Birthday card for Mom

I thought I had LOADS of time for entering Just Magnolia challenge.
Then my 7-month old decided to start teething big time. Needless to say I haven't got much anything done, nevermind cards.

I manage to finish my moms birthday card today eventually, in little 5-minute crafting sessions. I hope I'm not too late. :(

It's a bit of a rush job but it could have been SO much worse, considering!


Card recipe:
Image: Magnolia Tilda as Butterfly
Patterned papers: Prima Windsor
BossKut & Spellbinders dies
Fiskars border punch
Papermania brads
Floers: Prima & Joanna Sheen
Lace from my stash
I used white Brilliance ink for sponging the edges.
Stickles Candy Cane & Crystal Ice
Stardust & glaze pens

Thanks for looking!

Annika

Reuse and recycle

Simon Says Challenge gave following guidelines this time:
"So, your new challenge is to RECYCLE!!!! Use something/anything that had a use before."

I decided to take it even further and make (almost) totally recycled card.
The cards base is from old card I didn't like - I was able to take everything off and reuse it.
Lace is from a pile my Mom took off old pillowcases
Ribbon is from our wedding present (erm ... we got married about 6 years ago, serious hoarding issue here)
Charm is an old bag charm
Black polkadot card is from a back of Prima crystals
Silver mirror card is from old box, I don't even remember what was in it originally
Pink bow is made from paper twist shopping bag handle

I have to admit the image is not recycled! :D Its from Third Coast Stamps, coloured with my Prismas and sponged with metallic rubons.

Thanks for looking!

Annika

Poor light and mad colours

I seriously need some better lighting at my crafting desk. It's located in probably the darkest corner of the household which originally was an intention as it used to be my computer table and I hate when light glares onto my monitor.

Things have changed though. Even if I'd only use it as a computer table I now have nice widescreen LCD monitor which my beloved hubby gave me for my birthday. Yes, he is lovely. No, you can't have him. So there.

Last night I TOTALLY misjudged the colours while colouring my image and the result is positively mediterranean as opposed to muted vintage chic. Boo-hoo. I tried to tone things down a bit with pale papers - I am starting to like Lily Bee stuff now.

Just imagine the image in soft pale colours now and you see what I tried to achieve. :D

I have seen those litte portable daylight lamps on sale in craft shops online, think I might give one of those a try first!I was following a sketch from Friday Sketchers - it's lovely and very easy to work with!

Card recipe:
Cardstock Bazzill bling & Bazzill Kraft
Patterned papers from Lily Bee and Joanna Sheen
Stamps: main images from Bildmalarna, sentiment Elzybells, stitches HOTP (I think)
Inks: Memento Tuxedo black, Rich Cocoa and Sand
Colouring medium: Whispers markers
Flowers: More of the chain store cheapies I took apart and also some Primas
X-cut butterfly punch
Ribbon, charm and brads from my stash

Thank you for looking!

Annika

Everybody's a critic

My most beloved hubby went out for a drinks with a friend yesterday, leaving me with kids. That's OK, the friend was over from Finland and they hadn't had a night out for ages(mainly due to young kids on both sides).

I promised to give the friend lift home after they came from a pub so stayed awake until they finally arrived arouind 1.30 in the morning and then for another hour while they were having a drink and watching photos. That was OK as well, I had promised.

Then my other half found the card I had made for Sugar Bowl challenge (cards for men). My hubby gave it a long look and announced that the title of the book the boy is reading is on the back cover, what's that about. We argued a bit if there's any sensible explanations or if it's weird or not. Then his friend came from the toilet and was promptly presented with the card by me hubby asking if he can see anything wrong with it.

The friend didn't see anything wrong with a book. Instead he said: "That's a weird-looking dog. Why does it have pink eyes?"

It's CHEEKS people, alrite. And they're not even that pink!
Thanks for looking!

Annika

Can you MARRY My Minds Eye papers?

Cuz' I want to!!! Weelll, as long as I don't have to give up my adored hubby as well - is bigamy still illegal? Is it? Darn!

Couple of days ago postie (my best friend by now) brought me my Mosh-Posh kit with My Minds Eye Penny Lane papers - and let me tell you, those are fantastic! I wasn't greatly impressed when I first saw the pictures on web, but you need to see them in life and TOUCH! They have fabulous weight and texture, abso-freakin-lutely gorgeous!

