Happy 2018, with video

Gerda Steiner had an advent calendar, I believe this was day one a 2018 digi, I grabbed it and printed it onto the Crafter's Companion  Neenah paper and colored it with my Spectrum Noir markers.

I only used a small range of colors. At firts I thought do do kids of mice, but decided against it.
I used BG2 and BG5 and FS8 on the mice
CT4, GB3 and GB5 for the cheese
VB1 and VB2 for the floor.

Happy new year everyone and thank you for being here in 2017!

Love you sew much Bunny

I just got this image in with the Gerda Steiner newsletter and I had to get it and play along rather immediately ;-).

For my card I started with the image, printed it on the Crafter's Companion Neenah paper, had it cut out by the Scan N Cut, although this image is pretty easy to fussy cut, I can't do two in one minute lol...

I then colored the bunny with my Spectrum Noir/Illustrator markers, popped him up with foamtape.

I embossed a set of nested heart dies into the cardbase and popped the image on top.
Added Wink of stella to the heart and a few enamel dots to the cardbase.

The sentiment is from another Gerda Steiner designs set called Valentine Penguins and I stamped it with Versafine Onyx black ink.


For more information ont he Gerda Steiner  December Challenge, see this
Edited January 9th:

Tonic Studios shaker pouches and tiny tiny bugs, with haul video

I bought the Leane Creatief 55.4599 Lady birds stamps at my local craftstore and well they're the tiniest stamps I've ever colored. But they were too cute to resist ;-)
I stamped them on kraft card with Versafine onyx black ink and colored them with nice pointy pencils to get into those little corners!.

Before that I die cut the heart from the Tonic Heart die and shaker set. It comes with 5 pouches and 1 die and once you use up all the pouches you can buy refills, so you don't end up with multiple dies. These pouches are already lined with a sticky border.

 I stamped the Love you from the Hello friends set by Simon Says Stamp above the opening, I also used Versafine onyx black ink.

After coloring I placed the punch in the window and filled it with red confetti and flower shaped rhinestones. I closed the pouch by adhering a small bit of the same kraft card on top, and then used tape runner to adhere the shaker bit to the panel.

I used some Scotch tape just to be sure, but I don't think it's needed. Mounted the panel with foamtape and adhered it to the card.

I thought the heart need to be red and I like to think it could be a strawberry ;-)

Happy winter

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is: anything goes, showcasing Lawn Fawn products.

And the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesdays is: something new.

For my card I've used the Lawn Fawn Set critters in the snow. Not new to Lawn Fawn, but very new to me, in fact I haven't used it before this card. I meant to and I got it for the reindeer, but I felt all out of Christmas mojo, also it's come and gone, so I  made a winter card. Maybe for someone's birthday in this season...?

I started by stamping the snowflakes from the set with Versamark ink and then used Wow! opaque bright white embossing Schut hotpressed and smooth watercolor paper 140lbs, my favorite for stamping on.

powder and heat set it. I'm using
For the sentiment fromt he same set I used Versafine onyx black ink.
Then for the watercoloring I used Distress inks (peacock feathers, shaded lilac and wilted violet). I wet the paper a bit so the colors would flow and after I spritzed  Sheer shimmer spritz from Imagine Crafts in the Sparkle variety all over the cardpanel for shimmer, of course, but also to help the colors flow a bit more.

As my wc panels are always slightly narrower I used a lilac washi tape with stars on it to fill the gap. Mounted the wc panel with foam tape onto the cardbase.


For more information about the Simon Says this.
Stamp Wednesday Challenge, see
For more information about the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesdays challenge, see this.

How to use digi stamps in Word and or Photoshop, with videos

Word: 

Photoshop: 

Textured giftbox, Valentine's box, with video

I was playing with embossing folders today and experimenting if I could use them in a box, Turns out you can.
I cut my paper to fit exactly in the folder and it was5"x 7" but 5"x6.5" is plenty.

You should emboss your paper before scoring.

You score on the long side at:
1.5, 3", 4.5 and 6"
You score on the short side at:
1.5, 3"and 4.5 inches.

Then cut away bits as shown in the pattern. In the video I did two versions, but I made a pattern only of my favorite closure. I lost a bit of footage, so this explains it best.

Put glue on the little tabs and bottom pieces, fold in the lid.
Tie with ribbon and decorate if you'd like.

All the Christmas cards I made in 2017 video

giftcard holder and teabag box, with video

Today I'm showing you how to make a teabag and giftcard holder/box.
I made it with the Martha Stewart Scoringboard and a mock up giftcard. It's actually a membership card to a shop that no longer lives in my town and you need to be a company which I'm not anymore either, so I use it for scoring projects when I need a shim ;-)

For the box you need a piece of card that is: 5"1/4 x 6"3/8.

