My first easel card

I made my very first easel card this morning. Not difficult, just a bit more work with all the measuring. I like that the card can be big and still fold flat for posting.
I'm entering my card on CCC week 2 and on the Cuttlebugspot Favourite Flowers.

It was also my first time to use the Paisley Cartridge, I used it to cut the 2 Matryoshka dolls, also called Babushka dolls. A true Nestabilitie :) I had one of these wooden dolls when I was a child, a present from my mum's best friend as she came back from holiday. I liked putting them all in a row with the tiny baby at the end. 

Unfortunately by moving house to often, I lost it. Now they are back in fashion and come in different styles, almost anything goes now.

I made mine in pastel colors, but they still have the bright cheeks and mouths.

The card when closed.

Standing easel card.

Supplies: Paisley Cartridge, Shapebilities Flower Creations, DCWV cardstock, Sizzix Little Sizzles paper, Copics, 3D glaze, Making Memories brads, Martha Stewart  punch, Hero Arts sentiment, ribbon from stash.

Motivet's Blog Candy

There 's a chance to win some beautiful Motivet stamps. If you click HERE, it will take you to their site. Anyone can try and I must say that their stamps are wonderful. I usually buy mine at the Craft Barn, but the choice is limited. Maybe with a bit of luck now,...

Fingers crossed xxx

TESC110 and CCCB#1 challenges

I think I'm just in time for these 2 challenges. I love the Taylored Expressions blog and challenges, but never played along. Now I heard from Heather on Simply Handmade that there is a new blog with challenges City Crafter Challenge Blog.
Now what I really liked, was that there wasn't any sketch to follow. That I like! Although I did grab a sketch from TESC.
Taylor has these wonderful quirky sketches and video tutorials - which I absolutely love-. Sometimes I just flick on You Tube while crafting and let these tutorials play, even if I don't intend making them. It's nice to see. I must be a sad person...
So here 's my card. Is it a crowd pleaser? Grin.

Supplies: K&Co paper, Plantin Schoolbook: yep, I used that to cut the square background and the little squares, told you I'm a sad person. Well who needs to measure when you've got the Cricut...

Imaginisce cupcake stamp, G Studio sentiment stamp, Copics, Tsukineko ink.
Thanks to Julie Ranae, I am also entering this on The Playdate Cafe. I didn't even know what their challenge was. I have heard of them through Heather's blog before, but never played. I must have been missing something, there is incredible talent around. Thank you all for your kind comments and help - at least I know how to link now.

On the road again

With the good weather starting to roll, I'm getting increasingly itchy for a holiday.
I had these little stamps lying around for a while and decided I must ink them up. It 's a set from Inkadinkado and has sentiments and caravans, campers, a VW bus and little scenery items, like the cloud I used on this card.
Really fun to use. Simple card, made in 1,2,3. Of course again with the help of the Cricut; Plantin Schoolbook and Stretch Your Imagination. Some June bug paper, grey cardstock, Copic and blue ribbon, that's it.

See ya,... cruisin' somewhere.

Happy Birthday friend

A Happy Birthday to all of you out there who are celebrating this month!
I decided I needed a few more birthday cards in my stash so I played along with A Spoon Full of Sugar challenge 100, here. The prize is a gift certificate. Now, who wouldn't want that?! I also entered this card on Just Magnolia, here.
I used one of my late stamps. I've got quite some stamps that haven't seen any ink, also this little Tilda. I am proud owner of 4 little Tilda stamps, but could do with more. LOL.

I used Stretch Your Imagination for the frame and present cuts. Some Basic Grey June Bug paper. Making Memories brads and felt flower. Coloring with Copics and Stickles and 3D-Glaze.

Plantin Schoolbook Rickrack challenge

I got a little card together this morning. It's a perfect day outside, though the forecast is a volcanic dust storm/wind coming over the UK today, all the way from Iceland? So, just not hang the laundry out today...
I made this card using only cuts from the PS cartridge. Rickrack frame, label, flowers and leaves and even the blue and brown background are made with the Cricut. So versatile!
Of course I had to include some stamping.

