Christmas in February

Hello and Happy February 25th.
Yes, it's time for my February Christmas card for the Christmas All Year Long Blog Hop--thanks to Julie for organizing it. Our group is part of the Magnolia-licious Yahoo Group--thanks to Deb, the owner. A group within a group, dedicated to producing Christmas cards on every 25th of each month to ease the mad rush to get everything done around Christmas time...LOL.

A list of the participants and the start of the blog hop can be found at the Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long Blog. If you're taking part in the blog hop and have come here from Nadyne's blog, then you're in the right place. The next blog to visit after me is Peggie's.

So this is my February Christmas card.

I didn’t know what I was thinking when I started this. I just chose a Tilda image that I wanted to colour and started colouring her in whatever colours I felt like it at the time. This is not the way to do it—at least not for me!!! I had the hardest time determining the colour scheme for the rest of the card and the DP’s to match. Much, much, much easier to pick out your papers first and then pick out your colours from them. But I knew that, you know…. like I said, I didn’t know what I was thinking!!! LOL. And that’s why I ended up with this non-traditional Christmas colours.

For the card, I used this Skecth # 103 from Inspirational Card Sketches, designed by Stacy. An added/optional challenge is to make it an easel card...woo hoo my fave!

Other challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday - Bling it on challenge

Creative Inspirations - Challenge 100 - Stripes!
Paper Play Challenges - Week 8 - Let's Get Sentimental

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Week 31 - Embossing and/or Paper Piecing

This is Tilda in Winter Light from Magnolia's A Merry Little Christmas Collection 2010. She is available from Diana's online store Magnolia-licious.

I have lots of glitter on this card: all the snowflakes, TIlda's white fur trimming, lantern and to outline the label die cuts. LOL...I have lots of glitter all over my craft room table and floor too.

I can only found one DP in my stash that would work for this card, the striped one. The other one, I took a plain coloured paper and just stamped some flourishes/swirls on it. For the embossed one, I took one of those card stock sheet that is surfaced-coloured only, You know, it’s coloured on the front and back, but the middle is still white. I embossed it using a snowflake embossing folder. Then by rubbing a piece of sand paper all over, took some of the colour off so that bits of the white shows through.


Here's a view of the entire easel card.

Other than the recipe for this card, not much more to say. Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by. I appreciate your visit very much. Enjoy your weekend!

Okay, from here, please go say hello to Peggie.

Stamps: Tilda in Winter Light, Inkadinkadoo clear stamp set Sketchy Flourishes.

DP: Keeping Memories Alive Simple Expressions Lavender Stripe.

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Ten, EK Success border punch, Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Snowflake embossing folder, Magnolia doohickey die Swirl, Martha Stewart Snowflake punches large and medium, Marvy Uchida Snowflake punch small.

Misc.: Jewel Glitter Ritz micro-fine glitter Lilac Pink and Cool Highlights, Martha Stewart Crystal fine glitter, Tim Holtz distress ink pad Walnut Stain, Rhinestone/bling stickers and pearls from my stash.

Baby Swing Card - Magnolia-licious Challenge # 8

Happy Tuesday!

It's the 4th Tuesday of the month, so it's time for a new challenge at Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. This one is our Inspiration Challenge for February. Here's my DT card ...

Tracy is our host for February and she has picked out this picture to inspire you to create something--a card or some other crafty things--and something Magnolia-licious, of course...LOL.

I've been wanting to make a swing card--or some people call this a flip card--for the longest time. I've been putting it off because all the tutorials and templates I could find on the internet are for cards that are on the small size. As I like my cards to be 6" x 6", I knew I had to figure out the measurements for it myself and make my own template. Well, woo hoo...I finally did it! I've included the template at the bottom of this posting for anybody who's interested.

This is how a swing card works. The card has a centre panel that swings--that's why they call it a swing card...duh. LOL. You have your image on the front of the panel...

... then when you swing the panel around/flip it over, on the other side you usually have your sentiments placed here. But in my case, I've chosen to have another image here instead.

