Anything Goes at 7 Kids College Fund!

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

Today begins a new challenge at the 7 Kids Challenge Blog! The theme is Anything Goes, so link up whatever craftiness you're working on!

This week I made an encouragement card with a stylish stamp from Stamping Bella: Uptown Girl Sunny is Stylish! It is part of my contribution for this month's I Feel the Love Project collection, where we are creating for an amazing community center to give encouragement to children and families who utilize their agency, providing shelter, food, clothing. etc. There is also a youth center for ages 4-18, where hot meals are provided, as well as games and computers. I trust there will be a teen girl (or even a sweet mother) who this card is destined for... perhaps one with secret big dreams or simply an affinity for girly girl things. This is to tell her I believe in her and her future!

What a fantastic image to encourage someone to believe in their dreams! She is colored with Copics, except for her suitcase which I paper-pieced for a fun pattern. (I just started practicing coloring folds and pleats... I am a work in progress!) The panel is trimmed with one of the beautiful border dies from the Tattered Lace Beloved Borders set. My background papers are from Echo Park's Be Mine collection, while most of the browns are from Core-dinations

For fashionable French flair, I used my new La-La Land Crafts Eiffel Tower die! Isn't it a beauty? I couldn't resist adding an elegant flourish of flowers and pearls. The Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish is decorated with Wild Orchid Crafts roses and a sprinkling of pearls. The corner accent is the lovely La-La Land Crafts Filigree Corner die.

The My Craft Spot sentiment is from the Simply Sentiments stamp set, which worked perfectly for this card. :o) Thank you for fluttering on by! Have a blessed day. :o)

Products from 7 Kids College Fund Store:

Stamping Bella: Uptown Girl Sunny is Stylish

Tattered Lace: Beloved Borders Dies

La-La Land Crafts: Eiffel Tower Die

La-La Land Crafts: Filigree Corner Die

Copic Sketch Markers

Neenah Solar White Card Stock

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Walnut Stain

Challenges entered:

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes

 *Craft Your Passion~ 3 or More Embellishments

 *Crafting From the Heart~ Anything Goes

 *Crafty Calendar~ Petals and Pearls

 *Divas By Design~ 3 or More Layers

 *Love to Create~ Anything Goes

 *Make My Monday~ Pretty in Pink

 *Sweet Stampin'~ Say it with Flowers

 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

 *Through the Purple Haze~ Anything Goes

Stenciled Encouragement Tag Set

Hello, my crafty friends! I hope you've had a beautiful week! I'm posting this stenciled encouragement tag set on the My Craft Spot blog today and am sharing it here, too! :o)

Stenciling tags is a nice way to dabble into the world of stenciling/inking fun, which was one of my goals with this project. The first two were created a few weeks ago, which you've already seen (HERE and HERE)... but I wanted to show them as a set! :o) I'm so excited to now have this gift complete, as I saved the third one to make during this Inking Technique week at My Craft Spot!

This set is part of my contribution to this month's I Feel the Love Project, where we are creating for a precious baby undergoing chemotherapy and her parents. This is for Violet's parents as a reminder that they are dearly loved and not fighting alone.

New today is the jewel-toned sunset version, brought to life by several of Kimberly's fantastic goodies. :o)

Each tag features one of the sweet butterflies from the Jar Full of Flowers stamp set, with its flourishing trail coming from Tiny Tags 2. (I love the gorgeous mini flourishes on that stamp set!) The background was created with a Honey Comb Memory Box stencil and three shades of distress ink: Dusty Concord, Victorian Velvet, and Dried Marigold. The tag base is a Marianne Design die.

This variation showcases one of Kimberly's newest metal dies, the stunning Flowers- Rolled Roses. I let them fall open in slightly different measurements for an assortment. The greenery was made with a Memory Box Small Olive Branch metal die. My sentiment is from Kimberly's Simply Sentiments stamp set, as is the warm-toned sunset tag. The middle tag's sentiment is from Tiny Tags 2. I used My Craft Spot crinkle ribbon for each, in the lovely shades of Snow White, Aqua Mist, and Deep Purple.

The papers are from Wild Rose Studio's Peach Blossom collection. The butterflies and flowers on each tag are covered with sheer shimmer from a Wink of Stella Glitter Brush marker, which is tough to capture on camera... but so pretty in person. :o)

I hope Violet's parents continue to grow in faith and trust in Him during this unexpected trial... He is far greater than every disease and will deliver this sweet baby. :o)

Thank you for visiting and I wish you a blessed and sparkly day! :o)

Challenges entered:

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Create Your Own)

 *Charisma Cardz~ May Flowers

 *Crafting From the Heart~ Anything Goes

 *Dies R Us~ May Flowers (Tag base, greenery, and flowers are metal dies)

 *Dragonfly Dreams~ How Does Your Garden Grow

 *Fab 'n' Funky~ Photo Inspiration (Colors and flowers)

 *Simon Wednesday Challenge~ Die Crazy (Tag base, greenery, flowers)

 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

 *Through the Purple Haze~ Anything Goes

 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting Sentiment

A Bit of Stenciling and Stamping Fun!

