Christmas in July

Welcome to the new week! We are fortunate here in the States, today is the official Fourth of July holiday---meaning the day you get off of work---a bonus holiday, so to speak!
I have been working on a couple of cards, and this Christmas-themed card is one of them.

Challenges:
Fussy and Fancy--Christmas in July
CLP Monthly Challenge--sketch
Papertake Weekly--stitching
Stamptacular Challenge--aperture (window)
Paperplay Thursday--card for child
I had planned this for the challenge at A Spoonful of Sugar (animal), but they changed the submission deadline, and I didn't know it until it was too late.

Anyway, this was a fun card to make, sitting in the air conditioning of my craft nook on a sultry hot July fourth! I love how my die cutter made the window, and I was able to do a monochrome scheme with my papers and my Copics.
Of course I Stickled around the window frame with "Star Dust."
The sentiment stamps are both from Stampin Up!
I love the patterned paper from Momenta--"The Story of Us."
The snowflakes were stamped with Weathered Wood Distress Ink, and the image was stamped with Memento, Tuxedo Black.
The brads came from my stash.


I jazzed up the inside, as a little surprise when you open the card:


This Tilda stamp should be available from the Magnolia-licious Store--the puppy is not Magnolia, he is from Stampcraft.
Tomorrow I have a red, white and blue themed card, using the criss-cross style for the Just Magnolia challenge. Please come back and check it out!

Vintage Tilda

I had an itch to make a vintage style card, and Stamp Something Challenge has a challenge this week that is for vintage and flowers, so I was set! I used the Just Magnolia sketch and I am pleased with how it turned out! Magnolia Down Under has a "sweet" challenge this week too!
One Stop Craft Challenge is "pink and brown, " so I've entered this card there as well!

Sweet Tilda is available from the Magnolia-licious Store. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The hardware is from set that I got from Stampin' Up quite a while ago. I used several punches for the lace, ferns and the hearts. I distressed everything. I finally treated myself to some pearl accents, so I added those too!

I forgot to mention the lace paper, and many of you loved it, so here is the info...it is by Karen Foster Designs, and it is called "Antique Lace." I may have had it a while, so I don't know if it is still available. Wish I had more of it!

The inside is done too...2 cards in a row!



Have a blessed Sunday!

Happy Father's Day!

Wishing all the fathers out there a blessed day...may you be spoiled by your kids, doing whatever you enjoy most, as a thanks for all you do for your families all year through.
This is the card I made for my sweet hubby...we have been reading the "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" love story on The Pioneer Woman blog, so his card has a cowboy theme. My guy enjoys a good love story as well as action, history, humor and many other topics, be it in books or movies.
If you check out the blog, you'll understand this card a little better!


I found the images as a coloring book page. I colored them with Copics, and some Faded Jeans Distress Ink for... the... um... jeans! I added some distress ink accents in walnut, and used the Diamond Dust Stickles on the fire (close-up below).


I'll give you a peek inside...but I didn't snap the photo until after I gave it to him, so no blushing!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful week, and come back to visit me again soon!

Graduation Time!

June is the time for the end of school and the ultimate end is graduation. We have 2 graduations this June...our niece, and our next door neighbor.

Below is the card I made for our neighbor.

As soon as I saw this image from Sassy Studio Designs I knew it would be perfect for the 2 graduates in our life! I had a blast coloring "Cassie" too! The Copics worked great for this.
I used flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, and the leaves are from punches...added silver Stickles to the black ferns. The sentiment is part of a set from Stamp Camp...got those at the stamp show in Springfield, MA last Saturday. They are unmounted rubber that I glued on to EZ Mount. I added silver Stickles to the black mount as well. The red pattern paper is from DCWV "Summer Dreams."

I really jazzed out the inside!
Most of the circles were punched, but the ones that look like
sunbursts are cut from the DP I used on the front...quick!
The congratulations sentiment is Stampin Up!
I entered this in the Sassy Studio Design blog challenge #23.

Next graduation card is headed to North Carolina...stay tuned!

Beachy!

It has been a busy few days! My daughter is home for a 2-week vacation, we went to a rubber stamp/paper craft show on Saturday, we spent Sunday afternoon making stuff, and I worked yesterday! Whew!

Above is my beach themed card.

