hope dancing is okay!)

Thank you for pirouetting on by today! I hope you all have a beautiful holiday weekend! :o)

Gift-shaped Card Set :)

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

Despite my blog silence over the past week, some craftiness has been squeezed in. :o) The gift-shaped card I made for a loved one's birthday a couple of weeks ago was so well-received that I made a set of them in varying themes. :o) I used less poofy ribbon than the one I hand delivered, making it more envelope-friendly as opposed to a box.

A rosy version was a must! (Enlarge if you want to see pearly happiness on the hearts.)

Whimsical hearts and flourishes from First Edition~Love Letters cover this gift, which I paired with Victorian Velvet distress ink and matching cardstock. I loved this shade on the embossed areas of the Spellbinders Nested Hearts so much that I decided to use two of the hearts instead of one! Pearls accent both hearts and provide the chain for them to hang beneath the bow. This card was left without a sentiment because the romantic feel lends it to be ideal for an anniversary card, as well as a birthday or Just Because card for a sweetheart. I wanted the options left open for this one.

I thought a butterfly gift would be super cute. :o)

Magnolia and My Mind's Eye papers are paired with Broken China distress ink for a lover of butterflies, aquas, or whimsy. Rhinestones serve as the chain, dangling beneath a double bow of crinkle ribbon from My Craft Spot. (Snow White and Aqua Mist, I believe.)

Everyone loved the original, so I made another one just like it, except with different ribbon.

It was hard to cut into my last sheet of this SEI heart paper, but I persevered! ;) I used Walnut Stain on the embossed areas and to lightly distress the edges. Amber rhinestones were chosen because they make me think of caramel.. and all this brown made me think of chocolate. Hehe. Instead of the ultra-poofy bow, I used beautiful ribbon I found at JoAnns. It's satiny cream with metallic gold dots. I think the ribbon could work nicely for elegant Christmas cards. :o)

Lastly, a peek at the interiors.

Spellbinders Fleur de Lis squares are cut from the same cardstock as the bows to coordinate nicely, with a simple white or vintage cream square for the message. The present cuts are from Art Philosophy, welded with my Gyspy, and all of the bows from the image are embossed with the Swiss Dots folder. The birthday sentiment stamp is from Whimsical Designs. This was a fun set to make and I hope the future recipients love them as much as I do. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * The Crafty Pad~ To Die For (Use dies/punches!)
 * Frosted Designs~ Twine/Ribbon
 * In the Pink~ Fifty Shades of... Pink!
 * Make it Monday~ Anything Goes
 * Paper Playtime~ Polka Dots and a Sentiment
 * Simon Says Stamp and Show~ No rules!

Thank you for visiting me! I hope you have a beautiful day. :o)

Wishing You a World Full of Joy: More love for Olivia!

Happy Monday, my sweet friends! I hope your week is off to a sparkly start. :o) I apologize for being a couple of days behind on your marvelous creations. I will be visiting you right after I post this! :o)

As you already know from a previous post, this month the incredible Madison of Funky Cards is honoring someone in my life for her I Feel the Love Project. Each month she highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of some extra love. In turn, we have the absolutely privilege of using our passion for a far greater purpose. Crafting for a cause brings such joy to my heart. I love everything about I Feel the Love and am so thankful to Madison for honoring someone in my life.

The collection this month is for 9-year-old Olivia, the daughter of my lifelong friend Erika. Erika passed away last year after a long, valiant fight against cancer. Sweet Olivia is a fighter just like Erika, but facing this world without her mom has been exceptionally difficult for her. To read more about the ever-inspiring Olivia and why she and Erika are so special to me, you can check out the first card I made for Olivia. 

This weekend I used every spare morsel of time to make another card for her. You can never shower someone with too much love, right? I'll be making her a fun animal or Disney one soon, but before that I wanted to make her a Copic card. When I received this cutie pie last week, I knew I needed to color it up for Olivia. :o)

"Wishing you a World full of Joy"

Isn't this image adorable? It had been on my wish list for quite some time and am ecstatic to now own it. There's no better way to break it in than using it for I Feel the Love. :o) She is an Elisabeth Bell image, perfectly titled Beary Big Hugs. I stamped her on a Spellbinders Labels Four base, colored her with Copics, and used a cloud template and Tumbled Glass distress ink for the sky. I covered her sweater and shoes with Star Dust because sparkles make everything better. :o) I gave her a sweet twine bow to add a textural element.

The papers were chosen because of the fluttering hearts, so whimsically delivering my love to Olivia. The glittery swirls seemed perfect for her, too. I thought it would be fun to make her a super girly card, so I used a Martha Stewart heart border punch, a bunch of sparklified Wild Orchid Crafts roses, extra bows, and oodles of rhinestones. A tiny butterfly is resting atop one of the petals of the largest rose. The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley, which I attached to a Spellbinders Lacey Circle. I colored in the butterfly to match the stamp and centered the two little flowers with tiny rhinestones. The gingham papers are lightly inked with Victorian Velvet.

