Cards for my mum part I

My mum is my No 1 fan when it comes to my hand made cards (aren't all mums fans of their kids' creations?) and she always grabs some when she visits. Her taste is leaning towards cards with lots of  layers, so I thought it would be nice to make some specially for her - the Clean and Simple cards I usually make I'll keep for my own use :-)

My mum doesn't hoard the hand made cards, no she actually gives them away with presents, or send them if anyone need some cheering up - I like that!


Here is one of the cards I'm making for my mum , based on a sketch #91 by Cardabilities.




Papers from my pile of scraps. Chipboard: AC/Amy Tangerine. Woodvweeners & badge: Freckled Fawn


Close up of cluster:

The sketch:

Do you give away  the cards you have made?

Hello snow (Chic Tags sketch challenge)

We still haven't much snow in my part of Norway, which means we have to seek it if we want to go skiing.
Last weekend hubby and youngest kid went up with a friend to his cabin in the mountains, and there surely was snow there!

Background paper: Dotted papers (on snowflakes) & Tags: Chic Tags. Crochet doilies: MME. Chipboard:
Simple Stories. Flocked snowflake brads: Freckled Fawn. Alphas: Websters pages (lilac), October Afternoon (brown). Dies: Lifestyle Crafts

Will you believe me when I say this is NOT a black/white photo? If you study it carefulle you will discover that the sticks are brown and the lamp post with some blue in it :-)


Close ups

Cut out snowflakes are made from a chic tags packaging

The banner pieces are made from a journaling card, cut in three.

I usually scrap with 3*4" photos, but it was perfect to use a huge one to ephasize the beauty of all the snow. I got the idea for this layout from this sketch at the Chic Tags' blog:

I definately will use oversized photos again!
Do you ever do it?

I'm too sexy for my cat (CSI #107)

I've stolen the title from Right Said Fred's song:

Patterned papers: Lemon Owl. Hearts: Freckled Fawn. Flairs: The Paper Bakery, Cre8tive Cre8tions. Alphas: Webster's Pages, Cratepaper, Adornit. Ribbon: unknown

 A few close ups

Me in a winter storm earlier this month

I got the idea for this layout when I saw this week's case at  CSI:

How I solved the case:
*All colors used.
*Evidence: flair, hearts, long title
*Testimony: Compliments, inspiration words

Are you to sexy for your cat, too?

A classic: the toilet roll card - CAS(E) this sketch #60

I embrace new tecniques and materials, but some times it's fun to take a step back and reuse some of the old one know. Like toilet rolls.

Do you remember how hot it was to use them some years ago? I used them for cards, minis, tags etc - covered them with pretty patterned papers and embellished my heart out.

Over the years my taste and style has changed and developed, and using the rolls the way I used to feel so - - - old fashioned!

Here is my "today's" take on the toilet roll card:

Corrugated paper: Fancy Pants. Patterned paper: Lemon Owl. Flower hair pin: Freckled Fawn
Coral hemp: Hemptique. Other hemp & rubon: unknown

Toilet rolls don't get completely flat even when bonefolded at the edges. I don't mind :-)

I got the idea for this card when I saw this fun sketch at CAS(E) this sketch:

I don't think I need to tell how I interpreted the sketch *lol*


Have you reused some older stuff or tecniques lately?

I {heart} winter - new sketch challenge at The Studio Challenges

The first weekend in January, I took the family, and two of the kids' friends, up in the snowy mountains here in Norway. We have had a grey, wet winter so far where we live, so we had a blast with all the snow.

And of course the kids had to try snow bathing one of the nights (Me? No! I'm done with that).

Papers & cutouts: Lemon Owl. Buttons & snow flake brads: Freckled fawn

Usually when I scrap snow photos I go for bright colors, but I love how this color scheme emphasize the night photos!

Details:

Today we have another lovely sketch for you at The Studio Challenges! Valerie was inspired this month by Jinny's Christmas tag layout.

