Happy Halloween

Hi you all! Bet you think I have fallen of the Earth or something. Well, it does feel like it and nothing going my way when it comes to card making this week. Making the cards goes ok, what doesn't work at all is laying them where I normal do and wait for them to dry, before the Crafting Cat Tage walks all over them with muddy paws! The only thing helping agains this would be to look the door to my crafting room and I don't have a key for it. LoL And no just closing the door won't help as he is one of those door opening cats, and not only the easy way, both ways. I sometimes wonder if he has some ghost or spirit helping him as it is very strange sometimes.

I am normally not the one making halloween cards as we don't celebrate it but many of my boys friends does as they are having their birthdays around this time of the year. So with a short notice and an invite to a tiny birthday party for my youngest one later on today, they will only be four party animals there. Perfect one! I had to make a card for Olle. He is now 5. This card did I manage to keep away from the cat at least up to now. I have used an image from an old kit from Bildmålarna. The sweetest bat ever! I don't know the name of the stamp and I can't find it over at Bildmålarna either.

My designer papers are print outs of Echo Parks wonderful designer papers. I love it that many of the big brand comes in the digital form nowdays too. It makes it easier to store all the papers and you can use your favourite ones over and over again. My little bat is coloured with my Letraset family in warm grey, cyan, yellow and orange colours. I have used the new sketch from Paper take weekly as well. I always go back to those when I need a clean look for my cards, and more worked ones I run over to CLP challenges to get my inspiration. (Two photos looking almost the same, they suddenly look blurry both of them, oh well, take a pick, I really need to get a daylight lamp of some sort. This isn't working anymore, sorry about the photo).

Ops! Back to my card (never learn to shut up do I? :) ) I used some form alphas to spell out the name of the friend, a sticker for the "5" and the dynamo writer my grand dad bought in the early 80's. Still working like a charm and I know that he loves that I uses it. Need to get some more black "ribbon" for that before I forget it... Some web ribbon from Bunny Zoe's that I coloured in with a black marker, a spider charm and some twine is my only decorations on the outside. Have a fun die cut bat on the inside from my stash but as always (nearly) I keep the inside to myself.

Time to get the boys in the shower as they have been out playing soccer and now looks like drowned cats and smelling like dirt. Well, maybe it fits the theme of the day, but I get flashbacks from when I lived with my parents and my youngers brothers always smelling like dirt. Don't like that smell at all. LoL

Have a lovely Halloween everyone!

Love n hugs
Marie

Challenges for this card
Papertake weekly - Sketchie free for everyone (also having a dt-call for the coming three months)
Make it Monday - Anything goes
Creative Moments - Anything goes / Halloween
I love Promarkers - Anything goes
Simon says - Anything goes

Charm us

Morning everyone! It's my busy week with two dt-creations in a row. LoL How did it get that way? Oh well, it's fun so no complaining. Just tired and a bit sore in my back.

This weeks theme over at the Paper Shelter is "Charm us!" which is very easy, just use a charm on your creation and you can play with us. As always we have the gift voucher worth $30 up for grabs if you play with a TPS product of any kind. Playing with another brand gives you the chance to win 3 digis of your choice.

For this card of mine have I, once again used DP's from Bildmålarna here in Sweden. The image is (of course) from the Paper Shelter. The image is called Christmas Candy fairy. Sweet as sugar isn't she? My Letraset family has been set to work once again. Still looking for a new paper to use but every one are so glossy. I want the surface of the paper to be a little rough. The colours get brighter then and to my eye that looks better. Still it needs to be able and take on all the "ink". My partner brought home some new paper yesterday for me to try. The surface is once again very glossy but the little I have tried it looks ok but a little pale in the colours. We'll see what will happen when I use it "for real". If anyone knows of a paper with a little rougher surface please let me know.

The designer papers are from last years collection of Christmas papers from Bildmålarna by the way. Lovely deep colours. The charm I have used on my card is also from them. And the flowers are from WOC. I have also used a little bow tied with some hemp string and some berry thingies in silver from WOC. My pearls are as usual from Bunny Zoe. The snow effect is once again made with Frantáge in white. My craft room floor is also covered in it and some has gotten stuck. Lucky that this room has not been renovated yet. LoL The oval die cut is from Spellbinders and the lace border is made with a die from Magnolia. My fave ever from them I think, together with the one with stars as I always tend to use that one for boy's cards. 

