Holiday Cheer Gift Set

Happy Holidays everybody,
I hope everyone had a fabulous occasion
and made lots of great memories for their kids.
We had a good time over here,
although it is a little heartwrenching being
1500 miles away from home...
Anyhooooo, to fight off the Holiday Blues,
I put together this gift set for a friend of mine
who has been very supportive and even a bit of an enabler
since I hopped on board the Blogger Train this past March.
She's received her parcel, so now I can blog it.
Very fittingly so, I made a Tilda set.


Here is the card that I made with
Christmas Eve Tilda,
you can catch all the details here,
as I already blogged the card,
what can I say, I am an Internet junkie
and couldn't resist blogging something!!


Now here we have a "refurbished" jar
that I've stripped of its original label and turned it
into a lovely decorative jar complete with choccies inside.
Tilda is joined with Basic Grey papers
and that beloved Martha Stewart punch, and a doily
to adorn this jar, as well as sprigs and berries
that I Stickled and hot glued onto the lid of the jar
to create a festive topiary.


Next is the Tilda gift bag,
which started out as an ordinary lunch bag,
$1.50 for a pack of 40,
and I went to town revamping the basic shape of it.
I cut out a window, bordered it with papers
that were cut with scallop Fiskars shears,
then added shrinkwrap to the interior to make the window,
I don't have vellum or acetate,
so improvising, as always, was done.


Here's a nice example of the colour variance of papers,
this Tilda was stamped onto GinaK cardstock
while the other 2 were stamped on watercolour paper,
all were painted with distress inks together
in the same paint-fest and look at the difference.
The post stamp is also Magnolia,
the lace is from Hancock Fabrics, love it!!
Those gorgeous gardenias were sent to me from
my lovely bloggy buddy and fellow teamie Tracey,
I love them, love love love them, this colour especially,
I think I will pluck the rest of them out of the
bushell of flowers and make something decorative
for myself with them so I can
have them around me ALWAYS, lol,
the leafy punches are by Martha Stewart,
the beads are from the bridal department at Michaels.
For closure, I simply punched 2 holes in the top
of the bag and ran this gorgeous organza through it.


Well, that is about it.
In the photo you can see a lace satchel,
I just prettied up a store-bought bag
with some beads and a little extra organza,
there are some fun craft goodies stuffed inside.

There are some challenges about
that I will be entering my project into:
Creative Inspirations has set Christmas Gift challenge
Double Dutch It's all about the wrapping indeed!!
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge
has set a last minute gift challenge,
Stamp Something has set a
Holiday Somethings Challenge,
and I used the sketch from Just Magnolia,
but I blogged that already!!

A lot of the challenges have extended deadlines,
which is great for me,
that means I will actually get in on time,
hahahahaha!!!
I hope you and your family
had a wonderful holiday and will have a
safe and happy new year!!

Take Care,
Stephanne

Merry Christmas To You

Hello Happy Bloggy Buddies,
I hope you are well and aren't freaking out
too badly with the big day just a few sleeps away!!
I wanted to share with you part of my big project
that I eluded to in a previous post.


I've used the fabulous sketch that Mina provided
over at Just Magnolia this week.
I love Minas sketches, they are always fun to use!!
This is Christmas Eve Tilda kindly stamped for me
by the fabulous Sue of
Sues Rubber Stamping Adventure,
she's painted in distress inks,
hit with the Crystal Stickles,
cut out and popped up on foam dots,
all papers are Basic Greys new Chrissie pack,
all punches used are Martha Stewart,
I've used a doiley sprayed with glimmer mist
and the lace is from Hancock Fabrics,
the beautiful gardenia that I loaded with
Stickles and Ice Stickles is from
my bloggy buddy and fellow D-teamie Tracey,
you are going to want to head on over to her blog
and check out her amazing creations!!
I've used shankless buttons inside the punched snowflakes &
the bead stems are from the bridal department at Michaels.


