Sweet Magnolia, with Colours, Stitching, a Sketch and a Recycled Bow

(This photo is taken in afternoon sunlight and has a
warmer tone to the colours then the rest of the pictures below.)

 Hi everyone, I am really excited to be posting this card because it incorporates five challenges really nicely, and its not often I can do that! 

The first challenge is Magnolia Down Under - Something Sweet

I have used 60's Tilda from the Yummy Range and the cute containers filled with yummy sweet things to eat! I really need to get on top of all the names for the Magnolia stamps...but there is soooo many of them, I am struggling to keep up!  I need a catalogue or a magazine with all the stamps and their names.  I coloured the images with Copic Markers.

(This photo is taken in the shade - the colours change slightly.)

The second challenge is Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Red, White and Blue.

Now I have to admit, when I first saw the challenge for red, white and blue, I wasn't overly keen...I don't think I have ever made a card with these colours...but as I started playing around with some papers and cards I fell in love with this combination for its fresh, bright look!  I kept embellishments to a minimum so that the card looked clean and simple.

The third challenge is Truely Scrumptious for their sketch.  I was getting a bit sick of the same style of sketches I had been using lately and this was different.  I love the three panels in this sketch.  I saw my friend Amanda used it on her blog and I just had to use it as well!

The fourth challenge is Cute Card Thursday - Reuse, Renew, Recycle. 

The bow is my recycled object.  I saved it off something, I just can't remember what it was...maybe a box of chocolates...I don't know.  I t was attached to a gold elastic band.  I just cut it off the band and stuck it to my card.  I would buy a whole box of these bows if I could.  The bows I tie just don't compare to this one!

And last, but not least, the fifth challenge

Papertake Weekly - In Stitches.

I added some faux stitches in and around the panels of the card.  I am a bit obsessed with these faux stitches at the moment and am putting them on lots of my cards.  Just finishes the card off nicely I think.

And that's about it! I have completed Day 1 of my three day countdown to the holidays and the finish of my contract.  Tomorrow the kids have chosen their activities for the day and we have written them up on the whiteboard already.  They voted and decided on a Science Experiment, some Art/Craft, reading the BFG by Roald Dahl, many games and PE activities.  Being the second last day of term (and my second-last day with them) and Friday being NAIDOC day, we decided some fun activities were in order - lets hope I can survive! 

I will let you know tomorrow...

Thanks for visiting my blog, and for all the lovely comments you leave...I am so lucky to have blogging buddies - I really appreciate your friendship.

Sweet Pea Card

Good evening Blogging Buddies.

Tonight I want to share with you a Sweet Pea card.

I made this card for Loz, to thank her for sending me some images.

Over at Sweet Pea Stampers they are having a challenge Earth, Wind and Fire. I think my card fits in with the earth theme due to its golden, earthy tones.

I have had such a busy day today...running around town, going to appointments, buying things, dropping in at MBF, the RTA...all sorts of odd jobs. I didn't get home till 4pm.

Tomorrow I go to work and begin my last three days of my contract at the school I am working at. Most of you know that I can't wait to be finished this contract and I pray I make it through the last three days without any dramas. Cross your fingers for me please! I will keep you posted as to how I am travelling...the big countdown!

Loz and Carol both asked me how I post my bulkier cards with the extra large flowers...well, I put them in a plastic envelope bag, or a glad sandwich bag and allow a bit of air in to give the card some protection and then I put it in an A5 envelope. It has a cushiony effect. I assume they make it to their destination okay - I have had no complaints so far.

I hope you are having a good week so far...bring on the weekend I say!

Thanks for visiting,

Winter flowers and Sketch Challenge

 I followed the sketch from Bizzy Bec's Customer Only Challenge.

The theme is Winter.  Today was a very cold day...and I was rugged up in my woolies I can tell you!  I picked this Magnolia Stamp...not sure of her name...because she was rugged up in her woolies too!  I coloured her with Copics.  The photo above bests shows the colours of the card, you just have to excuse the shadows made by the pearl and flower sprigs.  The photo below gives you a clearer look at the card.  The main piece of DP is from DCWV The Once Upon a Time Stack.  I chose it first and then chose everything else to match it. 

