Last Magical Monday of 2009!!!

Happy Magical Monday!!

I hope you all enjoyed the festivities over the last few days with your family and loved ones - I sure did!! I have to admit it's been a nice break away from the computer, playing lots of new games with the kids and just having fun. Eating lots of goodies too!!!

This week's challenge has a little different twist to it. Nina has been giving away free images for 5 months now, that's 20 free images! How great is that?! So, this week along with Nilla's challenge listed below you can use "ANY" one of Nina's images you have acquired over the last 5 months or you can use the freebie "Orson with Cake" (which was Nina's very first freebie and can be found over on the TMITA blog), or you can buy a new one from her store Paper Cupcakes. Regardless of what image you choose to use, it must be one of Nina's.

Nilla brings us this weeks challenge. She is thinking "Happy New Year - Something Sparkling!" Use blings, stars, glitter or something typically used for the New Year on your card. Your card does not necessarily have to be for New Years, just reflecting the challenge as stated.

So without further ado, the image I chose for my card above is called 'Mandelina' - isn't she beautiful!! I didn't have the intention of a New Years Card when I made this, more I saw the potential for the sparkly/glittery challenge!! Check out her wings - I think she has more sparkle than Tinkerbell, lol!!! I used my copics to colour her and cut her out. The paper is from BG Indian Summer and I punched out small & medium size retro flowers. A pink gem adds additional bling to the card. The MS heart lace punch and some green silk ribbon give the finishing touches.

I loved making this card after all the Christmas ones that have been churned out recently. This would make for a perfect valentine, birthday, love or friendship card. My niece turns 12 in a couple of weeks so I think this will be perfect for her!

Well, that's all for today. Thanks for taking the time to pop on over and I hope you can find some spare time to join in with us at There's Magic in the Air this week. I'm off to tidy up after our celebration dinner with friends last night and then I have to go and have an x-ray done on my knee. I hope you all have a beautiful day whatever you're doing!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!

Hello all!

I want to wish all of you beautiful friends a WONDERFUL & PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS and lots of relaxing time with family and friends. I hope 2010 brings you everything you could wish for - health, happiness and peace. I want to thank you all for being such loyal and amazing blogging friends. You have all truly made my world a brighter place with your thoughtful, inspiring and caring comments. I hope we can share more inspiration and joy together in the coming year.

Now, here's a great poem I found over on Cheryl's blog and had to copy and share it! It sure got me laughing, and it is definitely so true! ENJOY!!

Twas the night before Christmas,

I’m glued to the tree.

I’m wondering what Santa brought just for me.

Could it be cardstock or ink pads or lace?

Or some stamps, I said, with a smile on my face.

And that’s when I heard him ... “Hi Santa” I said

He replied, “You know ... good girls should be in their beds”.

“I know I should Santa and now I’ve been caught.

But I was just so excited to see what you brought”

“Well, let’s take a look in this room where you work”.

He shook his head quickly, and left with a jerk.

I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear.

“You’ve got enough crap, I’ll see you next year!

I'm sure every crafter can relate to that - I know I sure can!!!

Have a great one everybody and see you all back here soon.

Huge Christmas hugs,

Danielle x

My second Stationery Box Set

Hello my friends!

With 2 days left before Christmas I hope you are all ready to go and not stressing about anything! I am off to have physiotherapy this morning so hopefully my knee won't be giving me too many issues over the holidays. My solution to that could be to just keep drinking wine then I won't feel any pain, lol!!!

Anyways, here is my second Stationery Box set that I made. I went with my favourite colour, aqua. The tutorial link for this is on my previous post (I found it in YouTube). Again, I included 6 all occasion cards (see below) & envelopes, 6 tags, gift ribbon, 2010 calendar, stamps & pen.

Here's a quick view of the 6 cards I made. The sentiments come from The Stamp Barn, the bird is a Hero Arts stamp and the willow is Sunshine Designs. I paired the aqua with pink in this set to make it fresh and spring-like!

Well, thanks for stopping by today and sharing your precious time with me and my little blog! I will take the opportunity now for those who won't be able to make it back for the next few days to wish you all A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & MANY BLESSINGS FOR 2010. A huge thank you for being such awesome blogging friends, following my blog and leaving such inspiring and uplifting comments for me. I truly appreciate every one of you and my life is so much richer for the beautiful friends I've found on here!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Stationery Box Gift Set

Hi there!

I got down to some serious crafting today. I wanted to find a tutorial for a Stationery Box Set and I came across this fabulous one on YouTube. I was a little intimidated when I first saw it thinking it would be quite challenging, but the opposite was true - it is SUPER easy and quick!! So easy in fact I made two!

I used a cardstock with a colour co-ordinating dp from my stash. I also used the same papers in making up the 6 matching cards that fit into the back pocket.

View of the Stationery Box set open displaying all its components

Here are the 6 cards I put together for this set. I essentially made 2 each of 3 designs. I wanted something quick and easy so there are no coloured images in here at all. I went for very simple and elegant. The cute bird stamp is Hero Arts. Border punch is Fleur de Lys from EK Success. I added a calendar for 2010 (my mum sent me a bunch from WHSmith) instead of a little address book. A nice way to keep note of birthdays & occasions throughout the coming year.

Well, that's it. I will show you my second set either later today or tomorrow. As much as I don't want to do it, my house cleaning has been put on the back-burner to my crafting recently so a good clean-up is needed today before Christmas! I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful day and are wrapping things up (literally, lol) before Christmas!

Thanks for your visit and the time to leave a much appreciated comment. On an extra note before I leave, I am thrilled to have reached 200 followers so I think I will be spreading the joy in the New Year with some candy! So be sure to watch out!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Magical Monday - My Sketch!

Welcome to another Magical Monday!

This week over at There's Magic in the Air, Nina has this super cute 'Merry Moose-Mas' image to share with everyone today! It is also my turn to set the challenge and I provided the following sketch for you all to follow. I do hope you can find the time to give it a go, even though these are the last few days before Christmas!

Onto my card, I coloured the sweet moose with my copics and cut him out. The back panel is embossed with the snowflakes folder and the snowflakes are Spellbinders Snowflake A set. They are each covered in Twinklets (Diamond Dust) to add sparkle and glisten to the card. The sentiment is from The Stamp Barn.

Be sure to head over to the TMITA blog to check out all the super talented work from the DT. I'm so excited to see all the different takes on my sketch! And thank you again for your visit here today - I always love to see that you've taken the time to visit my blog and leave your comments.

We are all on holiday now here and am excited to be having some (hopefully) relaxing days before Christmas! I hope your day is wonderful, whatever your plans are!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A Gift Certificate .....

Hello friends!

I hope you are all well. I was asked to provide a gift certificate for 1hr of my services for a sweet 10yr old girl who has taken a big interest in this hobby. I was quite excited to make this and really will look forward to crafting with a young lady and helping her find her creative genius!

So I thought this Tilda holding the wrapped gift was the perfect image to use. She is coloured with my copics. I noticed my E34 is starting to dry up as I coloured this so have put in an order for a refill - it is a colour I use a lot! The paper is BG Eskimo Kisses and I punched little mini snowflakes out on glittery cardstock. Tilda has a green nesties label behind her to make her stand out against the paper. I printed the 'gift certificate' myself on the computer.

Thanks for taking the time to come by for a visit. My hubby and I are back out again tonight for a dinner with friends at Ottawa's 5 Star Hotel, the Chateau Laurier. There will be 10 of us so am quite looking forward to it! A really great chance to dress up and put on the bling! We hardly ever go out and look at us, two social functions in a weekend!!

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A Hostess Gift

Hi there!

Wow - it's Friday already! I hope you've had a productive week and have been able to finish up all your Christmas cards and projects.

My husband and I have been invited out tonight to a Wine & Cheese party so I've put together this little hostess gift. The bottle is 'Epicure' Mulling Spices and the tin is a sugar Fireside Rimmer. I will include a bottle of red wine too.

I focused my colours on the Bo Bunny paper and coloured Tilda accordingly with my copics. I cut out a large circle nestie and punched out snowflakes on some glitter cardstock. Tilda is cut out and popped up on dimensional squares.

For the hexagonal jar, I measured each panel and scored. Be sure to measure enough to have a tab at the end to tape together ('cos I made this mistake, lol)!!! I placed a snowflake die cut (cuttlebug) on the lid which is covered with Twinklets (Diamond Dust) and tied a bow around the jar.

A close-up of Tilda on the tin

These gifts were relatively inexpensive but with the extra handmade detail can be made into beautifully personalised gifts. I know our friends will love them as she is very artsy herself.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today. I have a few things to finish off and then I think I'm pretty much done. The boys finish school today and so does my husband so everyone starts their holidays together - yippee!!!

I wish you all a fabulous day and for those in England although experiencing snow I hope you enjoy it!!!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Some Christmas Gifts

Hi there!

I hope this post finds you all well. We are suffering deep freeze temps today (-20oc & -30oc with wind chill) so it's a good excuse to stay put in my warm craft room for the rest of the day! I'm just back in from my sons' Kindergarten Christmas Sing-a-Long - so cute!!

The journal I'm showing is an altered project I did for Josh's Secret Santa gift. I picked the journal up in Dollarama for $2 and then got to work on it with the sweet Anya image. Some embossing, ribbon, bling embellishments and Prima flowers pull everything together. I sure hope she likes it!

Well, that's me for today. A quick posting as I have some other stuff I still need to get done! I'll be showing you another gift I've put together tomorrow, so please come back if you can! I hope you all enjoy a fabulous day and stay warm wherever you are!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Another Sweet Birdhouse!

Hi there!

Wow - it's Wednesday already - this week sure is flying by fast!! I managed to get a load of handmade gifts done yesterday for my sons' teachers. I made another attempt at the Magnolia birdhouse and have to say I'm SO much happier with this one - I love how it turned out!

I printed the template directly onto kraft paper and cut it out, then using white pigment ink stamped a snowflake design all over. It's very subtle (and you may need to click on the picture for a closer view) but IRL it looks gorgeous. I used some Magnolia paper for the roof - I wanted to get the feel of a gingerbread creation for the house.

This side angle picture gives a clearer view on the roof, sentiment and embellishment. I also added a cream silk bow with a red button and twine to the front. Inside is stuffed full of chocolate truffles, mmmm!! I also placed a small velcro fastening on the opening side of the roof so it sits flat when closed.

Well, there you have it! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to look and leave a comment - it's much appreciated! I'm excited for the boys' teachers to see their gifts!! I hope you all have a fabulous day - it's getting really cold here at the moment - highs of -15oc!!!

Hugs,

Danielle x

The Little Stamp Shoppe Blog - Tag Challenge

Hi there!

I hope today finds you all happy and well. I've made this tag to show you. The Little Stamp Shoppe Blog have their December challenge posted to 'make a tag'. My eldest son is doing a 'Secret Santa' in their class and he is buying for a girl. Today is their day to bring in a special snack so I tied 3 candy canes together and made this sweet Tilda tag to go with them.

Tilda is coloured with copics and cut out and popped up on dimensionals over these 2 snowflake embellishments. I did some faux stitching around the edges to add detail. I also added some pearl beads with the ribbon so I will also enter this into the Cute Card Thursday challenge this week which is 'Sew Beady'.

Thanks for popping over for a visit - I hope it was worth your while!! Thanks for any comments you leave too - you know how much I appreciate every one of them!

I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Magical Monday - Glitz it Up!!

Good Monday morning all!

I hope this finds you all well and ready to start another week! It is another Magical Monday over at There's Magic in the Air and Nina has this wonderful Christmas image to share with you today for FREE!!!

My teamie, Selma, set the challenge today to 'Glitz it Up' - add glitter and sparkle to your card! Well, that's not hard to do as 'tis the season for all things glittery!! So, onto my card. This image was SO much fun to colour - I enjoyed it way more than what I thought I would, LOL!! My copics I think were in colouring heaven! With this image being such a focal point on the card I wanted to keep the rest simple. The back panel is embossed with a new christmas cuttlebug embossing folder and I punched out a couple of slots for the ribbon to thread through. Lastly, I punched different size circles of red & gold glitter paper to mimic the baubles in the pot. I used nesties Label 8 for the main image panel.

Thanks for taking the time to stop at my blog and take a peek. I really do appreciate your visits and make sure you pop on over to TMITA to pick up your freebie image and play along! It's a perfect choice for those last minute christmas cards you need to make!

Many thanks for your comments that you leave today - they really are loved and appreciated! I wish you all a wonderful day.

Hugs,

Danielle x

We have a winner!!

Hi everyone!


I have drawn a winner for the MS Stars Punch using random.org and the result is:-

True Random Number Generator

Min:
Max:
Result:
4
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

That means JESSIE F is the winner!!!

Congrats Jessie - please email me with your address details as soon as you can so I can get this mailed out to you!

Thank you to everyone who joined in with the blog hop - I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Winter Wonderland - a Nativity Scene

Happy Sunday to you all!

I hope you are all well on this Sunday! I noticed the challenge over at Winter Wonderland is 'Nativity' so I knew the perfect card for it! This is one I had already made to fulfill a Christmas card order for a friend. I absolutely adore these Pink Gem Design nativity stamps - they are so super cute!!

The easel card is the perfect way to display this scene. I'm afraid I can't remember where the paper is from (it was in my stash). I coloured the images with my Distress Inks.

Thanks for stopping by today. This is a quick post as I'm heading out the door again with 2 of my boys to take them to our church children's Christmas party. They are uber excited as Santa is going to be there!!!
As always, I greatly appreciate your visit and you taking the time to leave a comment. I hope you're all having a fabulous day!

Hugs,

Danielle x

'There's Magic in the Air' First Blog Hop!!

THIS BLOG HOP IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS FOR JOINING IN!

*THIS POST WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP UNTIL SUNDAY DEC.13TH*

Please scroll down for newer posts

Hi everyone!

A huge welcome to the first ever blog hop for 'There's Magic in the Air'. If you arrived on my blog first, you need to go to the beginning of the blog hop here to get all the directions and collect all the clues. If you arrived from the TMITA blog then you are right on track!

The image I'm showcasing for you today is Nina's 'First Snow' - isn't he adorable!!! I have made an easel card as I thought it was the perfect way to showcase this fabulous image. I coloured with my copics and the paper is Bo Bunny. I used two new MS punches on this card - Alpine Snowflake and Pine Needles border punch.

Favourite Cookie Recipe

The recipe I'd like to share with you today is a favourite of mine but unfortunately I can no longer make due to my son's nut allergy! So please make, bake and enjoy on my behalf!! :)

Toffee Chocolate Almond Crunchies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups All-Purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 pkg Skor toffee bits
1 cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet/white chocolate)
3/4 slivered almonds

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375oF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla together in large bowl until creamy.

COMBINE flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add to buter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in toffee bits, chocolate chips and almonds. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.

BAKE in centre of oven for 8-12 minutes, or until light golden. Cool for 5 minutes on sheet then transfer to rack and cool immediately.

ENJOY!

Now for my secret word:- PAPER

Remember to leave a comment on my blog before you leave to qualify for the TMITA prizes. I will also be having my own candy (the MS Star border punch pictured below) as a way of saying thank you for visiting the blog hop. You will also be eligible to win Nina's 'First Snow' image that I used on my card. Please also leave a link in Mister Linky ONLY if you want to be included for my candy. I will draw this on Sunday December 13th.

Your next stop is the fabulous KIM where you'll find the next card/project, a new recipe and collect the next clue!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Fairy Tabia - a Mo Manning image

Hi there!

I was asked to make a birthday card for a little girl's 1st Birthday - the request was lots of pink and to make it very girly! Do you think this works?

This gorgeous Fairy Tabia is a Mo Manning digi image that I've had downloaded for a while now and just not had a chance to use. This was the perfect image to colour loads of pink!! I coloured with my copics and used a sakura gel pen to add sparkle and subtle shimmer to the stars and her wings. (Too hard to see in this pic but IRL it's sooo pretty!!). I kept the layout of the card really simple as I didn't want to take anything away from the gorgeous image. I added some pink ribbon with a pretty prima flower and pink pearl brad (adhered with a hot glue gun). I added glossy accents to the bubbles to give them the glassy appearance.

This is how I finished the inside. Again, a piece of matching paper (K&Co) and another little Prima flower with some pearl spray.

Thanks so much for taking the time to come by today and take a peek out of your busy schedule! I hope to do some more crafting today and finish up the last of my christmas cards! It's pretty cold outside (-16oc) so I'm not missing anything out there and with those temps, it's every reason to stay inside, lol!!

I hope you all have a fabulous Saturday! Take care.

Hugs,

Danielle x

An Appeal - PLEASE TURN OFF WORD VERIFICATION!!!

I read this on Lorraine's blog today and have to say I totally agree so am passing the message on:-

I appeal to everyone to please turn off word verification !! If you like, use the owner approval option, then you can weed out undesirables ! I have never used word verification and I have NEVER had any problems. When you have to leave so many comments on cards it takes twice as long and in my opinion completely unnecessary! With everyone being so busy at the moment this little gesture will make all the difference to many of us.

Another thing to consider is also having your comment box pop up in a separate window - it then allows the viewer/commentor of your post to continue viewing your card and leave a comment at the same time!

These are all time-saving tips which especially help during this particularly hectic time! Thanks for taking the time to read this and take it into your consideration!

Hugs,

Danielle x

PS. Lorraine is having some blog candy - these gorgeous snowflake spellbinder dies. Open until December 16th - head on over there and sign yourself up!!

A Truly Scrumptious Card!

Hello friends!

Thank you for popping over to my blog today for a visit. I have this sweet Tilda to show you from the So Jolly collection. I've used the sketch over on the Truly Scrumptious challenge this week - it was a nice simple one and I decided I needed that to get some quick cards made!

I have coloured Tilda with my copics. The frame she's sitting in I think was in a RAK I received from Christine (thanks my friend). I die cut around it using the Labels 8 nesties and distressed the outside edges with Tea Dye ink. The papers are Magnolia from The Little Stamp Shoppe. I added an organza ribbon and some branches along the bottom of the die cut panel. The sentiment is from The Stamp Barn. I placed two dew drops in each of the top corners.

I really like the way this turned out. I appreciate all your comments so thank you for taking the time to leave one!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A Tilda Winter Scene

Hello again!

I had a chance to do this Tilda winter card today. The gorgeous image is courtesy of m fabulous sweet blogging friend Christine - thank you so much! I just love her and thoroughly enjoyed colouring her with my copics!

The background trees is a Magnolia stamp and stamped and coloured on watercolour paper with Tombow markers. Liquid applique was added with glamour dust to create the sparkly snow. I punched out on Kraft cardstock the sweet picket fence with the MS border punch. I used a Magnolia bird stamp and coloured him like a robin to sit on the fence. The back panel paper is Bo Bunny. The snowflakes are from the Alpine MS punch with a lilac adhesive pearl in the middle.

Thanks for stopping by today and taking a peek. I really enjoy your visits and appreciate every comment left. We're bracing ourselves for the snowstorm that is coming our way this evening - we're expecting a dumping of between 10-20cm of snow!! The boys are excited - can't say I'm thrilled! Ah well, the joys of the Ottawa winter!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Check out TMITA Blog Hop prizes!!

Hi,

Just a quick posting to let you know that Nina has posted the prizes up for grabs for tomorrow's big BLOG HOP for 'There's Magic in the Air'!!

Why don't you pop on over there and check them all out and get yourself ready to join in with us tomorrow! And I will have a personal candy up for grabs too so be sure to check back!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A Magical Snowy Monday!!

Good Monday morning all!

It's another Magical Monday on my blog and a snowy one today here too! Nina has this super cute digi image "Sweet Trouble" over at 'There's Magic in the Air' and it's FREE! The image is inspired by 'Malie' - our DT member Kim's sweet pooch. So, Kim is hosting this weeks challenge and it is to create a 'Clean and simple card' with limitations on what you can use (eg. NO brads, bows or anything that would make it challenging to mail). There is also a requirement that PINK appear somewhere on the card.

I coloured my image with copics and used ivory flower soft as the fur trim on the hat. Winter white flower soft which is glittery was used as snow (a bit difficult to see in the pic). I punched out snowflakes on brown cardstock with my MS punch and also the nesties Snowflake 1 die set. I framed the image with this pink Bazzill cardstock and a sheet of BG Eskimo Kisses behind. I have to say I rather enjoyed the 'limited' challenge on this card - I really had to work hard though at not wanting to add 'more'!!!

Well, thanks for stopping by today. I sure hope your Monday is a magical one and don't forget to get ready to blog hop with us on Wednesday!!! Thanks again for all your beautiful and inspiring comments - they truly mean the world to me!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A Magnolia Ink inspired project

Hello!

Wow - it's the 2nd Sunday of Advent already! The boys are getting super excited so we decided to get our Christmas tree today. So the house has been bustling with twinkling lights and my boys singing "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" whilst decorating! I love this time of year!!

Anyways, I was flicking through my most precious Magnolia Ink magazine and decided to give this little birdhouse project a go! The template is provided so I photocopied it onto cardstock and away I went. With it being my first attempt I would want to improve on it but I have to say I like the way it turned out. It really does make a sweet little project. My middle son, Joel, just loved it and has decided he wants this for his teacher gift. So we'll likely fill it with goodies and give it to his very artsy teacher who I'm sure will love and appreciate it.

The dp is a double-sided 12x12 from a buy at Costco. It's really pretty. The bird is a Sunshine Designs stamp and the branches are from the MS punch. The circle sentiment on the roof is Magnolia - that side of the roof opens up so you can place goodies inside.

Thanks for coming over for a visit today - I always appreciate you taking the time to stop by and say hi! I know how busy it is at this time of year so any comments left are even more greatly appreciated!!

Take care and I hope you all enjoy the last bit of weekend! It looks like we're gearing up for the first big snow storm of the year on Wednesday - apparently 20cm is coming our way!!

Hugs,
Danielle x

Friday Sketchers - Tilda with Wreath

Hi all!

I managed to squeeze a bit of time in today and worked on this weeks Friday Sketchers sketch presented by Bea. It was a real fun one to work with and I knew I wanted to use my Magnolia papers for it.

This sweet Tilda with Wreath image is a RAK from my super sweet blogging friend, Christine - thanks my friend!! I coloured with my copics. I added red stickles to the berries on the wreath which add some nice sparkle to the finished image. The sentiment is also Magnolia. I punched out a few branches from my MS branch punch and placed them up in the left corner just to balance things out a bit. The buttons are from stash and I threaded and tied a bow with twine. The top button I placed the bow downwards and the other button the opposite. I did this on purpose and I really like the look!

Well, thanks for stopping by. I know how crazy this time of year is and I'm not getting around and leaving comments too frequently at the moment on the many blogs I visit. I am, however, taking a quick peek when I can as I follow these blogs for all the inspiration they give me!

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday evening and start to the weekend. I hope I can make some more Christmas cards to check off my list!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Tilda on Christmas Ornament - an Easel Card

Hello friends!

This is the last card in my 'trio' of cards for the class I'm teaching at Heather's Stamping Haven on December 12th. It is an easel card and I'm so happy with the way this turned out. I've used the new Wrapped Tilda christmas image and coloured her with copics and Twinkling H20's. The ornament is trimmed and then spritzed with gold glimmer mist. I added some wire for the ornament handle.

I've used shimmer paper in gold and pale lilac to balance the colours I coloured Tilda with. The panel behind Tilda is embossed with a new cuttlebug christmas folder which is absolutely divine (and it's a large one too)!! I added a cream organza bow to the ornament and 4 pearl brads in each corner.

The bottom panel I used the same colour shimmer cardstock but just in reverse. The sentiment (The Stamp Barn) - which reads 'Sending Christmas Blessings to you' is on a nesties label. A pearl at the top and bottom finish that off and give the appropriate 'stop' for the easel.

This was a wonderfully quick and easy card and looks so much nicer in real life - the shimmer and sparkle really don't show that well on the pictures.

A side view showing the easel card

A close-up of Tilda showing the glimmer on the card!

Thank you all for stopping by! And remember, if you're in the Ottawa region and want to take this class, please pop on over to Heather's and sign up - I'd love to have you there!
Your visit is so much appreciated and I hope I can get a bit of blogging time in tomorrow to check out all your gorgeous creations! My boys have a PD Day from school so not sure what kind of a day we have planned yet.

I hope you all have a wonderful evening/day whatever you're doing!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A sweet money purse!

Hi there!

My posts are being somewhat sporadic right now as I have christmas card orders to fill and am busy doing lots of 'seasonal' stuff, so the next couple of weeks I'll be reducing my blogging time! I came across this cute money holder today when I was visiting my friends in The Stamp Barn(sorry, I don't know who to give the credit to for the template & idea) but I came home and made one up. It's a super cute purse shape and is really easy to do. This is my first one and the next time I would definitely use a sheet of double-sided dp so it gives a nicer finish on the inside. I will still gift this one to my niece though for christmas!

Tilda with Candy is coloured with my copics and then trimmed. Paper and ribbon are from stash. If I perfect this a little better then I will post a template with instructions. Below is a pic of the inside and the little pouch for either money or a gift card. Circular magnets keep the purse closed. I will most likely finish off the middle panel and put a nestie label on there to write my message. This is why I think a double-sided dp sheet will work much better!

Anyways, thanks for stopping by and taking a peek! I love to read your comments so please leave one if you have the time!

Take care all and I'll post again when I next get a chance - can't promise when it'll be!!

Hugs,

Danielle x

It's another Magical Monday already!

Good Monday morning!

We've woken up to snow on the ground this morning so this weeks image at 'There's Magic in the Air' is perfect - 'Snowy Flight'. My teamie, Nilla, hosts the challenge this week which is 'Anything BUT a card'. The choice is endless here, so why not hop on over to TMITA and grab this freebie image from Nina and play along! There's a fab prize up for grabs too!

For my project I decided on this criss-cross box which I found over on Nichole Heady's blog here. I embossed the cardstock with the snowflake embossing folder before I taped the box together. Snowy is coloured with my copics then cut out and adhered to the box with 3D foam squares. I ran the ribbon around the box. I then took a separate piece and looped them together, then sewed it on the sewing machine to hold the loops. I punched out some snowflakes with the MS punch and placed one over the top of the stitching. A dot of stickles in the middle adds some sparkle!

To finish the box off, I've filled it with a sachet of hot chocolate, some marshmallows and a candy cane! I think I will be making some more of these as little christmas gifts for the boys' friends. It really was an easy project and Nina's super image definitely ups the cuteness factor!!!

Well, thanks for popping over today! I hope the visit was worth your while and that you have time to leave a comment. I wish you all a beautiful day. As I look out my window, the snow is beginning to fall gently and I'm really starting to feel christmassy! Have a great day everyone!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Sunday Spotlight!

Hello everyone!

My son, Josh, was quite taken with all the comments he received from you guys on his first card posting that he's decided he wants a regular 'spot' on my blog! So, we've decided on a 'Sunday Spotlight' when he has a card done and ready to post.

So with that said, he made this christmas Edwin card last weekend. I introduced him to masking and we masked Edwin onto this santa sack. He was quite taken with the masking technique and loved the end result. He coloured with Derwent watercolour pencils. The paper is from Daisy D's and the glitter snowflake is from stash. He stamped the Magnolia sentiment in red ink and cut around it.

Josh has decided this card will be for his teacher (I love that - one less card for me to make, lol!!).

Thanks for stopping by today and taking the time to look at my son's work. His smile got bigger each time he read the comments last time so thank you for that - it truly was so special to see him beaming! Hope you all have a great Sunday!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A Galactic Birthday Wish!

Happy Friday!

This is a quickie post today but I wanted to show you the card I made for my son's 8th Birthday today. He ADORES Star Wars and a very sweet blogging friend *waving at you Sheena* lent me some of her adorable Star Wars stamps from Alota Stamps! They are the cutest set ever - a definite must-have if you have boys! I definitely see a galactic purchase coming on, lol!!!

It was a very simple card as I didn't get even get down to my craft room until 9pm last night to start it! However, my son LOVED it and that's all that counts, in my book anyway! I coloured Luke Skywalker with my copics, cut him out and used pop dots to adhere him to the card. The stars came from a recent candy win.

Well, thanks for stopping by today. I hope I can get in some more crafty time today and this weekend. It's rainy and miserable today so it's perfect to hang out in my craft room!
Hugs,

Danielle x

EDITED TO ADD:

Just finished my son's birthday cake! I stamped, coloured and cut out these Star Wars characters, taped a toothpick behind each one and have added them as decorations to his themed cake! My other sons helped to make the 'SW' in marshmallows!! Chocolate chip cookie crumbs make the dirt and rocks on Tatooine!

A snowy 'Shadow Box' card

Good morning!

Wow - what a night! I was at the hospital until 2.30am this morning with my oldest son - I'm a little wiped to say the least! Thankfully he is fine now but there were moments that we thought he would need emergency surgery (a testicular torsion) - very ouch!!

Anyhow, onto my card. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this card. I finally got my little inky mitts on these gorgeous Magnolia snowmen and they are stunning beyond words! This is the second card that I'll be teaching at Heather's on December 12th. I've used a new christmas/winter cuttlebug embossing folder (trees) for the aqua background panel. Snowy is coloured with Tombow markers and I used Twinklets on the snowflake. The front panel is embossed with the snowflake folder and the snowflakes I've added in silver are spellbinders. The sentiment is from The Stamp Barn. I've added a white diamond gem on each snowflake for extra sparkle. The ribbon is from stash.

Well, thanks for coming by today and paying me a visit. I think I will be taking a siesta at some point today to catch up on a little bit of sleep! If you're visiting from in and around the Ottawa area and would like to take this class, please check Heather's calendar and sign up - I'd love to have you in my class!

I hope you all enjoy a beautiful day! Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments you leave! A very HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my American friends today - I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday with family and friends!

Hugs,

Danielle x

A Mousey Silent Night!

Good morning all!

I recently added this cutesy PB Mouse stamp to my collection - it's so adorable isn't it! I have made this card as one of my samples for my next class at Heather's, December 12th. It's one of those 'Z' fold cards (see below for side view). I also used the Magnolia 'Silent Night' musical background stamp which I think is fabulous - just awesome for creating christmas backgrounds!

I stamped the mice on watercolour paper, masked, then stamped the music background. I love that I'm using the masking technique a bit more, it really is so great! I coloured with my Distress Inks and added some stickles to the candle flame. I also distressed the edges and background with Tea Dye. I spritzed the finished panel with TA Pearl Glimmer Spray to add a final sheen of sparkle. A red bow and some bling finish it off. The back panel is embossed with one of the new christmas cuttlebug embossing folders - wow, it's gorgeous - so much detail!

Well, that's all for today folks! Thanks for stopping by and checking me out and taking the time to leave a much appreciated comment!

Also, I wanted to mention that I'm in my first blog hop with TMITA - it's coming up December 9th. There's a link over in my sidebar to go and check out all the fun details!

I wish you all a great day with lots of happiness and smiles!

Hugs,

Danielle x

It's Magical Monday!

Happy Magical Monday everyone!

Today, Nina has this gorgeous image 'Cozy & Bright' on offer for FREE this week over at 'There's Magic in the Air'. Isn't is so cute! Stephanie challenged us all to use something fuzzy on this project - fun flock, fuzzy ribbon, fiber, fuzzy brads etc. - basically anything that is fuzzy!

So on this card I've used fun flock on his antlers (see pic below for a close-up) and I embossed a piece of brown velvet paper. It goes through the cuttlebug embossing folders like a dream! I coloured with my copics and added liquid applique for the santa hat, pink and gold stickles on the christmas lights and made a bow for the gift. The border is punched with the EK Success Moroccan punch and I added some ribbon and a gorgeous glittered prima poinsettia to add the final touch of sparkle! I distress inked the background to take away the stark white of the cardstock.

Thanks for popping over today and taking the time to look and leave a comment! I hope you also get the time to hop on over to TMITA to grab this freebie digi image and play with us this week! Have a great Monday!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Just Magnolia - Tilda with Christmas Tree

Hello my friends!

I got a chance to play a bit with my new Magnolia rubber and decided to join in with the Just Magnolia challenge this week of 'masking'. If you haven't popped over there already, get your skates on and go 'cos this weeks prize is fabulous - a MAGNOLIA INK MAGAZINE (amongst other things!!) I haven't used the masking technique in a while and thoroughly enjoyed playing with it again. The satisfaction you get when the scene comes together is wonderful!

So I've used the new christmas Tilda with Tree and masked the Magnolia christmas tree behind her. I have coloured with my Tombow markers on watercolour paper. To do something different with the tree, I spread glue over all the branches and added 'Diamond Dust' Twinklets to them. I found this gorgeous embellishment in Michaels last week and was so super happy! It is very finely ground glass and when adhered to your project gives it the most gorgeous twinkle and sparkle, but yet so very different from glitter or Stickles! Hopefully the photo below will give you a better idea of the twinkle!

I used BG Eskimo Kisses paper and distressed all the edges. I airbrushed with B01 copic behind Tilda and the tree. I used my SU! horizontal slot punch to thread the ribbon through and managed to tie a half-decent bow at the other end, lol!! The sentiment is Magnolia which has been distressed with inks and the tool.

Well, thanks again for your visit today. I really do love that you time to take to hop on over to my humble blog and leave me a comment! I wish you all a beautiful Sunday!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Friday Sketchers - Wrapped Tilda

Hello friends!

This weeks sketch over at the Friday Sketchers blog is hosted by Jeanette and she's given us a fab one to play with. My new Magnolia christmas stamps arrived today with my first sample of Magnolia paper. Oh my goodness, these papers are beyond gorgeous - I LOVE THEM!! Also, the challenge over at Color Create is to create a christmas card using RED, WHITE & GREEN, so I'm also submitting this card over on that challenge blog.

So, with new goodies in hand I got to work on this sweet christmas card using Wrapped Tilda. I coloured with my copics and whilst I'm quite happy with her bow, I'm not so much with her dress. I feel it's a little on the dark side but oh well, that's what happens when you don't have all the right shades of certain colours (my stock can only get built up slowly considering how expensive they are!!). I think I'll just say it's a velvet dress and velvet is very rich and lush, right?!!

I used the Fiskars Threading Water punch with the strip of lace over the top. The flowers were all glimmer sprayed and glamour dusted. I used the MS branch punch and a pearl pin (received in a candy win from Bev). The green panel behind Tilda is a nesties label 8. And that's it!

I'm teaching a Tilda card over at Heather's this morning so I'm looking forward to playing with the ladies! Thanks for coming by and visiting me and I hope you're all enjoying a beautiful Saturday!

Hugs,

Danielle x

Cute Card Thursday - Teen Terrors!

Hi there!

A quick posting tonight to show this card off. My 11 year old son, Josh, made this card for his best buddy who suffered quite an eye injury a couple of days ago (he tripped and slammed into a tree). He coloured Ian with watercolour pencils - take note of his left eye!!! LOL.
The papers are distressed and Josh added these arrows and star from a scrapbooking set of embellishments. The sentiment 'A Special Guy' is from the 'My Guy Ian' set by The Greeting Farm. As this weeks challenge over at Cute Card Thursday is 'Teen Terrors', we decided to enter this card in. Josh was thrilled with his finished card. I know he would certainly love to read your comments (so would I). I think he did a fantastic job, but I am somewhat biased, hee hee!!

So, thanks again for visiting! I hope you enjoy a great evening.
Hugs,
Danielle x