Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Gingerbread Tilda...

Hi Everyone! This is the last handmade Christmas gift that I will be showing to you. It is another altered journal. I made this one as 'Secret Santa' to one of my Magnolia-licious DT sisters. These journals are so much fun to alter and can be used for any occassion. This is going to be a quick post as I have a ton of accounting to tend to today. Hooray for me - NOT!


Gingerbread Tilda Altered Journal


I bought a plain green journal at a local store - green because it would work well with Christmas papers. I chose my favorite dp's from October Afternoon. Aren't they just so warm and homey? I just love the winter trees and houses. It looks like a wonderful small town. I saved the scraps so I can do something else with them over the winter. I thought Magnolia's Gingerbread Tilda would be perfect for this project. I cut the image image and background with Spellbinder's Nestabilities. The mitten bookmark was also done with a new set of Christmas Nestabilities that I absolutely LOVE! I tied them with some of the brown/white baker's twine that I bought in Sweden.


I wanted to include a sentiment, but I didn't want to cover the image or dp's. I decided to make a tag and tuck it behind the image. You can see in the first photo how it provided a bit more of a backdrop to the image.

In this photo, you can see the entire tag with the sentiment (I don't remember who it's by).

I colored the image with a combo of Copic markers and watercolor with Ranger DI's, but in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I didn't mark what I used - Sorry!

Thank you so much for visiting. I love to read the comments you leave and I greatly appreciate the time it takes. Check back soon for a new Magnolia-licious DT project!

Ciao,

Angie

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Traveling Tilda Journal...

Happy Day After Christmas Everyone!!! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas Day! We had a wonderful holiday!!! Our Christmas Eve party was a blast. There were 25 of us, family and friends. We ate...we laughed...we celebrated. It was wonderful and I'm glad it's over! Yesterday at my brother's house was very relaxing. I got to sit back and not worry about entertaining anyone. Today...we clean :-(

For now, I'd like to show you another gift that I made for the awesome 'Diana Crick'. I am so thrilled that she likes it! This is a set that includes a journal that I altered. I hope you enjoy it.


Traveling Tilda Journal
 

This zebra print journal is actually covered with brown zebra stripes! Brown being my favorite color, I fell in love with it. I bought a set for myself as well - hehe. Anyway, I envisioned Diana taking it with her on her travels and keeping notes. Because of that, I chose to alter the journal cover with Traveling Tilda and I put her up on the Magnolia suitcases. Traveling Tilda is from the Bon Voyage collection, which is one of my favorites. I had purchased the entire collection and I still have several stamps from that collection that have gone un-inked so you'll be seeing them for sure in the coming year. The lace is from my stash and I think the sentiment is from LOTV.


I colored these images with a combo of Copic markers and watercolor with Ranger DI's. Notice that Tilda's dress and shoes are Diana's favorite color :-) Here are the details:

Copics - E000, 00, 02, 41, 42, 43, 44, R20, RV21, N1, 3

DI's - vintage photo, walnut stain, black soot, weathered wood, tumbled glass, worn lipstick, spun sugar, antique linen


Here's the whole set in the box. The set consists of the journal, pencils, tissue, and a luggage tag.


Here is the candy box that I altered very simply by adding some dp's by Little Yellow Bicycle and ribbon from my stash. Cs is Stampin' Up! I cut the snowflakes with one of my dies, but for the life of me I don't remember which one! I covered the snowflakes with stardust Stickles for a little bling.

That's all I have for today! I hope your day is a magical one :-)

Ciao,

Angie

Winner - Magnolia Advent Calendar Shutter #25

Happy Day After Christmas Everyone!!!  I woke up this morning very anxious to see who the winner would be.  Drum roll please......
True Random Number Generator - Result: 4.............Leslie Avila!  Congratulations!

I have emailed Leslie already.  Thank you all so much for playing along and for your sweet and generous comments on my post.  I actually read each and every one of them.  It was so nice to see that many of you decided to join as a Follower.  I appreciate that and hope that you will enjoy viewing my projects in 2011.

Happy New Year to you all!

Angie




Friday, December 24, 2010

Mini Magnolia World Coupon Book...


Magnolia Advent Calendar Blog Hop

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! Today is my day to host the Magnolia Advent Calendar Blog Hop and I'm soooooo excited!!! I hope you've been enjoying everyone's creations so far. And, if you've been one of the lucky winners...congratulations! For those of you who haven't won yet, there is still a lot of time. Magnolia is giving away one secret prize to a lucky person each day in December. All you have to do to enter your name is leave a comment at the bottom this post!  After 24 hours, I will use Random.org to select the lucky winner. Also, you don't have to be a follower, but it sure would be appreciated!