I needed a birthday card for our little friend who recently moved far away with her parents - who happen to be our friends as well - amazing coincidence. Any, was rooting Web for inspiration and stumbled upon lovely sketch by Marlene on this weeks Stamp With Fun challenge blog.


Card recipe:
Cardstock: Bazzill & Core'dinations
Stamp: Sugar Nellie
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & Sand
Colouring medium: Prismacolour pencils with odourless spirit
Patterned Papers: My Minds Eye Penny Lane
Bazzill Tulle & Just The Edge cardstock
American Crafts Thickers
Prima flowers
Cosmic Shimmer translucent glitter
Stickles
FlowerSoft: Vintage Christmas mix
Bling from my stash

Thanks for looking!

Annika

A colourful card

I do like Basic Gray products a lot. Funny thing is that I only had some sheets of BG papers in my stash. HAD because I used them ALL up for this card I made for Just Magnolia challenge!



I also decided to enter this card to Basic Grey challenges - this week they want to see paper-piecing on the cards.

Card recipe:
Cardstock: Core'dinations
Patterned papers: Basic Grey
Stamps: Magnolia, Elzybells & Tingtura Stamps
Flowers: Prima
Ribbon: Poppicrafts
Felt Sticker: Martha Stewart Crafts
I also used Stickles Mermaid, Uniball white gel pen and brads & bead caps from my stash.

Thanks for looking!

Annika

What a sweet weekend it was!

First my work was featured on Inspirational blog. Thank you Marcea for contacting me and writing such a lovely post about my cards! It really gave me a great boost!

It also presented me with discovery of your lovely blog full of most delicious cards, I enjoyed myself there immensely!

And then I received THAT from Vicky:
I just can't believe it and have been grinning like big fat Cheshire cat! I LOVE Vicky's cards and that makes the award even more meaningful. Thank you Vicky, you made me happy big time!

The only reason I wont name 10 favorites is that it would take me days and days to make a list of only 10 talented crafters ... I'm indecisive like that! :D

Thanks for a happy weekend!

Annika

Another (messy) baby card

For some reason baby cards never work out the way I have intended lately. Must be bad karma ... or just general lack of planning and vision. Or something like that.

I still adore that sweet Elzybells stamp though and there are details I like ... just not all of it. Funny but the inside actually looks better than outside to, bad cardmaker, bad!
Image stamp is from Elzybells Art Stamps, sentiment from Cornish Heritage Farms.

I coloured the image with Prismacolour pencils, the cloud was just hand cut without any template. Patterned papers are from DCWV Baby Girl stack, Graphic 45 & Sassafras. Flowers inside are from a bunch of cheap fabric blooms from local supermarket I pulled apart, LOADS more to use up. I used Imaginisce brads as centers. Flowers on front are from Prima. Lace is also from Prima, ribbon from stash.

Letter stickers are American Crafts plain white ones smothered in Stickles, decorative corners are Sizzix die, pin from Fancy Pants. Jump rings, charms and pearls from I got from Ebay. I also used some Melissa Frances stickers and Flower Soft in Ivory & Baby Pink.

Thanks for looking!

Annika

Tilda in sepia

These things happen. Once in a while you make a card you are quite happy with. This time I happened to get an inspiration from Magnolia Down Under Challenges Sepia challenge.

I think that little butterfly Tilda from spring kit looks absolutely lovely in nice vintage hues...


I coloured my Tilda with ProMarkers and added some subtle accents with Cinnamon stickles. Tea Dye ad Brushed Corduroy distress inks were used for sponging all the papers from Pink Paislee Winsome line. I sprayed doily and flowers with Glimmer Mists and added loads of flat-back pearls I got from Ebay. All the brads and ribbon were from my stash.

Thanks for looking!

Annika

Truly scrumptious challenge 5

Quick post again, a busy day ahead!

I needed a birthday card for a little boy and Truly Scrumptious had a cute sketch I wanted to try out this week.I also had some new colours of Flower Soft I wanted to try out. Not too bad, probably should have made the vines thicker but need to give the card today so no time to fix things.


Card recipe:
Cardstock: Bazzill & Core'dinations, Papermill & Neenah Solar White
PP: Collage Press (scraps left over from an album I made recently), Sassafras
Stamps: Alota Stamps, Magnolia, Whiff Of Joy, Autumn Leaves
Colouring medium: Promarkers, ink is Memento Tuxedo Black
Ribbon & felt from the stash, Flower Soft, stickers from AC, Pink Paislee & Jenny Bowlin, chipboard from Bo Bunny, glass gliietr, Stickles Crystal Ice, bling from Kaiser Craft

Thanks for looking!