Score on the short side (51/4) at: 3/8 and 4"7/8/
Score on the long side at"3/8, 3", 3"3/8 and 6"

Burnish all the score lines, it's harder with tough/thick card and small  tabs, bit more fiddly but still OK.
Cut and notch all the little squares on each side then put glue on one and start building

up the bottom.

Before wrapping the lid around the bottom and a thumb notch if desired.
the wrap the lid around the bottom and glue the tabs as well. this way if will fit.

I stuck my "giftcard"down with washi tape, but a gluedot or taperunner will do as well.

I measure my Pickwick and built the box around them, My Lipton bags p.e. were a bit taller, but you can fold them over or stick them the other way. I appreciate there's many  more brands, but these are the ones I use. Single wrapped cookie will probably also fit

The finished box is 4.5 inches long, .3/8"tall

and 2"5/8 wide in case you'd like to put something else in, like confetti instead of tea, a cookie.

Here comes Santa Paws, with video

I squeezed this one in, I had to bump another one up to January 9th, so that one might say "see you after Christmas" but just ignore that bit lol.

I ordered this set from Art Impressions in October and it only came in a few days ago. I needed to color it immediately, of course and I sued my Spectrum Noir Aquablend pencils.
I stamped the images onto Schut hot pressed and smooth watercolor paper with Simon Says Stamp intense black ink. I had to stamp the mage a few times as the inkpad is empty.

I hope you enjoy the coloring and I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas.

Less is More sketch

This week's challenge is a sketch at Less is More.

For my card I used the Simon Says Stamp Happy birthday circle die and the It's your birthday stampset.

Wow opaque bright white embossing powder.
At first I added some color with enamel dots, but then realized the sketch had a sentiment banner...I thought the circles said it all ;-) so I added the banner and felt it was now quite full, so peeled them off again, left the black heart and moved the yellow dot to the heart, just for a pop of color.


I'm also entering it into the Simon Says Stamp Monday and Wednesday Challenges: party. Merry Christmas everyone, I'm off to work, so wish me luck ;-)

Updates January 12th:

Happy Birthday dragon

The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is: party.
the Wednesday Challenge is Party time, showcasing Simon Says Stamp exclusives.

Personally I just had my birthday and I don't do big parties anymore, I went for a high tea with a good friend and shopped at garden centre, you know quality time...But a birthday should be a party! especially for kids.

For my card I used the Simon Says Stamp birthday circle thinlit and I cut it from slate or dark grey glitter card. attached it to the cardbase with liquid glue.

The dragon is from My Favorite Things (magical dragons) and I stamped him with

Simon Says Stamp intense black ink and colored him with Spectrum Illustrator and Noir markers. I also used liquid glue and then a bit of foam tape to pop up his head outside the wreath.
Added the star shapes are from Create a smile and a few glittery enamel dots to finish the card.


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

C.C. designs reindeer game digi with Sta aquarelle markers, with video

All the other 3 videos I did on Crafter's Companion Neenah paper, but these are waterbased and after testing them a little I found they peeled the paper really quickly. If you do one pass it's fine, but that wouldn't allow any shading.
So I tried them on Bristol Smooth paper and that worked better. The markers work best on hot pressed watercolor paper, but I'm not sure my 140lbs/300grams paper will go through my printer...bit scared of that ;-).
I had also never printed on Bristol paper and wasn't sure how it would come out as the paper is coated, will it take my printer's ink? It did, so phew and that paper is 100lbs/180grams I think.

I got the 24 set of Sta markers from Ali Express, they're also available  on Amazon. but more expensive and no free delivery. It thought the 12 set was a bit small but the 80 set was too much to test them. I rather like them so I might go back to get the 80 set :-D.

Please consider that the links were active on the time of writing this blog, if they no longer work, it's because of the turn around speed on both websites, just do a search for Sta markers and they will pop up again.

There's a bullet nib and a brush  nib on, no color  names and no indication of which nib is where, but I don't mind for that price. Also the brush nibs are felt rather that actual brushes like the other markers I've tested, and they're quite hard on first use, but they soon soften p and the nib gets a little less precise. Much like the Spectrum Aqua  markers.

But I like them, they do have a bit of a learning curve and I think a bigger set would have given me more blending choices, but I  made it work ;-) BUT I would def suggest watercolor paper and not to use water or the Dove blender pen, although they work to wash ot the color you will always see where you've put down the ink originally, so use marker to marker is my best tip for today ..