I decided to work with images from the new Mini Magnolia World on my project. I hope you like it! It sure was a ton of fun to make!!!

Mini Magnolia World Coupon Book



This coupon book is my favorite project that I've made in a very long time. All together, I used four images from Magnolia's 'Mini Magnolia World' collection. On the box cover, I used: Mini Santa's Helper, Mini Secret Tilda, and Mini Santa's Bench.


All dp's are from Magnolia's 'Merry Little Christmas' paper pack. Aren't they just gorgeous? Cs is Bazzill. The flowers are from both Magnolia and my DT friend, Mindy. The gorgeous snowflake ornament in the corner is one of my favorite purchases from Boras, Sweden this Fall. I have a few more and I'm being very careful about using them. I tied the Jenni Bowlin button with bakers string that I also bought in Sweden. The doily is one that was under one of my drinks in a restaurant. I stashed it in my purse before it got wet! I cut the image and background with Spellbinder's Nestabilities. The velvet ribbon and lace are from my stash. The sentiment is from the $1 bin at Michaels. Lastly, I applied some stardust Stickles to the fur on Edwin's Santa suit.


Here's a view of the book laying down so you can see how it looks when it's closed.

Here's a closeup of the images on the front cover. The images were all colored using a combination of Copic markers and watercolors with Ranger Distress Inks. I'll list the coloring details at the end of this post.

Here you can see the inside of the book and the coupons.

 There are five coupons inside. I used the fourth image, Mini Candy Cane, on each of the coupons. The images and backgrounds were also cut with Spellbinder's Nestabilities.




Here you can see both the front and back of the coupons. I used the Magnolia Doohickey 'Vintage Tag' die for the actual coupon that's inserted in the back.

Copics: E000, 00, 02, 41, 42, 43, 44, R20, RV21, Y21, YR23

DI's: black soot, weathered wood, tumbled glass, walnut stain, antique linen, forest moss, shabby shutters, fired brick, frayed burlap

Thank you so much for joining me today. If you want to enter your name in the drawing from Magnolia, simply leave on a comment at the bottom of this post!

I hope you all have a safe and Merry Christmas!!!

Ciao,

Angie

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Snowy Hug...

Hello Everyone!!! I've got a really quick post today. I finally finished my Christmas shopping and grocery shopping, but I still have tons to do. Absolutely nothing has been wrapped! The cleaning lady is supposed to be here any minute and I've got to start preparing for the guests we're having tonight. My hubby and son went to a movie, so I don't have anyone in my way :-)

I made some holiday gifts for Diana, one of the sweetest ladies that I know. Her favorite color is teal blue and I found the perfect thing for her and altered it a bit. Here it is:

Snowy Hug Snowflake Ornament



This ornament measures about 10-12 inches in diameter and is completely covered with glitter. It's just beautiful. When I saw it I immediately thought of Diana and just had to get it for her. I altered it very simply by adding Magnolia's Snowy Hug to both the front and back of it. I cut the image and it's background, from BG's 'Oliver' collection, with Spellbinder's Nestabilities. I added stardust Stickles to the fur and snowy ground.




I colored the image with a combo of Copic markers and Ranger DI's. The details follow:

Copics: E000, 00, 02, 41, 42, 43, 44, B00, R00, 20, RV21

DI's: weathered wood, tumbled glass, black soot, fired brick

That's it for today! Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Ciao,

Angie


Monday, December 20, 2010

Merry Christmas...

Hello Everyone! Only 5 more days til Christmas!!! I hope you're almost ready. I'm nearly there. I'm finally taking my son to see Santa today. Boy did I fall behind on everything this year. But, at least we're going and he'll be happy, happy, happy!

I'm still enjoying working on Christmas projects and I have another for you today. This one includes another cutie pie from Magnolia's Merry Christmas 2010 collection. I hope you enjoy it.

Merry Christmas
Both of these adorable images are from Magnolia.  I used Reindeer Tilda and Chimney with Snow. I think they're just perfect together. It looks like one of Santa's reindeer is resting for a photo opp! Maybe she's guarding the chimney making sure the coast is clear when Santa needs to pop back up through it.
 

