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Showing posts with label Cindy Loo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cindy Loo. Show all posts

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Sprinkled with Love

Happy Saturday, my treasured friends! I pray everyone is having a blessed and beautiful weekend. :o)

In lieu of a new Sweet Saturday confection, I'm sharing a new card that serves a far sweeter purpose. :o) As I mentioned in my last post, this month's I Feel the Love collection is in loving memory of first grade teacher Vicki Soto... a beautiful soul who gave her life to save six or seven of her students at Sandy Hook Elementary. The sweet and talented Madison (of Funky Cards) highlights someone in need of extra love every month and we have the absolute privilege of crafting for a cause. We are currently creating Valentine's cards for those children Vicki saved, as well as thinking of you/sympathy cards for her grieving family. I hope you'll create a card with us and say extra prayers for all involved in the tragedy.

My second card for the kiddos... Sprinkled with Love:
I made a happy little forest scene, complete with deer sweethearts. The deer are from Create a Critter and Cindy Loo, which I set upon stumps made of pink wood-patterned paper. (What can I say, even the trees are filled with extra love this time of year!) The interior of the stump is glitter paper because their endearing love has sparklified it... just like our heartfelt creations will deliver healing love to those who are hurting. The boy deer is wearing a sparkly green collar because Vicki's favorite color was green. Every card I create for this collection will have green for that reason. I used pearls for the pretty doe's spots. :o)

The bottom border is my new Memory Box die that I am over-the-moon in love with, called Spring Border. It's so sprightly and I thought the little recipient would enjoy it. :o) I cut it with sparkling Core Couture paper and used red and purple Stickles for the flowers.

The gorgeous nested hearts in the center are Cheery Lynn dies (Two of Hearts), which are inked in Victorian Velvet. I nearly only used one, but a double dose of love is always better. :o) The papers have pretty little sketched-floral patterns on them, and both layers are pop-dotted for dimension. All of the patterned papers on the card are from Heidi Grace's Daydream collection. I love how foresty and naturally beautiful they are. :o)

The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from the With Love stamp set, chosen because the paper is reminiscent of a shower of love. :o) (And because my sappy love is sprinkled all over the place.) The tag is popped-up, lightly inked with Victorian Velvet, and has a sweet Recollections heart button. Lastly, a sparkly white butterfly fluttered onto the card, centered with a pearl, eager to bring hope and comfort.

And there's more love tucked inside, where the Spellbinders Lattice Rectangle will hold a message about how I love the recipient so dearly!
I hope this brings a smile to the precious child's heart. :o)

The inspiring hero whose memory we are honoring this month:
Challenges entered:
 *Cut It Up~ In With the New (Memory Box Spring Border die, heart button)
 *Cute Card Thursday~ Beat the Blues (with LOVE!)
 *Divas By Design~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *My Paper Crafting/Crafting With Cutters~ Card Outreach
 *Paper Playtime~ Pets/Animals
 *Papertake Weekly~ Happy New... (Memory Box Spring Border die, heart button)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a sparkling weekend of love, hugs, and blessings. :o)


Monday, April 30, 2012

Wishing You a Day Full of Happiness

Happy Monday, my dear friends! I hope your week is already wonderful. Thank you for praying for that sweet family last week. They appreciate it! :o)

After a month without coloring, I was ecstatic to return to my beloved Copics over the weekend! (So rusty!) This card is for the dear owner and super sweet employees at my local cupcake bakery, which I regularly support. They are so kind, overly generous to me and my sweetheart, and recently celebrated their 1st Anniversary! It's been a fun year of fancy cupcakes. :o)

"Wishing You a Day Full of Happiness"
(I was fighting to photograph this in between massive rain showers. Forgive the lovely blur, please!)

This beautiful Elisabeth Bell stamp, Cinnamon Sugar, stole my heart at first glance and is perfect for the occasion. I colored her with rosy pinks and aquas, and incorporated some extra sparkle along the way. It's upsetting that they do not show in this image, but I used four Copic-colored aqua rhinestones on the top of her apron, deep red rhinestones for the cherries atop the cupcakes, and added shimmer to the hearts on her dress because love always sparkles. You all need to go buy a cupcake so you can see how sparkly it really looks. :o) I used Broken China Distress Ink and a cloud template to give her a sky backdrop, which photographed a bit washed out. I also made her a grassy hill to dance upon during her cupcake picnic. Cupcakes always make me happy-dance.

One of my favorite parts is on her apron. I cut a slit on top of the pocket to open it and tucked a sparklified heart inside. The secret ingredient to the perfect cupcake recipe is always love. :o)

The gorgeous papers are from the My Mind's Eye Blush collection. I lightly inked the edges with Victorian Velvet, sewed the layers with my sewing machine, and added a border of my favorite Doily Lace edge punch. The Doily Lace paper has a beautiful light pink damask design. The roses and lilies are from Wild Orchid Crafts, which are all trimmed in Star Dust. (Honestly!) I used my favorite Cindy Loo flourish, which is decorated with a few roses. The Guipure lace is from Wild Orchid Crafts. (I only have enough remaining lace for ONE card. Panic attack.)

The sweet sentiment is from the Lili of the Valley~ Dreamy Days stamp set. I framed it with a Spellbinders Lacey Circles die and inked it with Victorian Velvet. I chose it not only to wish them a day full of happiness every time they look at it, but also because their cupcakes and sweet personalities give all of US happiness. :o) I hope everyone at the cupcake bakery loves this as much as they loved the Christmas card I made them, which they had on display behind their counter for quite some time. (I told you they were amazing!)

Challenges entered:
 * Belles 'n Whistles~ Spring is in the Air
 * CES~ Candy and Cupcakes
 * Cooking with Cricut~ Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend (lots of sparkle!)
 * Elphine House Australia~ It's a Girl Thing (Use pinks or purples)
 * Lollipop Crafts~ Anything Goes
 * Paper Playtime~ Anything Goes
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes

Thank you for dancing on by to visit me! I hope your day is bursting with hugs and cupcakes. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridge: Cindy Loo
 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Lacey Circles
 * Paper: Core'dinations, My Mind's Eye, Papertrey Ink
 * Sentiment stamp: Lili of the Valley~ Dreamy Days
 * Image stamp: Elisabeth Bell~ Cinnamon Sugar
 * Copics: E25, E29, E31, E50 (hair); E0000, E000, E00 (skin); R81, R83, R85 (dress, cupcake wrappers); BG000, BG11, BG13 (dress, picnic basket napkin); E31, E33, E35 (basket); E27, E29 (cupcakes); YR20, YR31 (frosting); YG17, YG23, G28 (grass)
 * Flowers and Guipure lace: Wild Orchid Crafts
 * Edge punch: Martha Stewart Doily Lace
 * Miscellaneous: Heart punch (stash); iRock; Stickles