C.C. Designs digi Reindeer games and Decotime markers, with video

Today I'm still colloring C.C Designs digis, this time Reindeer games with Decotime Markers. I believe all the digis are also available as (rubber) stamps.
Digis are a bit easier if you live outside the USA, no shipping and no waiting time or customs.:-D

The Decotime markers average at about 35cents per marker and I got them at Action. No refills, but I wouldn;t expect it for that price. Lovely range, not many brown or skin colors though. Lots of greens and blues.
So I chose my digi strategically ;-) No boys and or girls in this one ...

I also show you how I swatched the  markers. the 24 boxes sais new colors, but the coding/name/numbers were the same, but the colors in the markers were a little different,  not for all of them though. Some are really close to each other, so gives you more shading options, which is good. I marked the new markes ( I think the new ones) with Washi tape and colored those on the left side, so I can identify them.
I like their bullit nibs, they're very hard and tend to streak, so you have to go over the whole bit again, but even it out not just where you're shading, but you soon learn.

C.C. design digi Reindeer Lucy with Spectrum Noir markers, with video

For today's card I chose touse the PSectrum Noir markers and the C.C. Design digi stamp called Reindeer Lucy.

I had to refil the hair portion as I noticed my camera had shut down, it was quite hot from filming and well it froze and I thought I had lost all the coloring, but phew only the last bit. So I'm sorry I have reprinted the image and reshot the hair.
I used a white uniball Signo gel pen for the shimmer on the nose and lights and also some Nuvo shimmer pen.

Also I'm not sure I can film the thursday portion ahead of time, tomorrow is my birthday and although I do not really celebrate, I'll be busy eating cake! :-D

Christmas owl

The less is More challenge this week is Birds/feathers and I thought the owl I just colored, kinda last night was perfect. Techinically it was today as I'm a night owl myself ;-)

It's a Pernilla Nilsson digi and I printed it with my inkjet printer on the Crafter's Companion Neenah paper and colored it with my Spectrum Noir markers.
I was watching a movie on the pc and I like to do something whilst the movie runs along...I colored four images ;-)

I didn't add a sentiment as I thought it was full enough ;-)

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

Stitch it

The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, is Stitch it. Showcasing WRMK products. I only used the WRMK scoringboard on these projects to score my cardbases.

The Simon Says Stamp  Monday Challenge is Christmas.

For the card I made a freme with two stitched recangular dies. I diecut it from silver and gold glitter card. I also diecut the lightbulb or ornament from the same card as well as the snowflake.

Then I took out the smaller rectangle and diecut white card panels for my backgrounds.

I swiped different Distress on (candied apple, festive berries, chipped sapphire and blueprint sketch.

Then splattered with water and different Distress spray stains ( brushed pewter, mermaid lagoon, white linen, anitgued bronze)

adhered the silverframe with liquid glue onto the colored panels, then the ornament and snowflake and them mounted the whole thing with foamtape on the cardbase.

It didn't leave much room for a sentiment, but I shall write it on the inside.

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

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

C.C. Design Grouchy Snowman with Spectrum Illustrator markers, with video

Today I'm starting a mini series: 4 parts with different alcohol markers and one waterbased marker.

All digi's from C.C. Design and today I'm using grouchy snowman. I've added the sentiment in Photoshop and printed the digis on Crafter's Companion Neenah solar white ultra smooth paper and I colored it with the Illustrator markers.
For shimmer I used the Nuvo shimmer pen on the nose and snow.
Added the panel to the cardbase with tape runner.

Birthday candles!

The Less is More challenge this week is One layer and candles.

So for my card I used the Penny Black woodmounted stamp A winner and stamped it with Simon Says Stamp intense black ink.
The sentiment is also from Simon Says Stamp ( It's your birthday 3x4) and I also stemped it with intense black ink and an acryllic block! I felt lucky my hedghog got a perfect impression being on a woodblock I couldn't use the Stampers friend or Misti or alike and so I also handstamped the sentiment and you can see not  perfect. I didn't want to risk a second stamping without a stamping tool and since it's one layer week I also couldn't cover it up with a banner or such, but hey it's  handmade and doesn;t need to be perfect everytime!

I colored my image with Spectrum Illustrator markers.

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

P.s. last week's card didn't get more than two comments, I hope this will please the playing  Limettes more ;-)

Christmas giftbags

Next week Monday is my birthday, and instead of cake I'm going to hand out these treats at work. And the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, is all about gifts, so I thought that is a perfect match!.

I made them with 12x12"paper and you can get 2 out of one sheet. (i think the one in the middle is My Minds Eye, but I had it for years, so I'm not certain) the rest are from blocks.

You need a piece of paper that is 6x12" and you score on the short side at 2"

only.
On the long side you score at 2", 5", 7", and 10". Burnish the score lines, then cut as indicated on the pattern.

