All You Need is Love

Happy Tuesday, my super sweet friends! I hope your week is bursting with sunshine. :o)

You'll never believe what I made. I tried my hand at my first ever Clean and Simple card! It's such a vastly different concept from my norm, so it hurt my brain something fierce. I like a variety and hadn't yet ventured into CAS, despite wanting to give it a whirl. So, here is my first one!

"All You Need is Love"

A closer picture of the sparkling trail of rainbow love...

This was made for a friend and inspired by a few challenges. Her heart has been a little blue lately due to stormy trials, so I made this card to remind her that God's love is all she needs and that her rainbow is coming. :) The rainbow may technically be a small part of this card, but it really means everything. The smallest glimmer of sunshine leads to a rainbow. I wanted it to pop on a white background, so I used Bazzil pearlescent cardstock. Without rhinestones in rainbow shades of the same size, I used my Copics on crystal clear ones. That has rescued me on so many occasions!

The main image is two Spellbinders Nested Hearts, which is certainly among my favorite sets. It embosses beautifully! I sponged Tim Holtz Faded Jeans over the embossed areas and added three tiny pearls. The smaller layer is adhered with foam tape for a touch of dimension. I love white-on-white and I think it also lends itself well to keeping a CAS design, so I cut out two Storybook heart-scroll corners and centered them with little pearls. The pretty butterfly delivering the rainbow is a Martha Stewart Small Monarch punch. One of the CAS-ual Fridays requirements this week is to use a pattern, so I embossed the entire base with the Swiss Dots folder. The sentiment is from an Inkadinkado set that I've had forever.

Challenges entered:
 * CAS-ual Fridays~ Pattern, Image, Sentiment
 * Cooking with Cricut~ St. Patrick's Day or Rainbow
 * Lollipop Crafts~ Sentimentally Yours (Sentiment is the focus)

Thank you for fluttering to see me today! I hope you have a blessed and beautiful week. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartrdige: Storybook
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Swiss Dots
 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Nested Hearts
 * Sentiment: Inkadinkado
 * Butterfly punch: Martha Stewart Small Monarch
 * Ink: Tim Holtz Faded Jeans
 * Miscellaneous: Copics (to color rhinestones), iRock, Pearls (Recollections)

Hugs and Kisses

Happy Sunday, my crafty friends! :o)

I have a sweet and summery card to share today, which was such fun to make. It was inspired by summertime, sweet children, and nature's beauty. (And my sweetheart, because he's amazing.)

"Hugs and kisses"

There was so much joy in creating this. The papers are My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody, which I adore and have been anxious to use. The precious little girl is Pati's Kisses, a digital stamp by the amazing Elisabeth Bell. I love her! I colored her with Copics and added Star Dust to her belt, the ruffled trims on her shirt, and the flowers on her headband. One especially fun aspect to this card is that I had my first attempt at making a landscape. I used Bev Rochester's cloud template and Tim Holtz Broken China Distress Ink to surround her with puffy clouds. When making this card I envisioned the heartwarming sight of little girls joyously playing outside with their stuffed animals. I made her a tiny hill with varying shades of green for dimension, ending with a few blades of grass tickling her feet. Child-like innocence and a pure love are two of the most beautiful things... both are represented in this. :o)

I used Spellbinders Labels Four for the image, making the mat a buttery yellow to symbolize the scene being enveloped in a warm, sunshiny hug. A divine hug, which entails the utmost warmth. Two itty bitty butterflies, dotted with a pearl, are being guided by love... to Spellbinders Fanciful Holiday filigree hearts. I cut out two of them in the same gingham as the middle layer and nestled them partially within the base... like little love notes that we tuck away in a drawer.

Unfortunately, the flower/pearl cluster is blurry, but is truly beautiful. Everything is from Wild Orchid Crafts. The pink and yellow two-tone flowers not only go well with the paper, but I love them for a summery-inspired card because they remind me of strawberry lemonade. :o) The petals are trimmed in Star Dust and I tucked in a few gorgeous pearl sprays.

