Birthday Blog Candy, finally! Ends 3-16 at midnight

Finally, all the goodies are here and I can finally get my birthday blog candy up and running!  I hope you have not grown disinterested while waiting.  There are a lot of goodies, and I am awarding them as one prize.  You do not need to follow my blog or post the candy on your side bar to participate.  If you follow, I would like it to be because you want to, not for the candy.   Making a card according to my inspiration photo will entitle you to an extra chance to win the blog candy. 

So, let me start listing the birthday blog candy:

First, from Virginiasvignettes on Etsy:  You can see the breakdown of the items in the first photo  by visiting the 2-18 blog entry.  Virginia is so talented.

In this next photo, the carded vintage ribbons and fibers are also from Virginiasvigettes on Etsy as are the beautiful vintage salt and pepper shakers with mica flakes and glitter.   Also included are pink crystal leaves and rayon ribbon from other sources.

Okay, the next photo shows the three Magnolia stamps, flowers and bling.  The Magnolia stamps were donated by the very generous Diana Crick of

Magnolia-licious and are:  #3030 Tilda with big ribbon, #294 Tilda with balloon and #226 Birthday Tilda, all from the "You Are So Special" collection.  The pink and purple flowers are also from Diana:   Flower Patch, pink and purple.  The other large packets of flowers are Recollections Boutique Fleur from Michael's and the smaller packs are Jolee's By You.  The white pearls are Recollections.  The pink pearls are KaiserCraft.

Next items include: an 8 x 8 paper pad by K & Co. in Julianne; Tim Holtz adage tickets;  Cosmo Cricket Rub-A-Dub-Dub rub-ons; Mary Englebreit 3-D stickers;  an Oriental chipboard pack and two friendship-themed wood mounted stamps by Hampton Arts.

Next items include: A Richard Simmons dessert cookbook;  a recipe book for gourmet coffee-based drinks;  a chocolate strawberry (strawberry flavored chocolate - yummy); hot cocoa scented body cream; a chocolate-scented candle; feathers; vintage beaded lace;  silver charms and a packet of Jolee's By You pink button flowers.

This final photo shows the last of it:  6 sheets of Basic Grey Nook & Pantry cupcakes 12 x 12 paper (the back is delightful also); another small recipe booklet using boxed cake mixes; a Making Memories storage container and one piece of vintage sheet music with text in English and French.  There is a series but this is only one of the series, entitled La Biche (the doe) from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke (a favorite of mine).

And finally, the photo for the card challenge.  You may use any aspect of this photo for your card.  It does not have to be an exact interpretation.  I just want to see how it inspires you to create a card.  There is no right or wrong.  Just have fun with it.

Okay, I got Inlinkz figured out.  I am going to add two blue frogs.  The first one is for those of you entering for the blog candy without making a card.  EVERYONE should add her info here.  The second frog is for those making a card,which as I said, gets you a second chance at winning. 

Okay, this second frog is for those making a card also:

Waiting for blog candy goodies to get here and current reads

While some of the things I will be offering in my blog candy are here, others are still on their way.  I swear it feels like Christmas, waiting for them, so I can offer them to you, along with my card challenge.  Maybe by Monday.  I probably should be splitting the goodies into two offerings, but am going to keep it as one win.  I hope to offer another when I hit 100 followers.

So, what am I doing while I am waiting?  Since I cannot make any cards, or do any sewing my the dolls, because of the splint on my wrist, I am reading and then reading some more.   I live in an apartment complex served by the local Books on Wheels. Sometimes the driver just knows what I would like to read, and will bring along a treasure with the books I have requested.  A few weeks ago I discovered Lee Child and his Jack Reacher stories.  While I started with the newest, I have gone on to read in the order suggested by Mr.Child, reading in the order written, not starting with the prequel which would give too much away about Jack Reacher.   I have devoured these two this week, and am hoping for two more when the Bookmobile comes back.



I am also fond of the Amish stories by Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetter.   Beverly Lewis has a new trilogy - the Rose Trilogy, and I just read the first in the series, "The Thorn". I am looking forward to the second book which is to be released in April.  Living so close to Lancaster, I have always been fascinated with the Amish and the simple lives they lead.  I am not sure I could do it. 

Oh, I have also been re-reading the entire Cherry Ames series, from the beginning, when the library can locate the books.  I particularly love it when I get one of the original books, and not a newer reprint. 

I have been on prednisone for my wrist and it is really creating a sleepless state that is getting old.  I hate being up all night, I really do. It affects me adversely, and I don't seem to be able to catch up, ever, sleep-wise.  However, I did get two more books read during one sleepless night:

"What a Difference a Dog Makes" is written by a man who felt the true value of his dog as he recovered from radical surgery for prostate cancer.  Since I have two friends currently dealing with cancer, I strongly recommended this book. "Pukka" is a pure delight,  a story told primarily in photographs, with some narrative, but told from the puppy's viewpoint as he relays details of his life with his new friend (owner).  For all of you who have ever loved a Marley-like lab, Pukka does not seem quite as crazy, but he still is all lab, and delightful.  Apparently, the author, Ted Kerasote, wrote a book about his previous dog, "Merle's Door", and this is now on my request list from the library. If you are a dog lover, please read "Oogie" as soon as you can.  If you have ever rescued a dog, it will touch your heart, and may do so even if you are not a "dog person".

Hopefully by Monday all of the goodies will be here for the blog candy, so if you are a card maker, start thinking about the photograph I posted about a week or so ago, for inspiration.  Making a card will get you an additional chance for the blog candy. 

The candy will include the following:  two cookbooks (one for desserts, one for coffee drinks), some vintage lace beading, the wonderful Hershey thin filled with goodies that I showed you before, a chocolate strawberry (wonderful real candy treat that you have to whack on something to get the pieces to open up!), a chocolate candle, hot chocolate scented body lotion, hand-dyed rayon seam-binding, two packs of Recollections flowers, three Magnolia stamps, one packet of Magnolia flowers, one 8x 8 K & Co paper tablet (Julianne), two Hampton Art wood-mounted friendship stamps, a Tim Holtz packet of Adage Tickets and an oriental paper and chipboard pack byJenny Ellory.  Whew!  I think that it is.  If not, the rest will show up when I take photos of everything. I want to thank Diana Crick of Magnolia-licious, for her very kind donation of the three Magnolia stamps and a packet of pink and purple Magnolia flowers for my birthday candy.  She is the best!

Magnolia with Vintage Roses

This card was made for the August "mingle" on the Magnolia-licious yahoo group.  I did not want to post the card until I knew it had been received. 

For this image, I used Magnolia with Vintage Roses, #3004.  This item is currently out of stock at Diana's Magnolia store but is on re-order.  I am sure Diana could give you an idea of when it is expected and you can contact her here. 

This is one of my favorite Magnolia images and I have used it many times.  For this "mingle", I made another easel card which I really love.  Someday I will make a stash of heavy envelopes for them.  Thanks for stopping by to see my card.  I am always appreciative of your kind comments.

RECIPE:

Stamp:  Magnolia with Vintage Roses, #3004; sentiment stamp - Hampton Art.

Coloring:  Prismacolor pencils with turpenoid.

Sketch:  Just Magnolia, week #66, by Bev Rochester

Paper:  DCWV Luxury Stack, 8 x 8

Cardstock:  DCWV Neutral Stack and Bazzill

Die:  Spellbinders Standard Circles, Large, and Classic Scalloped Squares, Large

Punches:  Martha Stewart Garden Trellis and Cedar Branch;  EK Success Rock Fern

Flowers:  Prima Tea Roses in Marshmallow, tinted with chalk; Iced Got Flowers in Rosy Red; Prima Flowers Spring Mix (buds)

Chalk:  Pebbles Pearlescent Chalks in Shimmers (used on large white flower)

Misc:  Making Memories Clear Gem Flower Brads;  Recollections Gemstone Brads;  Recollections Rhinestone stickers; Glossy Accents as adhesive; Gelly Roll in Clear Star.

CHALLENGES ENTERED:
Just Magnolia #71, Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes #34, Mixed Media
Your Next Stamp Challenge #23, Anything Goes

Change of background

My new cards generated a lot of visitors, but some had trouble reading the posts because of the purple color that had been under the text.  I changed my background to one with a white center, so I hope this makes it easier to read my blog.  Thanks for letting me know. 

Please take a moment to look at my side bar, for the button for Digi Drawn.  A few months back, one of the members (Maureen) of the Magnolia-licious group on yahoo made a card using Giggling Tilda, and this sweet Tilda was being kissed by the cutest Beagle/Basset hound.  What made this especially wonderful was that  Maureen drew the dog herself! She kindly sent me a few of the images after I told her of my rescue Beagles and one Beagle/Basset.  I just learned that she offers this, and other wonderful designs, as digi stamps.  Please click on the button to see her creations.  This is the card Maureen made, sizing the dog perfectly to kiss a seated Tilda.  Isn't he wonderful?  I can almost imagine him wagging his tail as he kissed Tilda. 

UPDATE:  Maureen has just joined the Magnolia Design Team.  What good news!

Entering My First Challenge

I just found out about the challenges at Flutterby Wednesdays so I am entering this in their Challenge #115.  The entries need to have either butterflies, angels or fairies on the cards, and since I love butterflies (and dragonflies) that is not a problem.  So, swallowing hard, I am entering my first challenge with this card, my first easel card.  There are a lot of layers on the front of this card - three layers of paper on top of the card base, plus the additional added layers of the branch, Tilda, Rufus the dog, etc.  It took forever as things as tucked in here and there,  but I was quite happy with the result.  The swing branch was tucked between the two solid die cut layers, with another part of the leaves stamped and cut out separately and applied over the left end of the branch where it went under the frame.  Tilda had the space between her feet cut so her feet could slip over the grass.  Rufus' lollipop was cut from DP and adhered to him.   I also entered this in the One Stop Craft Challenge, theme - pattern. 

RECIPE:

Stamps:  60s Tilda #385, Rufus the Dog #402, Swing #512 (the branch is part of this stamp).  Sentiment: S.U. Friendships Grow (2001) stamped with Color Box Cat's Eye and embossed with A La Mode clear embossing powder.  Flourish: Recollections clear stamp set from Michael's. Cardstock, solid:  DCWV Pastels.

DP:  K & Co. Paper Doll (floral inside frames, behind the swing).  Rufus' Lollipop has been cut from a paper in the DCWV Sweet Stack.

Coloring:  Prismacolor and Derwent colored pencils, Gamsol and blending stumps.

Punches:  EK Success Rock Fern; MS Frond and Butterfly.

Die:  Spellbinders Label Two in Cuttlebug

Grass:  Diecut by Jolee's By You/EK Success.

Embellishments:  Stickles:  Crystal on Rufus' Lollipop; Flowers:  Prima Spring Petal Mix and Summer Mix (small roses); Glitter:  MS coarse glitter in Crystal;

Pearls:  Queen & Co..

Chalk:  Pebbles, Inc. in Shimmers.

If additional entries are accepted, I have a few more with butterflies which I will enter.

I made two cards using identical papers.   It must be a throw-back to my high school years when I dated a few fellows from Father Judge High School in Philadelphia, but I just love deep red and light blue together!  My Mind's Eye certainly helped with their Bohemia line in just these colors.

The first card uses Bridesmaid Tilda while the second uses Peachy Tilda.  Otherwise, I used almost identical items in making both.  I get all my Magnolia cards from Diana at http://www.magnoliastamps.us/.  If a certain stamp does not show up on the website, it means it is out of stock and will be listed when it is back in stock.  Contact Diana with any questions at ladydian@shaw.ca (but she is at CHA this week). 

RECIPES:  (identical except for stamps and stickles on Bridesmaid Tilda.
Stamps:  Bridesmaid Tilda #322; Peachy Tilda (do not know # at this moment).  Both from Magnoliastamps.us at above link.  
Papers:  CS - DCWV; DP - MME Bohemia (Bliss/Love of My Life and Tiny Dots/Blue) and Basic Grey Blush (Admire).
Sketch:  Adaptation of Friday Sketchers #93.
Punches:   EK Success Morocco Lace; MS Butterfly; MS branch.
Coloring:  Prismacolor and Derwent colored pencils and Gamsol.
Flowers:  Prima Spring Petal  Mix and Spring Mix.
Embellishments: Gelly Roll pen in Copper Star on dots around Peachy Tilda;
Stickles:  Crystal on wings on Bridesmaid Tilda;  Rhinestone stickers from Michaels.

I did make one other card this weekend.  In May, my best friend lost her husband of almost 40 years, after failed cardiac bypass surgery.  Needless to say, she is devastated, as are their children.  While I have sent the usual sympathy card, and a perpetual Mass enrollment, I wanted to do something else, something more personal, for Carol.  It must have been a weekend for firsts, as this was my first criss-cross card.  While I used an Anna Griffin  book for inspiration, I miscut my paper (using my scoring board for the first time too!) so had to make it smaller than she suggested.

RECIPE:
Cardstock:  DCWV
DP:  K & Co.  Brenda Walton Evergreen Shimmer Paper Pack (Christmas).
Scissors:  Fiskars Victorian.
Ribbon:  Michael's.
Charm:  Jewelry Essentials
Quote:  Found in "Treasury of Tips & Tricks" by Paper Crafts and Stamp It (ISBN: 1-57486-572-2, purchased at Michael's).
Inspiration:  My 51 year friendship with Carol and her sticking with me through thick and thin, especially these past 10 years, and a book by Anna Griffin - "Card Crafting Techniques". 

The photo was cropped from a photo of Carol and Thom when they attended my eldest son's wedding in 2002.   I tried to use my Spellbinders scalloped oval dies to back Thom's photo but they just were not the right size for the face of the card, so I used the Fiskar's scissors.   Not having a ribbon slit punch, I used the smallest hole punch I had and made a row of connected holes, until I had an opening the correct size for the ribbon. I sewed the charm to the knot of the ribbon.  The following cards show the card with the insert tucked in,  then showing the poem on the insert and finally, a photo of Carol and I in our younger days.   (I'm the shorter one).  Carol, should you see this, you are definitely a keeper, my friend! 

Card count:  18/365

Bunny Boo Boo and Tilda with Hearts

I am finally getting to use some of the images I have already finished, getting them made up into cards.  I am grateful that the terrible flare of neck pain that I have been dealing with of late has still allowed me some time to create, although not as much as I wish.

First card:  Bunny Boo Boo

Recipe:

Stamp:  Stampabilities (House Mouse/Happy Hoppers) Bunny Boo Boo HMOR1035.

Cardstock:  Bazzill.  Green is Guacamole.  Yellow is African Daisy.

DP:  Recollections Monkeying Around line, in "Button Up".  The inside has the coordinating green dot called "Banana Leaf".

Ribbon:  Celebrate It Basic Narrows.

Embellishment:  Recollections Dimensional Stickers.  I may change this as I am finding the blue jarring.

Colored pencils:  Prismacolor and Derwent with turpenoid and blending stump.  I used about 10 different shades of green in the grass, and the turpenoid blended them all beautifully.  Great stuff.

Chalk:  Pebbles Pearlescent in Shimmers.

This card will go to the woman who does the general cleaning here at the apartment building where I live (for the company which owns the building, not the residents, although she did help out many since this is a senior/disabled complex).  She had a stroke a little over a week ago and many of my card friends have offered to send her a shower of cards.  I am sure this will cheer her as she readies herself for carotid artery surgery.

Second card:  Tilda with Hearts.

Recipe:

Stamp:  Magnolia - Tilda with Hearts.  You can purchase this and other Magnolia stamps from Diana at Magnolia-licious.   Click this link to get to her store:

Magnolia US.

DP:  From a card making kit I won at a craft show.  This is called "Handmade Cards" by Anne Akers Johnson.

Cardstock:  Bazzill Feather Boa; Basic Grey Bittersweet in Truffle; K & Co. Smitten tablet.

Flourish:  American Crafts Baby in Miss Muffet cut with Sizzix Decorative Accents die.  (This American Crafts Baby/Miss Muffet is a lovely paper, 8-1/2 x 11, solid brown on one side, with the other side being pink with tiny polkadots.  I got it at Michael's.

Paper lace:  K & Co. Smitten, 12 x 12 pad of Valentine's paper, cut with Fiskars Heart edge punch. 

Embellishment:  Recollections Pearl Stickers. 

Glitter pen:  Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust in Pink Star was used on the cookies, Tilda's hairband and on the hearts on her shoes, but is not showing up very well.  Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust in Clear was used over the silver pencil on her wings.

White opaque pen:  Inkssentials Opaque Pen in white (Tilda's cheek dots).

Sentiment:  Inkadinkadoo Personal Impressions, Tattoo Expressions which I curved a little as I put it on the acrylic block.  It is stamped with Palette in brown but I need to get a darker brown stamp pad.

Colored pencils:  Prismacolor and Derwent with turpenoid and blending stumps.

Chalk:  Pebbles Pearlescent in Shimmers.

While this is the second Magnolia card I have made, it is the first that made it to the scanner.  I had made a Christmas themed one for the Christmas All Year Round blog hop, but before it could get scanned, I accidentally overturned a cup of tea all over it, so I could not join in on the blog hop.  Next time, I hope.  For this card, I used the Roses on Paper Challenge sketch #30 as a jumping off point, but did not follow it exactly.  Therefore I can't enter this card in the challenge.  Here is the sketch,  That horizontal band of hearts is reminding me of a pink ribbon I saw somewhere - now where was that?????

Card count:  13/365

Magnolia-licious Highlites Blog Hop - Pretty in Pink

Attention, cardmakers:  Gather all your Magnolia stamps, and all your pink card making supplies, and visit the Magnolia-licious Highlights blog ( http://magnolia-licioushighlites.blogspot.com/) for a wonderful blog hop with delightful (and even delicious) blog candy from the DT.  Even Diana has joined this blog hop, and it is nice to see her entry, especially before she heads to CHA.   You have to start at the above website, and follow the links from there, being sure to add a comment on each blog as you travel along.  If you wish to be eligible for Diana's prize, you must make a pink-themed Magnolia card, and link to the Magnolia-licious Highlights blog.   Just to get you inspired, as if the beautiful cards are not sufficient, here are photos of Diana's prize for the winner of the blog hop, and Jacque's "Sweet Stuff" for the winner from those who leave comments at her site.  Yes, Jacque's even includes pink truffles!   For those new to Magnolia, there is a link on the right side of my blog, to get you to Diana's store.   Happy cardmaking!