Happy is the Heart....

I guess this will be my last posting for June. This is my "just for fun" card. I've seen quite a few of this type of shape card being posted on various blogs and I really wanted to give one a try. I have used the second and third to the largest of my Go Kreate Dies for my shapes. Many of the cards were done vertically, but I wanted to use #264 LAYING TILDA from the new Sweet Rainbow collection. She is available from Magnolia-licious where Diana gives wonderful service and in-store credit each time you purchase something. How generous is that?!

So here is what I came up with. For me, it's kind of Shabby Chic. I don't do Shabby Chic too well because I like to keep my cards relatively clutter free.



I distress all the edges with tea dyed Distress Ink, inside and out. Here is a list of the Copics I used on Tilda...

Skin - E0000, 000, 00, 11, chalk for cheeks
Hair - C3, 5, 7, 9, blender pen
Blouse/Shoes - B21, 24, 32, E 31, 41, 43, 40, 42
Pants - E 40, 41, 42, 43, 31

Flowers - stash
Pearls - stash
Seam Binding - stash
DP - Fancy Pants - Family series
CS - SU
Spellbinders - Fancy Labels Die


Here is a closer look at Miss Tilda...


Just for the fun of it, a side view...



On the inside I repeated the same layers and added a computer generated sentiment, and fancied it up with a few more pearls.


I'm so appreciative of those of you who support my blog with encouragement. I hope you will be inspired by my work. Please feel free to CASE my work, but remember to give me credit for the originality.

Hugs,
Barb

My card fronts are headed for CHA!

Not too long ago, Diana of Magnolia-licious fame, asked her DT to make some card fronts to use at CHA in July. The only stipulation was to use Mini Maggies only! I set right to it and have already mailed off several packages. With the release of the Sweet Rainbow collection she asked for some volunteers to make up more card fronts using the new Mini's. Hello?!! My hand went up immediately and I couldn't wait to get started. Waiting for the images to arrive was hard, but Diana's service is so excellent they were here before I knew it. Although the images you will see below are not Sweet Rainbow images exclusively, all these projects are now in the hands of Diana.

So here's what I came up with...not in the order that I made them...

This card front used the #412 MINI LOVE MUFFIN. I added a little cupcake charm to the ribbon to repeat the theme.


Here is #3029 MINI TILDA IN STAR DRESS from the Sweet Rainbow collection...


This is a little treat box using #3035 MINI TILDA IN SUMMER RAIN and also some pretty Magnolia dp for the box.


Two images were used for this card front. #436 MINI MUSHROOMS WITH SNAIL and #3021 MINI TILDA WITH PONY TAIL. The sentiment is also a Mini -#703 "Just sittin' here thinking of you".



I still have several of these sweet little tins from Michael's. I covered the bottom of the tin with Magnolia dp and some retired ribbon from SU. The image is #371 MINI TILDA WITH FLOWER POT.



This next card was so much fun to make...I used #324 MINI SEEDING TILDA and used the fence die from Magnolia. Since I used this happy chick paper I added a feather along with the leaves and flowers.


This card front is a shaker card. I used #306 MINI MERMAID TILDA. The dp is also from Magnolia. The #413 PELICAN is not a Mini, but is from the Bon Voyage collection.


I was hunting in my "to be altered" box and found several little mini match boxes. I thought this sweet #290 MINI CHINESE TILDA and #738 MINI SEE YOU LATER sentiment would be good together. The paper I used to cover and line the box with is Origami paper.


Here is #290 MINI CHINESE TILDA again, and #505 MINI STONE PATHWAY, but this time as a card front. The punched borders are Spellbinders Fleur de Lis die.

Finally, I made an acetate card front, stamping a scroll butterfly image with White Stazon. The image used here is #261 MINI TILDA WITH HAWAII FLOWER.


I hope Diana will be able to use these at her CHA booth and that it will give everyone an idea of just how versatile these sweet little Mini's are!

Thanks for taking the time to read through this rather long post and I hope you've gained some inspiration for your own creations.

Hugs,
Barb

Edwin is feeling a little blue - or rather grey!

I have a couple of things to say about this card! First of all thank you Angie Hunt for the inspiration and layout! She doesn't even know that she inspired me, but she recently did the sweetest card for our Blog Hop and I stole her idea...only instead of using Maggie Mini's I used #103 COOL EDWIN, from the Sweet Rainbow collection. He is available from Diana at the Magnolia-licious store.

The other thing I wanted to say is that I've so admired all the monochromatic colored images that have been done. To tell you the truth, I've been scared spit-less to try one, but last night I decided to give it a whirl. I finished my card and showed it to my BFF and she critiqued it for me. She suggested that I darken the pants a little. Well, the card was finished but I decided to take her advise. I still may not have gotten them dark enough, but this was my first shot - and the card WAS finished...

I so enjoyed our Blog Hop challenge which was to use black and white and one other color for pop, so I pulled out some Magnolia dp from the Vintage Christmas collection and paired it with some retired SU dp. I love the effect this gave my card.

Here is how the front turned out. The beautiful wide striped ribbon was part of a package I received from a fore mentioned BFF. I thought it would be masculine enough for my card. No flowers or pearls for this one. Now that I look at it I should have included some Screw Head brads to the corners, but it was too late by the time I was finished the card.


Here is a close up of Edwin and how I colored him. The colors I used are as follows:
W00,1,3,6; R14,46,59; and I touched him up with T1,3,5 6. The cheeks were done with chalk and then rubbed off a little.



Here is my artsy view of the card...


This is how I finished up the inside. I didn't have enough of the SU black and white paper left, so I just used it on the top. One of the pieces of ribbon was left over from the front, so I simply cut another piece to match and secured it to the panel with Screw Head brads. The bottom of the card uses another piece of ribbon and I attached three Screw Head brads to the notation panel.

Will I ever do another Monochromatic card? Yup! This is quite doable and I like the effect.

Thanks for taking time out of your very busy day to come and visit my blog.

Hugs,
Barb

Black and white and POP!

It's time again for the Magnolia-licous Highlites blog hop. I'm the top of the order this month, so you're starting in the right place. You can find the complete order of the hop here, so if you get lost along the way that's where to go to continue your journey to see all the fabulous creations the DT have put together for you. From my blog you'll hop on over to Sharon's blog to see the delightful card she has made. And please come and join in the fun by making your own creation, either card or project, and show off your stuff.

This month we were asked to make a card using only black/white and one other color for a pop! I chose to use this sunny Yoyo Yellow from SU and the dp is also from SU.

This is my second attempt to make a frame card from the tutorial on StampArtic. I failed miserably to follow their directions, (which is no reflection on them, but my own inability to follow directions). So instead came up with my own system and got a reasonable facsimile.

My card....



I used one of the new images from the Sweet Rainbow collection - #3032 Water Can Tilda. Diana has all of the new collection available in her shop and your can order right now. While you're over there, please check out all the other delightful new images just waiting for you to create with.

A side view of my card...



and a close up of Tilda...



My floral arrangement...



And finally, the back of my card with my signature...

So thanks so much for hopping along with us today. I hope you find lots of inspiration along the way and find some time to create a project or card using black/white and one other color for pop!
Hugs...Barb

Hang in there....

This is just a very quick post. The twins are three today (woohoo), and we're having to make the decision as to whether to put our dog down or not. UPDATE: Our dog is home and I'm having to infuse fluids just under the skin for the next couple of days, plus give him a couple of injections. He has Pancreatitis. I'm so glad we didn't have to put him down, though it's costing an arm and a let to treat him... Tomorrow we're throwing a birthday party and our grandson is coming tonight for the weekend. And Father's Day is Sunday, so a very full plate and much emotion around our house.

Yesterday I did make this little Easel card using #298 SCARECROW TILDA from the Sweet Rainbow collection. She is available from Diana at the Magnolia-licious store so your won't have to wait for her to be yours.

When I first saw this image I just wanted to do her up in pink and brown, and I had the dp that I wanted to use on hand. It's my Pebbles called New Arrival. So I made my easel from that and used a chocolate Bazzill cardstock for the shape behind Tilda.

I have a few pictures to show you... The card folded closed...



A close up of Tilda...

My card recipe...
Copics used -
Skin - E0000,000,00,11 Chalk
Bees - Y35, C7, B0000
Hair - Y32, 21, 26, 28
Dress/Mitts - R81, 83, 85, RV0000 Blender
Straw - E43
MS Punch around the page - Cherish
Buttons and floss from stash
Linen thread - stash
Distress inks - tattered rose, weathered wood, tea dyed
Go Kreate die

Here is my card opened up...



A side view...



Thanks for stopping by today...I appreciate your comments and encouragement...
Hugs
Barb

Enjoy the journey my friend...

Here we are at the beginning of another week and I have to say, time is flying so fast. Before you know it the twins will be turning 3 and we have a birthday party scheduled at Peter Piper Pizza. I hope at least one child from their PDO program will RSVP!

So I've been busy making some cards from this newest collection from Magnolia called Sweet Rainbow Collection. They are just the most adorable images - but then I say that about every collection. *grin*

I have made an Easel card using #211 Explore Tilda and Colored her with Copics. The large flower I think is also Magnolia image, but I can't find it anywhere in Diana's shop. It was an image I received from someone a few years ago. Yes, I'm just getting around to coloring it up now!

Here is my card...



A close up of Tilda and her little bugs...the flower is attached with pop dots...



A side view of my card...



Finally the 'stopper' and sentiment...



I have to give Pam Sparks credit for the little circle stopper. She did this on a card some time ago and the idea has always stuck with me. It's so easy to do and what a great stopper it makes. The wording is from The Cutting Cafe - Everyday Greetings Set 2. I scored the circle in the center and attached a semi circle behind it then tucked the bottom half under my sentiment panel. When you close the card up it just lies flat. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! It's a retired set call 'God's Blessings'.

My card recipe...

Designer Paper - Bo Bunny
Card Stock - Stampin' Up!
Copics -
Skin: E000,02,11
Hair: E35, Y26 & 32
Blouse/Shoes: Roo, 02, 12
Pants: BG10, 49, 72
Leaves/Grass: G94, 24, 40
Flower: YR14, 23, 30, E35, 55, 23
Bugs: Y13, E14, E42, Boooo
Spellbinders Labels 10 die, Fleur de Lis Square die
Pearls - stash
Butterfly punch - stash (no name available)
Double sided mounting tape
Scor-Tape

Thanks for your visit today, I love to share my creations with you...
Hugs, Barb

Grand kids and a Twin card...

So what do these have in common? Well, nothing really, it's just high time I posted some pictures of the kids and I have made a card with a twin image on the front. I will post the card first and then get to the "grands".

I found the little "Two Peas In a Pod" charm at Hobby Lobby and I guess that was my jumping off place. Since the little twins we have in our care (who will be 3 next week! OMG!!) are bi-racial I thought I would do their skin darker (but I'm afraid I got it toooooo dark) They are really very light skinned.

Here is a close up of the little charm that was my inspiration...



and here is my card...



a side view of the card...



And a close up...



The inside - very simple and plain...



Now onto the grandchildren...

My daughter and her youngest, Kyle, came up on Memorial Day so that I could go and spend some time with hubby while he was lounging away at the hospital. When I got back we took the kids to Mickey D's for lunch and then dropped by Walmart to by a pool and slip'n'slide! It was a huge hit. My neighbor came over and blew up the pool for me with his handy little pump, but it was the slip'n'slide that was the big hit!

Here are a few pictures of the 'grand' day!

This is Kyle in the foreground, Jordan lying down and one of the twins (don't ask me which one, who can tell from this angle?)

Here is Kyle having a 'grand' slide!

Kyle and Brielle (I can tell who is who from this angle)

This is Josslyn - they love the gentle flow of water...

And finally - everyone in the pool. The ham is Kyle!



I so appreciate you coming by my blog to see the latest happenings in our household...

Hugs,
Barb

Ole!

I haven't posted a card in a week! Life has been very busy here. For those of you who are following my life's adventures, my hubby is doing well now, having spent 4 days in the hospital - yes! again! He had a severe reaction to the antibiotic he had been infusing for 5 weeks! Okay already! Can there be any more setbacks to this leg issue?

The kids and I survived very well, and I was able to keep up with Jordan's swim classes and get him to school every morning. Hubby is home again, all is well and we're all settling into our normal routine again. Jordan has been attending a Magnet school since March and it was unsure as to whether he'd be able to continue next year. All the students are selected by lottery, unless you're already in attendance of course. Pre-K is not considered regular attendance. But when I picked him up on Thursday afternoon, the teacher told me that his name was on the list and that he'll go back in the fall. Woohoo! I can't tell you how excited we are to hear that news. This school is Exemplary every year - just outstanding...

So enough about family and onto my card for this week. I saw a tutorial recently on StampArtic making a frame card. Arghhhh! Try as I might I just couldn't get the instructions to work for me. In the end I pitched out my first attempt, salvaged the image and tried again. I went through an entire sheet of 12 X 12 dp trying to get this to work out (ouch!)

For my card front I used several different punches and dies. The outside is a Martha Stewart punch around the page, the inner oval is a Nellie Snellen die. The oval frame is a Spellbinder die while the small scalloped oval behind Tilda is a smaller Nellie Snellen die. I used #303 SPANISH TILDA MINI available from Diana's fabulous online shop here.

Here is the front of my card. I have taken this card completely apart twice. This is my third and final attempt. I will just have to leave well enough alone!



Here is a close up of Tilda. She is colored with Copics and the background was done with Distress Inks...



I took a picture of the side view of this Easel card, since it's an odd shape...



Here is the open front of my card...



Finally a closer view of my sentiment...



My card recipe:

Card stock - Bazzill Black, generic white, Cryogen white
DP - pebbles Mr & Mrs Pinstripe
Copics:
Skin - E000, 02, 11
Hair/Shoes - C7, 5 ,3, 1
Dress - R22, 14, 39
Fan - Coo, o1
Distress Inks - weatherd wood, tattered rose
All flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts
Pearls - stash
Flourish - Sizzix
Pearl Shimmer Mist
Sentiment - SU retired Curvy Verses

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today...

Hugs,
Barb