My Favorite Things

I'm so excited about sharing my first card as a DT member of the Outlawz "Twisted Thursday" team! For those of you who're not familiar with this challenge  there's an "Anything Goes with a Twist" challenge each week. Basically, make whatever you want, just follow the theme, or "twist". This week's twist is to "use your favorite things". It can't get easier than that, can it!

For my card I've used a digi from our August sponsor - MY BESTIES. You could win 5 images from Sherri’s fantastic collection. Christmas is my favorite time of year, so I decided to go with one of the Christmas images. I loved coloring this image! Normally I need to color up a new image several times before I'm satisfied, but this is actually my first attempt. I like how it turned out, using Promarkers in different shades of red, green and grey.
My favorite elements that I've used for this card are Maja Designs papers, my embossing folder with spots and my sewing machine for stitching. I've also used a dies from Marianne for the tree, postmark stamps from Kort&Godt and Frosted Lace Stickles for the ground.

I hope you'll take the time to join us in the fun!



This card is also for these challenges:
1) Crafty Boots - Christmas
2) That Craft Place - Stitch Real or Faux
3) Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - #29 Christmas Stitches
4) 613 Avenue Create - #33: Anything Goes incl. twist: Use Stitching
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Gold, sparkle and shine

Another card using my new LOTV sentiment stamp set! I'm so glad I got these stamps, I think they're great for sentiment only cards, which I'm quite hooked on at the moment. The embossing is not uneven - the stamps actually have that distressed look.
I wanted to make a card that really sparkles, so I chose to heat emboss with gold glitter embossing powder. I've used a Spellbinder M-bossabilities folder for the gold paper I've used as background. The paper has a nice shimmer. The gold metallic stars were cut using Sizzix dies, and I also added some gold gems.

This card is for these challenges: 
1) House of Cards - August Sketch + Classic & Elegant
2) Dream Valley Challenges - #63 Monochrome
3) Pile It On - #33 No Designer Paper.
4) Craft Room Challenge - Something New
5) Lexi's Creations - Sparkle & Shine
6) Stamp and Create - Glitter
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Sentiment and Silhouette

I just came home from a trip to the west coast of Norway and I was so happy to see that my package from LOTV had arrived. I just couldn't wait to try one of my new stamps, so I stamped the sentiment with black ink on kraft and added clear embossing powder. I just love the vintage look of this sentiment. I also love silhouette images, and this one is from a stamp set from Kort&Godt. I gave the image the same treatment as the sentiment.
My choice of background DP, a leftover with letters and numbers, was actually my starting point for this card design - I immediately thought of using it when I spotted the Inkspirational photo. I mounted the DP on a panel of beige paper and distressed the edges. I used letter stickers to complete the sentiment. The letters stickers and image have been mounted on foam. And voilà - a rather quick and easy male card!

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #33 Photo
2) Aud Sentiments Challenge - #8 Anything but a birthday card with a sentiment
3) Paper Crafting Journey -Distressed/Vintage
4) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

CAS Chihuahua

This little chihuahua called Spike lives over at Mo's Digital Pencil. My sister's got a chihuahua, and that  was my primary motivation for getting this digi. But her dog's name is Emma, so I needed to make Spike look a bit more feminine, hence the pink background and the bling on the collar. I colored the image with Promarkers and fussy cut it.
If you're not familiar with chihuahuas just take a look at the program "Dog Whisperer". As Cesar Millan says: "And we're changing the world, one chihuahua at the time". Emma is totally adorable but sometimes quite a little monster too, and that's why I chose this sentiment, from a set of Whimsy stamps. I stamped with black ink on kraft paper, which I tore.
I used  a black pen to make the doodle lines - it's a technique I haven't used much myself, but I like the effect of it on others cards, so wanted to give it a go. I also used kraft paper for the card base and the panel for the circle - I think kraft and pink is a lovely color combination, but I rarely use pink, so I had to seize this opportunity! The pink paper for the circle is heat embossed with white embossing powder, using a brick wall stamp from Magnolia. It doesn't serve any other purpose than for me trying to reduce my scrap pile a bit, I made it for another card but ended up not using it then...


This card is for these challenges:
1) House of Cards - August Sketch, CAS
2) Sweet Stampin - Going Krafty
3) SweetStamps - #130 Bling
4) LEJ Designs - #66 Furry Friends
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Wedding card with lots of white and a little touch of pink and green

Sometimes things take a totally different direction. For this card I had planned to make it girly card, using paper with green spots and lots of die cut dresses. But I got distracted....
I started out making the card base using Spellbinder dies. Seeing my new stamp with text laying on the table, I wondered how it would look embossed with white embossing powder on white background. So I just wanted to check it out there and then. I liked how it turned out, so I cut it to size. Seeing all my white pearls I thought they would make a nice edge around the embossed paper. Pearls in place, but then I didn't feel my original plan would work with this new design  So I used one of the die cut dresses I had prepared (MB dies). Next I needed something masculine. Found a tutorial in a magazine on how to fold a shirt. Folded it and sprayed it with pearl Glimmer Mist. Needed something to place the dress and shirt onto, so I used my MB heart dies. It also got a round of glimmer mist. For the sentiment I used a banner stamp from Kaisercraft, also heat embossed with white, and I added a rub on sentiment to it. I admit there's not much pink and green on this card, but the dress has both colors. I also added pink metallic rub-on to the edges of the card base, but I was gentle with the amount, so it doesn't show in the picture, but I think it looks nice in real life.


This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #32 Colors
2) Tuesday Throwdown - #159 Don't be square
3) Crafty Boots - Die Cuts
4) Make it Monday - Anything Goes
 

Mermaid Thank You Card

This mermaid is from ADFD - isn't she gorgeous! She's currently available as a freebie here. I colored the image with Promakers and added some light blue pearls and baby blue Stickles around the edges. Afterwards I realized I had made a mistake. What I though was her fin is actually her hair. I don't think it matters and hope you'll agree with me... I attached the image to a background of blue Coredination paper. I used a Darice chevron embossing folder. I used sandpaper to make the pattern show better. I added a piece of cheesecloth for texture - it's been sprayed it with turquoise Perfect Pearls mist. The seashell is made with a Marianne die, I sprayed the kraft paper with pearl Glimmer Mist, the sparkle doesn't show in the photo, but it's really nice in real life. The sentiment ("thank you" in Norwegian) is made with letter stickers from Storyteller.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Great Impressions - Square card
2) Pattie's Creations - #73 Embossing
3) MilkCoffee Challenge - Show us your coloring skills
4) Crafty Creations - #234 Texture
5) Creative Moments - #23 Sea/shore
6) Penny's Paper-Crafty - #139 Dry embossing
7) Top Tip Tuesday - #107 Embossing
8) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

School Boy

One of my newphews is starting school on August, 19 and this card is for him. I can't believe he's already a school boy - how time flies! In Norway children start school the year they turn 6. His younger brother will start school next year, but he's so proud about being in the "purple class" of kindergarten - now he's among the eldest, and that's apparently a huge thing for him. I will make him a card too later on.

I used a digi from Teddy Bo for this card, it's called Bo's first day at school. I've colored the image with Promarkers in different shades of grey. The chalkboard paper is a digital one from Grepic. The sentiment translates "school boy" and is computer generated - I used Jokerman font.

The layout is inspired by the sketch over at "House of Cards". I cut out a circle and made this a shaker card - my very first! I added grey beads to make the pebbly ground, but they kind of went all over the place... I used a Marianne die to make the fence- cut it in the middle and used one section on each side of the circle.




This card is for these challenges:
1) House of Cards - August Sketch, Cute & Fun
2) Bearly Mine Challenges - #98 Tic Tac Toe (digi paper+circle+sentiment)
3) Addicted to Stamps and More - #57 Coloring (Promarkers)
4) ABC Challenges - Monochromatic (shades of grey)
5) Pile It On - #31 School Time
6) One Stop Craft - #237 Keep it Simple
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Birthday Cake

For this card I've used a digi from Mo's Digital Pencil called "Tall Cake". I've colored it with Promarkers in pastel colors.
The sentiment is from a Forever Friends stamp set, and I've heat embossed with pink embossing powder on kraft.
I've used kraft paper for the  card base and for the panels as well. The patterned papers are from Graphic45 "Little darlings".
The 3 buttons are from my stash.
The layout is inspired by the sketch over at "Sketch Saturday".

I enter this card into these challenges:
1) Sketch Saturday - #270 Sketch
2) Crafty Cardmakers - 1 image, 2 patterned papers, 3 embellishments
3) Artistic Inspirations - Bingo (Buttons+Digi+Layers)
4) Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - Layers
5) Digi Galore - Birthday Blog Hop
6) Crafty Catz - #194 Pastel Colors
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes 

CAS Feathers

There's not much to say about this card as it's a really simple design. Apart from the card base, this card has been entirely made of different paper scraps, all in different shades of grey. Even the embroidery thread is a leftover, from a cross-stitching set.
I chose to tear two of the paper panels - I like the simple effect of torn paper - and the feathers have been made with a set of dies from Magnolia. I also added 3 pearls.
I haven't added a sentiment though, and I'm not sure that I will. At least for now I'd like to keep my options open, as I think it can be used as a birthday card for a man or a woman, a thank you card, a thinking of you card, or even perhaps a with sympathy card...

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #31 Anything Goes
2) That Craft Place - Monochrome
3) LEJ Designs - #64 Distressing Or Paper Tearing
4) ABC Challenges - Use Scraps
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

CAS Just Keep Flying

Over at Clearly iStamp the challenge is to lift a card of the person who left a comment before you on their blog. I've never lifted before, so I thought this would be a great new challenge for me. I was to lift one of Suze's cards, and I could really chose from a large variety of designs! I decided to lift her "Just Keep Swimming" card - you can see her card at the bottom of this post. I chose it because I found it a really fun card  and it has such a great clean design.
I haven't had Word installed in my laptop until yesterday, and changing to Word gives so many more opportunities with digis! So I decided to give it a go with my silhouette butterflies from Digital Delights - I tried to vary their sizes and placing the sentiment like Suze did. I added shadows, colors and flipped them - so fun and so many possibilities I haven't had until now! I added 3 pearls and a white flower that I spritzed with peach glimmer mist. The colors are inspired by the photo challenge over at House of Cards.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Clearly iStamp - Lift The Person Before You
2) House of Cards - Photo Inspiration + Any Style (2nd entry: CAS)
3) One Stop Craft Challenge - #237 Keep it Simple
4) Addicted to CAS - #19 Summer
5) Seemacrafts - Butterfly

And this is the card I lifted, Suze's card - "Just Keep Swimming":

Bird on Windowsill

House of Cards - Photo Inspiration + Any Style
I chose to go with the "Classic & Elegant" style for this card.
In the past I've struggled making cards for photo inspiration challenges. But I do love a challenge, and why should it be any different than getting inspiration from sketches and CASEs, right? I think my main trouble is to make up my mind and decide what to pull inspiration from! But with this week's photo over at House of Cards, I didn't have any trouble at all - I loved the colors, the design of the wallpaper, the flowers and the curtains. I also got a lot of help from other inspirational sources:
Kaboodle Doodles - Ink or Paint
For the background I covered a piece of kraft paper with white gesso. Once dry I used a brick wall embossing folder and slightly inked the bricks with Tea Dye DI.
Craft Room Challenge - Heat Embossing, Songbird - #25 Favorite Things and Sentimental Sundays - #165 Anything with Wings
I love heat embossing! I wanted to take up the metallic details of the wallpaper on the photo and chose to use my Platinum UTEE. I like how it can cover large spaces and give the elements a metallic feel. I also have grown quite fond of my Sizzix rounded tag dies, and this time I've used them to make a window.
I wanted to add a bird to the windowsill. I chose to stamp it with black ink on a piece of scrap and added clear embossing powder to it. I like the glossy finish it gives, so I used a pine colored ink to stamp the leaves  and gave it the same treatment with clear embossing powder. I hadn't planned to add a sentiment on the front, but I do like these ticket sentiments of kraft.
Totally Papercrafts - #177 Use Lace
I wasn't quite sure what to do with the empty space behind the window, so I picked up inspiration from the photo as well as the Totally Papercrafts challenge theme  and decided to add curtains of lace.
And finally I'd like to enter this card into Make it Monday - Anything Goes.
I love this blog as it is where I got my first followers and so many encouraging comments when I first started card making and blogging. The ladies over at MIM encourage people to leave some love visiting others blogs, and they even pick the winner of the prize amongst those who've left comments. I really like the ideology of their blog.
I also added three flowers. The two orange ones were white, but they 've been sprayed with Tattered Angels Peach Glimmer Mist.
And that makes 7 challenge blogs in total, and 6 inspirational sources for my card.

Glitter and Gold

So this is my take on the Inkspirational sketch. I really need to get some more Christmas cards made. December always goes by too quickly, so I want to try and have most of my cards and gift tags ready by November.
This image is a digi from Eureka stamps. I colored it with Promarkers in bold Christmas colors, using reds, greens, blues, gold and metallic gold.
I decorated the image with gold liquid pearls, using a Pearl Maker from Waco, and Xmas red Stickles.
For the background I've used gold mirri card. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder and cut out a piece with a dies from the Sizzix rounded tags set. I used a freebie paper from Forever Friends to make the starry night sky.
For the panel with my sentiment I used a scrap of red paper with pearlescent shimmer, and I heat embossed the sentiment with glittery gold embossing powder. The stamp was part of a set that came free with a magazine.


This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #30 Sketch
2) Eureka Stamps - Anything Goes
3) Stamp and Create - Christmas in July
4) Pattie's Creations - #72 Recipe (Pearls+Glitter+Sentiment)
5) Crafting for all Seasons - #57 Christmas in July
6) Tammy's Scrappin Corner - Use a Digi
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

A glass too much....

This image and sentiment live over at From The Heart Digital Stamps. There are lots of fun challenges going on now that I find fitting for this image, and when I saw the sketch over at Here Come the Boys I decided on the design.
I used orange and yellow papers from my stash. They came free with some magazines quite some time ago. I love free papers as they contribute to me having quite a pile of different papers, with patterns and colors that I wouldn't necessarily shop for myself, and they really come in handy! I used a honeycomb stamp that I thought would work as chicken wire as well. I stamped it with Black Soot DI and embossed it with clear embossing powder, so it feels as chicken wire as well:) I had this one olive colored button and added it to my card to match the olives of the drinks. The chicken is colored using Promarkers. My brother-in-law has a great sense of humor, and I think this will be his birthday card this year...

This card is for these challenges:
1) Here Come the Boys - #57 Sketch
2) Come and Get It Challenges - Humorous Birthdays
3) Red Carpet Studio - #47 The Hangover
4) Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - #44 Animals
5) Digi Haven - Any Animal
6) MilkCoffee Challenge - Emboss it
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Little Darlings

This vintage baby card does not have any stamped or digi image. I wanted to use the paper from Graphic45's Little Darlings collection as the focal point. I slightly distressed the edges to enhance the vintage look of it.
I embossed the background paper with an embossing folder with spots.
I used a scrap from the same Graphic45 paper collection and placed it behind the white heat embossed sentiment.
For the sentiment I used a stamp from KaiserKraft, but I altered it as I needed the words to be beside each other.
The bow is made of  seam binding ribbon, and the doily has been given a layer of blue metallic rub on.
I stamped some words with red ink on kraft, using stamps from a set from Prima.

This card is for these challenges:
1) House of Cards - July Color Palette + Shabby & Vintage
2) Rhedd & Rosie's Challenge Blog - #11 Anything goes
3) Deep Ocean Challenge - #57 Blue
4) LEJ Designs - #63 Cute Cute Cute
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Christmas Frog

I bumped into this cute little Christmas frog over at From The Heart Digital Stamps and just couldn't resist it. I printed him straight away and colored him with Promarkers in several shades of green and yellow, and red for his hat. I added glitter to the fur trim and glossy accent to its eyes and heart. To be quite frank I've always found this Christmas DP - both front and back - rather ugly, but I think it works for this design. As for embellishments I was a bit stuck at first - I didn't think the traditional choices of poinsettias, snowflakes or Christmas trees would be right, and I wanted to make this card for a man, so I chose to add panels of gold Mirri card, stamped clouds (Craft Lounge) and die cut grass (Whiff of Joy). The sentiment (unknown) is stamped with black ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Cards For Men - Christmas in July
2) I love Promarkers - #178 Christmas in July
3) Crafty Boots - Animals
4) Southern Girls - Animal Antics
5) Digi Galore - One for the Boys
6) Sweet Stamps - #127 Christmas Greenery
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

My First Attempt of Collage Stamping

Collage stamping - what a fun technique! This is my first attempt and I'm already hooked! I like how several different stamps can be combined, coloring can be avoided, it's a great way to make your own background and keep to either a colorful or monochromatic look!
For this card I started with the postcard stamp from TPC Studio. I stamped the postcard with Walnut Distress Ink, after having removed some of the color by stamping onto a scrap paper. In retrospect I think I should have removed some more... Then I added the stamp with cogs and swirls from Vilda Stamps.  I used the same Walnut DI, but stamped directly onto my card. Then I masked the postcard and used a stamp with scripture from Panduro with Old Paper DI. The dressmaker is a stamp from Prima. I used Black Soot DI, added clear embossing powder and heat embossed it. I also used a 3 more TPC Studio stamps - a postmark in the top right corner, part of a stamp for the word "greeting" and the sentiment. For the sentiment I used Coffee Archival Ink.  So that makes 7 stamps all in all, from 4 different suppliers.
As for embellishments there aren't many - a little piece of Washi tape with script and a bow made with seam binding ribbon colored with Walnut DI. I distressed the edges of my stamped card and attached it to a panel of DP from Prima "Life Time Collection".

This card is for these challenges;
1) Come and Get It Challenges - Collage Challenge
2) One Stop Craft - #235 Make your own Background
3) Pattie's Creations - #71 Monochromatic
4) The Stamping Chef - Monochromatic or no coloring
5) Pile It On - #29 Thinking of You/Just Because
6) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Ruby Red and Earthly Colors

Inspired by summer and vacation time I chose to make this card with the Penny Black Venice stamp and lots of flowers. I colored the whole image with Promarkers. I used different shades of browns, burnt sienna and greys for the background, as well as blue colors for the windows and the water. I gave the woman a ruby red dress with yellow accessories.
I also used a postcard stamp from Prima to give the card a feel of travel and holiday, and I thought the "sending you birthday wishes" stamp from the Whimsy Stamps "Film Strip Sentiments" set would fit the theme as well.
I've got plenty of flowers, pearls and gems in my stash, so I picked some that I felt would coordinate nicely with the colors of the scene and the DP.  I've machine stitched around the edges of the card with white thread.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Crafting When We Can - #49 Floral
2) That Craft Place - It's a Girl Thing
3) Pollycraft Challenges - #3 Ruby Red
4) ABC Challenge - R for Roses are Red
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Flowers and Pearls

This is the first time I use acetate on a card, and I'm sure going to use it again - I like the possibilities it gives to combine the front and the inside of the card.

I cut out an oval with an X-cut die and used a sentiment from a Dylusions stamp set - I chose to stamp it on the Prima DP with honeycomb pattern that I attached to the inside of the card.

The front is decorated with lots of pearls and various die cuts using scraps. The butterfly die came free with a magazine, the flowers are made using a Memory Box die, and for the leaves and card base I've used Spellbinder dies.
I added a bit of Diamond Stickles to the center of the butterfly and the flowers.

This card is for these challenges:
1) House of Cards - July Color Palette + Classic & Elegant
2) Card Mania - Pearls and/or Gems
3) Lexi's Creations - For a Friend
4) Polkadoodles - #29 Let It Fly
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

CASE and Pastel Colors

This card I made with a some different challenges in mind.
One of the inspirational sources is the CASE card over at Inksrpirational: I used a large flower, a butterfly, pearls, a banner for the sentiment, a doily for the round shape and layered panels.
I also used some yellowish accents, with the flower, skeleton leaf and striped paper.
The DPs are from Prima. I layered them onto pink cardstock. I stitched around the edges with golden thread. The doily has a coat of pink metallic rub on. The frame is a chipboard sticker from BasicGrey. The hand cut banner has a heat embossed birthday greeting.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #29 CASE
2)  Crafty Sentiments - Female Birthdays
3) Artistic Inspirations - Pastel Colors
4) BasicGrey - Flowers
5) Incy Wincy Designs - Things with Wings
6) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

No Ladybugs...

OK - the ladybug thing didn't quite work for me... Those ladybugs have been haunting me for half a week, and I know I didn't have to use ladybugs for the Inkspirational challenge, but I just couldn't get them out of my head...  I got completely stuck, I've made several cards since Wednesday, but I wasn't happy with how they turned out, so I made this card today, with a little help from Eclectic Ellapau's flower theme.
And yes, the background DP has a pink tint to it  - I'd like to call it "raspberry red". It has got spots, like the ladybugs. I made the sentiment the focal point of this card - it translates "wishing you a day filled with smiles and laughter". I  heat embossed the sentiment in white on black background and added a cardboard frame. The paper flowers came free with a magazine - I attached them to flowers of red organza and used brads from my stash. I've used a Basic Grey Chipboard leaf sticker, a Spellbinder die cut leaf, and a butterfly of wood - I HAD to add a bug of some sort after all! The card base is cut with Spellbinders dies Label 28.


I enter this card into these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - # Photo
2) Eclectic Ellapu - Flowers
3) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

CAS Card with Fussy Cut Umbrella

I won some digis from Bugaboo about a month ago, and the umbrella was one of my choices. This is the first time I use it, and I know I'm going to use it again - it was such a delight to color and I like the feminine look of it. I colored it using Promarkers in different shades of blue and red, and I added liquid pearls to the center of the flowers.
The birthday greeting I cut out from a DP that came with a magazine some year ago.
I fussy cut the image and mounted it and each panel on foam for dimension.
To keep a clean design I only added some light blue pearls for embellishment.

This card is for these challenges:
1) House of Cards - CAS
2) Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
3) Southern Girls - No Spoolin
4) Papertake Weekly - Old (birthday greeting and pearls) New (Image) Borrowed Or Blue (coloring and paper)
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

The Cutest Mouse in France...

I'm in the  mood for making shaped cards, and I've used my new Spellbinders die set - Labels 28 - for this card.

I love the WOJ images, and I just couldn't resist getting this french mouse... I colored the image with Promakers and placed it on top of a stamped postcard of kraft and a Spellbinders die cut Eiffel Tower, which I gave a metallic look by covering it with platinum embossing powder. I used Memory Box dies to make the clouds. I attached an Eiffel Tower metal charm to the twine.
I used bits and pieces of papers laying around for this card - it feels so great to get to use  some of those scraps!

This card is for these challenges:
1) Digi Galore - Holidays
2) Cards For Men - Bingo (die cut+digi image+twine)
3) Kaboodle Doodles - #179 Anything French
4) Creative Card Crew - #40 The Great Outdoors
5) Tammy's Scrappin Corner - Animals
6) Joanna Sheen Challenge - Don`t Be Square
7) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Girl with Paper Pieced Summer Dress

I often make cards with a specific occasion or person in mind, but not so with this one - I just made it because it was fun and because I wanted to make a card that works with my 22x11 cms envelopes!
The doll is made with a stamp from Prima. I gave her a paper pieced dress, jacket and shoes using a DP from Maja Design and red paper.
The sentiment is from a TPC Studio stamp set. I heat embossed the sentiment with brown embossing powder on kraft.
The background is stitched with red thread, and I added seam binding ribbon spayed with a turquoise mist- it turned out a really nice light blue color with shimmer. I've used a strawberry charm from Kort&Godt and some pearls.

This card is for these challenges:
1) House of Cards - Cute and Fun
2) That Craft Place Challenge Blog - Ribbons and/or lace
3) Fab 'n' Funky - #178 Anything but square
4) Creative Craft Challenges - #13 A Stitch In Time
5) Crafty Bloggers Network - Metal
6) Card and Scrap - Bruk blonder eller bånd
7) Desert Island Crafters - Itinerary 6,7,8,10
8) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Holiday in the City

I had so much fun making this card! The image I picked as one of my birthday presents - it's a cling stamp from Penny Black. The set of Spellbinder dies - Labels 28- was another one of my choices.

I stamped the image using Dusty Concord Distress Ink, it has a deep rich purple color. I stamped the image twice, cut out the woman an mounted her on foam for dimension. I used a lavender colored floral paper to make her dress and hat. I decorated her hat with Lavender Lace  Liquid Pearls and a white flower that I inked with the Dusty Concord Distress Ink. I gave her a crocodile leather purse.

For the sentiment I hand cut a banner using the same DP as for the background. It doesn't come out well in the picture, but it's a very light purple DP with a checkered pattern. The sentiment (which translates to congratulations or happy birthday in Norwegian) is heat embossed with purple embossing powder.



This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #27 Color Inkspiration
2) Crafty Cardmakers - Holiday (City Break)
3) Crafting for all Seasons - #55 Girly
4) Paper Crafting Journey - Anything but a Square
5) ABC Challenges - Anything Goes
6) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Lace and Flowers for a Baby Boy

I've used the Cardabilities sketch as inspiration for the layout.
The image I cut out from a Graphic45 DP. I layered it onto a die cut frame and added 3 flowers and  die cut leaves (Spellbinder), then I attached this onto a Marianne die cut clock. I added lace and two hand cut banners and placed a heat embossed sentiment on one of them. The blue and white DP is from Marianne design. I distressed the edges with Old Paper Distress Ink and I machine stitched around the edges. I did the same thing with the swirl embossed grey background paper. I finished off my card by adding a card candy in each corner.

Today I will spend my day indoors, crafting and visiting your blogs as it seems like we're going to have nothing but a grey sky and some rain. This week I've visited my family, and I got my birthday presents - gift certificates and money for crafting goodies! So yesterday I spent half a day in a big crafting shop just outside Oslo, and I look forward to sitting down with all my new stuff!

