My most favourite layouts of 2012 Part 2....

Happy New Year to all of you out there! 

I hope the year that is coming to an end has been good to you. For me honestly, it has been a bit of both!  I have experienced some hardship, but  I have also been blessed with a lot of good things. Today is is the last day of the year and it calls for celebration and for looking back on what has been, but also on what is to come... Did you make any resolutions? Did you pick a special new word for the coming  year? Good luck to you if you did. 

I tend to make more of a general kind of resolution, if I may even call it that. I decide that this year I am going to be better than the previous one. I am going to be for example ; kinder, (to others and to myself :-)), smarter, more patient, less lazy, etc. I find this is a better way for me, because I can use this in my everyday life to be a better person. 

I would also like to thank each and every one of you my friends for your support this year and for the love you leave me. It makes me so very happy to read all the comments you leave about my work and other subjects. And I have been completely bowled over by all your generous remarks about the layouts in my previous post. From the bottom of my heart; 'Thank You'!!

Are you ready for Faves Part 2 ?...Here we go!!

Happy New Year!

Hugs!!

My most favourite layouts for 2012 Part 1...

This time of year it is customary to make a post or two featuring our favourite layout/projects from the passed year. I went through my folder on the computer and actually found quite a few that I was surprisingly happy with. I say this because many times it is so easy for me to only see the flaws in my work and so much more difficult to appreciating the good points! 

So starting from the beginning of the year here are a few of my personal faves. (In no specific order!)

As they were too many for one post I will share some more in a day or two.

Portraits Everyday

 Hello and lovely to see you my sweet blog friends!!
I am actually very happy that some of you still find your way here even though I rarely update this poor neglected blog. LOL!
I was hoping to update before Christmas Eve, but on top of arranging a family Christmas here at home I have had the flue since Dec 23 so things have been a little out of hand here. With the help of my lovely daughters though we managed to arrange a warm and cozy Christmas to the enjoyment of young and old. I hope the holidays were warm and precious for those of you that celebrate and that all the rest of you  can take part in the enjoyment of the 'cozyness' of the season! I am still not feeling well, I have a terrible cold and spend most of my time underneath a blanket on the couch. I won't even name some of the awful re-runs I have been watching on the telly!!
But I am slowly getting there!

This is my latest lo made for Les Papiers de Pandore. I have used the lovely collections "Little Winter Circus" and "Everyday Portraits". 

The two collections are of course quite different but the colours marry very well as you can see.

This sweet portrait  is one I took of Beatrice on our recent trip to Stockholm. We had  lovely time doing only what we felt like at the moment. Last time we went there we visited almost ALL the museums and sights,...(and I really mean ALL...) - so this time we just did a lot of shopping and eating. -Of course we had 'fika' with sweet Eila,too. This picture is a lucky shot while we were 

waiting for the bus to take us to the towncenter.

 Just look at all the yummy flowers here. I love flowers!(..surprise...LOL!)

They are a mixture of Prima and Manorhouse Creations.The yellow and pink largeish paperflowers came in my warehouse box from MHF a while back.

The butterflies are from my stash. Last Summer in Norway I borrowed my sisters Martha Stewart punch as I don't have this one myself. It is one of my favourites actually!

I prepared the background of my page with two different masks by Prima Marketing with gesso and two colours mists. The vines were cut using a Cheery Lynn die and the lace circle is made with a Spellbinders die.I added some glitter to the vines to give the lo a more festive feel.

Now I should really get off that couch and at least start a page,...there are deadlines to be met!!
I know that if I can just start I will not be able to put it away until  I finish!!

I wish you all the best!!
XOXO

Focus on "Petits coupons" of "Little Winter Circus" and new Paper Issues blog hop.

I have been somwhat missing in action this last week. On Thursday we celebrated Santa Lucia which might be called our festival of light up here in the northern regions, and on Friday my DD2 Victoria had her 18th birthday. Maybe I will share some of my photos with you a little later.  I have been spending  a lot of time on preparations for these days and have not been scrapping much....

Still I do have a little something to share today. On the Les Papiers de Pandore blog a few days ago the DT were challenged to come up with different ways of using the round cut-out labels from the 'etiquettes' sheet. This is what I was able to come up with as a last minute idea.

Instead of cutting them out round kept some of the background on each to make square gift tags for labelling small christmas gifts.

 I used papers from the delightful "Little Winter Circus" collection to make up the boxes.

Just adding little bits and pieces like a diecut doily or a swirly vine and some twine  will make the simplest gift look good. Give it a try!