Supplies: DCWV cardstock, paper from Marianne Design Eline's Vintage, Copic and Whispers markers, Stickles, corner rounder punch small X-cut, Basic Grey brads, ribbon from stash, Whiff of Joy and Hero Arts stamp.

On a red stool

A little girl sitting pretty on her stool, checking out some apples. On the original image she is peeling them with the peels scattered on the ground, but that was a bit hard to cut out. LOL.
I copied the image from my favourite Shrinkies' sheet.
This is my entry for this weeek's challenge at CPS:

Supplies: K&Co Que Sera Sera paper, GCD studio Whoop De Doo paper, DCWV cardstock, Plantin Schoolbook cartridge for the apples, Copics, buttons from stash, leaf punch, jewels. Hero Arts sentiment, Fiskars tag punch.

You Rock

I made this card with my guitar hero in mind. He's been a bit on a limp with a wrist injury and hasn't played as much lately as he would like to.

Supplies: Making Memories paper, DCWV cardstock, Stamping cartridge, Graphically Speaking cartridge for the notebook background, Tsukineko ink, twine, jewels, white gel pen.
On the inside of the card, I put a frame with background and added the sentiment on top of it.

End of the week

So glad it's the end of the week and I 've survived. Plenty of things to do on the job this week, more like catch-up. Next week might be hectic too and a new nurse is starting whom I will be mentoring.
But for now I am only considering the week-end, don't have to work and the weather is warm and sunny. Ahhh! Spring has sprung at last after all the rain.
Now on to 2 cards I made this week. I 'm falling in love with my Cricut over and over again.
I used the Home Decor and Wild Card cartridges. The yellow card is my take on a card I saw in the Card making with Cricut-book.

Supplies: BG Euphoria paper and chipboard, Copics, glitter, Moonlight and Marshmallow Glimmer Mist, Flowersoft, Hero Arts white flowers, Tsukineko ink, Martha Stewart punch.

Supplies: K&Co Que Sera Sera paper, DCWV cardstock, Copic, Martha Stewart borderpunch, satin ribbon Veritas

The inside of the card has a punched border and sentiment. Just kept this one very simple.

Happy Easter

I love cute little images. I found this one on the Penny Loves Vintage blog. There are other cute ones and you can also buy a CD with more images on them.. Rather than making an Easter card, I made this one into a birthday card for a little girl -or a big one-.

Supplies: Marianne Design paper, Making Memories ledger paper, corner rounder punch and MS pansy punch, Cricut Home Decor cartridge for the crown, Papermania pearls, gold embossing powder, ribbon from Hobbycrafts, Woodware sentiment, coloring with Copics, Glue Dots pop-up.

Thinking of you with love

My holiday is almost finished; tomorrow is Easter and Monday, it's back to work.
We didn't decide on going away just yet and my DH was still working, but I have enjoyed every moment of this break.
I had my birthday last Monday and on Tuesday I went for a pampering session at the Clarins Spa. Delicious!
Then I met up with  friends, Loretta, Howard and Riza, who treated me to lunch with them at Nando's. They are so sweet, they even gave me a big bunch of flowers. Thanks a lot, I enjoyed your company! I 'd not had such a nice birthday since I came to the UK. Sorry, Howard, but the girls had to go shopping for afters.
I made a little card with my new Rose Garden Papermania paper. Sweet paper!

Supplies: Wild Card cartridge for the roses background, Versamagic Brilliance ink, scalloped circle Woodware punch, Martha Stewart border and butterfly punch, Hero Arts white flower and sentiment, Shrinkies nice little girls image, Copics, paper roses, vintage glitter.

A lovely Easter to you

Another rainy morning, but it doesn't dishearten me. Oh no, more time to craft!
I made this little gift box filled with jelly beans for my DH. Can't have an egg hunt now, too old and too wet...
Also the little eggs I bought for him, just wouldn't fit the box.
Anyway, he loves sweets, almost anything. I made him cut down, because I was afraid that one day he might get sick. All that sugar!
The box had to be green, his favourite color.

I used the Wild Card for the box and sentiment and Stretch your imagination for the bunny. I used 4 layers on the bunny and embossed the egg with the Cuttlebug. Coloring is done with Copics. I used glaze on the paint brush and liquid applique on the bunny tail.

I covered the sentiment in Baby Blue Stickles. The ribbon is from Crate Paper. I made a little acetate window and embossed it with little roses.

I 'm sure my DH will love it and definitly will love what's inside.

This project has been entered on: Flutterby Wednesday and Cricutters Anonymous.

You make my heart sing

I felt like not making a card today, so I dug out an old photo and decided to enlarge it and frame it.
This picture is taken in 2007 I believe, by my mom and we are standing on the green in front of our house. There are 5 old oaks on that little green patch and it might have been the main reason why we decided in May of that year to move to this house.
I like the sepia setting on cameras. It allows you to mimic the photos of days gone by.

It's a simple frame I 've had for ages, just glass and a board held together with 4 clips, but very versatile and easy to change. If  I want something different, then this picture will go in a scrapbook (page half done as it is 20x30 cm).
Supplies: DCWV cardstock, Wild Card and Sweethearts Cricutv cartridge, Pearl, Bronze and Sand Glimmer Mist, Diamond, Crystal, Stardust and Gold Ice Stickles, Hero Arts flowers, Martha Stewart butterfly punch.
The flourishes are cut with Sweethearts and the sentiment with the Wild Card.

I 'm sorry

Can't believe March has gone. I haven't posted much this month, but I 've had a fortnight off work. And since my mom 's been over for her holiday, I have been recuperating from those 2 journeys in the middle of the night across to Belgium and back.
I've got a little card to share that I finished last night. I got a new printer from my DH and now I was able to scan a few images I had carefully kept. I bought Shrinkies a while ago with nice little girls on them. I didn't want to use them because I wanted to keep the images for further use.

Supplies: Smirk paper, corner punch, Hero Arts and Making Memories flowers, Glimmer Mist, Tsukineko ink, Copics, Shimmerz, Basic Grey brads, beadspacers, plastic beads, Papermania pearls and  Mark Richards crystal stickers, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Hero Arts sentiment.

Warmest wishes

Boy, oh, boy, have we had a monsoon?! Last night it started raining and you couldn't see anything outside. It was like a white sheet coming down. And this afternoon it started again at 4 o'clock.

I 've been hiding inside and I finished another little card. A sweet little Penny Johnson stamp, the little one is ready to go to her cozy little bed and before she goes she is sending you her warmest wishes.

It's a little gate-fold card cut, with the Wild Card -and all the little embellishments too-.

Supplies: K & Co Wedding paper, Hero Arts flowers, Glimmer Mist Sand, Bronze and Vintage Pink, Papermania pearls, Basic Grey and Autumn Leaves buttons, star from 99p store, lace from Hobbycraft, ribbon from Tesco. Image cut with Nestabilities and colored with Copics.

Goodnight everyone.

2 hearts 1 love

Second post of today. I 'm posting this double LO for the Practical Scrappers blog.
The challenge is to use something you 've had for a year or more. Well, I can definetly had this K & Co paper a while. I bought a big wad of K & Co paper in 2006 or 2007 at the Bluewater shopping center. I 'm still using it, it seems to last forever. Also the pictures are from 2004 and I only finished my Scotland holiday scrapbook last year. Now I take far less pictures. Most of the times I drag my camera along and forget about it.

Don't know the exact place we were, but it is around the Ballachulish-Glencoe area.

I used the Plantin Schoolbook and Storybook cartridges, I 've had them also for more than a year now. I really do love working with the Cricut. My DH wants to by me a Gypsy for my birthday, but I want more cartridges... With the Gypsy it will be easier to see what I have and quicker to use them, I think.

