For You At Christmas - Magnolia-licious Blog Hop 'Christmas Magic'

Hello.

Today we're kicking off our 'Christmas Magic' Blog Hop at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog.  You can get complete details of the challenge, the prizes to be won and how you can join in the fun at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. 

If you've arrived here from Kelly's blog, then you're in the right track.  If not and you'd like to start at the beginning, or you got lost along the way, here's the blog hop order of the DT gals:

Julie

Karen G.

Jane

Suzi

Katie

Karen S.

Kelly

Norma (you are here!)

Cathy

Tamara

Okay, here's what I've created for the Blog Hop.  It's a Christmas gift-box-and-card set.

Let's take a look at the gift box first. 

This gift box has 2 compartments.  At the top is a small box with a pop-up lid and at the bottom is a larger box with a pull-out drawer. 

I made the matching card with same designer/patterned papers I used on the gift box and also the same embellishments with a few extras. 

Tutorial on how to make the paper pinecones HERE if you're interested. 

Here are close-ups of the Magnolia Stamps images being featured. 

- Here I Am Tilda from the Pink Lemonade Collection 2014

- Christmas Candle Tilda from the Waiting for Christmas Collection 2014

Magnolia Stamps stamps are available from Magnolia-licious, Diana's on-line store where she carries a large selection of both full-size and mini Magnolia stamps.  And if you don't see the particular one you are looking for, e-mail Diana and I'm sure she'll be happy to bring it in for you.
Check out also the stamps from Wee Stamps, Wild Rose Studios, Saturated Canary and Candibeans and Crafter's Companion, along with cutting dies from various companies including Memory Box, PoppyStamps, Magnolia Doohickey, Wild Rose Studio.
Prices are discounted, you get excellent customer service and you also get to earn 2% credit to be applied to future purchases.

I am entering my project into these Challenges:
Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes! November Edition
Stamping Sensations November Challenge - Festive Flowers and Foliage
The Crafty Addicts Challenge #4 - Use Die Cuts
The Paper Shelter Challenge #226 - Layer on Layer
Crafting With An Attitude Challenge #9 - Anything Goes
Julia Spiri Challenge #05 - Use Something Old (patterned papers are from 2 Christmases ago)
Southern Girls Challenge - Twine, Tape or Ribbon (ribbon on my card)
Alphabet Challenge - S for Sweet Treats
Creative Fingers Challenge #97 - Anything Goes
The Ribbon Girl - November Anything Goes Card Challenge

I hope you can play along with us in our challenge blog hop.  There are 2 ways to win:

1.  Santa Scavenger Hunt -- Find the Santas in each Design Team member's post, add them up and e-mail the total number to Cathy at cathylee.co@gmail.com and you will be entered in a random draw from the correct responses.  

2.  Enter a project (not just a card) and a random winner will be chosen.

There's also the Leave A Comment Surprise Package prize.  All the comments are counted and a random winner will be chosen.

- comments on all the DT gals' posts (yes, that includes this one...tee hee)

- comments at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog itself

- 'like' us on our Magnolia-licious Facebook Fan Page

That's all for me.  Thanks for stopping by.  Your visit is very much appreciated and I hope you're enjoying the Blog Hop and getting much inspirations.

Now for your next stop, hop over and visit the amazingly talented...

Cathy Lee

to see what fabulous creation she has to share with you. 

Materials and Tools Used:

Sentiments:  Computer generated

Designer Papers:  Pink Paislee Noel paper pad; Recollections Botanica Noel paper pad

Dies:  Spellbinders Labels One, Labels Eight, Classic Ovals, Petite Scalloped Circles (pinecones) and Heartfelt Creations Posy Patch Flowers; Sizzix Tim Holts Holiday Greens; Cherry Lynn Designs B119 Tropical Leaves; Memory Box 98316 Cherry Blossom (flower centres); Magnolia Doohickey Poinsettia   

Punches:  Martha Stewart Framed Dots Punch-Around-The-Page 

Miscellaneous:  Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink stamp pads Walnut Stain and Bundled Sage; ribbon and pearls from my stash

Colouring medium:  Alcohol ink markers from Letraset - Promarkers and Pantone Trias, Shin-Han Touch markers; coloured pencils to help with the shading
- face and skin:  blush, coral, soft peach, vanilla--for the cheeks:  oatmeal, pastel pink
- hair and shoes:  burnt sienna, Touch BR100, caramel, sandstone, black coloured pencil
- green shades:  Touch 42, olive green, apple cider, meadow green, 617-T 
- candle flame:  raw sienna, mustard, pastel yellow, buttercup
- white shading:  warm grey 5-T, cool grey 4-T, cool grey 1-T

- dotted background:  grey green, 5507-T, tea green, 5527-T  

Celebrate...Cake Card - FFFC #151 'Flowers'

Hello.  Happy Friday!

