Christmas in July at Deep Ocean Challenge!

Hello, sweet friends! It's time for a fun new challenge at Deep Ocean and we're getting festive! We are celebrating Christmas in July and I couldn't be happier. ♥︎

I used this opportunity to begin my cards for teens and children spending the holidays battling monster diseases. Some families celebrate the moment it becomes apparent their child will not be here come December (barring a miracle at the midnight hour). Often the kids want one more Christmas celebration, so I need to make them early to be prepared for sudden delivery.

This card is for a teen cancer warrior that I have come to deeply love. She is sweet and sparkly and I have created for her before. She is a little fashionista and loves all things beauty. She spent her birthday this year in a coma and although she awoke after a few weeks, she is obviously in a dire condition. Christmas may come early this year so I want her card ready.

She loves everything girly, frilly, sparkly, and happy... so this cutie pie stamp (A Girl Can't Have Too Many) from All Dressed Up was perfect for her! I gave her a festive twist to make her Santa's helper and surrounded her in snowflake flourishes glistening in love. I was going to fix her hair which I messed up quite severely while experimenting with a new Copic color combination, but I opted against it. The recipient will love her as is.

I used papers from Pion Design's Christmas in Norway, largely due to those precious heart snowflakes. ♥︎ They and most of the trims and embellishments are from Live & Love Crafts. The Red Hot Love crinkle ribbon is from my sweet friend Diana at DL.Art, which is topped with sparkly jingly bells. My stamp is cut out and layered with the LDRS Creative Gilded Oval. Magnolia Fern and Snowflake dies are tucked in throughout.

My sentiment and snowflake stamps are from My Craft Spot (no longer in business). Thank you for fluttering on by and I wish you a beautiful day. ♥︎

Lovely challenges entered:

 *All Dressed Up~ Anything Goes (Stamp colored with Copics)

 *Aud Sentiments~ For a Girl (plus sentiment)

 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ July Linky Party

 *Holly Jolly Christmas~ Inspired by a Song (Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!)

 *Jo's Fun-Day Friday~ Anything Goes

 *Sparkles Christmas~ Snowflakes

 *Winter Wonderland~ Christmas Trees or Make it Cute

Graciellie Design Stamp Release Blog Hop and Giveaway!

This is my second post of the day. For the Live & Love Crafts May Challenge, please click HERE.

Hello, sweet friends! We're celebrating the newest release from Graciellie Design's Digital Stamps with a blog hop! Gracie's stamps are versatile and beautiful, sure to inspire sweet creativity. Today I am sharing a card featuring one of the new sets titled Classic Greetings.

Here is the cover for the gorgeous set:

The floral stamp is so pretty and I love the abundance of sentiments in varying themes. Gracie's images are such fun to color! My encouragement card is going to a family in need of blossoming love.

I printed the image in a soft-lines manner... baby steps to no-lines coloring. :o) I colored it up with Copics and then generously covered it in Star Dust. The recipient loves sparkle as much as I (truly!), so I wanted them to sparkle for her. My papers are from Maja Design's Vintage Spring Basics. Encircling Gracie's stamps in love is a Sue Wilson Italian Decorative Frame, which is adorned with a layered Cheery Lynn Designs butterfly. A Joy! Crafts Lacey Square rests beneath, while my card base is made with Go Kreate's Large Frame Frilly #10.

This and other new digital stamp sets can be found HERE for instant download. These stamps are ready to print and are perfect for all papercrafting projects.

**GIVEAWAY**

For a chance to be one of THREE winners of a new digital stamp set of your choice from Gracie's shop, comment on the blogs listed below. Their projects will inspire every heart. 

Graciellie Design

Gloria Stengel

Joyce Erb

Karen Letchworth

Autumn

Karen Heins < You Are Here!

The giveaway will run for 2 weeks and Gracie will announce the winner on her blog, so don't forget to subscribe to her newsletter HERE.

I encourage you to peruse all of Gracie's stamps, as her assortment is beautiful. Thank you for hopping along with us and I wish you a blessed day. :o)

Lovely challenges entered:

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes

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

 *Simon Wednesday Challenge~ Anything Goes

Dots/Stripes at Deep Ocean Challenge!

Hello, sweet friends! I hope you're having a wonderful day. It's time for a fun new challenge at Deep Ocean Challenge and this time we're playing with Dots and/or Stripes!