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Monday, April 2, 2012

Wish

Happy Monday, my sparkly friends! I hope your week is off to a sunshiny start. :o)

After two weeks without making a card, I was thrilled to get back at it over the weekend. Thank you for your well wishes! I am feeling much better. :o)

"Wish"
A somewhat closer look at my new peach and yellow flowers. Don't let my photography fool you into thinking these and my papers are pink!
Limited due to an uncooperative spine, this didn't turn out exactly as I had envisioned but it still makes me smile. :o) Hopefully the recipient will, too. I used one of my favorite Elisabeth Bell stamps from her Belles and Whistles line, titled Wishes. Isn't she precious? I colored her with Copics, made her a pretty landscape, and added peach and yellow Flower Soft along the vine and the yellow flowers in front of the well. I love the textural element Flower Soft brings to cards. :o) I also added a little cluster of it in her hair.

This card's inspiration is sunshine. Although there's not a sun, I made a summery scene and used yellows in various ways to provide that element. The yellow sweetheart blossoms in the flower cluster make me think of little suns, while the yellow corner details symbolize the scene (and us) being engulfed in God's sunshiny love. The layers are trimmed in sunshine via their light yellow bases and I like to think of the yellow Flower Soft as little sunbursts. :o)

The pretty patterned paper is from the My Mind's Eye Howdy Doody collection and all layers are inked with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The banner, corners, and flowery border in the middle were made with the Art Philosophy cartridge. The banner, border, and Cindy Loo flourishes (nestled within the flower cluster) are all made with the same flowery paper. The "wish" is stamped with a Studio G alphabet set, are "adhered" with tiny rhinestones, and are tried up with lovely sky twine from My Craft Spot. The beautiful flowers are all from Wild Orchid Crafts, consisting of peach and white roses, a peach lily, and yellow and white sweetheart blossoms. All are trimmed in Star Dust because I simply cannot resist. It might be hard to see in the picture, but the two highest flowers are attached to a flourish.

I added two sizes of rhinestones to the flower centers in the border because wishes are sparkly. :o) The coins our little sweetheart is dropping into the well are covered in silver Stickles. I machine-stitched around the card to finish it off.

Challenges entered:
 * Divas by Design~ Stamp Something
 * Elphine House Australia~ Rain or Shine
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting me today! I wish you all a day of sunshine and blessings. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Art Philosophy, Cindy Loo
 * Papers: Core'dinations, My Mind's Eye, Papertrey Ink
 * Stamp: Elisabeth Bell~ Wishes
 * Sentiment: Studio G stamps
 * Coloring medium: Copics
 * Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
 * Twine: My Craft Spot
 * Miscellaneous: Flower Soft, iRock, Stickles

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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

I Feel the Love: Cards for our military

Happy Tuesday, my dear friends! :o)

As you know, a staple in my crafty routine is supporting the incredible I Feel the Love Project, hosted monthly by the sweet and talented Madison of Funky Cards. Each month she highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of a burst of love... in turn, we have the privilege of using our hobby to make someone's life better. This month we were asked to honor those who serve our wonderful country. Our cards are going to members of the U.S. Navy who will soon be shipping out overseas. Before they deploy for their next mission, we get to send them some love. :o)

My plan was to make five cards and a sweet gift box for them this weekend. I was excited! Unfortunately, early on in the process I sliced my finger. :( I was unable to meet my goal, but I did the best I could under the circumstances. I hope these three cards deliver shiploads of love.

(Individual photos below!)
My inspiration was clearly to find a way to clothe these brave heroes with so much love that beautiful smiles appear upon receipt. :o) It's the least we can do, aside from praying for them daily. I wish I could include a hug, but hopefully these will somehow incite the same feelings. :o)

Because of finger pain when I type, I cannot say as much as I'd love to. However, I simply MUST share with you that on all three cards I used a brand new cartridge! I am thrilled to finally own the Art Philosophy cart, a gift from my sweetie! **happy dance** I've longed for this since it first came out and it is as exquisite as it appears. The timing was perfect because I can't think of a better way to break in a new cart than by using it to serve others.

And now, a few technical highlights of each. :o)
I wanted to make a whimsically fun patriotic card first, so I naturally turned to Create a Critter. I gave the sweet puppy a Peachy Keen Critter face, a flag to hold with pride, and nestled him atop my first Art Philosophy cut: the heart doily! Oh how I love this cut! Expect to see it often, my friends. ;) I used my new gorgeous My Craft Spot crinkle ribbon in Scarlet Red, ordered with a gift certificate I won from my sweet friend Nita. (Thank you again!) The sentiment is from one of the coordinating Close to My Heart stamp sets that come with the cart, which I attached with Peppermint Stick Trendy Twine. The sentiment has a double-purpose, as it's sending them my love and also signifies the heartfelt love our military feels for this great nation. The two little stars are from the Whimsical Designs Whimsical Fun~ Volume 1 stamp set.
For this one, I was able to use more new blessings. The banner is from the Spellbinders Lacy Pennants set, which I won from Sentimental Sundays. I am going to get a TON of use out of this set! I 'strung' them with more trendy twine and 'adhered' them with sparkles. (Even the military likes to sparkle! I'm sure of this.) Everything on the card is inked with Tim Holtz Faded Jeans Distress Ink. The stars are from Art Philosophy, which I stamped in Versamark Dazzle with the corresponding Close to My Heart stamp and heat embossed it with deep blue pearly embossing powder. I used Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Four for the Hero. USA and Hero are cut from Storybook. The bases are embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder for texture and all the cuts are attached with foam tape for dimension. The star paper is from Creative Imaginations. Thankfully I had *just* enough left over from last July!
Lastly, I wanted to make a fun star-shaped card. The gorgeous star is from Art Philosophy (I LOVE the flourish with it!), which I stitched around with my sewing machine. For the interior part of the star I cut the Reminisce patterned paper so it would be slightly angled like the rhinestone-accented flourish. I nestled three heart buttons at the base to signify being rooted and built up in God's love. When we do that, we are sure to flourish. :o) I topped it with more Scarlet Red crinkle ribbon and attached an Art Philosophy tag beneath it. The sentiment is from the Whimsical Designs Whimsical Fun~ Volume 1 stamp set. Whichever Navy member opens it is certainly a super star. :o)

Patriotic cards are the hardest for me, but I hope my heart shows above any design detail anyway... that's always my goal, especially with Madison's project. Thank you for visiting me today! I hope your day sparkles with love and blessings. :o)

Challenge entered:
 * Creative Cutter Room~ Shape cards
 * DL Art Thankful Thursday~ Anything Goes
 * Frosted Designs~ Shape it Up x 3 (Geometric shape used three times: Hero card!)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Most are listed above.. I need to rest my finger, so I will add them here soon!