So glad it's Spring

Aaah! Have you got that fresh feeling too? I 'm so happy when winter is over, daylight is just arriving as I wake up. I have so much more energy now. Bring it on!
The sun is shining today and the garden is loving it; the goldfinches and bluetits have been feeding and my anemones are eager to show their flowers. I hope they will open this week so my mom can see them before she goes back to Belgium.
I have made 2 Spring inspired cards, I cut out the cards with my new Wild Card  cartridge -a gift from my mom-. I love this cart, now I can make all shapes and sizes of card and always have a fitting envelope.
Mom bought me quite a few presents, because of my Birthday next Monday. This cute Mo Manning stamp had been on my list for a while. I love how she's soaking up the sun, just how I feel today.

Supplies: DCWV Spring stack, American Crafts flowers, Making Memories brad, Doodlebug  jewel , Woodware leaf punch, Tea dye Distress ink, Woodware circle and scalloped punch, Fiskars small oval punch, yellow ribbon from stash, Mo Manning stamp, Copics, clear embossing powder, Tsukineko ink, Hero Arts sentiment stamp.
The next card is very small, the height is 5", but it's really narrow. A little Tilda with her little budgie in it's cage. I kept the colors very "Springy".

Supplies: DCWV Spring stack, Prima flowers, Papermania pearls, Diamond Stickles, McGill branch punch, ribbon from Hobbycraft, Hero Arts sentiment stamp, Fiskars small label punch, Pearl Glimmer Mist, Copics, Tsukineko ink.

Congratulations

I have made a card for the Motivet blog. I always love working with their stamps. They have such lovely little characters. I still have a few that have not seen the ink yet, so it's on the to-do-list for 2010.
Of course I had to use some Basic Grey paper... I followed the sketch quite closely and only left out the bow. It would have made my card a little bit too full.

I love that McGill pine branch punch and had to Glimmer Mist the flowers of course. A lot of Distress inking too and blue gross grain ribbon from Paperchase. The sentiment is already printed on the ribbon from East of India. They do quite a bit of shabby chic/ organic? stuff and you can by their goodies at John Lewis.
No more crafting for me now until after the weekend. Got another 11.5 hour shift tomorrow and a twilight shift on Friday 'til 23:00. Then at 0:00 we'll be driving to Folkstone-Calais - Belgium, and back immediately the same Saturday morning, to pick up my mom. It's a 10 hour non-stop roundtrip with no night sleep. Ow, ow,...

Stuck together like glue

Hey there,

Just another Magnolia card I made. I didn't follow any sketch. Sometimes I can't be bothered and want to do my own thing. Now I wanted to use my newly purchased punches from Martha Stewart. I must say I do like the pansy border, it looks very lacy.

I'm not even going to write down the whole card recipe. Just enjoy the card. It's an image I have used quite a lot of recently.

Loch Tummel

Just posting some more LO of our 2004 Scotland holiday. I only finished this album in 2008 and even in 2009, I was still changing some of the pages I had done.

For these 2 pages I followed a strict LO and just rotated the LO to create the second page. Some of the stickers are Karen Foster design and I bought them during our holiday in Scotland.

For my page I used goodies that I already had in my stash, like peel-off stickers and Sakura gel-pens. I'm all ready to go. It was my DH who thaught me to fish. We use really light equipment and use artificial lures or spinners. My favourites are the Blue Fox Minnow spinners and Storm and DAM lures. I quite enjoy fishing, but it's got to be warm and sunny for me. We also catch and release our fish and will mostly fish for perch and pike. If you strike right, the fich is caught in the mouth and there is only minimal damage to it, because these 2 species have quite a bony lip (if you can call it that). My DH has shown me how to drill the fish until it's tired, so you don't need heavy gear and I can land the fish without a net and just a pair of gloves, even the pike. I never knew these fish were so beautiful.

We did not catch any fish on this particular afternoon, but we had a lovely time. There were birds of prey hunting on the other side of the loch and it was just a nice place to be with nobody else around. You could just loose yourself in nature, it was a holiday to remember.