Shamrock Blessings

Close - up on the faux embossing. A new technique at JUGS.

Sentimùent from Meljen's design: May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.

Good Afternoon

The green and gold challenge at Shelly's image was the inspiration for this card. Since it is St. Patrick's day soon and the Irish have such a beautiful way of saying things, I thought I'll join them this week. The background was done with a faux technique. Instead of embossing you use diecuts or punches in the same colour as your cardstock and glue the cutouts on the cardstock. Very nice technique of creating your own background. Unfortunately I don't have any shamrock dies or punches. I've used my marianne's design diecuts. I've used 3 different ribbons and the only gold buckle I could find, which I had to modify by taking out the middle pen. The sentiment is from Meljen's design and the diecut is from cuttlebug and the CAS team require sentiment as focus point.

Challenges I'm joining:

Shelly images TTT 08/03/12 - Green & Gold

JUGS #127 - Faux embossing

CAS-friday CFC43 - For sentimental reasons

Charisma Cardz #9 - Ribbons

Thank you and may YOUR blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.
Olga

Dancers

Good Morning

Crafter's Digital Art Centre started their next round, and this time they have such beautiful digis available, that I just needed to play with them. Their theme is: Green, Great Gorgeous, though the green is not neccessary the main focus, but the fun. This is the first of a few that I want to share with you. This digi is from A day for Daisies, called dancers. I've used some paper piecing with a mother of pearl pink for their bodices and shoes. Soften the white with a pink distress and for a first for me, I used designer paper as the base for my card. This pink rose paper is from my scrapbook stash that I had for ages now and it just fitted the colour scheme. I also did some stitching with some metal embroidery on my sentiment. It is an Afrikaans stamp I've just as base, saying Happy Birthday! The swirl is also from mother in pearl paper and the flowers and pearls is from my stash.
I was guided by the following challenges I'm joining:
Mojo Monday #228 - Sketch
There she goes # TSG143 - Olive, Rose, Razzleberry
The ribbon real #21 - Shabby Chic Birthday - Photo inspiration with Ribbon, Lace, Stitching, Roses
Anything Goes #60 - Eye's down Bingo Board - Ribbon, Lace, Stitching, flowers, Swirls and pearls
Charisma Cardz #6 - Happy Aniversairy
CDAC round 12 - cdacpc12, adfd

Thank you for your visit.
Olga

Bee Happy

Good Afternoon

I've started working on this card on Friday afternoon, though I have only finished it this morning. So, I used Mojo Monday's sketch, but I'm a bit too late to enter their challenge. I was however inspired my Melissa over at Meljen's design challenge for pastels and I use this bee freebie and her sentiment. The designer papers is from two magazines namely Papercraft Essentials - the bee happy paper and the doodle paper on the background is from cardmaking & papercraft. I did some embossing on the other backpaper and used the distressing technique with some pale blue ink. The diecut is from Marianne's design, I added some beads with the buttons to brighten up the card. I have to admit that I prefer bold colours with pastels and that I find it sometimes to pale to play with only pastels, although the projects over at Meljen's are beautiful. Challenges I'm joining:

Meljen's design #96 - Pastels with a meljen's digi

Craft your Passion # 97 - Recipe - 1 Ribbon, 2 Pattern Papers, 3 Buttons

Charisma Cards # 5 - Things with wings

Robyn's Fetish Challenge #94 - Square cards

Have a beeautiful day.

Olga

House + Love = Home

Good Day

It is time for the next round at the Crafter's Digital Art Centre with a theme of "Love will find a way". They have some lovely digis, provided by a group of talented artist. Today I have used two of them on one project. Friends of ours have moved house and I thought it appropriate to give them a card. I've tried a bit of vintage look with a bling on it. Maybe a bit overdone, since bling is not quite my style. But I have to admit, sometimes to take a proper picture takes a lot more effort than to make the card. The papers I've used is Vintage rose paper pack and Picnic in the park paper stack. I've used old rose chalk ink for my distressing and added some glitter, beads, gems and glitter ribbon with a bit of gelpens on the edges. Sentiment, computer generated read " A house becomes a home when love moves in".