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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Bringing Out the Old: Whimsical Wednesday Challenge!

Happy Wednesday, my crafty friends! I hope your February is off to a fantastic start! :o)

This week's Whimsical Wednesday challenge is to incorporate something that you haven't used in a long time to create a scrapbook LO, card, or project. It can be anything crafty related, be it a tool, cartridge, paper, or embellishment. (Tell us what it is, too!) My pretty ribbon and lovely weathered-green base are my old items. :o)

I combined old and new goodies to create a card inspired by my parents' 49th wedding anniversary, celebrated last week. :o) I tried a new-to-me fancy fold card: the diamond fold! I opted for the inside-out variation which moves the diamond inside.

Before the card springs to life, our little sweetheart is planting love...
Faithfully cared for, the love blossoms into all things beautiful... "All because we fell in love"
Forty-nine years later, my parents still love each other so much. Thinking about love that endures the tough times (and even becomes stronger from them) made this card come to be. I used three coordinating sheets of romantic papers full of vintage-y charm for the main theme, with each individual section machine-sewn to its cream mat. Those new patterned papers are from the gorgeous Kaisercraft English Rose collection, while the entire design is built upon my old and neglected green paper. The base may not show well in the pictures, but it's weathered and has sporadically-placed script. It is from the DCWV French Country stack which I needed when I saw it, thinking I'd use it oodles since I had nothing like it... and then only used it once. The same can be said for the neglected sheer pink ribbon, which is so pretty. I don't know why I've kept them aside for so long. Combining old and new seemed ideal to honor a love that began in the 50s and still thrives with each new day. :o)

On the front, our sweet gardener is a precious Elisabeth Bell stamp: Planting Some Love. Isn't she adorable? I received her as a gift for my birthday and I love her to pieces. I was trying to wait for Spring, but I couldn't hold out any longer. Plus, she's perfect for a card about planting love. :o) I had to leave off part of the stamp due to spacial constraints, so I guess I'll have to color her again soon... woohoo! :o) I colored her up with Copics, used three shades of Flower Soft for the flowers on her hat, and couldn't resist sparklifying her patches and the hearts on her gloves. (Her gloves are yellow because she's also planting sunshine into the lives of all she meets. She's sappy like that.) I also carefully dabbed some Star Dust on the Flower Soft. I made her a background of sky and Create-a-Critter grass, sewed it, and then attached it to the pretty Fleur de Lis Spellbinders base. My new flowers are beautiful roses and hip rosebuds from Wild Orchid Crafts, accented with touches of Star Dust. I inked the white lace to make it more vintage-inspired, tucked a pearl-accented Cindy Loo flourish beneath it, and tied the card together with ribbon.

For the interior, pretty triangles surround the key to the entire story... the sweet Whimsical Designs stamp from the With Love set: All because we fell in love. The oodles of triangles, diamonds, and rectangles and their bases indeed took a while to cut and sew, but it was worth it. It makes it almost like patchwork, symbolizing woven memories in their love's tapestry. Despite every section having a pattern of some sort, most are journaling-friendly to jot down a special note or memory if desired. The Copic-colored pot of flowers is from the same Elisabeth Bell stamp, but I tucked it inside to signify love blossoming. :o)

The diamond-fold card tutorial I used can be found HERE.

The entire With Love set, which I simply cannot get enough of:
I hope you'll join us this week by linking up your creation to the Whimsical Wednesday challenge post, where you'll also find information on this week's prize. I'm excited to see what old items you incorporate. :o) Be sure to dance on over to the rest of the Whimsical Designers' blogs to see their marvelous projects!

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

Challenges entered:
 * Die Cuttin Divas~ Anything Goes
 * My Craft Spot~ Anything Goes
 * My Sheri Crafts~ New Things (Technique, papers, flowers)
 * Winter Wonderland~ Swirls and Pearls

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Cindy Loo, Create a Critter, Storybook (branches beneath Wild Orchid flowers)
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Swiss Dots (on branches)
 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Fleur de Lis Squares
 * Sentiment stamp: Whimsical Designs~ With Love
 * Image stamp: Belles and Whistles/Elisabeth Bell: Planting Some Love; Colored with Copics
 * Paper: Basic Grey, DCWV, Kaisercraft, Papertrey Ink
 * Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
 * Lace: American Crafts
 * Ribbon: stash
 * Miscellaneous: Flower Soft, Pearls (Recollections), Stickles

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Friday, January 20, 2012

I Feel the Love Sympathy Card

Happy Friday, my sweet friends! I hope your week has been crafty and happy. :o)

Today I have a very special card to share with you. As you well know, my favorite card to create each month is in support of Madison's incredible I Feel the Love project. Each month she selects an individual, group, or family in need of an extra dose of love and sunshine. We have the incredible privilege of making cards for the highlighted purpose... using our passion to bless someone in need. It's such a beautiful endeavor and I am so thankful to Madison for this cause.

This month's collection is to support a grieving family in Chile. Their beautiful little daughter, Olivia, passed away just before Christmas at only 4.5 months old. A twin, she weighed merely 2.2 lbs at birth. The spunky little baby battled through surgeries, including two open-heart surgeries. Her life expectancy was two weeks, but this sweetheart fought for over four months. It is heartbreaking to think what her loved ones left behind are enduring.

I decided to make this card a peaceful scene of nature's beauty, enhanced by beautiful Kaisercraft paper and Cindy Loo cuts. I made it a touch whimsical in hopes it will also make Olivia's young brother and sisters smile, too.

(Interior sentiment)
"May you find peace and comfort"... a Whimsical Designs~ Everyday Sentiments stamp.
This card was hard... how do you pack enough love into a tiny card for grieving people you'll never meet? The two purple butterflies on the front, which are the same patterned paper as the frame, are each carrying messages. Most likely they won't be realized, but hopefully they'll be felt. The one on the left has two tiny hearts down the center of the body, carrying the Lord's healing love. The other one has its beautiful pearl right in the center, bringing the divine light that is needed to arise from their current darkness. I covered a few of the flowers in droplets of Star Dust because I am hoping the shimmering accents will bring a matching twinkle to their eyes, if only for a moment.

