layered gerberas background

You are always on my mind...with video

Certainly thue for cats thinking about a yummy bird dinner ;-) hehe...My boy Tjeerd has come home with the odd bird and bat! urgh he doesn't eat them as he's few properly and athough not hungry like they used to be in the wild, they still have the urge to hunt, it's in their dna, so I go "oh well done, good boy" while my heart sinks a little.

Anyway I got my prize in from the Hero arts anniversary bloghop and I won a giftcard for Newton's Nook designs. I got the new birdbath, wild child and the splendind stags dieset, working ahead for Christmas lol.

Also got in my small order from Seven hill crafts and it all came together in the card for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: anything goes showcasing Newton's Nook products.

I ordered the Sugar pea designs stampset this little piggy with another giftcard from Simon says Stamp and I thought the die next to it was the farmscape, but it turned out to the the schoolscape, and they couldn't change it anymore. So I went to look for the farmscape one closer to home,  because of the price of international postage. I ended up in England at Seven Hill crafts and got it in yesterday as well with a little thank you in Dutch, that was cool.

For my card I stamped Newton, now Tjeerd, onto hot pressed watercolor paper from Schut with Simon Says Stamp Intense black ink, and well one pass was enough, even with the new stamps, but I stamped it twice, just because I can ;-)
I used Talens ecoline to watercolor the image and then cut him out and went around the edges with a black Memento marker. I then used the Nuvo glitter gloss pen on the water

For the homscape panel I used Bristol smooth card and diecut the homescape from the top, leaving the card as long as possible, so I could decide later where to chop it. traced the edge onto the cardbase and applied Distress ink Tumbled glass with a mini inkblending tool, Just enough so the houses would show better and to  break up all the white and camouflage the fact the Bristol is slightly creamier in color than my cardbase.

I stamped the sentiment from the birdbath set with Versafine black onyx ink. and the little flying bird with the intense black again. I colored it with the Spectrum Aqua pens (sunflower and marigold)
Mounted the panel with foamtape and the Birdbath as well.
Adhered everything together.


For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this

what an old goat!, with videos

The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is: we've got  your number, meaning adding a number to your project.
Now for me one wasn't enough, instead I made a backdrop with it.
I had planned to watercolor my goat from Art Impressions (old goat set) and had stamped him with Simon Says Stamp intense black on hot pressed watercolor paper. I did a test cut on the Scan N cut, and adjusted the blade accordingly, somehow though on the stamped bit it didn't cut through again.

Tried to finish cutting him with my scissors, looked dreadful and I actually flung it across the room and started again with Crafter's Companion Neenah solar paper and then used the Spectrum Illustrators to color him, I think it's a him ;-).
 I'm glad I did the cutting first, can you imagine ruining that bit after you colored it?

After I finished the goat I placed all the numbers from Lawn Fawn's Finley 1.2.3 on the black cardstock and diecut the whole panel, using some numbers twice.

I used the same colors Distress inks for my inkblending (cracked pistachio, Victorian Velvet and Peacock feathers) I inkblended directly on to my cardbase, which is digital or laser copy paper from Canon, slightly coated, very nice and smooth.

Mounted the black panel with loads of tiny foam squares and adhered it to the base.

I stamped the sentiment form Simon Says Stamp Birthday 3x4 set with Versamark and I used Wow! opaque bright white to emboss it. Not perfect, but OK.
More foam squares on the back of the goat and I placed him slightly off the cardbase for a fun and playful detail.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this

two little square giftboxes out of one sheet of 12x12" paper

The boxes were inspired by my jumbo tealight box, but bigger. Of course you can put anything in it, even in the little tealight one, like earrings or such. I used my necklace to show you.

For the biggest one you need a piece of paper sized 6x11", cut down vertically (with the pattern), cut off 1 inch first, so you could use that strip as a belly band.

Then score on the long side at: 1",5",6", and 10"
On the short side score at"1"and 5  inches.
Cut and notch and fold and reinforce the score lines as shown in video or on pattern.
the patterns are an approximation, not the right size or straight even!

For the medium box you need a piece of paper sized 5"x9", also take not of your pattern.
Score on the long side at: 1", 4",5" and 8".
Score on the short side at: 1"and 4 inches.

work it wednesday challenge

So as I remade my grouchy kitty I can enter this one in to the Work it Wednesdays challenge over as Simon Says Stamp.