This is Sleeping Baby Tingla from the Magnolia's Autumn Collection 2010. The image on the front of the card is Tilda with Baby Tingla from the Magnolia's Fall Stamp 2007 Collection. Both of these 2 adorable images are available from Magnolia licious online store. And don't forget to check out the latest release of some Butterfly Dreams Collection images to get you ready for Spring--it's just around the corner, isn't it? Please...

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me Challenges - Time to spread your wings.

7 Kids College Fund Challenge # 15 - Square cards (folds up into a square card).

Truly Scrumptious Challenge 51 - Swirls and Pearls.

Simon Says Stamps! Challenges - Make your own embellishment (my flowers are handmade).

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge # 122 - Fancy folds.

Just Magnolia hAnglar & sTanglar Challenge - Week 94 - Love you (precious baby love).

Creative Inspirations - Challenge 53 - Distress (used Tim Holtz distress ink stamp pad vintage Photo to distress my paper edges, the ink type not the torn paper kind).

That's all folks! Make sure you check out the cards and projects of the other DT ladies--OMG, they are FAB-U-LOUS! Check them out here, at the Magnolia-liciuos Challenge Blog and get some inspirations from the projects they've made. Then create something yourself and join our challenge.

Thanks for dropping by. Appreciate your visit. Enjoy your week!

Stamps: Tilda with Baby Tingla from Magnolia's Fall Stamps 2007, Sleeping Baby Tingla from the Magnolia's Autumn Collection 2010. The sentiments are computer generated.

DP's: 3 papers from Hot Off the Press Paper Pizazz Sheets Jacie's Vintage Papers.

Tools: Martha Stewart edge punch Daisy Dot, Coluzzle Oval template, Marianne Design Creatables RL0116 Swirls, Magnolia Doohickey die Leaf, EK Success Retro Flower punches medium and small.

Misc.: Recollections pearl stickers, Tim Holtz distress ink pads Vintage Photo and Weathered Wood, Martha Stewart Crystal fine glitter.

Medium: markers and coloured pencils--sorry I don't have the numbers. I was working on colouring a few images at the same time and the markers and pencils were all over my table and got all mixed up.

So, for those of you who are interested making a swing card (or flip card), this particular template I've drawn up is for a 6 inches x 6 inches card. For any other sizes, there are tutorials and templates for them on the internet, so...what else--just google it!

Have fun!

To print template click HERE - Swing Card 6"x 6" (15cm x 15cm) Template.

Spring Garden

Hello.

I bet some of you are sooo…ready for spring. Well, despite the calendar saying we’ve got another 5 weeks of winter left, it’s very spring-like here today. The snow drops are blooming and I can see about an inch or two of the tulips and daffodils peeking out of the ground.

I've used Mina's wonderful sketch that she's created for Just Magnolia hAnglar & sTanglar Challenge - Week 93.

And a few more challenges I'm entering:

Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge 9 - Spring...Flowers Everywhere!!!

Totally Tilda Challenge 16 – How does your garden grow?

Paper Sundaes Challenge #56 - Pick your sundae toppings. My toppings are flowers and distressing. I’ve distressed all my paper edges including the flower petals with Tim Holtz distress ink pad Walnut Stain.

Marianne Design Challenge #27 - Theme Spring. I've used several dies from a couple of Marianne Design sets for the label on the bottom part of my card (see below) and to make the 2 large white flowers.

Despite Google Translator doing it’s best to translate the challenge rules into English, it’s not doing it perfectly. So I’m still not too clear on some of them. If this card doesn’t meet the challenge, oh well... I’m just happy to be sharing this card.

Our Creative Corner OCCC - Cut it out.

Everybody-Art-Challenge Challenge #129 - 3 papers, 3 flowers and option ribbon. I hope that means a minimum of 3 flower and not ONLY 3 flowers.

This Tilda is called Flower Girl with Petals from the Magnolia's Wedding Collection 2010. Isn't she just adorable? You can purchase her from Magnolia-licious on-line store.

And while you're at it, check out the new Butterfly Dreams Collection--ooh, I love butterflies. Diana has a number of images already on her store website here. The images are just as cute as ever. You won't be able to resist--I couldn't! I've already placed my order...LOL. Can't wait.

