Love Bug Shaker Card: I Feel the Love

Happy Tuesday, my dear friends! I hope everyone is having a beautiful week! :o)

As I always do on the 1st of the month, I zipped to the I Feel the Love blog last week, eager to discover the new recipient of Madison's beautiful cause. Each month she highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of extra love. In turn, we have the honor of using our crafty passion for a far higher purpose. We have the privilege of reaching out to people who are struggling mightily. This month I was stunned when I saw the recipient... a story already very well known. A story so huge that it is a two-part collection... as multiple people are in need.

In loving memory, we are paying tribute to Vicki Leigh Soto, a first grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary. She lost her life on December 14th, but due to her selfless actions and beautiful heart, six or seven of her students survived that tragic day. One part of the collection is for those survivors... those precious 6 and 7 year olds who went through unimaginable trauma in that classroom. They suffered tremendous loss and are not to be forgotten. We are creating Valentine's cards/ cards with hearts to shower them with the outpouring of love they need.

Even before the fresh tears subsided after reading about our mission this month, ideas mounted... there is so much I want to do for them, and I know God will help me. Will it be emotionally difficult this month? Absolutely. But I am so thankful for the opportunity to give them a piece of my heart...

.... via a Valentine's shaker card, for starters!

Before beginning my work for this collection, I spent some time reading about Vicki. It hurt, but I felt compelled to fill my heart with stories of her love... and maybe it'll help make her love sparkle through my creations for her surviving students and family, too.

I made a garden of love blossoms on an Elegant Edges base, with a sweet sparkling love bug to deliver my hugs. :o) The heart shaker (cut from Gypsy Wanderings) isn't as full of iridescent microbeads as I intended, but there's still a nice amount to dance around in there. (A mistake never to be repeated!) The heart is accented with rhinestones and I used ruffly American Crafts ribbon for the stem. Love rises and blossoms above all... especially when ruffled with a love so strong that it heals and protects.

The smaller hearts are from the Spellbinders Fanciful Holiday set. The sparkling Core Couture cardstock stems are Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourishes. The little hearts are safely nestled beneath the larger one... much like Vicki sheltered her students that day.

The ladybug is from Create a Critter and since she has the vital task of sharing my and God's love with all who see this card, I used heart rhinestones for her antennae and heart. She is popped up with foam tape for dimension, reaching ever closer to the sweet child who receives this. The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from the With Love stamp set, which I stamped upon a Spellbinders Labels Four base and secured with a Bella Blvd flower button.

The Doodlebug and Imaginisce patterned papers are all new, courtesy of my sweetheart as an after-Christmas gift. I showed him Madison's post right after I read it, and after he helped me through the wave of tears, we headed to the craft store for heartfelt supplies. (Turns out Archiver's closed early on New Years Day... but we zoomed back there first thing the next morning!) The papers are so pretty in person.

The interior, engulfed in a circle of sunshine:

The second part of this month's IFTL drive is cards for Vicki's family... anything uplifting that one would send to a family member after a loss. I'll be starting that phase after a couple more blessings for the children she adored. I hope you will consider joining us for this very special collection in loving memory of Vicki.

Challenges entered:
 *Craft Us Crazy~ Inspiration Photo (The hearts and 'made with love' inspired me)
 *Crafty Catz~ Anything Goes
 *Cute Card Thursday~ Something New (Patterned papers)
 *Fantabulous Cricut~ Incorporate a Tag (Used CAC, Elegant Edges, and Gypsy Wanderings cartridges)
 *Little Miss Muffet~ Anything Goes
 *Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Pause, Dream, Enjoy~ Use Ribbon
 *Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Something New, plus ribbon (Patterned papers)
 *The Pink Elephant~ Celebrate (Celebrating life, love, and Vicki)
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a day of love, blessings, and sparkles. :o)

Warm Winter Wishes

Happy January, my dear friends! I pray your new year is filled with heavenly light and joy unspeakable. :o) I am so thankful to have met some incredible crafters last year and I look forward to sharing in our continued crafty journeys. :o)

My sparkly little blog has been quiet over the busy holidays, but I'm happy to be back! Since I fell far short of my Christmas card goal, my first card of 2013 was made for someone who didn't get a handmade festive creation... my sweetheart! I was so disappointed I ran out of time. As it turns out, surprising him with this 'just because' card was equally special. (The unexpected ones can be the most exciting!)

"Warm Winter Wishes"

For my sweetheart, a pretty winter scene. :o) He appreciates nature as much as I, with its majestic beauty from our Creator. The snowflake paper is from a K and Company Christmas collection. The church is from the Noel cartridge, to which I embossed the snowy rooftop with Swiss Dots and added Star Dust to the windows for a sparkling glow. The tree is a Recollections stamp, which I heat-embossed in silver and sprinkled with rhinestones for extra twinkles of joy.

A tiny peek inside (and a better view of the tree), which is lined with the same paper and a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis square.

The snowy ground is embossed with a folder from the Winter Wonderland set. The top border die is one of my favorite new things! It is the Memory Box Frostyville border die, which was high on my wish list for eons. I am thrilled for this new blessing and love that my first use is for his card. :o) (You will probably see a lot of this border! Hehe.) Graduating sizes of rhinestones are sprinkled throughout it for extra winter sparkle.