I embossed the leaves for additional texture and centered the frame's flower with a sweet little button. Perhaps unseen in the main picture is that I added some Glossy Accents to the leaves and flower petals:
Those are dew drops, representing that this is a brand new day... a day to grow stronger, to receive more grace to heal, and to let Olivia inspire them to live a life of joy. The interior paper is polka-dotted to match the embossing and flower paper on the front, cut out with a Spellbinders Nestie that coordinated pretty well to the card shape. The merged trail of the sentiment-hugging butterflies forms a heart, in dire hope that the Cappelluti family feels an outpouring of love from this teeny tiny card.

And now that I'm teary again, I'll simply end this here so I can leave you all more love on your projects. There is still a little time remaining to contribute to I Feel the Love this month, so I hope you whip up a thinking of you or sympathy card. This beautiful family needs it.

Thank you for fluttering on by today, my dear friends. I am so thankful for you! Have a blessed weekend! :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridge: Cindy Loo
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Swiss Dots
 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Labels Four
 * Sentiment stamp: Whimsical Designs~ Everyday Sentiments
 * Paper: Kaisercraft, Papertrey Ink
 * Butterfly punches: Fiskars (small ones), Martha Stewart Small Monarch
 * Lace ribbon: American Crafts
 * Button: My Mind's Eye Tres Jolie
 * Miscellaneous: Glossy Accents; Pearls (Recollections); Stickles

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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Home for the Holidays: Whimsical Wednesday Challenge!

Happy Wednesday, my sweet friends! Thank you for your loving support over the weekend... my family and I appreciate it. You are all amazing. :o) Hugs!

This week's Whimsical Wednesday challenge is Home for the Holidays! Create any winter, Christmas, or New Years themed home decor item to play along with us this week. With the big celebration this weekend, there's still some time to make that perfect accent or centerpiece with your own crafty hands. :o) Or as is the case with mine, one with a couple of Christmassy elements, but meant to stay put beyond that glorious day.

Made for my sweet, amazing mom... snowy flowers that will never wither. :o) (And a cute stocking tag, too!)
"Warm Winter Wishes"
This turned out to be a favorite project of mine! I happened upon a paper flower arrangement during a google search a couple weeks ago and instantly fell in love. I needed to make my own version and decided on a wintry wonderland bouquet with a couple pops of gorgeous festive red. All of the paper is Core Couture, so it is indeed sparkling like winter's beauty.

I sketched out some ideas, flipped through my little Cricut cart booklets to select a few different flowers... and five million pop-dotted layers later, my snowy bouquet was complete:
The Christmas ornament (and tag) hanging by a pearly snowflake contains the beautiful Whimsical Designs sentiment, which is from the Snow Much Fun set. I embossed it in silver to match the icy silver flecks in the flowers and also embossed some snowflakes from an Inkadinkado Christmas set. I love that I always have the ideal sentiment on hand with these magnificent stamp sets! :o) They make me happy, just like these enormous flowers. Oh these flowers... I practically cleared out my stash of pop dots. They range in sizes for a more realistic appearance. The smallest is 11 layers and the largest is 19 layers, with each layer being 1/4-inch smaller than the previous. To complete the arrangement I added a few different leaves, a couple of my favorite Cindy Loo flourishes, and added some pearls that my mom adores. (And of course a smattering of snowflakes.) The flower stems are made with rolled up white paper. Straws would have been much easier, but mine are all striped or neon... which just didn't quite coordinate. ;)

One side of the Cindy Loo basket contains another ornament, given to me by my sweet friend Jayne. I'm unsure what cart it is from, but I absolutely love it and think it's perfect for this project.
I backed the opening with a swirled golden paper, then covered it in Star Dust to make it sparkle with the Lord's light. Both of the ornaments are topped with silver Stickles and hung in silver. (And a winter butterfly wanted to be a part of this gift.) I made the basket from Cindy Loo and filled it with river rocks to prevent a tumbling accident. I admit it was a bit time consuming assembling the flowers with so many layers, but it was well worth it. Plus, this project was completely enjoyable and fun. I'll be giving it to my mom on Christmas Eve, along with a massive hug.

Since this project isn't exactly wrapping-friendly, I made a coordinating tag. I used the same papers, plus some sparkly Snow-Tex, microbeads, and ribbon. Why so snowy? Because this stocking has been dancing in the snow! :o) (Although technically the rain and fog came, so they are photographed separately. So unfortunate!)
If you view it larger, you'll see the pretty microbeads on the two bottom white sections. I wanted the stocking 'snowy' in a few different forms, so I used the microbeads on the bottom (lightly pressed into Glossy Accents), embossed the top section with a snowflake folder, and added some Glistening Snow-Tex along the trim. My mom loves ribbon and buttons (don't we all?), so I finished it off with some Prairie Bird Boutique crinkle ribbon, a shiny button from a goodie box I won from my sweet friend Pam, and a Peppermint Stick Trendy Twine bow. :o)

I hope you'll join us this week by linking up your winter, Christmas, or New Years home decor project to the Whimsical Wednesday challenge post! I am excited to see your creations. :o) Our very own Whimsical Designer Nanne is this week's generous sponsor, donating a prize pack of marvelous Webster Pages scrapping supplies. Thank you, Nanne! :o)

Be sure to flutter on over to the rest of the Whimsical Designers' blogs to see their beautiful creations. Thank you for visiting me today! I hope everyone has a sparkly, joyous, whimsical Christmas. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Die Cuttin Divas~ Holiday Decor
 * Fantabulous Cricut~ Trimming with a Tag
 * My Craft Spot~ Tag... You're It!
 * My Sheri Crafts~ Let it Snow

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Cindy Loo, Create a Critter, Florals Embellished, Wall Decor and More
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Snowy one from Winter Wonderland set
 * Stamps: Sentiment~ Whimsical Designs~ Snow Much Fun; Snowflakes~ Inkadinkado
 * Paper: Core'dinations, K and Company
 * Ribbon: Prairie Bird Boutique
 * Twine: Trendy Twine (Peppermint Stick, purchased at My Craft Spot)
 * Microbeads: Recollections
 * Punches: Butterfly~ Martha Stewart Small Monarch; Snowflake~ Marvy
 * Miscellaneous: Glossy Accents, Pearls (Recollections), Snow-Tex, Stickles

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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge: Layer It!