I am going to pop this in over at
the following challenges:
Just Magnolia provided the sketch,
Simon Says is hosting a Christmas challenge,
well, that's it I guess!!!
I've gone and missed all the Christmas challenges,
what do you know, lol!!

Now remember ladies,
it is perfectly fine to eat the chocolates!!
Happy Holidays!!
Stephanne

Magnolia Down Under Challenge #29

Hello gorgeous gals,
I Want to share with you the latest
Magnolia Down Under Challenge
and scrummynummy prizes for this
double-fortnights happenings.
Yes, double fortnight, lol.
Our challenge this time around is to unlock
the hidden potential in a collection image,
in other words, we want to see you take a stamp
that seems event-specific and use it another way.
Here are some examples,
although neither of these is my DT card,
they are older cards, just examples.
But first, the prize!!!


Now the old examples made by yours truly:


There will be runner-up prizes too,
you need to scoot on over to
Magnolia Down Under,
take a gander
and see what the amazing Design Team
has come up with to inspire you.
There will be a creation by me soon,
I do have something to blog but I am having trouble
getting on my computer lately,
due to time constraints and a back ache.
I need a backiotomy, hahaha.
I hope everyone is well and getting a sliver
of crafty time in at this hectic time of year.
I have a BIG project going on,
I can't wait to share it with you all :)

Seasons Greetings, Blogger Buddies,
Stephanne

Warm Winter Wishes

Hi folks,
I have a card to share with you.
I tried to step away from the Magnolias,
but I am not so sure that was a good idea!!
My husband just kept saying,
"The mouses don't make any sense."


I am late on many of the challenges I made this for,
except for Stampin' For The Weekend
whose challenge is to use blue and brown,
and House Mouse Monday Challenge
whose challenge is nontraditional Christmas and
Stamp Something is having a
Winter Wonderland Challenge.
The sketch is from the previous fortnights
Creative Inspirations challenge.
Only 5 days late, that's not so bad...


The image is called CloseKnit Friendship by House Mouse,
coloured in distress inks and popped up
on foam dots for dimension.
The dotted paper is K&Co. and the flakes are MME.
The snowflake punch is MS,
coated in MS glitter and waterfall Stickles,
pins, lace and gems, the pretty goodies are from my stash
and the doiley, hahaha, it is by Wiltons....

I hope everyone out there is
doing okay with their Christmas agendas!!
I spent an hour in the post office today
and just have a few more things to make
before I can say I am done.
Would anyone like to make some fudge for me
and ship it out ASAP??
Any takers??? No!??? Nuts!!!
Take Care,
Stephanne

Tilda's dreaming of a White Christmas

Hello blogger buddies,
I hope you are all well!!
I came across this sketch over at
Stamp with Fun
and knew I wanted to have a dance with it.
Thought I would try something light and non-traditional
just to break things up a bit.
I've seen colour combos similar to these lately,
namely, last weeks Just Magnolia DT line-up
and I thought I would give it a whirl.
I'm glad I did because I love it!!


Tilda, kindly stamped for me by Sue, thanks Sue!!
is coloured in distress inks,
yes, I love them, lol,
the coat and cap are coloured in a medley of tones:
peeled paint, tea dye and pine needles,
and the wings and "leggielegs" are done in faded jeans.
I get a lot of inquiries about how I do my whites,
so here is the trick: Old Paper Distress Ink.
Check out that stickles on her coat, Frosted Lace!!
I've used Websters Pages (text) and Magnolia (music) papers,
scalloped papers covered in organza and lace,
lovey roses sprayed in glimmer mist,
I love them, can't live without them!!!
Some cut up pearl strings and
leaves punched with a MS oak leaf punch.
I will be popping this in at a few places:
Just Magnolia set a Christmas challenge,
Cupcake Craft Challenges is hosting a
Christmas Carol Challenge,
I couldn't pick a favourite song,
but Tilda likes White Christmas!!

Thanks for looking,
have a wonderful weekend,
Stephanne

MDU Challenge--The Party of the Century!!

Hi everyone!!
I hope you are warmer than I am today,
at a bonechilling 16 degrees farenheit,
I will be hard pressed to slither
my way out of the cave today!!

We ladies at Magnolia Down Under
were set a challenge by the amazingly talented

Jodie

to make a party invitation
with our wonderful Christmas kits that
The Waffling Boss Lady Kellie sent us.
So after much anticipation,
my stamps arrived and I got straight to work!!


Firstly I must apologize for the photos,
there is no natural light out here lately,
so I had to make do with what I had and well,
I guess that is meant as an apology to myself,
since I am the one who notices it the most, eh?
I was lucky enough to be assigned
Tilda with Crackers
as my design team stamp.
The moment I saw this, I "NEEDED" it,
I just see that ornament, fixated on it really,
it could pop right off the page if one felt so inclined...
So then, my mission was clear, lol.


She is adorable!!
I love her hair in this stamp!!
I've coloured in distress inks,
the ball is done up in Gold Lame Smooch
and then coated in Crystal Lacquer and
popped up on foam mounts.
She's bordered in Gold Stickles.
I wish I could say FIND HER HERE,
but she is sold out at MDU!!
You can, however, head over to find
this lace, the wire star, and the papers!!
There are still a selection of new stamps,
check them out HERE.
I've created this with a few challenges in mind:
Stampin' For the Weekend
wants to see traditional colours of red, green and gold
and Sketch Saturday
provided me with the layout,
though my interpretation is rather loose.
Everybody Art Challenge is hosting a
red and green colour combo challenge,
Pile It On is hosting a
Tinsel Town challenge, use your glittery blingy stuff!!
Saturday Spotlight with Hidden Potential
are hosting a Christmas Flowers challenge.


Well, I hope Jodie approves of my creation
and she can make it to my party this Christmas...
I will be back tomorrow!!
Take Care,
Stephanne

I'll bet you've looked everywhere for these!!!

Hello my lovely chickadee's,
I just had to come and share this with you!!
I have no idea where she found them,
but Kellie at Magnolia Down Under
has just added personalized stamps to the shop.
These gems will be personalized to your liking;
name, even texts and prints are negotiable.
Here's a sample for you,
but if you've been hunting around for something like this,
you'll want to drop in MDU and
check out the variety of stamps that can be made

just for you!!


Have a wonderful day,
I hope it is warm and cozy where you are at!!
Take Care,
Stephanne

DT-MDUC is getting Bedazzling!!

Hi there dear blogging pals,
I hope you are all well today,
I hope you are getting some rest
from the Christmas shopping mayhem
that is taking place, no doubt!!
It's time for a new challenge over at
Magnolia Down Under Challenges
and it is
Bedazzled
so get out your Maggies, gems, Stickles, glimmer mist,
rhinestones, glamour dust, Smooch, perfect pearls,
oh, you get the idea!!!
We can't wait to see what you come up with,
and with Christmas right around the corner,
this challenge goes hand in hand with the season!!
You're going to want to get in on this one,
Kellie is sponsoring this challenge with the
overtly-precious Christmas Eve Tilda as the prize!!
She is definitely on the "NEED" list and would be
the perfect little Christmas gift for YOU!!!!
So go check it out!!


And without further ado, here's Snowie!!!


And to think I was having a hard time with this challenge...
The wonderful Sue stamped me this cutie snowman
and I am so glad she did because it is precious
and loads of fun to bring to life!!
I've coloured in distress inks and gone around
in Diamond Stickles to make Snowie sparkle!!
The papers are from the new Magnolia collection,
you can find yours at Magnolia Down Under here,
the punches are Martha Stewart,
the snowflakes were glimmer misted and then
Stickled in Waterfall with a
Jolee's Swarvoski crystal placed in the center,
the charm, lace and hemp are from my stash.


A slight side angle to show you my stamped snowflakes.
It's nice, you can see them when they catch light,
I stamped snowflakes onto the Magnolia paper
with Brilliance Moonlight White ink and then
heat embossed with Crystal powder,
which is quite nice to have executed,
usually I scorch the paper when I try to heat emboss.
This paper is magical I tell you!!


In true Challenge Hog fashion,
I've got some places I'll be popping this in at:
Layout courtesy of PaperTake Weekly,
Stamp Something is hosting a Glitzy Somethings challenge,
and Simon Says use charms!!!
Have you seen SS Stores' charms?? Totally gorgeous!!!


I guess I'd better wrap this up before I
am accused of Wafflery!!
Make sure to pop your project in at our
Magnolia Down Under Bedazzled Challenge,
we can't wait to see what you're all creating!!
Take Care,
Stephanne

A very merry Magnolia Christmas

Hi everyone, I hope all is good with you.
I've got another card to toss in the pile,
how is everyone else doing with that?
Caught up, barely starting, DONE??
I think I am about 40% above sinking.


This is something I've cooked up with some
of my superyummy supplies the gorgeous Kellie sent.
I am glad I went ahead and placed the bulk of my
Christmas Magnolia order with
Magnolia Down Under
because if I hadn't, I'd still be waiting for them!!!
You can find the lace, papers, and the
adorable Christmas Eve Tilda here.
That lace is super yummy, a very tightly stitched
and detailed variety, I am hooked!!
Some laces are rather flimsy and lack fine detail,
not so with this fabby stuff!!
Okay, enough about lace, onto the card!!


Beyond Magnolia products,
I've used Martha Stewart punches,
Bazzill cardstock, tea roses "Stickled" in gold
and I've coloured in distress inks.
I love the saturation of colour I get with them and
the availability to layer on tones is nice.
I resisted the urge to glitter and shadow her
thinking that it let her look more rustic??? Maybe???

I've gone along with the challenge SPLURGE and will
be popping this in over at:
Colour Create whose colours are green, red and white,
with the optional extra, naturally being Christmas!!
Cupcake Crafts who are hosting a colour challenge
of green and red,
Just Magnolia provided the wonderful sketch,
I loved this, I think I will use it in excess!!
The Pink Elephant set a challenge of colouring in our favourite medium, and when I've got the patience to experiment with it, distress inks are DEFINITELY my favorite!!
Crafty Creations is hosting a challenge that is right up my alley, Lace and Distressing, so I'm going to join in there for the first time, and
Stamp With Fun is hosting a Christmas Challenge, and I want to pledge allegiance to The Waffler Kellie, so I will play over there for the first time as well.

I hope whatever you are doing today,
that you are enjoying yourselves.
I give you permission to take some time out
of this crazy seasons happenings to take a hot bath
or eat half a pound of chocolate alone in your craft room.
Just tell your family, "It's okay, Dr. Stephanne said!!"
Happy Wednesday!!
Stephanne

Calling all Magnolia Addicts!!

The pre-order for the NEW Magnolia Ink Magazine
has officially begun over at
Magnolia Down Under



**PLEASE NOTE** This is NOT available for distribution from Magnolia until January 2010. Pre-Orders will begin DECEMBER 2009. Place your preorder TODAY and be one of the first to get your hands on the next series of MagnoliaInk!! Rumoured to be the FAIRY TALE Issue!!! Magnolia has packed this issue full of inspiration, ideas and tutorials to help you get the most from your Magnolia Tilda Stamps and will feature: * Inspiring Cards, * Sketches, * How to use Distress Inks * Fun Ideas * Step By Step, * New Products, * Featured Artist, * How To Do, * Templates, Events, Shop Directory and more..... The pictured cover is subject to change and is provided as reference. *

Pretty in pink, isn't she......
Have a wonderful day, and if you've got a minute,
stop by Kellie's blog and wish her a happy anniversary!!
Stephanne