Happy Wednesday, my dear friends! I hope you're having a wonderful week! I have a little project to share today featuring some lovely goodies from 7 Kids College Fund. :o)

I recently have become interested in stencils and previously shared how excited I was that Memory Box came out with them this year! I have much bigger visions for this crafty technique, but today I have a simple encouragement tag to coordinate with a non-stenciled card I will soon be making. Another dabble! :o)

I love honey comb patterns, so this Memory Box Honey Comb Stencil was a must-have for me! I began by cutting out my tag with a delightful design from the NEW Wild Rose Studio Peach Blossom Paper Pad. (There are lovely patterns in that collection!) I chose a soft peach to coordinate with the warm summery tones I knew I'd be using.

After using washi tape to secure the stencil over the tag, I blended in warm shades of Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Scattered Straw, Dried Marigold, and Spiced Marmalade. The primary portion of my nature scene is from my favorite nature silhouette stamp: Crafty Individuals Wild Flowers and Butterflies.

The remaining stamping is with My Craft Spot products. The encouraging sentiment is from the beautiful Simply Sentiments stamp set. The butterfly fluttering beside it is from Jar Full of Flowers, while her sprightly flourish is from Tiny Tags 2. I finished it off with Snow White crinkle ribbon, a Wild Orchid Crafts sweetheart blossom, and three tiny sparkles.

An angled view to show the beautiful clear shimmer I added to the stamping, courtesy of the amazing Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Brush:

Products from the 7 Kids College Fund Store:

Wild Rose Studio: Peach Blossom Paper Pad

Memory Box: Honey Comb Stencil

Crafty Individuals: Wild Flowers and Butterflies Stamp

Wink of Stella Glitter Brush: Clear

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Dried Marigold

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Scattered Straw

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Spiced Marmalade

Ranger: Ink Blending Tool

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad

Thank you for visiting! Have a blessed day! :o)

Challenges entered:

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: Reuse/Recycle)

 *Crafting From the Heart~ Anything Goes

 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes

 *DL.Art~ April Linky Party

 *Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge~ Anything Goes

 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting Sentiment

A Touch of Spring!

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

I'm posting a project today on My Craft Spot's blog using some of Kimberly's newest goodies! I thought it would be fun to use the Jar Full of Flowers and Simply Sentiments stamp sets to decorate a paper vase. :o)

The 3d vase and Double Impatiens flower are Jamie Cripps cut files from the Silhouette Online Store. For each vase panel, I fussy cut one of the gorgeous flowers from Kimberly's stamp set and centered it with a scalloped pearl. The flowers were stamped upon coordinating paper from the same Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed collection for cohesion. These papers are stunning! The colors and designs are so beautiful. Tiny trails of pearls in graduating sizes "connect" them to form a pretty little design around the vase.

Nestled beneath Buttercup crinkle ribbon is one of the lovely sentiments from the Simply Sentiments set, which is cut out with the coordinating Tiny Doilies 2 metal dies. It's a beautiful message to remind someone daily that they are being thought of (and loved). :o)

I used tonal patterned paper for the sunshiny flower for added interest, with sweet tiny flowers and scrolling leaves on each petal. The edges are inked in Scattered Straw for a touch of warmth. The leaves are embossed with the Victoria Cuttlebug folder for texture.

Butterflies flutter along the side panels, courtesy of the Jar Full of Flowers stamp set. They have been layered, Star Dusted, and given a pearly trail of happiness to match the bottom design.

Thank you for visiting! Have a sparkly and blessed day. :o)

Challenges entered: 

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes (Optional: 2d/3d Flowers)

 *Crafting from the Heart~ Anything Goes

 *Decorate to Celebrate~ Spring Decorations or Birthday

 *Divas by Design~ Flower Power

 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Uplifting Sentiment of at Least 5 Words

 *Make My Monday~ Butterflies

 *My Sheri Crafts~ Celebrate Spring!

 *Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Welcome Spring with Ribbon/Trim

 *The Pink Elephant~ Lots of Layers, Ribbon, and a Pinch of Green

 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

 *Word Art Wednesday~ Uplifting/Encouraging Sentiment

Spring-Inspired Home Decor Item

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

With the abundance of cold, snow, and ice, I thought it would be fun to make another Spring-inspired project to feature a few dies from the 7 Kids College Fund Store. (I apologize for the poor lighting! I had trouble properly capturing this one.)

