Christmas All Year Long - the February Edition

Hi everyone! Welcome to the Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long blog hop! If you've come here from Barb's blog, you're in the right place! If you get lost, or just happened to come visit my blog for other reasons and would like to check out the hop, start here at the Magnolia-licious ChristmasAllYearLong blog.

This is the image I had coloured for last month's hop. Then root canals happened, along with the accompanying vicodin. So I saved her for this month. I'm kind of glad I did, because in the interim, I've acquired liquid applique - and I love the texture it gives to Tilda's snowsuit! It looks neat and it feels really cool, too.
I used Jen del Muro's Valentine's "Sketch for You to Try", Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses patterned paper and some mystery cardstock. The sentiment, which is by A Muse stamps, is done with Peeled Paint Distress Ink & clear embossing powder. Tilda is coloured with Copic Markers, liquid applique and Frosted Lace Stickles (her wings.)

The card is also for Incy Wincy Challenge #31 - texture; Lexi's Creations Challenge #8 - anything goes; Flutter By #98 - anything goes (plus butterflies, fairies or angels); Creatalicious Challenge #7 - create a little something; and lastly, Color Throwdown #81.

Keep on hopping your way over to Charlene's blog. Enjoy the rest of the hop and have a great day!

Softpencil Thursday - Fav Medium

Hey guys. This week Kerry challenged us to use our favourite colouring medium. I jokingly asked how many of us she thought would use Copics. I'll be doing a count as I read the team blogs. We were divided up into groups. The group I was in got this sweet little Japanese Girl to work with. I wonder if Kerry already knew just how obsessed with Japanese culture my eldest son is. If not, she certainly does now.

I decided to make this card for my Mom. I haven't made one for her in a while - and Cody owes her a thank you. Since he is the heretofore mentioned obsessed son, I think this will be perfect for him to send.
As is my usual wont, I'm playing around with a few extra challenges. The first is Digital Tuesday's Challenge #47 - for mum. The believe token is an addition just from me, since my mom has always believed in me. Next is Flutter By #98 - anything goes (plus butterflies, fairies or angels). Then there is the ABC Challenge - O is for One Paper. The last is Color Cue Challenge #1 - red, white, turquoise and brown (or kraft.)

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Softpencil Design Team. All blogs are listed on the left sidebar.

If I can get my printer to behave, I'll be back later with my AiFactory post. If not, please check the AiFactory DT, also listed on the left sidebar, to see what they have to show today using these cute recipe cards.

Softpencil Thursday - No Card, No Problem!

Good morning! This is not the project I expected to be sharing. I seem to be in one of those spots where everything I start mutates halfway through. I've learned to let that happen rather than force what I'm making into any preconceived notion of what it "ought" to be. Most of the time I end up with something much better than my first ideas and I always learn something.

Our mission this week? Create Anything But a Card. The artwork? Softpencil's Bichitos set.

The first photo shows the top of the matchbox. I chose 3 of the images from the set, printed them, coloured them, and then cut them out. The top image was cut out and matted with oval Nestabilities.


On one end is a ladybird, and on the other end, a dragonfly. The box is already full of some little trinkets and a shrink plastic dragonfly charm I made about a year ago, ready to be sent to a Swap-bot friend in England.
Check out the rest of the team's creations by heading to their blogs, which are listed under the Softpencil Design Team on the left sidebar.

This little box is also for the following challenges:
Belli Challenge #85: Butterflies & Dragonflies
StampTV's Inspiration Challenge: Inspire11 - What's Your Style? I think CAS fits this and most of what I create.
Pile it On #6: Let us See Flowers

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

When is a Calendar Not a Calendar?

How about when it's an ATC? This week for AiFactory, the team was challenged to use this 2010 printable calendar - as anything other than a simple printed calendar. I sort of missed the part about it needing to be a 3-D item, which was added after I read the original post from Mia - I'm sorry Angie!

I'd had an idea on how to do something more digital, but it didn't work the way I wanted it to, so that got completely thrown out the window after several hours of frustration. Let's just say I need a lot more practice before I can pull off some of the ideas in my head.

So I turned to ATCs. I'm working on a swap that calls for "anything with wings" and Tim Holtz techniques. Okay, I can do that. Out came the Distress Ink, some leftover Bristol Board and some other goodies I had laying around. Here are two of them.
The blue/red one has Rock Candy distress stickles covering the medallion. It doesn't show terribly well in the photograph, though. The grungeboard flower is covered in distress crackle paint in Fired Brick. The blue/green ATC has sponged Distress Ink and and extra pine branch stamped over the top.

See? Digital stamps can be used with traditional stamps and the stamp police will not come and take your supplies away.

Check out the rest of the team's projects this week and see what they've come up with. Then head over to the AiFactory Challenge blog to play along!

• Angie
• Carlie
• Cheri
• Erin
• Fink
• Fliss
• Kerry
• Laurie
• Lola
• Michelle
• Monica
• Penny

In addition to AiF#24, these ATCs are also for the following challenges:
Pile it On #6: Let us see flowers - the blue/red ATC has a grungeboard flower
HFOS #16: Open the Fun
Polka Doodles #6: Hearts & Flowers - the red/blue ATC has hearts in the medallion in addition to the flower
OCCC: Something Old that's New - I've had the red brick distress crackle paint for *months* - and just opened it for this atc. finally.
Etsy Inspired #75: Spin Designs - this bird mobile

Friends with Flair - This one's for Shannan

Good morning everyone. This is one of those cards nobody likes to make, but they're among the most important cards we can do. Earlier this week, Shannan Teubner lost her best friend and life's companion, her husband, Josh. So this one is for her.

Deets:
Stamps: Growing in Unity and discontinued Unity
Paper: all SU
Etc: Nestabilities & Borderabilities
Challenges: ColorQ#19,stvscjh11

Check the Unity blog for the list of who is participating in the FWF hop today. Someone on that list will have a blinkie and you can win 25 random Unity stamps!

Double DT Post

Hi everyone. I'm taking a page from Kerry's book today and posting both of my cards together, since both images are designed by Elizabeth of Softpencil Designs. AiFactory happens to carry some of her images, which is just fabulous as far as I'm concerned. I think they're darling!

For AiFactory, we were challenged to make a card with as many hearts as possible, using A lovely couple. These two are just adorable, holding hands. I used this week's CPS 153 and some Sugar Rush paper, which is just full of hearts, and came up with this square card.For Softpencil this week, we were challenged to make a spring card with Michu in Be Mine. When I first read the challenge, I had an entirely different idea in my head. I thought Kerry meant something like this, which turns out to be called a spiral pop-up card.

I had a really hard time with this one and all of the folds. My scores on the first piece of cardstock tore, so I had to redo it. Perfect? Me? Not even close! I think it came out pretty cute in the end, though. I used MME Be Loved and Prima flowers.
This card (Be Mine) is also for the following challenges:
Crazy 4 Challenges - Be My Valentine
Pile it On - To One You Love
Fussy & Fancy - Hearts

Don't forget to visit my fellow DT members. Both AiFactory and Softpencil DTs are listed on the left sidebar. Stay safe and warm.

Caffeinated Challenge Card

I hope you guys are staying warm. Here in Maryland, we've had near-record snowfall. Believe me when I say it's a tad chilly out there. Schools are closed and the kids are getting a little bit of cabin fever. I'll post some snow pics so you guys can see just how crazy it is in my front yard.

We lost our electricity twice. The first time was about 2:30 am, Saturday morning. It came back just after 6pm. So much for crafting or homework...or just about anything else, really. That was a day to stay under covers with lots of extra clothing on. I'm sure I looked exceptionally silly with my bathrobe on over my clothes, and then a scarf and mittens on top of that. Fashion was not the goal. Warmth was.

The electricity went back out later that night. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have our electricity back - and how spoiled I am by our heater! I'm still cold, but it's a lot warmer in here now.

I got started on this card last night. It's another multi-challenge card, using Paper Makeup Stamps Caffeine Trip, the sketch from Limelight Papercrafts, and this week's Etsy Inspired Challenge shop, Traveling Mama. (this card and this set)
In addition, PMS's Makeup 4 the Weekend #15 was to use pink and lots of bling. My SEI paper is all sparkly. I added 2 pink rhinestones to the upper left corner and, though you can't really see it in this photo, Rock Candy distress stickles to the sugar cubes.

Other Challenges:
ABC challenge: N is for New - the SEI paper and the rhinestones are new
Fussy & Fancy: Hearts
Crafty Calendar Challenge: love/friendship with hearts
Raise the Bar: Heart to Heart
Fun with Shapes: Hearts & Stripes

Special hugs to Robyn Weatherspoon, who lost her father this weekend and to Shannan Teubner, who has lost her husband. My deepest condolences to both of these dear ladies and their families.

Etsy Inspired AiFactory

Welcome back again. I thought I would post a couple of the projects I missed while I was out. You guys know I love the Etsy Inspired Challenge. This week is an adorable shop called EliesHappyHats. These are darling little crocheted baby hats, and some booties, which are just perfect to use as inspiration, since I wanted to make a gift for my friend, Becky, who worked with me at Deloache Chocolate. Between the colours and this cute little face, I found my inspiration in the Crochet Earflap Blue Cotton Beanie. I think it could easily be unisex.

Becky gave birth to a darling baby boy on December 23.

For AiFactory, we were to use the Nautical Collection Clipart Graphics set. I think it's perfect for this welcome baby page.

Congrats to Becky and Richard, and welcome to little Leo!!

Paper Makeup Stamps - Favourite Image Challenge

I think this might just be a record for me. Three posts in one day. Guess I'm starting to make up for lost time.

Katie, at Paper Makeup Stamps, has issued a challenge for everyone to use their favourite PMS image. For a lot of people, that's a really hard task. If it weren't for this special image, it would be extremely difficult for me, too, but the Baylee fairy just touches my heart so deeply, I can't even convey it in words.

Deets:
Image: Baylee digital stamp by PMS
Cardstock: Prismatics & Neenah Classic Crest
Designer Paper: Memory Box
Etc: Copics, Spica glitter pen, ribbon
Challenges: CPS-152
Flutter-by-Wednesday #95

Baylee Tadlock's memorial service was this past Saturday. Sweet Ashley was in attendance and has posted about it today, along with her own Baylee card.

As a reminder, all proceeds from the sale of this special stamp will go to Baylee's parents.

Soft Pencil Thursday with Two Cute Musicians

Hi, it's me. I'm back.

Anybody wanna guess where that's from? If you can guess without looking it up, then your sense of humour is just as weird as mine.

If you're looking for the AiFactory DT Blog Hop, please scroll down.

Two cute musicians, Michu and Ratini, are serenading us today! I think they are just the cutest things ever! I really do love Elizabeth's art. This week we've been given a 1, 2, 3 Recipe Challenge. I used 1 crocheted flower, 2 different patterned papers, and 3 buttons. I also used Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge (MTSC59) again.


Please join us over at the Softpencil forum on Papercraft Planet and try your hand at Challenge #17.

Oh, and and it's a new month, which means we have 4 new guest designers joining us! Check 'em out! They're listed along with the rest of the DT on the left hand side bar.

AiFactory - Meet the DT Blog Hop

Hey everybody!! I hope you've arrived straight from the AiFactory Challenge Blog because I'm the first stop on the blog hop today! I'm really excited, as this is my return to blogging after a 2 week hiatus, courtesy of my dentist. We want to introduce everyone to the new and current design team, who will be serving from February through April. You'll note some familiar faces, as well as some new kids, some of whom may also be familiar to many of you.

This week I'm using the darling Alicia & Ivan on the Moon and the current sketch from Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge (MTSC59) to make this card. I had flowers on it, but they looked really bad, so I took them off before I glued them down. Trust me. It's better this way.
Don't Alicia and Ivan look so cute sitting together on the moon? I used Spica markers to make both the heart and Alicia's shoes all nice and sparkly.

Now, make sure you comment on everybody's blogs. It's always nice to leave a little love, but this time you can win a $20 gift certificate to the AiFactory store. One comment will be chosen from all comments left - and we don't know from which blog it will be. It's going to be completely random! The drawing will be held at 11:30pm EST on February 10, so don't wait too long!

Next on your trip is my friend, Cheri, way up north in Alaska! I am SOOOO happy to welcome her to the AiFactory DT! Welcome to Cheri and to all of the other new girls. I can't wait to see what the next few months bring.