This is for another teen cancer warrior to remind her she is loved beyond measure. In her critical state, she needs extra sprinkles and smiles. ♥︎

Just before beginning my card, I received a gift from a dear crafty friend. She sent me a box of craft goodies simply to bless me for no reason, so I dove in and put a bunch of them to use immediately. Indeed they are lovely, but I also wanted her to know how grateful I am. ♥︎

This cutie pie is Frappi Anya from The Greeting Farm, who is colored up with Copics and accented with StarDust Stickles. She is sparkling with healing love. I colored the landscape after watching a Kit and Clowder Sunset Background tutorial, although this is a mini version due to time and spacial constraints. I am whisking her away from the hospital into nature's beauty.

My flowers are a combination of I Am Roses and Wild Orchid Crafts. Of course most of my supplies are available at Live & Love Crafts, including the beautiful trims and Maja Design papers. The sweet sentiment is from Penny Black's Sprinkles and Smiles, which prompted me to add a sprinkling of pink sequins. They will tickle the recipient's precious heart. I gently curved the stamp to make it fit a wavy banner die. The darling stick pin is hard to see in this picture, but not at all in person... it is a lovely iridescent flower with spring green beads, which was part of a prize I won from my bloggie pal Wends. ♥︎

Copics used:

Skin: E000, E00, E21, E11

Hair: E02, E17, E09, E29

Clothing: R39, R81, R83, R85; YG61, YG63, YG67; B93, B95, B97

Landscape: YG61, YG63, YG67 (Grass); BV00, BV13, BV08 (Lavendar); BVYR15, Y19, Y15, Y11, BG0000, BG000, B00 (Sky); BV0000, BV01, YR01 (Clouds)

Thank you for fluttering on by and I wish you a beautiful day! ♥︎

Lovely challenges entered:

 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration

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

 *Lil Patch of Crafty Friends~ Anything Goes 

 *Sparkles Monthly Challenge~ Thinking of You

 *The Greeting Farm~ Bloom Where You Are Planted

 *Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge~ I used:  3 of a Kind (butterflies)- Color (Copics)- Food/Drink

Graciellie Design Stamp Release Blog Hop and Giveaway!

This is my second post of the day. For the Live & Love Crafts April Challenge, please click HERE.

Hello, sparkly friends! It's time for a blog hop featuring the newest release from Graciellie Design's Digital Stamps! Gracie's stamps are versatile and elegant, sure to spark sweet creativity. Today I am sharing two projects using one of the new sets called In Its Time. ♥︎

I have an affinity for papers and images with clocks and this couldn't be more beautifully done. The sentiments are not only perfect companions for the image, but also lovely on their own.

I created a card and tag set for a family in need of encouragement. ♥︎

I am thoroughly enamored with this stamp set, which I paired with LemonCraft House of Roses papers. Both roses are colored with Copics, fussy cut, and layered atop the stunning clock.

For the card, the clock is layered atop a Sue Wilson Italian Collection Decorative Frame. (Copics used: RV10, R81, R85; YG93, YG95, YG97) Live & Love Crafts chiffon organza ruffles along the bottom, whimsically lined with a string of pearls from my sweet friend Karen. I envisioned motion as time marches on, leading us to a desired harvest of all things lovely.

The Scripture sentiment is another favorite part of this set; a beautiful reminder that God always brings beauty from ashes in His perfect time. The recipient of this card must always remember this promise as they fight heartbreak. It is cut out with a Spellbinders Lacy Pennant. Tucked among the LLC flowers and pomegranate apples are lacy leaves from Tattered Lace. Part of a die from Marianne Design's Anja's 2 Vintage Ornaments serve as hinges.

My tag is also a Marianne Design die. The miniature version of the clock rests atop a My Craft Spot doily die (no longer in business). The sentiment is surrounded by pearly promises and sweet tiny pom trim. The Sweet Love crinkle ribbon is from my dear friend Diana of DL.Art.

Gracie's new (and previously released) stamp sets can be found at Graciellie Design's shop HERE. If you want to view last month's release and inspiration blog hop, click here.

**GIVEAWAY**

For a chance to win a new digital stamp set of your choice from Gracie's shop, comment on the blogs listed below. Their projects will inspire every heart.♥︎

Graciellie Design

Karen < You Are Here!

Autumn

Donna Phelan

Lisa F.

Riti Poddar

Lee-Anne Cross

The giveaway will run for one week. Gracie will announce the winner on her blog, so don't forget to subscribe to her newsletter HERE.

I encourage you to peruse all of Gracie's lovely stamps, as they are beautiful in design and theme. Thank you for hopping along with us and I wish you a sparkly day. :o)

Lovely challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes
 *Crafty Gals Corner~ Anything Goes
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Anything Goes
 *Penny's Challenge~ Anything Goes
 *Scrapy Land~ Think Green (I used Spellbinders, Sue Wilson, Tattered Lace dies)
 *Simon Wednesday Challenge~ Anything Goes
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Anything Goes

Graciellie Design Stamp Release Blog Hop and Giveaway!