Happy Wednesday, sweet friends! :o)

Today kicks off a sparkly stream of whimsical fun! This week's Whimsical Wednesday challenge is to use layers on a winter or Christmas-themed project. Aren't layers such fun? Whether only a couple or overflowing with them, they are always marvelous. For my project, I made an easel card to carry a message of peace in a backdrop of winter's simple beauty. :o)

Each part consists of three base layers: A sparkling Elegant Edges scallop, a Spellbinders Picot Edge Circle, and an embossed circle (to look like gently falling snowflakes). It had been far too long since I've played with ribbon, so I layered the top with a big flower made from burgundy velvet ribbon. I centered it with a Tim Holtz fanciful button. Partially for fanciness and partially for the snowball-look, I went nutty with my pearls! I added one to every scallop and made a little flourish for the flower. You can never go wrong with them, right? :o) 

The bottom holds a gorgeous swirl-embossed dove and olive branch, which is a Cuttlebug combo die that cuts and embosses that I won from my sweet friend Pam. The swirls are sparklified and I used an itty bitty pearl for the eye, which you can only see if you enlarge the photograph. I added a layer of tiny pearls to coordinate with the theme and to make the branch look snowy... heavenly peace can be reached in the midst of a storm, after all. :o) I cut out the Peace from Cindy Loo, which I think is my first time ever cutting out a word! I slightly rounded it and sponged it with the same ink as the picot circles, but with a lighter hand. (And let me just say that this ink was NOT the color I anticipated. I thought it was a super deep burgundy.. not an almost pinky burgundy. That made me feel matte, as opposed to sparkly.)

Here is the tutorial I followed for the flower... once I stopped staring at her gorgeous ribbon supply! :o)

I hope you'll play along with us by linking up your Christmas or winter layered project to the Whimsical Wednesday challenge post! I would love to see your creations. Our fabulous sponsor this week is our very own Nanne, who is generously donating a prize pack filled with gorgeous Webster Pages scrapping supplies. Thank you, Nanne! :o)

A few reminders:
 * The Add Texture challenge is still open, where one random winner of the challenge will win all four of Stephanie's stamps sets from her release! Amazing prize. :o) It closes at noon on Friday.
 * The Whimsical Designs Stamp Release Sneak Peek days are tomorrow and Friday at 7am. So much excitement!
 * The Stamp Release Blog Hop is FRIDAY at 7pm! Isn't this badge adorable?
I love these stamps, my friends. They are a pleasure to create with and I am ecstatic to share my projects with you beginning tomorrow. I am certain you will love Stephanie's stamps, too. :o)

Be sure to flutter on over to the rest of the Design Team's blogs to see their fabulous creations! Thank you for visiting me today! You make me happy. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Cindy Loo, Elegant Edges
 * Cuttlebug embossing folders: Dove duo, Swiss Dots
 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Picot Edge Circles
 * Paper: Core'dinations, DCWV
 * Ribbon: Celebrate It (from Michael's)
 * Button: Tim Holtz Fanciful Buttons
 * Pearls: Recollections
 * Miscellaneous: Stickles

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge: Autumn and Halloween Have Crept Into Our Homes!

Hello, my sweet friends! I hope your day is off to a wonderful start. :o)

It's another Whimsical Wednesday! The challenge this week is all about seasonal home decor, whether celebrating Autumn or Halloween. I'd love to see your projects, so I hope you'll join us! :o)

I chose to write a passage and create a wall hanging showcasing it. With the proper backing added, it can also be set upon an armoire or table, whichever the recipient desires. :o) (No need to squint... I'll type the text below the images!) If you understandably skip through my jibber-jabber, don't miss the end of this post because there's a second project! :o)
Text:
Immersed in splendor,
the heart dances.
The beauty of Autumn entices;
its radiance a tangible sunset.
Golden and scarlet, rich and pure.
A spectrum of color so majestic
it could only be painted with God's love.

I wrote the itty bitty passage after enjoying and reflecting upon beautiful fall foliage near my home. Something so exquisite can only come from a divine touch, which I tried to capture in the writing. With that as my base, I wanted to keep the surrounding design simple, yet beautiful... I wanted to enhance the showcased writing as opposed to detracting from it. (You guys know I can go a little nutty with adding stuff to my creations!) The background script in the paper makes me think of Autumn memories being written on your heart as they occur. This simple design had room for a few special elements, though.

First is the passage itself. I used my new Wall Decor and More cartridge, which I am in love with. When I saw the scrolly 'love' penned so gorgeously, I knew that would be my ending. It's such a simple touch, but I love the impact of that fabulous word standing out. :o) I still felt it needed something to really embrace Autumn and the Lord's work, so I cut out the swirly tree from the same cart to use as a mask. After carefully adhering it atop the passage using ridiculously teeny tiny pieces of double-sided tape, I went crazy with Tiger Lily Glimmer Mist. Oh the relief upon removing it without tearing the writing! :o) Pure at its core, then bursting with seasonal regal tones. It's super shimmery, too.

Secondly, I made the flowers I've been longing to try! My lovely and talented friend Sherrie at Sherrie Scraps with Passion created a tutorial last month, teaching us how to make gorgeous flowers out of coffee filters and Glimmer Mist. (Thank you, Sherrie!) They are fun, easy, and beautiful. I somehow managed to get pictures that eliminated nearly all of the pretty sparkle... rest assured, these could not possibly get any sparklier. Glimmer Mist is amazing and I am SO excited to finally have some. The colors I used for my flowers are Candy Apple Red and Tiger Lily. Sherrie's pictures accurately portray these beauties, unlike yours truly's. (I think I need to take a day to practice photographing projects. Seriously.)
Tutorial: Coffee Filter Flowers

As far as the rest of the design, I wanted the focus to remain on nature's beauty. I trimmed the polka-dot leaves in gold, reflecting the sparkling warmth of nature. I partially (but securely) adhered them, leaving them nearly pop-dotted for a dimensional element. The flourish represents an Autumn breeze, beginning from behind and swirling up and over the top.. carrying and guiding the butterfly. Now closer to the message, the larger butterfly has developed its intricate beauty, sparkling from within with the light of the Lord. :o) The flourish is also sprayed with Tiger Lily Glimmer Mist. (I couldn't put it down!) Lastly, I added some pretty crinkle ribbon in earthy brown from Prairie Bird Boutique. I hope this fun little project makes your heart all warm and fuzzy, like it does mine. I think I need to make one for myself! :o)

I'm super excited because we are also showcasing Mr. Cricut Crazy stamps, created by the amazing Tanner! He is one sweet and talented crafter and I am so honored to be using one of his stamps. He is a delight! I made a bookmark for my mom, using my Copics to color a fabulous digi stamp created by my friend and Design Team sister Cindy of Cindy's Little Creations.