 I had a lot of fun making these and enjoyed the fact that they were quick to make.

You should head over to the Pandore blog to see what the other members of the DT came up with.

I love the look of the triangular box, but must admit I had a hard time getting the twine tied down. 

It just kept sliding off...LOL!

I would also like to remind you that there is a new theme and a blog hop on over at Paper Issues.

Our give away is spondsored by Amanda Rose stamps, and she makes some seriously cute stamps!

Just look:

Check out what the PI Team made:
Heather
Judean
Missy
Kellie
Aimee

Ypu could win three of these stamps and HERE you can read how!

Finally I would like to tell you that  "Blue Fern Studios" has a give away on their blog.
They are a new company producing the most lovely chipboard embellishments designed by the talented Michelle Singh.

From what I've seen so far I think I might be in love....
HERE is a link to the Blue Fern Studios blog.

That's all from me for today. Bye bye!

December sketch at Les Papiers de Pandore and a LO.

Hello!!

I am off to Victorias concert  in a minute but thought I would do a quick post about the new sketch posted today on the Pandore blog. I love the versatility of it and really enjoyed myself preparing my interpretation of it.

 I used the new collections "Little Winter Circus" and "Everyday Portraits". 

They match very well I find! In place of one of the papers I used a bottom layer of gesso through a mask by CraftersWorkshop. I seem to ba addicted to masks at the moment and that is the supplyI buy most of all right now!

I hope you enjoyed my quick presentation. If you would like to see how some of the others in the DT interpreted the sketch head over to the Pandore blog.

Also I would like to remind you of the fabulous new issue of PaperHaus Magazine.

 

If you haven't seen it.....GO take a look.

If you have, go ave another look ;-)

HERE is the link.

 Thanks for saying hello!!

Cute pillowboxes for "Papirdesign"

Hi all!

It's by time I start thinking about the holidays a bit more. 

Every year it's the same; I am so behind! Experiencing a major scrap slump with regards to inspiration does not help one bit. Still, last night while looking at all the pretty Christmas themed patterned papers from "Papirdesign" I decided to make these cute boxes and sort of "kick off"  the seasonal projects. (Do you see all the snow in my photos :-D?)

  I used a template for mine but I am sure you can find lots of examples on the internet.

 I decorated with angels cut from the elemenrts sheet "Juleglede" and chipboards God Jul (Merry Christmas) colour red.The red paper ribbon came off agift my DD received recently for her birthday and the cute mini roses are theirs as well.

I used a Spellbinders die for the lace circle  and one by Cheery Lynn for the vine.

These boxes aren't large soo they are perfect for little gifts that pack a large punch so to speak. :-)

I hope you will try these out as they are very simple to make.

Thanks for visiting!

A new design team and a new 'Snow Day' layout.

Hi.

Sadly it seems I rarely update anything here at the moment. 

But with December starting, things get crazy here with all the different must do's of the season. 

This  Saturday for example  I spent cleaning my windows.

 In December all families in Sweden put up lights in every window to offset the dark and cold outside. Then at the beginning of the New Year they go back in the boxes again for another year.

On Sunday morning I went to church with the girls. -Also another tradition as it was the First Sunday in Advent. Then home for a little snack and 'fighting our way through the snow' back to town. This time to look around the shops. You see; Sunday was also 'Skylt-Söndag/Sunday'.

That is officially the day to start your Christmas shopping and all the small shops in the center had put up their pretty lights and all their decorations. Loudspeakers play Christmas music and it is generally very pleasant. It is also nice because you will inevitably run into someone you know and you can have a small mug of 'glögg' and a 'pepperkaka''. These are the famous' mulled wine and gingerbread and they are absolute necessities of the season! 

We say that you must have a gingerbread so you'll be 'good' for Christmas.

And this is just the beginning; The whole of December continues in the same manner.

Important to remember that "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"...LOL!

I wanted to share a layout I made recently. I actually made two rather similar ones for the PaperHaus Magazine and this is the one that was not published.

(To see the Winter Issue of PaperHaus Magazine scroll down to my previous post)

The paper line I used is "Snow Day" by "Pink Paislee". Unfortunately I don't think they sell it anymore. I love these colours for a Winter layout and would buy a line like this any year!

And then on to my exciting news ot the day!!

I was invited to be part of the DT for Scrap for Help. It is a very international challenge blog based in Brazil. And the new team will surely be a great success!!

This is what Cynthia had to say on the SFH blog:

"We are happy to introduce our new design team for 2013!  It is a big team, with 32 amazing designers from around the world. 
 These are the people who will inspire you, month after month, to make layouts and projects that incorporate recycled materials.  You will see many familiar faces here, and many new faces as well. 
 Our team members come from different countries, and they truly represent the international solidarity that is so important to Scrap for Help. 

Since we have so many team members, we are dividing into two groups. The first group will share projects with you during odd-numbered months (January, March, May, etc.), while the second group will share projects during even-numbered months (February, April, June, etc.).  
You can also expect to receive comments from team members on your blog, when you link to Scrap for Help.  We look forward to interacting with you! "

To see all the names accompanying mine on the list go to Scrap for Help. 

And this link will also take you to the latest challenge.(To use string on your layout). I am looking forward to January when the new team will start!

I need to make some cards, so hopefully I will have something new to share soon :-)
Hugs!

Fabulous new issue of PaperHaus Magazine, and I am lucky enough to be in it!!

Hi friends!

I am here to share the fabulous Issue 2  of 'PaperHaus Magazine'.

A while back I was added to the contributors of the magazine and I am so thrilled to be part of this fabulous publication! I would say that if possible this one is even better than the first one!!

 This is the cover of Issue 2:
After taking a peek I tell you; You want to see this!!

 HERE is a link that will take you to the magazine.

I have a Winter themed layout in this issue and without further ado, here is a sneak

You can see my layout on page 69 in the magazine.

I would also like to remind you of the
12 Days of Christmas event taking place on the PaperHaus blog.

There is even a large prize involved.
Read about it HERE

Thanks for taking a peek.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!


.

Some easy christmas cards using "Papirdesign".

If you are here for the Paper Issues/Reminisce  blog hop plese scroll down one post!

Just a short one today sharing some  cards I made this week end.

The formula is simple but that is a necessity if you have many cards to make.

I followed the same steps for all the cards; 

Cut cardstock sheet in half and score through the middle.

Cut patterned paper in four and make the squares slightly smaller than the front of your card. 

If you like you can ink around the edges. I framed a vintage image with some pp and also added 

some strips of patterned paper and lace. Not much more needed in way of embellishments. 

I added a few clustered flowers and a "Merry Christmas" sentiment printed on chipboard.

All the supplies here are from Papirdesign.

Thanks for dropping by!!

Holiday Happy. Inspirational bloghop at Paper Issues. Giveaway from Reminisce.

 Hi and welcome to the Happy Holiday bloghop.

At Paper Issues we are happy to be sponsored by Reminisce starting today Nov 18th and going on for the next two weeks.We would like you to link up your projects that go with our theme to our original PI post HERE. Every day DT members will pick three projects to feature from what you link up, and hopefully send a lot of new traffic to your blogs. 

I received a beautiful kit by Reminisce including some lovely seasonal 12 X 12 papers and stickers.

This kit is also what will be offered as a prize to two lucky winners.

It is my first Christmas project of the year,...I am normally a slow starter... But with these very classic and elegant looking papers I could not wait to get started!

I printed some of the photos I took last Christmas and decided to start a mini album.

So far I have finished the cover but I will share the rest of it as I finish more pages.

This is what it looks like:

To win one of the prizes :

I would like you to be or become a follower of my blog and post a comment on this post.

We also ask you to like Reminisce and Paper Issues on Facebook.

For an extra entry to the draw link up a project.

To read all the details on how to link up your projects go HERE.

We have two of these kits to give away! :-)

The  DT members taking part in the hop are:

Audrey

Peg

Anna

Gina

Bente (that's me :-D)

Sara

Here are a few more pictures of my album.

I used a pre-made mini-album  as a base and covered the pages with beautiful patterned papers. 

I added a thin layer of gesso on top of the front page and aged it with some gold paint around the edges. I even used a little tan coloured paint to make it look more 'worn'.

I then added my embellishments; lace, ribbon leaves and lovely flowers. 

I wanted to use one of the stickers for my title and at first I was going to use a really large one. 

I decided against it as it would have covered up so much of the patterned paper . I found an old chipboard frame and put a smaller sticker behind it. I loved the look!

 The smaller sticker words are also by Reminisce...Family, Traditions,...Peace...

I created a soft crackle paint effect on the chipboard frame, -after I painted it and distressed it with

 some gold paint.

I have a code that will let you take 20 percent off your whole cart when you go shopping at 

Paper Issues

Thanks for dropping by and Happy Holiday Hopping!!