Fall is in the air

Happy Tuesday!

Oh I can't believe it's the nearing the end of October already. Where did the month go!? Anyway, it's the 4th Tuesday of the month, so it's a new inspiration challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog and here's my inspiration card.

And this is our inspirational photo chosen by Candy, our hostess for October. Don't you just love it? This picture speaks to me of 'Autumn' and I love those glorious warm autumn colours.



My card is a front-panel side step card. I think this is probably my second favorite type of card next to the easel card.



Here's a close-up of the altered Magnolia image that I've coloured with my coloured pencils. This is Tilda on the Loose from the Bon Voyage Collection 2010. In the original image, Tilda is carrying a suitcase, probably hurrying to catch a plane and that's why she's holding on to her hat. I thought this would be the perfect Tilda image for a windy autumn day.



The background image of leaves blowing in the wind is called Fall Background from the Autumn and Halloween Collection 2008.


Now if you know me, it's just not in me to leave the inside of a card alone...LOL.



I went searching for a poem on fall/autumn on the internet and found this one that I've put on the top inside section of the card:

"Come said the wind to the leaves one day,
Come o're the meadows and we will play.
Put on your dresses scarlet and gold,
For summer is gone and the days grow cold."
(A Children's Song of the 1880's)


In keeping with the 'fall is in the air' theme, for the bottom inside section, I've used this adorable Tilda. She is called Bubbling Tilda from the Fairytale Collection 2010. Tilda is playing the roll of the Autumn Fairy blowing bubbles of colours to paint the world in shades of autumn.

All the Magnolia images I have used here are available at Diana's online store Magnolia-licious. Diana has a fabulous selection of the Magnolia images, the full-size and the mini versions. Check them out HERE--the images from the newest Sweet Christmas Dreams Collections 2011 are just too adorable!!!

I hope you will join us in our inspiration challenge. There's is a prize of a $25.00 Gift Certificate for a shopping spree at Magnolia-licious--you can use it to buy these images...LOL. And to further inspire you, have a look at fabulous cards and projects that the other DT gals have created HERE!

And for me, here are a few challenges that I am entering with this card:
Dutch Dare Card Challenge - DDCC #135 - photo inspiration (they have an autumn-theme photo also)
Totally Tilda - Challenge #34 - Autumn leaves
Flutter By Wednesday - Challenge #176 - Open
Magnolia Down Under - Challenge #119 – Get Punchy
Emerald Fairie Garden Challenge #11 – Flowers, flowers, flowers
Scrap & More - October Challenge - Autumn

That's it for now. Thanks so much for stopping by. I really appreciate your visit. Have wonderful and productive week. Better get working on those Christmas card. Only 2 months from today...yikes.



Materials and Tools Used:

DPs: Chatterbox Small Great Plaid; Recollections Fall Leaves

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Five, Marianne Design Creatables Leaves

Punches: Punch Bunch Daisy medium and small; EK Success Leaf and butterfly: McGill Baby Bloomsand Pine; Martha Stewart Rose Leaf and Pine.

Miscellaneous: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Stamp Pad Tea Dye; Recollections Autumn pearls.

Medium: Coloured Pencils - Faber-Castell Polychromos, Derwent Coloursofts and Prismacolour Premiers

feeling so blue - Magnolia-licious Colour Challenge #10

Hello!



Happy Happy Tuesday! It's the 2nd Tuesday of August, so it's time for a new colour challenge at Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. It's Maria's turn to be the hostess this month and she's chosen Black & White and/or Monochrome for the colour challenge. Here's my DT card.







This actually would have been a good time for me to practice colouring in Black & White and challenge myself, because I suck at it...LOL. But I already had in mind to create a card for a co-worker who is retiring in November, an all-blue retirement card to match the sentiment. Good excuse, don't you think...LOL?







I've made this into a front-panel side step card. This is becoming a favorite card style for me. (If you're interested in the measurements that I used for this card, I've included a template in a previous posting HERE)





This Magnolia image is Farewell Tilda from the Bon Voyage Collection 2010. She is usually available for your purchase from Magnolia-licious on-line store, however I just checked and she is currently out of stock. If you're interested let Diana know.

The mini stamp version of Farewell Tilda, however, is in stock.





I've used my coloured pencils to colour the images for this card.