I'm happy to say my mom loves it! I welded two borders from Elegant Edges for the bookmark and used paper that is naturally vintagey/distressed to replicate the look of a worn out, well-read book. As an added bonus, it even has areas of faint writing and sparkly elements. :o) I lined up the heart with the bookmark so the paper seamlessly flows, despite the multiple parts. She loves animals, so combining puppy elements from Tanner and Cindy was ideal! I stamped (and sparklified) paw prints because they're always traipsing across her books (and newspapers) as she's trying to read. See how the sentiment is in between two of them? It's like when you're in the middle of something, then all of a sudden you simply *need* to tell your sweetheart, parent, friend, etc. that you love them... and then you carry on with your activity. :o) The focal element is that sweet puppy Cindy designed, nestling in the ruffled heart, practically bursting out of it just like furry friends make our hearts overflow with joy. :o) She was fun to color. I added two specks of Stardust to her eyes to make them twinkly and used Cotton Candy Stickles for her sweet bow. Even though it'll be smooshed, I couldn't resist adding some crinkle ribbon. At least it's supposed to be crinkled, right?

I hope you'll play along with us this week and link up your wonderful creations to the Whimsical Wednesday Weekly Challenge post! Our two fabulous sponsors this week have provided prizes for two lucky winners who participate:

1. Prairie Bird Boutique~ One random winner will receive their choice of one beautiful bundle of shabby crinkle ribbon. Thank you, Patsy!
2. Mr. Cricut Crazy~ One random winner will receive their choice of one stamp set. Thank you, Tanner!

Be sure to flutter on over to the rest of the Design Team's blogs to see their marvelous projects. :o) I'm so happy you stopped by today. :o) Love and blessings to all!

Key Recipe Components (home decor item):
 * Cricut Cartridges: Cindy Loo, Elegant Edges, Gypsy Wanderings, Wall Decor and More
 * Sentiment: Written by me
 * Paper: Bo Bunny, Papertrey Ink
 * Ribbon: Prairie Bird Boutique
 * Small Butterfly: Martha Stewart Small Monarch punch
 * Miscellaneous: Glimmer Mist, iRock, Stickles

Key Recipe Components (bookmark):
 * Cricut Cartridge: Elegant Edges, Gypsy Wanderings
 * Paper: DCWV
 * Stamps: Puppy~ Sweet Heart Puppy from Cindy's Little Creations; Sentiment~ Mr. Cricut Crazy; Paw prints: My Pink Stamper (Even More Punny-licious)
 * Copics: E25, E31, E50 (fur); R10, RV20 (ears, bow)
 * Ribbon: Prairie Bird Boutique
 * Miscellaneous: Stickles

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes!

Happy Whimsical Wednesday, my dear friends! :o)

The Whimsical Wednesday challenge this week is "Anything Goes!" Whatever is on your heart (or To Craft list) is appropriate! How fun is that? So get crafting and link up with us so we can see your fantastic creations. :o)

I am extra excited about a certain aspect of this card. I am truly honored to have used a digi image created by one of my fellow design team members: Cindy of Cindy's Little Creations. She is so talented on countless levels, including digi stamp design. (She is also one of TWO sponsors this week donating prizes!) With her fabulous image as my inspiration, I came up with this card:

"Witch way to the candy?"

Isn't the star of this card unbelievably sweet? I love her little face and adorable expression. She wanted to sparkle for this festive occasion, so I covered the coat's interior, collar, and hat stripe in purple Stickles. I was disappointed that I didn't have buttons small enough to use on her coat, but thankfully I had teeny tiny rhinestones. I'm a huge fan of rhinestone buttons, so it worked out. ;) Her broom has a purple rhinestone to coordinate with her attire, as well as a broomstick coated in Stardust. Since I used a moon on this card, I tried my hand at a new light-source direction for my Copic coloring... it hurt my brain, but I mostly prevailed.

Now for the rest of the scene! I wanted to incorporate a couple of fun elements into this card to celebrate our dear Cindy's amazingness. First is the cauldron... I wanted to amp up the poignancy of the bubbling contents, so I coiled sheer green ribbon upward to enhance the sparkling brew's potency. The brew and its bubbles are layered with iridescent green glitter glue and Glossy Accents.

My other favorite element is the swing. I wanted to make it as realistic as possible, so I used twine and a toothpick. I adhered a cat silhouette to the swing and positioned it over the moon, which I thought would be perfectly scene-setting. :o)

Sidenote: The Trendy Twine, which I just received on Saturday from My Craft Spot, is exquisite. Five bundles in the new collection have THREE colors twisted together: white and two coordinating shades. I should have taken a close-up picture of the swing, but I was rushing during a rare burst of sunshine. This one has a bright blue and a lighter blue with the white. I cannot wait to use all the shades in a more dominant fashion. :o)

I think our little witch here is stashing some candy... see the piece of candy corn her sweet little self is trying to hide? She left a revealing trail on the return jaunt to her cauldron. Maybe she made it so poignant to distract us from her candy corn addiction. (Why is that stuff so good?!) I embossed the tree for texture, inked the moon's edges a brick-crimson shade, and cut some grass for dimension. Most of this card is pop-dotted above the moon and 'starry' backdrop. The gorgeous ribbon layered beneath the grass is crinkle ribbon from the Prairie Bird Boutique. The colors are as beautiful as the sweet owner's heart, who is our second sponsor this week. This is my first time using crinkle ribbon and it is lovely and versatile. Next time I'll keep it more crinkly. :o)

I hope you'll play along with us this week by linking up your projects at the Whimsical Wednesday Weekly Challenge post! I'm looking forward to seeing your creations. :o) Our two marvelous sponsors have provided prizes for a few lucky winners who play along with us this week:

1. Prairie Bird Boutique is generously donating a beautiful bundle of crinkle ribbon, chosen by the random winner. Thank you!
2. Cindy from Cindy's Little Creations is generously donating three of her digital stamps to one random winner. Thank you, Cindy!

Be sure to frolic on over to the rest of the Design Team's blogs to see their incredible projects. :o) I'm so happy you stopped by today... each visit makes my blog sparkle even brighter. :o) Have a blessed day, my friends!

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Cindy Loo (tree and cat)
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Swiss Dots
 * Spellbinders Nestabilities: Labels Four
 * Paper: Core'dinations, DCWV, Papertrey Ink
 * Stamp: Digi image designed by Cindy at Cindy's Little Creations
 * Copics: E00, E000, E0000, RV10 (skin); E25, E31, E50 (hair); V12, V15, V17, YG11, YG13, YR01, YR12, YR18 (clothing); YR31, E31 (broom); YG11 (brew)
 * Sentiment: Computer generated
 * Ribbon: Crinkle ribbon from Prairie Bird Boutique; Sheer Dots from Hobby Lobby
 * Twine: Trendy Twine from My Craft Spot
 * Miscellaneous: Glitter glue, Glossy Accents, iRock, Stickles

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge: Just Because

Happy Whimsical Wednesday, sweet friends! :o)

The Whimsical Wednesday challenge this week is "Just Because." The requirements are to create a card or project to let someone know that you are thinking of them and that they're special. Blessing someone with a handmade creation "just because" as opposed to a specific occasion/celebration is one of my favorite things, so I was pretty excited about this challenge. :o)

The design team had the wonderful opportunity to select an image of our choice provided by this week's sponsor, Bugaboo Stamps. She and her store are positively delightful! The options seemed endless, but my heart gravitated to sweet little Ava, the Mistletoe Fairy:

"With Love"... (my first shaker card!)


At first glance this might seem like a Christmas or New Year's card, but it is a regular "thinking of you" card. I used the mistletoe fairy to incorporate a recognizable romantic spin for a sweetheart across the miles. The idea is to use her year-round with changing seasonal backdrops as a loving reminder that your honey is close in heart. In this case, she's fluttering along with snowflakes. Ava provides the lovey-dovey aspect all on her own with her glittery mistletoe. :o) I colored her with pinks and frosty blue since it's not for the holidays... she's somewhat undercover. ;)

Now for the story on this wintery love note. Not seen well unless you make it bigger is how super sparkly it is.... everywhere. That is Ava's doing. One touch of her ultra-glittery mistletoe has sparklified the card, beginning with the two sets of rhinestones on the heart frame of my shaker. Once her pure love is felt, the entire heart is filled with glittery joy. The small beads (used here as snow) are iridescent, so they are actually several hues despite looking clear in the pictures. I added a few glitter shapes, which are brightly glowing in love. They're circular like bubbles to reflect love bubbling up within our hearts. There are three because God is always with us. :o) So now the beautiful love grows and reaches out to others, evidenced by the sparklified flourishes whimsically bursting forth from the heart-shaped shaker.

I loved the pink and blue elements together, so I made the shimmery snowflakes two layers. I separated the pink and blue-edged flakes with a pop-dot, making them dimensional and letting both colors show up a little better. The white cardstock is pearlescent, making the snowflake-embossed center glisten like winter. I welded together two scallop borders on my Gypsy (flipping one of them) and coated the scallops in Stardust to resemble little mountains of fluffy snow. Lastly, I sprayed the card with Shimmer Spritz to seal the sparkling winter scene.

I had such a great time making this shaker card! It's a great interactive element, plus it amps up the fun and beauty. There are so many ways to fill it. I opted for beads instead of simply glitter so it would make a nice amount of noise when shaken. There are several wonderful tutorials available, including this one that I followed:

I hope you'll play along with us this week by linking up your projects at the Whimsical Wednesday Weekly Challenge post! I'm excited to see what you create. :o) Our sponsor for this challenge is Bugaboo Stamps, who is generously donating seven digital stamps to one random winner who enters our challenge. Thank you very much, Bugaboo! :o) To learn more about this wonderful company, please visit their Catch The Bug Challenge Blog. :o)

I'm thrilled that we have two guest designers from the Bugaboo Design Team joining us this week. Be sure to check them out on the Whimsical Wednesday blog. :o) Then flutter on over to the rest of the Design Team's blogs to see their fabulous projects. :o) Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a spectacular (and sparkly) day!

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Cindy Loo, Elegant Edges, Gypsy Wanderings
 * Cuttlebug embossing folder: Winter Wonderland
 * Paper: Core'dinations, K & Company Peppermint Twist, Papertrey Ink
 * Sentiment Stamp: Hampton Art
 * Copics: E000, E00 (skin); E25, E31 (hair); RV10, RV13, RV14 (dress, holly berries); BG11 (mistletoe)
 * Miscellaneous: Dew Drop Brilliance ink, Glossy Accents (on berries), iRock, Marvy snowflake stamp, Recollections Glitter Shapes, Shimmer Spritz, Stickles, TOHO treasure beads 

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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

You're My Sweet Pumpkin

Happy Tuesday, my sweet crafty friends! I hope those in the US had a wonderful long weekend. :o)

With a couple of challenges in mind, I made my very first Autumn/Halloweeny card! The colors of the season are stunning so I was excited to create with them. I decided upon a theme that could work for either a child or a sweetheart. :o)

You're My Sweet Pumpkin:

Isn't she sweet? I wanted to depict a swirling Autumn scene, so I ran my makeshift "sunset" paper through the Cuttlebug and adhered a few leaves to the swirls. (My willy nilly bow kind of fits that theme! Hehe.) A few details not quite picked up by the camera: Her shoes and lollipop are sparkly, the sentiment-holding pumpkin is filled with Glossy Accents to make it like an epoxy brad, and I used my Spica glitter Copic to add sparkly accents to the leaves and pumpkins. The big pumpkin and sweet girl are pop-dotted for dimension. I used my SEI Alpine Frost paper on the bottom to make it look like she's walking along a pine cone-studded path. :o) I love this paper! (And it has tiny splashes of sparkles throughout it.) I finished the card off by drawing a couple Peachy Keen faces to give some character to the pumpkins nestled beneath the tree. (Maybe they're on a date.)

I will admit to one frustration with this card. My second Copics attempt on a sweet stamp did not go as smoothly as the first. I was hoping for improvement! I will certainly make time to practice this week. I think perhaps my limited colors played a bit of a role.. I was trying to blend colors that are pretty far apart in the spectrum. Technique was still a factor, of course. But I still love our Pumpkin Marci. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Bitten by the Bug 2~ Use a tree (My first time playing here! I visited it over the weekend and am super excited.)
 * More Than Favors Wacky Wednesday~ Halloween

Thank you for stopping by today! I wish you a sparkling week of love and beauty. :o)

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Create a Critter, Cindy Loo, Simply Charmed
 * Cuttlebug embossing folders: D'vine Swirls, Swiss Dots
 * Stamp: La-La Land Crafts Pumpkin Marci
 * Copics: E00, E000, R13 (skin); E25, E25, E31 (hair); YG13, YG17, YR12, YR18, YR31 (costume); V12, V17 (shoes and lollipop); Spica (in clear) for twinkling accents
 * Sentiment: Computer generated
 * Paper: Basic Grey, DCWV, Papertrey Ink, SEI
 * Ribbon: Hobby Lobby
 * Miscellaneous: Brenda Walton rhinestones, Glossy Accents, Stickles

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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tree of (Peachy) Blessings Birthday Card

Happy Tuesday, my sweet crafty friends! I hope you're having a bubbly week so far! :o)

I'm so excited I finished this card today to share with you. If I miss two consecutive weeks of playing at Cooking With Cricut, I get a little crabby. ;) It was close, but I made it! The challenge this week is peach, so I whipped up a peachy birthday card for a friend of my boyfriend. She's super sweet and is in the midst of a rough patch, so I made her a birthday card with encouragement mixed in. This isn't just a peach tree.. it's a tree of blessings. :o)

"Birthday blessings..."
"... for someone who makes life peachy!"

