It's the Magnolia-licious Back to School Blog Hop!

Hello Lovely Readers,

Oh, August is just flying by, isn't it? The kids here are already back in school and most moms are getting things done that they had put on the back burner while their sweeties were home for the summer! Where does the time go?

It's the third Monday of the month and that means it's Magnolia-licious Blog Hop time! The theme for August is "Back to School!" We'd love to see a Back to School gift for a teacher or student! The sky is the limit, and what a great topic, too! If you've reached my blog via the effervescent and extremely talented Suzanne Dean's Scrap Bitz Blog, then you are where you are supposed to be! If not, you'll want to start back at the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog so you don't miss a single fantastic creation by the gals on the Magnolia-licious Design Team!

I'd love to share my project with you! It has lots of components, so there will be tons of photos! Let's take a look, shall we?

In this photo, you see the first in a series of teacher gifts. Inside the box are even more goodies for this year's teacher. Now for the closeups:

Here are close ups of the vase:

Now for close ups of the box and Tilda:

Here is the card that goes with the set. The darling little alphas are from DIE-VERSIONS as is the frame on the interior left panel. The book stack and pencil stamps are Magnolia.The flowers are from Hooked on Craft.

Are you still with me? I told you there would be a ton of photos! Let's see what was in the box:

I had fun with these components. The first item is a notepad that is handy for taking to a staff meeting as well as jotting down things that need to be remembered. After teaching for 32 years, it's easy to forget things during the hectic times. So, having a little notebook helps keep you on track. Here is a close up of the notebook:

Next is a journaling duo. Inside the container are strips of journaling prompts. The little notebook goes with the prompts. I thought it would be a nice keepsake.

Here is a listing of the stamps used in my project. Please contact Diana at Magnolia-licious if you are interested in adding any of these precious stamps to your collection.

Editor Tilda
Tilda with Pencils
Apple
Books Stacked High - Fall '07 Collection
Edwin with Pen - Fall '07 Collection
Tilda with Pencils - So Heavenly/School/Travel Collection '08
School Pencil - So Heavenly/School/Travel Collection '08
School Ruler - So Heavenly/School/Travel Collection '08
Tilda with Slate - So Heavenly/School/Travel Collection '08
Tilda Writing in Diary - Raising the Ceiling Collection
Books with Wrapper - So Heavenly/School/ Travel Collection '08

If you are unfamiliar with MAGNOLIA-LICIOUS, let me tell you how wonderful Diana is. Her prices are wonderful and the customer care is fantastic! There are perks, too! Visit MAGNOLIA-LICIOUS to find out more! You won't be disappointed! Oh, and Magnolia-liciouscarries various dies as well as Score-Pal products!

The next stop on the MAGNOLIA-LICIOUS Back to School Blog Hop is that of the always amazing CHERYL ROWLEY at Cottage Creations! As always, Cheryl's work is to die for! You don't want to miss it!

I'll be drawing a name from those who leave comments. Whomever's name is drawn will get a little special something from me! I love surprising some lucky gal!

I hope you will join us by creating a wonderful Back to School special something for the teacher or student in your life. The Design Team has provided tons of wonderful spring board ideas to get your creative juices going! I can't wait to see what you create! The complete details may be found on the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog!

XO,
Chris

I would like to enter all or any part, LOL, of this collection into the following challenges:

Lexi's Creations #72 - ends 8/31 - Back to School

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - ends 8/23 - Fall **I hope my Back to School theme counts as Fall since kids go back to school at that time.**

One Stitch at a Time#127 -ends 8/25 - Back to School

Just Magnolia #170 - ends 8/23 - Back to School

Cute Card Thursday #230 - ends 8/22 - Back to School

My Sheri Crafts #92 - ends 8/29 - Back to School

Simply Create Too #20 ends 8/30 - Back to School

Tailor Tilda Sends Sew Much Love

Hello Sweet Readers,

Well, it's Friday! Woo Hoo! Party on!

Before I get into anything else, I want to announce who won the blog comment prize - it's you -

***Christina C.***

Christina, please e-mail your address to me (link on the right) and I'll get your prize out to you! Congrats!