Love n hugs

Marie

Challenges for this card

Divas by design - at least three layers

Creative Craft Challenges - Anything goes

Paper Take Weekly - Two by two (two colours of roses, two flower clusters and two dps)

Top Tip Tuesday - Flowers

Oh la la challenge blog - F is for --- (Fairy and fabby flowers)

Surprise!

Morning! I know second time this week and it's only Wednesday. Well, to be honest this will probably be my last entry this week. But I am glad I could do these two. Still feeling crappy. It's like someone is pulling my head from my back in a rubberband and just let it go and I have a bouncing head. Only 11 more days before I meet my new doc. Hope he is a wizard, or she. Going to a new place and have no clue of who I am going to see. A shot in the dark how to speak but it can't be worse than before. Ok, enough about this. It's just feels good to get it all out cause it's so frustrating!

We have a new challenge up for you over at the Paper Shelter today and the theme is "Lace and Pearls". You have to use both on your card otherwise it won't be in the draw. As always we have a gift voucher worth $30 up for grabs if you play with a TPS product. Playing with another brand gives you the chance of winning three digis of your choice.

My card then, well since my arms doesn't work so well at this moment I used an image I coloured earlier this summer for another challenge but didn't manage to finish it. It's a lovely image coloured with my letraset family. I like the idea of combining the tougher the subject with the motorcycle along with lace and pearls.

I used the sketch from Papertake Weekly as I needed some inspiration to get going. This card is also raised from the base with few layers. Designer papers are from Papermania and are called happy days.

This will be edited later on today as I have an appointment early this morning, didn't get my project totally done as my arms gave in... grrr never finishing anything lately. So no photo yet... On top of that I burned my arm earlier. Don't cook, anything when you can't really feel your hands. It's all covered in ice and "silver salva" (special lotion for horses and pets, all natural and super effective on any wounds) and hopefully it will be fine, in a week or two. LoL Lesson learned!

Edited: Didn't get away as planed, sick kid and had to stay at home instead. Actually didn't mind even if I feel sorry for Philip. Was good not having to go on the bus as they are fixing up the roads in town at the moment, and the busses are late and it all that comes with it. If he feel up to it later I will sit down with him and fix his summer memory for pre school. Have not been able to do that yet. But I actually feel a tiny bit better today, hope it's a good sign and that I can keep cool and don't overdo anything. Keep your fingers crossed!

Love n hugs
Marie

Challenges for this card
Paper take weekly - Newest sketch, just rotated it...
Digistamps 4 joy - Anything digi goes
Divas by design - Lace
Simon says - Anything goes
Created with love - Anything goes
Make it Monday - Anything goes

Guest designing

Happy Midsummer's Eve everyone! Today is the big summer celebration here in Sweden. Always with bad weather, and every year you expect it to be nice and sunny. That's a rare thing. LoL They are threatening with thunderstorms today and I so hope they are wrong about that or that it some magical way passes by without getting near me. I get such shortness of breath when the thunder comes that it feels like I'm going to die. Horrible!

But now to something more fun. This week I am guest designing over at ABC challenges which has the theme of Summer / warm weather. I chose to use an image from the Paper Shelter called Summer Holydays. She is coloured with my Letraset family in bright summer colours from the special editions set from this and last year. The work so well together.

The lovely gal is paired up with some yummy papers from Echo Park called Paradise Beach. Every singel paper in that pad is wonderful with stunning summer colours that I love. Almost hard to cut into them. To embrace the summer feeling I have also used some lovely yellow flowers from Prima together with a few roses from WOC. Cheery blossoms from I am Roses. A ribbon from a Molloy kit together with a few charms from Bildmålarna and Pagoni if I remember right. A bunch of dew drops represents the water. Also some chees cloth is used under the flowers. Hopefully bringing your thoughts to fishing. I used to do that all the time when I was a kid. Those were the days. LoL

So please pop by the challenge blog for the ABC challenges. You still have time to play with this weeks summer theme. There is some lovely inspiration for you over at the challenge blog too. Also a big thank you to Patty and the gals for picking me as a winner for the Male card with the mc bird. And thanks for having me as a guest over at your lovely blog.

