Vintage do

This is an example of what happens when I get happily carried away and am not quite sure when to stop. I just felt like doing a bit of vintage, forgetting that there is a reason why I don't do it too often. It just never comes out quite right.


I used a Bildmalarna stamp (love their cute girls) and paper from Websters Pages. Image was coloured with Prismacolour pencils, then accentuated with some Stickles and clear glaze.

All the papers and cardstock were distressed with either TH crackle paint or white pearlescent acrylic paint.


Big leaves are a Sizzix die, smaller ones EK Success punch. All the flowers and leaves are sprayed with Glimmer Mist and smothered with Stickles.


I covered the bird on patterned paper with Crackle Accents to add some interest to the bottom of the card, it was becoming VERY top-heavy. lol
All the trims and ribbons are from my stash, really don't remember where I got them. Sentiment is from Elzybells.

I also used HOTP Stamped Stitches acrylic stamps.

I would like to enter into following challenges:
Cute Card Thursday - Dimensions
Simon Says Challenge - It's So Distressing
Stamptacular Sunday - Flower Power

Thanks for looking and happy crafting!

Hugs
Annika

Phindy's Value Added, Multi-tasking Challenge

I have finally got my act together to enter another Phindy's Place challenge.This time it's hosted by Anne. The challenge is to use one image for two different cards. Here's what Anne says: "You need to choose one of your Phindy images and you need to make two (or more if you like) different cards or projects with your image."
I chose to make one very girly and one quite masculine card. The image I chose was another challenge for me - I always struggle colouring animals so I picked the digital stamp called Hey You! from Phindy's new fabulous shop.

The image is coloured with Copics. The papers are from MME Quite Contrary line. I used some Card Candy and multicoloured silk ribbon and my new Nestabilities big scalloped circles, loving those.
The layers were paper pierced and then hand stitched. I also used MS stars punch to embellish the inside of the card.

The sketch is from Treehouse Thursday Challenge.

The other card is made using "old" Crate paper, pearlized vellum and some wired ribbon, lace from Fancy Pants and Papermania pearls.

I punched the vellum with MS doily lace punch to add extra frilliness and layered the ribbon and lace.
Flower was layered from different flowers I dug from my stash and stuck to the card with Imaginisce button brad.


Image is coloured with Copics.

The sketch is from Taylored Expressions sketch challenge.

Thanks for looking and happy crafting!

Hugs
Annika

Quickie card - relatively so

It was a quickie card because I needed it FAST and thus couldn't twiddle with it too much.

The image panel is combined of several Penny Black stamps and background would have needed a lot more work but I just had to get the card finished. Thus the image looks a bit flat.

I used Inktense pencils for watercolouring and some Sakura clear gel and sparkle pens too. Cupcake icing was finished with Glossy accents and transparent microbeads.


The papers are from the gorgeous MME Quite Contrary collection (Little Boy Blue) and I also used Carl corner punch and MS edger punch.

Cute cord flower is from my stash and so is the vine ribbon.

I would like to enter this card to Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Scene it.

Thanks for looking and happy crafting!

Hugs
Annika

Pure Innocence - finally got out my rubbah!

Hi,

I have been so much into digi stamps lately that my poor mountains of rubbah have felt very sad and neglected.


And I have missed watercolouring since whatever trick I try (and I've tried them all) my printer ink WILL run with any hint of water.So I pulled out that cute little stamp from My Favorite Things Pure Innocence line and coloured her with Inktense pencils using them as watercolours. I bought them quite recently and love the colours and the way you can layer them without getting muddyness which sometimes happens when you layer too much with watercolours. Inktense pencils become waterproof once dry, you can even use them on fabrics.

I need to practice a little more with them but I had fun trying them out.

A lot of Sakura glitter and glaze pen was added to finish off the image.

Since I love the MME Quite Contrary line I decided the papers are so pretty not much embellishments are needed. Just did a lot of paper piercing and added some gems to flowers and that was it.

The card was from my 1-year old daughter to her godfather so I finished the inside with stickers and paper piercing and MS butterfly punch. She can't write herself, you see, as shocking as it seems! :D

I would like to enter that card to following challenges:
Susie's Sassy Challenges - spring garden
Crafty Katz - spring
Crafty Cardmakers- Spring into Spring
Simon Says Challenge - Easter or spring plus some glimmer

Thanks for looking and happy crafting!
Hugs!
Annika

Better late than never - 2 cards for Mother's Day

Well, there hasn't been much internet in this house lately. I was probably speaking too soon when I said happily that it's all sorted about a week ago.

Dare I say again - it seems to be all sorted now. lol

Because of that (and the fact that I had my friend over for a week so spent most of the time doing touristy things) I am showing you two Mother's Day cards today.


