Pile of presents with berries, pine cones and holly leaves

Hi everybody,

I did another Christmas card. And though I really love the image that I used on this one the main product that I wanted to use was this pretty Christmas berry spray by Wild Orchid Crafts. I've ordered these a while back and have been wanting to try them ever since.

The image is by Lili of the Valley and is named Pile of Presents, I think it's retiring so if you want to get it you'd better hurry. I did add another present that I stamped from the Deck the Halls stamp (also from LOTV and also retiring). The papers are old ones by Basic Grey with white and green cardstock.

A close up of the image, as always colored with Copics and 3D paper pieced for extra dimension. As mentioned, the present before his foot shouldn't be there but I thought the image needed something in that corner so I stamped it and paper pieced it in there. I've added some flower soft under his feet and as snow in the sky.

And the gorgeous Christmas Spray that I used in a close up. I used one single spray on this card and even had some berries left, I absolutely adore these pine cones and these pretty berries. On the Wild Orchid Crafts blog I explained how I attached them.

And the little pieces the image was made of. Can you see the ghost present? Shadow is there but no present yet :).

Hope you like my new Christmas card. Have a great day everybody!!!

Hugs,

Materials used:
Stamps: Pile of Presents and Deck the Halls (only the present) from Lili of the Valley
Paper: Green and white cardstock, Basic Grey Wassail
Dies: Circles are Nestabilities and Joy Crafts Winter Wishes edge die by Noor! Design
Other: Stitches done by hand, stickles Diamond and Gold, Flower Soft Polar White, the ribbon is by The Ribbon Girl but I don't know which one it is anymore, the heartshaped sparkly button is also by The Ribbon Girl. Antique Gold adhesive pearls by Flourish with a Bling.
By Wild Orchid Crafts:
Red Christmas berry spray with pine cones & holly leaves
25mm Red Open Roses

Gift box with Wee Stamps Maya

Hello everybody!!!

First to all of you still following me.... thank you SO much for your patience! My last post with a project was way back in August of 2013 and I was convinced that the number of followers to my blog would have been gone to about zero by now but there are still so many of you left! Since the last project that I showed here I haven't crafted at all. Without going in to much detail, somebody very close to my heart was diagnosed with cancer last year and that brought about a negative spiral for me. Crafting had been such a big part of my life and all of a sudden it didn't make sense to spend so much time on making a box or a card. I couldn't find the relaxation or the comfort I normally would feel in working on a project, it just felt pointless. I got some health issues of my own as well. On my birthday last year, November 15th, I visited my doctor and was shocked to see I was at my heaviest ever (except for pregnancies). I decided that things would have to change. I started working out and running and today I'm proud to say I lost 16 kg's and much of my health issues have improved but much more important, I'm delighted to say that the person who was diagnosed with cancer got the news a few weeks back that the cancer is gone! I finally had the desire to craft again. I have received a lot of very sweet messages during the time that I wasn't crafting, I did read them all but didn't reply to all of them and if I haven't replied to your message I want to thank you for sending it. It did mean a lot to read that people missed my work or were worried about me but I didn't always have the energy or words to reply.

Anyway... I'm back with my first project. I'm not going to be active in design teams for the time being (and don't know if I will again) but I do want to spend time crafting again because making this project was a pleasure to do after such a long time. I decided to work with the last gorgeous image created by my incredible friend Sylvia Zet of Wee Stamps. Sylvia has been incredible through my not crafting period. We have had long talks about things that didn't have anything to do with crafting. She didn't once ask me when I was going to create again but kept sending me her gorgeous digi's when they were finished. In fact when I told her I was crafting again she asked me if I was sure I wanted to do that because she rather had me healthy and happy then crafting. Just to Sylvia, thank you so much for being my friend!! This project was made with all the love I had for doing it before and I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Don't you just adore little Maya? She's available as a digital image right now in Sylvia's digi store HERE and she's available as a rubber stamp at Whimsy Stamps HERE. I didn't purchase anything crafty during my period "away" until I found the new solid paper pads from Lili of the Valley in my e-mail a few weeks back. The paper used on this box is from both the solid and the "normal" Always and Forever Paper Pads.

A close up of gorgeous Maya, colored with my Copics markers that didn't fail me after such a long period of no use!

A close up of the gorgeous embellishments that I used. I received these gorgeous materials from both Wild Orchid Crafts and The Ribbon Girl when I was still crafting, I let both companies down with just stopping like I did but finally got to use them (again). I want to thank both companies for their amazing understanding in my period of not crafting! You'll find a list with the gorgeous products with links below.