We're kicking off a new challenge at the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge.  The lovely Jo is our hostess and her theme for this challenge is 'Flowers.'  We have two sponsors for this challenge:  Magnolia-licious and Sweet Lilac Flowers.  To get complete details on the challenge, the prizes being offered and how you can join in the fun, visit the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge blog.  And don't forget to check out the fabulous cards that my DT teammates have created to inspire you to play along with us.

A 'cake card' has been on my to-do list for the longest time and I finally got around to making one.

This first photo is the view of the card from the top.

The spine of the card has been increased to the same height as the cake.

When the card is displayed like an easel card, a small candle-filled box and a cake are revealed.

The birthday candles goes into the holes on the cake.

There are probably a few tutorials on how to make this type of cake card--but here's a link to a tutorial that I like, created by Kathryn at the Stempeleinmaleins website, HERE.

A close-up of the Magnolia Stamps image being featured.

She is called Rose Cake Tilda from the Boho Collection 2015

The stamp for this image is available from our sponsor Magnolia-licious, Diana's on-line store where she carries a large selection of both full-size and mini Magnolia stamps.  And if you don't see the particular one you are looking for, e-mail Diana and I'm sure she'll be happy to bring it in for you.

Challenges for this card:
Artistic Inspirations Challenge #143 - Anything Goes/twist of Birthdays
Crafting For All Seasons Challenge 113 - Girly
Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #43 - Anything Goes
Crafty Girlz Challenge #8 - Anything Goes
Digi Choosday Week 43- Favorite Colour Combination (pink and brown--on of my faves)
Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia Challenge #125 - Anything Goes
Simply Magnolia Challenges - Favorite Colour Combo (pink and brown--one of my faves)
Star Stampz - Pick 3 Challenge (flowers, ribbon, pearls)
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #30 - Picture Inspiration
Brown Sugar Challenge #170 - Flowers

That's all for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  Your visit is always very much appreciated.  Have a wonderful day and enjoy the coming weekend!

Materials and Tools Used:

Sentiments:  Computer generated

Designer Papers:  SEI Chocolate Mon Coeur; My Mind's Eye Bohemia Blossom 'Angel' Small Damask

Dies:  Spellbinders Petite Ovals and Floral Flourishes; Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Circles; Marianne Design LR0111 Flowers; Sizzix Tim Holtz Fall Foliage; Memory Box 98936 Curled Ribbons  

Punches:  Carla Crafts Small Cosmos; Marvy Uchida Small Star  

Miscellaneous:  Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink stamp pads Walnut Stain and Worn Lipstick; lace 'Valerie' from Live and Love Crafts; pearls from my stash

Colouring medium:  Alcohol ink markers from Letraset - Promarkers and Pantone Trias; Shin-Han Touch markers; coloured pencils to help with the shading
- face and skin:  blush, coral, soft peach, vanilla--for the cheeks:  oatmeal, pastel pink
- hair and shoes:  burnt sienna, Touch BR100, caramel, sandstone, black coloured pencil
- pink shades:  702-T, 701-T, 1767-T, 182-T
- tier cake:  saffron, vanilla
- chocolate cake:  umber, cinnamon, tan
- roses and leaves:  dusky rose, pale pink, Touch 42, olive green, apple cider  
- white shading:  warm grey 5-T, cool grey 4-T, cool grey 1-T
- floor:  sandstone, warm grey 5-T

- dotted background:  grey green, pebble blue, tea green  

Stop and Smell the Flowers - Magnolia-licious 'Autumn/Fall Colours'

Hello.

It's time for a new challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog.  The theme this time is 'Autumn/Fall Colours.'  I love this theme because I just luvvv the autumn colour palette.  Hope you'll play along with us.  Hop over to the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog to get complete details on the challenge and how you can join in.  And don't forget to check out the cards/projects that the DT gals have created to inspire you.