First was made using Phindy's wonderful image which fitted our family like a glove. Those could very well be our kiddos in this picture! Even the characters fit - one slightly cheeky and another one faintly worried. :D


Colouring is done with Copics (as it seems to be a tradition lately). I also used a lot of Sakura clear glaze (for eyes, glasses, cookie jar, buttons).

All the papers were from Basic Grey Nook and Pantry stack. I also attempted to do some faux stitching with Sakura white Souffle pen. The jury is still out on that one.

Punch is MS, ribbon and lace from my stash.

The other card uses an image I found from Etsy. The shop is called adayfordaisies. Well worth checking out.


I coloured it with Copics and added some details with Sakura Stardust and glaze pens.


The papers are from Lily Bee and flowers Sassafras. Flower centre from Prima.

All the papers were sponged with distress inks and then stickled with abandon. I wanted that card to fit into an envelope so opted for sponging for defining layers, usually I do that with matting.


The lovely sentiment is from Little Paper Shop.

I would like to enter that card into Stamp Something challenge Distressed Something.

Thanks for looking!

Hugs
Annika

Wedding card that took a LOT of glue

We had a trouble with internet for couple of days, luckily it's all now sorted and my withdrawal symptoms are starting to recede.

This is going to be quite a picture heavy post so be warned!

Anyways, my friend asked me to make a wedding card and I said "yes" quite cheerfully and then proceeded to pull my hair out. Because I find wedding and anniversary cards very tricky to make.

The end result made me quite happy this time though.


It is a big 7.5x7.5 gatefold double card. I had to use 2 A4 sheets to get big enough gatefold base to display the top card with Mo's beautiful bridal couple. The top card measures 5.5x6 inches.


I used papers from DCWV Nana's Nursery stacks. They are nice heavyweight papers and worked perfectly with the soft colour scheme I wanted to use. The fact that they're glittered helped too, of course lol.

The image was printed out in it's orginal size, coloured with Copics and 3D-d thoroughly curving all the layers to look as natural as possible.


Then I added accents with Spica glitter pens, Sakura glaze pens, Glamour Dust and Glossy Accents.

The roses and flower sprays are from Wild Orchid Crafts, all sprayed with Pearl and Gold Glimmer Mist. Lace is from Wild Orchid Crafts too, very nice cotton lace btw and extremely affordable.


All the single sentiments are from Whiff of Joy wedding sentiments set and the rest of verses and personalized messages were made in computer using Jugend font.


Corners are Cutlebug dies and allthe shaped mats were created with Nestabilities.

I honestly don't remember where I got that ribbon. :D


Then I stuck everything together using either Pinflair glue gel or my trusty ATG gun.

Since it was bulky and odd sized card I needed to make a box as well. Kept it simple, mainly because I needed to get the card to my friends FAST. :D Just some stickers, Prima flower and velvet leaves, gold leaf pen and more DCWV paper.


I think that about covers it, thanks for looking!

Hugs
Annika

"Cute" overload

Hi all!

Well, it was a pretty good night for a change, both smallies slept until 7 o'clock and I'm a lot perkier today. Loads to do so it won't be a long post.

Here is a baby card I made for our friends:

This time I pulled out my Prismacolour pencils, for some reason I always tend to go for those when I make baby cards. Gorgeous image is from Mo, huge AWWWWW factor there!

Baby cards are a perfect excuse to POUR embellies on so I really went to town. Kinda shows, eh?


Flowers are from Prima, Wild Orchid Crafts & Papirloftet. Leaves punched with Carl & MS punches. The doily I just found. Yes, that's the sort of organized cradft room I have. Chipboard is found too. And the button. And lace. Used vintage glass glitter and MS ultra fine glitter, sprayed all the flowers with Glimmer Mists.

Papers I dug out from old neglected K & Co pad I once again discovered in my drawer.

To accommodate all that abundance I had to constuct a big 8x8 card. Yes, I was happy and had loads of fun.

So there.

I would like to enter that card to following challenges:

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - You and me and baby makes three (self explanatory, duh)
Stamp Something - Something Girly (hey, there's flowers!)
Quixotic Challenge - leave it out (come on, there's LOADS of leaves)
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Flower Power (yeah, well, there's loads of flowers too)
Simon Says Challenge - Mother's Day/Girly (and there's bling too ... and lace ... and a DOILY, for Heaven's sake!)

Thanks for looking!