Challenges:
Creative Inspirations--beach theme
Creating Life's Pieces--sketch
Cute Card Thursday--color combo
Stamp Something--Digi-day Challenge
A Spoonful of Sugar--floral delight

This adorably sweet image is from Isabella's Sketchbook. I fell in love with this image...makes me long to be at the beach in Maine where we have spent our summer vacations for many years. She is colored with Copics, sky is done with Distress Ink, and that's Ultrafine Flower Soft that my daughter convinced me to buy at the stamp show.
The papers are from my stash...I stamped the polka dots...as are the buttons. A Fiskars edge punch, a Martha Stewart butterfly punch, some Prima flowers and a hint of Stickles. That's all there is to it!

This is the inside.

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear from you, so please leave a comment.

Hot, Hot, Hot and a Freebie!

We are heading into some pretty hot weather this Memorial Day weekend, and the challenge at the Just Magnolia blog is all about hot and spicy! Here is my take on hot, along with a whole cascade of flowers!

Challenges:

Just Magnolia--hot and spicy
Stamp Something--something with a birthday recipe
(designer paper, ribbon, a bow, and a tag)

I used designer paper for the scallops.
All the paper flowers are plain cardstock and buttons, rhinestones and floss from my stash.
there is OODLES of glitter ans Stickles...had to take
a shower to rid myself of all the sparkles!
I was inspired by the red and yellow rose from Wild Orchid Crafts.



I colored "Tilda with Bow"with my Copics, and
made her bow match the ribbon on top of the cake.
Since the outside had so much going on, the inside is simple.

NOW FOR THE FREEBIE!

If you stopped by last Saturday, you may
remember that I promised you something special
because I had reached 25 followers.

Notice that this is a shaped card?
Actually, it is a 2-layer cake!
I have the template for this card available here in
the template section of my blog!
(See the top under the header, or click here)



Feel free to print the template and make your own layer cake card.
All I ask is that you link back to my blog and give me credit.
Plus I would like to be able to see what you have done, so let me know in the comments section and I will come visit you!

Next, I am shooting for 50 members.
If you help me get there, by following my blog, there will be another special
card-making template.

Stay tuned for more ideas on making layer cake cards!

A Gem of a Challenge

I recently found an adorable kitten digi-stamp for free over at the Pink Gem Blog. They are having their fourth challenge on their challenge blog--pink, burgundy and green. Here is the result of my planning and coordinating!

Isn't this kitten just too cute for words?
I am disappointed that the green paper that I used as one of the sentiment mounts, the center of the small flowers and for the loopy edge above the image is very washed out in the picture.
It was similar to the color of the green ribbon in reality.
The large flower is one I made with punches.
The sentiment is computer generated.
I bought a load of flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts---that's the pretty rose!
The small burgundy and pink flowers are silk flowers from a bunch I bought at A. C. Moore.
I remove them from the stems, and make
my own centers...these centers have Stickles "Diamond"


Here is the inside.


The kitty was colored with these Copics:



I was hoping to enter for the Design Team call,
but I guess I wrote down the deadline for the challenge, not the DT call.
I am bummed.
Maybe next time.

Soft Green and Light Aqua

Saturday was quite muggy around central Connecticut, and I spent it at my newly installed but still disorganized craft desk! I was excited by the Colour Create Challenge posted on Thursday, to use the colors of soft green and light aqua. It is a delightfully happy combination! I have used it to make this card, not only for Colour Create, but also for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge and the Creative Inspirations Challenge.

Flying Tilda stamp--Magnolia-licious storeGo Girl sentiment--Kolette Hall
Congratulations-Stampin Up!
Designer papers:
My Mind's Eye, "Totally Girl"
Doodlebug Design, "Spring Medley"
Soft green and aqua solid--stash

Quickuts star dieNestabilities scalloped oval die
Spellbinders Floral Accents dies
Stickles "Diamond"
Copic markers
Distress ink "Broken China"
Star sparklies--stash
button


Here is a close-up so you can see her sparkly wings--even at my age,
sparkly things are so much fun!


I added a big button that has a cat's eye appearance
to make the star look bigger and more prominent.
I did some decorative stitching around the Tilda image.

Here is the inside:


I can think of so many occasions for this...might be a graduation card for my niece!
Enjoy the rest of you weekend!

The Good Tree of Life

My heart is so humbled after reading all the comments shared by so many of you, regarding my exploding box! I am pleased that you visit my blog and take the time to share your thoughts and kind words.

I have a new card to share today. It was made for 3 challenges:
Crafting Life's Pieces Challenge--sketch
Stamptacular--tree
Magnolia Down Under--black, white and one other color (lime)


The lime green color didn't translate well in this photo--bummer!

Tilda image--Magnolia
Tree and floral swirl for the border--Magenta
Solid lime green cardstock--Stampin Up!
Dotted green cardstock--DCWV, "Nana'sNursery, Baby Boy"
Black and white scallop border--ATD "Story of Us"
Copic markers
Distress ink for the edges, and Tilda's hair
All images were stamped with Memento tuxedo Black ink onto white cardstock

The tree is popped up from the card, and Tilda is popped up in front of the tree.

Addendum, Saturday May 22, 2010:
Thanks to the Magnolia Down Under Design Team for choosing this card
as one of their top 5 cards for their Week #46 challenge! Whoo-hoo!

Spring Recipe Card

Yesterday I received my cards from the Spring recipe card swap from the Magnolia-licious Yahoo Group! What a delightful thing, to find a package in the mail full of handmade recipe cards! My son was sick and home from school, and he had a minute when he passed out, so after taking him to the doctor (he has strep throat---feeling better today!) I wasn't thinking about the recipe cards that I had eagerly been awaiting! Not only did I receive beautiful cards, but I have new recipes to try out!


Today I am sharing my contribution to the swap. I didn't want to spoil the surprise, but now that the cards have been sent, here is Strawberry Pie Tilda!
I was so excited to find the cute little strawberry brad for embellishing (it's by Doodlebug)! I ran out of the ribbon that I used for the swap, so when I made my card, I used a slightly different ribbon. Tilda is done with my Copics, one of my first efforts. I pinched the flowers, because I wanted the embellishments to keep a somewhat low profile, so that the cards could fit into page protectors in an album...that is how I am planning to store them, and enjoy them!
I must say, this recipe is truly one of our family favorites! When I was barely a teenager, a neighbor shared this pie and recipe with us, and that was over 35 years ago! Yikes! I sound so old! Good thing you are only as young as you feel, and generally I feel a lot younger than my actual years! Maybe I keep young by coloring...more sophisticated technique than with the Crayolas of my childhood, but I still love it just as much!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
My hubby is continuing to work on my crafting nook..maybe I'll have pictures after the weekend! I was using it a little, though most of my tools and supplies are not moved in yet.

Mini Card

This is a little card I made from a hÄnglar & stÄnglar image that I received in a swap. I am waiting for the day when these stamps will be available here in the USA!
This is more Copics work for me, and I adore these markers! I have used an off-cut from a 5 1/2-inch square card (cut from 8 1/2 x 11-inch card stock). There is a pretty floral background paper edged with some eyelet lace punching (MS). I used some leftover letter stickers from a scrapbooking project for the outside sentiment. This whole thing is layered onto pink card stock.

Check out the inside:
I've used 2 small strips from the floral paper, punched 2 small daisies from the pink, added blue centers, and stamped the sentiment (SU!) onto blue card. Simple, but an extra surprise when you open the card!
I use these cards when I have a present for someone, or I might use them when I am making a gift of something baked. It dresses up the package better than a bow!

Tilda and the Copics

Sounds like a rock band from the '60's, doesn't it?

I guess it has been a few days since I have posted a new Tilda...I have been busy making recipe cards for the swap that I signed up for on the Magnolia-licious group! It was a blast putting these together, and it is off to the post office first thing to send them on their way to Kay. I feel like a kid in a candy store waiting for the swap cards to arrive! Can you tell this is my first swap?
Anyway, my sweet hubby gave me a set of Copic markers after we returned from our Newport trip, and I wanted to get a little better at using them for the Tilda on the recipe cards. Here is one of my first attempts. The paper was all wrong, so things didn't go the greatest, but I made a little thank-you card using her. I didn't track which markers I used, but I will work on that for future postings.

Tilda and the Copic markers are from
the Magnolia-licious Store.
Sentiment is from SU.
Assorted flowers and brads, designer papers from my stash.

In my next post, I'll show you a little bookmark I made to thank Kay for hosting the swap...my coloring is getting better!