Happy Summer everyone!

Love n hugs
Marie

Challenges for this card
Brown Sugar Challenges - Summer
Pattie's creations Design challenge - Summertime fun
Totally Paper Craft Challenges - Flowers and bows
Aud sentiments challenge blog - Summer
Crafty Ribbons Challenges - Flower galore
Paper Take Weekly - Hot Hot Hot

Happy birthday

Hi there! After tons of pain in my back I have managed to sit up for a while today and be a little creative. Have finished Philips invitations for his very belated birthday party, and then kind got stuck in the birthday theme. Well, not only because of that. The lovely people over at PFP has birthdays as their theme this week as well, and I wanted to join them once again. Even if I don't manage to play there each week, it's still my favourite challenge blog and has been since I started this journey.

So a Lili of the Valley image is the main focus of this card together with a sentiment stamp from Bildmålarna, Sweden. Love that one even if it plays with me each time, it always seem to get wryly. Me or the stamp? LoL The little doll, well fair is coloured with my Letraset family and some glossy accent and diamond dust on her wings.

Papers use is from an old Prima Pad called Sweet Fairy. Flowers are from WOC. The butterflies is made with a Martha Stewart punch. Pearls are from Bunny Zoe and the hearts are from Prima as well. The swirly stuff and "dotty mess" in the corners are from Stempelglade. A doily is also hiding under the flower decoration. A tiny bit of frosted lace and Chrystal stickles is also used on the butterflies and flowers.

Ok, my friends. It's time to finish off the invitations for the party and get them out to his friends. And maybe, just maybe I manage to get some ironing done as well. But the weather is lovely even if the wind is cold and I might sit on the patio for a while instead. We are lucky enough to have the sun on there from early morning to late night.

Love n hugs
Marie

Challenges for this card
Passion for Promarkers - Happy Birthday (with sentiment)
Paper Take Weekly - Anything goes (second entry)
Wild Orchid Craft Challenges - More than three different flowers

A new one, not that old

Hope you're having a great weekend. We are doing a long weekend here in Sweden and today I have been able to relax a bit as I managed to take control over my Bronto phobia. Sounds dodgy doesn't it? It means unnatural fear of thunder storms. I think this is the only diagnosis I am happy about. LoL Not being so scared as I am but the fact that my former psychologist took the time to find a name for what I am suffering from made it a big thing. She wasn't the first psychologist that I went to, to get some help, but she was the only one interested enough to find out more about it. It actually made me feel normal. LoL

The bad thing about is phobia is that it really doesn't even have to be a thunder storm going on to trigger it all. Just the thought about it, can make it pop and so it did the last two days. Just the threat of a thunder storm coming this way, made me paralyzed for about two days. It's so annoying waisting two whole days on something that never happened. But even with relaxing exercises and breathing exercises, I wasn't able to stop the reactions in my body this time. Crap! LoL  On the other hand, it passed on both side of my little part of the world so I was just lucky this time, maybe? :)

In April my olderst, Willy managed to go to at least one party each weekend. I wonder if that was planned from all his friends? I made a whole bunch of birthday cards and I have not shown them here yet. I have actually lost a few of the photos, but at least I can show one of them here for now. Saving the others.

The image is from Teddy Bo & Bea, isn't it a real cutie? I have shown another card earlier with this image when I was on the Bearly Mine team. I had not tried them before that but actually fell in love with them, and got myself a few more of them. So now you know, I am no longer a part of the BMC team as it was time to go our separat ways. I still miss it and had a really lovely few years on that team, but now on the other hand I might find another team that I can join when I feel a bit better in my joints and my feelings isn't that hurt. I might tell you about it another time, but for now we leave it like this. :)

The little cutie is coloured with my Letraset family and some Prisma pencils. I have used another bear for the designer papers. It's from the Me to you range, Spring Chic. A fabby pack of pastel / spring coloured designer papers. And they where on sale over at the Glitter pot. LoL As this card was for a 7 year old that I really don't know at all, I stayed out of embellishments, except a few pearls. After all I had to make 5 birthday cards for that weekend. Three for Willy's class mates and two for my nieces. All of that has finally settle and now it's not that many birthdays as it seems. Doing happy dance about that, I can make what ever cards I feel like. LoL