I chose dp's by Little Yellow Bicycle and cs by Bazzill. The circular sentiment is by Lili of the Valley. I used stardust Stickles for snow and the jingle bell necklace. I also added some cinnamon Stickles on the chimney bricks and around the sentiment for some added sparkle. The ribbon and lace are from my stash. The button is from Jenni Bowlin and I wish you could see the detail on it because it's just gorgeous. I tied a little brown/white string through it that I purchased at the flower shop in Boras, Sweden.


 As usual, I colored these images with a combo of Copic markers and watercolor with Ranger Distress Inks. Here are the details:

Copics: E000, 00, 02, 41, 42, 43, 44, R20, RV21, B0000, 00, N1, 3

DI's: walnut stain, black soot, weathered wood, tumbled glass, broken china, fired brick, antique linen

Well, that's all I have for today. I hope you're enjoying a wonderful holiday season!

Ciao,

Angie

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A Magical Birthday!

Hi Everyone! Yes, I'm back already! I can't remember the last time I posted a new project two days in a row! But, I received an exciting mystery package the other day from Magnolia and I couldn't wait to dig into it. I'm so out of the loop these days that I had no idea a winter kit from Magnolia was about to arrive in my mailbox. It was actually really nice not to expect it because the surprise was so WONDERFUL!

Since this image is from the winter kit and has not been released, I have no idea what the name of it is. I'm calling her 'Marching Tilda' because she looks like she's in a parade! If you haven't signed up for the kits, then this is a special little sneeky peek for you. The stamps are just adorable! No surprise there!!!

Here's my card. I hope you like it :-)


A Magical Birthday  

As I was going through my papers trying to pick some that felt right with this image, I came across this paper that reminded me of my friend Mindy - because of the pink and brown. She loves to work with pink, white and brown and does such beautiful things with it. So, I thought I'd give it a try. It's still quite a bit darker than Mindy would do, but I guess that's just my spin on it. My son looked at it on my craft table and said "it's just beautiful Momma". What a sweetie!


The dp's are from BG's 'Eva' collection and cs is Bazzill. The pearls are by Zva Creative, and to be honest with you, I have no idea whether they're light pink or white. I think the gorgeous striped ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. Flowers are from Mindy and Wild Orchid Crafts. I've been using these circular sentiments from Lili of the Valley a lot lately. I just love them! I bought two sets, including a Christmas set, and I keep them on my craft table and reach for them all the time. Lastly, Tilda's crown got a thick coat of diamond Stickles for an added shimmer of gold.

 
This little cutie was colored with a combo of Copic markers and watercolors with DI's. Here's the details:

Copics - E000, 00, 02, 41, 42, 43, 44, R20, RV21, Y21, YR23, N1, 3

DI's - black soot, dusty concord, spun sugar, worn lipstick

Well, that's it for today. Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you are all nearly ready for the holidays and will find some time to simply sit and relax a bit.

Ciao,

Angie

Monday, December 13, 2010

Tilda on Ornament...

Hi Everyone! I know, I've been mia for a bit, but I've been working on tons of stuff. Nearly all of my minis have arrived and I've got so many things in the works with them. I've also been trying to ink up all of my regular sized Christmas Magnolia images. I've been making a lot of gifts for people so I can't show them to you until they've received them (just in case they happen upon my blog).

I've also been working on the new house project. It's not easy to get a construction loan in this economy, so I have tons of financial information that I have to either locate or prepare for the bank. We've also got to get the house designed and approved by the township before the bank will approve the construction loan. So, that means meeting with the architect right away...like Wednesday, to get things rolling. Business seems to be picking up per usual at the end of the year so I've got a lot going on there as well. I'm not complaining. It's all good. I would just like a few more hours in each day so I could find a few minutes to come up for air. Every month I feel like I'm looking forward to the next month 'when things should slow down a bit'. Then, the next month comes along with a whole new mess of unexpected things. Oh well, I guess I'd rather be busy than bored!!!

Well, enough of that. I've got a sweet little Christmas card and gift card holder to show you today. I was going to save this for my turn with Magnolia's Advent Calendar Blog Hop, which happens to be on Christmas Day. Can you believe I got lucky enough to nab THE BIG DAY!!! Anyway, I just couldn't wait, so I'm making something else for it. I made this project a couple weeks ago and I'm really happy with it. I hope you like it :-) I'm sorry, but, I've got a lot of photos this time!

Tilda on Ornament & Snowy Hug
I am so in love with this Merry Christmas collection! I don't think I will ever tire of working with them. They are just so cheerful! And, Christmas colors are my absolute favorite to work with. Anyway, as I mentioned, I just love how this card and holder turned out. The colors are just so warm.

