Christmas is Coming! - Magnolia-licious Highlites November challenge

Hello.  Happy November!  The month snuck up on you, didn't it?  LOL...on me too!

Anyway, it's the first of the month, so it's time for a new challenge at the Magnolia-licious Highlites Challenge Blog.  And woo-hoo...I am the hostess this month.  My chosen challenge theme is to have 'something hidden' in your card or project.  It can be a hidden message, tag, gift card or you can make a pop-up card, a peek-a-boo card, etc.

So this is what I have made--an advent-calendar card.  Yes, another one, but different than the last.

It is actually a front-panel side-step card.  For the countdown of the days before Christmas, I have added the December dates to the side panel.  They are attached by a piece of Zutter Bind-It-All binding wire.  The dates are my 'something hidden'.

I actually saw, quite a while back, some kind of an advent calendar that someone made using the binding wire.  Sorry, but I didn't make a note of whose blog I saw it in.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't a side-step card though, but the idea must have lodged in my mind.  I had to hand-punched these holes for the binding wire to pass through, because I just couldn't fit into my Zutter machine so that it will punch the holes where I want them.  The machine will only punch the holes at the very top edge of the card.

Here are a couple side views...

 

 

I like this style of advent-calendar card.  I think I'm going to make a few more and send them out early--by the end of the month!.  But I'd better find an easier way to create those holes for the binding wire to pass through...LOL.
**Edited--template for this card HERE if you're interested. 

I hope you can play along with us in our challenge at the Magnolia-licious Highlites. For more inspirations, have a look a the fabulous cards and projects that my DT teammates have created, HERE, and also to get more details on the challenge and how to join us.

I love this Tilda image!  Sooo... cute!  She is called Tilda With Long Hair and she is from Magnolia's newest A Christmas Story Collection 2012.   

 

The stamps for this Tilda and the other adorable images from this collection are available from Diana's on-line store, Magnolia-licious--click HERE.  Other full-size and mini stamps from older collections are available as well.  If you don't see the stamp you want, contact Diana and ask her if she can bring it in for you. 
Take a look also at the selection of wonderful cutting dies from Memory Box, PoppyStamps, Magnolia, Marianne Design and Cheery Lynn Designs. Diana gives excellent service, discounted prices and you will earn in-store credit with every order to be used on future purchases.  Sweet!

Challenges for this card:
Basic Grey Challenge #80 - Anything Goes (BG DP Wassail Cranberry Sauce)
Tilda's Town Challenge #24 - Merry Christmas
Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge #20 - Anything Goes
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge #74 - Anything Goes
Card Makin' Mamas Anything Goes
Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia Challenge #55 - Girls Only
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #187 - Not an Ordinary Card
Simon Says Stamp! Challenge - Get in shape!
Divas By Design Challenge #59 - Feeling Festive?
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round November Challenge - Shaped or Fancy Folds

Thanks for dropping by.  I very much appreciate your visit and your comment.  Enjoy your day!

(A reminder to most locations in Canada and USA, daily savings time ends this Sunday, Nov. 4/12.  We fall back 1 hour--that means woo-hoo...an extra hour of sleep!!!)


Materials and Tools Used:
DP's:  Recollections Believe paper pad ; Basic Grey Wassail cranberry sauce; Creative Imaginations (xmas stripes)
Dies:  Spellbinders Labels Eighteen; Cheery Lynn Designs Holly Flourish and Pine Branches; Tim Holtz Festive Greenery
Miscellaneous:  Tim Holtz distress ink stamp pad Walnut Stain; Zutter Bind-It-All binding wire; pearls from my stash, Making Memories hand punch tools  
Medium:  alcohol-ink based markers--Letraset Promarkers, Letraset Pantone Trias (-T), Shin-Han Touch markers
- face and skin--blush, coral, soft peach, vanilla, oatmeal, pastel pink
- hair and boots--shale, Touch 99, Touch 102, cinnamon, tan 
- cap and tights--Touch 42, olive green, marsh green, 617-T
- sweater--terra cotta, spice, honeycomb, apricot
- bell & ribbons--raw sienna, mustard, pastel yellow, buttercup
- christmas cracker--Touch 1, burgundy, 702-T, 701-T, 692-T
- warm grey 5-T, cool greys 1 to 4-T