Here's the card that I've created for the challenge.

This is a swing card or some call it a flip-flop card.  The centre panel swings or flips over.

And I've added another image on the other side of the swinging panel.

I wanted to use my octagon-shaped (the shape of a stop sign) die for the swinging panel, but the size of the die that I have was actual too small so I ended up cutting it out by hand.  If you yourself want to make a swing card, you can use any shape die instead and I've got a tutorial HERE if you're interested.

Close-ups of the Magnolia Stamps images being featured:

- Under Construction Tilda from the World Wide Web Collection 2015
(oops...I think I made a mistake in colouring.  I took that thing behind Tilda as a wooden work horse, but I think it's suppose to be a traffic barrier.  Oh well...sigh)

- Tilda With Fantasy Flowers from the Lost and Found Collection 2014

Magnolia Stamps stamps are available from Magnolia-licious, Diana's on-line store where she carries a large selection of both full-size and mini Magnolia stamps.  And if you don't see the particular one you are looking for, e-mail Diana and I'm sure she'll be happy to bring it in for you.
Check out also the stamps from Wee Stamps, Wild Rose Studios, Saturated Canary and Candibeans and Crafter's Companion, along with cutting dies from various companies including Memory Box, PoppyStamps, Magnolia Doohickey, Wild Rose Studio.
Prices are discounted, you get excellent customer service and you also get to earn 2% credit to be applied to future purchases.

Come and join our challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog and you will have a chance to win a Special Surprise from the Magnolia-licious store when you follow the rules and theme of our challenge.

For your chance to win a "Leave A Comment" Surprise Package Prize from Magnolia-licious, there is a weekly random draw.  All you have to do is leave a comment--the more you comment the greater your chances.

- comment on any or all the postings on the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog
- comments on related postings on the DT gals' blogs for that week

Challenges for this card:
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #167 - Make Your Mark
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #396 - Anything Goes
Star Stampz - Halloween/Harvest or the Colours of Halloween/Harvest
Southern Girls Challenge - Rocking the Stripes
Creative Fingers Challenge #96 - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations Challenge #7 - Anything Goes
Your Next Stamps - YNS Color Challenge #25
Craft Your Passion Challenge #285 - Anything Goes
Sisters of Craft October Challenge - Anything Goes
Love To Scrap! Challenge - LTSCB #64 Anything Goes

That's all for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  Your visit is always very much appreciated.  Enjoy your day and have a wonderful week!

Materials and Tools Used:

Sentiments:  Computer generated

Designer Papers:  SEI Park Buddies Puppy Tails

Dies:  Spellbinder Petite Ovals; Joy! Craft/Noor! Designs 6002/0148 Lacey Corner and 6003/0015 Floral Flourishes Corner; Memory Box 98222 Fauntleroy Crest and 98312 Fancy Blossoms; Sizzix Tim Holtz Fall Foliage Thinlits

Punches:  Martha Stewart Cosmos; Carla Crafts medium Sun; Fiskars Celestial 3-in-1 Corner punch; Michaels mini Sun     

Miscellaneous:  Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink stamp pads Walnut Stain, Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey and Aged Mahogany; pearls from my stash

Colouring medium:  Alcohol ink markers from Letraset - Promarkers and Pantone Trias, Shin-Han Touch markers; coloured pencils to help with the shading
- face and skin:  blush, coral, soft peach, vanilla--for the cheeks:  oatmeal, pastel pink
- hair and boots (1st Tilda):  umber, Touch BR102, cinnamon, tan
- hair and shoes (2nd Tilda), work horse:  burnt sienna, Touch BR100, caramel, sandstone
- yellow shades:  raw sienna, mustard, pastel yellow, buttercup
- orange shade:  terracotta, spice, honeycomb, apricot
- red shades:  burnt umber, chesnut, burnt orange, ginger 
- green shades:  Touch 42; 5767-T, apple cider
- white shading:  warm grey 5-T, cool grey 4-T, cool grey 1-T

- dotted background:  grey green, 5507-T, tea green, 5527-T  

- ground:  sandstone, 437-T

Creating Dotted Background Using Alcohol-Ink Markers

Hello.

I'm here with a colouring tutorial.  I've had many people asked me how I create my dotted background, so I'm finally getting around to doing this.

