The Last Stroll (The Studio Challenges August 3rd Button challenge)

This is my FIL, who passed away last Wednesday night. He was very special to us as he has lived with us since 1995 - my kids has grown up with him too, not their parents only. The journaling says: "The last week grandpa was alive, he chose to stay at the hospital. There he would get the nursing, and the care, he needed. Cliff visited him every day, and the day before grandpa died, grandpa asked to be taken on a stroll - a wish Cliff gladly made come true".

Background paper: Webster's Pages. Flowers: Petaloo, Prima. Alpha: Jillibean Soup. Buttons: from my stash

This layout is made for The Studio Challenges' button challenge:
Today's challenge is all about Buttons! We want to see the creative ways you use buttons on your layouts!

I very often use buttons on my layouts: as the main part of my layouts are masculine, and masculine embilleshments can be hard to find, I find buttons very handy. I usually scatter them around to balance the design, like on the layout above.

Details:

I just love how many colors and structures buttons come in!

Please head over to The Studio Challenges' blog to see how the rest of the DT has used buttons and to play along.

This month the winner will receive a package of chippies from this month's sponsorA2Z Scraplets.

Born On Christmas Eve - CSI special Case File

We at CSI are excited to reveal our third special Case File created for our collaboration with Scrap365, UK's biggest scrapbooking magazine.

This special Case File will be open for investigation for the entire month of December. CSI will have a new Scrap365 Case File every other month, with the publication of a new issue of the magazine. After this Case File closes, we will be selecting our five favorite layouts to feature, and those people will be invited as CSI Deputies (guest designers) for February.

We hope you will play with us this month. One lucky winner will win the latest copy of Scrap365.


Here are the colors and requirements for this special file:

And this is my take on it, featuring my dog, Scoobie, born on December 24th 2004:

Yellow paper: Basic Grey. Other papers: SEI. Yellow trim: Glitz Designs. Fabric tag: Websters Pages

Not my usual style, but when it comes to anything with pink I totally forget about "Less is more" *lol*

 Details/Close ups:

Large flowers: Petaloo. Small paper flowers: Prima. Resin flowers: Freckled Fawn
Pink trims: unknown

Large snowflake: Indiska. Snowflake brads: unknown.
Pink metal frame & pearls: unknown

Alpha: American Crafts/Amy Tangerine

 How I solved the case:
*All colors used
*Evidence: Flowers, pearls, silver accents, ribbon, snowflakes
*Testimony: Write four random things about your subject:

-Kenel/breed name: Timanka's Christmas Wonder
-Nickname: Scoobie
-Born: December 24th 2004
 -Color: Originally black & white, nowadays more grey & white

Left photo is taken last week, right photo taken in 2008 when she was true b&w.


Now, please head over to the CSI site to see the rest of the DT member's and the GDT member's lovely take on this challenge

Card for a little princess

This card is made for a little girl who will be baptised this weekend:

Pink flower paper: SEI. Brownish paper w/print: Prima packaging. Paper flowers: Petaloo (white), Prima (others).
Stamps: Din Hobby. Pearls, doily & ribbon: unknown

The card is an order, and my buyer wanted a very feminin card. So I wnt for pink and flowers and pearls and everything girlish. Not my usual style but still very fun to make.

Zzz - CSI Case File #96

DS14. As a baby he was an early morning bird, but not any more.

Journaling says: "M has all a teeneager needs in his room - a TV, a computer and a bed. If he had been a kitchen and a bathroom there, too, he would have stayed there 24/7"

Background Paper: Bella Blv. Label stickers: Basic Grey. Other stickers: Glitz Design, Heidi Swapp.
Alpha: Fancy Pants. Rhinestone Arrows: Prima. Rhinestone "flower": Petaloo.
Clock, metal embellies, ticket, ribbon, note paper: unknown

Details:

Here is this week's lovely color combo, and fun ideas at CSI:

How I solved the case:
*all colors used
*evidence: clock, Music sheet, rhine stones, gold metal
*testimony: document a favorite room

What's Your favorite room?

A card - just for fun!

OK, that's not completely true - I got an order from one of my frequent (card) customers, a young carpenter at work - he wanted a card for his MIL who turns 50 this weekend. He gave me pretty free hands to make whatever I wanted, so I made this:

Patterned papers: Webster's Pages (green dotted pp: MME). "What's up": Studio Calico.
Flowers, Pearls: Petaloo. Chipboard: Memory Maze. Numbers: AC. Pebble: Prima
Ribbon: Unknown. Dies: LifestyleCrafts

 Details:

My customer was thrilled when he saw the card, and said he couldn't wait to show it to his wife and give it to his mum. What a lovely feed back.