Since flowers and lace always make a great combo, I used my Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edge Punch for the gingham layer. My favorite Wild Orchid Crafts Guipure lace is adhered to the bottom. The sweet sentiment is from the Whimsical Designs~ With Love stamp set, which I used atop an Art Philosophy tag. The larger butterfly is from the Martha Stewart Small Monarch punch, lined with pearls and given a tiny pearl trail. The papers throughout are inked with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain and I used my sewing machine to stitch around the top layer. I couldn't stop using pearls, so I added a tiny corner decoration of three sizes to complete my card. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Belles and Whistles~ Use Butterflies
 * Digi Bells DT~ Flowers (March Digi Release Blog Hop)
 * Elphine House~ Pearls and Lace

Thank you for fluttering on by! I hope your day sparkles with love, hugs, and blessings. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut Cartridge: Art Philosophy
 * Spellbinders: Fanciful Holiday, Labels Four Nestabilities
 * Paper: Core'dinations, My Mind's Eye, Papertrey Ink
 * Sentiment stamp: Whimsical Designs~ With Love
 * Image stamp: Elisabeth Bell~ Pati's Kisses
 * Copics: E0000, E000, E00 (skin); E25, E29, E31, E50 (hair); R22, R24, R27, B91, B95, B97 (clothing); YR20, YR21, YR24 (teddy bear); YG17, YG23, G28 (grass)
 * Flowers, pearl sprays, Guipure Lace: Wild Orchid Crafts
 * Butterfly punches: Fiskars (small butterflies), Martha Stewart Small Monarch
 * Border Punch: Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edge Punch
 * Tim Holtz Inks: Broken China, Walnut Stain
 * Miscellaneous: Pearls (Recollections and Queen & Company); Stickles

Sweet Saturday!

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! I hope you're having a gorgeous weekend. :o)

I'm ecstatic that I had some crafty time last night, but I wasn't able to complete my card to post along with this recipe today. (I'll be back with it tomorrow!) Instead, all I have for you is a delicious cake. I hope you forgive me. ;)

With spring and warmer weather's arrival, many of us yearn for fruity desserts. However, sometimes you still need chocolate. I hadn't made a bundt cake in quite some time, so I started my search there. Oh the joy of stumbling upon a recipe for Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze. Oh my.

Yes, I made a mess with the glaze... but everyone likes having a little extra to scrape off the bottom and put with their piece. ;) I couldn't resist letting it pool as much as it wanted. The majority of this went to work with my sweetheart as a little blessing to his coworkers, which is probably a good thing. I easily could have cleared it out myself this weekend. ;) The cake is rich, dark, chocolatey, and super moist. The glaze is a marvelous pairing of chocolate with a hint of cinnamon. My mom appropriately classified the topping as having a Mexican dimension to it, just as the recipe's creator stated. As is often the case in baked goods, by the time the baking is complete the espresso flavor turns subtle and primarily serves to enhance the chocolate's intensity. I will tell you that if you're a coffee lover, you MUST taste some of the batter while filling the pan. It tastes like pure chocolate espresso! If you want more of a coffee kick to the finished product, you can brush some coffee/espresso on the top of the cake while it's still warm. I love the elegance and ease of bundt cakes, which makes them a great option for the outdoorsy days of spring and summer. No huge amount of preparation time needed. :o)

This rich cake received rave reviews from all and I will certainly be making it again. If you try it, I hope you love it as much as we did! Have a blessed day, my sweet friends! I'll be back tomorrow with a card bursting with summery love. :o)

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze

Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter
½ cup Dutch process cocoa
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder, dissolved into ¾ cup hot water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

For the glaze:
4 ounces good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I use semi-sweet)
⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
1½ teaspoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350º F. Butter and flour a 10-12 cup bundt pan.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the espresso water and remove from heat. Add the sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs to the warmed cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add all at once to the first mixture, whisking until well-blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until it feels firm to the touch and has slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake with a knife and invert onto a large plate.