Our sponsor this month is Wear Crafts:

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wear-Crafts/  

 It would be lovely if you would pop over and follow the shop blog http://www.wearcrafts.co.uk/blog/ 

If you join in with us this month you could win this great kit of Basic Grey Hipster papers! It has 13 papers and alphas to match!

Please link up your entries to the side bar at The Studio Challenges' blog for a chance to win. You have until 2nd February to enter this month challenges.

LAN party hangover (CSI Case file #106)

DS11 has it.
But a good couch cures it!

Background paper: Glitz Designs. Tags/journaling cards: Chic Tags. Tab: Basic Grey. Vellum speach bubbles: Studio Calico. Badges: The Paper Bakery/American Crafts. Metal clips: Freckled Fawn. Alphas: Websters Pagers (small), American Crafts (Large)

Fro an elven year old, it's not so much about which game they play, but about how long they stand before the fall asleep. This specific LAN, this kid had been up until 6am, but he spent most of the following day on the couch...

Some detail pictures:

Here is this week's CSI case file:

How I solved the case:

*Colors: all five used
*Ombre effect (stripes along the sides), arrows, grid design, speach bubbles, numbers, circles
*Testimony: six word memoir (title)

Do you want to play with us this week?

The Ski Star (Chic Tags sketch challenge)

Even the ski resorts around here have had less snow than normal this Winter, so the big jumps weren't ready when we visited Beitostølen (a Norwegian ski resort) last weekend. But they had prepared some smaller jumps, so the kids could practise a few tricks.


DS14's big goal this winter is to complete a front flip on ski, but this weekend all he could do was spins and twists, due to lack of big jumps. Here he is:

Background paper: Studio Calico. Tags & journaling cards: Chic Tags. Arrow metal clips & snowflake brad: Freckled Fawn. Flair: The Paper Bakery. Alpha: Jillibean Soup. Snowflake dies: LifestyleCrafts

Close ups:

The blue dotted paper on my snowflake is from a Chic Tag pakcaging
Tags are fastened with 3D dots to add depth to the layout

The matting behind the photos are journaling cards.

Chic Tags had a grab bag sale a while ago and I bought one. I have been splurging with htier fun tags lately, testing out different ways to use them. They are really "my thing" and I can't wait to start shopping the new releases.


I was browsing the Chic Tags blog when this sketch cought my eyes. I often do my own designs,but  I find it very relaxing working with sketches, as I then don't have to worry about whipping up a new design.

I flipped the sketch to fit my photos, and replaced most of the circles with triangles, but exept for that I kept close to the sketch.


Have a fabolous day :-)

The truth about mono skiing

..a way to look cool when you have fallen and can't get up without releasing (at least) one ski.


Youngest kid last weekend in the snowy mountains here in Norway:

Background paper: Basic Grey. Other papers/paper tags: Pretty Little Studio. Chiboards: Smple Stories
Epoxy buttons: Ephipany Crafs. Alphas: Webster's Pages. Twine: the Twinery

Details:

Working with coordinating lines is always easier than pulling out bits and pieces, I admit that. I had decided to go with papers from Pretty Little Studio's Monieur line, and to my big surprice it coordinated perfectly with a sheet of patterned chipboards from Simple Stories. I love when that happens!





I got the idea for this layout when I saw this sketch at the Pretty Little Studio blog:

I love how using the large tags worked out!


Thank you for taking time to stop by - it means a lot to me!

3 kg pure fun (CSI #105)

Our youngest cat Mercedes is such a personality. Even if she's 15 months old she's still pretty much a kitten - she does the most silly things:

background paper: Glitz Designs. Other papers: Lemon Owl, Echo Park, LYB, MME.
Tags: Chic Tags. Sticker: Echo Park. Vellum speach bubble & wood stars: Studio Calico. Aplhas; Basic Grey.
Flair: The Paper bakery. Ribbon: Unknown

 Close up  of the speach bubbles:

Journaling:

She loves to sleep in the box we collect old newspapers:

This layout is my example for this week's CSI case file:

How I solved the case:

All colors used.
Evidence: stars, stripes, speach bubbles
Tetimony: 3 quirky things, speach Bubbles



Please head over to the CSI site to see the DT member's and GDT's lovely example and to learn how to win awesome prizes!

