Pink & Yellow...& PRIZES!

Hello sweet friends...I'm soooooo excited to be a part of the "inaugural" challenge for the brand new, uber fun Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog!!! Diana Crick has put together such a fab DT...and, with Candy Mills as our Team Leader, we have all been working very hard these past many weeks getting ready for this very exciting day!!!

We invite all of you to play along with us...we will post a new challenge twice a month - always on Tuesday. The first challenge of the month will be a "Color Challenge"...the second challenge of each month will include some kind of fun "Inspiration." Our first challenge - Pink & Yellow - was chosen by our very own Candy Mills...and we all had such fun with this challenge. I know you will too! Now, if you're worried about not being good enough...I will tell you that you ARE...in fact, you're better than "good enough"!!! So get out your fave Magnolia images...and your markers, pencils, inks, and whatever else you want to use, and prepare to HAVE FUN!!! Oh...I almost forgot...Diana has some great PRIZES for you too!!

Here's the little card that I created for this very first challenge. I just love this little "Oops" Tilda stamp. I used a masking technique so Tilda is standing in front of this very darling antique oven. Both stamps - along with all things Magnolia - are available at Diana's online store, Magnolia-licious. I colored the images with Copic markers...and I paper-pieced Tilda's hat and apron for a fun effect.



Here are some side views:




Oh...and guess what? I made this fun little card for my sweetest friend, Sandy, in NC! She recently had a birthday...and, since she's been one of my biggest cheerleaders, I thought it was perfect for her to receive my very first Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog DT card!! Even tho I couldn't tell her anything about the new Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog...or the "Pink & Yellow" challenge itself. I kept her completely in the dark...and believe me, keeping this all a secret was a real challenge for me!! But...hehehe...I did it!! Am so glad the secret's out now! LOL!!

Here's a very "artsy" view (I know...I'd better not quit my day job to become a photographer! hehehe)!:



Here's a peek at the inside:




So...here's my card "recipe"...
Cardstock: Banana & Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up)
DPs: "Candy Floss" from Wild Rose Studio.
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Ribbon & Pearl "garland" - my stash
Pearl flourishes: ZVA Creatives
Sentiment: Computer generated...I have to credit my sweet hubby with the sentiment! (Besides being handsome, he's soooooo clever!!)
Copics: See photo below.


So, there you have it...Sandy's "29th" birthday card...and my "Pink and Yellow" creation!! Now it's your turn!! We're all excited about this challenge...and can't wait to see your gorgeous and fun creations!!! So...get crackin'!! And, as always, thanks so much for stopping by for a peek at my little blog. See you all soooooon!

Dear Santa...I can explain!

Hi everyone...I hope you're all having the most wonderful autumn weekend!! It's cool and crisp here in Richmond, VA, and the leaves are starting to fall from the trees. This is my fave time of year...yet, no time for autumn cards right now...have to gear up for the winter holidays!! Besides, the holiday Magnolia stamps are just toooooo delicious!! So...today I have a very simple little card featuring "Tilda with Christmas Stockings"...she's from the Winter 2008 Collection.
I'll be honest, I struggled with the design a little...but it finally came together! I'm pretty pleased! I wanted to use pretty "classic" Christmas colors...green and red. Yet...they're not quite as classic as you may think! The "red" cardstock and ink are actually from Stampin' Up...called "Poppy Parade". So here's the deal...I had purchased the yummiest DP from Marianne Design...called "Scandanavian Christmas"...and the Poppy Parade was the only cardstock in my collection of reds that matched!!

Here are a couple of side views...
I made this card as a side-opening card...a bit of a departure for me...since I usually make top-opening cards. But I saw this design featured on Bev Rochester's Blog...and fell in love with the little inside pocket with a secret note enclosed!
Here's the rest of my card "recipe"...
Flowers & green leaves: Wild Orchid Crafts
Snowflake punch: Martha Stewart
Ribbon, "Rubies" & charm: my stash
Lots of Crystal Stickles
Nestabilities dies: Round & Lacy Circles
Cuttlebug embossing folder: Snowflakes
Scrolls: Sizzix dies
Sentiments: Front - JustRite; Inside - Savvy Stamps
Copics: E21, 00, 000, 0000 (skin; R20 & 00 (cheeks); E99, 25, 33, YR21, & YR20 (hair); G28, 24, 21, 20 (jumper & decoration on socks); C1, 0, 00 (blouse, lace, & socks).

I've decided to enter this little darlin' in Just Magnolia's Special Monthly Challenge. The theme is "Anything Goes". So many fab entries already!! Be sure to stop over there and check it out!

