New sketch challenge at The Studio Challenges

Today we have this fun sketch by Valerie for you at The Studio Challenges:

My take on it:

Cardstock: Bazill. Patterned papers: MME. Cutouts/tags: Crate Paper. Hearts cut file: Paper Issues. Heart chipboard border: SA Crafters. Fabric ticket: Websters Pages. Alpha: Basic Grey. Stamps: Close To My Heart. Pearls: Kaiser Craft

I turned the sketch 90 degrees to fit my photo better and to give room for the big, long title.

The photo is featuring my DS12, licking the remains of strawberry coulis on his plate. Title says "Simen + strawberry coulis = true". If you don't know about coulis, check it here: it's just lovely with meat, such as veal!


Details:

Stitch stamps, even on the heart in upper left corner

Heart Cut file, chipboard border, fabric ticket, pearls

Come on over to The Studio Challenges blog to see the rest of the DT's loevly take on this sketch and to play along!

Tag card. just for fun (Card week day 7)

So, this is the end of my card week - I hope you have enjoyed it. But fear not, there will be more cards coming later, at least one on Wednesday :-)
I have played at the Paper Issue Online Crop and some of the challenges were: cards!

I have this large, old stack of K & Company tags, and in my opinion they are perfect for cards:

Tag: K&Company. Patterned papers: Glitz Designs (blue), Lemon Owl (white/green). Butterfly:Websters pages. Trim: MME. Bling & ribbon: unknown

Some times mixing up manufactorers works perfectly!

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

Life is a balance....

Do you have photos laying around you want to scrap, or stories you want to tell, and you have no ideas to start? I have had this photo from FIL's funural in August on my desk forever, and I knew what I wanted to say, but I never knew how to scrap it. Then this mood board from Scrap Around The World (SATW) gave me the inspiration I needed:

My FIL was very sick the last months before he died, and it was hard to see him just fade away. For the last weeks we debated almost every day: how long to hold on, and to what, and when to let go?

My FIL was very important to us and the images in the mood board pefect for my theme: he hold the keys to our hearts, the clock was ticking, and there was lots and lots of flowers in the funural. I let the saying in the board be the title of my layout, and as it was the essense of what I tried to express, I framed it and let it be th focal point.

Papers: Websters Pages. Frame:Memory Maze. Flowers: Prima. Cut files: Silhouette studio. Trim, key & pearls: unknown 

Details:

Thank you SATW for the inspiration to scrap this photo and memory!

Thank You cards part 3/3

Today is the reveal of the last Thank You cards I made to than friends and family for the support after FIL passing away. You find Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.

For today's cards I have played with old Webster's pages 6*6 papers and flowers:

Thank you for stopping by - it means a lot to me :-)

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.

Happiness is... CSI Special file & Scrap365 feature

CSI excited to reveal the sixth special Case File created for the collaboration with Scrap365,UK's biggest and best scrapbooking magazine.

This special Case File will be open for investigation for the entire month of June. 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, CSI will be selecting five favorite layouts to feature, and those people will be invited as CSI Deputies (guest designers) for August. 

My example, which also is featured in the Scrap365 magazine:

PAPER: My Mind’s Eye, SEI.  EMBELLISHMENTS: Jillibean Soup  – word stickers, Studio Calico – wood veeners, Webster’s pages – large flower, Prima – small flowers , Cre8tive Cre8tions – Flair. ALPHAS: Jillibean Soup . UNKNOWN: Buckle, ribbon, pearls, doilie 

Love can strike at any age, and broken hearts can be repaired – my mum’s, and step father’s, story is the proof! The colours and theme in this challenge were perfect for this photo and story, and gave me the idea for the design.

How I solved the case:
*All colors used.
*Evidence: Stripes, flowers, gold. 
*Testimony: Six word memoir (Happiness is a broken heart repaired) 

Now, please head over to CSI to see the rest of the DT's lovely examples and to play along! You have the entire month to make your creation!

Launched (Creative Scrappers sketch #268)

Spring came early this year, and we had some lovely warm days in April. I live at the seaside, so it's often windy her, but we even had a week without wind and with sun.

DS11 decided it was time to get his boat back on water, but this particular afternoon I didn't have time to help him. But he had four strong buddies with him and they managed to pull the boat trailer by hand down to the sea front and launch the boat. Actually a car wouldn't have helped this early afternoon: we have a concrete ramp we use for launching boats, but this day the tide was so low, that a car would have had  to back all the way out on the sand bottom - and it would probably be stuck.

Here are DS11 and his brother on his way home:

Background paper: Webster's  Pages. Other papers: SEI, Sassafras Lass, LYB, Crate papers. Banner: Teresa Collins. Badges: The Paper Bakery. Wood pieces & epoxy stars: Freckled Fawn. Alpha: AC. Anchor: unknown

Details:

I found inspiration to this layout from Creative Scrappers sketch #268:

The six circles draw my attention, but I deciden to put my photo to the right of them. So I have streched the sketch to fit my needs, but I'm still happy with the result.


Have you had an early spring, too? or a nice fall if you are on the opposite part of the globe?

No Speedy Recovery (CSI #113)

This is my mum.

She fell of a ladder late January and had some really nasty fractures in the ankel and heel area. She is still in hospital, have had ten surgeries so far and there is still a few more to come to remove steel screews and spikes. Poor mum.

Patterned paper, banner parts & cut outs: MME. Envelope & pin: Websters pages. Metal heart, metal clip & wood veener: Freckled Fawn. Alpha: Basic Grey. Cloth pins: Pebbles. Type writer, ribbons & buttons: unknown

The journaling are details about what the surgeants have done to her ankel and feet, and what the steel construction is all about.

More close up photos:

This layout was made for CSI#113:

How I solved the case:
*Colors: all used
*Evidedence: Ledger paper, cameras, hearts, typewriter, envelope, banner
*Testimony: Zoom in on your photo and tell about a part of your picture


So far in life I only have broken a few ribs, and someback spines, but I never needed surgery, and I'm crossing my fingers it will stay that way. What about you? Anything broken?

The Studio Challenges: No photo!

Todat\y we have this no photo challenge for you at The Studio Challenges:

Create a layout with no photo!

 There are some special moments that you didn't manage to get photos of that still need recording so now is you chance to document it! Or maybe there's just something that doesn't need photos but you need to get down on paper. (You can use a ticket or something from the event though, as long as its not a photo!)

I don't do December Daily or project life or anything that comits me to following up by a daily bases - I have enough self insight to know I never can fulfill such projects *lol*
But on occations I document a week from Monday to Sunday, just to challenge myself. Usually it goes some photos with it, but this time time I took no photos, just wrote:

Background paper: Studio Calico. Tags: Chic Tags. Chipbooards: AC & Simple Stories.
Alphas: Webster's pages & AC. Epoxy stickers, journaling cards, cork elements, fabric badge: Freckled Fawn

When I started documenting this week in January, it was supposed to be another "boring" week, containing the usual everyday life happenings. But it didn't turn out that way: my mum had a bad accident (she fell off the garage roof while shuffling snow and smashed her ankel), we have had some issues with Social Security which finally was solved, my FIL needed to see a lawyer after a car accident two years ago etc etc That's what all the journaling is about.

Some close ups:

Please visit The Studio Challenges blog to see the rest of the DT's fabolous examples and to see how ou could win a £12.50 voucher to use inthis month's sponsor's shop.

You have until 2nd March to enter both of this months challenges.

Forget- forgot - forgotten (CSI #109)

It seems like our family always forget something at home when we're going places, stuff which usually is easy to replace, but you still need to go out shopping for them: socks (Paris), lip balm (London), toothbrushes (any place and it's the kids who  forget them) etc etc.

When we went on our ski brake a  month ago, I was so busy remembering the kid's tooth brushes, that I completely forgot my own. And hubby his. Youngest kid managed to even forget his winter jacket...
This is what the journaling in this layout tells about.

Background paper: Scraphouse. Other papers: LYB, MME, BG, AC. Cut outs: October Afternoon, Glitz Designs. Tags: Chic Tags, Fancy Pants. Flair: The Paper Bakery. Paper clip arrow, epoxy stickers & fabric badge: Freckled fawn. Overlay frame: MME. Alphas: WP, OA, AC. Photo anchors & brads: unknown

Close ups:

..

Here is this week's challenge from CSI:

How I sold the case:
*Colors: all used
*Evidence: Stack something (papers on botm left side), silver accents
*Testimony: Frame your story


Are you good at remembering anything when you leave the house?

Cards for my mum - Part 2

As I said in this post, my mum has a soft spot for cards with lots of layers, and my intention last week was to make her some. But then she had an accident - she fell of the ladder while climbing up on the garage roof to shovel off snow, and ended up in the hospital with a broken ankel. It was bad, she has had her first surgery, and a new one is scheduled tomorrow.


How typical my mum - she wanted to send cards at the hospital! So I had to make her some flat ones to fit standard postage - the lumpy ones are too heavy and cost a fortune to send.


Here they are, flat and light weight:


The first two are the same design, just different papers and orientation:

Green glitter cardstock: Fancy Pants. Dotted paper: Echo Park. Wreath: Freckled Fawn.
Rhinestines: MME. Alpha: Webster's pages. Ribbon: Unkown 

Papers: SEI. Wreath: Freckled Fawn. Rhinestones: MME. Alpha:Jillibean Soup.
Ribbon: Unkown

This card was made with one-of-a-kind embellies I had on my desk, and which I was happy to finally use

Papers: Lemon Owl. Frame: Imaginarium Designs. Vellum stickers: Freckled Fawn
Hello Sticker: Pebbles. Ribbon: unknown

The final one: washi is great for cards!

Washi: Freckled Fawn, Studio Calico, others unknown. Hello
Sticker: Pebbles. Puff stickers: Freckled Fawn

Have you made any cards lately? can I have a link so I can come and have some inspiration?

It's all about colors and love at The Studio Challenges!

Which couple is the world's most famous? Is it David and Victoria Beckham? or may be it is this couple?

Background paper:   Other papers: Webster's Pages/Alison Kraft (grey), SEI (beige/pink). Triangle tags: Chic Tags. Other tags, pink hearts & washi: unknown. Chipboard: Amerian Crafts/Amy Tangerine. Wood hearts, plastic arrow &epoxy stars: Freckled fawn.  Flair: Cre8tive Cre8tions. Alphas: Basic Grey (grey), Jillibean Soup (brpwn)

Years ago we were given bath foam in Mickey and Minnie containers. The bath foam is gone long time ago,bbut I have never had the heart to toss the containers - they are on a shelf in our bath room for decoration purpose only. And they will always be together!

A close up of the embellies 

 It's all about colors and love in this week's challenge at The Studio Challenges:

Create a layout about love but using these colors (Stephanie picked them for us):

Please head over to The Studio Challenges' blog to see the rest of the DT's wonderful examples. and to play along!