I'm actually not comfortable giving any kind of tutorial on colouring as I'm self-taught.  Or rather, what I know about colouring is what I've learned from reading many many blog tutorials and watching how-to videos readily available on the internet.  As there are so many different colouring techniques and styles, you just have to keep practicing and experimenting until you figure out what works for you.  And I'm continually learning!

I've done a video to better show you the process, but a bit of details first.

So for this dotted background, I'm leaving it up to you to find your colours.  Find 3 markers of your lightest shades (lightest, light, light-medium) in the same tone, so you can get a seamless blend from shade to shade.  Use whatever brand of alcohol-ink markers you prefer, e.g. Promarker, Copic, Touch, Spectrum Noir, etc.

For this demo, I am using Letraset Promarkers and the colours are:
tea green (for the lightest), pebble blue (for the light) and grey green (for the light-medium)

Note:  From the moment that you put ink on the paper you want to work very quickly and not let the ink dries up.  You want to be adding the dots while the ink is still wet because you want the dots to bleed a litlle and the ink to run together between colours.

And remember that the colours may seem too dark at first when you put them on paper, but they will lighten when dry.

And so...here's the video on how I create my dotted background (it's only 4:45 long):

Or watch it on a bigger screen on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/2Z4jSOoxV1Q

Okay, that's it for my one-and-only colouring tutorial...hee hee.  Give it a try and have fun!

Enjoy your day!

Best Witches - FFFC #150 'Orange, Black and/or Purple'

Hello.  Happy Friday!

We're kicking off a new challenge at the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge.  The lovely Gunn-Eirill is our hostess for this challenge and it's a colour challenge 'Orange, Black and/or Purple'--choose at least 2 colours.  We are being sponsored by The Ribbon Girl.  To get complete details on the challenge, the prize being offered and how you can join in the fun, visit the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge blog.  Check out also the fabulous cards that my DT teammates have created to inspire you to play along with us.

And so I've created this card for the challenge.

I've also decorated the inside of my card.

I found the little poem on the internet--don't know who the author is.  Based on the poem, I've created this night scene with diecuts using dies that I already have, except for the cats.  I don't have any cat die--I know there are some out there.  I found the cat silhouettes from the internet and cut these out by hand.  I left the centre of the circle blank for writing a personal note.

Here's a close-up of the adorable witch I'm featuring.

Her name is Hazel designed by Sylvia Zet of Wee Stamps.

As usual, I've used my alcohol-ink markers (Letraset Promarkers and Pantone Trias) to colour the image with a few coloured pencils mixed in there.

Challenges for this card:
Crafty Friends Challenge #16 - To Use Gems and/or Pearls
Quirky Crafts Challenge #21 - Using only 2 colours (black and purple)
The Ribbon Girl - October Any Image Anything Goes Challenge
That Craft Place Challenge - Halloween
Get Creative Challenge #25 -  Halloween
Through the Purple Haze October Challenge - Halloween/Magical
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #166 - Anything Goes
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenge #102 - Halloween
Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #41 - Witches, Ghouls and Goblins

That's all for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  Your visit is always very much appreciated.  Have a wonderful day and enjoy the coming weekend!

Materials and Tools Used:

Sentiments:  Computer generated

Designer Papers:  DCVW The Old World Stack paper pad and Bohemian Mat Stack

Dies:  Go Kreate XXL Square Frames Frilly #7; Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Circles; Impression Obsession DIE071-I Spiral Daisy; Memory Box 98312 Fancy Blossoms, 98890 Blushing Bouquet; Penny Black 51-016 Dancing Leaves; CC Design Bats; Our Daily Bread Designs Fence; Dee's Distinctively IME-128 Tree Base 2 

Punches:  Nellie's Choice Floral Punch Jumbo FLP031 Rose Leaves

Miscellaneous:  Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink stamp pads Walnut Stain, Dusty Concord and Black Soot; pearls from my stash

Colouring medium:  Alcohol ink markers from Letraset - Promarkers and Pantone Trias; Shin-Han Touch markers; coloured pencils to help with the shading
- face and skin:  blush, coral, soft peach, vanilla--for the cheeks:  oatmeal, pastel pink
- hair and broom:  burnt sienna, Touch BR100, caramel, sandstone, black coloured pencil
- purple shades:  shale, tawny owl, winter berry, lavender 
- black shading:  cool greys 3 - 5
- buckles, watch and jingle bell:  raw sienna, mustard, pastel yellow
- bat:  march hare, grey squirrel, cool grey 3
- white shading:  warm grey 5-T, cool grey 4-T, cool grey 1-T

- dotted background:  grey green, 5507-T, tea green, 5527-T  

Happy Halloween - Magnolia-licious 'Spooktacular Fun'

Hello.