Do you make Cards for other People, or just for Your own use?

Memory Maze May work + blog hop winner

Hello.

A week ago it was my turn to share ideas on how to use useboards on the Memory Maze blog. This time I focused on how to you small items/ATC sized chipboards on different creations. If you want to read the entire article, please visit my post at the Memory Maze blog, but here is the short version:


I started by making these three 2,5"x3,5" pieces.

The first one is used on an ATC (You find all the product information on the Memory Maze blog post):

Chipboard: Memory Maze. Stamps: Kaizer Kraft, Teresa Collins Stamp Maker
Alpha: Adornit: Paint: Parma. Ink: Ranger. Pen: Zig

The second is used on a card:

Chipboard: Memory Maze. Patterned Paper: AC. Alpha: Crate Paper
Pearls: Inkido

The third one is used on a layout (There is a lot of white-tailed deers where I live. As my gardens is fenced, just a low fence so my dogs can run free in it, they usually don't visit us. Spring this year must have been tought on the deers with lots of ice on the ground, making it hard to find anything eat, becuase they decided to pay my garden a visit - and they ate the pancies I had on a table next to the kitchen window).

Chipboard: Memory Maze. Patterned Paper: Harmonie. Bling: Petaloo.  Ribbon: AC. Cheesecloth: unknown

...................................

Memory Maze blog hop winner

Thanks to everyone who played along with our first ever blog hop for Memory Maze. And thank you also for all the lovely comments and for joining my blog. Without further ado the randomly chosen winner of my blog hop is................Tone-Lill Angelsgård. Congratulations Tone-Lill - please email me your address (see the right hand bar) so that I can ship you your prize ~ a card kit.

Once Upon A Sketch April Challenge

Hi. I hope you all have had a happy easter! Have you been fooled today, btw? Not me - so far *lol*


Today is the first day of the month, and that means a new challenge for you at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS). Here is this month's theme and sketch for you:

Theme: Best day of your life

The best day of your life!!!!! Everyone has at least one or two! Tell us anything that you can relate this title to.

Ideas for journalling: child's birth, wedding day, anniversary, meeting someone special, buying a new home, changing jobs, a holiday, a special celebration.. there is no right or wrong. Its YOUR day!

Your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below.

Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . You are allowed to journal in any language but please tell us where on your page we will find your journalling. Remember journalling has to be a bit more than a title, or a generic comment. Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.

Here is my take on the challenge:

My journaling is on the tag stuck under my photo and it says: The best days must be those where you can, after rough periods, can say: "Hey, it went OK - we survived - and we are ready to take more".
I honestly love those days.

Papers: Prima. Alphas: Basic Grey. Zipper: Maya Road. Small flowers: Petaloo. Large flowers & tulle: Unknown.

Please visit the OUAS blog to see the rest of the DT & guest's examples, to see the wonderful prizes from our sponsors, and to play along!

Hush, don't tell my hubby!

• That I have spent to much on scrapping?
  No, I've been good so far this year (remember, as I have a "Shopping Free 2013" I have only allowed myself to buy four collections)
• That I have spent too much time scrapping?
  No, I haven't. And as our living room is just besides my scrap space, he knows what I'm doing
• That I have a lover?
  No, I don't have one. And I don't think I can handle one either *lol*

So what is my secret?



Flower: Petaloo. Pebble: Prima. Butterfly: Maya Road (?)
Twine: The Twinery. Trim & washi: unknown
 

I have started some secret savings. If I do what I have planned, there should be enough money in the end of the year to go on a small vacation or something else fun.

Here is the deal: you start at Week 1 by saving a dollar (or an Euro, or any other amount depending on the currency where you live.) Week2 you save two dollars, week 3 three dollars etc etc. It should give you about $1500 by the end of the year if you manage to keep up. I have been good so far in 2013 :-)

I needed a box for my secret savings, and I had a container I wanted to use. You may have seen those often used for smoothies, juices etc, the ones with a hole at the top of the bubble shaped lid? I had one which had contained berries so it was easy to clean. But how on earth do you cover such a shape with paper? Then it stroke me: Washi tape!!! And how easy was that! I don't mind that the final surface has some wrinkles, I think it adds a nice structure in fact. I added a flower and an old butterfly I have had around for ages, a ribbon, some twine and a cute pebble, and voila!

I have no idea which manufactorers these washi come from. I have gotten some here,
bought some there and they have all come without packaging indicating origin.

I don't think neither kids or husband will ever look at the inside of this container, as they are used to me having decorated (uninteresting) stuff in my scrap place. And I have made sure it is placed on a shelf the curious kitten can't reach.

Do you ever do secret savings? For indulging yourself or sharing with the rest of the family?

Fifty Shades of Grey - CSI File Case #56

If you expect a review from me on The Book, I'm sorry I have to disapoint you *lol*

This post is about documenting for the future why I was grey long before fifty - and may be why of most of my female friends weren't....

White background cardstock: Bazill. Black overlay: Rayher. Patterned Paper: CSI Coordinates #56. Brads: MME. Flowers: Petaloo, Prima. Butterfly & Hello Bingocard: Jenni Bowlin. Chipboard Alpha: Imaginarium Designs.
Modelling Paste: Panduro. Paper clip, pins, washi & twine: Unknown

The Hello tag behind the photo reveals the true about my stunning hair color, the dark blond with awesome white slings no hair dresser can copy:

I'm too lazy to color my hair, or to be more presice: the after growth....



This layout was inpired by last weeks CSI Case File # 56:

And the CSI DT must have liked it too, as they rewarded me with this badge :

OK, ladies - confession time: do you color your hair?

The start of something new

Happy new year everybody, and welcome to my new blog. As you see it isn't complete yet, but it will be in not so long :-)

 

 

Thank you to all of you who have visited me over the years at my old blog and signed in to follow me here  in the future. The old blog still exists, and there you also will find my Top 10 12 layouts and Top 10 cards made by me in 2012.

 

 

Over at OUAS we're ready to keep your mojo going by giving you a new sketch and challenge to work with in January:

 

 

 

Theme: "The start of something new" 

 

 

Here is the deal:

 

The new year is among us. What better way to celebrate change, renewed hope and having a positive attitude than with a brand new year? A new start...a new horizon and the start of something new! A new year is full of possibilities. So in honor of the start of 2013, we would like you to create a layout and interpret the theme "The start of something new..." however you like. Whatever that sentence inspires you to scrap then go for it. 

Ideas for journalling: Include the theme sentence as your title, a new job coming up or the beginning of a new job and in the past and what it meant to you, a child's new toy, a new house you are building/moving in to or one you have moved in already, a new year and what it means to you, a new attitude, the start of a new school year, a new relationship - yours, a family members, your child's, a new friendship, new wardrobe, new diet, new phone, new haircut...

Your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below. 

Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . You are allowed to journal in any language but please tell us where on your page we will find your journalling. Remember journalling has to be a bit more than a title, or a generic comment. Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.

 

 

Please head over to the OUAS blog to see the complete rules and to see what the marvellous DT has come up with, and to learn who is this month's sponsors. OUAS has undergone some minor changes, too, but you will learn all about if you visit the blog.

 

 

Do you want to know how I solved this challenge?

Here you are:

  


Yepp, you read it right - no shopping for us in 2013!
I try to learn my kids that happiness doesn't come from what you own, but what you do and how you are. It's amazing what a teenager, and a ten year old "need", but we're trying to force them to reconcider it.

The entire family agreed on this shop stop, and we sat down one afternoon to create a list of what we are allowed to buy this year. Necessities, like food, medicine and underwear are excluded from the shop stop list and the list contains a number of items each of us need to buy over the year (text continues under the following close up photos):

 

Patterned papers, stickers, alpha & chipboard: Echo Park. Bling: Petaloo
Dots: Craftworkcards. Glassine envelope & fiber:: unknown



The envelope contains the deal/shopping list for 2013



• Shoes, trousers and t-shirts can be bough when the old ones are broken, but nobody need more than 10 t-shirts!
• Long sleeves/hoodies will not be bought this year as we all have plenty (exception: if a kid grow 15 cm+), the same goes for other clothes. This mean no shopping just because there are sales in the stores!
• Electronical devices which are broken will not be replaced, execpt household items like washing mashines, stoves, computers etc. Broken mobile phones will be replaced by the cheapest there are!
• No new car!
• We need a new tent, and hubby a new golf driver.
• Trips and vacations are allowed!
• etc etc

There are more details to this deal, all of them in the list in the envelope.

 

I am allowed to buy as much white cardstock & glue I want, but not more than four paper collections (but I am allowed to win some, without them counting as part of the four *lol*)

 

I also offered to not buy albums this year, but the kids told me I should as "it looks so messy with layouts piled up in your scrap place" - god bless them.

 

 

What to you say - is this a good deal? Can we do it? Could you/would you?