The stamps is from C.C. Design and the sentiment is from Paper Smooches.
I stamped the kitty with Simon Says Stamo Intense black on Crafter's Companion paper for Spectrum Noir coloring.
I stamped the sentiment with Versafine black onyx ink.
I chose a bit of patterned paper from A Simon Says Stamp card kit, I just can't remember which one.
Adhered the patterned paper with tape runner to the cardbase, and mounted the colored panel with foam tape on top

My cats hate water, seriously it's like they'd melt, not scared of fireworks or lightning, they even sit oustide to look at storms, but as soon as one drop hits their body, zoooof inside, kinda funny ;-) So I colored the kitty a bit like my own, se ehow they keep me company while I work on the computer....

For more information on the Simon Says Stamo Work it Wednesdays, see this

You are my sunshine...

The Less is More Challenge is: stripe(s) and the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is:  splash it on. The SSS Wedneday Challenge is flowers/showers.

So a kitty in the rain, might make quite a splash ;-).
I wasn't really prepared for the size of this image, on the packaging it's slightly bigger, so that threw me somewhat. The stamp is from C.C. Design and it's called grouchy kitty rb1023.
I stamped him (i think it's a him) with Simon Says Stamp Intense black and colored him with my Spectrum Noir markers. I used to have a red rain cape when I was small, but that's for girls so I gave him a yellow coat, much like on the image, I colored him with blue grays so look somewhat like my own cats, so I gave him a black nose. On the image it's

pink, didn't like that .

The sentiment is from Paper Smooches (fun and flirty) and I also stamped it with SSS intense black, didn't want to chance it a second time as I had already messed it up once, it was first on the bottom and I wanted to align the sentiment so I masked off the lower line and oh well it all went wrong ;-).

I had chosen a different patterned paper as well, but as my panel shrunk I didn't have enough of that one (it had grey, yellow green and a bit of pink in it. blue too tying in all the colors....maybe I should start again...17-118 was as I envisaged...

Mounted the panel with foam tape,. adhered the patterned paper onto the cardbase with tape runner and mounted it all together.

Still cute, not as I envisaged,but still good! I want to be honest and I don't like to pretend this is how it was meant to be...

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this.
For more information on the Less is More challenge, see this
For more Information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this

new Dutch line of dies from Crafter's Companion, nieuwe stanzen van Crafter's Companion

I'm sharing two of the four design I made for Crafter's Companion Nederland today.

The new edgeables Amsterdamse grachten and Typisch Holland (Canals of Amsterdam and typical Holland).
The first card I made with a patterned paper with little watercolored flowers, as if they're outside.
I die cut the couple from sturdy 140lbs cardstock.
I then cut it to the size of my card and used blue and red cardstock behind the diecut. That was very hard to cut to size and make it fit, but I made it in the end ;-) And I like the nod to the Dutch flag colors.
Adhered the diecut panel with foamtape. Kusjes means kisses and is also a Crafter's companion die from the essentials lines only words.

Vandaag ook een blog in het Nederlands voor het Crafter's Companion Nederland team.
Ik deel alvast twee van de vier ontwerpen vandaag.
de eerste kaart is de Typisch Holland edgeable stans van Crafter's Companion. Ik het hem uitgensneden van 300grams stevig  wit karton en daarna blauw en rood karton erachter geplakt.
Dat was nog een heel gedoe en gemeet, maar het is gelukt en ik vind de knipoog naar onze vlag kleuren zo leuk. De achtergron is van 12x12 papier gesneden. de stans Knsjes is ook van Crafter's Companion en is van de essentials-only words lijn.



The second cards is a view of a canal in Amsterdam with the tourist boat.
The  die was cut from black cardstock and I lined the water with blue glitter paper. The background is cut from a piece of 12x12 as I thought it looked like clouds.
The windows in the houses can open, so I folded a few open.
Mounted the die cut with foam tape and adhered some little blue flowers.
The Groetjes (greetings) is also from Crafter's companion from the essential-only words line.


De tweede kaart is Amsterdamse grachten met rondvaart boat. Ik heb hem uitgesneden uit dik zwart karton en daarna het "water" met blauw glitter papier bedekt.
Sommige van de raampjes heb ik open gevouwen en daarna alles met foamtape gemonteerd op de achtergrond, die ik op wolken vond lijken, komt uit een 12x12 block. Paar blauwe bloemetjes op de voorgrond.
Groetjes is van de Essentials- only words, lijn.

Spring walk

That's the challenge over at Less is More this week.
And I chose to finish my little girl walking her cat, which could be me...trust me, I've done it and people seem to find it weird to have your cat on a leash, but hey...
Anyway the image is from Crafter's Companion (hugs) and I stamped it onto Crafter's companion paper with Simon says Stamp intense black ink.
I colored some of it in my Spectrum Basics video, which I included here and finished her today for the challenge.
I messed up the sentiment (even with the Misti) so I chopped it off and filled in the gap with Striped paper.

It was supposed to say Happy Birthday, now it can be anything lol.

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this

diy glitter paper and color layering Koi, with video

I made my Father's day card today.
In the Netherlands Father's day is in June, but hey, ready is ready ;-).
I made this card also for the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge (splash it on), and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (showers/flowers with Prima products).

So for my card I diecut a circle from 140lbs cardstock and a bigger circle from 110lbs cardstock.
I put Versamark ink on the die cut circle and used Wow! vintage peacock embossing powder and heat set it.
I think that gives the illusion of water. My aqua glitter paper is almost all used up, so I;m hoarding it, but I think this might work even better.

I used the Hero arts color layering Koi and Memento dew drops to stamp my fish (dandelion, tangelo, Paris dusk and tuxedo black), then let the scan n cut cut him out.
The sentiment is from Marianne design, but there's similar one across the industry, this one says "for the best father", I used Versafine onyx black ink for it and heat set it.
Traces the opening onto the cardbase and adhered the glittery water onto it with red sticky tape as the panel warped slightly from the heat.
I then Mounted the panel with foamtape and adhered it to the cardbase.
Mounted the fish on the lower left side with tape runner or foamtape where needed.
I then attached some Prima flowers (at least I think they are, no more packaging) with gluedots in the opposite corner.
Some liquid glass as dew drops, which I kind of regret now, but hey, you live and learn.

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this.
For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this

Coloring Wild Rose Studio- Bella with Teddy- Spectrum Noir coloring

Spectrum Noir basics 3 blending colors from different color families or ...

Spectrum Noir basics 3 blending colors from different color families or ...

Spectrum Noir basics 2 color coding, shading, hair and skin

Spectrum Noir basics #1 smooth coloring solid images and paper choice

Deep space card with glow in the dark stars, with video

I got the Wow! embossing powder from Debbie V., I couldn't find it in the NL so it's come all the way from the USA. Thanks again Debbie, I much appreciate it.
I suppose I could have ordered it from the Wow! website in the UK, but that's a very dangerous place with glorious embossing powders and glitters and stamps and such...:-D

Anyway for the card I started by die cutting a slightly tilted five pointed star out of my cardpanel. I used the multi frames from Nellie Snellen, but any shape or brand will do of course.
I then stamped the sentiment from My Favorite Things (space explorer) with Vesafine onyx black ink and heat set it to be safe.

I traced the opening on the cardbase and used one of my Distress recipes for the space.
As I look up the sky at night space gets darker the further up you look, so I tried to emulate that with black soot, chipped sapphire, blue print sketch and salty ocean. A recipe I conjured up for a Halloweeny night, but works all year round of course.

I heat set the inkblending and tested it with some of the embossing powder.
I also used a powder tool to de-stick the paper. I then stamped the tiny stars from Hero arts with Versamark ink. Sprinkled on the Wow! glow in the dark powder and heat set it.
I hadn't swatched it out yet, like I usually do, so this is where I found out the embossing powder is transparent-ish. also it needs to charge in the sun/daylight so it wasn't yet glowing in the dark.

I mounted the panel with foam tape and adhered it to the cardbase.
I used digital copy paper, or laser copy paper which is thinly coated and super smooth and at 140lbs also sturdy, but inkblending is good on this paper, it just hates water and masking tape unless it's Post- it tape.

