Spider Henry for Nicklas

Susie is going to her "boyfriend's" birthday party next week, and she wanted Spider Henry on the card.... Image is coloured with Promarkers. Text is handdrawn by me and the web in the background is a freebie from Tiddly Inks I downloaded a while back (can't find the url for it though).

I'm entering it in
Sketch Saturday challenge 131 - sketch
Cute Card Thursday- challenge 141- the blues

Happy news: I'm an aunt!

On the 21st October my brother and his girlfriend had their first baby! A sweet little girl. It's all so exciting! And I'm finally a proper aunt. My hubby's nieces and nephew are all grown up, so it is really fun to have a baby in the family again.
I have knittet a blanket for my little niece. The pattern is from Garnstudio, and you can find it HERE. I have used 100% meriono wool for this blanket, and it took almost 5 balls of yarn to fininsh it. It was really fun to knit with all the different patterns.

Of course I had to make a card too.... I know my brother and girlfriend doesn't really care for pink, but there is no way one can make a "welcome baby girl" card without any pink on it, is there?? (please agree with me on this one... lol...)

I didn't want to hide the blanket in the wrapping, so I just wrappet a piece of craft paper around and tied it with some shiny ribbon....

I really hope they can use the blanket, and I wish them all the best with the new little one! What an exciting time they are going through....

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Sorry for the lack of blog posts lately. After I started working every day, I just don't have the energy.... and I don't want to spend my short evenings on the computer. I even forget to check my e-mails every day too....

Pearl Tidepool

Just a quick post to enter this card in the Papertake Weekly Challenge - Your favourite challenge from the past 3 years. I have used sketch #27, which I felt was perfect for this cute mermaid image by Sweet November Stamps. I'm also entering it in The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #104 - distressing.

Well, I'm off to bed as I'm gettin up early tomorrow for work. Sorry for the bad colours... it's so hard to get it right in lamp light... Thanks for looking.

Crochet flowers

A few people have asked me how I make the crochet flowers I use on my cards, so here's how:

You only need a few metres of yarn for each flower.

I use different size hooks for different size flowers.

ch: chain (luftmaske)

sl st: slip stitch (kjedemaske)
sc: single crochet (fastmaske)
dc: double crochet (stav)
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ch 4, join with sl st to first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: sc in ring, *ch 3, sc in ring*, repeat * to * 3 more times, ch 3, sl st to first sc to join = 5 ch-3 loops.
Round 2: *sc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1, sc* repeat from * to * in each ch-3 loop, sl st to first sc to join = 5 petals.
Fasten off, and your flower is done!

Hope you understand my pattern. If it's unclear please let me know and I will try my best to help you out. Please don't post my pattern anywhere else, make a link back to my pattern instead if you want to share...
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I would LOVE to see a picture if you make and use my flowers on a project... (just leave a link in my comments).

Another mermaid

Autumn is officially here. It has been pouring down all day today, and it's cold. Brrr... It's a good thing we have warm tea/coffe, paper and stamps!
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I've had time to sit down and play with my new mermaid stamps again. This here is Current Ebbtide and her little pet fish Anela. Aren't they the cutest?
Ebbtide is another one of Amy Young/Sweet November mermaids. Don't know if I love her or Shimmer Redkelp the most.... lol... and I have another mermaid, too, that I will try to get inked up over the weekend. Image is coloured with ProMarkers (Mandarin, Pumpkin, Apricot, Vanilla, Blush, Dusky pink, Blossom, Amethyst, Lilac, Lavender, China Blue, Cornflower, Blue pearl, Black, Cool gray 2 +4 and Blender) and is mounted on 3d foam tape for dimension. I've also added some "pearls" and some ribbon. Border is punced with MS punch, and I have used a black pen to draw a bit around the edges of the papers.

This card goes into these challenges:

Oh, Alice: Chapter 31 - Use crowns and/or mythical creatures

Charisma Cardz Challenges: #38 - Anything goes!

Thanks for looking, and I really appreciate your comments!!

Shimmer Redkelp & Otto...