Ahh, good to get some of all this out. If you managed to read all of this, I am impressed. LoL I can never write short I'm affraid. :) A letter writer by heart and soul. LoL

Love n hugs

Marie

Challenges for this card

Paper take Weekly - Anything goes

Make it Monday - Always anything goes

Crafty Catz Challenges - Anything goes

Music time

Morning everyone and happy May to you all! Hope you are doing fine and having a good day so far. Well, mine has just started, but I think I will do a restart on it and go and rest for a bit. It was a late night the other one with tons of pain and really lots of thoughts running around in my head. At least I had my "crafting cat" with me. It's he who normaly walks right into the paints and glitter and make me start all over or drown my creations in more flowers and glitter.

Today however have left the glitter out of the card and worked with some crackle paint instead on the cello. Had a friend in school who played that instrument with such a joy. And her cello was old and a bit cracked in the varnish. I always found that beautiful for some reson. It look like it had character and had lived a life of it's own. So the image used for this weeks challenge over at the Paper Shelter is called Cecilia and is a real classy one in my mind. The image reminds me of my friend.

Will try to retake the photo later. 

Having a really sunny start of the day and it got a little bright, and yes I was running late with this card, even if I started it weeks ago. LoL

I have paired the image up with some designer papers from Glitz called "Hello Friend". I loved the soft colours in this pad, but being me I couldn't help making them a bit more dramatic by using a dark coral coloured card stock together with pink. And even if my photo doesn't show it, they actually match really well. I have used a bunch of flowers from Kort och godt together with a mix of flowers from WOC and I am roses as well. Some Prima swirls, pearls, lace, charms, glas leafs from Magnolia and a feather from stash complete the whole creation.

The prize up for grabs this week is a gift voucher worth $30 if you play with a TPS image and three (3) digis of your choice if you play with another brand.

I hope that you will come and join us in our new challenge which is set to "Music Maestro" this week. We want to see some music on your card. A musical image would be great but we settle for designer papers and embellishments as well. We are not that picky but if your creation doesn't follow our theme it will not be put into the draw for the chance of winning our lovely prize.

And something else that really doesn't have anything to do with my creation today. I just want to say thank you one more time to all of those that left my kid Willy a comment on his card the other day. He was thrilled and embaressed at the same time as he doesn't like being in focus. When he made the card he said I want to try to win something, and then he is so lucky that he does just that. Got picked as the winner over at High Hopes that also offered him a guest designer spot. My heart is warmed, thank you to all of you.

Love n hugs
Marie

Challenges for this card
Papertake Weekly - Sketch time (Have used the new sketch, but turned it upside down)
Crafts and me - Floral Frenzy
Digistamps4joy - For a special lady / mothers day (This card is for my cousin on her upcoming birthday)
The sisterhood of crafters - Anything goes
Digital Tuesday Challenges - Distressing (all the edges done with distress ink walnut stain)
Everybody art challenges - Pearls
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything goes

Happy Easter

Can you believe it? I am back again. LoL This time with spring feelings. For the first time in years I think, I have made an Easter card. I don't celebrate that very much, it's normally just a few free days off together with the family. However, this is one of the newest images from the Paper Shelter and it's both sweet and fun at the same time, so how could I resist it?

I really had a messy day yesterday. Called the doc for my ear that still isn't well. Got there and he found nothing, but was kind enough to worry about me when I told him that I feel sea sick and have a truck in my right ear. LoL Well it sounds like it at least. He called the Ear Nose Throat Clinic to check with them what to do. I who never managed to be any lucky at all got an appointment an hour later. Of course I had forgot my phone at home and having a kid that needed to be picked up... What to do? Take the bus to my dad's work, to use his phone and got the hold of Mats, my partner so he could pick up P. while I spent the rest of the day at the ENT clinic. Sounds like fun? Well, at least there was no nerve damage to my face as the first doc had feared (not telling me about it). And my ear will heal, it will just take a little longer than it normally does as I am having some "healing trouble". It takes quite a long time for a tiny little wound to heal for me as I have over mobilty syndrome. Have no clue what it can be called in English. It makes it harder for the broken parts to heal among other things. And the best part is that they will check my hearing in a month or so. It has been a bit strange the last couple of months. I am grateful, but very tired. :)