Annika

A very quick post - Lily of the Valley challenge

Just wanted to share a fairly quick card I made for my husbands brother. Never got around taking a picture of it properly, excuse me for the poor quality!

Nothing fancy to it but I still like that one, came out such a happy card.

I decided to enter this card to Lily of The Vally challenge 25: FUN. I certainly think it's a fun card! :D

Thanks for looking!

Annika

Here ducky-ducky-ducky...

Oh, the day I discovered Whiff Of Joy website - I won't say here that I heard angels singing but it was pretty darn close!

WOJ challenges are always gorgeous as well, even if I don't plan to take part I sneak to their blog every week to ogle at DT work.

This time Katharina's sketch was way to tempting to resist :D Of course I was reaching for beloved angels or Charlotte at first but then decided different and used one of the gorgeous whimsical Party Animals images. Sooo cute AND fun!


Making Memories Flower Patch papers fitted in with my theme perfectly - love that stack. My only complaint is that it's gummed too heavily, it's hard to get pahes out without ripping them. Anyone else has that problem?

Rest of materials used:
Cardstock: Bazzill Bling, Core'dinations, Papermill
PP: Making Memories
Stamps: Whiff of Joy
Image coloured with Prismacolour pencils and Sansodor
Ribbon: Poppicrafts and stash
Nestabilities circles
Flowers: Prima
Brads: ummm, my stash, don't remember the brand
Martha Stewart Border punch

Happy Easter and thanks for looking!

Annika

Whoa, my first combined challenges

There's quite a few firsts in that little card really.

1) My first combined challenge
2) My first Simon Says Challenge card (well, it IS their first challenge...)
3) My first time to attempt to make a flower myself (erm, OK, I've seen better results but it's MY flower and onto the card it goes!)

Maybe I can think of something else - nope, not really!

I used Friday Sketchers sketch as a base for the card, wonderful clean lines this time and DT work fab as always ... when I grow up I want to be on DT as well! :D
Card recipe:
Cardstock: Bazzill, Papermill, Core'dinations
PP: K&Co
Stamps: Whiff Of Joy, Autumn Leaves
Image coloured with ProMarkers
Nestabilities Curved Rectangles and Nesting Flowers
BossKut vine
Lace, velvet ribbon, tulle and pearls from my stash
Flower made with ancient scraps found in my drawer

Thanks for looking!
Annika

Mojo Monday week 81

Here's my interpretation of the sketch!

Thanks for looking!

Annika

Mimosa and her quiet moment with coffee and cream

Friday Sketchers has a lovely sketch this week - well, I'm a bit late posting my card but better late than never, right?

I coloured little cute Mimosa with Whispers markers and went a bit mad with sparkle gel and metallic rub-ons.
Materials:
PP - Joanna Sheen & K & Co
Pearls: Ebay
Flowers: Prima & Joanna Sheen
3D paint from Pebeo, vine die from BossKut
Image from Bildmalarna

Thanks for looking!

Annika

Doodle factory new release!

Oh my, oh my, oh my ... it's finally happened - Doodle Factory went all baby!

Just look at that:


Me wanna!!!

Good thing is they're offering blog candy of all the new cool baby-themed collection! Lets all sing together now - I should be so lucky, lucky-lucky-lucky...

OK, seriously, get over there quick and spead the word of Good Things To Come!

Hugs!

Annika

Just like that

This card just happened.

It started when I got some super smooth cardstock thinking it would be good for Prismacolour pencils.

Wrong.

Blending was pain on that cardstock, colour didn't want to move at all. Card was so smooth pigment didn't want to stick to it properly. You can see on close-up how badly the colouring went. However hard I worked, smooth soft edges and pencil strike-less colouring just wasn't happening.

And so on.

It's a gorgeous quality smooth really white card so I will definitely have plenty of uses for it, it's just I'm still on lookout for good paper for Prismas. Bummer.

Love the image though (here's dog-lover speaking).

Decided to throw the card together anyway, just out of sheer stubbornness. And naive belief that a bit of blingy butterflies, Sizzix embossing folder and nice ribbon can make anything look better.

Have to admit the card still hasn't grown on me.

I won't bother even giving a supplies list since I'm just TOO unhappy with results and definitely won't want to repeat that failure again.

Maybe that card would work with ProMarkers? Gotta try!

Thanks for looking!

Annika