Challenges I was guided by:
CDAC progressive challenge round 11 - Images used: Bailey bear with heart from Sew Many Cards(cdacpc11, smc) and MRO Digi Home from Whimsy and Stars (cdacpc11, Whimsyandstars)
Charisma Cards #4 - Vintage
Crafty Creations #155 - Home Sweet Home
Cute Card Thursday #202 - Buttons and bows
Dutch Dare Cardmakers #150 - Photo inspiration - Lime/menth, peach/pink, buttons, stripes, spring
I did it Creations#92 - Make it sparkle
Midnight Madness # MMSC135 - Sketch
Shelly's Image TTT - All tied up

Thank you and have a creative weekend!
Olga

Thinking of you....

Good Monday Morning

It started to rain yesterday afternoon and it rained on and off since then. An unusual sign in South Africa, where we are more known for our severe thunderstorms. I used the time to dig in my stash and I came upon this elegance brass template from Marianne's design, that I haven't used for ages. With still the black and white theme from CAS-fridays in my mind, I started this card. The sentiment is done with one of my oldest rubber stamps, saying thinking of you, and I used white heat embossing. Though with this sentiment I'll be thinking of my friend that has to go for some medical test, soon and we hope that the results will be good. Finishing it off with some pearls.

Joining in the fun:
CAS-fridays CFC#36 - penguin suite
Charisma Cardz #2 - Clean and simple
One Stop Craft Challenge # 166 - Under the weather/getting well soon

Thank you for your visit and have a wonderful day!
Olga

Penguin Slide

Good Morning

With a nice cup of earl grey tea in one hand I want to share this card with you. As I have mentioned before, I have to make a few male cards. I had these penguin stamps almost a year now. They are from the Ollyfant Storybook stamps, distributed by Kars. I have been playing with this idea now, for a week and with the girls at CAS-friday's challenge - penguin suite, it finally came to paper. I've used some black paper with a leatherly look with a bit of bling in the right corner and with the sentiment:" wishing you no unexpected downfall" I've used plain black paper as backing piece - though it does not look black. Just used a plain fineliner and a white gelroller for the borderlines.
I'm join in the fun at:
CAS-Fridays CFC 36 - Penguin suite - only black and white allowed
Charisma Cards #2 - Clean and simple
I did it creations #90 - Animals
Glitter Gleeks week 3 - Two images

Hope you can enjoy a nice cup of tea, too.

Thank you
Olga

A Golfer's Day

Good Morning

A change in style, a bit more CAS this time. This, the first of a few male cards that I have to make. I've used a diecut on the back of the circle to give it the same uneveness of a golfball. The striped papers is from DCWV - All about boys. The golfer is from an online colouringbook, that I adjusted a bit. The golf charms is from my stash. I've used a Fiskar border punch for the scallops on the green.

Challenges I'm joining:
CAS Fridays CFC35 -Highs and lows
CCEE stampers CCEE1202 - Sketch
Charizma Cards #1 - Happy Birthday
Dutch Dare #DDCC147 - For the boys

Thank you and have a lovely weekend.

Olga

As Mad As A Hatter

Good Morning

I had a bit of struggle with today's post. It just didn't want to pop out, but finally I joined everything toghether.

The digis is from the Alice in Wonderland II collection from Digi my World. I just love the cereze cat's grin. Though, I had to do some research since I do not really know the story of Alice in Wonderland. From there my sentiment, (computer generated) since it was a remark by one of the caracters in Alice in wonderland for the caracter The Hatter. I used some heat embossing on the teeth of the cat as well as on the borders, which I mixed with some purple glitter. The lower level paper is a cut off piece from my previous project from W&M and the velvet embroid ribbon is a piece from long ago. It just fitted the scene where it is part of an imaginary world beyond the rainbow of which my brother is very fond off, since he loves reading. This card is special, since it is his first out of my hand after 17 years of absence.

Challenges I'm joining:

Aud Sentiment #45 - Any sentiment with using scraps

Charisma Cardz # 52 - Over the rainbow

Crafty Creations #151 - Heat it up with heat embossing

Digi my World #1 - Light up my life

Mojo Monday #222 - Sketch

Thank you

Olga

Puppy love

Good day

Wishing you all a year full of creativity, love and peace of mind and heart. After a few weeks of summer holidays I'm back, hopefully with few new ideas, a lot of energy and a bit more of myself than needed. Hopefully that will disappear soon, with a bit of work.
We had such a lovely surprise before christmas. There were some french people visiting Hubby's work and another collegue sended us some nice french gifts via them. It was such a delightful gesture that I just had to make them this Thank You card.

Now for my post. This is a digi from Pattie's Creations, one of round 9's digis over at the Crafter's digital Art Centre, with the theme of making it your own. We have received it before Christmas, but due to all the holidays the deadline was postponed to the 14th of January. I have to admit, I 'm glad since I had time off to play with the image in my head and I just love dogs and this puppy face.
The orange paper is from my stash and the rest is from W&M, which I also bought, just before christmas. I've used chalk ink for the orange distressing. The sentiment is done with my cuttlebug, one I bought just before christmas - you know that "for - mom - from - mom - gifts". The rhinestones, button and ribbon is from my stash.
The colour scheme choice was guide by Use it Tuesday's challenge of the colours of your favourite sports team - for me it is the Cheetah rugby team in central South Africa, with colours of jade, purple and mainly orange or white.

The challenges I'm joining in:
CDAC round 9 - cdacpc9, PC
Charisma Cardz #50 Team Gem - Anything goes
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Sketch 134
Use it Tuesday #22 - Yay team - colours of your favourite sport team
Glitter Geeks #30 - Brand spanking new bragging with your new stash

Thank you and have a splendid day!
Olga

Bless the beast

Good Morning

This is propable my last post before we leave for a bit of holiday! Seeing forward to it. So I cleaned my desktop, but before I start my preparations, I would like to share this card with you. This is Bakster Helps from Just Some Lines, one of round 8 of the Crafter's digital art centre's digis with the theme of Animals holds our hearts. The image I've coloured with aquarrelles, added some heat embossing on the nose and teeth to give it a wetlook. Distressed with terracotta pigment inks. I've used paper from the Pet stack paper set, from DCWV, with glitter and gloss. The sentiment tag, I've found in my scrapbook stash. The bone embellishment and the row of bones, covered in glitter, on the background, is also from the Pet stack that I have cut out. With my fiskar handpunch I've punched some bones, which I added on to the scallops. Ended off with some brads on the corners and a heart button.

This will most definitely do for a male or a boy birthday and I would like to invite you all for a DT call over at Lexi creations and we welcome the new blog challenge: Chocolate, coffee & cards, wishing them all the best for their future.

Challenges I'm joining:

JUGS #113 - Sketch
CDAC round 8 - cdacpc8 JSL
Charisma Cardz # 47 - Seeing Spots
Lexi Creations #54 - One for the boys
Stampalot December Challenge - Bingo - Brads, Buttons, Punch
Craft your passion # 87- Anything goes with glitter
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenge # 1 - Celebrate!


Hope you have a colourful day, despite the weather conditions outside!

Hugs
Olga

Silence Is Golden

Hallo

Finally I had time to put my idea to paper. It has been a bit of hectic week. I had to entertain 32 kids between 6-12 years of age in making cards for christmas. So, I had to make some preparations on Monday and Tuesday.

I had this idea the first time I saw the challenge to make your own portret over at Paint your World, but had to put it at the back of my mind. Monday, however, when I saw this nice pink daisy paper, I just could not resist. I just felt like making something dainty. We celebrated 13 years of marriage on Monday and the other day, I heard, that when the silence between two people is in harmony, that says the most and not what is said in words. And, I believe it to be true, whether it be friends or lovers. With the year running to a close, it is also a time to rethink the year passed, a time to become silent within yourself. With us, in our summer holiday season, it is probable easier than with our fellow crafters in the northern hemisphere.

Now, for my card. With the frame I've used some heat embossing in pink, the stamp is from DTM Loisir Créatifs, the image is Lily & Milo, from Rachelle Anne Miller, distributed by Stampavie. I printed on pink vellum and used some pergament perforating on the edge. The tread is some white glitter embroidering thread and the swirl is punched in some pink hologram paper. The flowers are from my stash.

I had my hubby in mind when I started, since the times with him is prescious, but I doubt whether he is into pink, so it will end up at my friend, to say thank you for her presence in my life.

Challenges I'm entering:
Seems a little sketchy#1 - Sketch
Paint your world #5 - Make a portret with frame
Charisma cardz #47 - Seeing Spots
Get Hippity with Ippity #10 - Embossing
Craft your Passion #86 - Tis the season - Anything holiday or winter related (It is summer holidays, here in South Africa)
Crafty Cardmakers#57 - Heat embossing
Use it Tuesday #20 - Giving Thanks

Thank you for your visit.
Olga

Friends

Such a warm and luscious photo inspiration. Whether you get excited about the idea of some warm pumpkin soup infront of the fireplace or playing in the falling leaves like a child.

Good Morning

I was inspired by Paint your world's challenge to make a frame with a picture stamped into it. There is a very nice tutorial on there blog. Since digi stamps is the current buzz thing to do, it's been a while since I used any of my stamps. I used "doodle frames" from stampendous for my frame with some gold wet embossing and my picture is "sisters" from Leeré Aldrich, Stampavie. The outer border was made with a diecut from Marianne's design. The designer paper is from Cardmaking and papercraft magazine and was chosen for it is warm colours inpired by the above picture, I added some lace and pearls and for the sentiment in Afrikaans(friends) I used some gold peel-offs, to give it a bit of shabby chic feeling.

Challenges I am entering:

Paint your world #5 - stamp picture frame with picture

A Gem of a Challenge #34 - sketch and add sentiment of stitching faux or real

Charisma Cardz #45 - Lace and Pearls

Craft your Passion #85 - Photo inspiration

Have a nice day

Olga

God's blessing

My project

A view from the back

A 20cm diameter circle folded in a triangle.

Good Morning

This is a special card for a friend whom celebrate her 60th birthday, this coming week-end. Though all birthdays are special I thought something different will do for this achievement.

So I combined a few challenges and used handmade paper as base. I 've cut a 20cm diameter and then folded in a triangle. I used my Marianne design's diecuts for the top flower and grab the freebie sentiment from Netty's cards. When I saw the digi is from Sliekje and she called it Just Cute and you can interepret it as rain or snow, I stopped searching, since I know my friend has 3 granddaughters in England. The sentiment is my own in Afrikaans and read: "May God's blessing rain upon you, so that you can grow and keep on be a blessing to all." I've added the ribbon to fasten it a the back, though it is not prominent on the front. I didn't want to add to much embellishments since I wanted to make the paper more the focale point.

The challenges I've combined:

Just us Girls #109 - Sketch - won't you tri(angle) it.
CASual Fridays CFC 27 - Over the edge

Charisma Cardz #44 - Cutesy

Glitter Geeks #22 - Snuggle up

Thank you and have a splendid day!

I'm off going to bake pancakes.

Olga

Boyz Rule

Good Afternoon
When I woke up this morning it rained and I had that same feeling, as when we stayed in France on a Sunday, when it rained. I just had this mojo for crafting.

On Monday the ladies at Cupcake Craft Challenge #165 started a new week with denim and lace, a very interesting combination and a bit of challenge when I had to make a boy card. So on Thursday the ladies at Cute Card Thursday #188 gave up this sketch for this week, with some beautiful Kimmie Kraftin Stamps to be won and Charisma Cards #43 has an anything goes quest for this week, with also some lovely prizes. This is my interpretation for these challenges:

My images is from an online colouring book, the papers is from my stash and luckily denim today is almost any colour blue. I've highlighted the image with some red and green papers. The buttons is from Dress It Up - Boyz Rule. The lace I bought from my local craft shop and I digged out some alphabet stickers, from my scrapbook stash, that I had for ages now.

This card will go all the way to France, where I know the people just love the outdoor thing to do.

Hope you have a splendid week and thank you for visiting.

Olga

Dreaming of a White Christmas....

Just a quick hallo
I've been creative with other mediums lately, so my mojo for paper were a bit low. It is time for round 5 at CDAC with free digis provided. So my digi is the one from Just some lines, an angel teddy dreaming. Since we do not have white christmas in South Africa, I thought I'll be dreaming of those we had in France, from there my sentiment. I've used my Cuttlebug snowflake emboss folders for the background and for the border. The metal snowflakes brads are from my stash as well as the brazzille papers. The ribbon, I've done a while ago for another card, but never used it. I've used a snowflake eyelet with it.
Today I'm entering my first challenge in a unknown language but could not resist when I saw Dianescarlett from Scrap Affair, whom design for Paint your world, with the theme of angels or demons, where I got my mojo from for today's post. Thank you Dianescarlett.

Challenges I'm entering:

Crafter's Digital Art Centre, cdacpc5, JSL - Round 5 with theme of festive and cool colour code
Aud Sentiment #39 - Winter theme
Gem of a Challenge #32 - Sketch
Paint your world #3 - Angel and demons
Charisma Cardz#42 - Embossing
Use it Tuesday #17 - Metal

Thank you for visiting and wish you a splendid day.
Olga

A Boo!-tiful Birthday

Good Morning on this chilly sunny morning.

As I saw the new challenges for the next week, my eye caught the colour combo of orange and black. Since orange is one of my favourite colours, in all its shades and I have this adorable digi, Bailey in witch hat from Sew Many Digital Cards - one of the digis for the 4th round at CDAC Progressive Challenge, with the theme of halloween/mystical. I had this urge to create a card. Though, as mentioned before, in South Africa we do not celebrate halloween, I used it to make a birthday card. All the papers and ribbons are bits and pieces from my stash. Found this lost silver button in my drawer of buttons and added it with a silver thread. The sentiment is digital porduced. The diecuts is one from Nellie Snellen.
I'm joining in the fun in the following challenge, with some very interesting prizes:
CDAC progressive challenge, cdacpc4 smc - round 4, halloween/mystical
Paper Pretties PWC174 - Sketch
CCEE Stampers CCEE1140 - Favourite colour combo with a half a circle
Charisma Cardz #40 - Black and orange
Divas by design #12 - Button up
Raise the bar # 77 - Hats off
PaperCrafting journey # 20 - Diecuts or punches
Crafty Calender Challenge October - A Spooky Birthday
Aud Sentiment # 38 - Happy Birthday

Hope you have some sun in your day.
Thank you for visiting.
Olga

The sky is the limit....

Hallo Everyone
Just to share some good news. After 18 months in blogworld I finally won my first challenge over at Digi my World. Thank you Annie. It took me by surprise, I must confess. So, for more to win for everybody they are sharing some blogcandy every week, $5 store credits at their shop - Digi my World and they have some nice digital stamps available and new releases on Fridays.

Now for my post,

Spring is in the air with all the birds, bees and butterflies in my garden, although we had a cooler day yesterday and the wind has been blowing the whole week. The wind is not the thing that bothers me the most, it's the dust that goes with it....especially since we stay in the heart of the coal mine industry in South Africa.

Well, enough complaining.

The ladies at Charisma Cards Challenge # 37 have a theme of "Sky" and the Digi my World challenge #2 is "School Spirit" Somehow I wanted to join the two challenges, since I believe you can learn so much of life's lessons in nature. I've used the sketch from Crafty Catz challenge #100 and at Glitter Geeks Week #15 the theme is "In the Garden". So I ended up using the adorable butterfly digi from Digi my World and added some rhinestones on my fiskar border punch. The swallow birds's paper I've found in my stash and I used a cuttlebug flower border emboss template on the green. The sentiment is my own.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Thank you

Olga

Time for Tea

Good Morning
It is a lovely spring Monday down here, with sunshine, although still a bit of chill in the air for the moment, but the temperature will rise definitely.

The ladies at Top Tip Tuesday tried to define "Shabby Chic" this week. Finally I came to the conclusion that it is an old time romantic feeling. This is where my card started to get form. Though I did not use a lot of broken white, I could not resist this faded olive green paper from TOGA, which I matched with a faded pink, lace and pearls. The diecuts(circle, flowers and stem) is creatables from Marianne's design and the corners from Cuttlebug. The digi is from Digi my World and the sentiment from Bird's cards. I've coloured the image with aquarelles and distressed it with chalk.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday #49 - What is Shabby Chic?