Hugs
Annika

Paddy's Day card

Good afternoon to all! I've been feeling slightly healthier last couple of days but weekend was a whirlwind of busyness so I never got a chance to post or have any crafty time either. With all the bugs and illnesses lately my smallies have got it into their head that I'm SUPPOSED to pretty much stay with them all night long and waking up 3-4 times a night is perfectly normal and quite frankly expected. So we've been working hard trying to get them back sleeping normally without one of us patting their backs. We'll get there. :)

But I guess it's here to see the card so I'll better show you:


I had great fun colouring that cute Irish lass from Phindy's place, it's calles Good Luck To You. I am sooo predictable, I know, but I promise I have some other images lined up now! :D But I needed a Paddy's Day card and isn't that stamp just perfect!


I've used Basic GreyOrigins papers on that card (again, what can I say, it was just THERE next to my desk from other projects and the colours worked so well). Colouring was done with Copics, accents with Sakura gel and glitter pens & Inkessentials white gel pen. It was my first time to attempt doing grass with Copics and I think I would have been better off if I'd bothered to pull out my Prismas. I shaded chalked background with different shades of green and yellow.


Sentiments were computer-generated, the font name is Girls Are Weird, very fitting, don't you think? lol

Photo corners are EK Success punch and Sizzix die, button and flowers from my stash. I didn't want to add too many embellies (it's for a guy) so just did some paper piercing to add a bit of interest.

I would like to enter following challenges with that card:
Crazy 4 Challenges - paper piercing
Copic Creations - A wee bit o'Green
Crafty Catz - Shades of Green

Thanks for looking!

Hugs
Annika

Lavender and yellow

It's been a hospital here lately. Both smallies have had loads of bugs and once they got on their feet I was hit with sinus infection and earache and general yuckyness. Not much crafting (or anything else) done.

I managed to put together a very simple Easter card though.


Image is from Phindy (what a surprise - lol). I love the puzzled look on little chicks faces and slightly embarrassed bunny.

It was coloured with Copics and I used chalks to create a background, gotta practice that a bit more!


This time I picked colours I don't usually go for - lavender and coldish yellow. It came out pretty nice though if I may say so myself lol.

Papers were from DCWV Nana's Nursery stack, button, lace and ribbon from my stash. I used Papermania cardstock and EK success photo corner punch.


Image was cut out with Nestabilities and then matted on 2 layers of card which I cut out by hand as I used my biggest Nestie shape.

Little sentiment was created with my trusty 'puter.


I'm quite satisfied with the clean clear lines of the card, they let image to do most of the work which is what I intended!

Thanks for looking!

Hugs

Annika

A very girly get well card

I needed a get well card for a family friend who is going through chemotherapy. She is a very strong and beautiful woman so I wanted to make a card that would be quite feminine - with a bit of an edge to it.


I raked the internet for a suitable image and eventually settled with a very clean and strong image from Whimsy Doodles. It also came with a sentiment I happened to love, that was a great bonus.


To soften things up I decided to go VERY girly about papers and embellishments. I chose Basic Grey Lemonade papers, sponged them all with Distress Inks, edged with gold leaf pen and then Stickles.

Out came cotton lace and velvet ribbon, flowers from Prima and Joanna Sheen, leaf punch from EK Success, scallped frame and label dies from Spellbinders.


Image was coloured with Copics and this time I had real trouble to get the colours matching with the paper the way way I wanted. I just kept blending and re-blending and going over with other colours. The end result isn't perfect but I'm reasonably satisfied with it. The boots and boxing gloves were covered with Matte Accents, great and quick way to add some extra dimension to the image.


Then I basically cemented everything to the card with glue gel, let it dry overnight and proceeded to smother the whole thing with more Stickles. It appears one (me) can never have enough Stickles. I suspect there's half a bottle there! lol


I would like to enter this card to One Stop Craft Challenge "Optimistically Pink"! :)

One more little note - I was working with American Crafts cardstock on that card and let me tell you, I am impressed. It has a lovely subtle texture and is a wee bit sturdier than Bazzill. Lovely!

Thanks for looking!

Hugs
Annika

How about an oldie?

This is not a recent card. I just happened to find a photos of my anniversary card to my hubby and put them up.

The most interesting thing about that card is that it's made in my "transition" period - meaning I had gradually started buying Copics after using Promarkers. The colouring is done with combination of both. I think I only had grey, skintones and some browns from Copics back then. Knowing that you can catch out easily how much I preferred Copics to Promarkers - pretty much the only other colour I used was green! :D


It was done several months ago so I don't really remember exactly what materials I used. The image is from fabulous Mo though and I framed the image with Inkadinkado flourish border stamps. Theres also some twine and velvet ric-rac involved. A lot of dimensional glaze and 3D pearlized paint. Really don't remember where those papers came from.

It's quite big card (A5) and stood on top of his chest of drawers for a while - until it was replaced with next card I made for him. :D

Thanks for looking!

Hugs
Annika