A retro card for Are

I'm so late with this card... But he's coming to see me today so I just had to get it done. I originally had some great BG papers planned for this card, but ended up with papers from the DCVW Retro stack instead. His name is short, so I saw my chance to use the Diesel alphabet again.

In other news, the big project I gave you a sneak peek on earlier, is coming along nicely! I'm getting confident that I'll be able to show it to you this December. In that case, December will be a very active month on this blog. ;)

Thinking about you

How do you make a card for someone who just lost a loved one? What do you say? It's a first for me, and this is how it ended up. I wanted to avoid black and dark, dreary colours, so I used white with a very pale green. K&Co paper, Penny Black brushstroke tulip in white heat embossing, flowers from stash. Having searched through all my stamps, stickers and rub-ons without finding anything useful I eventually had to write the sentiment ("We're thinking about you") in QK Phoebe letters.

(Side note: I snapped this picture in a hurry before delivering the card a couple of days ago. When uploading the picture to the computer today I realised that it's out of focus! *knocking head on keyboard* Will do better next time.)

Place card roundup

You might recognise this embossed silver cardstock from yesterday's post. Theodor's mother and I had made these place cards for his baby blessing ceremony, and I thought it would be nice to bring something of that into the card. The place cards are quite minimalistic, but the silver cardstock gives a striking impression and we decided to show it off by keeping the rest clean and simple. She came with the silver and blue cardstock, I provided stamps, spellbinders and alphabet dies (QK Frankie skinnimini), and a few ideas. Because there were so few details (and relatively few place cards to be made), we dared to start the project of writing every name in QK letters - let's just say that that took a little bit of time... *lol* We stamped a background text stamp with watermark ink on the blue cardstock before adding the baby hands or feet in silver to give some structure to the centre. They're quite big, that's the biggest nestie die!

Peninah, my mother and I made these place cards for Peninah's confirmation in May this year and I completely forgot to show them! I also made this and this card for her. The colours on these place cards were a nightmare get right, but they're supposed to be cool lilacs... With small greyish pink Prima flowers to give some dimension to the retro punch flowers. The names were simply written in silver (by me! o the horror) and popped up on 3D cushion tape.

Ok, so technically these aren't place cards, but we made the place card/menu/song booklets to match these invitations, so they're fairly similar. Can't seem to find my own place card right now, so you'll have to settle for the picture I snapped before this little pile of invitations went in the mail. They were for my brother's wedding Valentine's day this year, and the wedding had a coffe theme (duh). My sister-in-law-to-be (at the time) had most of it figured out, but turned everything upside down after seeing something in the store when we went to shop supplies... *lol* I liked the way it ended up!

For Theodor's blessing ceremony

This has got to be one of the quickest cards I've ever done... and it shows. Time just doesn't allow for anything these days, and I threw this one together moments before I went out the door. It's as simple as it looks: I picked the papers without too much fuss, the stamp was coloured with Tilda markers and it was already cut out. One ribbon, one rub-on and two flower buds later and it was all done! I'll show you why I used that particular silver cardstock tomorrow.

Low season

The fascilities by the small lakes in Baneheia are closed for the winter, bars on doors and windows. The little chalkboard sign that usually tells the pleasant water temperatures in these popular lakes says it all:

Date/time: "Over for this year"

Degrees: "Cold"

Looking down

While looking up can give you some wonderful, lofty views, looking down is a study of texture and subtle patterns.

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Like the quirky abstract shapes of roots making their way up between rocks, moss and a carpet of fallen pine needles...

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...or the swirly pattern of pine needles left behind after the last mini flood...
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...or the tiny grains of sand lodged in the crevasses of an old weather-worn piece of wood from the paths along the beach.

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Details. I love the little details. They are everywhere.

We just have to look with the right eyes.

Looking up

Made by Eva, her camera and the wind.

Autumn is my favourite season to photograph, and I know I'm not alone in that. Baneheia is still fairly green, but the yellows are making their way in. Soon the oranges and reds will take over... Looking forward to more walks!

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No Photoshopping other than the watermark.

Quadruple challenge K&Co card

I'm easing into the card making habit again, having been distracted by illness and a new long-term project (see previous post). So, just a nice and easy card today, made with the gorgeous K&Co Classic K McKenna paper pad my good friend Krissie bought me! Thank you sooo much sweetie! There's nothing like fresh new pattern paper... I'll be having a go at the Wild Asparagus pad next. ;)
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I've managed to qualify for a few challenges: Secret Crafter and Creative Card Crew are both asking for celebration cards. Crafty Creations asks for cards with one or more pale colour, and I think there are pale colours in the pattern papers, and then there are the pale pink rose buds. Lastly, I suddenly realised that this card deserves to be entered to the Pile it On 3D challenge, as the felt flower and the roses make this card so thick that it almost doesn't fit in the envelope! *lol*

Sneak peek

Here's a little sneak peek into one of the reasons why this little blog has had a bit of a down-period lately. I've gone mad (blame it on the fever) and started a project I hope to share throughout December. *ahem* Let me clarify: I hope to share it throughout this December. Knowing myself and considering the scope of this project, there is a real chance it will rather be next December... Wish me luck.

Blog candy

Just a quick post to share some blog candy that's popping up here and there! I haven't got any cards or knitting projects (or anything else really) to share yet, you'll have to settle for these. I might get something done as soon as my fever breaks. ;)

The amazing Bev has a gorgeous christmas themed candy going on right now! And she's closing it today as there are two more coming this weekend. How generous! :)

Anne's blog is quite new, like mine, and she's giving away lots of charms to celebrate her 6 month blogoversary. You know how much I love charms!! :P

Violet has a sweet little candy with some lovely ricrac ribbon and more!

There's another christmas themed candy over at Lisa's blog!

Agustina is giving away a candy with lots and lots of flowers, and some Argentinian treats I'd love to get my hands on... :P

Kristine has a huge candy on her blog, full of amazing goodies that has me drooling on my keyboard! ;)

And if that's not enough, Bec is also giving away a tremendous amount of stuff. Me like. ;)

Showing off

I love reading One Pretty Thing - every time I find something that inspires me and adds a project or two to my already-much-too-long project list. *lol* But imagine my surprise when I checked out their Gifts for Guys part one for some christmas gift ideas... Right there, the very first link on the list, is my own denim wrench casing! Wow! :D I made it for my dad one christmas from a couple of worn-out jeans and posted it on Cut Out + Keep last year. (Mental note: figure out why my web browser, for some strange reason, doesn't let me near CO+K these days.)

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I'm quite proud to be featured on a web site I read regularly myself and draw much inspiration from. :) I will easily admit that this discovery made my day! :D