Upon doing some peachy research since I don't have any cartridge with one, I immediately gravitated to the Preserves cart that has them look so much like hearts. :o) I drew some in a couple different sizes on sparkly cardstock because I can't ever pass up an opportunity to make sugared fruit! :o) This tree has a few peach blossoms inscribed with Faith, Hope, and Love, reminding her of the rich blessings in her life that will sustain her. Not only that, but they also serve to tell her how she is a blessing to us. She has been a representation of those divine promises, too.

For her special day, I bejeweled a birthday tiara with rhinestones and glitter. A dab of Stardust gives the sweet deer a twinkle in her eye, which is a tiny detail that I'm just crazy about for some reason... plus it goes well with her sparkly face. I sparklified her little spots and the tips of the blades of grass to make it a little more festive. I used a super pretty butterfly paper for the gift, but once I wrapped it in twine it covered most of them up. Oops. ;) I embossed the deer and tree for some texture, then ran a brown ink pad over the trunk to enhance the dots. The tiara, gift, tree, and front blades of grass are pop-dotted for dimension. The background SEI butterfly paper is one of my favorites and I hope she likes it, too. :o)

I had a blast making this with my Gypsy. I was able to use two features that had me yearning for this since I discovered it: hide contour and shape cards. This is such a blessing. Thank you for stopping by today and I wish you a gorgeous evening. :o)

Challenge entered:
 * Cooking With Cricut~ Peach

Key Recipe Components:
 * Cricut cartridges: Cindy Loo, Create a Critter, Elegant Edges, Gypsy Wanderings
 * Cuttlebug embossing folders: Polka Dots, Swiss Dots
 * Paper: Core'dinations, Papertrey Ink, SEI
 * Ribbon: Essentials
 * Button: My Mind's Eye Tres Joli
 * Twine: Sew Easy (limeade)
 * Corner Punch: Fiskars Punch Plus Emboss
 * Sentiment: Computer generated
 * Flowers: Prima
 * Miscellaneous: Brenda Walton rhinestones, Dew Drop Brilliance, iRock, Stickles

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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Owl Bookmark and Sweet Saturday!

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! I hope your weekend is sunshiny and sparkly. :o)

I hesitated to share this bookmark with you today, only because I am disappointed with it. I don't say that often, as you know. The only part of this that came out as intended is the happy owl himself. I love him! My vision was to have him nestled amongst flower blossoms within a tree, as if he was snuggled up with the book the recipient will be reading. Instead, I fear it looks like I made him part peacock. Teehee! It was one of those projects that just didn't go as planned in most facets. But it's all I've had time to complete because I'm working on my Copic 'skills'... so that's taking up my limited crafting time. I'm determined to use them on a project this weekend, so we'll soon see if I've made any technical progress. ;)

One more thing before I share my bookmark and tasty treat! I got a gift from my super sweet boyfriend today. Guess what it is? A GYPSY!!!!! I cannot believe I have one! I wanted to faint. SO excited to learn how to use it! Oh the joy of not hand-cutting shaped cards any longer, plus a million other things! :o)

Here he is! Isn't he so cute? Even with peacock feathers, if that's what my mom thinks they are. ;)

One way to shake off a less-than-successful creativity session is to bake! My mom is absolutely crazy about snickerdoodle cookies, but I found something even better... Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake! Oh yes, it exists. It is truly fabulous and my mom fell in love with it.

The dark skies didn't help me here, but the gorgeous topping sparkles like a bottle of glitter. :o)

This legitimately tastes like a massive snickerdoodle cookie. While I love the cookies, I don't make them because the authentic recipes use shortening and I just *cannot* get myself to use it. So when I stumbled upon this recipe, the joy was palpable! The entire crust (even the bottom) is coated in a sparkling cinnamon-sugar mixture, giving it a lovely crunch. (And it is SO sparkly.) The cake is perfectly moist, with a cinnamon-sugar band that is both lovely and delicious. This comes together so simply (and my-oh-my, is the batter ever tasty) and I will certainly be making this again soon. My entire family loved it, from pre-teen to 70! :o)

Note: The recipe as stated uses a 9-inch Bundt pan, but I only have the large 12-cup, 10-inch capacity pan. I took it out a few minutes earlier than the minimum bake time, and it was perfect. Now go make this cake! (Recipe just a smidgen below!)

Before I flutter off, I want to show you something... take a peek at this adorable badge:

That's right! The wonderful Whimsical Wednesday Design Team is having a Halloween Blog Hop! It's never too early to be excited about something, right? I'm anxious to see what everyone comes up with for the fun event. :o)

Have a beautiful day, my sweet friends! Thank you for taking a moment to visit :o)

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup white sugar

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix together really well and preheat oven to 325º F. Generously spray a 9-inch Bundt pan with Pam with Flour, being careful to cover all nooks and crannies, as well as the center tube. (Alternatively, grease the pan with shortening.) Gently dust the entire inside of the pan with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. You should only need about ¼ to ½ cup of the mixture, but be sure to evenly coat the inside surface of the pan, including the tube. Save the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture and set everything aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat just the butter on medium speed for one full minute. Add the white sugar and mix for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and blade, then add the brown sugar.

Mix for 2 minutes until the mixture is light brown and uniform in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each for one full minute. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream; beat well.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle ¼ to ⅓ of a cup of the cinnamon- sugar mixture over the top. Spread the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle any remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top. (If you run out of the mixture, simply mix together ¼ cup of sugar + ½ teaspoon of cinnamon for the top of the cake.)

Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.



Key Recipe Components (for bookmark):
 * Cricut cartridge: Cindy Loo
 * Paper: Core'dinations, Papertrey Ink, stash
 * Ribbon: Essentials
 * Miscellaneous: Heart punch, K and Company die-cut flower (I traced one onto the main paper to double it up)

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