A few challenges I am using this card as my entry to:



Crafts and Me - Challenge 46 - Anything Goes

Just Magnolia hAnglar & sTanglar - Week 118 - Anything Goes with the option of adding glitter

My Mum's Craft Shop - Challenge 17 - Monochromatic

Papertake Weekly - Grow Your Own (flowers)





Here's how I've decorated the inside of my card.







Oh by the way, the sentiments on the front and in the inside of my card are computer generated.









The Tilda image that I've used here is called Dancing Party Tilda. She is from Magnolia's You Are So Special Collection 2011. You can also get this image from Diana at Magnolia-licious.









I hope you'll come and play with us in our August colour challenge at Magnolia-licous Challenge Blog. And to inspire you further, have a look at all the fabulous cards that my fellow teamates have created for this challenge--HERE.



Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by. As always your visit is very much appreciated. Have a wonderful week!







Materials and tools used:



DP's: Creative Imaginations Sonnets Harlequin in Blue, one sheet from DCWV Holiday Stack paper pad.



Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Fourteen and Shapeabilities Parisian Accents dies; EK Success retro flower punches medium and small; Punch Bunch small daisy flower and ash leaf punches; Martha Stewart branch and Martha Stewart Daisy Dot Edge punch (used the small flowers for the flower centre); Michaels tiny daisy punch.



Misc: Recollections pearls, Tim Holtz distress ink stamp pads Faded Jean and Weathered Wood.



Medium: coloured pencils--Prismacolor Premiers, Faber-Castell Polychromos and Derwent Coloursofts.

Garden Friends

Hello! Happy Tuesday!

It's time for a new colour challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. Our hostess for the month of May is our very talented Paola and she has chosen the colour pink for our theme.




This is another type of the front-panel side step card. On the card that I posted a couple of postings ago the front panel is centered. On this one the front panel is to the side.



I've used a couple Magnolia images. Both of these images were coloured with coloured pencils. I've continue to experiment with the colourless blending pencil instead of using the
odourless solvent. I think I'm slowly getting the hang of this...LOL.

This first Tilda is called Tilda with Hawaii Flower, from the Butterfly Dreams Collection 2011.



This second Tilda is called Kneeling Tilda, from the Sweet Rainbow Collection 2011. I've cut out this Tilda and then mounted her on pieces of foam tape/dimensionals.


Both of these images are available from Magnolia-licious on-line store.



A few challenges that I am entering with this card:

Magnolia Stamp Lover Challenge - Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes - Challenge #73 - Girly Girl
Stamp With Fun - Challenge 115 - Pearls and Flowers
Crafts and Me - Challenge 38 - Stamp Something
Stamp Something - Something Punched
Totally Gorjuss - Challenge 84 - Flower Power


Okay, that's it for now. Thanks so much for popping in to have a look. Appreciate the visit.


I hope you will play along with us in our pink challenge. And please hop over to the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog and take a look at the fabulous creations of the other DT gals and get inspired. Have a wonderful week. And go create!



Materials and tools used:

Other stamp: Hero Arts F1843 Time to Enjoy.

DP's: Recollections Light Pink Damask, K&Company Romanza Gingham.

Tools: Spellbinders Labels Twenty-One and Fancy Tags Two, Martha Stewart Edge Punch Grass and Rose Leaf punch, McGill Flowers-Petite Petals and Pine punches, Carla Craft Flower Centre punch, Michaels tiny Sun/Flower Centre punch, Punch Bunch Small Ash Leaf punch.

Misc.: Recollections pearls, Tim Holtz distress ink stamp Vintage Photo.

Medium: Coloured pencils (FB - Faber-Castell Polychromos, DC - Derwent Coloursoft, PC - Prismacolour Premier).
Face and skin - FC188, DC550, FC132, DC170, FC131, FC191
Hair and shoes for Tilda with Hawaii Flower: PC846, Derwent Artist 6100, FC179
Hair and shoes for the Kneeling Tilda: FC179, FC180, FC182, FC Artgrip 176
Pink clothing: FC193, PC1018, PC1014
Ladybug: DC930, FC191
Leaves and grass: FC168, C988
Butterflies: DC570, DC560

Paper used for colouring: Canson XL Recycled Bristol

You Make Me Smile, Sunshine - Guest DT Card

Hello! Happy Tuesday!

Woo-hoo...I am a Guest DT at Top Tip Tuesday for a couple of their challenges. I am so jazzed about joining the ladies at Top Tip Tuesday because I think I am their very first Guest DT. I feel sooo... honored. I'd like to thank Leanne for giving me this opportunity.

