Merry Christmas Penguin (Slim line card)

Hello everyone,

I am a little late in sharing this card for the newest Papercraft Challenge, but I hope you'll forgive me. Right before Christmas it seems to me at least like there are never enough hours in a day - how about you,  do you feel the same? Anyways, here is the card:

The theme of our newest challenge is "Decking the Halls" and this cute critter by Gerda Steiner Designs is doing just that - just not very successfully at the moment. However I bet his little igloo will look very festive once he has finished decorating it. For the card I cut a piece of white cardstock to the right size and used a stencil to create the dot background. Once the ink was completely dry (I let it sit over night) I heat embossed the sentiment right over the dots with Ranger Platinum Embossing Powder. I love that colour. In the picture above it looks silvers, but when you tilt it in the light...

you get a golden look from it. I love it. I coloured the cute digi stamp with Copic markers and cut it out with a tiny white border. I placed it to the side and really like the look of the card! I hope you do, too. Have you ever made a slim line card? 

I hope to see your festive project in our gallery over at Papercraft challenges ;o) Have a great day and happy crafting, everyone!!! Yours Maike

Stamps: "Decorating Penguin" by Gerda Steiner Designs 
              "Merry Christmas" by My Favorite Things (discontinued)
Stencil: tba

Hohoho Easel Card

Hello my dear crafty friends,
today I'd like to share my DT card for the current challenge at Challenge Up Your Life with you.

This time it is a  color combo:

For this card I stamped the cute reindeer, masked it and then stamped Santa over it. After colouring everything I cut the image out. I die cut the rectangle die from this fun snowy paper by Lawn Fawn and also from white paper which I then die cut two snowy hills from. That way I could have the stitching go around completely. 

Next I glued the snowy background to the cardbase and scored both pieced at once. I also adhered Santa to the snowy hills, making sure no adhesive went higher than the edge of the hill in the back and glued that piece to the bottom part of the snowy background. 

Depending on how you place the card you can either see the background but have Santa be lifted off it visually oder you can just have the hills with Santa on it visible. Really fun to play around with! 

To add a sentiment I die cut the "ho ho ho" from red and glitter cardstock and placed them over Santa`s head. The "real" sentiment was playced inside the card heat embossed on a small die cut which I backed with the same paper that I made the card base from. That way, when you use the sentiment to placethe card behind it, the bottom  part doesn't go all the way to the white paper (if you know what I mean). 

That was my card for today. I hope you are going to join us with a sentiment of your choice, only keeping in mind the beautiful color combo ;o) Have a fabulous day and happy crafting, Maike

Supplies:
Stamps: "Santa" & "Laurel - reindeer" by Purple OnionDesigns

               "Sweet Holiday Penguins" by My Favorite Things 

Dies: "Cool Cuts Cherry Lower Case" by Create A Smile 
          "Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables" & "Stitched Hillside Boarders" by Lawn Fawn

Polka Dot Birthday Party

Hello my dear crafty friends!

Today I'd like to show you the card I made as an inspiration for the "Polka Dot" challenge over at Papercraft Challenges.

I created it for a young lady who turned 16 not too long ago. It was once mentioned, that she enjoys having her name on cards and such, because it is a rather unusual name and you can't easily buy individualised mugs or key chains for her. So I make an effort to add her name to the cards I make, because that is one wish I can fulfill for her. 

I used polka dots as the "wallpaper" and as decoration at the sides and for an envelope I created that was adhered to the back. The decorations and the cute critters are all, except for the tiny mouse, from one set by My Favorite Things which I totally adore and which is, in my opinion, perfect for birthday cards. 

The base for my box card was created without any dies. I just cut two pieces of cardstock to the same size and scored at 0,5 inches and 1,5 inches each. Than I chose one of the pieces to die cut the window from and added two "floor boards". For this I die cut two strips of paper that was 1 inch longer than my card is wide and scored each side at 0,5 inches and glued them to the sides, as you can see a bit better in this picture:

I hope you are going to join us with at Papercraft Challenges, I'd love to see you using polka dot patterns ;o) Have a wonderful day and happy crafting, Maike

Supplies:
Stamps: "SY Sending Sweet Celebration Wishes" by My Favorite Things

Doodle Christmas

Hello everyone!