We've got a new challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog.  The theme is 'Spooktacular Fun' which means anything Halloween.  My DT teammates have also created cards and/or projects to inspire you to play along with us.  Check them out at the Magnolia-licious blog, HERE and also to get complete details of the challenge and how you can join in the fun.  

I've created this easel card for the challenge.

The circles, trees, fence and bats were cut out from dies in my collection.  The cat silhouette I found from the internet and then cut out by hand.  The spider were made from two black pom-poms (one medium, one small) and glued to spider legs also cut-out by hand.

Here's a close-up of the images being featured--they're from 2 separate stamps:

- Tilda With Bow Beret from the Sakura Collection 2015
- Pumpkin and Leaves from the So Spooky Collection 2009

I didn't do any masking here.  Both images were stamped and coloured separately.  Then I cut them out and placed the Tilda on top of the Pumpkin.

Magnolia Stamps stamps are available from Magnolia-licious, Diana's on-line store where she carries a large selection of both full-size and mini Magnolia stamps.  And if you don't see the particular one you are looking for, e-mail Diana and I'm sure she'll be happy to bring it in for you.
Check out also the stamps from Wee Stamps, Wild Rose Studios, Saturated Canary and Candibeans and Crafter's Companion, along with cutting dies from various companies including Memory Box, PoppyStamps, Magnolia Doohickey, Wild Rose Studio.
Prices are discounted, you get excellent customer service and you also get to earn 2% credit to be applied to future purchases.

Come and join our challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog and you will have a chance to win a Special Surprise from the Magnolia-licious store when you follow the rules and theme of our challenge.

For your chance to win a "Leave A Comment" Surprise Package Prize from Magnolia-licious, there is a weekly random draw.  All you have to do is leave a comment--the more you comment the greater your chances.

- comment on any or all the postings on the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog
- comments on related postings on the DT gals' blogs for that week

Challenges for this card:
Crafts Galore Encore October Challenge - Halloween or Make A Card For October
Crafty Girls Creations Challenge #6 - Anything Goes
Dies R Us Challenge #34 - Get Your "Boo" On! (used dies from Spellbinders, Memory Box, Poppystamps and Dee's Distinctively)
The Shabby Tea Room Week #261 - BOO-riffic
Polkadoodles Challenge Week #41 - Use A Die Cut
Star Stampz Challenge - Add A Sentiment
Through The Purple Haze October Challenge - Halloween/Magical
Aud Sentiments Challenge #142 - Halloween Sentiment
Crafty Calendar October Challenge - Halloween
Digi Designs Challenge - Too Cute To Spook

That's all for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  Your visit is always very much appreciated.  Enjoy your day and have a wonderful week!

Materials and Tools Used:

Sentiments:  Computer generated

Designer Papers:  Basic Grey Eerie Jack-O-Lantern; DCWV The Old World Stack paper pad

Dies:  Spellbinders Grand Decorative Circles One and Classic Ovals; Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Circles; Poppystamps 827 Picket Fence; Memory Box 98796 Grand Alder Tree; Dee's Distinctively IME-128 Tree Base 2

Miscellaneous:  Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink stamp pad Walnut Stain; pom-poms from my stash

Colouring medium:  Alcohol ink markers from Letraset - Promarkers and Pantone Trias, Shin-Han Touch markers; coloured pencils to help with the shading
- face and skin:  blush, coral, soft peach, vanilla--for the cheeks:  oatmeal, pastel pink
- hair and shoes:  burnt sienna, Touch BR100, caramel, sandstone, black coloured pencil
- purple shades:  slate, Touch 83, winter berry, lavender 
- green shades:  Touch 42, 5767-T, apple cider
- white shading:  warm grey 5-T, cool grey 4-T, cool grey 1-T

- dotted background:  grey green, 5507-T, tea green, 5527-T