Christmas cards series: Holiday Romance

I have been planning to publish this page earlier, but time around the holidays felt more scarce than I expected. Although, I had help at home, still less time for Internet. Gosh, time do fly! Christmas used to be running around the house, TV and fun, and now it seems to be running around the shops and fun in the kitchen :), although I have to say it is still fun, just different kind of fun.

But now, topic related. Here comes the second part of the Christmas cards I have done. This part I have named: Holiday Romance, as I think the cards here have a romantic spirit, or at least I have tried achieving one when making them. Most cards are made with paper from either Sinelli or Tiimari and some additional decoration. As in the last post I will write some explanations, if there is some special technique used. 

So here they come: 

1. Ribbon Affair

A card for a relative, who likes ribbons and accessories, so in my opinion fits perfectly. Correct guessing-  a female relative and her family :). I have used the 3D decoupage technique on some of the Christmas tree balls, and to avoid giving in to the kitsch, I did not placed ribbons on each ball.  Other than that, very easy card to make. Right hand side bottom, the discrete sign 'Hyvää Joulua' is accompanied by a small adhesive green gem. I have to admit, one of my favorite cards, from this section, although modestly I need to share, there will be very many  favorite cards in this post :). 

2. Romantic Purple

This card I made first this Christmas. I was just back from the store with some inspiring new materials, so it took less than half an hour making it. 

Technique: embossed edges, 3D decoupage (the mistletoe patterned paper is placed above the simple snowflakes one), the congratulatory sign is decorated with brads, and the thread is from an old price tag - I keep all those threads, from clothing price tags, as they are usually very nice colors and good quality to recycle. 

3. Vintage Stories

Used materials: clear stamps by Papermania, heart shaped brad, lace ribbon. I am not a big fan of straight lines, I find them too trivial, so I intentionally left the upper lines of the white squares as they are.

 4. Tilda's Dream

Simple, yet very classy card. I love it! A card for my American professor, back from the university. Technique: embossed corners, 'Hyvää Joulua' sign from Sinooperi, background paper from Paparpack by Tiimari and....... the Chritmas balls, ah the Chritmas balls are from Tilda's World Collection. 

Who is Tilda? You have not heard about Tilda? That needs to be corrected immediately! 

Tilda is a reserved trade mark by the Norweagian designer Tone Finnanger and Panduro Hobby.  Distinctive characteristics of the Tilda products are the pink-red-white color combination and the vintage design of the products. Tilda range of product is vast, but probably the most popular ones are the crafts books and the adorable fabric dolls, which I dream to make  one myself someday. In case someone is keeping notes, I do accept Tilda's craft books and doll materials for gifts :). 

5. Angel of mine

'Hyvää Joulua' or Merry Christmas in Finnish

Technique: the white heart shapes for the angel's wings and the brad for the halo are by Tiimari, the 'Hyvää Joulua' sign and hand-crocheted flowers are by Sinooperi. Other than that, just my imagination playing around. And again - It's a favorite!

6. The Scent of Christmas 

'Hyvää Joulua' or Merry Christmas in Finnish

And....again, one of my favorite Christmas cards. I did warn you there will be many favorite cards in this post.  

I love the concept a lot! The transparent silk bag contains cardamon, cinnamon, clove and aniseed spices, so when you receive the card you will receive the scent of Christmas with it as well. I also put few tiny heart shaped confettis, as 'good love' :) wishes. 

7. Lace Snowflakes 

Ready snowflake die cut paper card base by Papermania, the additional small flakes I did myself with a snowflakes punch, and the heart in the middle is by Vivi Gade's Helsinki collection.

8. English Diamonds 

Technique: hand-decorated after stamping clear stamps by Papermania, lace ribbon, heart shaped brad and heart shaped embossed motive on the light red square, around the brad. As my husband pointed out the background color of the card base is English red and this card did leave for England.

9. Noel 

Noel or Christmas in French. Just a nice, happy and asymmetrical combination of colors and shapes. As I did mentioned before, I am not a big fan of straight lines, unconventionality is soooo much more fun! 

10. Season Greetings

With the glitter snowflakes I tried a new technique here; border rub-on. Might sounds complicated, but surprisingly easy. You need to buy a ready made package of rub-on shapes, which are practically two sided  transparent adhesive tapes; one of the sides is placed on the paper and the other is sprinkled with glitter. After that experiment, I did try to do my own glitter snowflakes, and I succeeded quite well - in the card number 10, under I have used that technique. I will devote a whole post about that, as it is very easy to make and the effect is nice. 

For the rest of the materials, you might be curious to know that I did recycle a plastic tag from a clothing. 