How are you all doing? I hope you get to enjoy some lovely fall days. Have you already started your Christmas card production? Well, for today's card I have done just that. (I always feel like it is too early to make Christmas cards when it is still warm outside, but then I notice it is November already and panic sinks in...) Anyways, this is my card for the new theme "Doodle" over at the Challenge Up Your Life blog:

I started this card by stamping stars in two different sizes, making sure they would overlap in some areas. Next I watched this fabulous video (click here) to find out more about doodle-ing. I filled in most of the stars, leaving the overlapping bits blank though, because I felt my design was busy enough as it was.

Next I die cut the letters I needed and the word die "merry" twice - once in red and another tim from gold cardstock. All that was left now was to glue everything in place and to give the word "Christmas" a little shadow so that it would stand out more from the busy background. Have you ever tried doodle-ing? Maybe you would like to give it a go? I found it very relaxing and fun. If you do, please consider joining our challenge. You have until November 27th to link your project to our gallery. Good luck to you if you do! Happy crafting to all of you and have a wonderful day! Yours Maike

Supplies:

Stamps: "Lots of stars" by Simon Says Stamp (discontinued it seems)
Dies: "Tall Alpha Die Set" by Altenew
          "Merry Scripts" by Mama Elephant

Have a relaxing day (Upcycling)

Hello everyone ;o)
I hope you are all doing well! Today I'd like to share my project for the newest Challenge up your life challenge with you. The theme is "Upcycling" and I have used a brochure that I recently got at a health day in school. I liked the cover right away and thought it would be perfect as a birthday card. So here is what I made from it:

With one of my basic rectangle dies by Lawn Fawn I die cut the part I like best and also a decorative frame from red cardstock which I also used as the inner part of the letters I used for the sentiment. The rest was just a tiny bit of stamping and adhering the different layers together. I hope you like my idea of turning beautiful covers or pictures into cards. If you like the idea of upcycling you should definately visit the blog of my design team friends and get some inspiration from there as well!

Supplies:
Stamps: "Have a sweet birthday" by Lawn Fawn
Dies "Small Stitched Rectangle Dies" & "Scalloped Frame"
         by Lawn Fawn
         "Cool Cuts Cherry Lower Case" by Create A Smile

Waving hello - one layer card

Heya everyone,

the newest theme over at Papercraft Challenges was a real challenge for me. The theme is "One Layer Wonder" and I always have problems with one layer cards. For some reason, no matter which masking tape I use (and believe me I have tried at least ten different ones), it never really works. Often times I rip the paper and have to start all over again. The one thing that does sort of work is post-it-notes, but with them I only have a small area that is sticky. Ah well, I managed a card in the end and I am rather proud of it, so here it is:

I used some sweet images of Purple Onion Designs and stamped them with "Ink on 3" vanishing ink on my piece of Copic friendly paper and then... I had to hurry ;o) I masked all my images and created the sea and the sky with Distress Inks. Next, while I could still see the lines I coloured all the critters and the other elements with Copic markers. Towards the end I needed a reference sheet with all the images I needed and it was more guessing than actually seeing the lines, but I love the soft look of the no-line-coloring in this summer one-layer card. And I hope you do too ;o))
Have a wonderful day and please consider joining our challenge, especially when you do not like creating one-layer cards that much - in the end it is always very rewarding and a lot of fun, when one accepts a real challenge I find ;o) Happy crafting and I hope to see you soon, yours Maike

Supplies:
Stamps - all by Purple Onion Designs:
"Ida - rabbit", "Peony - mouse", "rocks, seaweed and coral", "Neptune - fish"

Challenges:
Simon Wednesday Challenge "Little critters"

The Paper Shelter "Waterwise"

Crafty Animals "Anything Goes"

Sweet Stampers Challenge "Add a Sentiment"

Happy Birthday (Sweet Celebrations)

Hello everyone!

Today is the start of the 150th challenge at the Challenge Up Your Life blog and we would like to celebrate this anniversary with all of you. So it might not surprise you, that "Anniversary" is our new theme. I chose a birthday theme, because those are the cards I always need the most of:

I stamped the sentiment in different colours and added the starry background with a stencil to give it more of a fun and festive look and glued the panel to a rainbow coloured background. Next I added the adorable critters and my card was done. Most of the time creating it went into the colouring, but it was a lot of fun!

I hope you are going to join our 150th challenge and share your talent with us! Take care my friends and happy crafting! Yours Maike

Stamps: "Sending Sweet Celebration Wishes"  & "Happy Birthday Blend" by My Favorite Things

Happy tropical birthday

Hello everyone ;o)

I hope you are well and happy! It is summer and so we felt a "Tropical" theme would be perfect for our newest challenge at Challenge up your life! I chose to create a card right out of a tropical jungle and here it is:

I used a stencil to create the background and had these wonderful leave dies which I backed with black, so that they wouldn't get visually lost on the busy background.

I love the combination of pink and green, don't you? It looks so fresh and summery... I hope you are going to join us for our "Tropical" theme and because it is summer we will take a short break and will be back with a new theme in September - which means that you'll have two month to join the fun ;o))) Hope you'll have a lovely summer time and happy crafting everyone ;o))) Yours Maike

Supplies:
Stanps: "Loveable Leopards" by My Favorite Things (retired)
             "Flirty Frames" by Lawn Fawn

You are magical (unicorn)

Heya my crafty friends,

today is the start of a new challenge over at Papercraft Challenges. We would like to see a project "For the girls" and would like to thank your kind sponsor Dr. Digis for sponsoring the prize for one of you this time. This is what I created:

I love this funky looking unicorn - wouldn't you agree that it is indeed magical? ;o) 

I hope you are going to join us and share your project in our gallery until the 14th of July! Fingers crossed- maybe you will be our lucky winner ;o)

Have a wonderful day and happy crafting, yours Maike

Mermaid birthday card with lots of bling

Hello everyone ;o)

Today I'd like to share a new card for the Papercraft Challenges with you. The theme is "Add Bling" and that I did with this one:

You cannot see it too much on this first photo, but I have used shimmering blue cardstock as my background and added two layers of pearlescent vellum to emphasize the water idea. I also added some glitter glue to the edge of the vellum. In order to be able to add even more bling to my card I chose this adorable mermaid image and added glitter glue to all her pearls and some "Wink of Stella" to her mermaid's tail. 

I didn't want her to have to swim alone so I added the fish, shells and the cute sea horse. (Which, by the way, got glittered up as well....) I hope you like all the bling on my card and I also hope that you are going to join us for this challenge. Have a sunny Sunday and a fabulous week! Happy crafting, everyone ;o) Yours Maike

Supplies:

Stamps: "Under the Sea" by C.C. Designs (unfortunately it is retired)
Dies: "All Prettied Up" by Mama Elephant

Challenges:

Paper Dragonfly Creative Challenges "Mermaid"

Moving along with the times "Birthday"

Fab N Funky "Fantasy"
Unicorn Challenge "Include Bling / Pearls"

Colourful Splatters

Hello everyone and happy April!

Today I'd like to share this card with you as my DT project for our new theme "splatters" over at Challenge Up Your Life:

I have used one stamp in many different colours to create the background and have backed a die cut photo frame with vellum to give this cute critter a less busy background. He was busy creating, could you guess?

I hope we will get to see a "splatter" project made by you in our gallery over at Challenge Up Your Life! Have a wonderful day and happy crafting ;o) Yours Maike

Supplies: tba

Happy 40th magic iris card

Heya everyone ;o)

"Interactive Cards" is the theme for the newest challenge over at Papercraft Challenges. This is what I came up with:

I used tge "Magic Iris" die by Lawn Fawn and their "Camera Add-On" to create this card for a dear friend who turned 40 at the beginning of March. He loves playing with his camera so the add-on was a must. I used holographic paper for the opening mechanism to give it a more realistic feel.

I added a 40 in the center of the opening and aside from the sentiment only added two little tags in the upper left corner. 

I hope you like the card and also love interactive cards just like the DT members from Papercraft Challenges. If so, we would love for you to join us in the fun and link your crad to our gallery! Have a great day, stay safe and happy crafting! Yours Maike

Easter Bunny with flowers

Hello all!!!
Today I am back with sharing my card for the newest Challenge Up Your Life mood board:

And this is the card I have created for this challenge:

I have used yellowish-(golden)-green hues for the background to create the mood for this card. Going from there I decided to make it an Easter card and used one of the cute bunnies from Gerda Steiner Designs. 