Today, I would like to share a card that has been in my mind for at least two years! So many things leave my mind on a daily basis, but this thought managed to stick around! LOL I saw this card design at Waltzing Mouse Stamps so long ago. I ordered the stamp set way back then and just held on to it until.....TAILOR TILDA came out in the Turning Leaves Collection. I decided to use the sewing seamed stamp set for a birthday card featuring Tailor Tilda. Here is the final result:

This was a real labor of love. There are soooooooooooooooooooo many components to that flower arrangement! Want to know a secret? I did them twice! I had stamped them in black the first time and thought the black was too overpowering. So, I redid each and every component using a softer grey. Live and learn! Good thing I find the technique of cutting things out relaxing! Otherwise, I'd go nuts! LOL Some of the flowers have been elevated on pop dots. I'd like to thank whomever thought of the pink and blue card challenge as well as each of you that created a pink and blue card for that challenge. I loved the color scheme and thought I'd put it to use on this card.

Here are shots of the interior:

I hope the recipient likes the card. I know I like the colors. That Tilda is just adorable! Diana at MAGNOLIA-LICIOUS is currently out of this stamp, but if you contact her, I'm sure she'd order one for you. Her prices are wonderful!

Now, you know I love your comments sooooo much! I think I'll do the same thing this time around regarding a special somethin' somethin' for one lucky gal who leaves a comment. Leave a little verbal love. I'll count up the comments and ask DS who lives in Portland to pick a number. Whichever number he picks will be the lucky winner! That's what I did this time, so you can scowl at him, LOL!

Love you guys! Thanks for stopping by!

XO,
Chris

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Craft Punked #33 ends 8/23 - Flower Power

Stampin' With the Dragon ends 8/24 - Anything but a square or rectangle

Moving Along With the Times ends 8/29 - anything but a square

Stamp and Create ends 9/2 - Stitch It Up

Simon Says Stamp and Show - ends 8/19 - Favorite Technique

Lovely Hanglar or Sweet Magnolia #49 - ends 8/17 - Flowers

Tilda's Grillin' While Chillin'

Hello Sweet Readers,

Nothing much has been happening since I last wrote. Life is just moving along at a nice pace with no problems! Life is good!

I have a cute little card to share with you today. I was thinking about how we gather with friends over the BBQ during the summer months and thought it might be nice to create a grill themed thank you card featuring our sweet Burger Tilda. I know that one of my friends would love a hostess thank you! I got my stamp at MAGNOLIA-LICIOUS. I know that Diana would be more than happy to order one for you as I think she is out of Burger Tilda at the present. She may have already reordered them, so check with her. It is such an adorable stamp and would make a great addition to your collection! I just think it is one of the best themes for summer cards. Check it out!

My flowers are from Hooked on Craft. This Australian flower source ships worldwide, so take a look at Karen's lovely flowers! I just love them and am so addicted!

Now for the card! Here is a photo of the front:

Isn't she just the cutest stamp? I don't know why the bun looks red. It is definitely a shade of brown, LOL. I had this BBQ stamp and thought it was a good pairing in size with the Tilda image. Gosh, I just noticed that the hot dog looks red and the burger looks charred! LOL No, they aren't those colors IRL! The paper I used is from my scrapbooking days and is filled with BBQ related words. Too bad I had to cover them all up, LOL! That's one less thing in my paper stash!

Here is the inside:

I was going through a container looking at my charms and came across this plastic slide holder. It was in a baggie filled with slide cases in several different colors. So, I chose the yellow one and used it to "frame" the metal spatula charm. One less thing in my stash! Using it made no dent! LOL. On the right side of the card, I chose to use the Magnolia BBQ which you can find at MAGNOLIA-LICIOUS HERE. I thought the size better suited the interior as an accent.

I hope you liked my latest card. Thank you so much for stopping by. I love your comments and hope that you will leave one for me. Next Wednesday, I will draw a name from those who left comments. The person whose name is drawn will receive a somthin' somethin' from me! Woo Hoo! Please come back soon!

XO,
Chris

Autumn Splendor's Tilda with Beets and Carrots

Happy August 1st Sweet Readers,

Oh, how time is flying by! Remember when we were kids and the days just seemed to drag by? Now that I'm older, I wish I could slow down time!

I have had the privilege of being asked to be August's Guest Designer at Magnolia-licious,! I am pinching myself, I'm so thrilled! Never in a million years did I anticipate THAT happening!

Our hostess this month, Diana, has chosen the theme "Autumn Splendor" for the Monthly Challenge at the Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog. I would love to see you participate in this challenge! Diana has the best prizes ever! This month, you are playing for a $25.00 Gift Certificate to the Magnolia-licious store! Woo Hoo! Now, here are the rules:

You must create something using the current theme, Autumn Splendor. You have until August 31 to post your project. Your project MUST include at least one Magnolia stamp and must be a NEW creation.

I decided to create a card to go with an Autumn themed birdcage! LOL Here are the images for my first project this month.

I filled the interior of the birdcage with Autumn colored flowers, gourds, and pine cones. Then, I created a tag using the larger version of the Autumn Wishes stamp. The link leads you to the mini version of the sentiment. I'm sure Diana would be happy to order one for you. I also used one of the Autumn Sunflowers from the new Turning Leaves Collection. I stacked two of the flowers and separated them using dimensionals. Next, I cut a third one apart. I elevated the center portion of the flower using another dimensional and cut out random petals which I partially glued to the flower below. This allowed me to curl the petals.Here's a closeup:

Now for the card. All of the stamps are available at Magnolia-licious. I started by using the Turning Leaves Collection Stamp, Tilda with Carrots. I wanted to add some red beets to the basket because some of the carrots looked like beet tops to me, LOL. Also used is another stamp set from this collection on the cover. It is Autumn Oak Leaf and Acorn. I also stacked the lower right center acorn. There is a hidden tag under the mat. Here is the image:

Want to see the inside?

I love texture, so the addition of the burlap strip was essential for me! The Tilda stamp is "Tilda with Magnolia Branch" from the Summer Memories 2012 Collection. Diana doesn't have any in stock right now, but I know she will order it for you! I covered the magnolia flowers in Tilda's hand with little acorns I had in my stash. They were a perfect fit and matched the theme! Once again, I used the Sunflower stamp with dimensionals. I also used the autumn leaf and acorn set.

I hope you like my project. Please feel free to leave a comment if you wish. I treasure your precious words. Thank you for visiting. I hope you will return soon!

XO,
Chris

Congratulations, Birthday Tilda

Hello Dear Readers,

Here I am again with a card to share with you.

The new challenge at Hooked on Craft this month has the theme "LET'S CELEBRATE!" How fun is that? There are so many ways people celebrate, and we'd love to see a creation from you using this theme! This challenge will run from July 30 until August 25. So, you have plenty of time to create something wonderful! Here is the prize that Karen has for one lucky gal:

I just ordered some of these leaves for Fall cards. They are really versatile! I love the colors. I hope you will join in the Hooked on Craft Challenge!

This card features a fabulous die by Die-Versions. This die is one of the Solo Sentiments Line Dies. You can see the full line HERE. Die-Versions are fabulous dies that cut well have the capability of also embossing (when done with care, though)

The beautiful flowers throughout my card come from Hooked on Craft. I have typed specific product links beneath each page of the card. These flowers are absolutely GORGEOUS! The colors are breathtaking as are the types of flowers. Visit Karen's site and check it out! New varieties and colors are always being added to the store. Karen ships to the USA, too!

The stamped image is available through
Magnolia-licious. This stamp is "Congratulations Tilda" from the You Are So Special Collection

Here is my card:

Does that catch your eye or what? LOL I couldn't resist the urge to use this lovely blue glittered cardstock for the die cut. You cannot see it well, but the white mat behind the sentiment has also been embossed in a plaid texture. It looks great in real life! I also added a die cut in turquoise glittered cardstock. This has been elevated on a pop dot. I enhanced the card with machine stitching.

Here are the links to the elements found on the front of the card:
Die-Versions Solo Sentiment - Congratulations

Aqua Tiger Lilies
White Daffodil
Light Green Daffodil

Here are the images for the interior of the card. Links for the flowers and stamp are listed after the images.

Congratulations Tilda from the You are So Special Collection
Magnolia Doohickey Die - Doily Flowers

Aqua Star Flowers
Green Daffodils
White Aster

Magnolia Doohickey Die - Doily Flowers
Green Daffodils
Aqua Star Flowers

The photos don't seem to show the rich colors found on the paper and on the flowers. I don't know why they aren't showing well on Blogger, but on my computer, they are very vivid. I give up!

Thank you so much for stopping by. Please visit the shops I've listed and see what wonderful treasures you will find!

Love to you,
Chris

Tilda says, "Hello" or "Goodbye"

Hello Dear Readers,

I bet you thought I had fallen off the planet? Naw, I'm still here! I have been so busy creating cards! There just aren't enough hours in the day!

Last week was so unexciting. The temps outside were 114° for at least three days. Needless to say, Murphy's Law kicked in and, sure enough, our air conditioner decided to be uncooperative! On Tuesday, it stopped sending out cool air about noon. It began working again about 11 PM and took over two hours to cool down the house! The stinker decided that it would have an encore performance on Wednesday. Remember, it was 114° outside! We called the repair man again who came out in the afternoon. It was then that he gave us the bad news. On Thursday, we didn't have air because it took all day to put in a new unit! Our new baby has a Seer Efficiency Rating of 16 (whatever that means)! It was time. We would have gone to a hotel, but we chose to stay and suffer with our fur babies. Poor little things. They found cool spots on the tile. I worked during the heat. I think it made me more productive! LOL I "Went Ninja" a couple of times on my DH - I did apologize, LOL! I guess the Italian in me kicked in, and my heat tormented short fuse blew!

Are you ready for some cards? The first card I'd like to share with you features our sweet Tilda waving hello or goodbye to someone special who is in the military. Here she is:

I added red foiled cardstock as well as blue glittered cardstock to make the card have that special festive touch. Her hankie has been covered with a microfine glitter to add sparkle. There is also a touch of glitter on her tear.Some of the flowers have been imported from Australia. You can find them at Hooked on Craft.

Here is the inside of the card:

The banner is backed with red foil cardstock while the sentiment is backed with the blue glittered cardstock. I also added tiny red, clear, and blue rhinestones to the corner die cuts.

This time, I chose to complete the back panel of the card. It features a pocket for a personal note. Here it is:

I hope you liked it. Here is the next one to share with you!

The next card doesn't have anything Magnolia on it, so if you don't want to know about it, stop reading here, LOL!

This card features a wonderful line of dies called Die-Versions. Visit their website here to see their gorgeous dies! The die I chose to use is called Precious Cargo. Here is the image:

I made the flowers out of white glittered cardstock so that they sparkle. The center of each flower has a teeny tiny pearl. There is also a hidden tag under the mat.

Here are the inside shots:

The inside is very basic. I just love the embossed stamp carriage in the center of the photo. You can find it here. The stamp is one of a set of four that comes with, not only the four little embossing folders, but the cutting die as well. It is a limited edition. Happy Scrappin' only has a few in stock, so take a peek. It is such a nice addition to a card. I also added tiny pearls to the hub of the wheels. I used imported papers for this card. I fell in love with the softness of the color and had to order some.

Quite a while ago, I had written something that ruffled the feathers of a reader. She sent me an extremely snotty e-mail, which I thought was odd since I didn't know this person. The issue that upset her, in my mind, was something many of us automatically do - do more for others if we can. My husband and I live by that philosophy. People who know us know that we are very caring and giving people. When I ordered this paper, I inadvertently ordered two sets of the paper. Since it isn't sold in the USA, I wrote to the person who had ripped into me and offered her the second pack of paper. It was an effort to extend an olive branch. I just don't like upsetting others. I explained who I was and basically said that we should just agree to disagree. Then, I explained that my purpose in writing was to offer her the second set of paper because I had noticed that she uses that particular brand many times on her cards. She never answered. This sure told me a lot! I don't get it. Why stay in a snit? Life is so short.

Tomorrow, I go in for another eye procedure. This time, it's on my dominant eye. If you are reading this, and would like to say a little prayer, please do. I'm a bit worried that my vision will leave me unable to see at my current level of sight. I'm in the Lord's hands. I hope it goes well. My poor eyes have just been so beaten up by repeated surgeries over the last 20 years in an attempt to save my vision. It's been quite a battle. It's frustrating because I cannot control it.

OK, I've bored you enough! I hope you will come back again! I love your visits and your comments. I treasure each one.

XO, Chris

I would like to enter my cards into the following challenges:

Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog - photo inspiration - ends July 25

Two Magnolia Cards to Share

Hello sweet readers,

It's nice to see you again! I am so glad that you've stopped by! Pull up a chair and let's chat!

How has your week been? Ours has been hot. Our state has had so many wild fires, too, due to wind, human error, and a lack of rain. It's heartbreaking to see the thousands and thousands of acres of trees going up in flames. People have lost homes, animals, their lives. I applaud the fire fighters who so valiantly fight to save anything in the path of the fiery monsters that are ravaging the hill sides. It's just so heart breaking.

I saw a new Opthamologist about my vision. I'm going in to have a procedure on Thursday and then have it repeated on the other eye the following Thursday. It seems that, after I had my cataracts removed, there is a clouding in the fluid between the implant and my own lens. So, using a laser, little holes will be made to drain the cloudy fluid. It's supposed to be a "no brainer" of a procedure. I just hope I don't sneeze while the laser is doing it's thing! LOL That would be SOOOOOO uncool! LOL

This month, our challenge at Hooked on Craft is Christmas in July! OK, I have to admit that it's so hard to think Christmas when the outside temp is "a hundred and stupid!" I was had a hard time on this challenge, LOL. I just want the pool, cool temps, and cold drinks! For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, I expect gorgeous cards with lovely wintery themes! Do it for me! LOL. What are you playing for? How about this:

How cool is that? Think of the gorgeous flowers you can get from Karen's shop! Oh, her flowers are just amazing and so pretty! The colors are fantastic as is the variety of flowers. You know my first love are the Calla Lilies, but, I have to tell ya, the Tiger Lilies are creeping up into first place in my book!

OK, here are the details - The challenge runs from July 2 to July 28, 2012. Please have Christmas as the theme of your card or layout. Then, upload your project HERE

OK, here is my card. For this card, I chose to use the Magnolia Sweden ornament stamp. I stamped it with embossing ink and then heat embossed each ornament using green, gold, and red embossing powders. It looks really cool IRL. I also embossed the sentiment and elevated it with pop dots. I chose the dotted paper because the colors matched the colors of the ornaments and the shapes matched the Christmas bulbs. I added a touch of sheer, gold trimmed ribbon for a more festive look.

Here are the links to the amazing flowers available at Hooked on Craft

Large White Gardenia

Two Tone Red and Yellow Tiger Lilies

Medium Green Mulberry Leaves

Red Rosebuds

White Rosebuds

Red rhinestones

I hope you will join in our Christmas in July challenge. Just put on that favorite CD of Christmas Carols and let the music take you where it may! I cannot wait to see your creations.

Now, I would like to share a card with you that gave me fits! Thanks to a sweet angel who was wonderful in giving me some ideas on how to make it work, I finally got it done. I hope you like it, too.

As you can see, I've used lots of layers. I love layers! I added tons of pearls to the front of the card as you can see on the sides as well as in Tilda's hair. You cannot see it, but I have covered Tilda's tail fin and bra, along with the sea horse fin, in a microfine glitter so that it sparkles. It looks so cool! Here is a look at the inside:

I love the charms I attached to the card. The whelk shell you see in the top half just adds a nice touch to the flower area. The tag is removable for that addition of a special message.

The bottom half is a bit more difficult for me to photograph well. Again, I've added a charm. This time, it's a clam shell. I wanted some texture, so I added the lace.

If you have any questions, please ask. I hope you will leave a comment! I so treasure each and every one.

Have a wonderful day!

XO,

Chris