Penguins on the ice - New York style

These sweet penguins are made with stamps that came free with a magazine last year and I've colored with Promarkers. The hat and scarf are from the same set which also included dies to cuut them out.
I've used these stamps earlier this year and made them a frosty landscape (see here), but this time I made them a New York evening scene. The sky is made with brusho, inks,  and a white mist. I die cut the cityscape and border of trees, metallic tape was used to make the ice.


I'd like to enter this card in these challenges:
Rudolph Days - January
Cutie Pie Challenge - Cute + Winter Warmers
House of Cards - Add a Building and/or Inspiration photo (buildings)
ABC Christmas Challenge - "A' anything goes or something beginning with "B" (Blue+brusho)

Watercolored flowers

Back in June 2016 I had my first card kit swap with Nonni and Marina, and Nonni's kit contained this lovely flower backgrond. I was so happy when I found this Hero Arts stamp some months later. But it's actually the first time I use my own stamp, so this is my NBUS element #1.

I was inspired by the color scheme over at Color Throwdown.

I used my spun sugar DI and 2 gelatos in mint and aqua for my watercoloring. I finished with a coat of Perfect Pearls. I used a die to cut my panel for the sentiment. Then I stamped and cut the little butterfly, it was a stamp that came with a freebie set a few years back and looking at it I saw it hadn't been inked et. So this NBUS element #2.


This card is for:
Color Throwdown - #427 Color Inspiration
Darnell's NBUS challenge - #9
4 Crafty Chicks - #335 Watercolour

Sweet Angel

Today is "Oldie but Goodie" day over at Catch the Bug and I've made a card with the image "Sweet angel" that you can find in the Bugaboo store. I was inspired by this sketch:

I colored the angel with Promarkers and a silver gelpen for the halo and I added glitter glue to her wings. I inked the white space with spun sugar DI and silver embossed the sentiment.
The papers are back and front of the same DP and I used a doily. Christmas gifts from my mum and sister.

This card is also for:
Sketch Saturday - #447 Sketch
Crafting By Designs - Pink, Pretty and Girlie
I love Promarkers - #327 Anthing Goes
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes

Flutter

I really liked the Freshly Made Sketches' sketch #271, so I made a second card, but it's past the deadline so won't enter it there. I'm quite sure this layout will be one of my "go to" layots in the future,..
This time I made a card in black, white and gold. I took out my butterfly stamp from Memory Box, heat embossed with gold EP and cut out just a few of them and attched them to a dry embossed panel. I also used a golden paper from my stash. The sentiment stamps are new, the comes with different, separate words so you can compose your own sentiments.

This card is for:
Inkspirational - #126 Flutter
Shopping Our Stash - #287 All That Glitters is Gold

CAS New arrival

I have very few baby cards laying around, so with the LIM's challenge "New beginngs" this week I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a head start on at least this year's known births. Even though you normally have about 6 months to prepare for the new arrival, I always seem to be making baby cards at the very last minute. And nowadays the gender is usually known well in advance too.
I have a colleague who's expectiong a baby boy in May. This card might be for her. I used a little boat stamp with red and grey ink and I traced the black lines with a pen afterwards. I also did the waves. I was inpsired by the sketch over at Freshly made Sketches:


I added 3 enamel dots, two grey and a red. There's no blue on this card but I think it suits a boy anyway. The colors are inspired by the photo of Color Throwdown.

This card is for:
Less Is More - #312 New Beginnings
Color Throwdown - #426 Color Inspiration
Freshly Made Sketches - Sketch #271

Crabby dog

Today starts a new sketch challenge over at Catch the Bug.

I went with a really simple version of the sketch, using left over strips from a 6x6 sheet of DP and mounted the pieces on foam. I used a  precolored image, cut with a stitched die, then added a stamped "smile". I also stamped and cut the birthday sentiment. The card base has a nice striped textured look.
Quick and easy!

This card is also for:
Brown Sugar - #234 Anything Goes
Creative Fingers - #123 Anything Goes
Glitter n Sparkle - #223 Four legged friends

Under the Sea - Freebie and recipe

This is the 7th day and the final "Under the Sea" challenge over at Catch the Bug.
Today is freebie day and this image you can grab for free in the store later today. I colored m image using both Promarkers and Spectrum Noirs as well as a white gel pen.
As I went ahead and designed my card I almost forgot about the recipe. But there are at least three layers here (I never know how to cont them), along with two bows and 4 pearls. I should perhaps have left the doily out, but I had already glued it down when I remembered the recipe. With so many single layer/no embellies cards created latel this card feels loaded, lol.