To make the glaze, place the chocolate, butter, corn syrup, and cinnamon in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the mixture using a rubber spatula until melted and smooth.

Pour the warm glaze over the bundt cake. Keep covered in a cake-keeper at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Source: slightly adapted from Sweetapolita

Fluttering By to Say Hi... more love for Trinitie :)

Happy Tuesday, my dear friends! I hope you're having a sunshiny day where you are, too. :o)

Last week I posted a little garden card for Trinitie, who is this month's recipient of the I Feel the Love Project, hosted by the sweet Madison of Funky Cards. As stated in that post, I already had an additional card in mind for beautiful Trinitie who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. I had planned on Create a Critter fun, but instead decided to make her a sparkling castle surrounded by butterflies. :o)

"Fluttering by to say hi" (sorry for the dark picture)

The goal of this card was to give Trinitie a whimsical and happy little scene to immerse herself in. The castle is from Wall Decor and More, which I adore because of those whimsical flourishes that make me think of a heavenly breeze whistling around the castle. The castle paper is from the Echo Park Runway collection, which I chose based on the subtle design.. it is somewhat reminiscent of a fancy stone pattern. (At least in my mind! Hehe.) The tops are cut from the super sparkly DCWV glitter stack, which are trimmed with rhinestones. (I nearly wore out my iRock on this one.) Hopefully you can see the paper a little better here if you enlarge it:

The flags are covered in bright pink glitter and a coat of Glossy Accents, which looks nice with the sprinkles of glitter in the paper. Why so much sparkle atop the castle? Because everything is better with sprinkles on top, be it cupcakes or castles. :o)

I couldn't give Trinitie a sparkly castle without a sparkly princess, so without any type of Disney cartridge I turned to my Copics. The digi stamp is from The Paper Shelter, titled Spring Princess. I colored her in rosy pinks and coated the fluttery sleeves and skirt with Star Dust to be like a shimmery overlay. Her flower headpiece is also Star Dusted and I put a layer of atyou Spica glitter on her eyelids for sparkly eyeshadow. I probably would have given her a necklace if I wasn't already frustrated with the troubles from those 29 rhinestones on the castle. ;) You don't want to know how ridiculously long those took me to get "just right."

The exquisite Magnolia background paper is one of my all-time favorites, titled Mini Butterfly Dreams. I bought it last week (in four colors!) and was wondering if I'd ever be able to get myself to use it... what will I do when it's gone?! But I had a feeling Trinitie would love a sky of butterflies, so I used it as the backdrop. :o) I pray she smiles as much as I do when I see them. I punched out a few white sparkling butterflies with Core Couture cardstock and sprinkled them throughout for a touch of dimension. One landed on the Princess' dress, which I can clearly imagine happening with lovely Trinitie. She has such a radiant heart.

Lastly, I used pretty green patterned paper from the Kaisercraft~ English Rose collection for her landscaping so she could be nestled in nature. I added two Sweetheart Blossoms from Wild Orchid Crafts because Trinitie is such a sweetheart. :o) The sentiment is from the Whimsical Fun~ Volume 1 stamp set from Whimsical Designs. The pink base isn't merely an Elegant Edges scallop base... it's to reflect my favorite sunset. Wispy blue skies with puffy pink clouds, which I call cotton candy sunsets. :o) It seemed ideal for a card of this nature. I hope she loves it.

And the lovely Trinitie, who has inspired me so much in the last couple of weeks.

Challenges entered:

 * A Gem of a Challenge~ Perfect Pastels

 * Flutterby Wednesday~ Spring Time

 * Paper Sundaes~ Feminine Flair

 * Sentimental Sundays~ Go Green or Recycle
 * Sweet Stamps~ Think Spring
 * The Paper Shelter~ Anything Goes

Thank you for fluttering on by today! There is still plenty of time to make a card for Trinitie. The information can be found HERE. She needs tons of love right now. I hope you all have a blessed and sunshiny day. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartrdiges: Create a Critter (grass), Elegant Edges, Wall Decor and More
 * Paper: DCWV, Echo Park, Kaisercraft, Magnolia, Papertrey Ink
 * Sentiment: Whimsical Designs~ Whimsical Fun, Volume 1
 * Image stamp: The Paper Shelter~ Spring Princess
 * Copics: E25, E29, E33 (hair); E00, E000 (skin); R81, R83, R85 (dress and larger flower); Y15, Y11 (smaller flower); BG11 (headband); atyou Spica glitter in clear for eyeshadow
 * Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts (Sweetheart Blossoms)
 * Butterfly punch: Fiskars
 * Miscellaneous: Glitter (Martha Stewart), Glossy Accents, iRock, Stickles

Thinking of You

Happy Saturday, my sweet friends! I hope your day is bursting with sunshine and sparkles. :o) Thank you for your incredibly kind words regarding my card for Trinitie throughout the week. I can't tell you how much that meant to me. *hugs!* Although there is no Sweet Saturday today due to injury flare-up, I was able to finish a card this morning to quickly share. :o)

This is for my mom who hasn't yet completely bounced back from her heart attack in December. She is making progress physically (thank the Lord), but emotionally she is struggling a bit. She loves pearls, birds/nature, flowy ribbon, and any distressed or vintage type of look, so I combined some of her favorite things for this tiny gesture.

"Thinking of you"

I used corresponding papers from the First Edition Love Letters collection throughout the card, which paired nicely with Papertrey Ink Autumn Rose cardstock. The sweet bird is from my new favorite cartridge Art Philosophy, as is the little branch and the decorate filigree-heart layer. I wanted the branch to be flowering, so after embossing it with the Victoria folder, I added a few Wild Orchid Crafts roses. I've been anxious to use this birdie, but wish I'd had the black pearls I keep forgetting to buy. I used a regular pearl for his eye instead. He's nestled in a tiny flower cluster and gorgeous Vanilla Bean crinkle ribbon from My Craft Spot.

The pretty birdcage stamp is from the Tim Holtz Artful Flight collection, which I stamped with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. I added a little Guipure lace and dotted the top and bottom with pearls. It's hanging from a tiny flower cluster and a string of pearls which slightly graduate in size because that's how my mom would love it. The sentiment is from the Whimsical Designs~ Everyday Sentiments stamp set, which I used on an Art Philosophy tag. The patterned paper is the same as the pretty paper beneath the filigree layer.

I stitched around two of the layers, inked the stamp layer with Victorian Velvet, and inked the other layers with a combination of Tea Dye and Walnut Stain. To finish it off I centered each little flower burst on the decorate layer with a pearl, which my mom cannot get enough of. I hope this card makes her smile. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Crafty Catz~ Mother's Day or a Special Lady
 * Divas by Design~ Favorite Things (Art Philosophy cart, pearls, ribbon, Wild Orchid Crafts)
 * My Craft Spot~ For the Birds
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Mother's Day/Special Girl

Thank you for visiting me today! I wish you all a blessed and beautiful weekend. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridge: Art Philosophy
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Victoria
 * Papers: First Edition Love Letters, Papertrey Ink Autumn Rose and Vintage Cream
 * Image stamp: Tim Holtz Artful Flight
 * Sentiment stamp: Whimsical Designs~ Everyday Sentiments
 * Ribbon: My Craft Spot Vanilla Bean
 * Flowers and Guipure Lace: Wild Orchid Crafts
 * Pearls: Recollections (smallest sizes), Queen & Company (birdcage holder and corner details)
 * Inks: Tim Holtz Tea Dye, Victorian Velvet, Walnut Stain
 * Miscellaneous: Stickles

I Feel the Love: Love Blossoms Encouragement Card

Happy Monday, my crafty friends! I hope your weekend was beautiful. :o)

A new month means a new recipient of the I Feel the Love Project, faithfully hosted by the amazing Madison of Funky Cards. Each month she highlights a person, family, or organization in need of an extra dose of love and blessings. In turn, we have the privilege of crafting for this wonderful cause. No projects bring me more joy than the ones dedicated to I Feel the Love, despite often being made with a heavy heart.

This month's recipient is a lovely girl named Trinitie who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. I've pretty much thought about her non-stop since Friday morning when I read about her. Far too often I'm down to the wire with Madison's project (not typically by choice), but this one took precedence over everything. I simply needed to create for Trinitie immediately.

I will be making her a fun Create a Critter card, too... all kids love that cartridge! But from the moment I saw her picture and read her story, I've had it on my heart to make an encouragement card of a different nature. I couldn't let it go. I want to send her a little "garden" via a card bursting with nature's beauty. Her own little garden she can look at and immerse herself in whenever she likes, just like this sweet girl in my card.

"Love Blossoms"

This card is all about the sentiment's double meaning. While the flowers are surely love blossoms, the driving force and inspiration are with the verb form. Her little garden is blossoming in and by love, just like divine love is blossoming within her gorgeous heart as she faithfully awaits her miracle. Healing love is blossoming within her every time we pray for her. A reassurance of love is so encouraging to a child. Nature's beauty is unrivaled and I couldn't help but think a card bursting with unfading flowers might deliver a burst of sunshine to Trinitie's difficult life.

For those who like the stories behind so many of my cards, there are a couple involved here that are integral parts of this creation. The bottom of the card is yellow polka-dotted paper, serving as a path of sunbeams. I edged it with my Martha Stewart lacy heart border punch because my and God's love are with her every single step of her journey. The white flourish I made represents a pure, heavenly breeze... a whisper of hope and a breath of life. The pale yellow crinkle ribbon is a hug of warmth. The kind of hug that makes everything feel better. How I wish I could hug her.

Now for some technical details. The precious sweetheart is an Elisabeth Bell digi stamp, titled Little Rapunzel. I colored her with Copics and nestled her inside a field of flowers upon an Elegant Edges base. I centered some of the flowers on her shirt with rhinestones, along with a few surrounding flowers. I also sprinkled Star Dust Stickles throughout because she and nature sparkle with hope. I cut off the flower that was part of the stamp and replaced it with a small Wild Orchid Crafts mini rose. I wanted her to be holding a 'real' flower instead. :o) All roses on the card are from Wild Orchid Crafts, ranging from 15mm to 25mm, and are trimmed with Star Dust. I cut Storybook leaves to accompany them.

All of the patterned papers are from Kaisercraft's Lilac Avenue collection. The bases are a lovely deep purple, despite my stellar photography making them appear black. The flourish is an Autumn Leaves stamp which I heat embossed with white opaque embossing powder and dotted with pearls. The gorgeous Buttercup crinkle ribbon is from My Craft Spot, which I centered with a stitched heart button and a tiny Trendy Twine Grape Fizz bow. The sentiment is computer generated from my sappy heart.

To finish it off I stitched around the base layer and the middle layer with my sewing machine. I would have LOVED to stitch around the image, but decided I better wait until I can practice going in a circle first. I'm still working on a straight line for my 'straight' stitches as it is. ;) There is another part to this card; a coordinating gift box from the Art Philosophy cartridge. I can't complete it until I get to the store, so I'll post it with the second card I'll be making for her. :o) I hope with all of my sparkly heart that she likes this card.

It's super early in the month, so there's plenty of time for you to create a card for sweet Trinitie. :o) Visit I Feel the Love for details!

Challenges entered:
 * CES~ Flower Frenzy
 * Crafty Catz~ Punches and Dies
 * Cute Card Thursday~ Signs of Spring
 * DL.Art Thankful Thursday~ Three Layers, a Bow, and Bling
 * Die Cuttin' Divas~ Recipe (Fabric, Feathers, and/or Flowers)
 * Paper Playtime~ Die Cuts and Flowers
 * Sentimental Sundays~ Words of Encouragement
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes
 * The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog~ Swirls and Pearls

Thank you for fluttering on by today! I hope your day sparkles with blessings, hugs, and a heap of chocolate. :o) Oh! And I mentioned happy news the other day... keep an eye out! To celebrate 100 posts (that took a while! Ha!), I'll soon be having a little giveaway. I love you all something crazy.

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Elegant Edges, Storybook
 * Paper: Core'dinations, Kaisercraft
 * Sentiment: Computer generated
 * Digi stamp: Elisabeth Bell~ Little Rapunzel
 * Copics: E00, E000 (skin); E25, E29, D31 (hair); V01, V15, YG23 (shirt, jeans cuff); B91, B95, B97 (jeans)
 * Flourish stamp: Autumn Leaves
 * Border punch: Martha Stewart Lacy Heart
 * Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
 * Crinkle ribbon: My Craft Spot
 * Twine: Trendy Twine Grape Fizz
 * Heart button: Little Yellow Bicycle
 * Miscellaneous: Embossing Powder (Recollections Opaque Snow), Pearls (Recollections), Stickles

Sweet Saturday and a Thank You!

Happy Saturday, my talented friends! :o) I hope everyone is having a marvelous weekend!

After returning to craftiness yesterday, I planned to complete a card to post with my little treat. That was just silly... my speed is too tortoise-like. I'll have the special card tomorrow instead, along with some fun news. Thank you for the well-wishes for my finger! It is healing up nicely. :o)

I was able to return to baking on Thursday, but time constraints prevented me from making something too involved. I love that there are delicious treats you can make in mere minutes! Despite its simplicity, you still get to do fun things like boil honey and sugar. (Not that I'm easily entertained or anything.) You just can't go wrong when you fancy up some plain popcorn to snack on... especially when it's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn! :o)

Adaptations can clearly be made to suit allergies and such, but for those who can eat peanut butter, this needs no tweaking. The freshly popped popcorn is covered in a deliciously gooey peanut butter caramel and a milk chocolate drizzle. With a thorough sprinkling of Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, it's basically one of the funnest snacks you can make! Since the popcorn is not baked, it stays tender, which is how we all prefer it. Despite loving regular caramel corn, I do not like that it's rock solid. This type of popcorn is my ideal. I sent about 95% of this batch to work with my sweetheart and they devoured it in no time flat. :o) If you want a fun snack for family night, game day, or an I-really-need-a-cute-treat day, this is surely a winner. :o)

Before I flutter off, I want to thank my dear friend Nita of Nita Notes for passing along the Green Blend Award to me! Based on this previous post, you know how much I treasure this award. Thank you with all of my sparkly heart, Nita! I *heart* you.

Thank you for dancing on by! I wish you all a sparkly weekend. :o)

Note: If you can't find Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, you can chop up regular Peanut Butter Cups.

Reese's Peanut Butter Popcorn
Yield: Approximately 8 cups

Ingredients:
8 cups plain popcorn (air-popped, microwave, or stovetop)
Fine salt (optional)
½ cup honey
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup natural peanut butter (or regular, if you prefer)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk chocolate chips, melted
1½ cups Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:
Place the popped popcorn in a large bowl and salt to taste. Set aside.

Mix the honey and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir vigorously until all the peanut butter is melted, then mix in the vanilla extract.

Immediately pour the peanut butter caramel over the popcorn and gently stir with a long-handled wooden spoon until it's thoroughly coated. Spread the popcorn on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with melted chocolate and let sit until chocolate hardens. Stir in the Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod