By the Beach

Over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday it's ANYTHING GOES this week, without a twist. How simple is that! Our sponsor for May is Sami Stamps.
I didn't use a sponsor image this week, but one of Nicecrane Design's gorgeous images. It's a precolored one, so all I had to do was to think of a suitable layout, colors and embellies. The sketch over at Sketch Saturday helped me a long way with the layout, as well as the left over piece of a DP from Authentique, it's been on my desk for some weeks now waiting to be used. I cut it into panels and distressed the edges.
I used my beloved stitched oval dies from Dienamics along with a banner die from Lawn Fawn. I added 3 pearls and 3 wooden butterfly buttons and some cheesecloth from my stash.The sentiment is heat embossed and my panels are made with gold cardstock along with a black glittery one.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Sketchy Colors - #249 Sketch
2) Come and Get It - Tic-Tac-Toe (DP+Sentiment+2 or more layers)
3) Allsorts - Happy birthday
4) Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes
5) Incy Wincy Designs - Lots of Layers OR No Layers

Love Cats in Paris

Today's card is made without the use of stamps - I think it's been quite some time since I last made such a card. And I made it a shaker card, I love making these. I used a mix of purple sequins in combination with white stars, it's supposed to look like a starry night sky.
I added a die cut stitched frame, attached a silver die cut Eiffel Tower (Spellbinders) and a cat couple (Marianne) on top. The white papers have a striped structure, but it doesn't show up well in the photo. The purple DP is a leftover piece from my scrap pile - I'm trying really hard to use scraps rather than cutting up unused papers at the moment. I'm quite embarrased to admit I now have 2 XL sized boxes full of scraps, but it's how it is when you don't let much go to waste, lol.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Inkspirational - Purple + option love
2) City Crafter Challenge - #263 - Sequins
3) Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes or Twist of Die Cuts
4) Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
5) Crafty Creations - #290 Creatures

Anything But a Card Monday

It's Monday and over at Catch the Bug that means we've got some "Anything but a card" inspiration for you.

I used one of Jodie's sheep images to decorate a box of macthes. The wool is made with a snow pen and I've used Promarkers for the coloring.
Papers are Maja Design scraps. There's not much space to decorate but I die cut an oval frame, added a little piece of ribbon and pearls. 

This was tricky to photograph as I wanted you to see that it is in fact a matchbox, hence the odd angle and poor quality of the phtoto.

This is also for these challenges:
1) Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Something die cut or punched
2) Creative Corner - Anything Goes
3) Crafty Ribbons - #119 Animals
4) Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas Goes
5) Top Tip Tuesday - Animals

Ava Mermaid

Happy Staurday! We are enjoying some really nice weather in Oslo today, it's not going to last, so will try and enjoy the day! And tonight's plans are to be in the front of the TV, it's the Eurovision Finale and Norway has qualified.
Over at Catch the Bug we have a new challenge for you and this week it's a COLOR challenge. Join us in the fun and be in the chance of winning images from the Bugaboo store.

I used an image called Ava Mermaid and the little fish is from the Mini Set - AKV Under the sea. I used Promarkers, gel pens and glitter glue to color my images. The cardbase is a dark blue and the background DP as well, although they look black in the photo. I've used my stiched dies from Dienamics again, the oval and border, as well as the banner with birthday greeting. The bubbles and leaves are made with Memory Box dies. I've also used a Martha Stewart punch.


I'd also like to enter my card in these challenges:
1) Crafty Catz - #280 - Kids
2) Polkadoodles - #20 Girly, but no Pink
3) Simply Papercraft - #5 Anything Goes
4) Aud Sentiments Challenge - #132 Cute + A Sentiment

Birthday Balloons

Over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday our optional challenge theme or twist this week is to use "Your favorite colors". Our sponsor for May is Sami Stamps.

I used an image called "Giraffe Birthday Balloon". I colored it with Promarkers and used my favorite colors - brown, orange and purple - in a color combo I've never tried before. The stars on the image are made using a Memory Box stencil and distress ink.


The paper was a freebie with a magazine, the only piece I had left, and I attached the circle cut image onto a doily.
The stars are die cut out and I doodled with a black pen around the edges of some of them and added some purple pearls.




This card is also for these challenges:
1) Incy Wincy Designs - Exotic Animals
2) Inky Impressions - #210 Faux Stitching/Doodling
3) Natalie and Amy's Challenge - #32 Animals
4) Inky Chicks - #51 - Pearls
5) Paper Minutes - #384 - Stencil

Birthday Elephant

Over at Catch the Bug we have a new challenge for you and this week we are playing BINGO. Join us in the fun and be in the chance of winning images from the Bugaboo store.
I used an image called Birthday Elephant and used the bottom horizontal row. No DPs today (I'm always a bit proud when that happens - I'm addicted to DPs - AND I've used some of my washi tape too! The sentiment and border are made with dies from Dienamics, the circle one is Memory Box. I machine stitched with red thread around the edges.

This card is also for these challenges:
1) Digi Sketch Challenge - Sketch and/or Animals (T)
2) Creative Knockouts - #89 Washi Tape
3) Shopping Our Stash - #201 Oldest Washi Tape
4) Top Tip Tuesday - Animals
5) C.R.A.F.T. - #311 Birthday + Blog Hop

Ruby

Today I'm sharing a card with Ruby June - you can pick her up for free in the Bugaboo store as she's this week's freebie.

I colored the image with Promarkers. I added Wink of Stella to her dress so it's beautifully sparkly IRL, and I gave her pearl earrings.I die cut a frame using a Spellbinders die and added liquid pearls to it. I used a scalloped border die from Dienamics, ribbon and flowers from my stash. The leaves are die cut using a Marianne die. DP I believe is Fabscraps.

This card is also for these challenges:
1) Everybody-Art-Challenge - #324 Wedding
2) Crafty Boots - Ribbon or Lace
3) Fan-Tastic Tuesday - #85 Anything Goes with a twist: Add Some Flower

Waiting for You

Over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday our optional challenge theme or twist this week is to use "Flowers" of any kind. Our sponsor for May is Sami Stamps. I used an image called "Waiting for You". You can get it in a silhouette version, but mine is just colored with a black Promarker.
I used papers from Papermania, black lace from my stash and flowers from Prima. The oval stitched dies and the banner are made with dies from Dienamics and the Kaisercraft sentiment is heat embossed with white EP.

This card is also for these challenegs:
1) Sami Stamps - #25 Anything Goes
2) Creative Fingers - #79 Anything Goes
3) Crafter's Cafe - #116 Feminine
4) Crafting By Designs - Flowers
5) Digi Choosday Challenge - #19 - Flower Power

One Layer wih Water

Okay  - one layer - not one of my strengths, and that's an undertstatement. But I do like to challenge myself and I need some cards that won't cost a fortune to send by mail, so here goes!

LIM's challenge this week is One Layer+Water, so I made this card using my gelatos to make the water.
All stanps used are from the same Lawn Fawn set.
The frog is colored, but the rest of the details are stamped using different colored inks.
I scored two lines above and under the frog, but the bottom ones got covered by the water.

This card is for these challenges:
1) Less Is More - One layer card & water
2) Crafty Catz - #278 CAS

2015 Christmas Card #11

Today I'm showing you my 11th Christmas card so far this year.

I picked inspiraton from Daen's gorgeous CAS card and I challenged myself using a mist and no DPs.

I used a stamp set from Lawn Fawn to make this scene. The trees were heat embossed with black on kraft and I used my white gel pen to color it. I colored the cardinal and stamped the snow lines. Finally I added a bit of Frantage for falling snow.