This little angel is Tilda on Ornament. I wish I had gotten her in the mini too so that I could have used it on the gift card holder. She's so cute that I may just have to order her!

These gorgeous dp's, tag, and red ribbon doily are from non other than BG's Jovial collection. They are my absolute favorite holiday dp's this year. I have two pads just so I won't run out! Cs is Bazzill. The snowflakes are from LYB and I covered them with a ton of diamond Stickles. The ribbon is bty from my stash. I got the sweet little brads from Creative Imaginations. The ornament topper got a coating from a Zig Painty Gold Metallic Pen and the ornament itself is covered with stardust Stickles. I also added a bit to the pleats in Tilda's shirt just to give her a little sparkle.

Here's a closeup. Tilda is colored with a combo of Copic markers and watercolors with Ranger di's. The details will be at the bottom of the post.

I am absolutely loving these little gift card holders this year. I was in Archiver's a few weeks back and they had some thin, plain brown chipboard card holder's at the counter for $0.59 each and I thought that was ridiculous. So, I bought one and split it apart so I could use it as a template. I traced it onto my dp, cut it out, and scored the half circles with a bone folder and the edge of a brand new roll of scor-tape. Who knew you could use scor-tape for scoring!!! The dp's and embellies are coordinated with the card.

Here's a side view just so you can see the shape a little better. Before I forget, this image is my favorite this year. It's the Mini Snowy Hug. I used the mini on this card holder because it's the perfect size, but I also love the large image. I've used them both a lot. I'm having so much fun with the mini Magnolia's. Now that I have a bunch, I don't know how I got along without them! They really are a ton of fun to work with. I must admit though, that I was a little worried about cutting them out when masking, but I use an exacto knife and it super easy. I'm working on a project today where I did just that! SUPER EASY!

Copics: E000, 02, 17, 41, 42, 43, 44, RV20, YR23, N1, 3, C1, 3, 5, BOO

DI's: vintage photo, fired brick, black soot, walnut stain, forest moss, antique linen, weathered wood, tumbled glass

Well, that's all I have for today. I hope you enjoyed your visit and will leave a little comment letting me know you were here.

Ciao,

Angie

Sunday, December 5, 2010

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Hi Everyone! I'm a little late in spreading the word, but better late than never! Right! What's the big news you ask??? Magnolia's got a brand new blog! It's the Magnolia Inspiration Blog. There you'll find all the goings on at Magnolia along with a special December blog hop by the Design Team to celebrate the holiday season.

How does the blog hop work? Each day during the month of December, the Magnolia Inspiration Blog will announce the name of the DT member that is hosting that particular day. A link to her blog will also be provided. She will have a very special holiday project to share with you and, there's more....you can enter to win a prize!!! Just leave a comment on the DT members post! That's it! She will then randomly select a winner within 24hours and post on her blog.

So, be sure to check out the Magnolia Inspiration Blog each day to see where the blog hop takes you next!

Ciao,

Angie

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Tilda with Hanging Heart...

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!! My Oh My it's getting cold here in Michigan. We're expecting to see the first snow fall here today. Temps are expected to be in the 30's the rest of the week. I'd better get my boots out!  Is it really December already??? OMGoodness!

I have a little frame project to share with you today.  I hope you like it!
 
Tilda with Hanging Heart
I chose to make a frame that you could put a family photo into. This was definitely challenging for me because of the lack of space for images and embellishments. I purchased an unfinished and inexpensive frame at a local craft store. I also found the unfinished word 'Peace' there. I remembered that I had a jar of Aleene's decoupage glue and decided that is how I would cover the frame. First, I painted the word and the edges of the frame with Adirondack Dabber in cranberry. When dry, I sprayed it with Glimmer Mist in 'pearl'. Next, I chose dp's from BG's 'Eskimo Kisses' collection. I tore the paper into little pieces and decoupaged it to the frame. I added the American Crafts ribbon in a gift wrap fashion on the corners. The metal snowflake is an ornament from the local craft store and I added LYB gems to it. The little white snowflakes are by Little Yellow Bicycle and I added the same gems to the centers.



This little cutie pie is Tilda with Hanging Heart.  She's part of Magnolia's Merry Christmas 2010 collection. I colored her with Copic markers and added stardust Stickles for a little shine. She's adhered to the frame with dimensionals.

Copics: E000, 00, 02, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 50, R00, 20, 81, 85, RV00, N1

I hope you enjoyed my project for today. Don't forget to join in on the fun with your own Christmas word frame! I can't wait to see it!!!

Ciao,

Angie