I added a little posy of flowers and leaves in the corner here and I think this card also fits the Stamp Something Challenge - Something Vintage with Flowers 

and

Magical Crafts Challenge - Flower Power .

Here is a different angle of the flowers.

Thanks for visiting my blog, have a nice day!

No Card today...just some photos...

I had a special visit from my friend (and ex-student) Jasmine today. Her family were travelling back from their holiday at the snow to the Gold Coast and they stopped in for a visit. It was actually a lovely winter's day. The sun was out and it had rained over night, so everything was clean and fresh. We had lunch outside. I picked some roses from the garden to have on the table.

Here is a photo of Jas and I sitting on the little bridge in our front garden. We are both wearing our ugg boots! I am so lucky to have such a gorgeous friend. It was nice to spend time with

her today.

I have been making cards, but no post tonight...

I hope you had a lovely weekend.

Wedding Party Blog Hop

 

For something a little different, I thought I would join in Stephanie's Angelic Accent's Wedding Party Blog Hop.  I was only looking at these photos tonight on the computer of our friends' Carrie and Josh's wedding.  Carrie and Josh are two of our most treasured friends.  We have known them since we were at school, but became friends when we went to Uni.  We have lived in Newcastle and on the Gold Coast with them, but now we live in different towns and we do miss each other a lot.  We have spent many Friday or Saturday nights together eating out, going to the movies or getting ice creams or hot-chocolates.  We have many special memories together and have shared many of life's moments.  Here are some pics from their gorgeous wedding a few years back at Hope Island Golf Club, the Gold Coast.

The picture above is Carrie and I on the way to the wedding - we were both so excited!

This is the boys...we always have a laugh at this photo!

The girls...after all our pampering...hair, make-up, nails etc...weddings are a great excuse to treat yourself!

This is the four of us signing our lives away!

This is a photo of Ben and my entire family...My family is on the left and Ben's is on the right.

The beautiful bride and groom - they look so happy!

Just thought I would share some happy memories tonight...I am up very late because I had a big sleep today (sleeping off my cold). 

Want to join in the Wedding Party Blog Hop?

Hop on over to Angelic Accents and join in the fun!

Paper Play Challenge - "It's Sunny Here"

I am excited to share with you my first DT card for Paperplay Challenges. Our theme this week is "It's Sunny Here" and we want to see sun or sunglasses on your projects. Just perfect for us Aussies who are in the middle of winter! We need a bit of sun to remind us what Summer is all about! The challenge is sponsored by Bunny Zoe Crafts and the prize up for grabs is a $15 gift certificate.

I coloured the gorgeous "Midsummer Tilda" that Loz stamped and posted to me with Copics (Thank you so much Loz!) and a Magnolia background stamp. The green DP is Magnolia and I teamed it with Cameo Coral cardstock. Not one of my normal colour combos but I was matching it with the DCWV DP beind the sun (which you can hardly see). The punched flowers are out of that paper as well and so are the little cut-out flowers down the bottom of the card. I used a square lace doily, added some ribbon and a sentiment. It turned out to be a cheery card I think. I am sending it to a friend for her birthday next week.

Well, I hope to see you play along! I will come and comment on your beautiful creations.

I hope you had a happy, sunny Friday.

Take care,

Another Male Card...my Husband's design...

This card is for our friend Josh.  He turned 29 last week and he is in love with guitars.  I wanted to make him a special card that he would really like.  I searched for this image from The Greeting Farm and would you believe it is called "Josh's New Guitar" - quite appropriate!

I wanted it to be very masculine and I asked my husband to help me...so he chose the colours and the design.  He loves plain cards...not into fancy like me!  I coloured the image with Copics and used Very Vanilla, Next to Navy and Night of Navy card.  I inked the edges a little - couldn't help myself, had to ruin that perfect white look!