My friend Charlotte of A Little Bit of Detail made a card for this cause, in which she had Olivia's sweet name scrolled across the front in a beautiful font. It reminded me how special it is to personalize cards, especially for little kids. So I made a banner with my Art Philosophy cartridge and used small alphabet stamps to personalize this card. The banner is pop-dotted for dimension and lined with twine. I couldn't resist securing each end with a bow. :o)

There is still time to make a card for this deserving little girl, so I hope you'll consider joining this month's I Feel the Love collection! :o)

Sweet Olivia on Christmas morning, 2010.... a few short months before our beloved Erika passed away.

Challenges entered:
 * Cooking With Cricut~ Card Outreach
 * Divas By Design~ For a Female
 * I Feel the Love~ Cards for Olivia
 * In the Pink~ Fifty Shades of... Pink!
 * Little Scrap Pieces~ Use Your Bling
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * Fab 'n' Funky~ Pearls or Rhinestones
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Bingo! (Ribbon-Free-Blooms)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I hope your day is filled with all things beautiful. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridge: Art Philosophy
 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Labels Four, Lacey Circles
 * Paper: Core'dinations, Heidi Grace
 * Sentiment stamp: Lili of the Valley~ Dreamy Days
 * Image stamp: Elisabeth Bell~ Beary Big Hugs
 * Copics: E000, E000, E00 (skin); E23, E25, E31, E50 (hair); R81, R83, R85 (sweater, shoes); B91, B93, B95, B97 (jeans and bandana thingy); E31, E33, E35 (I think.. for the bear), YG17, YG23, G28 (grass)
 * Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts (Pink Mist)
 * Border Punch: Martha Stewart Lace Heart
 * Crinkle Ribbon: My Craft Spot (Petal Pink)
 * Twine: My Craft Spot (Blossom, Blueberry Blue)
 * Miscellaneous: iRock, Stickles

Birthday Card

Happy Wednesday, my crafty friends! I hope you're having a great week. Thank you for the sweet and loving comments on my last post. You make my heart sparkle brighter than a Christmas tree! :o)

Tomorrow is the birthday of a sweet family member! I am so excited for the celebration. :o) I decided upon a shape card for the festive occasion.

I have longed to make a gift-shaped card, as they're just so adorable. The gift cut is from Art Philosophy, of which I welded two together with my Gypsy for the base. Since the greatest gift is love, I went with a heart theme... and I like to think of all the brown as a nod to celebratory chocolate. ;) The 'wrapping paper' for the base is one of my favorites from SEI's With All My Heart collection. The brown polka-dot paper is from First Edition's Love Letters.. for some reason, I always love dots for birthday cards. Maybe because I liken it to confetti! :o)

A bit difficult to see in the picture is the sparkly trail of amber rhinestones "hanging" from the puffy, gold-rimmed ribbon bow. It leads to one of my favorite Spellbinders, the Nested Heart. Since this is all about giving the gift of love, a fancy heart needed to be the focal point. :o) The embossed areas (and all paper edges) are inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and the Whimsical Designs sentiment is from Stephanie's Everyday Sentiments stamp set. The dark brown ribbon section of the gift cut is embossed with the Swiss Dots folder to coordinate with the polka-dot papers.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the interior. :( It has a dark brown Spellbinders Fleur de Lis square, which pairs nicely with the filigree embossing on the Nested Heart. A vintage cream square sits atop it, where my sappy message will be written. I hope it brings a smile to the beautiful heart we will soon be celebrating! :o)

Challenges entered:
 ** Craft Your Passion~ Anything Goes
 ** Crafty Ribbons~ Seeing Spots and Dots
 ** DL.ART~ Happy Birthday Blog Hop challenge
 ** Fun Friday~ Birthday
 ** Krafty Girls~ Get in Shape
 ** Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 ** Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 ** Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Bling and Ribbon
 ** Tuesday Alchemy~ Bingo! (Pearls/Bling-Free-Dies/Punches)

Thank you for twirling on by! I wish you a day that sparkles with love and cupcakes. :o)

Sprinkled with Love

Happy Monday, my crafty friends! I hope you had a beautiful weekend. :o)

One can never make too many cupcake projects, so I made a different take on the colorful card I posted on Saturday. The previous one was an explosion of whimsical color, while this one is bursting with sappy love. :o)

A peek inside, where even more heart sprinkles reside. (The sponged ink does not cover the entire circle, despite how it appears at this angle.)