...like heavy clouds in the sky... (card)

I had lots of items pulled out to make this layout and decided to make a card before cleaning up the mess, like I often do.

I had an idea about what to do, starting with the wooden cloud, so I found a matching quote at the web, printed it on a journaling card, and assembled the card. Quick and easy :-)

Blue dotted background, journaling cards & tag: Chic Tags. Wooden cloud & badge: The Paper Bakery Kit Club. Ribbon: unknown. Cardstock: Bazill

The blue dotted paper is from the package of a Chic Tag set - I love when  the packaging can be recycled!

I also  like how bows adds structure to cards (and layouts) so I use them a lot. By using ribbons in masculine colors, you can even use bows on masculine cards!

Make waffles, not war! CSI Case File #104

The title is taken from a postcard created by the designers at Moods of Norway, who also happened to design a tractor shaped waffle machine (a tractor is their logo, btw):

My mum gave us this cool waffel machine for Christmas, and it makes very good waffels, I promise (photos on the layout is from Moods of Norway's web site):

Backround paper: Elle's Studio. Other pps: Lemon Owl (blue), Echo park (yellow). Stickers, frame & fabric badge: Freckled Fawn. Flairs: The Paper Bakery.  Alphas: Jillibean Soup (teal), Basic Grey (yellow). Washi, Silver accents & trim: unknown

More details

You can tell from this week'ss CSI File where I got the inspiration to the layout from:

How I solved the case:

*All color used
*Evidence: hearts, silver metal, fabric, quote sticker, ribbon,
*Testimony: The five Ws: Who, what, when, where, why


Please head over to the CSI site see the DT's and GDT's fabolous work and to play along!

Welcome 2014! (TSC challenge January 5th)

I admit I was quite pessimistic when we entered 2013, and I hate to see I was right - life has hit my family quite hard this year, just as expected. I'm not going to bore you with the details, and as I usually am a very happy, optimistic person, I'm just saying Welcome 2014!

All meterials from The paper Bakery Kit Club exept alphas (Glitz Designs & AC)

I'm really optimistic about the new year - doors have closed but new will open! Sure, there will be challenges, but hopefully not more than we can handle. We have lots of fun to look forward to, and I can't wait to start a new year.


This photo of our beach, and how it looks like after a winter storm, pretty sums up our life in 2013: forces beyond our control mess up, but we tidy up while waiting for the sunny days to come. 2014 will bring NOTHING but sunny days!

Hidden journaling inside the Brown envelope - you can see it peek out on the right side.


This layout is my example for the lates challenge at The Studio Challenges:
5th January - Review - Instead of looking foward and new year resloutions, I want you to look back! How was your 2013? Review your year and create a layout about it, whether it was something you achieved or proud of doing in the year or just a general round up of it!


Please come over to our blog to see what the rest of the DT did and to join us!

My favourite layouts for 2013

I admit - it was hard to narrow down. I made 95 layouts in 2013 and each of them means something to me because it has a story to tell.

But still, I did it. They are all picked because there is something I like particulary about them designvise. In a note below each image I give you the reason why I picked that layout.


The layouts are up in chronological order:

Beacuase it's so soft - not my usual colors

Bright colors but still boyish

Mix of print on patterned paper and hand written items. Stamping and doodling

Because of the layers and few colors

The photo is priceless (what DS14 thinks about getting a chicken coop). Fun design.

You don't need large items to create a base.

Because it fits eight photos.

Grid design!

White space scattered all over?

Very simple white space design which looks a lot more complicated becuase of the background paper