The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from Stephanie's Snow Much Fun set, which is stamped upon a Spellbinders Labels Four die. It is adhered by a three-layer snowflake from Gypsy Wanderings, with each layer popped up for dimension. I wanted to wish him a winter that is warmed by God's love. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Card Mania~ Winter Wonderland
 *Craft with Cutters~ Snowflakes
 *Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Winter
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 *Simon Says Stamp~ New (Memory Box Frostyville border die)
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting

Thank you for fluttering on by! I hope your day sparkles with blessings. You are loved! :o)

Mitten Pocket Ornaments: I Feel the Love

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

I celebrated my birthday over the weekend and did some of my favorite things. :o) A coffee date with my mom started the day, followed by an unexpected blessing of helping neighbors in need. My sweetheart and I noticed the elderly neighbors struggling with yard work, so we had the great privilege of relieving them of the labor-intensive work. Not only so, but just visiting with them for a while brought such joy to all involved. I brought them some of my cake when it was too dark to continue, which I hope they enjoyed. :o)

One of my favorite parts of my birthday was the nighttime! I settled in with my crafty supplies and worked on a fun little project for I Feel the Love. :o) Run by the lovely and talented Madison of Funky Cards, the purpose of I Feel the Love is to use our passion to serve others. Every month she highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of an extra burst of love and sunshine. In turn, we have the honor of blessing them through our creations, far beyond what many of us will ever truly understand.

The current collection is to deliver festive love to the children who will be spending Christmas at Children's Hospital Central California. They are one of the top 10 largest hospitals of its type in the country, with a mission to provide high quality care for these children, regardless of their ability to pay. How beautiful is that?

My goal is to send cards, ornaments, and rosette wands. I am behind where I wanted to be at this point, but the good Lord will help me accomplish what my heart has dreamt up. :o)

I thought they might like some wintery ornaments to hang on a Christmas tree or anywhere in their hospital rooms. :o) Something cute and cozy to warm their battling, beautiful hearts. The snuggly mittens are from Simply Charmed, which I've embellished with fun papers from My Mind's Eye and Memory Box, fluffy pom pom trim, jingly bells, and sparkles. The sparkly white top of the polar bear mitten is embossed with pretty snowflakes, but it's a bit washed out in this picture. I couldn't resist giving the snowman mitten a precious Peachy Keen face. :o)

The main layer is affixed to the shadow base as a pocket, so the Gypsy Wanderings snowmen can come out to play! See their arms lifted up? I've assigned them the task of delivering my hugs to the little recipients. :o) A little note will be tucked inside, too.

Their snowy bodies are embossed with a folder from the Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland set (as is the mitten cuff), which looks lovely in person. The glittery Core Couture paper for the bodies, scarves, and hats makes them extra sparkly, but even so they needed some red and green rhinestones. This IS Christmas, after all! :o) (The reds ones are a gorgeous garnet in the same design as the emerald green. I had a terrible time photographing these cutie pies!)

The backs of the ornaments, used to deliver a simple Christmas greeting:

'Tis the Season' is a Whimsical Designs sentiment, which I've paired with snowflakes from an Inkadinkado stamp. Spellbinders Picot Edge Circles provide the bases, which of course sparkle. They will soon flutter down upon the hospital in a flurry of Christmas joy, showing the patients that they are loved far deeper than previously realized. Love heals... and it never fails. Join us in showering these children with love this Christmas. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Charisma Cardz~ Feeling Blue
 *Craft Your Passion~ Clean and Simple
 *Crafty Catz~ Anything Goes
 *Divas By Design~ Let's Get Cute
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Peachy Keen~ Anything Goes

Thank you for fluttering on by! I hope your week is filled with blessings and sparkles. :o)

Bushels of Blessings: I Feel the Love

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

I finally had some crafty time, so I used it to make another card for the current I Feel the Love collection. :o) This month, the amazing Madison of Funky Cards is collecting Thanksgiving cards for the elderly residents of Surrey Place Care Center. You all know my passion for the IFTL Project, as it is an honor to use my crafty passion for a higher purpose each month... delivering a heap of love to those who could use some extra sunshine.

"Bushels of Blessings"

Angled to (somewhat) better show the sparkle when light catches it. I was photography challenged big time. ;)

To deliver bushels of Thanksgiving blessings (with a touch of sweetness) to the wonderful elderly residents, I used a few of my favorite things. The Bo Bunny papers are remnants from last Autumn.. I adore the warmth they exude. This sweetheart named Apple Blossom is from Elisabeth Bell's Little Cottage Cuties collection, which I colored with Copics. The ruffles of her dress are colored pale yellow because I wanted to send them ruffles of sunshiny love. :o) To intensify the Autumn flair, I printed out a few Leaf and Acorn images from Meljen's Designs, colored them with fall hues, and sprinkled them around Apple Blossom. Three are pop-dotted for dimension and all are sparklified. She is cut out with a Spellbinders Classic Circle using the out of box technique. It's mostly washed out in the picture, but it is edged with Dried Marigold for a festive glow. I layered it atop a Lacey Circle. 

Surrounding the image are orange and deep red Wild Orchid Crafts roses, which are trimmed in Star Dust. I am certain the residents will love a touch of sparkle, so I sprinkled a few amber rhinestones within both flower arrangements. Shimmery Gypsy Wanderings leaves are nestled in the upper corner, which are embossed with the Victoria folder and outlined in gold.

The middle panel is a path of sunbeams, each one representing a heavenly blessing. How I would love to take a walk in the sunshine with this card's recipient. The Harvest Dot paper is edged with a Cheery Lynn Designs Anastasia border and dark brown crinkle ribbon (from My Craft Spot). The sentiment is computer generated, which I cut out with the smallest Lacey Circle and inked up with a combination of Mustard Seed and Dried Marigold. Although it was unintentional, I love how it ended up looking like a harvest sun! I topped it with a Chocolate Truffle twine bow, also from My Craft Spot.

