Monday, April 13, 2009

Weekend Sketch Challenge #76

This is my first time participating in a challenge. Laurie (Just Give Me Stamps) is hosting Weekend Sketch Challenge and I love the layout she made. Since I had to make a birthday card and had no ideas what to do, I used her layout. I am quite sure the receiver will like the worn out style of it.
As a small gift, I included two bookmarks in the same style.

Have a wonderful day!


























Sunday, April 12, 2009

Easter Eggs Paper Basket

I'm home alone again. Nina went to the seaside with her father on Friday and won't be back till late evening. I cooked a ham but we haven't made any eggs yet. I'm waiting for her as I am not in the mood for making Easter eggs alone... and she was really looking forward to do special ones this year. We are going to have lunch with my parents and my brother (and maybe his girlfirend - have I mentioned I am going to become an aunt in a few months???) tomorrow and since we always exchange some eggs on that day, I made some small paper baskets. They are big enough to hold one egg. I used K&Company and BasicGrey paper and embelished them with paper flowers, buttons, rhinestones and ribbon.

Happy Easter, everyone! Hope you are having a wonderful day.













































Thursday, April 09, 2009

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud


Time for some poetry :). Spring with warm temperatures and buds and flowers all around inspired me to make this file box. And while I was gluing the flowers on it I remembered the poem we had to learn by heart in English class in school... years ago. I tried to recite it while I was gluing but I forgot few lines, so I just had to find it and read it again. Here it is - to refresh my memory and perhaps yours as well :).



DAFFODILS
by William Wordsworth
(1770-1850)

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.


Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.


The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:


For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.


WELCOME SPRING!



















Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Scrap Paper Holder - Tutorial







I made similar scrap paper holder few days ago. I just love it because it's nice and practical and you can put it anywhere you want. When I do cards or scrapbooking, there are always some pieces of paper left... with this holder I can have them all in one place instead of having them all over my working table. Since I promised a friend who visited me the other day that I will put a quick tutorial on my blog, here it is.










You can make it in different sizes - my basic cardboard sizes are:
14 x 10 cm for the back,
14 x 3 cm for the bottom and
14 x 7 cm for the front.
Cut the cardboard pieces and glue them to the back of the desired pattern paper - make sure you leave some space between them. Trim the paper about 2 cm around and trim the corners. Fold the edges and glue them down.























Cut the piece of coordinating paper that is a few millimeters smaller than the "core" you have in front of you and glue it down so you cover the edges. With you scoring tool, gently rub in the space you left between cardboard and try to put it into the final shape.























Now cut the paper for the side parts. I wanted the upper part of the holder to be wider than the bottom, so I first cut 6.5 cm long strip of pattern paper, cut it in half and marked 3 cm for the bottom (as that is the size of my bottom cardboard part as well), and 5 cm for the top. You want to get an isosceles trapezoid. On the sides with equeal lenght (in my case the 6.5 cm side) leave 1 cm for fold which you will glue down. (See the pics bellow, I can't tell that better). I distressed the back side of the trapezoids before I glued them as they were just too white for my quite dark background paper.

































And that's about it. Of course you can embelish it as you want.


















And finally, put some scrap papers in it. I'm going to make a bigger one and fix it on the wall to keep the bills that need to be payed in it. You can use it for other things as well, it's up to you.








Now I dare you to make your own and show it to me! :)














Few Pendants + Magnolia Card

My days are still so busy but I have finally put together some of the pendants. Still have few more to make, but they will have to wait until next week.






















Last night I was in the mood for some stamping, gluing and paper cutting - while I was chatting on the phone for quite some time, this card came to life. I like it and at least that hour and half was well spent in more than one way.




























(Front and inside page of the card)
Paper: Basic Grey - Sultry; Stamp: Magnolia; Prima flowers; buttons; Ribbon: Rayher; Nestabilities Big Square Die used with Cuttlebug; Sakura Glaze Pen,...