While I've made several projects with Spellbinders bases, this is my first time using a Marianne Design die for that purpose. Anja's Vintage Decoration worked beautifully! Because the die is open-ended, I was able to make the base my preferred width. The embossed areas are sponged with Victorian Velvet distress ink to bring out their beauty. I adorned the base with a few pearls.

The rose basket is a Marianne Design die (CR1206), which I've threaded with American Crafts ribbon and accented with pearls. I used a couple of Memory Box dies in my basket: the tallest flowers are lovely Fairy Flower Drops, which are adhered to Small Olive Branches. I do wish I hadn't glued them down flat... I'm not sure what I was thinking! For varying layers and texture, I incorporated Wild Orchid Crafts sweetheart blossoms (trimmed in Victorian Velvet) and played with some Flower Soft. 

The beautiful My Craft Spot sentiment is from the NEW Simply Sentiments stamp set. The gorgeous papers are from a Susan Winget K and Company collection and the church-window lace is from The Ribbon Girl. This currently stands on a shelf, but can easily be turned into a wall hanging or simply framed, as desired. :o)

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

Products from 7 Kids College Fund Store:

Marianne Design: Anja's Vintage Decoration

Memory Box: Fairy Flower Drops

Memory Box: Small Olive Branch

Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Victorian Velvet

Challenges entered:

 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes

 *Crafting from the Heart~ Anything Goes (Optional: Use Dies or Punches)

 *Created With Love~ Think Spring

 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes

 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration (Pistachio, White, Rose)

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *One Stitch at a Time~ Anything Goes

 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes

 *Pile It On~ Sweet/Soft or Bold/Bright

 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes

My Craft Spot Stamp Release Blog Hop!

Welcome to the My Craft Spot Stamp Release Blog Hop! We've been celebrating all week and today is the big day! Kimberly's entire new release is revealed and available for purchase at the gorgeous My Craft Spot Shop! :o) You can see all of her new goodies at the end of my post!

Every DT member has one of the new stamp or metal die sets to give away, so be sure to comment along the way. You should have arrived here from the sweet and talented Heather! The hop order is listed below in case you get lost along the way. :o)

For my project, I created a 3D gate flower basket for my mom! I was inspired by Kimberly's new encouraging sentiments and springtime images. :o)

The journey to this creation began with the beautiful sentiment from the NEW Jar Full of Flowers stamp set! Like many, my mom is eager for this harsh winter to end so I made her a springy bouquet that will never fade. :o) 

I cut out the sentiment as a banner and wrapped it around a Wild Orchid Crafts crown pearl stick pin, like the little greetings that are stuck inside real flower arrangements. The box cut file was filled with a foam block from JoAnns floral department and then I played florist with Wild Orchid Crafts flowers and pearl sprays. I wrapped MCS Petal Pink crinkle ribbon around the box and centered a double-bow with a WOC scalloped pearl.

One of our favorite things is when butterflies frolic around flowers, so I used the gorgeous butterflies from the Jar Full of Flowers stamp set! They are colored with Copics, layered, and sporadically placed around the bouquet and gate.

Two sunshiny yellow butterflies surround one of the lovely messages from the NEW Simply Sentiments stamp set. It rests atop an elegant doily from the NEW Tiny Doilies 2 metal die set. I love the delicacy of these doilies! :o)

The gate basket cut file is surrounded with portions of a Memory Box Spring Border. This project was such a joy to create. It's exciting to see inspiration blossom from Kimberly's products. :o)

Hasn't this week of sneak peeks been fun?! Here are the FULL new stamp and metal die sets!

Scrapping Life Cards Metal Dies

Tiny Doilies 2 Metal Dies

Big Words Metal Dies

A truly spectacular release, which I've had an AMAZING time creating with this week! I love each set and know you will, too! :o) 

I'm so excited that Kimberly has provided a JAR FULL OF FLOWERS stamp set for me to give away to one lucky winner who comments on this post! :o) I will draw and announce the winner on Monday morning! Thank you for your playing along with us all week!

Your next stop on the hop is the incredibly talented Ally! (And here's the complete hop in case you need it!)

Kimberly

Gwen

Robin

Heather

Karen (You are HERE!)

Ally

Sherrie

Kate

Tanya

Have a blessed weekend, everyone! :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes
 *Little Miss Muffet~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Through the Craft Room Door~ Anything Goes
 *Totally Papercrafts~ Make It Shine
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting Sentiment

My Craft Spot Stamp Release Party- Day 5!

