Praying for You Sympathy Card

Hello, my sparkling friends! Thank you for your incredibly sweet words on my first mini album. I was feeling some serious bloggie love. :o)

Speaking of which... a new month means a new recipient for the beloved I Feel the Love Project. For June, we are honoring a precious child, known as Baby Mason. At only six months old, he passed away from injuries sustained in a car accident. :( A drunk driver's tragic choices cut short this beautiful life.

We are creating in the name of love for Baby Mason's parents, Yvette and Santiago Villega, Jr. Any type of encouragement card is perfect. I needed a few days to settle on a direction because my mind was all over the place. Sympathy cards are innately challenging for most crafters, myself included.

I pressed on to create a tangible hug out of paper. In this time of oppressive darkness, I chose to send them sparkles. Every speck of glitter and every rhinestone is meant to be a sunbeam. All it takes is one glimmer of light to break the darkness, right? (I didn't want to risk anything, so I used five million.)

An angled view to better show the sparkly bases, foiled pattern, and dimension... if only there was a magical way to capture Shimmer Spritzed-flowers.

This card actually began with the gold. Our prayers are stored up in Heaven in golden vials, so this creation was inspired by that Truth. I wanted this card fully enveloped (embraced!) in golden prayers. The glitter paper is from Jo-Ann's, though I do not know the brand. I opted to pair it with green and peach, which is a first for me. The beautiful patterned papers are from Kaisercraft's Sweet Nothings collection, which I've been anxious to use. (The golden loopy border beneath the middle panel is a cut file from Bird's Cards.)

Rather than going my typical "100% nature" route for sympathy cards, I wanted to make every inch of this about the prayers we are saying for this grieving family. Turning to the sweet artistry of Elisabeth Bell to visually deliver my actions, I chose this adorable stamp titled "A Child's Prayer." She is colored with Copics and cut out with a Spellbinders Labels Four die. Some Star Dust may have fallen on her peachy nightgown...

Sparkles were added to the tiny bows on her braids and I couldn't resist adding a heart-shaped one to her teddy bear's paws. He's praying with all of his fuzzy little heart, too. I heat-embossed a simple flourish with gold embossing powder, providing a touch of movement: divine power swirling around us as we offer up our selfless intercessory prayers. A lightly-sponged border of Dried Marigold distress ink surrounds our prayer warrior with a heavenly glow.

The butterflies are a We R Memory Keeper's cut file from the Silhouette Online Store. I made them solid instead of designed so they could properly sing their praises. It is so vital to praise in all things. These singing butterflies are hovering above their golden shadows, encouraging the precious parents to lift up their hearts in song.

A collection of peach and white Wild Orchid Crafts flowers provide a touch of nature's beauty. Lilies, hip rosebuds, and tiny rosebuds are extra sparkly from Shimmer Spritz. A sprinkling of rhinestones and a pearly heart stick pin complete the arrangement.

Lastly, I turned to my beloved Tiny Tags 2 and matching metal dies from My Craft Spot for the perfect sentiment. I adhered it with a heart rhinestone because you can never put too much love onto (or into) a card. The shiny gold ribbon that it rests upon is from my stash.

Sweet Baby Mason is safe in Heaven, but his parents desperately need our love.

Thank you for fluttering on by! I pray your day abounds in hope. :o)

Challenges entered:

 *A Gem of a Challenge~ Emboss It (Heat-embossed flourish alongside image)

 *Charisma Cardz~ Tons of Layers

 *Created With Love~ Anything Goes

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

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *No Matter Which~ Bingo (Die Cuts-Flowers-Sparkle/Glitter)

 *Paper Playtime~ Anything Goes

 *Sarah Hurley Challenge~ All That Glitters is Gold

 *Stampin' for the Weekend~ Cute

A Special Mini Album (My first!)

Hello, my cherished friends! As predicted, my little blog has been silent for a bit. This special project required a lot of time to come to fruition and I thank you for your encouragement along the way. :o) I've missed you and cannot wait to see what you've been up to!