11. Glitter Snowflakes 

This is the card, with which I tried to make my own glitter snow flakes. You can see them on the dark background.

12. Miss Elisabeth 

'Hyvää Joulua' or Merry Christmas in Finnish

The same concept as the number six car- the Scent of Christmas, just a bit different background. A card for our beloved and dear friend, whom I have disguised with the name Miss Elizabeth. The "most wonderful creature" in the world as we call her at home :) .

13. Mini dreams part two

As in the previous post, there was a smaller card, this one is small too. It is 10 x 7 cm. In addition: a cross close envelope.

14.Rusetti (or Ribbon in Finnish) 

'Весела Коледа' or Merry Christmas in Bulgarian

The name says it all. There is a huge paper ribbon on that card :). The card is in Bulgarian and I wrote the sign myself. I have to admit, I am not very skillful with written signs. I need to work on that, if that is possible to improve, at all. 

15. Last Story

'Hyvää Joulua' Merry Christmas in Finnish

Or literary the last Christmas card, I made this year. For our lovely neighbours.

Well, this is it. All the Christmas cards I made this year in the last two post. Although, late I do hope that the reader can find some inspiration for any future projects here.

Till the next time!

By then, please accept my warmest wishes for a holiday romance :). 

Christmas cards series: Home Classics

It took me a while to have this post ready, but I hope it will be worth for the reader.  As I have mentioned before, we do send quite a bit of post cards every year, or at least we think we do, if 30 Christmas cards is considered a lot. However, making 30 cards was time consuming for me. I think I get a little impatient at the end to start sending them already. 

But, but,... enough rambling, here they are, the first part of the Christmas card in this post. The cards you will see here are collected under a common theme called Home Classics. All the colors and decorations used remind me of the Christmas spent at home as a child with my parents, the fireplace, red woolen knitted socks we would rather need to wear to keep us warm than hang :) , the Christmas tree decorated with classic round glittering balls - very fragile and easy to break, all the gifts wrapped in deep red paper decorated with red ribbons,.... and the smell of granny's pumpkin pie (traditionally in Bulgaria consumed as a Christmas dessert) served on a hand crocheted table cloth. Ah..... the childhood memories... 

Back to the cards here. Many of them are made by just combining a paper base, scrap-booking paper and some decorations. For those that a bit different technique is applied I will write a short explanation. 

Well, and the cards:

1. Snowing Heart 

All materials are from Tiimari and Sinelli stores. The Christmas wishes at the bottom are made using clear stamp by Papermania.  

2. Checked Snowflakes

Paper and snowflakes from Sinelli, the brown cardboard and 'Merry Christmas' sign saved from last years' Christmas gifts and the ribbon is from Vivi Gade's Helsinki collection.

3.  Santa's little helper 

'Hyvää Joulua' or Merry Christmas in Finnish

This card was inspired by my friend Katja, who makes wonderful cards. So I used her idea, from a card I've received from her two years ago and added some of my own design. I wanted to keep the look clean and simple, just three colors in total and to further exalt background I used paper tearing as a distressed technique.

4. XmaX Christmas

This card screams 'I do recycle' . All materials are left overs from other projects, and yet this is one of my favorite cards from this season. I like the 'old cowboy ranch' look of the card and it all happened by chance. As you can see I've intentionally rumpled and teared some of the paper of the card to intensify the effect.

And YES! It does say XmaX on purpose- as the card was intended to two of our friends who like to take it to the maX, so I played around with the words. :)

5. Oh tannenbaum!

Well, very obvious a Christmas tree, but I have to admit that I am very prod of this design. I was lucky to find the background papers that have similar patterns (from two different sources and as a matter of fact one of of them I bough as a single piece of scrapping paper from the Hand-Crafts fair  in Helsinki in November'12), but both paper make a perfect match. If you look carefully at the corners I've used embossing technique for relief, again matching design to the background paper. The tree effect is made with Xmas tree shaped confettis and the brad is by Ho Ho Ho Funky Brads series by Dove Crafts.

6. Heart chaped mirror 

 Ribbon from Vivi Gade's Helsinki collection, corners effect with Fiskars' corner punch.

7. Sock Story

Also one of my favorite cards. Childish and charming, very easy to make and meant to make you smile. It was sent to our dear friends, who left Finland and moved to Austria recently. I wanted to give them a reason to smile when them open the envelope. The card was in combination with warm slippers and socks, presents for both of them.

8. Candied card 

'Hyvää Joulua'  or Merry Christmas in Finnish

Though the name, the card's appearance is quite simplistic. I was aiming to achieve a Christmas package resemblance. I've recycled a chocolate candy celofane :) and used two types of ribbons and Papermania clear stamp. 'Hyvää Joulua' stickers from Sinelli. 

9. Crochet memories 

I bough the crocheted lace trim from Tiimari, clear stamps by Papermania, pack-thread from the kitchen :), and embossed upper dark red piece of paper. 

10. and 11. The Round Set 

Although, different I've put those two cards together, because of the round center piece decoration. I should point out that I've personally draw and cut the circles on the card on the right, as I still refuse to buy cutting dies :). 

12. Glitter Tree

'Hyvää Joulua' or Merry Christmas in Finnish

Again a card inspired by my friend Katja. The idea of the glitter glue Christmas tree came from her. The rest of the card I put together. I found out that glitter glue is so easy to use and the result always seems to be nice. I've additionally decorated some of the background paper with the red glitter glue. The 'Hyvää Joulua' sigh is from Sinooperi.

13. Mini dreams

This card is small, as the title suggest - 10 x 10 cm and for making it I've used clear stamps and a hearts decorated red ribbon. This was one of the first times I tried using clear stamps and I was quite happy from the result of white ink on red paper. I still need to improve my technique, but I am definitely going to use clear stamps more often. 

Well, that was with the cards from the first series - the Home Classics edition. Although, a little bit late for Christmas I hope these cards can give you inspiration for your future crafting projects. 

Good Luck! and Merry Homey Christmas! 

Christmas cards series 2012

At this the time of year I anticipate the family holidays. I get very excited around Christmas and try to keep the Christmas spirit during the whole month of December, by lighting candles every day, putting on Christmas lights, decorations, the outside door decoration (which I find very important representative of my mood :) and I change every season sometimes two or three times), the making of Christmas cards for friends, and buying of the Christmas presents.... Ah, I love Christmas! 

Finland is looking forward white Christmas

This year the weather in Finland contributes to the Christmas feeling with over 20 cm snow, mild  temperatures (5 to 10 degrees C below zero)  and white landscape. Just the right weather to stay inside, get a warm drink, light a candle and enjoy your favorite activity; I would need to chose between cards making and recently obtained skills to knit (still a beginner, but very excited about it). 

So, while enjoying my days inside, I have been making Christmas cards for my friends. We usually end up sending over 30 cards every Christmas, so I have been busy since October, and still I had to make fast few cards within the last couple of days. 

As the cards I've made are quite a bit, in order to publish all of them, I will divide them in two post with the collective titles: Home Classics and Holiday Romance. 

So, coming up shortly...... Meanwhile, please do take a warm drink and enjoy your favorite activity. 

Card from wooden spatulas for Tamina's first birthday

My friend's daughter - Tamina, had her first birthday a month ago. A one year old toddler would not pay attention to a card, so I needed to come up for an idea that can be used for other purposes than just a card.

I had seen the idea for "wooden spatulas card" in a a website called Handmade-International, which is a website in Bulgarian full of various craft ideas. I find it comprehensive and inspirational enough.

So it was it - the wooden spatulas card. I particularly like this card idea for a child, it could be placed on the shelf, or could be hanged on the wall.

Materials for the card:

Do crafts wooden spatulas

other theme suitable wooden shapes

paint

coloring pencils

paper

glue for wood and metal

I found the wooden spatulas accidentally at the local book store. To be honest I was surprised that it was that easy, I though it will take me sometime to find what I need. I was even considering using coffee stirring sticks, tho a bit thin they would do. Good that Do crafts, had  already thought of how to solve my problem.

So, once you got the materials, it's rather easy.

You can arrange as many spatulas as you need. I used ten for the background and two to support the structure.

Wooden spatulas for the base

Choosing the background color

Ones arranged and glued together, the spatulas make quite stable structure to paint on. I wanted the card to look childish, as kids' made like (although, that is very good excuse to justify my painting skills :) ), so my general idea was just grass, sky, sun and clouds. I did intentionally left some pieces of paper on the surface of the spatulas, as painted over they will make it look rough, and it gave me the desired effect.

The paint I use was bough from the kids' section in IKEA. These water based simple colors fit fine with my  theme, as mentioned above I did seek the childish effect of the card.

the paint

The thematic wooden shapes I had bought sometime ago, because I liked them. They were plain, so I colored myself.

adding the theme suitable wooden shapes

My first idea was to place the girl and the flower in a pot one next to one another, but it did not work, so I had to disassemble the flower. The stem of the flower I used for making the congratulatory flag.

And this is it.

Good Luck to all!