Yay...Challenges Galore!

I've been so busy getting ready for the holidays that I've not been able to find much papercrafting time but am back full throttle and plan to keep the mojo flowing! Here's my second card in as many days for another couple wonderful Magnolia challenges...I just love the colors of the challenge at Magna-licious and decided to use it on this most untraditional Christmas giftcard holder.
I made the card for my sweet DIL Michelle for her pollyanna for next weekend's family Christmas celebration here at my home. It's also an easel card. As I was editing these photos, I thought about the composition of the card and think those I like best are usually distressed and/or a montage that looks like things fell out of a drawer on to the cardstock. I think this one's in that category.

This was my first time inking up my new "Secret" Tilda. I love this stamp because it works so well for Christmas and birthdays. For a little fun I used Glossy Accents on the box bow to give it a little pizzazz. I hope you can see it in the photos.
In addition to the Tilda stamp I used Whimsy Christmas sentiments, and a $1 stamp from the craft store. The materials included Bazzill cardstock I cut with Nestabilities, MS snowflake & evergreen punch, with lots of embellies tossed in that include Recollection snowflake buttons, Prima flowers & centers, K & Co. felt stickers, foam glittery snowflakes from a $1 bin at the craft store and Imaginisce's Christmas Cottage (I won the whole collection with a challenge on Facebook.) plus scraps of paper. That about covers it. I used Copics for coloring Tilda and highlighting the "Don't Open Til..." stamp. If I can identify Copic colors please shoot me an email!
I'm entering these challenges:
Magnalicious - Pink/Blue/Green challenge (ends Dec. 21st)
Just Magnolia - Challenge 85, Make a Christmas Card (ends Dec. 16th)
ABC DT Challenge, Untraditional Holiday Colors (ends Dec. 17th)

Just Magnolia Challenge

True to form, I am last minute entering a challenge over at the Just Magnolia blog where the theme is "anything goes" with beads. The card I'm entering has been a work in progress forever, it seems! You know, one of those things you picture in your head but it just doesn't work out? I bought the lovely Anna Griffin ivory paper with glittery silver snowflake several weeks back and instantly the color scheme worked out in my head but getting a design down was harder and this card is a diversion from what I planned but I like the outcome and have added it to my stack to send off to far flung family and friends this Christmas.



I decided to only use the upper half of Tilda which I colored with Copics. The double layered ovals were cut from my Cricut. The little "Let It Snow" stamp is a $1 Mary Englebreit design. The faux crystal snowflake is a beaut I won in an Imaginisce challenge some weeks back. Each crystal has 2 holes so I added a dangle glass bead to finish things. I've been using safety pins to attach little doodads to ribbons forever and thought it was meant to be for this card. The tulle for my bow was a find this weekend at a craft store north of the beach town where we have a place and will work well for Christmas and the beachy things I like to make all year!

The interesting ivory base is Bazzill Bling which I punched with the MS Princess border set. A large snowflake with diamond Stickles, a couple Prima flowers, and punched pink glittery MS brances are icing on the cake.


Please be sure to stop back November 13th when I will be participating in the OWH bloghop!

Triple Play!!!

Today, I'm entering three challenges with my new and improved Christmas stocking card.
The challenges are:
Magnolia Lovers - Lace theme, ends 10/9
Just Magnolia - 2x2 (pairs of things), ends 10/14. Can you find the 5 pairs I used on the card??
All That Scraps #2 Magnolia Challenge, Christmas Scene

For the card I used a vintage Magnolia Santa stamp which was colored with Copic markers and a $1 vintage "Do Not Open Til Christmas" stamp from one of the big 3 craft stores. Everything was from my stash of DP and vintage trims...nothing new went into the making of this card! The base card is a 5x7 ivory invitation from early Martha Stewart that I cut into my desired shape and recycled. It can be glued shut to make a sweet stocking for giftcards and moola or a greeting can be added to the interior to make it a regular Christmas card. The green base Santa rests on is also a perfect sized pocket for giftcards. Look for more of this shape card from me as the holidays approach. I LOVE it!

* Magnolia Challenges Galore *

To start I am entering this sweet little Tilda Christmas card in the great challenge featured at Just Magnolia Challenge #74 using their wonderful Dawny sketch below. My second entry goes for the first time to Magnolia Down Under whose Challenge #65 is titled "flowers & lace"...perfect for this card sweet Tilda too! My card was a huge stretch for me as I generally subscribe to the philosphy that "less is more" and really struggle with adding lots of embellishments.

For my entry I set out to recreate with my Copic markers a distressed/vintage-look like those using Distress Inks as watercolors. I'm pleased with the outcome and hope it translates in my photos taken on this dreary day on the East Coast!

Triple Challenge...Oh my!!

Here's my 5.5" square card interpretation of the wonderful Dawny P. sketch for challenge #68 which I will enter at #68 Just Magnolia, #3 Totally Tilda and Flutter By Wednesday also:



This is the sketch I followed for this card:

The recipe:
-5.5" square purple card
-Basic Grey Wisteria & misc. solid scraps of cardstock
-Neenah solar white centerpiece background cardstock
-Anna Griffin lavendar stamp pad (centerpiece background images)
-Color Box wisteria stamp pad (antique cardstock edges)
-Offray 5/8" wire-edge lavendar ribbon
-Brass butterfly stamped charm from my vintage stash of charms
-Diamond Stickles to highlight wings & back ground
-Copic markers

Stamps used: Magnolia Butterfly Tilda, G Studio i.Cling Hydrangea, Basic Grey Hydrangea, TPC sentiment

Hurry...Just Magnolia challenge ends 8/19 at 8 pm UK! Flutter By ends Tuesday evening August 17th! Totally Tilda starts new on the 2nd Sunday and you can enter up to 4 times per month. Flutter By is a weekly Weds. challenge.

Edwin Challenge

"Fangtastic" has a clear iridescent coating that doesn't photograph so well!
I don't have many boys in my family so this vintage Dracula Edwin is my only stamp unless we count Edwin's Snowman! The card was created for the Magnolia Stamp Lovers Challenge. He made a great little Halloween card and I can't wait to make more with my old iron fence stamp. The sentiment is by Stampendous.

My watch word is "conserve" so I'm trying to use up my stash of paper & embellishments. I didn't purchase anything new for this card...my DH would be so proud!

I enjoyed adding subtle distressed touches to the card along with a cute little bat button! The jack-o-lantern rests on a bed of black branches with a green wire vine. The 2 shades of orange brads fill an empty corner and balances out the card. They are from the same set of old Halloween brads by Queen & Co. This little Edwin was a mixed media man...his cape was paper pieced, along with an assortment of gray & flesh Copics and, since my collection isn't big just yet, I did his hair with gray Copics and watercolor pencils. I've learned through trial and error that purchasing a black Copic was a waste, I don't like the look of solid black and it doesn't shade well. The sentiment, pumpkin & Edwin were all pop-dotted to add some fun dimension to the 5.5" square black card.

I made this fun little stocking for two challenges! Just Magnolia's #65 Vintage and a double-pocket All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge. It was a fun endeavor for sure and quick too!

I sketched a freehand stocking on a 5" x 8" card and cut around both layers making two sides of the main pocket, then traced & cut pieces to decorate the front side from MME's The Merry Days of Christmas collection. The cuff was trimmed with old lace, ribbon & a button from my stash. I notched the top with a partial cut from a circle punch to make taking items out of the stocking easier and stitched the toe/heel & around the outside of the stocking. A diecut from the same MME collection was used to make the front pocket which was sewn to a layer of green cardstock, 3 corners were punched, brads added & glued in place on card top to finish. The edges of the main section were glued leaving the top open for stuffing with loot!

My vintage Tilda Santa rubber stamp was hand colored with Copics and pop-dotted him on the small outer pocket. The seal, also a Tilda rubberstamp, warns all little children that "Santa is Coming to Town". I decorated a grungy tag by 7 Gypsy's added Prima flowers and MS punched evergreens along with some vintage buttons & ribbon. The ruler was made long ago for a back to school project. I thought it looked perfect inside!

What a perfect Christmas stocking for any boy or girl with double pockets for a giftcard, lollipops and loot...I know a bunch of little ones in my family who are getting this at Christmas!!