** This is my first of two posts today. Please click HERE for the Live & Love Crafts March challenge. **

Hello, sweet friends! Are you ready to kick off a new month of crafty fun? ♥︎

I am honored to be part of a blog hop featuring the newest release from Graciellie Design's Digital Stamps. Gracie's stamps are not only versatile, but they're also as beautiful as her heart! Today I am sharing a card with you using one of the new sets called Butterflies.

The sentiments are perfect for encouragement projects and the butterflies are gorgeous as-is or colored up to match a color palette.

I colored the butterflies with Copics (BG10-BG72-BG78) to coordinate with the LemonCraft papers, layering the large one. I adore Gracie's stamps because they so often portray exactly what my heart wants to say in my charitable cards. This sentiment is perfect for a lovely 19-year-old named Anna, a cancer warrior who is now blind due to her brain tumor. Her world has darkened with change and Hope must be her light.

Although I always love incorporating texture, it was especially important here. Because Anna cannot physically see this, I wanted her hands to have ruffling trims and large blossoms to explore. My heart believes she *will* see this one day; that her sight will be restored, along with everything else cancer has stolen. Until then, she will feel the love fluttering in it.

An extra bit of texture for Anna is a metal filigree corner, which is heat-embossed with Shabby White Frantage. The laces and most of the flowers are from Live & Love Crafts. The Cappuccino crinkle ribbon is from DL.Art.

Gracie's new stamp sets can be found at Graciellie's Design's shop HERE. If you want to view last month's release and inspiration blog hop, click here.

**GIVEAWAY**

For a chance to win a new digital stamp set of your choice from Gracie's shop, comment on the blogs listed below. Their projects will inspire every heart. ♥︎

Graciellie Design

Lisa F.

Samra L.

Karen   < You Are Here!

Vicki

Cornelia

Autumn

Lindsey

The giveaway will run for one week. Gracie will announce the winner on her blog, so don't forget to subscribe to her newsletter HERE.

I encourage you to peruse Gracie's beautiful stamps, as they are lovely reflections of all that she is. They add elegance and meaning to every creation. ♥︎ Thank you for hopping along with us and I wish you a sparkly day. :o)

Lovely challenges entered:

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Lace and Pearls)

 *Crafty Boots~ For a Special Lady

 *Crafty Gals Corner~ Anything Goes

 *Lil Patch of Crafty Friends~ Anything Goes

Lovely Lace at Deep Ocean Challenge!

Hello, sparkly friends! I want to thank you once again for your continued love during my family's health tribulations. You are sweet rays of sunshine and I am grateful for you.

Today begins a new challenge at Deep Ocean and it's exceptionally pretty: Lovely Lace! I have returned to my Copics and was reminded that learning to color is a journey! ;) But it was still fun.

This cutie pie is Pixie, one of the darling Wee Stamps by Sylvia Zet (available in rubber or digital). I was first drawn to her beautiful wings, ready to carry her through every storm as she fights for every dream in her heart... just like the inspiring warrior who will receive this card. She is indeed flying with her own wings driven by God's love, so beautifully captured in this Graciellie Design Angel Wings sentiment. The sentiment was cut out with a Spellbinders Lacy Pennant.

The special recipient is Willow, a teen cancer warrior who inspires me daily. She has survived the cancer that plagued her, but continues to battle the effects of treatment and the anxiety that fills her with fear that it will return. I hope this brings joy to her beautiful heart. ♥︎

A bouquet of aqua and white flowers (mostly from Live & Love Crafts) adorn the Lemoncraft Forget-Me-Not papers. The gorgeous Aruba Blue ribbon is from DL.Art's Tropical Summer bundle.

The butterfly border atop my card is from Joy! Crafts. The butterfly below is Isabella from Memory Box... the script and musical score papers in this pad are so pretty! The layered lace flower and Button Etoile are from Live & Love Crafts, while the lace is from The Ribbon Girl. Marianne Design's Stitched Circle holds my sweet image. My card base was made with Go Kreate's Large Frame Frilly 7.

Thank you for fluttering on by and I wish you a sparkly day. (I'll list the Copic colors soon!) ♥︎

Challenges entered:

 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration

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

 *Lil Patch of Crafty Friends~ Anything Goes

 *Scrapy Land~ Tie One On (I used Memory Box and Spellbinders dies)

 *The Ribbon Girl~ Use Any Image

Hearts at Deep Ocean Challenge!