Finally some time to sit down and do some blogging again... I had the house full with visitors this past weekend. My mum and dad, and my auntie too, came friday afternoon and stayed until monday afternoon. It was good to see them all again. We talked a lot, ate a lot and drank a lot.... ehmm... a little bit of red wine.
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The only downside of having them, was that I received some much wanted mermaid stamps (by Amy Young /Sweet November Stamps) just before my visitors arrived... and I had to put them away the entire weekend - the stamps, not the visitors;P -and be social instead... lol... and then I had work on Tuesday, so it wasn't until last night I got to sit down and play with my new stamps.
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It was hard to decide wich one I wanted to try out first, but I decided on Shimmer Redkelp and her sweet otter Otto. Isn't she the most gorgeous stamp? I'm sooo in love with these mermaids (I got a couple more that I haven't played with yet...). I knew from the first time I saw them that I needed to own a few...

I have used Promarkers to colour in with (Cocoa, Cinnamon, Blush, Vanilla, Dusky pink, Ivory, Blossom, Cool aqua, Duck egg, Mandarin, Pumpkin, Apricot and Blender). The sentiment was sent to me in the post a while back, so I don't know anything about it. I've also used a MS punch, some ribbon and brads. The flower is made with one of my crocheted flowers (it's so much fun to crochet these, and it only takes a few minutes. I can write down the pattern if anyone is interested), some torn and distressed book pages and a brad.

I'm entering this card in these challenges:

Tuesday Morning Sketches: #60 - handmade flowers

Passion for ProMarkers: week 70 - make your own flowers

The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: #101 - anything goes

A Spoon Full of Sugar: #122 - anything goes.

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Thanks for looking!

EDIT: You can find the pattern to my flowers HERE.

Miss Anya again...

Just a quick post tonight...
Image is Miss Anya by The Greeting Farm. She's coloured with Promarkers and so is the scalloped oval border. I don't own this stamp myself, but she was so much fun to colour up that I'm wondering if I might have to buy one for myself.... lol... I have used one of my crocheted flowers again, but making it a bit more interesting by adding some torn bookpages coloured with Promarkers (Duck egg), a brad and some ribbon.

This card goes into these challenges:

ICSketches - sketch #83

Sketchy Colors - challenge 38- Red & Turquoise

Hooray for you!

I guess I was on a roll, and then it stopped a bit.... maybe due to the fact that I'm working again! Yoohoo! I'm back to the same place as before... same school as Maja attends. It's sooo good to be back "in business", even though it's only 3 days a week... but can't spend my days making cards and playing with my stamps anymore... back to night time stamping... hahaha....

I needed a card for the girl next door who turned 8 the other day, and came up with this. Maja, who will be 8 in three weeks time, chose the image; a bratz girl printed out from one of those "print and colour in" pages for children.
Image is coloured with Promarkers (I didn't make a note of which ones) and mounted on 3d foam tape. Sentiment is a freebie from Create with TLC (tons of freebies on there:)) I have also used some scraps of paper and some bling...
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I sometimes wonder what other card makers do to the inside of their cards... so I thought maybe other people would be interested in seeing what I do to mine (most of the time anyway...).

I usually only add a one layer panel to the inside. Sometimes I punch one edge with a border punch (if I've used it on the front of the card), some has a stamped image on the panel and sometimes, if I don't have a coordinating stamp, I draw an image. I usually also add a thin, black double line around the edges of the panel and use my Promarkers to add some colour outside the line, and sometimes I just use an inkpad (like the one top right). Clean and simple, that's what I like...

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Thanks for looking!

Hedgehog on a balloon...

Oh well... I'm on a roll! Another card! Already! I'm even surprising myself... lol... Guess I've got too much spare time on my hands being without a job and no children at home...
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I made this card this morning whilst the children were away at school/nursery. Isn't that the cutest hedgehog? I've got a feeling that balloon's gonna burst any minute though... lol...
I don't know who the stamp is by... I stamped the image with my friend's stamp while I was there last week (and was, of course, too busy talking to notice any brand names...). Anyhoo... image is coloured with Promarkers (Cocoa, Cinnamon, Dusky pink, Blush, Vanilla, Ivory, Cornflower, China blue, Blue pearl, Cool grey 2 and 4. I also used the colourless blender to blend the shadows beneath the balloon. And I used Lime green and Apple for the scalloped border). I have used my promarkers along with Hero Arts shadow ink (baby blue) on the edges. And I have also distressed edges by scraping them with scissors. Sentiment was made with an alphabet stamp set, it says "happy birthday!"
I'm entering this card into these challenges:
2 Sketches 4 you - Laura's Sketch #60
Creative Cottage challenge - #22- Celebrations
Stamp something- Something cute
Crafty cardmakers- #29- Clean & simple
The Paper players- #14- Clean & simple

Two cards

Monday again... I think Monday is becoming my favourite day of the week.... Maja at school, Susie at nursery, hubby at work, and me at home - alone! So I let housework be housework and dig out my papers and stamps instead! Today I finished this card:
Again, I have borrowed a stamp - one of the Gorjuss girls- from Renate. I have coloured her with Promarkers (Cocoa, Cinnamon, Dusky pink, Blush, Vanilla, Blossom, Ivory, Duck egg, Cool aqua, Red, Rose pink and Cool grey 2). Image panel is mounted on 3d foam. I have used Tilda papers and a MS punch. The edges is distressed by scraping a pair of scissors along the edge and I also added a bit of ink around the edges.