I'd like to enter my card in these challenges:
1) CASE-ing Christmas - CASE #19
2) Addicted to CAS - Birds
3) Addicted to Stamps and More - #142 Holiday
4) Cards in Envy - When Nature Calls

Flowers in the garden

Over at Catch the Bug we have a new challenge for you and the theme is "In the Garden". Join us in the fun and be in tha chance of winning images from the Bugaboo store.

I used an image called "Sketchy Rose circle". I wanted to give my card a shabby chic flair, so I colored my image using soft pink and grey Promarkers before I added crackle paint to the whole image and sprinkled loose glitter on the roses. The die cut panel with the sentiment also got crackle paint.
For the leaves I used a brownish DP with text, added gesso, let it try then die cut the leaves using a Marianne die. The DPs, from my scrap pile, I distressed and added them to black panels. I also added some lace from my stash and 3 white pearls.

I'd like to enter my card in these challenges as well:

Fab 'n' Funky - #258 May Flowers
I love Promarkers - #268 Anything Goes
Everybody-Art-Challenge - #323 Happy Birthday
Perfectly Rustics - Use 3 of something(3 die cut leaves, 3 pearls)

Owl in a tree

Over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday our optional challenge theme or twist this week is "Add a charm". Our sponsor for May is Sami Stamps. I used an image called "Snowflake Feathers".
I decided to make him a spring scene, adding die cut leaves made with a die from Marianne and a metal flower charm onto wich I attached one pearl.
The background is embossed with a Darice woodgrain EF, matted onto kraft cardstock.
I was thinking about adding a sentiment, but decided against it so that I can use the card for any occasion I might need it for.

I'd like to enter my card in these challenges:
1) Make My Monday - Trees or Leaves
2) Crafty Boots - Things with Wings
3) Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - #90 Spring Has Sprung

2015 Christmas Card #10

To avoid the last minute stress in December I try and make Christmas cards throughout the year. I should make an average of 3 cards a month to cover my needs, and with this card my stash of Christmas cards now counts 10.
This time I was inspired by Mynnette's card, choosing an image with wings and picking inspiration from the layout.
I paper pieced the image, made with a stamp from Marianne, and cut it with my Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle die. I also used a snowflake die and a stitched border die. The sentiment tag is from LOTV.

This card is for these challenges:
1) CASE-ing Christmas - CASE #18
2) Cut it Up - #70 Paper Piecing
3) Sparkles Forum Christmas - # 52 Tag, you're It!

Charlie

Tuesday is new release day over at  Bugaboo. Jodie has made several versions of the dog Charlie, personally I love them all, and this is the latest addition.

I colored the image with my Promarkers, added glitter glue to the balloon and cut out the image and kraft frame using my new much loved Dienamics stitched oval dies.
I love the combo of blue with kraft, so I embossed the top panel using a chevron EF and placed it onto a DP with spots, from Doodlebug Design.
The rosette I made using a Tim Holtz die and I added a stamped birthday greeting to it.
Finally I added 3 yellow pearls.

I also wanted to show you the inside of my card, not because there's something spectacular about it, but it's a typical "me" design for cards that aren't meant for much more than a small personal greeting. I love my papers and don't let much go to waste, so I typically cut out the centre of all papers, and the leftovers are either used to make the inside or goes into my scrap pile. There's a reason for why my scrap pile is huuuuge.



I'd like to enter my card in these challenges:
1) Little Claire's - Use kraft card
2) Creative Knockouts - #87 Complete The Inside of Your Card
3) Creatalicious Challenges -  #74 Embossing (dry)
4) Craft Your Passion - Always Anything Goes

2015 Christmas Card #9

Hi folks! I hope you all have had a lovely weekend.  I'm here with my 9th Christmas card made so far this year.

We have a new "Stella Says Sketch" challenge for you over at Catch the Bug. I used an image called "Santa Clause" - you can find it here - and I colored it with Promarkers.

I used a piece of DP leftover from a previous project as well as red, brown and gold card stock.
I used my Dienamics border die to make the panel, and I cut out a snowflake and Christmas sentiment using dies and white craft foam. 

This card is also for these challenges:
1) 4 Crafty Chicks - #244 Anything Goes
2) Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes
3) Fab 'n' Funky - #257 Christmas

Card with Bargello Technique

Over at Catch the Bug we have a new challenge for you and it's "Anything Goes". Join us in the fun and be in tha chance of winning images from the Bugaboo store.

I wanted to try something new, so I used strips of paper scraps and made my underwater background using the Bargello technique. The fish are colored with Promarkers, they're part of a set you can find here.
I used my new Memory Box circle dies with stitched edges and I left a narrow border of white. I used another MB die to make the bubbles. The sentiment was in my leftover pile, I think it's from From the Heart.

I'd like to enter my card in these challenges as well:
1) Addicted to Stamps and More - #142 Make Your Mark
2) Crafty Creations - #288 Photo Inspiration (Colors and rectangles)
3) Perfectly Rustics - New Technique
4) Brown Sugar – #144 Anything Goes

Different Fold Card

Over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday our challenge theme this week is "Anything Goes" without a twist. Our sponsor for April is Besties Designs.

I very seldom make cards with more than one fold, but this one have lots! I found the tutorial for it in a Norwegian craft magazine called "Ett Trykk", but they haven't named this card fold. If anyone knows the name of this fold or have a suggestion of what to call it, please feel free to share:) It envolves folding corners for inserting a removabe panel or tag. I chose to insert my square panel in the bottom corners. As you can see from the smaller photo the card opens like a gatefold. The card base requires a 12x12 sheet, and before I started folding I used a Martha Stewart punch to get decorative edges.
I colored my Bestie image with Promarkers and a white gel pen.I added seambinding ribbon, flowers and pearls and 2 handcut banners with birthday sentiments.

I think this is very different from my usual style, mostly keeping to plainer square and A2 cards with less embellishments. But it's fun to try something different.

I'd like to entermy card in these challenges as well:
1) Creative Card Crew - #86 Fancy Folds
2) Shopping Our Stash - #199 Opposite Day (card with lots of folds and embellishments, stash: flowers)
3) Craft Your Passion - Always Anything Goes
4) Inspiration Destination - #31 Always Anything Goes
5) Love to Scrap - Anything Goes

Card for Mom

Every Tuesday there are new releases in the Bugaboo store, and this is one of today's new images.

So how did I make this card?
I started by printing the image onto white paper, hand cut it, applied old paper distress ink, then a coat of crackle paint and sprinkled loose glitter on it. It doesn't show off in the photo, but the heart is sparkly. Then I used Silver liquid pearls and applied it around the edges of the heart and the card base.

For the background I used strips of Papermania papers, cut them diagonally and glued them onto a piece of paper before I used a circle die to cut it.

I used a Memory Box Chandra Stem die for the flowers and applied glitter glue to them. The sentiment says "the best mom in the world" and is heat embossed with silver EP and cut out with a Dienamics oval stitched die. As a final touch I punched a small butterfly out of vellum and added liquid pearls to it.




This card is also for these challenges:
1) Allsorts - Bring on the bling
2) Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - #223 Anything Goes
3) Polkadoodles - #17 Anything But Square
4) Simply Papercraft - #3 Anything Goes or Lots of Layers
5) Inspiration Destination - #30 Always Anything Goes

2015 Christmas Card #8

It's been a while since I last made a Christmas card. Well for me that is as I like to make Christmas card throughout the whole year. This is card number 8 so far in 2015.

Seeing Cohenna's card over at CASE-ing Christmas I had a hard time eliminating ideas. But I finally settled with a really quick card idea, a bit CAS and masculine in design, inspired by the layout.
The sentiment is from Create With TLC and I used a die from  Lawn Fawn to cut it. I embossed the kraft paper and used a Tim Holtz die to make the bow. And finally I added 3 star sequins and attached a pearl to each. Easy!