For this week, the theme for their Challenge 37 is: More Than One Fold. I've made a front-panel side step card. I think this is my next favorite type of card, after the easel card.

I would like to use this card as my entry into the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Challenge 12 - Lace
Magnolia Stamp Lover Challenge - Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes - Challenge 72 - Let's get sentimental
Crafts and Me - Challenge 37 - Punch it out!
Cute Card Thursday - Challenge 167 - Embellish it!
Paper Play Challenges - Week 22 - Summer Citrus Splash
Just Magnolia hAnglar & sTanglar - Week 110 - Anything Goes with the option of adding Lace
Sundays With Chrissy - June challenge - Here comes the sun.
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Challenge 155 - Here comes Summer




This adorable Magnolia image that I have used for this card is of Running Tilda and she is from the Butterfly Dreams Collection 2011. This stamp is available from Magnolia-licious on-line store.


I am still in my coloured pencil mode, so I have coloured this with my mixture of Prismacolour, Faber-Castell and Derwent pencils. Up to now, I have been experimenting using odourless solvent(or some people use mineral spirit or gamsol) with my coloured pencils, but this time I wanted to try the colourless blender pencil. I think I find this more to my liking. I will have to practice more to be sure...LOL.


If you're familiar with my work, you know that I luvvv... to decorate the inside of my cards (hee hee...when I have the time, that is). I've added another sentiment and another set of images here.



Both the sentiments on the front and in the inside of my card are computer generated. I've used a mini Magnolia stamp here called Mini Sitting Angel Tilda, also available from Magnolia-licious.
She's just so adorable that she's my favorite from the Merry Little Christmas Collection 2010, or rather the full-size version is...LOL.




That's it for me. Thanks so much for dropping by. I appreciate your visit. Have a wonderful week.



Materials and tools used:

Stamps: Docrafts Clear Stamps Botanical Set Sunflower Burst. The sentiments are computer generated.

DP's: Scenic Route Paper Co. North Shore Stoked Stripe, Making Memories Multicolor Floral Spring

Tools: Go Create Die, Spellbinders Grommet Tags and Classic Ovals, Punch Bunch Daisy Punch Small, Martha Stewart Daisy Dot Edge Punch, EK Success Leaf Punch

Misc.: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Stamp Pad Tea Dye, Lace from my stash

Medium: Coloured pencils (FC - Faber-Castell Polychromos, DC - Derwent Coloursoft, PC - Prismacolour Premier).
Face and skin - FC188, DC550, FC132, DC170, FC131, FC191
Hair and shoes - PC946, PC948, PC941
Dress - PC1033, PC939, PC1010
Sunflowers - PC942, PC1012, PC1011, PC914, PC948, FC179, FC180, FC182
Leave and stalks - FC174, FC 170
Mini Sitting Angel Tilda's dress and flowers in flower basket - PC1025, PC1024

Hoppy Hoppy Easter

Hello!

Oh I feel so bad when I don't have something to post for a while, but sometimes I'm just finding it hard to find the time to finish off my current project. Sound familiar?...LOL. But finally! Finally, I've finished this Easter card.

I've used a Magnolia image of Tilda with a resigned-to-be-hugged-looking rabbit called Tilda with Hanging Rabbit, from the just-keeps-getting-better Butterfly Dreams Collection 2011. This image and the rest of the collection are available from Magnolia-licious on-line store.

I am entering the following challenges with this card:

All That Scraps - Week 76 - Make your own flowers.
(Woo-hoo...this is right up my alley. I love doing this, but I think that's why I keep running out of time. ATS has provided links to 4 different flower tutorials, although I didn't use any of those. )

ABC DT Challenge - for April - Easter Card

Magnolia Down Under - Challenge #92 - Easter

Paper Sundaes - Challenge #65 - Texture

Stamptacular Sunday - Challenge #107 - Magnolia-licious

Cupcake Craft - Challenge #138 - Lots of Layers

Everybody-Art-Challenge - Challenge #138 - Pearls

Top Tip Tuesday - Challenge #30 - Open Challenge

Stamping for the Weekend - Challenge #7 - Easter

Creative Inspirations - Challenge #57 - Easter

Magnolia Stamp Lovers Easter Challenge


This is a side step card--I like to call it a front-panel side step card. I love this type of cards. I want to do many more of them, but...got to find the time!!! And I keep finding other new types of cards that I want to try...sigh.

Above and below are 2 views of how I decorated the inside of the card.


In keeping with the 'hoppy' theme, I've used this most adorable Bunny Tilda from the Hoppy Easter Collection 2010.

Thanks so much for dropping by. I really do appreciate your visits. Easter weekend coming. Woo-hoo.....I am so looking forward to this long weekend. I know, I know, mustn't forget the meaning behind Easter, but I am hoping for more crafting time...LOL.


Other stamp used: Stampendous Agapanthus Bloom.

DP's: We R Memory Keepers Comstock Collection Buttercup, the purple-coloured (yes, it's purple in real life, not blue like in the pictures) cardstock with the art nouveau design is from DeSerres art store--no name on the back, the other paper is a yellowish cardstock that I self-stamped.

Tools: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Ten and Lacey Circles, Punch Bunch medium and small daisy punches, medium ash leaf, Martha Stewart Daisy Dot Edge Punch (smallest flowers for the centre).

Misc.: Tim Holtz Distress Ink stamps pads dusty concord and vintage photo, Recollections and Mark Richards pearls.
Medium: combination of alcohol-ink markers--Promarkers, Touch and Letraset Pantone Tria. Coloured pencils used to deepen the shades.

Template for the card if you're interested: cardstock size is 6 inches x 12 inches

Dear Santa - November Christmas blog hop

Happy 25th of November!

Yikes! Already? Yeah!!! You know what it means...exactly one month before Christmas Day. It's also time for another Christmas card for the Christmas All Year Long Group and our November Blog Hop. The Christmas Group (thanks to Julie for organizing it) is part of the Magnolia-licious Yahoo Group (thanks to Deb also who is the owner of the Yahoo Group).

The start of the Blog Hop and also a list of the participants can be found at the Christmas Group's blog here.

If you are playing along and have arrived at my blog from Monique's, then you are in the right track. Your next stop from here will be at Peggie's blog.

So here's my last card for the Christmas Group this year. Yes, this is our last hop of the year--there won't be one in December.


Yes, this is another front panel side step card. I am loving this style of card. (Template for this is in a previous posting here, if you're interested.)

This was a card that I had created for the Magnolia Ink Magazine contest. The theme was to make a card with your best Christmas memory. I thought ‘writing a letter to Santa’ would be a fond Christmas memory. I cheated a bit here…tee hee…because I don’t actually remember ever writing a letter to Santa. I was brought up more on Sinterklass and Zwarte Piet. I do remember leaving grass in my shoes for Sinterklass' horse and hiding under the bed afraid that Zwarte Piet would take me away in his bag…LOL. What a hoot! Okay, enough reminiscing….

I am using this card for the following challenges:

All That Scraps Magnolia Challenge #4 - Something Christmas

Challenge Up Your Life Challenge #31 - St. Nicholas

Everybody-Art-Challenge #118 - Use shape

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #140 - Blast From the Past (Challenge # 103 - Dimensions)

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge #11 -Layer on Layer

The images I have used on this card are from Magnolia and they can purchased from Magnolia-licious on-line store. And if the item you want isn't in stock, please contact Diana and she will be happy to order it in for you.

On the front panel, I have the adorable Tilda Writing Diary sitting on the Santa Bench. And on the side panel, I have Santa Handing out Presents.

I have coloured Tilda and the Bench with my markers.

Santa, however, was actually coloured during my summer vacation when I was bumming around Europe with my Prismacolor pencils. So he is all done up with my Prismas. He looks like he is floating in air, but there’s actually a swirl design on the DP that I had him sitting on. You can probably have a better look on this flatten-card picture.

I won't bother showing the inside of the card, as I didn't do anything special there except to cover them up with designer paper.

Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate your visit. Have a wonderful day! And get busy with your own Christmas cards!!!

If you're following the Christmas blog hop, your next blog to visit is Peggie's.

Stamps: Tilda Writing Diary from Raising the Ceiling & Right Through My Heart Collection 2010, Santa Handing Out Presents and Santa Bench from the Santa Collection 2008. Ho Ho Ho sentiment from TPC Studio Christmas Expressions clear stamps.

DP's: from Me&My BIG Ideas Specialty Cardstock Pad Modern Milan.

Tools: Coluzzle Oval template.

Misc.: Recollections Autumn pearls, Vintage Attic Treasures pearls, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter

Best Buds

Oh, happy happy Tuesday!

It's launch day for our new Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog! Woo hoooooo.... I have been waiting on pins and needles for this day to arrive. And I think so has the rest of the DT ladies...LOL. I feel so so honored to have been asked by Diana, owner Magnolia-licious on-line store, to work/play alongside a group of amazingly talented ladies. They are listed on my side bar and you can click on their names to visit their blogs. Oh, I am so excited... so let's get on with this....hee hee.

I have made a friendship card for our first challenge.

It's a colour challenge. The colours were chosen by our team leader Candy and she has chosen pink and yellow.

The images I have used for my card are of course from Magnolia-licious. The two adorable Tildas here are Tilda with Peony (this is my favorite from the collection) and Bridesmaid Tilda from the Wedding Collection 2010. I do not see these 2 images in Diana's current stock, but she can and will order them in for you. I have also used Lazy Summer Flowers from the Lazy Summer Days Collection 2009, to create a bit of a background.

This is another version of a 'front panel side step card'. Pam Sparks thought up the name...hee hee. She and I both did a similar type of cards at the same time (oh, how weird was that)--you can see her really fabulous card here and mine here--and we both did the templates for them also (even weirder...LOL)--hers for a 5 1/2-inch square card and mine for a 6-inch square card. Pam decided to call the type of cards we made 'front panel side step card.' That sounded good to me. The front panel there were in the center. On this new card the front panel is off to one side.

If I lay the card flat on a table, it looks like this...the bottom section that is.

I tend to ignore my corner punches, don't you? I should really make more use of them. This one is soooo... pretty. It's a Martha Stewart one--it's a seasonal one, part of their Christmas collection. Yikes...I've been naming this punch by the wrong name...LOL. I could have sworn that when I bought it last year they called it Lattice. But I noticed that this year that it's actually called String Lace. It's being sold as part of a set: a border punch along with the corner punch. I had to buy both of mine individually.

Do you like my flower buds? Aren't they cute buds? The sentiment is a play on words, of course. If you didn't catch it, 'Best Buds' is really 'Best Buddies'...LOL.

I made these little flower buds by using tiny pompoms. They do sell pink ones in the craft store, but I found their pink too bright.

So I bought some white ones instead. I dabbed some light-pink alcohol ink from my marker onto the pompom and roll it between my fingers to spread out the ink evenly. The sepal is a punched star. Using my stylus, I curled up the five points of the star. Dabbed some glue and curled it around the pompom.

This is a short poem on friendship that my sister found for me. I have used it for the inside of my card.

I didn't add too much embellishment here, as I wanted to be able to close the card flat.


I hope you will join the fun with our challenge. Hop over to the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog to get the details for it. Have a look at the fabulous projects that all the DT ladies have created--really, you won't be disappointed. I hope they will inspire you to create your own project and join in. And there's a prize to boot!!! GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR $25.00 from MAGNOLIA-LICIOUS!!!! You can get at least a couple of Tildas with that! Maybe from the new Merry Little Christmas Collection 2010. Have you seen the images? Ooohh, they are all so adorable. My order was in my mailbox when I came home from work last night...woo hoo. Oh, I can't wait to start playing with them.

Also, please visit the individual blog of the other DT members to have a closer look at their creations and get the details on them...and it wouln't hurt to leave a comment too--they are very much appreciated.

Stamps: Tilda with Peony and Bridesmaid Tilda from the Wedding Collection 2010, Lazy Summer Flowers from the Lazy Summer Days Collection 2009. The sentiments are computer generated.

DP's: Recollections Southern Hospitality Collection Southern Bell and Batked My Interest Collection Sand.

Tools: Martha Stewart corner punch String Lace, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Four and Petite Ovals Small using Big Shot machine, Joy! Crafts cutting and embossing dies Branches, EK Success punch Retro Flower Small, Martha Stewart flower punch, flower centre punch from Michaels $1.50 bin, Fiskars corner punch Celestial (for the stars).

Misc.: Creatology 5mm white pom poms, Tim Holtz distressing ink pad Frayed Burlap.

In case you are interested in making one these front panel side step card, I've drawn a template here with the measurements that I used. My cards are usually 6 inches x 6 inches, so the cardstock size I used is 12 inches x 6 inches.

Thanks for taking the time to drop by. I appreciate your visit. Enjoy your day!