The cards collected may very well be the only Thanksgiving cards these lovely nursing home residents receive, so I'm packing as much love as possible into the ones I send. I hope my and God's love shine forth so strongly that it reaches beyond the hands that will hold them. There's still some time to participate if you would like to deliver a Thanksgiving blessing. :o)

Some of the sweet residents:

Challenges entered:
 * Cooking With Cricut~ Card Outreach
 * Cupcake Craft~ Two's Company (Apple Blossom and her puppy)
 * Docerela Creations~ Photo Inspiration
 * Little Scrap Pieces~ Thanksgiving or Fall Colors
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * My Craft Spot~ Emboss It (The three big leaves are embossed)
 * PaperPlay~ Simply Cute
 * Whimsy Inspirations Challenge~ All Things Sparkly
 * Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Inspiring

Thank you for twirling on by! I wish you a day of love and sweet confections! :o)

Sending Smiles Across the Miles

Happy Sunday, my sparkly friends! I hope your weekend has been beautiful. Have you made those muffins yet from yesterday?! Hehe. :o)

A sweet member of our crafty community, and a dear friend, recently sent out a personal request. Naomi (Creative Bug on the Loose) posted about her son's upcoming surgery, along with a plea for cards for him. Michael is autistic and will soon be having surgery on both of his feet. He has had problems with his hips and feet since birth and was even told he would never walk... but walk he does! Praise the Lord. :o) I hope you'll join us in shipping out some love to encourage him during his recovery.

"Sending Smiles Across the Miles"

I was stumped with this card for quite some time, completely unsure what to make him. I decided on a fun shaped card, figuring all boys like sailboats. :o) I know there are some 'girly' touches on here, but that is for a good reason. Michael has an acute awareness (and love) for details and pours over every aspect of the gorgeous cards Naomi creates. Due to that fact, I badly wanted to incorporate texture and dimensional elements for him to enjoy.

The sailboat is from Gypsy Wanderings, which I welded together with my Gypsy. Blueberry Blue twine from My Craft Spot runs down the center for some texture, which is topped with a My Mind's Eye button. The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from the Everyday Sentiments collection, which I stamped onto a Spellbinders Lacey Pennants die. The Kaisercraft paper for the sentiment has a fun design which is reminiscent of waves and I inked it with Tumbled Glass. :o)

The paper for the sails is from DCWV, which I popped up with foam tape for dimension. The rest of the boat is cut with sparkling Core Couture paper, of which the bottom is embossed with the D'vine Swirls folder for more texture. I sprinkled rhinestones along the swirls, like sunbeams dancing along the ocean's surface. :o) For a final touch I adhered American Crafts pom-pom trim, which I hope he likes. It made me think of whitecaps. :o) The card base itself is yellow so it will be a burst of sunshine upon opening and you can see a little glimmer of it 'behind' the sailboat in the center. A peek of sunshine from the front, too. :o)

I pray that Michael smiles when he receives this. Today I'm making a little card for Naomi to encourage her beautiful heart. A little crafty love can go a long way. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Glimmer and Sparkle (glimmering blue paper and rhinestones)

Thank you for sailing on by! Have a blessed day! :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)

Queen of the Sandcastle

Happy Sunday, my treasured friends! I hope you're all doing well. What a busy bee I was last week... not a single crafty moment until this weekend. Thank you for sticking with me, despite my inability to post as often as most!

**EDIT: God had a different purpose for this card, which explains some things that transpired after I posted it at the end of June. It is now for Olivia, who certainly deserves every burst of sunshine possible. She was the one on my heart without me even knowing it. **

This card serves a very special purpose, which made the creative journey especially sweet. This goes beyond princess... she's going straight to Queen!

"Queen of the Sandcastle"

High on my wish list are the Cricut paper doll cartridges, as I adore them. I recently remembered the Playtime cartridge that came with my Cricut and I was so excited. I had forgotten there were sweet kiddos on there. I chose this one to be our sandcastle sweetheart, gave her a happy Peachy Keen face, dressed her in popsicle purple, and then turned to my sparkles for the rest. Her belt is made of deep purple rhinestones, Star Dust covers her shoes, and I altered the Gypsy Wanderings crown to make room for alternating clear and purple rhinestones. The center top point is a heart stone, which is a bit hard to see in the picture. The crown itself is covered in silver Stickles, while the band holding the sparkles matches her dress. (I would totally give the lovely recipient a crown to match every one of her outfits.) Her braids are adorned with bows of Grape Fizz trendy twine, purchased from My Craft Spot. In her hand is a shimmery heart, because this Queen has a heart of (rose) gold.

The sandcastle and sand base are made with Core Couture cardstock, so they're super sparkly. I embossed the bottom for some textural variation. Every sandcastle needs a sparkling moat and since this is for a sweet child, I topped it with an extra-twinkly seashell path. (Yes, I covered the glitter DCWV paper with Star Dust to make it twinkle more.) The castle's flag is lined with rhinestones, as I want to deliver everything sparkly to this strong child. All cuts in this paragraph are from Create a Critter.

When I think of vacation, I think of whimsical nature... so I used my cherished Magnolia butterfly paper to give her a fluttery backdrop to look at during her difficult days. (One 6x6 sheet of the turquoise butterfly paper remains. Can you feel my fear?) I added a couple of Core Couture white butterflies for dimension, placing one atop the castle.

The computer-generated sentiment is printed on My Mind's Eye paper and cut with a Spellbinders Lacey Circle to somewhat appear as a sun with pretty sunbeams dancing along it. The card base is the stamp from Elegant Edges, chosen to be like a vacation postcard postage. :o) I hope and pray this gives her beautiful heart a smile. I love her to pieces.

Challenges entered:
Celebrate the Occasion~ Welcome Summer
Charisma Cardz~ Summer
Getting Cricky~ Summertime
Krafty Girls~ Fun in the Sun

Thank you for visiting me today! I hope you have a gorgeous rest of the weekend. :o)

Card Outreach and I Feel the Love Cards

Happy Tuesday, my sparkly friends! I hope everyone is having a marvelous week! Today I have a couple of things to share with you that I made for two very sweet girls. This post is a bit picture-heavy to show the contents of the petal box... and a bit long in general. But with two cards for two cancer-battling girls and a deadline tonight, there was just no other way.

The current Cooking with Cricut challenge has joined forces with my favorite part of crafting: Madison's I Feel the Love Project. They are collecting for two amazing girls and I am thrilled to have something for each of them. My sappy heart was in overdrive over the weekend as I created a card and little gift for each of them.

You all already know how important (and vital) I Feel the Love is to me. Each month the sweet and talented Madison highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of an extra burst of love and sunshine. In turn, we have the incredible honor of using our passion for a greater cause. This month's recipient is Emily, a lovely 6 year-old girl who is battling leukemia. She loves pink, purple, kittens, horses, and arts & crafts... I jammed them all in between her card and gift. Teehee.

"Purrfect"

I hope she gets as much joy from this card as I had while creating it. Create a Critter was used for all of the cuts. I used bright and cheery Heidi Grace papers to reflect a sunny outdoor scene. I couldn't resist sprucing up the sweet kitten's pillow... so I pleated some My Craft Spot Buttercup crinkle ribbon to symbolize ruffles of sunshiny love and added bright yellow rhinestone "sunbeams" to the trim. She's one happy kitten, immersed in God's loving warmth.

I love the yarn accessory that's part of the kitten page on the CAC cartridge, but instead made a little "ball" of yarn with Grape Fizz trendy twine. Not only is it Emily's beloved purple, but it also adds another fun textural element. Strawberry Cupcake twine was used for the kitten bows and I used Peachy Keen faces to give her and the sun some personality. :o) All twine is also from My Craft Spot.

"Wishing You Sunshine all Year Through"

For Emily's pillow box (from Art Philosophy), I used the same Heidi Grace paper as her card and wrapped it with Papertrey Ink Raspberry Fizz ribbon and Strawberry Cupcake twine. Oh the sweet sentiment... for so long I yearned for circular sentiments from Lili of the Valley. They recently had a free worldwide shipping promotion and I finally ordered one of the sets. I opted for the Dreamy Days set and am in LOVE. What better first-use than for these two girls? :o) I used a Spellbinders Lacey Circle to frame it, lightly inked with Tim Holtz Spun Sugar. Regarding the contents of this, that is the one thing left undone. Since Madison's collection runs through the end of the month, I will be filling it up this weekend with a bunch of cuts she can play with and will post it with the second card I'll be making her. Since Emily loves arts and crafts, I'll be doing a similar assortment to the pillow box of love I made sweet Trinitie last month.

The other recipient of Cooking with Cricut's challenge is a beautiful 13-year old named Patty, who is battling a rare form of cancer. She has had numerous rounds of chemotherapy, surgeries, and a stem cell transplant. Aren't you so crazy proud of her? I wish I could hug all of these people we create for...

"Be Unique, Be Unforgettable, Be You"

After much debate, I made Patty a purse from Create a Critter. I wanted to make her an actual purse, but I lacked the proper supplies. :( Hopefully she likes this purse-shaped card. :o) It's a pretty pink plaid because Patty is wearing pink in the picture of her that was posted. I gave it a fun pom-pom trim, which is one of my favorite things. To personalize it and make it especially for her, I made her a "P" logo and tucked it just beneath the pom trim. The heart base and frame layers are from Gypsy Wanderings. Her initial is from Storybook, which I accented with rhinestones. The purse closure is made of Art Philosophy flower cuts, a shimmery button, and a Blossom twine bow.

The wonderful Whimsical Designs sentiment is from the Whimsical Fun~ Volume 1 stamp set. It's "secured" with Strawberry Cupcake twine and I finished the purse by adding three tiny rhinestones on either end of the handle. When I debate between brads and rhinestones, the sparkly option will always win out. ;)

"Wishing You a Day Full of Happiness"

Do you think Patty likes wonky bows? I sure hope so. ;) (Although I will try to fix that before I mail it out.) I made her a petal box from the Art Philosophy cartridge, wrapped it in pretty ribbon that she can just slide off, and used another one of the beautiful Lili of the Valley sentiments. I truly love all 12 that came on the sheet.

Want to see the contents? The petal box Echo Park paper provides a clue... pretty flourishes are like fluffy frosting swirls. :o)

Secured with a jump ring, I made six fun and delicious cupcakes. All of the frosting is embossed and I tried to choose a nice variety of "wrappers." But these aren't merely pretty confections. What goes with sweet cupcakes? Sweet sentiments.