Digi my World #1 - Anything goes

Paper Crafting Journey # 18 - Sketch

Craft your Passion # 74 - Anything goes if a flower is added

Crafty Creations #134 - Use at least 3 diecuts or punches

Charizma Cardz # 35 - Anything goes

Wish you all a piece of sunshine today!

Thank you for your visit.

Olga

CDAC Mini Paperbag Album

Hallo Everybody


Today I'm not quite sure on how to do my post, since it is a challenge with a bit of differnce. The Crafter's digital Art Centre have a mini paperbag album swop. You have to make a mini album with paperbags, for jounaling and photos. The idea is to make an album for your partner, with something that she likes and with a touch of your own. This is the paperbag that I used, 12.5 x23.5 cm or 5 x 9 inch. The other requirements are:
- 6 digital images
- 3 x tags
- 3 x pullouts
All papers and embellishments is from my stash unless otherwise mentioned. I've added some inspirational words in Afrikaans and English on each page.
My Partner, Janina from Port Elizabeth in South Africa, is a non fussy lady, which likes all shades of blue. She'll be using her album for herself. So, here we go!

This is my cover. This paper is probably one of my very first sheets I've bought. I've used some silver sparkle on the J with soft magic, light blue, from Carole's Craft. I've stringed some beads on elastic string, so that it can extend when more photos are added. Just finished it off with some feathers and a butterfly, from Creative Talents.

The idea is to put a photo of the owner of the album, in the frame and the digi is from Disguised as Grown up.
I just could not resist, since the theme of the page is: Me and this lady owl looks as if she loves herself.

With his page, with the ladybug(springlady) digi from Digi my World, was inspired by spring. Currently, spring has arrived with all the trees blooming. I've used a fiskar corner punch and emboss templates and did some wet embossing.

This is brazzill paper and I used Marianne's design and spellbinder templates to make the page. The pullout is a pale blue which is decorated with some confetti flowers and ribbon.

I had friends in mind when I made this page. So I made another photo frame with a tag to make some notes. The words say: Hang your friends on the same way as you would do a masterpiece, so that the right light will fall on them. That is loosely translated.

This is a page with a touch of feminity. Used a fiskar music background template. The digi is from CDAC progressive challenge and is called Dance. I've coloured it with aquarelles and used some chalk to distress. The pullout is plain lilac with a bow.

I got my inspiration from this piece of paper, though blue, it gives me a feeling of romance. With spring in the air, all the birds come out and sing their songs. It is so joyful. I've added a heart border from fiskar and the pullout, (better photo under) is a pale blue. I did some dry embossing on. I've attached a butterfly ribbon.

Since it this is my second last page, I felt like holidays at the beach. The digi left top is from Netty's blog and I have to make a very big confession, I am not sure on where I got the tong digi. I used some 3D varnish on the straps with rhinestones. I made the seastar from crazy clay. The "water" reflection is from the last page.

This is the last page, with this vintage camera from Beyond the Fringe and the tag, with a leftover piece from the birdpaper. I've added a acetate piece, to add another photo with some comments on. Did some distressing with ink this time.

I'm also sharing this with:

Cupcake Craft Challenge # 157 Alter it - Hope altering a paperbag into an album falls in their category.

Digi My World #1 Anything goes - I've used their springlady digi.
Charisma Cards #35 Anything goes - Just something different.

Thank you for your visit and have a wonderful creative week-end.

Olga

A touch of christmas tree

Hallo Everyone

Everywhere you go in SA, scenes of spring is greeting you. Slowly, but surely the buds open and the splash of colour shows. Just love the feeling. My mother-in-law, though had to remind me, that christmas is also around the corner.
So, when I this scrapbookpaper from fabscrap, with this blurred christmas trees, I could not resist. It just fitted the request from the JUGS challenge #98, with colours Chocolate Chip, Deep Yellow, Ridinghood Red and Olive Green. I've used my fiskar border punch and added a gingham ribbon with a peel-off sentiment. I'm also entering Charizma Cards challenge #33 Negative space.

Hope you have a day full of colour.
Olga