This card is also for:
Digi Choosday Challenge - #3 Anything Goes
Craft Rocket Challenges - #31 Add A Bow
Crafting With An Attitude - Anything Goes

Under the Sea - card for a child

We are celebrating the 7th birthday of Bugaboo over at Catch the Bug with daily "Under the Sea" challenges over at Catch the Bug. For day 6 we have a really easy one - or so I think - make a card for a child.
I used a shark image from Mini Set - AKV Under the sea as I know two of my youngest nephews are quite fascinated by these creatures. To be honest I'm too, and I'm no youngster.
Sharks resized and repositioned,  colored with Promarkers.
DIs used for the background, along with my Memory Box waves stencil and splashes of water. Different stamps used to make the sea bed and a Promarker to make the sandy bottom. A birthday greeting in Norwegian was stamped too.

This card is also for:
Through the Purple Haze - #116 Happy Anything
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations - #333 Always Anything Goes

Under the Sea - Funny

We are celebating the 7th birthday of Bugaboo over at Catch the Bug with daily "Under the Sea" challenges. For day 5 we have a "make it funny" challenge and I have used a new image that will be available soon.

Image colored with Spectrum Noir pens, sentiment from the same set as the image, I just added the "sending". Splatter made with blue brusho and a brush. Paper from Maja Design. 3 red enamel dots. I think it ended up looking a bit nautical, and more masculine than feminine.

This card is also for:
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper- Anything Goes with Patterned Paper

Under the Sea - Bingo

We are celebating the 7th birthday of Bugaboo over at Catch the Bug with daily "Under the Sea" challenges over at Catch the Bug. For day 4 we have a bingo challenge and I have used a new image that will be available soon.
Here's the bingo board:


I used the middle diagonal row: waves + Bugaboo image + sentiment. Again, keeping it CAS with a one layer front with no DPs, no die cuts, just the image printed, sentiment stamped and a Memory Box stencil used with two DIs. Coloring with Spectrum Noir pens and Promarkers, glossy accent on the eyes and glitter glue on the bubbles. I had very little time to make this card, I think it was all done in half an hour, give or take, which is a very short time for me.


This card is also for:
Happy Little Stampers CAS January - Stencil
Challenge Up Your Life - #57 Selfmade Background
Creative Knockouts - #176 Celebrations
QKR Stampede - #226 CAS

Card box holder in colors inspired by the beach

We are celebating the 7th birthday of Bugaboo over at Catch the Bug with daily "Under the Sea" challenges over at Catch the Bug. For day 3 we have a color challenge with colors inspired by the beach and ocean:

 

I  have made a card box holder for this challenge. This box will contain all the cards I will make for this week and be given as a present. I plan on making more of these boxes and different themed cards, I think they will make great personal gifts. Here you can see a pic of the inside:

The papers I used comes from a paperpad from Tilda that was given to me as a Christmas pressie from my mum. I think the papers pick up several of the colors of the inspiration picture. I used a Martha Stewart punch to make the decorative border. The little merman was colored with Spectrum Noir pens and I used an embossing folder, stitched oval dies and one with bbbles, covered it with glitter.

This card box is also for:

Crafty Calendar - Something New (papers and the card box holder design)
Daring Cardmakers - Try Something New (the card box holder design)
Brown Sugar - #233 Anything Goes

Under the Sea - Sketch

We are celebating the 7th birthday of Bugaboo over at Catch the Bug with daily "Under the Sea" challenges over at Catch the Bug.
For day 2 we have a sketch.

I went to my scrap pile for this one, using two leftover DP pieces and an embossed white background. Added a doily (a Christmas calendar gift from my sister), die cut bubbles, a dymo sentiment and 3 gems. I machine stitched around the edges with silver thread. The image is called Crab scuba and is colored with both Promarkers and Spectrum Noir pens.

This card is also for: 
Crafty Gals Corner - #103 Patterned Paper 
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
Crafting-With-Friends - Anything Goes

Under the Sea - Photo inspiration

Today is the start of the week long Bugaboo 7th birthday celebration over at Catch the Bug, with daily challenges and lots of possibilities to win prizes. The theme of the week is "under the sea".
For day 1 we have a photo inspiration.  I chose to color up the sweet ava mermaid with Spectrum Noirs and a gel pen, and I used my DIs to make her the underwater scene. I know many of you have probably went down this road before, but I haven't been confident using my inks for that long yet. I used blue, purple and green DIs.
The "seagrass" is made using a freebie stamp and I stamped a birthday greeting in Norwegian. I also added some silver liquid pearls to her hair and the water. The bubbles have glitter glue. A little sprinkle of water before I added a coat of Perfect Pearl for a shimmery effect, which I didn't capture in the photo. I attached the panel to a black card base. It's rare I don't use any sort of dies or DPs, so this is a bit different for me. Its'a 100% flat and if it weren't for the cardbase it would be a one layer.

This card is also for:
Crafting By Designs - Inspired by a Movie (Splash)
Everybody-Art-Challenge - #394 Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments Challenge- #171 Anything Goes (+ A Sentiment)

Argyle day

Wednesday is "Humour me" day over at Catch the Bug, and this is my DT card marking argyle day.
My argyle paper is a freebie from a few years back. I think it makes this card look masculine.
Last week Jodie's new release included a bunch of cute puppy and cat images, and this is one of them, colored with Spectrum Noirs.
My layout was inspired by the one over at Sketch Saturday.

I used a Memory Box heart die and used sentiment stamps I got from my sister in December.


This card is for:
Allsorts -  #397 Cats and/or Dogs
Sketch Saturday - #445 Sketch
The Male Room - #51 Anything goes

Hello 2017

This is my attempt at going CAS using sponging, stenciling and water coloring as well as trying to go with the ombre look. I'm not sure it qualifies as CAS, maybe I should have left out the gold metallic string. But I'm quite happy with the color.
I used DIs candied apple, fired brick and aged mahogny. I also used a brusho, brillant red, for coloring of the flower. The flower stamp is Tim Holtz and I also used one of his stencils on the upper part of the card.
I sprinkled a bit of water and used a freebie stamp for the sentiment.

This card is for:

Less Is More - #310 Ombre
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes Watercolour + option of stencil
The Crafty Addicts - #32 Anything goes/Monochromatic

Black, pink and green

I'm giving up on those New Year's celebations designs, I managed one. The attempts after that were no good.
So over to flowers, using a Penny Black stamp. It's a quite large stamp, but I love this one. I had cut a smaller panel of white paper, attached it to the card base with tape and stamped. I then removed the panel, added a black one for contrast and kept the stamped parts on the card base uncolored. I stamped a greeting and colored in the flowers, picking colors inspired by the photo over at Color Throwdown. It's quite CAS and I'm actually rather happy with the result...

This card is for:
Color Throwdown - #424
Penny Black and More - Anything goes
Glitter n Sparkle - #221 Anything Goes

Hey chickie

Today starts a new sketch challenge over at Catch the Bug. Sketch and CASE challenges are my personal favorites. And the sketch we've got this fortnight I'm sure I'm going to use again.

I went with a rustic style card for a chick, using "Hey chickie" from the Bugaboo store, colored with Promarkers.
I've used a DP and an embossed paper that Monika of Creative With Monika sent me a while back.

My "new" items are the doily die and sentiment stamps. They were actually pre-Christmas gifts from my sister (we make each other advent calendars, very childish but SO fun!). I also just recently bought what I used as hay, I just can't figure out the English word for it, but I hope some of you will share that with me:)


This card is also for:
Sweet Stampin - Something New
Crafty Gals Corner - #102 Use Something New
Craft Rocket Challenges - #30 Something New

Monster selfie

Today is the start of  a new challenge over at Catch the Bug - it's ANTHING GOES week.

I went with bright and cheerful colors. I'm actually still in Christmas card making mode, but needed a little rest. So out came the fun selfie image with monsters and my new Spectrum Noir markers. And some new sentiment stamps I got from my mum and sister for Christmas. Some glitter glue was added and I stitched with black thread.

This card is also for:
Cute Card Thursday - #459 What's New (markers, sentiment stamps)
Seize The Birthday - Anything Goes
Brown Sugar – #232 Anything Goes

Penguins on the ice

I'm going to make some 70ish Christmas cards this year. So I'm not ready to give up winter and Christmas just yet...

For this card I used a Hero Arts stamp set to make the background.
The penguins are made with stamps that came free with a magazine last year and have been colored with Promarkers.
I die cut an oval of silver mirri card to make the ice.

Simple and light weight, the latter being a main focus for this year's Christmas cards...

This card is for:
Tuesday Throwdown - #324 Winter Critters
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Snowflakes
Passion For Promarkers Challenge - #376 Anything Goes

Birthday dogs

This is my card showing one of the new images you can find in the Bugaboo store today. Aren't this trio of dogs cute?
I colored them using my new Spectrum Noir markers and some of my older Promarkers. I chose mostly colors in shades of brown and peach/pinks.
A DP from my older stash of papers, a ribbon I got for Christmas and a piece of brick embossed paper.

This card is also for:
Sparkles Forum Challenges - #87 Happy Birthday
Sweet Stampers - #2 Anything Goes
My Time to Craft - #337 Something New (image, ribbon, markers)
Creative Knockouts - #174 Anything Goes

Happy New Year card

Hi all - and happy New Year! I haven't posted anything since December 16, mojo left me. And with that and limited time I didn't finish all Christmas cards I needed, so I'm making a few New Year's cards as well.
This is my first, using a Dienamics cityscape die and DIs, brushos, gesso and gold EP to make the sky.
I don't have a New Year's greeting stamp, so I went with a best wishes stamp and I die cut 2017 and attached it to the black die cut piece. Stars were made with a MB stencil.


I'd like to enter this card in:
Allsorts - #396 Something New (New Year, new sentiment stamp)
Inkspirational - #125 Photo Inspiration
Creatalicious Challenges - #106 - Anything Goes + Option Happy New Year / Wishes
Glitter n Sparkle - #220 New Beginnings