So that's it for now...am working on a couple other cards...Sophia & Mia both have birthdays coming up soon...Soph will be 5 and Mimi will be 4!! They're becoming such little ladies...the recent trip to the ER to extract peas from Mimi's nose notwithdtanding!! LOL!! Thanks so much for stopping by for a peek at my little creations...see you soooooooooooooon!!

Magnolia-licious NEW Challenge Blog...

I am so excited to announce (drum roll, pleeeeease) that I have been invited by Diana Crick - owner of Magnolia-licious, my fave place for all things Magnolia - to be on the new Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog's Design Team!! ta-daaaaaa!! How seriously cool is that??!! Thanks Diana...you rock!

Our first challenge will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 9th!! Keeping this all a big secret has been really, really, REALLY hard for me...good thing Tuesday is just a couple of days away because I'm about ready to burst!! LOL! So, please join me and the rest of the amazingly talented DT that Diana has put together...for lots and lots of magnificently magnanimous Magnolia-licious fun!!

Come play in the Sugar Bowl Challenge!!

Hi friends! It's Thursday and you know what that means? Well...it means it's almost the weekend...YAY!! It also means that we have another wonderful challenge over at the Sugar Bowl. And wait 'til you hear about this fortnight's challenge...and the fabby prizes!! That's right...one lucky winner, chosen at random, will win 6 "winter-themed" stamps from Sugar Nellie AND a set of Snowflake pendant dies from Spellbinders!!

So...heehee...I bet that got your attention, huh?? Here's how you can enter to win...

Simply make a card following this awesome sketch by Maria Therese...
and, if you like, you can also incorporate the optional theme of "Ribbons & Bows" into your creation! Remember, you must use at least one Sugar Nellie image...and let me tell you, there are so many fun images to choose from. I'm rather partial to the new Simply Sassy images by Sugar Nellie's new artist, Krista Smith. Here's a card that I just finished using one of the new Simply Sassy images named "Little Light of Mine." Isn't she too adorable?!!! I just love her big green eyes and cute little pug nose..and her great big feet!! (I wear size 11 shoes myself! LOL!!) Here are a couple of views from the sides...
And here's the inside of the card...


And here are a couple of "artsy" views:

And...here's the "recipe" for my little creation:

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, and Real Red (Stampin' Up)
DPs & fabric: from Stampin' Up's "Candy Cane" Christmas Collection
Buttons: SU
"Rubies" & charm: my stash
Sentiments: Just Rite stamps
Nestabilities dies: Spellbinders
Copics: E21, 00, 000, 0000 (skin); R20 (cheeks); E19, 17, 15, 13, & 11 (hair); R02, 02, 00, 000 (Peach pinafore, candle, & socks); BG72, 11, 10, 000, 0000 (dress & slippers); G20, 24, 28 (eyes); E35, 53, 50, R32, 39 (bear); YR23, Y17, 11, 00, 000, 0000 (candle flame), and W1 & 00 (shadows).

So, that's it for today. Thanks so much for stopping by...and do check out Sugar Nellie for the cutest and sweetest stamps in Scotland! I'll see you soon...but for now, I'm off to work! Have a beautiful day....

My new signature...

Hi again...one last post for the weekend. Ooooh...I just realized, it's almost November too!! Anyway, I'm just so proud of myself that I needed to share my excitement with all of you!! So...besides making two fun cards this weekend...and finally feeling like a human being after a week-long bout of some kind of respiratory bug...I miraculously figured out how ro put watermarks on my photos!! And...I just now figured out how to add this uber cool signature to my posts! YAY me!! Hope you enjoy it half as much as I do!! Have a great week!!

Happy Halloweeeeeeeen!!

Hi again!! Well...it's Halloween and we're getting ready for all the little trick-or-treaters!! (I hope we don't have too many goblins...I would love to get into that candy myself! LOL!) Anyway, being the weekend and all, it seemed only right that I make another card! No sense making a Halloween card tho, since I've already mailed all of those out! So I decided to make another Christmas card! This one features a darling little image from Lili of the Valley Stamps. I absolutely love these little images...each one is cuter than the last!! I actually followed a very clever sketch by Bev Rochester and will enter this card in the LOTV Challenge # 71 HERE.
Here's a very artistic side view! :-) And another view...this one of the inside. Here's my recipe:
Cardstock: Cranberry Crisp, Always Artichoke, & Very Vanilla (Stampin' Up)
DPs, ivy leaves, & sentiment "tickets": Holly Jolly set (from My Mind's Eye
Flower Soft: Christmas Green
Fun Flock for the fur trim on his hat
Stickles, Spica pens, and Ribbon & Pearls: my stash
I used Copics to color the image...but I lost track...I stopped counting after 45! YIKES!!! The markers were flying fast & furious!! LOL!

So that's it for today...next up...hmmm...maybe another holiday card featuring Tilda! We'll just have to wait and see! Thanks so much for stopping by...and as always, thank you so much for your kind comments! Have a beautiful week!! Pat

Holiday Pink & Pearls

Hi friends...it's the weekend. YAY!!! That means I get to hang out with my sweet hubby AND it means I get to spend some time in my craftroom...YAY again! Here's a cute little Christmas card that I just finished and wanted to share with you. I chose some really beautiful DP from October Afternoon called "Sing the Carols" that I picked up at a local craft shop in town. I just love this design...actually, it's double-sided...with music on one side and pink with ivory snowflakes on the other side...so it's perfectly color-coordinated! I thought it would be perfect for Totally Tilda's "Pink and Pearls" challenge HERE. I used a sweet little image...some of you may recognize her...her name is...TILDA (teehee)!!!! Actually she's called "Vintage Tilda" and is from the "Very Merry Little Christmas 2010" collection. I have Tilda sitting on top of a "Magnolia" Christmas Ornament...both images can be found at Magnolia-licious. Don't you just love Tilda's freckles?!! I do!! Perfect little angel kisses on the bridge of her nose...er, that is, if she actually had a nose!

So here's the rest of the "recipe" I used in making this little card:
Cardstock: Very Vanilla & Cherry Cobbler (SU)
Lace square, circle, & snowflake dies: Nestabilities
Snowflake punch: Martha Stewart
Snowflake edge paper punch: EK
"Merry Christmas" sentiment: SU
Inside Christmas sentiment: Just-Rite
Stickles & Polar White Flower Soft
Ribbon, pearls, and flowers: my stash
Ink for sentiments & edging around image: Cherry Cobbler from SU
Copic Sketch Markers (see photo below) I should also tell you that I spent nearly all day trying to figure out how to get the cute little watermark (available from Whimsy Stamps) on my photos. No, it's not really a difficult process...for most humans on the planet Earth...but for me...another major accomplishment. YAY ME!!! So...I hope you enjoy this little card...and, as always, thanks soooooo much for stopping by for a peek! See you soon...Pat

Winter Fun at LOTV Stamps...

Hello again...I'm back with another holiday card!! I know it's not even Halloween yet...but I need to get started on holiday cards!! I used the traditional red & green for this little card with a bit of aqua and peach thrown in to go with these yummy "Candy Cane Christmas Collection" DPs from Stampin' Up! I chose the most darling little Lili of the Valley stamp. I am soooooo in love with these little girls & boys! This particular one reminds me of our youngest granddaughter, Mia. We call her Mimi...you may recall from earlier posts that Mimi likes to wear tutus!! So...oh, wait, a quick sidebar here...I just found out that Mimi took a trip to the hospital's ER after sticking a pea up her nose! YIKES!!! I'm sure she's ok...although I think I'll call her today and see what motivated her to try out that new little trick!!

But I digress...the card...I'm actually entering this little darlin' into this week's LOTV Challenge. The theme is Winter Fun!! I think this fits!!
Here's my recipe:
Cardstock: Garden Green & White from SU
DPs, fabric, & button: SU
Copics: see photo below; plus I used E21, 00, 000, 0000 for skin
Ribbon & rubies (LOL...just kidding): my stash
Nestabilities Round Lace Die with silver Holiday Ribbon woven through it
Frosted Lace Stickles & Polar White Flower Soft for snow & falling snowflakes
White fun flock: for the pom pom on her hood Thanks so much for stopping by and for all your sweet comments. I love hearing from all of you. Until next time...happy crafting!! Pat

Guest Designer for 7 Kids...

Hi friends...oooh...I'm so excited to have been chosen as a Guest Designer for this fortnight's challenge over at 7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog!! The theme this time is an easy and timely one for me since my daughter's birthday is coming up the first week in November!!
Amy will be 38...which means I can no longer tell people I'm in my forties! LOL!! So...I chose some yummy DPs from Memory Box called "Spiceberry"...and then picked a delightful little image from Whiff of Joy called "Willow with Hot Chocolate". It seemed perfect for Amy because she is truly a "supermom" and is always doing things for everyone else and seldom takes time to just sit and enjoy even a few moments over a warm beverage! (Keep in mind, she lives in AZ...so cold weather hasn't hit quite yet. But still...she needs to relax once in a while!!) So, since fall is in the air over much of this country, I decided to go with a fall/winter theme.

Here are a couple of photos from the sides...
And, a pic of the inside of the card...you have to look hard to see the cute little "cup" charm... Here's my card "recipe":

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler (one of their yummy new colors!)& Very Vanilla (SU)
Flowers: Prima
Pearls & Flourishes: from ZVA (Tab carries them at 7 Kids)
Sentiment: Just Rite Stamps
Ribbon & charm: stash
Copic Sketch Markers: E21, 00, 000, 0000 (skin); R20 (cheeks); G85, 82, 20 (sweater & sox); E07 & 02 (flowers in jeans); E25, 99, 33, YR21, 20, & E50 (hair); B05, 02, 00, 000 (mug); C5, 3, 2, 1, 0, 00 (jeans), and a little W3 to tone down some of the brightness in the sweater.

Thanks so much for stopping by...and a big, BIG THANKS to Tab and the Design Team over at 7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog....it's always fun playing along with all of you uber talented ladies!! Pat

Sugar Bowl Challenge # 46....

Hi friends...I just got back from a conference in Chicago...it was such fun...Chicago is an amazing city...especially if you're a "foodie"! My sweet hubby and I ate at some of the most amazing restaurants while we were there...my fave was a place named "Tru". We had a 9-course meal...little tastes of all kinds of spectacular goodies...PLUS we had "pre-dessert", "dessert", and then "after dessert" sweeties!! Yum! Oh, and speaking of sweeties...here's my first card created in my new role as a "Sweetie" DT member for The Sugar Bowl Challenge!! Challenge # 46 is Marlene's sketch and theme..."for the boys"!
Now, I know, boy cards can sometimes be challenging...but get this, the prize (chosen by random drawing) is uber fab!!

* a 6-stamp pick'n'mix of Sugar Nellie Stamps (wait til you see some of their new, seriously irresistable Simply Sassy stamps HERE)

AND

* a set of Spellbinders "Eyelet Sqaures" Nestabilities!!

So you definitely do NOT want to miss this Sugar Bowl challenge!!You can find more info on this challenge HERE. I had such fun with this little Sugar Nellie image by Diane Duda called "Puppy Dog Tails". I think he's kinda cute!! You can get him HERE.

So...here's the rest of my card "recipe"...

Cardstock: Dusty Durango, Garden Green, Very Vanilla, & Black from Stampin' Up
DPs: Cosmo Cricket "Matilda" Collection
Ribbon: Dusty Durango and Garden Green button (SU)
Inks (background & edging): Garden Green & Not Quite Navy (SU) and Memento black
Copic Sketch Markers (see photo below)
Grass: Flower Soft Shamrock Green & Nut Brown
Sentiment: Stampin Up "Teeny Tiny Wishes"
Charm: Bunny Zoe's (I think) So, that's all for now...thanks so much for stopping by for a visit. I'll see you all soon...and best of luck with this fun "for the boys" challenge! Pat

Wooohoooo!!

Hi friends...I just needed to brag a bit! I entered that cute little card with Edwin choking, er...I mean hugging, Tilda into this week's 7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog...and the card was chosen as one of the top 3!! Plus...and this is soooo cool...I've been invited to be a Guest Designer in the next challenge!! Thanks so much for visiting. See you all soon. Pat

7 Kids Challenge # 5

Hi friends. Happy Monday! Yes...I should be at work but I just needed to post this before I head into the office. I made this sweet little card for my mother-in-law. You may remember, she just celebrated her 91st b-day! She's busy swimming and line dancing and volunteering with Hospice. Plus, she belongs to a dance team that performs for people in nursing homes! I should have HALF of her energy!! LOL! But...I digress...back to the card... You may remember this little Tilda & Edwin image from the Autumn collection. I think it's called "Brother & Sister"...but, I swear, I never EVER got this close to any of my brothers when I was a kid! hehehe! Anyway...I thought they made a perfect Halloween image...they look just a wee bit frightened! I paired this image with Magnolia's Oak Tree image...and will enter it into 7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog for Challenge # 5 HERE. Here's a close-up of Tilda & Edwin. Here's a side view (sorry, a little blurry)...I doubled up on my dimensionals to really prop Tilda & Edwin out from the card. I like the result. Inside & back of the card. Here's my recipe...
Cardstock: Stampin Up black
DPs: Cosmo Cricket "Matilda"
Spider web punch: Martha Stewart
Flowers, ribbon, & rhinestones: My stash
Sentiment: SU "Teeny Tiny Wishes"
Flower Soft: Autumn (leaves); Shamrock Green mixed with a little Nut Brown (grass)
Glossy accents: Tilda's "Mary Janes"
Here's a pic of the Copics I used. I will tell you that I used E21, 00, 000, & 0000 for skin; E25, 99, 33, & YR 21 and 20 for the hair; and E59, 25, 33, 99, & 53 for the tree bark. Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to stop by for a visit...and thanks for your comments...they mean so much to me! Have a beautiful day/night (wherever you are). See you soon...Pat