Sinterklaas and my design team week at Sketch Saturday!!

Hello everybody!!

Yesterday evening was Sinterklaas evening in the Netherlands (and I believe Belgium too). Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) is our Dutch version of Santa Claus. In fact, Dutch imigrants took the Dutch Sinterklaas with them to America but once there they changed the legend into a less religious figure and they changed the date because they already had Thanksgiving at the end of November. From there the legend got back to Europe and that's how the Saint Nick legend got to life. Sinterklaas comes to The Netherlands in the middle of November by steamship from Spain and then children can place their shoes (and not their socks) near the fireplace where Sinterklaas' helpers, Zwarte Pieten (Black Peets) give them small presents. On November 5th Sinterklaas' birthday is celebrated and then Sinterklaas and his helpers bring presents in a big bag (like Santa). Zwarte Piet most of the time knocks on all the windows and doors and then when you open the door, there are the presents!!! Sometimes he even comes to visit but because there are so many children he has to bring presents to he can't visit everybody.

When the children are off to bed the older people often have surprises to open of themselves. The Dutch word for the English surprises is verrassingen but surprises in Holland means crafts made around presents that we give to each other. We draw lots to decide who makes and buys something for who. I love this traditional evening and we had so much fun yesterday. Dyanne is now playing with all the things she got and we have enough food left in the fridge to last us this weekend :). I always make way to much when I have to cook for a group. Just a shame that we have to wait an entire year till the next Sinterklaas evening.

But today is a whole new day and it's Saturday so.... Skech Saturday!! And this week is my Design team week and I have the honour to have it been sponsored by Pink Cat Studio. Melissa from Pink Cat Studio kindly donated this gorgeous set of stamps:

Don't you just love them? They are the latest release and they could be all yours if you make a card with the sketch I've created for this week:

It is my first sketch ever so please be gentle :). I had lots of fun making a card with my own sketch but that was mostly because it was my first time playing with the stamp set Melissa has donated. This is my card:

I loved Billy and Lily making snowangels the second I saw them. I coloured them with my Derwent Watercolour pencils and my Copic Markers. The snowflakes are felt and made by Creative Impressions I have touched them up with a bit of stickles and placed making memories brads in the middle. The cardstock is Bazzill bling and the white tule ribbon is also by Bazzill. I have embossed the lower cardstock with silver embossing powder by Artemio. The gorgeous paper I've used on top is A Rhonna Christmas Glittery Night. I don't know what company the ribbon is from.

Oops, almost forgot to post the pictures of the inside of the card. I made it a couple of weeks ago and since sent it to Melissa of Pink Cat Studio to thank her for sponsoring Sketch Saturday so I almost forgot I did something to the inside as well. I have read the poem somewhere on the Internet but I don't remember where I'm affraid. I thought it fitted this card perfectly though. The lined page is embossed bith the same Silver powder as was used on the front of the card.

Please check out the gorgeous creations my fellow Design Team members have made with my sketch. I do hope you will join in on the fun!! Have a great weekend!!!

xxx

Mariska