I'd like to enter my card in these challenges:
1) CASE-ing Christmas - CASE #17
2) Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - 20 minutes or less
3) Simon Says Stamp - Clean and Simple
4) Cards und More  - # 130 No Motive
5) Rudolph Days - April Anything Goes

Sunbonnet birthday card

Over at Catch the Bug we're playing "photo inspiration" this Saturday. Join us in the fun and be in tha chance of winning images from the Bugaboo store.
I used one of the Sunbonnet images and colored it with Promarkers, you can find the image here.

As many of you might know I love to machine stitch on my cards, but I've finally got my hands one some of those stitched dies. LOVE!
I layered my card using blue card stock and DP. I tucked some die cut leaf corners under the top panel, made with a LawnFawn die. I added some kraft flowers from Storyteller and added a white pearl to each one. I stamped a birthday greeeitng and die cut it with a Dienamics die.

This is my first weekend in "ages" I haven't anything booked and I'm going to enjoy each minute of it! Wishing you all a lovely weekend!


This card is also for these challenges:
1) Fan-Tastic Tuesday - #81 Anything Goes with a twist: Stitching - real of faux
2) Brown Sugar - #143 Anything Goes
3) Pile It On - #65 April Showers Bring May Flowers

Up, up in the air

Thursday means it's time to showcase some of the older images from the The Bugaboo Stamps Store. If you haven't been there lately, just a reminder - Jodie is sending some of her images into retirement with a GREAT sale - 75% discount!

My card today features the sweet Sock Elephant Balloon. I colored it with Promarkers and added a good amount of glossy accent on the balloon.
The metal charm that I attached to the red string has a birthday greeting on it. The only other element I added was a die cut cloud (Memory Box).
This card will go into my pile of cards for children that I will hand over to my younger sister who has two boys, aged 6 and 7, who are invited to a lot of birthday parties.

This card is also for these challenges:
1) Digi Choosday Challenge - #16 Spots & Dots
2) Crafty Cardmakers - Dots
3) Send a Smile for Kids - Birthday card for a child

Lots of die cuts

Over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday our optional challenge theme or twist this week is "Add a sentiment" . Our sponsor for April is Besties Designs.

I colored my Bestie image with Promarkers.

I used a lot of dies to make my card: Spellbinders ovals, Memory Box birdcage and birds, Tim Holtz butterfly border and Dienamics stitched oval.
For my panels I used a Martha Stewart punch.
There's a lot of texture too: grey and white lace, cheesecloth and seambiding ribbon.
Pearls and flowers from my stash.
DP from Pebbles, kraft, red and white cardstock.


This card is also for these challenges:
1) Die Cuttin' Divas - #212 include something that can be found in the garden (Buterflies, birds and flowers)
2) Sweet Stamps - # 218 Pearls
3) Tuesday Throwdown - #241 All Clear - Up In the Air
4) House of Cards - Butterflies and/or Color Combo
5) Come and Get It - Things That Start with "B" (Butterflies, birdcage, birds, birthday sentiment)

Maculine card with stenciled background

Monika of Creative with Monika is celebrating her birthday with a special CASE challenge, you can read more about it here.

I chose to CASE one of her masculine cards - her card is the small photo at the bottom of this post.
Monika seldom uses DPs, but she's an expert of making her own backgrounds, either by using stamps or stencils.

I made my own stencil with a die from Poppy and I stenciled with embossing paste onto kraft. I used my sneakers image, heat embossed with black EP, and I die cut the image using a stitched oval from Dienamics. Apart from the drying time of the paste this card came together really quickly.
I hope you like my version of your card, Monika!