I had it on my heart to create a mini album for 22-year-old Ashley, one of the recipients of May's I Feel the Love Project. She is battling her second form of cancer, which breaks my heart. She fought it off as a child, but 15 years later was diagnosed with a completely unrelated rare form of cancer. I badly wanted to make her something extra special. I hope she loves this and feels every ounce of love that I packed into it.

Because this is a picture-heavy post due to the nature of the project, I'll resist telling the tales I'd love to share... the reasons for the choices I made, the sappy inspirations, etc. All that truly matters is that my and God's love sparkle brilliantly through it. Hopefully that will be made clear from the pictures alone. :o)

Ready to see my first mini album?! It was a JOY to create, particularly since it is for such a worthy cause. I'll never know Ashley personally, but I like to think we're connected through my daily prayers for her.

99% of the designer papers in this album are from Graphic 45's Secret Garden collection, selected specifically for Ashley. I wanted to give her a beautiful garden. :o) The gorgeous shimmer I added to every flower and butterfly throughout does not show via photograph. This album is so very sparkly in person. Naturally! :o)

A better view of the spine covering is at the end of this post... I used a Crop-a-dile for the first time! *swoon*

This is the only time I'll show photo/journaling mats/tags. Most of the pages contain 2-3 that pull out, double-sided for extra storage of special moments.

Don't worry, I eventually ran out of time to show each page side-by-side. ;)

I couldn't resist sharing a close-up of this intricate fan. I adore it and hope Ashley does, too. It is a cut file from the Silhouette Online Store, which I adorned with some of my favorite things: rhinestones, crinkle ribbon, and a Wild Orchid Crafts rose.

Above is a garden gate, with the background paper one of my all-time favorites. I popped-up the embossed gate and set the photo mat just above the foam tape. This, and the lace lining one side, enables Ashley to switch out pictures whenever she likes. They nestle in nicely without requiring any type of adhesive.

My first gate-fold! The lacy heart opens up to reveal a decent sized photo mat, which is lined at the bottom with a border so she can swap out pictures.

A tab at the top pulls out a circular mat, which easily goes in and out of the frame that is popped-up only on the lower half. These Prima flowers are especially gorgeous in person, thanks to  their beautiful shades and a hefty dose of Shimmer Spritz. I went through ¾ of a bottle for this album. ;)

The sweet little envelope is a cut file from the Silhouette Store, which opens up to a tiny surprise. I tucked a note inside to remind Ashley how loved she is. :o)

And these goodies are stuffed into the main pocket. Scriptures and sunshiny words for her to keep in or out of the album. (I snuck presents into her present... ha!)

The last page, kept simple to hold a large mat for an extra special photograph. The butterfly is leaving a trail of sparkling love with a few rhinestone hearts. That glistening love extends far beyond this album.

I poured more into this project than anything I've previously done. Two bouts of cancer at only 22 is unacceptable. I've prayed for this gift to deliver healing love. And that waves of joy and grace overtake Ashley every time she holds this as she heals in His perfect love. She will beat cancer once again and will be filling this album with new pictures for decades to come. :o)

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

Challenges entered:
 *Celebrate the Occasion~ Use a butterfly on any project
 *Craftin' Desert Divas~ Linky Part (Anything Goes with Ribbon/Twine)
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes with Ribbon
 *Divas by Design~ Tie a Ribbon
 *Fab 'n' Funky~ For the Girls
 *Frosted Designs~ Punches (I used a few, including the spine border on each page)
 *Fussy and Fancy~ Bling it On
 *Love to Create~ Read All About It! (Book, bookmark, or something to do with reading)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes

A Father's Love...

Hello, my dear friends! I hope everyone had a blessed weekend. :o)

Today I'm happy to share a Father's Day pocket card that I made for a very special dad named Reggie, who is the recipient of May's I Feel the Love Project. Each month the amazing and talented Madison highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of some extra love and sunshine.