I had it on my heart to make a card for either a profound lover of cupcakes or simply given to someone who is dearly loved. This card suits both purposes. :o) The SEI patterned papers on the front are amongst my favorites and seemed ideal for a cupcake creation. The card base is from Elegant Edges, with the frame popped up with foam tape for dimension. The chocolate frosting of the Art Philosophy cupcake is embossed for swirly texture and dotted with pearl "sprinkles." The wrapper paper is pearlescent, with a beautiful satiny embossed design. It's so pretty in person. :o) If enlarged you'll see the tiny pearls sprinkling down upon (and around) the cupcake, placed at sporadic intersections of the background design.

"Sprinkled with Love" is a Whimsical Designs sentiment, from Stephanie's With Love stamp set. It is stamped upon a Spellbinders Labels Four tag and inked with Spun Sugar distress ink. Blossom twine from My Craft Spot forms a sweet little bow, adorned with a Little Yellow Bicycle heart button because the best cupcakes showcase the baker's heart. :o)

The fluttering hearts paper that lines the interior is from Me and My Big Ideas. A Spellbinders Picot Edge Circle provides the base for the personal message, which is the same textured pink cardstock as the frame background on the front. I don't yet own any Spellbinders circles but I love being able to ink the embossed sections, so I cut out a picot circle in white and cut off the design, leaving only the center. The heart and white circle layers are inked in Spun Sugar. I can't seem to go too long without making a cupcake creation filled with sugary pink and sweet hearts. :o)

Challenges entered:
Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration (Brown, pink, swirly chocolate frosting!)
Jaihart: Sundays are Lovely
Made Especially for You~ Three Colors, plus black/white as accent if desired; Brown, pink, and a touch of red for me!
Secret Crafter~ Food and Drink

Thank you for dancing on by today! I wish you a beautiful day, sparkling with love and cupcakes. :o)

A Little Treat for Someone So Sweet

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! I hope you're in the midst of a beautiful weekend. :o)

I had no time in the kitchen this week, but I do have a paper treat for a little kiddo to share today! (Or even someone young-at-heart.) A colorful card for a sweet occasion, inspired by a little girl who simultaneously warmed my heart and made me giggle. :o)

Interior: "A little treat for someone so sweet"

The best shot of the colorful holographic embossing powder: a rainbow of blossoming love:

The quick story that inspired this creation: I was sitting in the car and noticed an energetic little girl waiting not-so-patiently while her father was on his cell phone. When he finally started walking, she burst ahead of him to the door of my local cupcake bakery. She had a death-grip on the door handle and watched in horror as her dad walked right on by. She was so disheartened! But he was simply tossing something in the nearby trash can, so when he turned around and headed back to her, all trace of despair vanished in a heartbeat. All was right with the world as she hopped inside to the waiting world of sweet confections. She cracked me right up and I thought how sweet it would be to surprise a little girl with a bright card and a cupcake. :o)

You know my adoration for shaped cards of any type... they just seem to bring extra spunk and beauty to even the simplest of designs. This is one of my favorite Elegant Edges shapes, which is adorned in graduating rhinestones and heat-embossed. Originally, the wide frame felt too contradictory to the interior that bursts with excitement, especially for a kid, so I was super excited when our great Lord reminded me of some forgotten supplies! The flower stamp is from a set of 3 stamps from JoAnn's dollar bin, which is stamped in VersaMark Dazzle for extra shimmer. I stamped them sporadically, ensuring none were a complete flower so it would look like they're dancing along the frame. The rainbow flowers that appeared after a blast of heat made me much happier. I don't know why I often forget about this beautiful technique!

The sprightly patterned paper is from DCWV, which I topped with a Cricut cut I have been so eager to use: the elegant cupcake from Art Philosophy! I could hug it. The wrapper is from a sheet of paper I've had forever and I couldn't resist adding a sparkling pink trail for the butterfly. The frosting is pearlescent gemstone cardstock, embossed with D'vine Swirls, and topped with pink and crystal rhinestone "sprinkles." The wrapper and frosting are lightly inked with Spun Sugar distress ink. Since this is a fancy cupcake, I added a pretty twine bow with Blossom twine from My Craft Spot.

I lined the interior with the same DCWV paper so it would be exploding with color from within and layered it with the petal-shaped cut-out from the exterior frame. The white circle has a trace of Spun Sugar for a touch of color. The sweet Whimsical Designs sentiment and mini cupcake stamps are from Stephanie's Whimsical Fun~ Volume 1 and With Love sets. The cupcake is colored with Copics and the decoration is covered in Star Dust... it wanted to be a sugared heart. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog~ Glitter and Bling
 * Docerela Creations~ Anything Goes
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * Tuesday Alchemy~ No Work, Just Play

Thank you for dancing on by! I'll be back soon after I make a different version of this fun little card! Going a week between projects makes me unsparkly. :o) Have a blessed and sunshiny day, friends!