"Believe That You are Wonderful"

"Believe in Your Dreams"

Each cupcake has a unique sentiment from that same coordinating set, stamped upon a lacey circle, and inked with Spun Sugar. I tied sheer pink dot ribbon to the jump ring to coordinate with the petal box. I hope and pray that Patty and Emily smile upon receiving their little gifts. :o)

Challenge entered:

 * Cooking with Cricut~ Card Outreach

Thank you for persevering through this post and for visiting me today! I hope your day sparkles with love and joy. :o)

Wall Hanging with Giant Flowers Cartridge :)

Happy Wednesday, my sparkly friends! I hope you're having a beautifully crafty week! :o)

I am so excited to share this little wall hanging that I made yesterday for a few challenges! (One may seem a bit out of place at first glance, but I explain it in the challenge list below!) I was extremely blessed to win the Giant Flowers cartridge from the amazingly talented (and sweet) Shelly of My Paper Love. (Thank you for the millionth time!) I wasted no time putting it to use. The hardest part was choosing which flower to make first! :o)

After much debate, I chose the lotus because of how it blossoms pure and radiant, flourishing through its muddy environment. I wrote a little passage to accompany it and to serve as a primary focal point... no need to squint, as I'll type it below! :o)

A closer view at the incredible flower:

A better look at the sentiment, which will be pretty big if you enlarge it:

Text:

Growing in faith, the love of the Lord blossoms within. Strengthened by grace, our hearts trust in the One and Only.

Amazingly, I forgot to take a side angle photograph of the flower because I was rushed this morning. :( It is exquisite! You can obviously cut these massive and larger than life, but I wanted to experiment and see how it would work on a bit of a smaller scale for this 8.5'' square wall hanging. I am thrilled with the results. Cut at 2 inches, the assembled flower measures roughly 4.25'' wide and 1.25'' high. In person, this flower is truly stunning. I inked all of the edges with Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Distress Ink to soften the trim as well as bring more life to each petal. Most of the nine flowers include centers to cut, but the lotus does not. I chose a pretty Tim Holtz Fanciful Button that somewhat mimics its circular seeded center. Plus, the little filigree hearts work nicely with the sentiment.

Speaking of which, the sentiment was inspired by the love my sweetheart and I share. Our focus is the Lord and His perfect love, and as we grow in faith together, our love grows at the same time. It's truly a beautiful thing. :o) Desiring the passage to be a focal element, I used a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis square for the base with pearlescent, textural white paper. I inked the pink sentiment paper's edges with Victorian Velvet (as well as the main base layers), straight-stitched it to the square, and added Wild Orchid Crafts Guipure white lace as a decorative trim. Since pearls make everything better, I added a little graduating row and a few on the corners. I was going for elegant simplicity, which pearls innately achieve.

To put the sentiment and incredible flower in focus, I kept the rest of the wall hanging streamlined. I used a flourishy paper from the DCWV French Country stack to make a nice backdrop on its own. The flourishes are all sparkly, with several areas of delicate script. I added a Gypsy Wanderings flourish above the flower for a little added punch, but kept it tonal so as not to detract. I simply added a touch of Victorian Velvet Ink (I couldn't put it down!). I dolloped it with pearls because... well... I just love them. ;) I stitched around the entire base with a zig zag stitch for variety and added two filigree heart corners from Storybook. Matching Wild Orchid Crafts lace completes the bottom, which I dotted with pearls for a graceful touch. (Side Note: I love this white Guipure lace design even more than the larger, slightly different cream version I used on my last project. **swoon**)

For a pop of sunshiny warmth, I added three sparkling orange butterflies. I love how they stand out against the pink base. Two pink ones are also fluttering about, although their script bodies do not show in the pictures... they coordinate with the script on the base. The pink ones are dotted with a pearl, with one of them resting atop a pretty lotus petal. (I wouldn't be able to resist, either!) All of them are facing upward because their focus is always above... just like we strive so hard to keep our focus on the One above. I hope you like this as much as my sweetheart does... if it's not too girly, I'd love to give this to him for our anniversary since it was inspired by him and created with our anniversary in mind. He prefers when I make things with my favorite girly supplies, anyway. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Fantabulous Cricut~ Fancy Trims
 * Go Fish Challenge Blog~ Photo Inspiration (creative use of typeset)
 * Love to Crop~ Pink, Orange, plus ONE other color (white)
 * My Sheri Crafts~ Warm Wishes! (They said we could use our imagination... to me, the ultimate warmth is heavenly love shared with my sweetheart and the thought of summery flowers. Nothing warms me better on this chilly day!)
 * Sentimental Sundays~ Let's get sentimental (focus on the sentiment)

Thank you for fluttering on by today! I wish you all a gorgeous day of blessings and smooshy hugs. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Giant Flowers, Gypsy Wanderings, Storybook
 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Fleur de Lis Squares
 * Sentiment: Written by me
 * Paper: Bazzill, DCWV
 * Inking: Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet Distress Ink
 * Lace: Wild Orchid Crafts Guipure White
 * Button: Tim Holtz Fanciful Buttons
 * Butterfly Punch: Fiskars
 * Pearls: Recollections

Be Unique, Be Unforgettable, Be You... and Sweet Saturday!

Happy Saturday, my sweet friends! :o) I had every intention of posting before today, but it was one of those stretches. You know what helps with a bit of a trying week? Hugs, making a girly card, and sharing a delicious treat. All those are wrapped up into today's post!

First up is a card I made for a few challenges. I used a new-to-me technique, which is always exciting. :o) My first Criss Cross card was so much fun to create.