This month we are honoring an amazing father who strengthens and encourages his family during heartbreaking tribulation. He has faced a parent's nightmare not only once, but twice. For the second time he is helping a beloved daughter battle cancer.

I had no sentiment stamp that expressed what was on my heart, so I typed up my own. Since his beautiful children are in on this Father's Day surprise, I wanted them included in the sentiment.

"A Father's love shines through the hearts of his children." In their family, that couldn't be more true.

A closer peek:

After printing the sentiment, I cut it out with a Spellbinders Classic Circle. I used Dried Marigold distress ink to create a small nature scene with a stamp from the Tim Holtz Artful Flight set. I sponged around the circle's perimeter to surround it (and him!) in heavenly warmth. The circle is set upon a scallop base that I cut out with my Cameo, using one of the scallops in a Lori Whitlock Nested Shapes Set.

The patterned papers are from Pebbles and Basic Grey, which I thought worked well for a masculine card. I fussy-cut extra leaves to layer them with foam tape in the corners for extra dimension. The satin polka dot ribbon is from Papertrey Ink.

A little surprise is tucked in the pocket. This card is not only from me, but it will be from Reggie's children, too!

I cut out eight Spellbinders Nested Hearts, layering the small and medium ones to create four main hearts... one for each of his children. They are heavily inked with Barn Door distress ink and secured together with a jump ring. I get the feeling their hearts always beat as one. To avoid difficulty in fitting them in the pocket, only the first heart is adorned with red sparkles.

The four hearts don't merely represent the loving hearts of Ashley, Andrew, Raelynn, and Ryan, but they are also a personalized gift! I lined the backs with a filigree patterned paper, light enough to beautifully showcase handwritten messages. The fronts are bursting with red love, while the backs will be filled with heartfelt words from each kid. I realize the rhinestone one will be a wee bit tricky to write on... but a touch of sparkling love overrides a few sloppily-written words. ;)

The love they have for their father is truly tangible. That's why I wanted to incorporate them into my creation via sentiment and a special little surprise that Reggie can keep wherever he wishes. It will always remind him that his gorgeous love is shining brightly through his family... and that our heavenly Father's love is shining through HIM.

The family, in their Ashley's Angels shirts:

His daughter Ashley is currently battling cancer. She successfully defeated it as a child... but in January, 15 years later, she was diagnosed with a completely unrelated cancer. This month we also have the option of creating for her. While I work on that, my little blog may be quiet for a bit. Although I'll be visiting you all regularly, of course. :o) I have something special in mind for her, but it will take some time as I've never done it before. Cue panic. But the Lord will help me bless her with this special gift. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! Have a blessed and beautiful day. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Crafty Catz~ Anything Goes
 *Crazy 4 Challenges~ Photo Inspiration (The orange stamped central focal point)
 *Creative Cutting Challenge~ Father's Day (The scallop base file was cut with my Cameo)
 *Cupcake Craft~ Lots of Layers
 *DL. Art~ Thankful Thursday May Linky Party (Anything Goes)
 *Fussy and Fancy~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Pause Dream Enjoy~ Happy ______ (I chose Father's Day)

Sew Special: Mother's Day Card

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

I took advantage of some crafty time to make a Mother's Day card for my dear mom. :o) She loves fashion, pearls, and all things textural. I've long wanted to make her a dress form card, so I went that route. :o)

"Sew Special"

She loves a pun and she is sew very special to me. The background paper is a favorite from the Glitz French Kiss collection.. the fabric appearance is spectacular in person. This design began with the dress form, which is a cut file from a Ladies' Accessories collection in the Silhouette Online Store. The top was made from a gorgeous design from the My Mind's Eye Blush collection, which you may need to enlarge to see the prettiness. I used my favorite American Crafts crochet lace trim for the skirt, to which I added a Wild Orchid Crafts pearl strand for extra femininity.

For the middle of the card, I layered Wild Orchid Crafts cream Guipure lace with the same lace as the skirt. I wanted lots of texture on this one!

A little bit closer view to show the dress form and the pearls that accent the entire lower half. (I had serious photography issues with this one.)

The frame beneath the dress form is a cut file from a Princess Silhouette collection. I love everything in that little set! The musical paper is from the Glitz Pretty in Pink pad, while the exterior is the same as the outfit top. Everything throughout this project is inked with Walnut Stain distress ink. The frame and dress form are popped up with two layers each of foam tape for a lot of dimension. I really wish I had a picture from the side... I was too rushed.

A peek at the sentiment and spool of thread:

The computer-generated sentiment is cut out with a Tiny Tag metal die from My Craft Spot. I circled the hole with tiny pearls and threaded it with the floss I wrapped around a Spool of Thread cut file. For the needle, I used a fancy Wild Orchid Crafts pearl crown pin.

Lastly, I created a corner flourish of sorts with Recollections pearls, attempting to mimic some pretty Prima ones I've seen online. I sewed around the card's exterior, which I always love but especially wanted to incorporate given the theme. I hope my mom loves her card. :o)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a sparkly day of sunbeams and blessings. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Celebrate the Occasion~ Mother's Day
 *Craftin' Desert Divas~ Linky Party: Puns!
 *Created With Love~ Mother's Day
 *Cut It Up~ Mother's Day
 *Love to Create~ For Mom or a Special Lady
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *My Craft Spot~ For Mom
 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 *Pretty Little Ribbons~ Lace
 *Silhouette Challenges~ Anything Goes

Sweet Saturday: 1 XXL Chocolate Cookie

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned. :o)

Chocolate cookies are innately amazing... but sometimes you want one that's massive in size. Massive as in *just* under six inches in diameter:

This is pure decadence. The first time I shared it with my mom... the second time, with my sweetheart. Everyone is wild about this cookie. I love giant cookies because there's so much gooey interior to enjoy. The inside of this one just so happens to taste like a fudgy brownie. :o)

With such a small amount of each ingredient, this comes together quickly (NO mixer required), and before long you can satisfy that persistent chocolate craving. It also makes for an impressive treat without hours of invested time. Sometimes you need these types of recipes. :o)

Plus, this treat is simply fun. Especially when topped with bright sprinkles of happiness. :o) There's something so beautifully sweet about sharing a dessert with someone you love... soon I'll be sharing this with my niece. :o)

Thank you for stopping by! Have a sweet weekend! :o)
*****

1 XXL Chocolate Cookie
Yield: 1 large cookie (or four smaller cookies, if desired)

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar (or dark brown)
2 Tablespoons beaten egg (crack an egg, beat it, and use 2 Tablespoons)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips + 1 Tablespoon, divided
Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, mix the softened butter and sugars together with a spoon or fork until creamed. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Fold in ¼ cup chocolate chips.

Place the dough in the center of the baking sheet and mold into a tall ball using a spoon. (Dough will be sticky.) Dot the top of the cookie with 1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips. Add sprinkles on top, if desired.

Bake for 14-15 minutes, or up to 16 minutes. (Mine is always perfect at 14... do not overbake this beauty!) The cookie will appear very soft, but will firm as it cools. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.

Note:
You may make four smaller cookies using this recipe. Simply divide the dough into 4 smaller mounds on the cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Source: Sally's Baking Addiction

Hello Kitty Hugs!

Hello, my sweet friends! Happy Tuesday! :o)

I am so thankful I was able to squeeze in my last card for this month's I Feel the Love Project recipients! We've been creating this month for a grieving young family who recently lost their father/husband to cancer.

This card is for sweet Mady, who is 3 years old. :o)

I wanted to make her a colorful card of happiness. :o) The Bouquet Hello Kitty is a fabulous free cut file from Ruthie at September Ninth. To add extra oomph to her bouquet, I layered three Prima flowers in place of the ones in the cut file. Each bloom is centered with a tiny yellow button to coordinate with the background.

Since she's on her way to a very special little girl, I made her a hair accessory in place of the one in the file. I layered a fun polka dot Prima flower with a solid one and secured them with a super sparkly brad. The gorgeous brad was part of a prize pack I won from my dear friend Sherrie.

The cheery papers are freebies from a Papercraft magazine that my sweetheart bought me on Friday at Barnes and Noble. Talk about divine timing! These are just perfect. I centered a few of the daisies with rhinestones for extra sparkle. I didn't have any yellow ones, so I colored clear stones with my Y15 Copic marker. The gingham paper is trimmed with the Martha Stewart Doily Heart border punch. Sunshiny hearts were a must for this creation.

For the sentiment, I once again turned to my beloved Tiny Tags 2 and matching metal dies from My Craft Spot. I'm sending her so many hugs! :o) The card base is from a nested shapes set from the Silhouette Store, which I remembered to actually nest this time! ;) I used a sunshiny yellow for the base to engulf Mady with the warmth of my and God's love.

I pray this card brings a smile to this beautiful child. Since Hello Kitty is so wildly popular, I hope she sometimes remembers this card when she sees the plethora of HK items in the stores... and maybe her heart will once again fill with the love I've packed into this. :o) It's been a joy to create for her and her family.

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a day of all things beautiful. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Charisma Cardz~ Polka Dots
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes with Ribbon
 *Little Scrap Pieces~ Buttons and Bows
 *Love to Create~ Punches and/or Dies (Border punch and Tag dies)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes
 *The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog~ Lots of Layers

Surf's Up!

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

Continuing with my contribution to this month's I Feel the Love Project recipients, my new card is for 11-year-old Ryan. He, his three younger siblings, and his amazing Mom are dealing with the recent loss of their father/husband to cancer.

As was the case with the sand pail card I made for Kyle, I created this card to honor the cherished memories the family made during frequent trips to the beach. Since Ryan is older, I tried to make a beachy card that wasn't quite so kid-like. I created a fun little summer scene for him. :o)

Surf's Up! (And hopefully spirits will be up, too.)

The middle surfboard is a foiled green:

I took my patterned paper cue from these beautiful family pictures:

I chose fun Hawaiian-type papers from Kaisercraft's Chapter One collection, which reminded me of Debbie and Ed's swimwear and the family's summery adventures.

The card base is a nested shapes set from the Silhouette Store... which I forgot to actually nest. (Sigh!) The sunshine is a cut file from Bird's Cards, which I set atop an embossed blue pattern. I like to think of it as sun rays shining through the pretty blue sky, with a touch of embossed whimsy. :o) The edges of the rays are heavily inked with Mustard Seed distress ink for extra sunshiny warmth. I used Hawaiian Shores ribbon from Papertrey Ink as a divider, with the dots serving as little whitecaps dancing atop the ocean.

I thought Ryan might enjoy surfboards, so I used the Surf's Up collection from Spellbinders. The solid one was used as a stencil, in which I inked the embossed areas with Tumbled Glass and Mustard Seed distress inks. I nestled them beneath some popped-up sand to make them 'stand up.' The sand is embossed with Swiss Dots for a sandy texture.

I used Spellbinders Nested Lacey Pennants to make a little flag for my computer-generated sentiment. I inked it with Tumbled Glass and made a yellow pole to coordinate with the sunny sky and inked surfboard. And about those few little sparkles on this boy's card... it's not my fault! A few sunbeams danced down from the heavens. :o)

I love this family with my whole heart. It's my last day to create for them and I still have one card left to do. I'm tempted to panic, but I know God will help me make a sweet little card for 3-year-old Mady so she knows how loved she is. I need to give her a piece of my heart, too.

Thank you for surfin' on by! Have a sparkly day. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Card Crafter's Circle~ Boys to Men
 *Crafty Ribbons~ Anything Goes with Ribbon
 *Cupcake Craft~ All at Sea
 *Love to Create~ Punches and/or Dies (Surfboards and Flag/Banner are dies)
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Paper Playtime~ Emboss (Sand and surfboard are embossed)
 *Papertake Weekly~ Weather With You
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes