Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Summer Flower Tilda Celebrates YOU!


Hello Dearest Readers,

Happy last day of June to each of you! I don't know what the temps have been like where you live, but they are REALLY hot here in the desert southwest. We have already hit 45° C. and June isn't over yet! July and August are our hottest months! Ugh! Somebody tell me to "chill out," OK?

I have an interesting tale to tell. Have you heard the term "Killer Bees" before? If not, they are bees that are extremely aggressive and capable of killing a human w/multiple stings as they swarm their victim. Sometimes they are called "Africanized Bees." Their origin is due to a scientific mistake. Well, they are becoming more and more prolific in the desert southwest by taking over the hives of the gentle honey bee and changing the genes of the gentle honey bee so that most bees, here, have now become more and more aggressive. They are scary little critters as they work as an aggressive group.

This week, I noticed that there were bees using the hummingbird feeder. They were drinking from the openings to get the sweet nectar I had made for the birds. I did some reading and learned that my hummingbirds will leave the area because they feel the bees are an annoyance. I didn't want to lose my hummingbirds. The article suggested bringing in the feeder for a while and replacing it later with diluted nectar so the bees would go away. I chose to do that. After the feeder came in, I noticed one bee - then two - five, ten, 25! As the bee number increased, the bees became more frenzied. I safely watched from my scrap room window. The bees were crazy! They swarmed where the feeder had been hanging! The frenzy went on for a very long time. They were mad! As the afternoon went on, the bees kept returning to see if the feeder was back. Today, I haven't seen any bees yet. Tomorrow, I will call the county and report what I observed. If there is a hive in the trees behind us, it could be dangerous to the children playing in the area, the gardeners who come and do the yards, pets, or any other living creature - especially those who create noise as the Killer Bees do not like the noise of machines such as lawnmowers. Happy Summer! LOL, LOL!

Today is Team B's turn to reveal their inspirational creations. The theme at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog is

All that Flutters - Things with Wings

I have chosen to use Summer Flower Tilda from the Summer Memories Collection. I think she is so sweet! I love her wings! Here is the front of my card:




Isn't she adorable? I wanted to make the card a girly girl card. I think I achieved that nicely. I didn't overdo the flowers as I wanted the focus to be on this sweet image of Tilda. I kept it simple in design. I did add a touch of sparkle to her wings. I love the colors of the pink, white, and celadon. Here is a shot of the interior:



Again, the interior has been tastefully done with matching papers in soft, "ice cream colors." I've added some Magnolia butterfly die cuts, pearls, a hidden tag, ribbon, and charm. The card turned out so sweetly.

This card is for sale, along with others, in my Etsy Shop!

Thank you for stopping by.



By leaving a comment, you may win a special gift from Diana at Magnolia-licious! If you don't join in, you just can't win! LOL



I hope you will return again very soon!

XO,

Chris

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Bella with Mum - An "Awww"-some Card!


Hello Dearest Readers,

Happy Wednesday to each of you! Have you gotten into the new Magnolia Sakura Collection yet? Diana has them waiting for you at Magnolia-licious! They are the cutest ever! Check them out!

Today is "W-ednesday" at Magnolia-licious! I am showcasing a card made with Wild Rose Studio's Bella with Mum stamp. When I first saw this stamp, my old heart melted! It is so sweet! Here are the deets about my card:



Isn't that elephant pairing adorable? I colored the balloons with Twinkling H2Os. I like the subtle sparkle those paints provide. I wanted to use this Go Kreate die set simply because I don't use it much. The papers are Maja's Sofiero. I thought those taupe/gray shades would pair well with the elephants. I decided to use some Nestie oval dies, Magnolia dies for the dragonfly and tags, AND my scalloped edged scissors! No, I never did part with any of my decorative edged scissors, **blush**! They were perfect for this oval. I'm glad I kept them!

Here are the interior shots:





Well, that is a quickie review of my sweet Bella with Mum card! If you have any questions, just ask!

I am so glad that you stopped by. Please leave a comment if you have the time. Those sweet words are what keep me wanting to push my creative juices! I hope you will return again very soon! Your visit means the world to me!

XO,

Chris

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Magnolia Surf Tilda on the Oregon Coast!



Hello Dearest Readers,

Haw are you this fine June day? It's been a while since I've posted and just as long since I've made a card! I had to really think about how to post to my blog! Making a card was "interesting," too! I really had to think about the sequence of development! Yikes!

Today, I am sharing a sweet card featuring Surf Tilda which you can find at Magnolia-licious! I thought she was the cutest ever and so perfect for the Sun, Sea, and Sand Challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. Here is my new card:



For my image, I masked the Surf Tilda and Chair in the Sunset stamps. I really loved that background scene and thought it was a perfect match with Surf Tilda. The little vial contains sand from the Oregon Coast. The shells are from there as well. The waves at the bottom are from the beach themed Doohickey Kit Collection. My image was painted with distress inks. The papers are Pion Designs. I added white burlap "ribbon" and some cheesecloth for texture. Elements have been elevated using pop dots.

Here are the interior shots:





We'd love it if you would come and join us for the challenge! You may have a chance to win a Special Surprise from the Magnolia-licious store.



Also, if you leave us a comment on any of the DT’s blogs and/or the Challenge blog you have a chance to win a weekly prize. The winner is announced every week during the “W”ednesday post. How easy peasy is that?



I hope you will return again very soon!

XO,

Chris