Happy Friday and welcome to Day 5 of the My Craft Spot Stamp Release Party! This spectacular party featuring sneak peeks of FIVE new stamp sets and THREE new metal die sets isn't quite finished. (And you won't want to miss Saturday's BLOG HOP, which is also when the new goodies will be available for purchase!) :o)

Today we are showcasing the NEW Simply Sentiments stamp set, which so beautifully nestle inside the NEW Tiny Doilies 2 metal dies. With how often I use the original Tiny Doilies dies with the Stamping All Around circular sentiments, you know I was happy dancing when I saw these new additions! :o)

You saw a sneak peek of these in my card from Day 1, where they were a lovely accent! I was overly excited. :o) For today's project, I more prominently used them as gorgeous tags for glassine goodie bags to let a friend know I'm thinking of her. :o)

There are four new lovely designs of the metal doily dies! I used three in varying colors to coordinate with my Heartfelt Creations paper. Please enlarge the photo to better see the incredible sentiments! This stamp set is filled with sweet messages for an abundance of themes, offering encouraging tidbits and festive greetings.

Do you recognize that butterfly? It's the same stamp I used in my rainbow butterfly card yesterday from the new Jar Full of Flowers set! I originally intended to simply stamp the glassine bags, but opted to heat-emboss them instead. I love the shine and texture that come with heat-embossing. :o) (A word of warning, which probably should have been common sense to me: bending the heat-embossed area of a glassine bag will crack the design! Broken butterflies are sad butterflies. Sigh.)

I didn't want to use these for a baked treat, so I filled them with Wild Orchid Crafts roses for a beautiful gift. It's a lovely avenue to surprise a fellow crafter with some new embellishments or trims. :o)

Be sure to frolic on over to My Craft Spot to see the inspiring projects from the team! Leave a comment on Kimberly's post for a chance to win today's giveaway: the Stamping All Around Spring stamp set!

Thank you for all of the love this week! Join us tomorrow (Saturday!) for the Blog Hop as we celebrate the full reveal of the new release! Inspiration and prizes will abound. :o) Have a blessed day!

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes
 *Crafting for All Seasons~ Sentiment as the Focus
 *Created With Love~ Friends
 *Delightful Challenge~ Keep It Simple
 *DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ February Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Pile It On~ Thinking of You

My Craft Spot Stamp Release Party- Day 1!

Welcome to the My Craft Spot Stamp Release party! Each day this week we will be sharing projects to showcase FIVE new stamp sets and THREE new metal die sets! Kimberly will have a giveaway every day this week, so be sure to leave a comment at My Craft Spot to be eligible for the daily prize. You'll also be treated to an abundance of inspiration from the entire team! The party will end with a blog hop celebration on Saturday, where the full release is revealed and prizes will be given at every stop! Kimberly's new goodies will also be available for purchase beginning that day. :o)

Today we are featuring the new Big Sentiments 2 stamp set! This set is so versatile and I love working with the larger sentiments. It covers a variety of themes and the font is delightful! (Throughout the week we will also be showcasing the Big Words metal dies into some of our projects.)

The moment I saw the stamps, I knew I'd be pulling out my Copics! :o)

The sweet sentiment that's sending happy thoughts made me think of this little cutie pie. Honeybee by Elisabeth Bell is sending our love to a precious recipient of this month's I Feel the Love Project. What better way to begin my work with this team than to help cheer up the hospital room (and heart!) of a child fighting serious sickness? I made Honeybee two tiny bows with My Craft Spot Traditional Chocolate twine and used Flower Soft for little poms. The banner is secured with a Wild Orchid Crafts sweetheart blossom.

I opted for whimsical papers filled with nature's beauty, a fluttering border of butterflies from Joy! Crafts (trimmed in Victorian Velvet love), and lots of texture for her little hands to enjoy. The filigree corners are a La-La Land Crafts die.

Nestled in my pocket card is a tiny treat to encourage her as she battles...

Aren't the tiny doilies pretty *and* adorable, all at the same time? They're a sneak peek of more new goodies to be revealed later in the week! I used four different sentiments, but you'll have to wait to see the rest. ;) Petal Pink crinkle ribbon from My Craft Spot is layered atop lace and holds a dangling heart charm for an extra touch of healing love.

An angled view for a peek inside and to show the flowers I layered for dimension:

Don't forget to flutter over to My Craft Spot to see the rest of the team's work and leave a comment for a chance to win the Happy Easter stamp set! :o)

Thank you for visiting! I'll see you tomorrow for Day 2! :o) Have a blessed day!

Challenges entered:
 *613 Avenue Create~ Anything Goes
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes
 *Creative Fingers~ Anything Goes
 *Divas by Design~ Rubber Stamps Only
 *Elphine House Australia~ Make Your Own Background (Sponged sky and colored grass)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *One Stitch at a Time~ Girly
 *Pile It On~ Thinking of You
 *Sparkles Monthly Challenge~ Ribbon/Lace, Hearts, and Pearls
 *The Paper Shelter~ Punches and Dies (Fiskars butterfly punch and several dies)
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting Sentiment