I used some fun flower dies from Paper Smooches and a frame by Honey Bee Stamps to set the scene for the Easter bunny and added the sentiment and my card was done. It came together rather quickly, even through those flowers had so many little parts. A bit of "Stick it" behind the paper is a very good way to save on time - and maybe frustration ;o)

I'd love to see one of your creations in our gallery at Challenge Up Your Life. Have a fabulous day! Happy crafting, Maike

Supplies:
Stamps: "Easter Bunnies" by Gerda Steiner Designs
Dies: "Dainty Flowers" by Paper Smooches (retired)
          "Happy Christmas" (frame die) by Honey Bee Stamps
           "Frohe Ostern" by tba

Snow much fun - polar bears

Hello everyone ;o)

Today I'd  like to share my newest DT card for Challenge Up Your Life with you. This time we want to challenge you to use "triangles" somewhere on your project:

I used one of my favourite stencils by Create a Smile to create this fun background for my polar bears. The colours I used are "Shaded Lilac" and "Salty Ocean", because they remind me of winter - especially in this combination. 

I die cut the opening for the den from the panel and glued dark grey cardstock behind it. In order to have a place for the one polar bear to sleep on I used a Copic marker in a darker grey shade to draw in the ground. Next I added the sentiment strip on which I had heat embossed the sentiment and the second polar bear playing outside in the snow. Some scattered snowflakes finished the card off.
I hope you are going to join our challenge! At first I felt challenged allright to create something with triangles, but just have a look at the DTs work. There are so many ways to incorporate triangles... Anyways, I would love to see your work added to our gallery! Have a wonderful day and happy crafting ;o) Maike

Supplies:
Stamps: "Polar Friends" by Hello Blue Bird

Dies: "Stitched Den" & "Mini Snowflakes" by Lawn Fawn

Stencil: "Triangles" by Create A Smile Stamps

Challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: "Anything Goes"

Dare 2B Artzy "Winter Fun"

Crafty Gals Corner "Snow Much Fun"

Stamping Sensations "AG with Stamping"

Inkspirational Challenges "Cozy"

Ice Skating Fun

Hello my dear crafty friends,

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the wintery and hopefully cozy time! Perfect time for crafting, don't you think? ;o) If so, you will be happy to know that our new theme at Papercraft Challenges is "Winter Wonderland". This is my take on the theme:

Have I ever told you that I despise having to mask images? I don't mind the work, but I don't seem to be able to find a properly working masking tape that doesn't rip my paper once I am done with all the stamping and inking. That is why I love background stamps such as the one I have used for my card. 

When my crafting mojo leaves me I find that I am able to find it again after colouring a few backgrouds and that way I do have quite a collection gathered by now. As for making this card there was "only" a lot of colouring involved but not a lot more than that. I felt that it was good enough as it was without any more embellishments. By the way: Do you guys have a good Copic colour combination for foxes? Mine became a bit too reddish for my taste, but I could do anything about it anymore once I had noticed. If you do, please could you let me know in the comments? I'd be most grateful ;o)

Hope you will join us in our gallery with your own "Winter Wonderland" ;o) Have a wonderful weekend and happy crafting to you all! And please take care! Hugs, Maike

Supplies:
Stamps: "Henry (Bear)", "Grace (Fox)" & "Mountains large" by Purple Onion Designs

Winter Fun (Fox in the snow)

Happy New Year Everybody!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, a relaxing last couple of days in 2021 and a great start into the new year! I wish you all the best, time for all the things you'd like to do, a hard working muse and good health!!!

Now onto today's card-> I created it for the newest challenge "Winter Fun" at Challenge Up Your Life:

This cute fox in front of the still christmassy decorated house is an image (or better are two images) by Purple Onion Designs and I had a great time colouring them. Besides colouring I only added some sparkle to the lanterns and the wreath to the front of the door, but kept it simple otherwise. I felt there was a lot going on in the images already and wanted to let them shine.

Because I kept the outside rather plain I also decorated the inside of the card:

I hope you are going to join us with some "Winter Fun" projects and wish you happy crafting and lots of fun being creative ;o) Maike

Supplies:
Stamps: "Rupert (Fox with snowballs)", "Wilson (Bear with snowball)", "Front Door"
               & "Door Decor #1" by Purple Onion Designs