I'd also like to enter this card in these challenges:
1) Monika's Birthday Linky Party
2) Allsorts - Quick and easy does it
3) The Male Room - #08 Using Letters and/or numbers
4) Simon Says Stamp - Make your own background

Monkey Love

We have a new "Stella Says Sketch" challenge for you over at Catch the Bug. I used an image called "Monkey love - topper" - you can find it here. I used my Promarkers to color it. The papers were in my pile and unmarked, so I'm not sure where they're from. I kept my card simple, just heat embossing a birthday greeting and adding 3 black pearls.

I hope you've had a great weekend, mine was rather hectic, with a reunion party yesterday, 20 years since I graduated. WOW, time flies!

This card is also for these challenges:
1) Crafter's Cafe - #112 Animal Antics
2) Fab 'n' Funky - #255 Masculine
3) Cardz 4 Guyz - #66 Exotic/Jungle Wildlife
4) Fan-Tastic Tuesday - #81 Anything Goes with a twist: pearls

Bestie card

Over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday our optional challenge theme or twist this week is "CAS" . Our sponsor for April is Besties Designs.

I colored the image with Promarkers  and made a die cut oval frame for it. I kept it simple with a die cut background attached to kraft. But then the urge to add something more got to me and I added some flowers and a die cut tag with a birthday greeting on. So CAS, perhaps not so much, but it's a fairly simple design.

This card is also for these challenges:
1) Passion For Promarkers Challenge - #292 Tag You're It
2) Top Tip Tuesday - 3 Of Something (3 red roses)
3) Dream Valley Challenges - Use Kraft
4) My Besties Aussie Challenge - Bestie+Spring+ Flowers
5) Addicted to Stamps -  #102 Girly But No Pink

Blah blah blah

April 17 is "Blah blah blah Day" - so my choice for this week's "Humour me Wednesday" post over at Catch the Bug was Calling Bird. I know a few people who this card would fit perfectly, hehe.

I used DPs from Pebbles and blue, peach and brown colors only. I used dies to make the oval panel and one from Dienamics to make the sentiment. 3 little wooden stars as only embellies.

This card is also for these challenges:
1) Crafty Catz - #274 2 or more patterned papers
2) Southern Girls - #108 Stars (star printed paper and wooden stars)
3) Craft Your Passion - Always Anything Goes

Crab in Sailboat

Just a quick post to share my card for today's new "Stella Says Sketch" challenge over at Catch the Bug as I will soon be heading to the airport before I leave for a one week holiday.

I used an image called "Crab Boat" - you can find it here in the Bugaboo store. I used my Promarkers to color it. The background is embossed with stripes and I used my Memory Box star stencil and embossing paste. The waves are made with a Memory Box die and I also added a piece of washi tape.

This card is also for these challenges:
1) Crafty Catz - #273 - Anything Goes
2) Creative Corner - Animal Fun
3) Dies R Us Challenge - #23 One for the Boys
4) Cardz 4 Guyz - #64 - Something beginning with S (sailboat, stars, stripes)

Baseball Girl

Over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday our optional challenge theme or twist this week is "Easter or Spring" . Our sponsor for April is Besties Designs.

I used a digi from our sponsor and made a springlike scene for this baseball playing girl.
I used my Go Kreate dies to make the card base. The papers are a mix of Prima and Maja Designs. I cut 3  trees using my Marianne die, it's a mix of stripes, spots and kraft, and I added a cut out April calendar board. Then I added my fussy cut image on top. The flowers got decorated with bling and I used two butterflies from Prima. Something that's typical for me is that I forget to plan for a sentiment, and I felt my card lacked something, so I used a Die-namics sentiment die and craft foam for my sentiment.


This card is also for these challenges:
1) Come and Get It - One For the Girls
2) A Gem of a Challenge - Anything but a square
3) Pile It On - #62 Easter/Spring
4) My Besties UK Challenge - Anything Goes or Bling (I've used bling on my flowers)
5) Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes with a Twist of Flowers
6) Fab 'n' Funky - #253 Lots of Layers