"Be Unique, Be Unforgettable, Be You"

Not only was it pure joy making this, but I was finally able to use a few more new goodies that my sweetheart gave me. When I decided to use this marvelous Whimsical Designs sentiment from Stephanie's Whimsical Fun~ Volume 1 set, I knew the perfect image stamp to accompany it. Our creative spirits make us unique, enable us to make sweet projects that touch someone's life, and the journey helps us discover hidden parts of ourselves... tiny morsels that make us who we are. Making a heartfelt creation is truly a representation of who we are, with each style highlighting individual facets. It's one of the reasons I so enjoy visiting blogs. Every designer has their own beautiful creative spirit. :o)

This sweet stamp is an Elisabeth Bell digi stamp, titled Creative Genius. She is perfect! Just look at her crafting to her heart's content. I colored her with Copics and sprinkled in some extra treats: Her slipper is not only sparkly, but I cut off part of a pom-pom to make it fluffy, too. Her headband is dolloped with pearls, used for the flower centers. Star Dust covers her pencil, markers, paintbrushes, and the kitty's bow. One of my favorite parts is completely unseen because I neglected to get a close-up. :( She's drawing a picture of a flower and I colored it Buttercup and sparklified it... for a sappy reason. Because everything created from the heart sparkles like the most gorgeous ray of sunshine dancing upon an ocean. It's just how it works! :o)

The papers are from the Kaisercraft English Rose collection, which I continue to love more with each new pattern I use. The Wild Orchid Craft Guipure cream lace is new, a blessing from my sweetie pie. I LOVE this exquisite lace. The pretty flowers are also Wild Orchid Crafts, which are trimmed in Star Dust. I tucked a 2-tone baby pink Sweetheart Blossom into the mix because the cute creative genius is such a sweetheart. I sewed all of the layers and then pleated crinkle ribbon to make a girly, fluffy trim. And all of the inking is new! It's my first time dabbing into Tim Holtz and I am already in love. I used Victorian Velvet for all of the edges.

The image stamp base is cut from Elegant Edges, the tag from Gypsy Wanderings, and the interior butterfly is a fancy corner from Storybook. The butterfly's trail is sparkly (of course) and I dotted her wings with pearls. It felt so good to craft! :o)

Criss Cross Card Tutorial: Here!

Challenges entered:

 * Crafty Catz~ Favorite Things (Copics, flowers, lace, pearls, pink, ribbon)

 * Cute Card Thursday~ Flower Power!

 * My Craft Spot~ Girly Girl!

 * Paper Sundaes~ Sundae Bar! (I used cream and pearls)

Ready for a treat? Sweet Saturday is all about hugs and cookies. I was searching for a new cookie recipe to bake for my boyfriend and his coworkers... and you won't believe what I stumbled across. Cookies that have HUGS inside them. I waited all of two seconds before whipping up these Hugs Chocolate Cookies.

His coworkers love me. The rich chocolate cookie dough is embracing Hershey Hugs. The original recipe uses the seasonal Raspberry Hugs, but since we're not huge raspberry fans I used regular Hugs. Any flavor would be delicious! The surprise center of melted white and milk chocolate was perfect for Valentine's Day. (Or any day.) The tops are fancied up with a white chocolate drizzle to complement the centers. The cookie itself is rich, fudgy, and decadent... and as is always the case, a Hug makes everything better. If you try these, I hope you love them as much as we did. :o)

Thank you for visiting me! I hope your weekend sparkles with joy, crafting, and chocolate. :o)

***

Raspberry Hugs Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 3½ dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup dutch processed cocoa

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (10 ounce) bag Hershey's Raspberry Hugs candy (or any flavor you desire)

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Blend in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix until flour disappears.

Unwrap the Hugs candies. Take a spoonful of cookie dough and wrap the dough around the Hug candy, making certain the entire Hug is covered. Place cookie onto prepared baking sheet. Continue wrapping cookies until the dough is gone. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Do not over-bake. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Place white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and melt. Drizzle chocolate over the cookies. Let cookies sit until chocolate hardens, approximately 10 minutes.

Source: Two Peas & Their Pod

***

Key Recipe Components (for card):

 * Cricut cartridges: Elegant Edges, Gypsy Wanderings, Storybook

 * Sentiment stamp: Whimsical Designs~ Whimsical Fun, Volume 1

 * Image stamp: Elisabeth Bell~ Creative Genius

 * Copics: E000, E00 (skin); E25, E31, E50 (hair); R81, R83 (shirt, headband, slipper, cup); B91, B95 (jeans, headband, tablecloth, chair); Y21, Y000 (tablecloth, chair); C3, C5 (kitty); B00 (water in glass with paintbrushes)

 * Paper: DCWV, Kaisercraft, Papertrey Ink

 * Ink: Tim Holtz Victorian Velvet

 * Wild Orchid Crafts: 35mm trellis rose, 20mm roses, sweetheart blossom; Guipure cream lace

 * Crinkle Ribbon: Prairie Bird Boutique

 * Miscellaneous: Pearls (Recollections); Stickles

Colors of Love: Whimsical Wednesday Challenge!

Happy Wednesday, my sweet friends! I hope your week is fluttering along beautifully! :o)

This week's Whimsical Wednesday challenge is all about the colors of love! Include the colors red, white, and a third color of your choice on your LO, card, or project to play along with us!

I decided to make a cupcake box this week! I hadn't made one in far too long and it was perfect timing to celebrate a loved one's birthday. :o)

"Sprinkled with love"

Cut from Sweet Tooth Boxes, I made a sweet little cupcake box swirling with love. The red flourish paper is from Echo Park (corrected from my original post date... not sure why I thought it was MME!) and I kept waiting for the perfect project to use it. Who doesn't love a swirly cupcake wrapper? Since this project is sprinkled with love, I used mini-hearts paper for the frosting. I pleated two layers of crinkle ribbon and attached them to the top of the base to fancy it up... plus, I like how it somewhat resembles fluffy frosting. :o)

The actual cut is topped with a cherry, with slits to make it 3D. I wanted to top mine with love, so I cut out two Gypsy Wanderings hearts instead and slid them together. (Sadly I didn't photograph this at the proper angle due to rushing. I meant to show the hearts more accurately.) The red heart layers are embossed and they're centered with a tonal-flourished pale yellow paper. Why yellow as my third color choice? Because the most beautiful hearts are bursting with sunshine. I surrounded them with Wild Orchid Crafts roses to replicate the pretty flowers on fancy celebratory cakes. (I honestly do not know why I couldn't properly photograph this project.)

For the tag, I wanted to incorporate additional embossed hearts... you can't have too much love, especially when a cupcake is involved. I cut out two more (the same as the topper) and layered them to be cascading love. I secured them with Peppermint Stick Trendy Twine and a sweet heart button. I had to force myself to refrain from adding more pretties throughout.. after all, this needed to be functional! While simple, it was very much loved by the one who inspired it. :o) The Sprinkled with love Whimsical Designs sentiment is one of my favorites, found in Stephanie's With Love stamp set. A must-have for all of my sappy creations. :o)

Regarding the contents of this box, after a couple of months away due to family situations, I am ecstatic that I finally returned to the kitchen! Sweet Saturday returns with a flourish, so check back this weekend if you'd like to see the delicious treat. Though not topped with red hearts, it's topped with a different form of love: Oreo whipped cream frosting. The family felt the love. ;)

The entire stamp set that I seem to grab with most every project of late:

I hope you'll join us this week by linking up your Colors of Love project to the Whimsical Wednesday challenge post, where you'll also find information on this week's prize. I am excited to see your work. :o) Be sure to flutter on over to the rest of the Whimsical Designers' blogs to see their inspiring projects!

Thank you for visiting me today! I wish you a day sparkling with love and cupcakes. :o)

Challenge entered:
 * My Craft Spot~ Valentine's! (Valentine's card or treat packaging)
 * My Sheri Crafts~ Love Is In the Air (At least two hearts)
 * Sentimental Sundays~ Feel the LOVE (Anything lovey!)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Gypsy Wanderings, Sweet Tooth Boxes
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Swiss Dots
 * Sentiment stamp: Whimsical Designs~ With Love
 * Paper: Bazzill, Canvas Corp, Echo Park
 * Crinkle Ribbon: Prairie Bird Boutique
 * Twine: Peppermint Stick Trendy Twine
 * Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
 * Button: Dress it Up~ Love Potion

Love is in the Air: Whimsical Wednesday Challenge!

Happy Wednesday, my sparkly friends! I hope your week has been marvelous. :o)

This week's Whimsical Wednesday challenge is all about love, since love is in the air! Create any love-themed home decor project to play along with us this week. It need not be celebrating Valentine's specifically, but simply love.

You know my sappy heart somersaulted with this one. I created a lovey-dovey wall hanging, which entails a winter scene in the beautiful land of love. We need a few pictures to properly capture the details and hidden surprise...

"Love is all we need"

Opening the door reveals a peek into the heart of the house: "Today, tomorrow, always..."

A closer look at one of the sugar cookie trees and the adorable Elisabeth Bell stamp (colored with Copics). Enlarging it may be necessary to see the little critters in the image.

Lastly, the bottom of the wall hanging... showcasing the foundation of this loving household. (Excuse my fuzzy purple slippers that you can see through the glass tabletop. It was too windy to hang it up outside for long.)

Last summer I made a candyland card (found HERE), which I loved. I've been eager to make a new theme and decided love was the perfect inspiration, especially when expanded into a wall hanging. :o)

Now a little bit of info, some out of necessity since I remain photography challenged. As always, feel free to skip all of this... but I cannot resist sharing the intricacies of this fun little project for any who want to read it. :o) The storyline of this project is told within the details... it is all about incorporating love and sweetness into every facet of life. A life of love is the best life to live. :o)

The dollhouse is from Kate's ABC's, which I naturally made with heart paper to portray the type of home this is. The windows are pale yellow and coated in Star Dust to reflect the glorious warmth and sparkling love that reside within. Each window is centered with a rhinestone heart and I used a heart stick pin behind the chimney because this is bursting in all things sappy. The door's design was made with a heart Spellbinders die, which I tweaked a bit and doubled up. A rhinestone doorknob was vital. Truly.

Those pop-dotted sweet trees are one of my favorite components. Designed to be sugar cookies, the interior of the hearts are dotted with "sugar" (via microbeads adhered with Glossy Accents) and the scalloped trim is "frosted" in red and dotted with "edible" white pearls. It makes me want to bake. The trunks were embossed with a folder that has a bird on a branch for added texture.

Honestly, I wish I had a "stone" pathway like this one for real. The lollipops are made with Peppermint Stick Trendy Twine, decorated with Chocolate Truffle Trendy Twine bows, and secured with heart buttons. None of the pictures show this, but the walkway is silver-speckled Core Couture paper to stand out from the regular snowflake-embossed ground. The Stickles-accented snowdrifts are embossed with dots for variety, with two sections being pop-dotted. I sprinkled the sky with three different sizes of pearls to reflect a pretty winter landscape. :o)

The sweet stamp is one of my favorites. I adore Elisabeth Bell images and have more new ones that I am anxious to use! So many blessings. This one is called Letters to Santa, but is obviously quite versatile. I covered the holly berries on her cute jacket and hat with heart rhinestones since love blossoms all around her (and her sweet birdie and mouse friends). I love this precious little girl, mailing sparkling letters to her loved ones. And I think I found my favorite Copic yellow combination, thanks to experimenting on her clothing. :o)

For the border I did my first ever straight-stitch with my new sewing machine. This entire project is sewn in love, so I needed to use stitching in some facet. The ribbon for hanging is really pretty, so it's unfortunate I cut it off in the main image. It is satiny with texture and trimmed in gold like our little sweetheart's golden patches on her clothes.

As stated with the final photograph, the bottom represents the foundation of this home and scene. I layered two Spellbinders Fleur de Lis dies to give a nice presence to the wonderful sentiment. I used two Wild Orchid Crafts roses for embellishment and added a puffy hearts bow, which I saved from a vase of flowers. Both of my Whimsical Designs sentiments are from Stephanie's beautiful With Love stamp set. Her stamps are such a joy to use.. they continue to give my creations the exact tones I strive for while designing them. :o)

If you read all this... you are beyond amazing and deserve a marshmallow-topped hot cocoa stir stick.

I hope you'll join us this week by linking up your love home decor project to the Whimsical Wednesday challenge post, where you'll also find information about this week's prize. I'm excited to see what you create! Be sure to flutter on over to the rest of the Whimsical Designers' blogs to see their fantastic projects. :o)

Thank you for stopping by! I wish you a day of love and sparkles. :o)

Challenges entered, because they're such fun:
 * Cooking with Cricut~ Anything but a card with Yellow and Polka Dots! (Swiss Dots embossing and dots in the pretty sky.. and pearls and microbeads are little dots, too!)
 * Crafty Catz~ Buttons and Bows
 * Fantabulous Cricut~ Label It! (Use a label other than a plain circle)
 * Getting Cricky~ Let it Snow (and include embossing)
 * Little Scrap Pieces~ Use Blue
 * Sentimental Sundays~ Use Die Cuts (No punches)

Key Recipe Ingredients:
 * Cricut cartridges: Elegant Edges (snowdrifts), Gypsy Wanderings, Kate's ABCs
 * Cuttlebug embossing folders: Swiss Dots, Winter Wonderland pack (tree trunks and snowflakes)
 * Spellbinders: Fanciful Holiday (for the hearts on the door), Fleur de Lis Squares Nestabilities
 * Sentiment stamps: Whimsical Designs~ With Love
 * Image stamp: Elisabeth Bell~ Letters to Santa
 * Copics: E25, E33, E50 (hair); E000, E00 (skin); Y21, Y23, Y26 (jacket, hat); B91, B95, B97 (jeans, jacket/mitten accents); YG23, YG25 (leaves on jacket); E33, E35, E50 (shoes and mailbox post); B00, B02 (bird); C3, YG23, B91, B95 (mouse/umbrella)
 * Paper: Basic Grey, Bazzill, Canvas Corp, Core'dinations
 * Roses: Wild Orchid Crafts
 * Heart stick pin: Little Yellow Bicycle
 * Buttons: Dress it Up (Love Potion)
 * Miscellaneous: Heart rhinestones/Microbeads/Pearls (all Recollections), Ribbon (stash), Stickles

Let's Get Sketchy: Whimsical Wednesday Challenge!

Happy Wednesday, my talented friends! Did you know that you make me smile? It's true! :o)

This week's Whimsical Wednesday challenge is a sketch challenge! Join us this week by creating a card inspired by this wonderful sketch, created by our very own Nanne:

Our wonderful sponsor this week is Stamp Fairy. When scrolling through her adorable images, I instantly gravitated to the cupcakes. Hardly shocking, I know. Inspired by Nanne's sketch and this precious digi (Lenny Cupcakes 3), I made a whimsical birthday card... complete with a cupcake snowman.

"Let's Celebrate"

What better way to celebrate than with cupcakes? These sweet little teddies used the extra frosting to whip up a snowman. The snowman's trim is sponged with DewDrop Brilliance ink because the silly bears tinted the swirling 'frosting' to be an icy blue. For the scarf I used my new light blue shiny ribbon with white polka dots to resemble snow flurries. His arms are heart stick pins, wrapped in Chocolate Truffle Trendy Twine to mimic twigs. He's just bursting with birthday love from his heart mittens to his heart buttons.. and of course a super sparkly cherry hat. His wrapper is scored to make it look like an actual cupcake wrapper.

The teddies' background and the cupcake wrapper are from the same paper, with pretty sheet music and snowflakes dancing in honor of a winter birthday (and a snowy Happy Birthday song). The tie and cupcake wrapper in the digi are shades of light blue, which may be washed out in this photograph. The frosting is coated in Stardust and the candle flame in Gold Stickles. A smattering of sparkles encircle the happy teddies to enhance their winter celebration.

I made the snowflakes three layers, topped with a sparkle, with each layer pop-dotted for dimension. I sewed around the embossed pearlescent paper and added a couple dollops of SnowTex to the corners for additional textural elements. The fabulous Whimsical Designs sentiment is from Stephanie's Everyday Sentiments stamp set. Isn't it wonderful? :o)

I hope you'll join us this week by creating a card inspired by Nanne's marvelous sketch and linking it up to the Whimsical Wednesday challenge post. I look forward to seeing your interpretations! For one lucky winner, the Stamp Fairy is generously donating a gift certificate for $10.00 worth of digis from her shop. Thank you!

Be sure to frolic on over to the rest of the Whimsical Designers' blogs to see their marvelous creations. :o) Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a whimsical day! :o)

Key Recipe Components:

 * Cricut cartridges: Elegant Edges, Gypsy Wanderings

 * Cuttlebug embossing folders: D'vine swirls, Snowflakes from Winter Wonderland pack

 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Picot Edge Circles

 * Sentiment stamp: Whimsical Designs~ Everyday Sentiments

 * Digi image stamp: Stamp Fairy~ Lenny Cupcakes 3

 * Paper: Core'dinations, DCWV, K and Company

 * Heart stick pins: Little Yellow Bicycle

 * Ribbon: American Crafts

 * Twine: Trendy Twine (Chocolate Truffle)

 * Miscellaneous: Heart Rhinestones (Recollections); iRock; SnowTex; Stickles