I managed to find some spring papers in my stash that is way to big and I probably should not buy any more designer papers for the coming next two or three years, just to get down to a "normal" standard of designer papers. What is it about papers that you just want more and more? This collection is from First Edition if I remember right and is called Spring drop. I am not a big fan of the messed up papers, that means the ones that is covered in glitter and and other strange stuff. But as long there is kids around they always come to use anyway. After all, every now and then I give away stuff that I don't use anymore to the school and day care where my kids spend their days and they put it all to good use. And I get a little room for some new stuff, but still, I really shouldn't get any more new designer papers...

Back to my card, I never stay on track do I? LoL The image is from Paper Shelter, I wrote that, yes? It's called Easter Mischief and of course you find it in the Paper Shelter store. It's coloured with my normal Letraset family and the sentiment is made in the computer. It says "Happy Easter" in Swedish.

Some die cuts is used from the paper pad (the eggs), a grass die from CC Designs and a border punch from Fiskars is also used. The flowers is also made with a punch, maybe from Woodware.  And why am I telling you all this you ask? Well, our theme this week over at the Paper Shelter is punches and dies, so why don't you come and join us? Some buttons from Joanna Sheen and pearls from Bunny Zoe is used for the flower centers. For the first time since forever have I also made some paper distressing with a T. H. tool.

As always for our wonderful challenges over at the Paper Shelter we have a gift certificate up for grabs worth $30 if you play with a TPS product. Using another brand gives you the chance of winning 3 digis of your choice. So an easy challenge punches and dies, and some new wonderful teamies is joining us from this week. So pop by and come play with us, the challenge is easy!

Love n crafty hugs

Marie

Ps: Also a big thank you to the lovely crafters over at PFP that picked my round card as one of the top fives for last weeks challenge. Love to you all! xx

Challenges for this card
Creative Card Crew - Ribbon
Digital Tuesday Challenges - Buttons or bling (have both but the glitter on the eggs doesn't show that well)
Paper Take Weekly - Anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays - Die cuts
Lexi's creations Challenges - Easter

A new creation

Morning people! Welcome to my 500! post. Who know that I will be at it for this long? LoL Hope you're having a good week. I'm having a so so one that seams to go up and down, with lots of pain and no pain. But really tired all the time! Oh well and worst of it all is that my internet is dropping dead on me every single day and the operator says that it's nothing wrong! So big apologizes for dropping dead here and not being able to drop by your lovely blog as I normally do. I am really try to get this fixed and each week is equally exciting if I need to go to my mum's or partners work to write up my posts.

My card is a new one for the Paper Shelter, this time I have used the ever so popular (at least by or team members over at the Shelter) Carol Singers. This image is so sweet and I really love it. Love the vintage feel to it and their sweet faces. I have coloured with my Letraset family and decorated with lots of bits and bobs.

For example flowers from Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts. A tag made with a doo hickey die from Magnolia and so is the lamp post. This time the berries are from Magnolia as well. Bought a whole bunch of them the other week as I love the mix of different berries. All the colours are found in my boxes now. The lovely flower lace is from Wild Orchid as well. The designer papers are from Dove craft. A reused piece of a box is use behind the image and some really heavy gesso as snow around that part. The other snow details is made with snow tex. All edges is also heat embossed with a golden embossing powder. Do I have to say that it's ages since I used that stuff?

So please pop on over to the Paper shelter and join us for our new challenge: Easel card with Christmas theme. Quite handy I hope, to at least get one card done. As always we have a gift voucher up for grabs worth $30 if you play with "our" brand. Three digis is up for grabs if you play with another brand.

Love n hugs
Marie

Challenges for this card
Make it Monday - Always anything goes
Papertake Weekly - Flowers
Divas By Design - anything goes
I (heart) Promarkers - Christmas threes
Tammy's Scrapin Corner - Anything goes