Glue shut  and attach ribbon as a handle, I only did one one these, because of the more expensive ribbon, but I made some for our store at work too and I used that cheap, though glittery, ribbon for gifts and attached two handles. and a little jingle bell, they can remove and use in their tree if they want, it's stapled to the bag.


In the bags there's some handmade glittery tealights, a tealight holder, matches to light the tealights of course, a lip balm, and some treats, either chocolates or a candy cane.

soap, scented

For more information on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, gift it, see this.

AAA cards challenge #105: sparkle with video

This time the theme is: sparkle.
Our sponsor this time is Happy Little Stampers and you could win a $20 gift certificate.

And you get more time than the usual two weeks.

For my card I masked of about half (little less) on the cardfront. I intended to make a horizontal card, but it  turned into a portrait style card, oh well.

I inkblended Distress ink on the card ( picked raspberry, wilted violet, mermaid lagoon, mustard seed, twisted citron and candied apple) with the mini inkblending tools.

Then I grabbed two stencils ( Simon Says Stamp dotted circles) and one I made with nesting circle dies. and applied Lawn Fawn Yeti pigment inks over the background.

The idea was to make a sky full of fireworks, and then the bokeh effect as if I took a photo.
I don't have a fireworks stamp, you might need a bit of imagination ;-).

I heat set the pigment ink after applying it and then I layered other dots in top. It's important the biggest dots are the faintest and the smallest the most intense white.

After that I positioned my sentiment stamp from Wibra perfectly, and then I moved the cardbase...urgh..but I evened out with some glittery enamel dots.

I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink and applied Wow! vintage peacock and heat set it. It's a fabulous glittery  powder, that just reinforces the theme of our challenge.

For more information on the AAA cards challenge, or to play along, see this

A Christmas wish for you

The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is: Icy inspiration.
There's also an extra challenge running on the SImon Says Stamp blog: Christmas card day.

So for my card I used the Simon Says Stamp falling snow stencil. I mixed Ranger glossy texture paste with Distress glitter peacock feathers and a drop of the same color reinker into the paste and applies it through the stencil. I thought that could be my icy bit.

The little penguin is from Art Impressions (Christmas cheer set) and I stamped it with Simon Says Stamp intense black ink onto Crafter's Companion Neenah paper, and colored it with Spectrum Noir markers. Some Nuvo shimmer pen on the star.

The sentiment is from the same set and I stamped it with Versafine Onyx black ink.
Cut out the penguin and mounted it with foamtape to the cardbase. I used the edge of the card to ground him.

Everyday Christmas card series #26, using bleach, with video

For today's card and video I used Distress inks and bleach!.
Yes instead of just water, I mixed in a little household bleach for a more dramatic effect.

I started my card by diecutting the Memory Box Enchanted deer collage die from sturdy 300grams/140lbs card, it's the same I use for my cardbases.

For the background I sued Distress inks Chipped sapphire, broken china and tumbled glass.
The green I show in the video is bundled sage, peeled paint and forest moss.

After the inkblending I splattered on the water/bleach solution and heat set it. The effect  becomes apparent when you start heat setting it.
I then splattered on Talens White ecoline and Distress spray stain brushed pewter.
I thought the shimmer is nice for Christmas and it's repeated in the sentiment.

The sentiment comes from the CAS-ual Fridays set calle lovely snowflake.
I used Versamark to stamp it and PaperMania superfine silver embossing powder. Then heat set it.

Mounted the panel with foamtape and adhered it to the cardbase.

The Male room challenge

This card is inpsired a lot by the one I made for the Less is More challenge. But I added kraft card for the wreath instead of white and I likve it a lot for a man.

I diecut the "wreath" from red and green also as I was still in the red and green mood and stacked the three layers. so when you peek from the side the colors show.
I diecut the  holly and berries from glitter cardstock and mounted them on the wreath, with foam or glue where it was flush.

I think next stemp is to try it from all kraft :-D

For more information or to play along the Male Room challenge, see this.













Here's the other card I made earlier (detail)

Red and green

That's the challenge this week over at Less is More. And boy do I dislike red and green together, so it took me a few days to come up with a design I like.

I love red and purple and green and purple, but red and green doesn't go together in my  head ;-) I know it's traditional Christmas colors, but that's probably why I embrace non traditional colors haha. A red flower with a green stem, that works somehow though....Christmas green is just not an appealing color to me ;-)

Anyway for the card I diecut the Merry Christmas twice out of red and twice our of green card and once out of white. Stacked them all up with liquid glue and adhered it to the cardbase. I would have preferred to only do one layer of red and one of green, but the paper I used is so thin you could barely see it.

I diecut the holly and berries from red and green glitter card and attached them with foam and liquid glue.


I'd say it's pretty  much as CAS as I can get ;-)

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

Update December 15th 2017: