Ciao!

There is quite a story to my card today. It started with our Time Out Challenges #293: Your Favorite Song. I didn't know where to begin because I enjoy all kinds of music and have many "favorite" songs. But, I just got this die set in the mail and I was dying to make one of several cards I've had in mind.

First, I looked through the songs on my phone. Then I thought to go to iTunes, but then I thought I would look up Italian songs on the internet (because of "Ciao" in the die set) that have been popular in the United States over time. The song Volare popped up and I knew I had my song. My mother used to sing it in the house when I was a little girl. I picked up the many songs she sang and they remain among my fondest memories of her. Here is a link to it (sung in Italian with English written translation afterwards) and to one of my favorite versions of it by The Gipsy Kings, which is partly in Italian but mostly in Spanish, my second language. (You may have heard Dean Martin's version too!)

Our wonderful sponsor, Lawn Fawn, is generously offering a $25 prize to their store for our Challenge Winner, who will also get an invitation to join us as Guest Designer for a future challenge.

Products I used:

Spellbinders - Ciao Spaghetti dies, Notched Corner Frames Etched Dies (bowl), Rose Gold Pearl Metallic card stock (face)

Your Paper Insider - Holographic card stock (stars)

Ranger - Distress ink (cheeks)

Stampin' Up! - Stars border punch

I chose a blue background and sparkly stars because of these lyrics: (written by Domenico Modugno and Franco Migliacci)

But I keep dreaming of your beautiful eyes
Which are blue like a star-studded sky

I made her cheeks rosy by ink blending them with pink ink to match her lips. Then I die cut a lot of extra pieces of spaghetti and cut them down further into pieces to put in the bowl. The bowl is a notched corner frame cut off at the end that I saw on a card using this Ciao set. I think I'll give this to an Italian neighbor friend of mine who likes my handmade cards.

We sure hope you will have time to play along using your favorite song as your inspiration! Can't wait to see all the songs in our gallery!

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Carol