I've stamped this Tilda image twice. Once for the background paper and I've colored her very quickly. The 2nd stamped image, after colouring, I've cut out and then mount it on pieces of foam tape/dimensionals right on top of the 1st image. I love doing this--most of my Tilda's are done this way to give my card a more 3-D look.

And yes this is another easel card--my favorite type.

Thanks for taking the time to drop by. I appreciate your visit. Have a wonderful week.

Stamps: Flower Girls with Petals from Magnolia's Wedding Collection 2010, It's a Beautiful Day Inkadinkadoo rubber stamp. The other sentiment is computer generated.

DPs: Paper Adventures Karen Neuburger Northern Lights Stripe, Chatterbox Scrapbook Walls Collection Sky Bias Strip and Sky Lilac.

Tools: Martha Stewart Fence and String Lace border punches, Leave punch; Coluzzle oval templace; Fiskars paper edger scissor Deckle Long; tiny flower punches from Michaels $1.50 bin; Marianne Design Creatables LR0116 label die and LR0111 flower petals and flower center dies; Joy Crafts Leaves dies.

Misc.: Recollections pearls, Tim Holtz distress ink pad Walnut Stain.

I love you this much - Magnolia-licious Challenge #7

Happy Tuesday!

It's time for a new challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. Tracy is our host for the month of February and for our colour challenge, she has chosen the colours pink, black and red. Yikes...2 of those colours, black and red, are always real challenges for me to colour. Anyway, this is what I came up with.

This adorable gal is Tilda Wants a Hug from Magnolia's A Merry Little Christmas Collection 2010, available from Magnolia-licious on-line store. I like to cut out my coloured images and mount them on pieces of foam tape/dimensionals for a more 3-D effect, and that's what I've done here.

I am also using this card to join other challenges:

(sorry for the long list, but woo hoo...there's a common theme for most of these...LOL)

All That Scraps - Anything Goes

7 Kids College Fund - Challenge #14 - I (heart) you!

Simon Says - Love is in the Air!!

Stampin' for the Weekend - Challenge #3 - St. Valentine's Day

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #52 - Valentines/Love

Let's Ink It Up - February Challenge - Romance/Valentines Day

Paper Sundaes - Challenge #55 - Two or more images (I hope I don't have to have them on the front of my card...in the inside count, doesn't it?)

Stamp With Fun - Challenge 97 - Love

Cupcake Craft - Challenge 128 - Seeing Red

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #36 - Hearts

Basic Grey - Challenge 37 - All Heart (I have use a fabulously designed Basic Grey DP called Raspberry Cream from the Bittersweet Collection.)

All Sorts - Week 89 - It Must Be Love Love Love

I've decorated the inside of the card this way and I've used another Tilda Image. This one is called Tilda With Many Hearts, from the newly-released You Are So Special Collection 2011, also available from Magnolia-licious on-line store.

I hope you will play along with us in our challenge. Have a look at the FAB-U-LOUS creations of the other DT ladies, at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog here and let them inspire you. There is a prize of a $25 Gift Certificate from Magnolia-licious.

Thanks for taking the time to drop by. I appreciate your visit. Have a wonderful week!

Stamps: Tilda Wants a Hug from Magnolia's A Merry Little Christmas 2010 Collection, Tilda With Many Hearts from Magnolia's You Are so Special 2011 Collection, Magenta Crafty Individuals Stamp C95031 Love, the other sentiments are computer generated.

DP's: Basic Grey Bittersweet Raspberry Cream, Chatterbox Pink to Heart.

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Fourteen, Martha Stewart Deco Fan Corner, Lace Scalloped Heart Punches and Leaves Punches, Punch Bunch Contemporary Heart Punch, Magnolia Doohikey Swirl, EK Success Retro Flower Punches medium and small.

Misc.: Mark Richards crystal stickers red hearts, Recollections pearls, Tim Holtz distress ink pads Black Soot and Aged Mahogany.

Medium: Alcohol-ink markers and coloured pencils.
Promarkers: Antique Pink, Cocktail Pink, Baby Pink, Pale Pink, Blush, Soft Peach.
Touch: Cool Greys CG9, CG8, CG6, CG4, CG2 and CG0.5, 28 Fruit Pink, 27 Pale Pink, 132 Milky White, 136 Blush
Prismacolor: PC935 Black, PC1067 Cool Grey
Derwent: C190 Pink
Faber-Castell Polychromos: 9201-131

Love is in the Air

Happy Friday!

I've been rushing to finish this card so I can enter it into the challenge at Make It Colourful. Their Challenge #2 is to Colour with Red (and it will be closing in a few hours...yikes!).


And other challenges for this card also:

Sunday Sketch and Stamp - Challenge 45 - sketch (I've turned the sketch upside down).
Bunny Zoe's Craft Challenge 8 - Love is in the Air!
Creatalicious Challenge #18 - Ribbon with a Love theme.
Flutter By Wednesday #138 - Open Week.
7 Kids College Fund - Challenge #13 - Challenge yourself! (It's always a challenge for me to colour black, white and red.)
Simon Says -Bingo Challenge - My choices are brads, flower, ribbon.
Stamp Something - Cute Somethings Challenge.
Just Magnolia hAnglar & sTanglar - Week 90 - sketch.

This oh sooo... adorable angel is called Bubbling Tilda and she is from Magnolia's Fairy Tale Collection 2010. The stamp for her image is available from Magnolia-licious on-line store.

I've cut out her entire image and mounted it on pieces of foam tape/dimensionals and I've added a more 3-D effect to her wings by adding a second set of wings. Both sets of wings are covered with clear glitter.

I've drawn and coloured little red hearts inside the bubbles and then added some gloss medium (you have to wait for a while for this to dry) to give the bubbles a more shiny and ...well, bubble look...LOL.

Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by. I appreciate your visit. Have a wonderful weekend! Hope you can get some crafting done in between whatever life throws at you. Me too!

Recipe:

I've been experimenting with colouring with markers and then with coloured pencils. To colour the red I used Promarkers crimson, berry red, red; Letraset Tria Pantone markers 178, 176, Touch markers 137 medium pink, Derwent Coloursoft coloured pencils C130 deep red, C120 red, C100 rose. A bit overboard probably, but I was having fun playing around.

Other markers and coloured pencils used:
Promarkers: blush, soft peach, cocoa, raw sienna, Cool grey 1, 2 and 3.
Touch markers: 27 powder pink, 136 blush, 178 cool shadow
Letraset Tria Pantone (discontinued): 4655, 5503, 5507 and 5527.
Prismacolor: pencils PC939 deep orange, PC1010 peach, PC928 blush pink.
Derwent Coloursoft C600 mid brown.

Stamps: Bubbling Tilda from Magnolia's Fairy Tale Collection 2010, Posh Impressions Grass, the sentiment is computer generated.

DP's: My Mind's Eye Bohemian Collection Bliss 'Love of My Life' Floral, Basic Grey Euphoria Collection Felicity.

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels One, Martha Stewart border punch Heart Chain and twig punch, EK Success leaves and retro flower punches medium and small.

Misc.: Mark Richards Crystal Stickers red hearts, Recollections brads and pearls, ribbon from my stash, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter, Deserres gloss medium.

Note Box c/w Calendar

Hello! Happy Monday!

This is my latest project—just finished last night, or rather in the wee hours of this morning…LOL.



I remember my friend Debbie made a project with an easel card and a calendar for her phone table at one time. I thought back then that I was going to make one too. Well, it only took me one whole year later to make it…LOL. I went searching for her posting and found it back in Jan. 2010…yikes, was it that long ago! Click here to see Debbie’s creation--she has also given the measurements that she used. This is my version and I’ve adjusted my box to fit the 5-inch square note paper that I found at Michaels store. This will also sit next to my phone.

This lovely-looking lady is called Lady Tilda, from Magnolia’s Fairy Tale Collection 2010—available from Magnolia-licious on-line store.

For the layout I’ve used this wonderful sketch of Domi that she’s created for the Challenge #124 at Everybody-Art-Challenge.

A few other challenges I’m entering with this project:

All Sorts - Week 86 - teal and brown.
Magnolia Down Under – Challenge 89 – Calendar.
Let's Ink It Up - Challenge 8 for January – Anything Goes.

Just Magnolia hAnglar & sTanglar - Week 89 - My Favorite things. Several favorites in this project: blue/teal and brown is one of my favorite colour combo, the DP is one my favorites also (I bought a whole bunch of pages) and easel card is my fave type of cards.

Stamp Something Challenge - Anything Goes.

Stamping for the Weekend - Challenge 1 - New & Blue. I've got new crafting tools: the MS border and corner punch set and the Marianne Design cutting and embossing die for the leaves.

Paper Sundaes - 1st Birthday Celebration and your favorite challenge. I've chosen Challenge #44 - Pick Your Sundae Toppings--pick 2 from punches, ribbon, embossing and the colour blue.

I’ve added two rows of large pearls so that I have a place to nest my pen.
The free printable calendar I obtained from http://www.printablecalendar.ca/.

Thanks so much for dropping by. Have a wonderful week. Enjoy today!

Stamp: Lady Tilda from Magnolia’s Fairy Tale Collection 2010.

DP’s: K&Company Ancestry.com Teal Floral & Letterflat Paper, Chatterbox Botanico Blue Oak Designer Paper.

Tools: Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace Punch Aound the Page Set, Spellbinders Nestabilities Curved Rectangles, Magnolia Dookickey Swirls, Marianne Design Creatables LR0133, EK Success Retro Flower punches medium and small, Recollections rotary cutter Dashes.

Misc.: Recollections pearl stickers. Wooden button plugs for the drawer pulls (bought at Michaels or Lee Valley Tools). My paper edges are distressed using Tim Holtz distress ink pad Vintage Photo.

To colour my image, I’ve used alcohol-ink markers and touched it up with coloured pencils. I don’t stick to any one brand in particular—whatever I can buy cheaply...LOL...and the right colour shade I wanted. Promarkers: blush, soft peach, caramel, sandstone. Touch Markers: T27 powder pink, T136 blush, T92 raw umber. Letraset Tria Pantone Markers (discontinued): 549, 5493, 5527, 5503. Prismacolour pencils: PC939 peach, PC1010 deep orange, PC928 blush-pink. Faber-Castell Art Grip: #176. Cretacolor Marino: bremen blue.

Tilda, orange you cute! - Magnolia-licious Challenge #5

Hello everyone!

It's time for Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog's first challenge in 2011. January is Cabio's month to pick the challenge themes for. For this first colour challenge, she has chosen the colour combo of Orange and Green.

And of course, I've made this into another easel card. I just love the easy way that you can put this type of cards on display.


This adorable image is called Cherry Tilda from Magnolia's Autum 2010 Collection, available from Magnolia-licious on-line store.
And yes, I just checked, Diana does have her in stock right now.

I have to correct how I coloured her. Do you see her fingers I had poking out among those cherries? LOL...I thought she had a piece of cloth to gather her cherries, like a kerchief or something, draped across her hand, but no, it's actually part of her dress. So for her fingers to be poking out that way, she'd have to have a hole in her dress...LOL. Silly me!!!

Anyway, a few challenges for this card:

Sunday Sketch & Stamp Challenge #44 - I used Claire's wonderful sketch.

Paper Sundaes Challenge #51 - Circles

Cupcake Craft Challenge #123 - Something New (see the notes below the next challenge)

Creative Inspirations Challenge #50 - To use Something New on your project/New Element.
I have a couple of die sets that I bought during this past holiday season: 1. the Sizzix decorative strip die called Flower Garden. This is so pretty. See the light orange strip at the left hand side? Looks like paper lace.
2. the Magnolia Doohikeys Leaf and Swirl dies. I love this set.

Charisma Cardz Challenge 1 - Birthday

Allsorts Week 85 - Fancy fold.


The inside of my card looks like this.

I hope you can join us in our Magnolia-licious orange and green challenge. There is a prize of a $25.00 gift certificate.

Also, please check out the amazing creations of the rest of the Magnolia-licious DT ladies at the challenge blog here. And you can find the links to their personal blogs on my side bar also.

Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by. I appreciate your visit. Have a wonderful week.

Stamps: Cherry Tilda from Magnolia's Autumn 2010 Collection available from Magnolia-licious, the sentiments are computer generated.

DP's: from Me&My BIG Ideas Posh Designer Sheets paper collection, Chatterbox Happy Bloom.
Tools: Sizzix decorative strip die Flower Garden, Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles Large, Classic scalloped Circles Large, Small Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles, Petite Ovals Large and Small, Petite Scalloped Ovals, Magnolia Doohikeys Swirls and Leaf (I'm guessing the name here), Martha Stewart Daisy Punch and Small Hydrangea Petals, McGill Daisy Punch, EK Success Retro Flower Small Punch .

Misc.: Pearls from Queen & Co., Mark Richards and Vintage Attic Treasures. I did the distressing using Tim Holtz distress ink pad Faded Jeans and Spiced Marmalade and Memento Bamboo Leaves.

Medium: Combination of Promarkers and Touch markers--
Promarkers: Blush, Soft Peach, Burnt Sienna, Cinnamon, Tan, Orange, Mango, Leaf Green, Meadow Green.
Touch: T27, Powder Pink, T136 Blush, T95 Burnt Sienna, T140 Light Orange.
I also used some coloured pencils to deepen the shadow areas (Sorry, I didn't jot down the colours).

Winter Birthday #2

Hello!

Woo hoo! I've finished with my birthday card for my other niece (the other twin). Similar in style--easel card mounted on a gift box--but with a different image. I had a harder time finding another winter Tilda to play around with...LOL. But here's the final finished project.

It wasn't too obvious that I can use this image of Snowy Hug from Magnolia's A Merry Little Christmas Collection 2010. The orginal image is of Tilda hugging Snowy the snowman and as you can see, I've cut Snowy out and replaced him with a snowboard.

The inside of the card looks like this.

A few challenges I'm entering with this card/giftbox:

Paper Sundaes Challenge 50 - Something New. (My snowflake die punch is a new purchase-boxing day sale..woohooo.)

Creative Inspirations Challenge 50 - Use Something New on Your Project. (is that ever weird--same challenge number and same theme...LOL. Anyway, same thing here...new item is my Spellbinders snowflake die cut.)

ABC DT Challenge - Baby It's Cold Outside Challenge.

Just Magnolia and hAnglar & sTanglar - Week 87 - Anything Goes.

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Challenge 27 - Card and Matching 3-D Gift. (Ladies, I don't know if this qualifies, as I've combined the card and the matching gift box into one item. If it doesn't, please ignore my entry. Thanks.)

Stamp Something - Something with Glitter Challenge.

That's it. Hope my niece will like this one. Thanks so much for dropping by. I appreciate your visit.

It's now bright and sunny here with a little nip in the air. I'm planning to enjoy the outdoors. I have an extra day off today, but back to work tomorrow...sigh. Have a wonderful day yourself!

Stamps: Snowy Hug from Magnolia's A Merry Little Christmas Collection 2010, PSX F-1550 Evergreen forest, Cornish Heritage Farms the Pines.

DP's: Creative Imaginations Harlequin in blue, Making Memories Heritage Collection Scroll Dark Navy.

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles Large and Small, Classic Scallopped Circles Small, Mega Ovals Large, Mega Classic Scalloped Ovals Large, Shapebelities Snowflake Pendant, EK Success snowflake punches.

Misc.: Kaiser Craft and Recollections pearls, Mark Richards Cabochons dark blue, ribbons from my stash, wooden button plugs that I purchased at either Michaels or Lee Valley Tools--available at hardware stores too I think..

If you're interested in making this particular size box, I've drawn out the templates for it with the measurements that I used. The templates aren't to scale (it's about 50% of the original size).

For the drawer casing, you'll need to find a paper that is 14 inches wide. I used bristol board paper. It's thicker than regular scrapbooking cardstock, so it's actually better as it makes the box sturdier.

PS. I've been told that sometimes when I've posted templates, you can't click on them and printed them out very legibly. I'm not sure how to correct that, me being computer illiterate. If you're having the same problem, e-mail me directly and I'll e-mail the templates back to you.