I enter this card in these challenges:
1) Cardabilities - Sketch #78
2) Ooh La La Creations - Welcome Little One
3) Eclectic Ellapu - Time
4) Crafty Creations Challenges - #229 Babies
5) Crafting with Dragonflies - Vintage Card with Layers and Lace
6) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Pink Sentiment Only Card

This is my take on this week's Inkpirational sketch. I tried out layouts with images and different color schemes before I finally decided on a sentiment only card. I've added several layers of papers in different shades of pink mounted on kraft panels.
I've used a Spellbinder die to make the frame for the sentiment, and I added liquid pearls to it. I machine stitched around the edges of the bottom layer.
The sentiment is from Raindrop Echo Designs and the chipboard flower stickers are from Basic Grey

I enter this card in the following challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #26 Sketch
2) Lady Anne's Challenge - Monochrome
3) ABC Challenge - Quite a few
4) BasicGrey - #97 No Stamped image
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Sketch and Tic-Tac-Toe

Since I got home from holiday I've been mostly cleaning and washing clothes, but I've also made one card today. My card is inspired by the sketch over at "Seize the Birthday" and the tic tac toe challenge over at "The Paper Players".
I recently won some digis from Bugaboo, and this cute little bird was one of my picks - I just couldn't resist its eyes! It's been colored with Promarkers mostly in different shades of blue and orange to match my choice of papers. The image is fussy cut and is mounted on foam. The banner with the heat embossed birthday sentiment has been hand cut and distressed with blue ink. The star is a cut out from a DP that came free with a magazine, and I machine stitched with white thread around the edges.

I'm still trying to catch up with all of you since my return, but you've been such a crafty bunch so I need some more time to get around to visit you all:)

This card is for these challenges:
1) Seize The Birthday - Sketch #20
2) The Paper Players - Tic Tac Toe (Bird+Blue+Birthday)
3) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Red, White and Blue

I just got back from a wonderful 2 week stay on the island of Kos. I really enjoyed the holiday, but it's sooo great to be back home! I've been without internet access during my trip, and I've missed blogging, crafting - and sleeping in my own bed! I have one more week off, so I'll have plenty of time to do whatever I want next week!

I'm "warming up" with this male birthday card in red, white and blue, and a bit of kraft. The image is a Teddy Bo digi, which I've colored using Promarkers. I've used 2 DPs for his card. As for decoration I've used 2 ribbons, twine, 3 buttons, a star sticker, a star metal charm and a ticket with sentiment. I finished off my card adding doodled lines using a black pen.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Charisma Cardz - #25 1, 2, 3 Recipe (1 image, 2 DPs, 3 buttons)
2) Delightful Challenges - Red White and Blue
3) A Gem of a Challenge - #85 Male Birthday
4) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

You are special

I've just discovered the WOJ digis and I just couldn't resist getting a whole bunch of them! I picked this image because of the cool look of this mouse, and I thought it would be perfect for a card for a  teenage boy.
I've used white, blue and burgundy papers, as well as a Maja Design DP with script. The blue paper is embossed with a star patterned embossing folder. For the DP I used a new Fiskars border punch (an early birthday present from my older sister). I used a burgundy left over thread from a cross stitching kit and attached a post card metal charm to it. The sentiment is heat embossed with blue embossing powder and translates "You are Special".  The image is colored with Promarkers.

This card is for these challenges:
1) The Crafter's Cafe Challenge - #17 Fathers or For a Male
2) The Crazy Challenge - #147 Teens card
3) 'ABC' Challenges - I (Heart) Animals
4) The Corrosive Challenges - Animal Antics
5) A Gem of a Challenge - #83 Emboss It
6) Creative Card Crew - #38 Metal
7) Top Tip Tuesday - #103 Masculine
8) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

One Layer and Coloring on Kraft

My previous card had such bright colors, so I went with a more neutral color scheme for this one.
I just got this cute Whiff of Joy digi and thought it would be perfect for a male card as well as for the speed theme over at LIM.
For me one layer cards are the most difficult ones to make, but I like to challenge myself, and I did so by not only opting for a one layer design, but also by coloring on kraft using my Inktense pencils. I've used greys, black, white and a little touch of pink for the mouse's ear and nose.
It's also the first time I've tried the doodled frame technique - it's definitely a technique I will use again for future cards.
The sentiment in Norwegian is stamped with black ink, and it can be translated into both happy birthday and congratulations.

I enter this card into these challenges:
1) Less Is More - #123 Need for Speed
2) Paper Crafting Journey - Masculine cards
3) Penny's Paper-Crafty - #130 Birthdays
4) Try It On Tuesday - One For The Men
5) Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - Clean & Simple

Fruity Colors!

The Inkspirational team has given as three bright and fruity colors to play with this week. I started out making the background using a set of hexagonal dies and colorful papers. The REALLY bright look made me want to go "all in" for a cheerful look with a fun image and sentiment from Bugaboo, using the same bright colors to color the image. Her drink contains some cherries, and Stella looks quite "breezy".
I can't say that this card is representative of my style, although I had a fun time putting all the elements together for this card - these colors kind of puts you in a good mood, don't they. I believe it's going to be a birthday card for my aunt - she's got the sense of humor for it.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - #23 Colors
2) Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
3) Fab 'n' Funky - #174 Fruit
4) Crafty Bloggers Network - Bright & Breezy
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Quick and Simple Masculine card

I love the sea and I love nautical themed cards, whether they're clean and simple or with plenty of layers and embellishments.
This card came together quickly as I had an idea about the design before I sat down to make  my card (that doesn't happen very often!)
I went with a long rectangular shape (11x22cm) and blue card base.
I cut out the circles of kraft using two different sized dies and attached them to a white background.
The boat is a metal charm, but the two other elements are die cuts made with Die-namics dies, heat embossed with platinum embossing powder.
I wanted to keep the background white and clean, so I chose to heat emboss the stamped sentiment using white embossing powder.

This card is for these challenges:
1) The Crafting Cafe - Here come the boys
2) CAS on Sunday - Make it Masculine
3) Addicted to CAS - #14 Circles
4) Shopping Our Stash - #104 No Patterned Paper
5) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Baby Fairy Image for a Baby Girl

I've made so many male cards lately that I thought it was time to make a girly one. So why not get ahead with the card for a friend of mine who's expecting a baby girl. 

When I spotted this ADFD digi I just had to have it. I've colored it using mainly pink and blue Promarkers, and I've added Diamond Stickles to their wings. I love Diamond Stickles because of how its color varies with the angle and light - from pink, to blue or even clear.

I'm not really a "pink person", so I went with kraft paper for the card base, layers of blue papers and pink embellishments -  pearls from my stash, Basic Grey flower chipboard stickers and a Kaisercraft sentiment heat embossed with pink embossing powder.

All edges have been distressed with Walnut Distress Ink, and I've used a circle die for the sentiment and a MB Corner Bow die.

The inside is decorated with the same papers as for the front, but in a different order. 3 pearls are used for embellishment.




This card is for these challenges:
1) Passion for ProMarkers - #200 All that glitters
2) Bearly-Mine Challenges - #89 Dies and/or Punches
3) Heck of a Challenge - Bingo (Pearls+Die+Flowers)
4) Natalie and Amy's Challenge - Fantasy
5) Great Impressions - Leave a Little Sparkle
6) No Matter Which Challenges - Bingo (Die cuts+Flowers+Glitter/Sparkle)
7) Allsorts - #209 Here Come the Girls
8) Di's Digis Designs - Winged Things
9) QKR Stampede - #41 Any Winged Creatures
10) Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Birthday Card with Chipboard Bird

This card is for a friend who turns 40 this month.  I've used dies from the Spellbinders Timeless Rectangle set - the largest one is used to make the card base. I used kraft paper and distressed the edges with Walnut Distress Ink. A smaller die is used to make the brown inner frame, which is placed upon a honeycomb embossed paper sprayed with a peach colored glimmer mist - it gives a bronze shimmer finish on brown papers.
The music notes paper is from Minnehjørnet. I added a cardboard die cut frame from a set from Ikea, and the bird is a chipboard sticker from Basic Grey. The hand cut banner has a heat embossed birthday greeting. The number is made with die cuts and I added a bow  with a golden heart charm from Kort&Godt.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
2) Eclectic Ellapu - Anything with Wings
3) Happy Campers - Use Metal
4) Glitter n Sparkle Challenge Blog - Anything with a B (Bird)
5) Crafty Calendar - Things with Wings
6) Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - #126 - The Same Letter (Bird+Banner+Bow)
7) Creative Moments - #18 Lots of Layers
8) Make it Monday - Anything Goes