Happy Tuesday, sweet friends! I hope you're having a beautiful week. It's time for a fun new challenge at Deep Ocean Challenge and it's a sweet one: Hearts! ♥︎

Love is for all seasons, so rather than a Valentine I made a friendship card to thank a friend for supporting me through this difficult time. You may be surprised to see coloring! After 1.5 years away from coloring due to injury, I have returned to my Copics for Deep Ocean projects and it feels magical. ♥︎

This cutie pie is Lullaby from Wee Stamps by Sylvia Zet. Isn't she the sweetest angel? Sadly my pictures washed out some detailing (I need to work on this!), but Polar White Flower Soft adorns the branch for fluffy snowy fun. Her wings (and the Wild Orchid Crafts flowers) are covered in Glamour Dust for wintry sparkle.

She is surrounded in love via a die from Sue Wilson's Decorative Frames Italian collection. A double dose of love adorns the corner, where the smaller Cheery Lynn heart (Two of Hearts) is topped with friendship in full bloom. The pristine Pure Love crinkle ribbon is from my dear friend Diana of DL.Art.

The Graciellie Design sentiment is from her Angel Wings set, inked with Milled Lavender and nestled in a sparkling Melissa Frances resin frame. Gracie is a sweet friend and I'm thrilled for her digi store re-launch that took place last week. My papers are from Maja Design's Vintage Frost Basics, which are embellished with goodies from Live & Love Crafts, Wild Orchid Crafts, and lace from The Ribbon Girl.

My card base was made with Go Kreate's Large Frame Frilly 10, which is topped with Joy! Crafts Lacy Square Frame. The small snowflakes are from Cheery Lynn. A larger Magnolia snowflake is tucked within the flowers, while Magnolia Heart Flourishes provide extra touches of love.

Be sure to check out my teamies' inspiring creations and I hope you can play along with us. Our amazing sponsor for this challenge is Live & Love Crafts (yay!) who is generously offering a gift certificate to one lucky winner. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by and I wish you a blessed day! ♥︎

Copics:
Skin: E0000, E000, E11
Hair: E02, E09, E17
Clothing: RV91, RV93, RV95, RV99; BG70, BG72, BG75
Birdie: E41, E42, E43; YR12, YR15

Lovely challenges entered:
 *Crafting with Dragonflies~ Anything Goes Card
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ February Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Lil Patch of Crafty Friends~ Anything Goes
 *Magnolia-licious~ Bingo or Anything Goes (Pearls-Doily-Ribbon bow)
 *Scrapy Land~ Anything Goes (Cheery Lynn, Magnolia, Sue Wilson dies)
 *The Ribbon Girl~ Anything Goes Card

For Some Bunny Special

Hello, sweet friends! I hope you're having a blessed week. :o) I'm back with my final little card for the family I've been creating for the last few weeks. As previously mentioned, I discovered Audrey's Army while looking for kiddos to pray for... and my heart needed to create for them. She is 1.5 years old and battling multiple heart defects, Downs Syndrome, and additional health issues.

Audrey remains on ECMO, a form of life support to grant her body time to rest and hopefully heal her lungs. To go along with the happy rainbow card I made her, I thought she would enjoy a new little bunny friend when she awakes. :o)

Isn't she completely huggable as she holds a teeny tiny card? She is glowing with love for Audrey! I fell in love with this cut file from Cardmaking Paradise and had to make it for her. I adore the design that allows her to stand up! All of the pieces are inked with Spun Sugar for loving sweetness and I added pink and lime twine bows for textural fun.

One alteration I made to the cut file was to use hearts for the paws, rather than the circles that came with it. The little card was made with bright and fun Doodlebug Designs papers. The darling Copic-colored bunny and sweet sentiment are from SugarPea Designs' One Big Hoppy Family stamp set.

The interior sentiment is from the same set and is perfect for this little angel... Audrey is such a sweetheart and an inspiration. I love her so much.

When the feet are up, the card can stay tucked inside... which is cute and was intended for this last picture! In my rush, I goofed.

Audrey is indeed some bunny special and I pray her healing heart grows stronger every time she sees her new bunny friend and happy rainbow... they were made with my and God's love, after all. I've decided to classify her heart as healing rather than battling, as no defects are too great for our God to overcome.

Thank you for hopping on by! Have a beautifully sparkly day. :o)

Wonderful challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Doodling)
 *Craft Your Passion~ Anything Goes
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ February Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 *Simon Wednesday Challenge~ Bright and Beautiful
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes
 *Through the Purple Haze~ Anything Goes
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting sentiment

Thankful for You Friendship Card

Hello, sweet friends! A sparkly welcome to my new friends/followers! I'm delighted you're here. :o) After a bout with a bug, I am back and have a little friendship card to share.

My arm injury remains an issue for most things, but I am grateful to be able to color again without pain! **happy dance** One of my crafty goals this year is to strengthen my Copic work. Coloring makes me happy and I am eager to improve.

Santa gave me purple goodies for Christmas, so I had no choice but to play with my favorite color again. ;) My fear of Copic over-saturation resulted in a lack of proper blending in the clothing, but rather than get negative or frustrated over it I'm just excited to do better next time. I am determined not to lose my joy during any blessed moment of crafting this year!

This sweetheart is Little LuLu by Lissy Bee Stamps, which is Elisabeth Bell's newest stamp adventure! I was blessed to win this from Elisabeth herself at the launch festivities and I was beyond excited to receive this in the mail from her. It felt extra magical. ♥ I love her to bits! I was a little heavy handed with the Glamour Dust accents, if there can be such a thing. ;) LuLu is stamped upon a Spellbinders Labels Four die and layered upon a Gold Labels Four.

I used several other new goodies in my simple little card, all of which I adore. The middle panels are made with the Die-Versions Whispers Butterfly Punch Border, which was a birthday gift from my sweetest friend. ♥ I've been anxious to use it, but had to finish Christmas cards first. :o) I love it so much! I used the die to emboss the purple layer beneath, pushing the butterflies through the openings a bit. Tattered Lace Beloved Borders trim the fluttery panels.

My new flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, including the gorgeous purple carnations and lily. Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourishes frolic beneath. The sweet butterfly charm tucked within the blossoms is also new, as are the beautiful Maja Design papers. The floral and heart designs are from Ska Vi Ta En Fika, while the scrolling ivy is from Coffee in the Arbour.

The pretty hearts are Cheery Lynn Two of Hearts, which I topped with a pearl heart for triple the love. The sweet sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Tiny Tags 3, which I stamped upon a Spellbinders Nested Lacey Pennant. The fluttering border on top of my card is the Joy! Crafts Butterfly Edge, one of my favorite dies ever. It is layered for a slight shadow effect.

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

Inspiring challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Techniques (Copics, die-cutting, sponged sky with distress ink)
 *Crafty Gals Corner: Sweethearts (Add a heart!)
 *Darnell's NBUS: Use new goodies and support her fabulous blog! (Either brand new or neglected since purchasing.) I have used new papers, image stamp, flowers, metal die, charm, and pearls!
 *Moving Along with the Times~ Dies and/or Punches (I used oodles of dies)
 *The Paper Shelter~ Punches and/or Dies (I used oodles of dies)

Christmas Candy Fairy

Hello, sweet friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. :o)

Today I'm sharing my newest contribution for this month's I Feel the Love Project recipients. We are creating cards for kiddos (and their parents) who will be spending Christmas at a children's hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is a privilege to spread some heavenly love to their battling hearts!

(My apologies for the ultra-sparklified and fluffified image... only because I had trouble photographing it properly! Hehe.)

When I saw this darling Christmas Candy Fairy stamp from The Paper Shelter, I had to color it up for one of the precious children. She's irresistibly sweet! I added Glamour Dust to her wings, holly berries, and candy. The trim of her outfit and slippers are covered in Polar White Flower Soft. Fuzzy slippers were a must. :o) The joyous sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Merry & Bright set, one of my favorites. :o) It is stamped upon one of the gorgeous dies from Marianne Design's Petra's Heart collection in Lady Bug Red and Cottage Ivy Memento inks.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, beneath which I nestled sparklified Memory Box and Cheery Lynn Designs snowflakes. I wanted this card to bubble up with all the love I have for this brave child, so I topped it with La-La Land Craft's Heart Doily Border. For textural fun I added a layer of Scarlet Red crinkle ribbon and twine, upon which I added fuzzy jingly bells.

The snowflake paper is from BoBunny, while the rest are from Graphic 45's Nutcracker Sweet collection. For one final layer of love, I used my Martha Stewart Lace Heart Edge punch. Some things went a little willy nilly with this card, but thankfully what truly matters is that my and God's love will soon envelop the beautiful heart for which it was made. :o)

(Okay, so perhaps I could have used a touch less Glamour Dust...)

Thank you for fluttering on by! Have a sweet and sparkly day. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *Card Mania~ Dies

 *Christmas Card Challenges~ Anything Goes (Optional: Faith-based)

 *Creative Card Crew~ Christmas Joy!

 *Moving Along with the Times~ Sparkle and/or Shine

 *Pile It On~ Special Occasion 

 *Sparkles Christmas~ Christmas Candy