I had fun, the other day, crocheting some small cotton flowers. I have used one of them on this card. I put the bead from a decorative foam flower through the middle hole in the crocheted flower before gluing it to the card....

I'm entering this card into these challenges:

Sketch Saturday - Challenge #119 - a sketch

Stamptacular Sunday challenge - challenge 75 - Distress it!

Secret Crafter Saturday challenge - challenge 99- Clean and Simple

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I also have a second card to share with you today... woohooo! That's not like me, is it? Two cards in one post... hehe... I made this card last week while visiting my friend Randi. I know, I know... two cardmaking visits in one week! Lucky me! It's so much fun meeting up with friends to talk and make cards and share stamps and ideas.

I have borrowed the Henry mouse stamp from my friend. Isn't he the cutest? He was coloured in (with Promarkers) while I was at my friends house, and I was too busy chatting away that I forgot to make a note of what colours I used... Papers from Nille, and again I have used some of my chrocheted flowers. I tried colouring one in with a Promarker, but I'm not sure about the effect.... Sentiment is made with a couple of different alphabet stamp sets and says "Hooray for you". Edges are distressed with scissors and I have also drawn a couple of lines round the papers with a pen.

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Thanks for looking & have a great week!

Green Miss Anya

Oh, it was sooo cold this mornig... I was seriously thinking about lighting a fire in our fireplace....It turned out to be a very beautiful, sunny day though, but still a bit chilly where there's no sun. I don't want summer to be over just yet, but I guess there's not much I can do about it really... lol... At least cold weather means more time inside and that will in turn lead to more time to craft...

Yesterday I met up with Renate, a lady I met here in blogland. Turns out she lives just "round the corner" from me (it took me no more than five minutes on my bike to get to her house...). She makes the most beautiful cards, and I've been following her blog for a while now, so it was really fun to meet her in real life. I brought some of my stash, and we spent the entire morning talking and making cards. I guess I did a lot of talking because I didn't even manage to finish one card while I was there.... I finished it at home last night though...
I have borrowed Renate's "Miss Anya" stamp by the Greeting Farm (such a cute stamp) for my image. It's coloured with Promarkers and mounted on 3d foam. Butterfly border is a MS punch. Black DP is by Dovecraft - Amethyst Floral prints. The green DP is something Renate gave me, so I don't know who it's by... The green heart is handmade... I cut a piece of card, covered it with glue and sprinkeled some glitter on.

I didn't add any flowers on my card because I thought the flowers on the DP were flowers enough.... and I also think I have a thing for simple cards at the moment...

Thanks for looking!

Super hero

I have always admired the Whiff of Joy stamps, they are all so beautiful, but I don't have any myself.... well, I didn't until I found this cute freebie of Henry the mouse as spiderman a while ago.
I have coloured Spider Henry with Promarkers (True blue, Sky blue, Red, Cool grey 2, Rose pink, Blossom, Cocoa, Cinnamon, Vanilla and Ivory). DP is from the Black and white prints paper stack (8x8) by DCWV . Sentiment is computer made and the cobwebs are hand drawn. Image panel, sentiment and webs are mounted on 3d foam. I have also tried my hand at some distressing of the edges... that is something I rarely do, but I quite liked the effect... and there's a bit of tulle added to one side.

I'm entering this card in:

Challenge #86- Jane's sketch at Whiff of Joy Challenges.

Challenge #37- Anything goes at Bee Crafty.

Thanks for looking!

Sweet sweet baby!

Instead of spending the morning out in the sun today, I sat at my kitchen table playing with my papers and stamps... You gotta have your priorities right... lol...
This card would be good for either a new baby or a christening, I think. I have used a stamped image that I won in a candy a while back. I believe it's by Whiff of Joy, but don't shoot me if I'm wrong.... Image is coloured with Promarkers. Of the top of my head, I can't remember the colours I used, and I can't be bothered to go downstairs just now to check... I have made the flowers myself.... the big one is made by two circles and a corner rounder punch and the smaller ones is made with two punced flowers. Leaves and swirls are drawn by hand. Image panel is mounted on 3d foam.

I have used this weeks sketch at Cute Card Thursday for this card.

I'm also entering it into challenge #45 -Anything goes, at Stampin' for the weekend .

Oriental delight...

It was kind of hard to get up this morning to get Maja to school.... too many lazy mornings during summer holidays... This afternoon I'll take her to her riding lesson. THAT is something she's looking forward to! It's good to be back to "normal"...

I managed to make another card yesterday evening. I think that must be a record... two cards in one day. I'm so slow when it comes to picking the right papers and embellies and stuff, so most days I don't have time for more than one card. Well MOST days I don't even have time for cardmaking at all... lol... Anyway, here's my card:
The oriental girl image is from the "Four dolls" set by Hero Arts and the sentiment is by Kort og Godt (it says Good Luck! in Norwegian). The girl is coloured with water colour pencils and I've also added a bit of shimmering water colour paint on top (it doesn't show wery well in the photos though). Punch by Martha Stewart. I used the same punch for the "ribbon" as for the bottom of the DP. I just cut a 1" strip of paper, coloured it green with the same colours that I'd used on the girl and then punched the border from both sides of the paper strip. Easy peasy!

I'm entering this card in two challenges:

2 Sketches 4 You - sketch #59

One Stop Craft Challenge - Challenge 93 -Oriental delight
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Thanks for looking!

Friday Sketchers #115

Well... that's it then... tomorrow school starts again, and I guess everything goes back to normal... It doesn't seem like I'm getting my job back after summer after all.... the school has hired another teacher that is more suitable... I guess beeing an arts and crafts teacher isn't really the best option for a primary school. Never mind, I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Today I have been home all alone for the first time in.... forever! Hubby is at work, Maja is visiting a friend and wee Susie is in nursery. I kind of didn't really know what to do with my time.... too many choices... tidy the wardrobes, unpack the suitcase after being away for the weekend, hoover, empty the dishwasher.... and the list goes on... so I settled on making a card!
Maja and I had been playing around with my Spot's botz stamps (Stampendous) yesterday, so the image was ready to put on the card... it was just a case of finding the right papers.... The sketch I have used is from this weeks challenge at Friday Sketchers.

The 'bot is coloured with watercolour pencils. It's a while since I used them last and I had almost forgot how much fun it is colouring in with them. The green backing paper is made by stamping a few of the bits from the robotz stamp set with green ink repeatedly on a piece of green paper. I feel like there is something missing on the card.... don't really know what I can put on it to make it look a bit more finished... I tried with some buttons, but I didn't have the right colour and size...

Well.... thanks for looking anyway. Hope your day is goooood!

Our summer holiday!

Summer is almost over, and I guess there will be a bit more time for blogging in the months to come...

For our holiday this year, we borrowed my parent's camper van and drove through a few countries in Europe, seven to be exact (not counting Norway). We started off taking the ferry from Norway to Denmark. While there, we visited Legoland and this was the only day thorugh our three week long holiday we had rain...!! Then we drove through Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium to get to Maubeuge in France, where we visited some friends we hadn't seen in 12 years. After staying with them for a lovely weekend, we drove back to Belgium and then through Luxembourg to get to our dear friend, Edith, in Switzerland. We stayed with her for almost a week before we decided to start making our way home again.

We spent some time in the Rhine Valley (Germany) and also a couple of days in Denmark before taking the ferry back to Norway, where we visited my parents and met up with friends and family before we had to leave the camper van with my parents and take our "normal" car home.

That was the short version... hehe... don't want to bore you with all the small details... but instead I'll show some photos to tell you what we did...:

The girls would take every opportunity to have a bath in the hot, hot weather....
and we would take every opportunity to drink some good wine. The wine in the photo is a bottle we found in Edith's basement. I think it had been there for some time... the wine is even older than me (unfortunately it wasn't good anymore.... what a shame to waste such fine wine....)

we saw some farm animals/birds....

...and some wild animals/birds (stork)

We took a lovely boat trip on the river Rhein...

... where we saw some fantastic castles. There were sooo many of them!

We ate delicious food...

.... used tons of sun screen lotion

... did a bit of sight seeing

Not all the camp sites were crowded....

We even had time to sit down with a coffee and a good book...

and, of course, some more swimming!

What a great holiday!!!