If you have trouble inkblending go to your local copy shop, like Kinko, and ask if you can buy this kind of paper. It's also sold for Copic/Spectrum Noir markers, and it does work, somewhat, not as good as the ultra smooth Neenah classic crest solar white paper, Crafter's Companion sells in packages of 20 sheets, that's whole mouth full, but it's the paper I used to stamp the little fellow on with Simon Says Stamp intense black. I let the Scan N cut cut him out and chose a 2mm border, which was wider than I thought , I now choose 1 mm, but it was my first cut ;-).

I used the Spectrum Noir and Illustrator to color my image and on the balloons I used the Nuvo glitter pens.
Mounted the space guy in the middle with foam tape to level him up with the card panel and also I used tape runner where it sits flush with the panel. Tucked him in and out the star for a fun detail, like he's flying out of the star shaped window.

You can find the Distress ink recipes on my blog, here or on Pinterest.

I made this for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, a color inspiration chart and showcasing Lawn Fawn.
Now Lawn Fawn has a similar space set, I don't have it though and as I have this one I'm not getting it either, sorry. But I think you can make this with any brand of course.
I didn't use the yellow/mustard on the chart, and my colors are a bit darker I think, but same hues, coral pink, green and blue.
I really hope the card will glow in the dark tonight, then I will have the yellow/mustard too ;-)

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this.

Easter card series 2017 #8: egg cozy, with video

The Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge is: hip hop.

I chose something that hops: a rabbit. I made an easter card with an egg cozy.

For this I used two colors of felt and  contrasting embroidery thread.
For the eyes I used black hot fix rhinestones.
The patterned I used I  found it at Molly Moo's .com.

When you get it, it's rather big, so I printed it and then copied it at 50%. Cut it out.
to make my life easier and quicker to make a lot of egg cozies I layered the two colors of felt on top of each other, pinned the pattern on top and cut out both layers at once.

I used a pretty stitch, no idea what it's called to sew the parts together.
I attached it to the cardbase with a piece of self adhesive velcro, the bit that has the little hooks.

For the sentiment I used a stamp fromMarianne design and Versafine black onyx ink.

Watch the video on how I made it:

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this

Pancakes!!!!!!!!!

I love pancakes, so when I saw this digi stamp from Lili Of the Valley I, of course had to get it, Also a  manly themed stamps for a change lol.

I printed the digi on Crafter's Companion Neenah paper for Spectrum Noir coloring and then used my biggest circle die to cut it out. To make it a one layer card I folded the cardstock in half and then slightly offset the die at the top so it wouldn't cut the fold.
I did a  poor job with that as not it's slightly off to the right, but hey, I had colored him already with my Illustrator and Spectrum Noir markers and wasn't starting again.

I have no matching sentiment, yet, but also little room left, I guess you can write something on the inside.

I thought the round card was the ultimate "curve" I really liked the inkblending some Dt members did on their card, but somehow my stamps didn't seem appropriate.

I left as much white as possible, If I had a bigger circle die I would had more empty space.

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this

sorry I'm late video

All my cards of 2017 numbers 1-99 video

Cow slider card "you moooove me" video

Baby bird

I wanted to use this set on camera, and I pulled it out last week somewhere for the Simon Says stamp Wednesday Challenge, Anything goes showcasing Stampendous products.
Somehow I completely forgot to make it and well I thought I'd better hurry as it's Monday.
Now the Monday Challenge over at Simon Says Stamp is: rainbows and showcasing Tim Holtz products.

I combined them as I might forget to enter Monday too.
I used the Stampendous set cling spring tweets which is a cling mounted set with a matching stencil enclosed, that's cool.
And I used Tim Holtz Distress inks for watercoloring and the rainbow.

I stamped the nest first with SSS intense black, my favorite ink at the moment. I guess I could have used the stencil, but I  made a mask with post it paper and masked off the nest so I could stamp the branch; then I used the same mask to mask the branch more or less so I could stamp the mama bird.

I chose fairly neutral colors for my watercoloring as I wanted the baby blue bird to stand out. (and mommy birds usually are boring colorwise for camouflage purposes).
I used:  salty ocean, spiced marmalade for the beaks, frayed burlap and ground espresso for the branch and nest.
Pumice stone and frayed burlap for the mother.
As my watercolor panels are always slightly narrower than the cardbase I have a little space to fill in, usually I use washi tape, but today I inkblended on a rainbow with Distress inks: candied apple, carved pumpkin, mustard seed, twisted citron, mowed lawn, mermaid lagoon and wilted violet.
I splattered it  with water and lifted some of it off with a paper towel.I mean that's obligatory when using Distress inks,right?

Mounted the panel with foamtape and adhered it to the cardbase.
I thought the card needed a bit more color and what's better than a rainbow?
a unicorn...lol

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, see this.
For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see this.

"watercoloring" with your alcohol markers, with video

The other day I was browsing online at Scrapbookdepot and came across this: Copic activator to stamp with your markers. I didn't buy it as I thought it to be blending solution or alcohol, doesn't say, but I reconned that's what gets the dried up marker wet again.
So after I found out my blending solution was empty, I think it evaporated as I didn't close the bottle well enough, I went to get a new one.
I used a Penny Black stamp I bought second hand off Facebook, it's called delicate florals. I'm sure you have similar ones. The key is a semi solid stamp,  meaning filled in areas.
If you look at some petals they're not colored in, it's just the outline,  some other got more blending solution and those filled in, but it you only have an outline image, that's what you'll get, if you knwo what I mean, just a fuzzy line.
I also would suggets to use the bullet nibs, as my brush  nibs kinda got damaged by the rough surface of the stamp. And I don't think it matters as the second one I did with rubbing alcohol looks very similar and I used the bullet nibs on that one, that's when I discovered the brushnibs got a little dented.
I suppose I should have used the Spectrum Noirs, but hey you live and learn.
Anyway I first thought the branch was a Mimosa stamp, but it's not, the example on the package is yellow, which I think reinforced that idea in my head. 
My yellow markers are pretty similar and for the camera I chose to used pinks and purples, so you have two examples in one ;-)

I treated the stamp as if I was coloring in on paper, meaning adding the lightest color all over and then adding shading on the bottom of the flower and a bit of mid tone in the middle, it's a bit hit and miss as you don't see what you're result will be, like you immdediately see on paper.
I found it very exciting...the anticipation..like Christmas! lol...

I put  a small amount of the Spectrum Noir blending solution in a mini spritzer and sprayed the stamp from high up as i wanted a nice mist.
I then stamped onto Schut watercolor paper, leaving the stamp on longer to allow the inks to transfer.
As I lifted up the lid form the Precision Press tool I got really excited! It looks just like a no line watercolored image, but with alcohol markers!

Tried to get a second print, but that was really faded out.

I went to get rubbing alcohol and made another. I think I spritzed on more alchol that with the blending solution, but it works also.
Afterwards I cleaned the stamp with Simon Says Stamp utlra

clean, which worked really well.
I have never done this before, and I'm sure the rubber stamps are sturdy enough, but I'm not sure how clear stamps will hold up. I might have to try it with an inexpensive or old one;-)

Anyway I like this a lot and will now go find more suitable stamps I'm afraid haha

I used a Marianne design stamp , it says with sympathy, or stuff along those lines, I stamped it with Versafine Black Onyx ink and heat set it.

Cut the watercolorpanel to size and mounted it with foamtape to a cardbase.
Added some clear dew drops I had made previously, but some glossy accents on the spot will ofcourse work also.

Easter card series 2017 #7

It's a boy!

The Less is More Challenge this week is to use three pastels.
Their sponsor this month is Lili of the Valley, which I love and have too many stamps from lol.
I used the Lili of the Valley Baby blanket and stamped it with Simon Says Stamp Intense black ink. My favorite ink of this moment. Copic or Spectrum safe and waterproof, so ideal for my watercoloring.

I used hotpressed watercolor paper from Schut and Distress inks (shaded lilac, cracked pistachio and tattered rose).
Not sure if flesh tones needed to be inclused, or the black of the stamping for that matter, but yeah too late  now...also I don't like no line coloring very  much.

After coloring the image I used a square die with stitch details fromMarianne Design to die cut out the image. I stamped the sentiment onto the cardbase with Versafine black onyx ink.
Mounted the panel with foamtape and attached it to the cardbase.

For more information on the Less is More Challenge, see this.