I would like to play along with the following challenges:

Crafts and Me Challenge - Birthdays

Charisma Cardz Challenges - For the Boys

One Stop Craft Challenges - One for the Boys

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog - Clean and Simple

I am feeling much better after my day off today ~ thank you for your well-wishes.

Off to work tomorrow and then its the weekend!

Thanks for popping by,

A sweet little card for a sweet little girl...

I have a card to share tonight that I made for one of my ex-students.  She rang me recently to say she made her First Holy Communion and Confirmation.  I thought it would be nice to send her a little card and she is such an angel, so I thought this image would be appropriate.

I went for the colours Lilac and Lemon for a challenge that is well and truely passed now.  And it was a challenge for me...I dont often use these colours together.  I coloured my paper flowers with Copic markers to make them match in.  I added a lace doily, some real lace, ribbon and a floral spray of little white flowers and pearls.  I drew on some faux stitching...sounds bad, but my sewing machine is in another room and it is too cold to go up there at the moment, so I am lazily using faux stitches instead.  Much quicker as well...and I don't have to think about what coloured thread to use : )

I would like to play along with:

Crazy 4 Challenges - Paper Flowers

Totally Gorjuss - Sugar and Spice

I am excited to announce I will be working as Design Team member for Paper Play Challenges.  It will be great to be part of a Design Team again and challenge myself to make some cute cards and visit and comment on people's blogs.  I will post my first card soon and hope you will all join in!

I am sick with a cold and so am having tomorrow off work, then it will be Friday and then the weekend again! Then only one more week of school before holidays!!!  Can you tell I can't wait?  I am excited because I have booked a week at the Gold Coast and plan to catch up with all my friends who I  miss so much.  I should post a pic of where we will stay.  Not far from where we used to live in these new apartments. 

Hope you are having a great week.

Thanks for visiting,

One for the Boys

 I needed a card for my cousin Ambrose.  He was turning 15 years old.  We all know how difficult it can be to make a card for a 15 year old boy.  I decided on this digi image from Digi-stamp boutique - Josh with Football I think he is called.  I went for some boyish DPs and tried to keep it masculine and simple.  I coloured Josh with Copics.

Because I have been making some bulk cards lately I decided to make six of these as well.  But you can only see five in the photo below because I had given Ambrose his card before I took the photo.  So that leaves five for my growing card stash!

I thought these cards would fit with the following challenges:

Die Cut Dreams - Green and Blue Combo for a teenage boy

Creative Inspirations - One for the Boys

One Stop Craft Challenge - One for the Boys

My plans for a big crafting day today did not work out so well.  My sister rang me early this morning and asked me if I wanted to go to town with her.  We went and checked out a lingerie sale and I spent $100 on about 16 pieces of new underwear...they were really good buys and good brands, Calvin Klein etc.  Then I went to her house for lunch and chatted and played with her littlest girl while the eldest was at school.  So I didn't get home till about 4pm.  I made two cards tonight so will endeavour to post them soon.

Tomorrow I have an old school friend coming over for afternoon tea.  She lives in America and I keep in contact with her on facebook, but she is home visiting her family.  I havent seen her in ten years or more, so it will be a good catch up.

Then it will be back to work for the next three days...lets hope they go quickly and smoothly!

I hope you are getting some lovely crafting time in and making some beautiful creations.  Thank you so much for visiting my blog today.

Alicia xx

Long time no post!

 It is so nice to get on here and post tonight.  It has been a week since I have even hopped around blog-land and I have missed it a lot! I have been very busy with school.  My program (school planning document) is due this week and it took over my life for a week.  I finished it this morning and now I am free! I will be even more free after this two weeks is over and I have finished my contract at the school I am currently working at.  I am so excited! I can't wait till it is all over!!!

I did do some crafting mid-week to make these invitations and so i thought I would share them tonight.  They are for a 5th B'day party.  The blue ones are the boys and the pink, of course, are for the girls invited to the party.  I kept them pretty simple.  Would you believe I made them all in one hour? I was working hard and fast that night.  Started them at 10pm and finished them at 11pm.  They needed to be made for the very next day.

I would like to play along with the following two challenges:

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog - Clean and Simple

Fussy and fancy Friday Challenge - Monochromatic and Wings

Tomorrow I am hoping to stay home all day and craft, so I will be blog-hopping and visiting all my neglected blogging buddies.

Till then, happy crafting and thanks for visiting.

Shabby Chic Thank You Card

Life has been a bit hectic recently and I havent found myself blogging or card-making. I have a set of cards on my desk that are half-made and have been that way for the last three days. Tonight I plan to spend some time blogging, cathcing up on all the creations I have missed commenting on recently and of course, making some cards!

Life sometimes throws up a few diversions and gets in the way of crafting, doesn't it!

This set of cards I made because my sister wants me to make her a pack of Thank you cards. I thought I would do six and make several packs with an assortment of different thank you cards. So this is the first design. I am into making bulk cards at them moment...I want to get a stock of them, for me to use and also to sell down the track.

I went for a Shabby Chic look for this card because of the DP I used "{note} worthy" by Making Memories. It just called out to be distressed. The base card is Rose Red and the image and sentiment is on Very Vanilla card stock. The digi-image is called "Softly Afloat" by Paper Cupcakes and coloured with Copics. I love the antique - looking lace across the bottom of the card. I added a ribbon to the top of the lace from my stash.

I would like to play along with the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew - Thank you

The Play Date Cafe - Colour Theme

(My colours arent exactly the same as I dont have any of the new SU colours yet.)

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Buttons and/or Lace

I hope to get around and visit and comment tonight...I hope you are having a great June Long-Weekend. Thanks for looking.

 Goodevening Blogging Buddies.

I made this card last week for my sister who wanted a "Thank You" card for a work colleague....I dont know if it is really suitable for a "Thank You" card so I made another one as well so she can choose.  ( I will blog the second one another day) This beautiful fairy/angel image is from CC designs and I do love her.  This is the first time she has been inked up.  I think I followed a sketch, but I have no idea which blog it was off now...the challenge would have probably been finished anyway.

I would like to play along with the following challenges:

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Floral Delights

Cup Cake Craft Challenges - Dazzle Us

Crafts and Me - Friends and Family

The Play Date Cafe - Colours: Peach, Pale Peach and Lemon

Die-Cut Dreams - Angels

I had an exhausting day at school today...some of the kids in my class have very sad home lives and it gets me down from time to time.  I wish I could help them more.  When I come home I start worrying about them.  It would be nice if all children could go home to safe households where they feel loved and happy... But I have to look on the positive side and make the classroom a comfortable and joyful place for them to come each day : )

I have been making more bulk cards over the last few days and will share those soon.

I hope you had a lovely day today, thanks for visiting.

Baby Boy Cards

My cousin Caroline has recently had a baby boy called Joshua.  I needed to make her a card, while I was at it I decided to make another five exactly the same.  This will give me a good stash to use and sell as needed.

I used "Thomas in Pram" from Digistamp Boutique. 

This was the first digi-stamp I bought and boy has he had a workout! I have used him many times (sometimes I colour him in pinks and dress him up as a girl).  I coloured him with Copics and mounted all the DPs onto Bashful Blue card.  I kept the design very simple because I didnt want these cards to take me ten hours!  I stamped the sentiment in Bashful Blue ink but it looks very washed out in the photos...in real life you can see it much more clearly.

 I would like to play along with the S2G Challenge - Brides and Babies and the

Stamp Something Challenge - Stamp Something Digi - Digi Stamp Challenge 

I spent most of today mowing the lawn and then visited my sister this afternoon.

It was a nice sunny day, but very cold.

I am hoping to make some more cards tonight.

Thanks for visiting me today and thank you for your lovely comments.

A Summer Inspired Magnolia Card

Well, it is nothing like Summer here at the moment in Australia...we have the fire going, and I am needing to get some slippers and an electric blanket....After living on the Gold Coast for five years and now being back in NSW the cold weather is a little hard to take.

I was quite happy to make a Summer-inspired card to remind me of those sunny days...and to fit all the summer challenges out there in blog-land at the moment.

This is the first time I have coloured this Tilda. I was lucky enough to win her and she was fun to colour. I coloured her in bright summery colours to match my SU DP. I was going for a bright, cheery card.

I would like to play along with the following challenges...

Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Sketch

Stampavie and More - Summer

Stampin' for the Weekend - Summer/Travel Theme

Just Magnolia - Frame it

Our Creative Corner - Summer Inspiration

I finalised my reports today so they are all done - Hooray! That leaves plenty of time for one thing...making cards! I just want to sit and craft and craft and craft...

Hope you have had a lovely weekend.

Thanks for visiting.

Magnolia Thank you Card

 Goodevening Blogging Buddies...I am so glad it is Friday! I have just finished my part of my school reports...but have to meet with my teaching partner this Sunday to finalise our efforts...yuck! I can think of better ways to spend a Sunday, can't you...snuggled up in my craft room with inky fingers, mess everywhere, hot chocolates and tim-tam biscuits!

Anyway...the sooner the reports are over and done with the better.

Tonight I have a Thank-you card to share.  I made this card for Annette last week but didnt want to blog it until she had received it in the mail.  I am in love with this Tilda stamp and it really doesnt take long at all to colour...she is so, so cute!  The card stock is SU Regal Rose and the DP is SU as well.  The flowers, leaves and hat pins are from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The doily and stamp are from Tickled Pink Stamps.  The ribbon is from my stash, the sentiment is SU.  I coloured Tilda with Copics and added Kindy-Glitzz all over for some sparkle.

I would like to play along with the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge - F is for flowers

Magnolia Down Under Challenge - Flowers

PaperPlay Challenges - Flowers and Sparkle

I hope you are having a lovely Friday evening and you get plenty of crafting time this weekend.

Thanks very much for visiting me.

Magnolia "Thinking of you" Card

 Good evening blogging buddies...I have a sweet little Magnolia card to share with you tonight.

This card is for my Auntie...she has had a huge month, her birthday (which I missed), her Mum and her sister passing away and now a new Grandchild that arrived last week.  So she has had a turbulent time and has been in my thoughts lately.  

I thought a nice card would be well-received.

I followed another one of Hanna's sketches.  They really are to die for! Lots of layering and detail.  I have really enjoyed using her designs.  I used some yummy Magnolia DPs that Kellie kindly sent me from Tickled Pink Stamps.  (I also bought my stamp, doily and charm from her store as well).  I teamed the DPs with some silver paper, some mauve (kind of furry) paper and mounted it all on Bashful Blue card.  I added some silver ribbon and a blue crystal stem as well. I certainly used lots of embellishments on this card and so I think it would qualify for the Pimp your Card Challenge at Sweet Stampin Challenge Blog.

 The little blue roses I bought from Wild Orchid Crafts and I nestled some of them into flowers cut on my Martha Stewart punch. Because of these flowers I would like to enter this card in the Magnolia Down Under Challenge - Flowers and the Sir Stampalot Challenge - Punch It! (Sorry I cut them off a bit in the photo - you have to look at the first photo to get a good view of the punched flowers.)

I used Versamark ink and Silver embossing powder for the sentiment in the middle of the doily and this enables me to enter the Quixotic Challenge - Emboss it!  Because of the metallic touches, the silver paper, the charm, the silver embossing, the metal stem and the silver ribbon I would also like to enter the Metal madness Challenge at Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenges. 

Over at By The Cute and Girly their challenge is "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.."  On my card my something old is my silver ribbon, my something new is this gorgeous Tilda stamp.  She is new to my collection...and I just love her!  My something borrowed is the silver paper and purple paper which I have collected from my sister and a friend and the something blue is the DP and the card.

Well I think that is about all the challenges I can handle tonight.  I thoroughly enjoyed making this card and hope that my Auntie likes it too.

Today I did a Casual day on a 5/6 class and tomorrow I am back to my 3/4 class for the rest of the week.  Reports are due in next week so I am busy working on them at the moment...I will be definately celebrating when they are over!!!

I hope your week is going well.  Thanks for popping over to my blog today.