And another close up, don't you love the gorgeous frantage? I used Shabby Pink embossing Enamel and golden glitter from one of the kits.

A side view of the box, I decorated the edges of the box with the gorgeous Margaret Guipure Lace that I received from The Ribbon Girl. I've attached it with very thin strips of Scor-Tape.

The inside of the box also decorated with the gorgeous paper from the both the solid and the "normal" paper pads of Lili of the Valley's Always and Forever.

And a picture of the little pieces. The face has already been attached to the hair layer in this picture.

Materials used:
Image: Maya by Wee Stamps, available as digital images and rubber stamp
Paper: Lili of the Valley Always and Forever solid and "normal"
Embellishments:
Trellis Roses 35mm from Wild Orchid Crafts, white Open Roses in sizes 25mm, 20mm and 10mm from Wild Orchid Crafts, white Cherry Blossoms from Wild Orchid Crafts, white Cosmos Daisies from Wild Orchid Crafts and white Sweetheart Blossom Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts.
Beaded Twirl White from The Ribbon Girl, Diamante 13mm Round Spacers from The Ribbon Girl, 8mm white Flatback Pearls (glued in the spacers) from The Ribbon Girl, white Flower Guipure Lace from The Ribbon Girl, 3mm white adhesive Flatback Pearls from The Ribbon Girl and 5mm Ivory adhesive Flatback Pearl from the Ribbon Girl.

I'm sorry to say I haven't taken down the Copic numbers I've used. I was just so glad they all still worked perfectly after such a long time of not having been used and was just so enjoying coloring again.

And that's IT! I hope you like my project and I want to thank you all again for your patience!

Have a great day!!!
Hugs,

New Wild Orchid Challenge and Hip Hip Hooray for Noor!

Hi everybody,

Today is the start of a new challenge at Wild Orchid Challenges. We want you to show us a project with "anything birthday". I decided to combine this challenge with a card I wanted to make for a little girl who celebrated her very first birthday on July 15th. Noor is the daughter of Jolanda Bergmans, the owner and designer of Noor! Design. So along with pretty Wild Orchid Crafts products there also had to be Noor! Design products on this card... this is what I came up with:

I pretty image is by Lili of the Valley and she's called Pom Pom. The pretty papers are Maja Design Sofiero and I combined that with white and pink colored cardstock. Behind the image are two Spellbinder Peony die cuts. The ribbon and rhinestones are from stash. As mentioned I decided to use a lot of Noor! Products used are:
Tekststempels 2 Recht
Labels & Tags 1 6002-0142
Stencil-Ovaal 6002/0258 (I didn't use the oval shape but I did use the swirls that go with it)
Rand Vlinder 6002/0251
Vintage Flourishes Vlinder 6003-0023 (this butterfly is the perfect match to the largest butterfly in the edge die)
The sentiment is Dutch and reads "Hieperdepiep Hoera" which means "Hip Hip Hooray".

The Wild Orchid Crafts products I used are:
Mixed Pink/White Cosmos Daisy Flowers
Pink Trellis Roses 35mm
Pink Open Roses 15mm
Baby Pink Sweetheart Blossoms
Ivory Open Roses 20mm

A close up of the pretty image, as always colored with Copic Markers and completely 3D paper pieced. As you can see in this close up I have added stitches around the image and the papers and I have added some golden liquid pearls to the anthers of the flowers.

I also wanted to show a close up of the gorgeous butterfly die cuts.

And the little pieces that were used to built this image.

Well hope you like my card but more importantly, hope Noor and her mummy liked it. Please join us at Wild Orchid Challenge and show us your birthday creation!

I completely forgot to enter this card into challenges but hope it's OK that I enter it a day late, if not just let me know OK. I'd like to enter this card into:
The current challenge at the Fashionista Challenge Blog which is "Wings"
The current challenge at Lili of the Valley which is Pretty in Pink

Hugs,

Guest designer at Fashionista Challenge blog

Hi sweet people!!

 

You may remember that a few weeks ago I told you that I made the top five of the sixth challenge at the Fashionista Challenge blog. Well, people voted and in the end it turned out I was the winner of that Challenge. I got to pick all these gorgeous digi stamps from StampFairy which was a pleasure to do :). Making the top five means a direct invitation to be a guest designer for the next challenge and since I think this challenge blog is how a challenge blog should be I loved to join. I have to admit I hate challenge blogs that do random winners. The reason probably is because I spend so much time and efford on a card but I think a contest is only a contest when it is judged, otherwise it is just a lottery. At the Fashionista challenge blog there is first a selection made by the design team of their five favorites and next the visitors of the blog get a chance to vote for their favorite. LOVE this concept.

 

Anyway, the current challenge (closes in eleven days) at the Fashionista Challenge blog is Anything Goes Christmas and the current sponsor is Lili of the Valley and since I have a lot of gorgeous LOTV Christmas stamps that I haven't used yet but really wanted to, that was a very easy one for me :).

This adorable stamp is called Little Star. As always he was colored with Copic Markers and 3D paper pieced but I forgot to take a picture of the little pieces. The sentimens are from the latest Whimsy Stamps release, they are both in the Holiday Circle Pennants set. The gorgeous papers are from a paper pad by Authentique called Wonder. The gorgeous flowers are Red Velvet Hydrangeas from Petaloo, personally I think these flowers aren't the best quality out there; some are without pearls, some have pearls that aren't in the center, together like this though I think they are gorgeous, they already have glitter on them. The red "glittery berries" I bought at a Dutch store named Kruidvat last year. The ribbon is Wild Orchid Crafts and the pearls are from stash. The snow beneath the bear is Shaved Ice by Stampendous, the star has been stickled up with Diamond stickles and the edges of the paper have been touched with Ice Diamond Stickles, these flakes are a little larger then the regular Stickles, I thought they fitted the glitter on the flowers better but I also added a bit to the flowers.

Here is a close up of the cute little bear. Hope you can see that he was paper pieced.

I'll be back on Wednesday for the Whimsy Stamps review. Be sure to enter into the Fashionista Challenge! Have a great day!!

Hugs,

Fist card for Copic Marker Europe blog using LOTV Little Dot

Hello everybody,
Yesterday I posted my first card on the Copic Marker Europe blog. Today I'm showing the card on my blog, for the details, materials used and Copic colors used, I'd like to send you to the CME blog though. Hope you like!

And a close up:

A side view of the Double Dutch Fold card:

And a picture of the little pieces the image was made off:

I do hope you like my card! Can't wait to read what you think.

Hugs,

Explosion box with Lili of the Valley stamp

Hi everybody,

I know I've been a bad blogger but there just hasn't been much time to craft lately. And the project I did do for my dad's birthday I forgot to take pictures of again before giving it away. I do hope you all had a very nice Christmas though!! Anyway... I have something to show now :). It's an explosion box I bought ages ago at Card Art and I finally decided to decorate it for my friend Diana. Now the box comes completely cut and ready to put together so please don't ask me for patterns... I just don't have them :). Here is the top of the box:
The gorgeous stamp I used is by Lili of the Valley (love their stamps!!) and she is called Rosie with cake (I can't give you a link to the stamp now because Lili of the Valley is closed for a couple more days) and I bought her especially for this project so she is new and that means I get to enter this box in this weeks Lili of the Valley Challenge which is "New Beginnings". The flowers and the ribbon are from Wild Orchid Crafts. All the design papers used are from my old stash and the tickets are by Whimsy Stamps and were cut out with a coordinating die from the same company. Here are more pictures of the box:

"Zin in een kopje thee?" means something like "Want a cup of tea?", I'm taking my best friend out for a High Tea in Hotel DesIndes in The Haghue, which is famous for their High Tea's.

My invitation for the high tea was printed on a couple of tags which I made of a couple of different colours of cardstock. The edges were punched with a Martha Stewart border punch.

The lovely charm I bought at Bunny Zoe's and again was bought especially for this box.

Well I hope you guys like this project. I have to say that I personally think it's one of my best projects yet... sometimes everything just turns out how you had it in your mind and I just loved making this for my best friend :). Since my complete image has been cut out (and 3D paperpieced) I'd also like to enter this box in the Paper Sundaes challenge which is "Cut it out".

Have a wonderful New Years celebration everybody!!!

xxx

Mariska

Lily of the Valley Christmas card

A very good day to you lovely ladies :),

It's autumn break here so the kids are all at home and yesterday while her baby brother and little sister were asleep Dyanne decided she wanted to make a card with her mother :). Love my little girl! She made a card for her grandparents where she is going to spend a night this week and I finally wanted to make my first Christmas card of this year (I know... IT'S ALMOST NOVEMBER!). Anyway, I have a whole bunch of Lily of the Valley stamps and I really wanted to ink one up so here is the card:
Isn't that a pretty angel! Love her! You can find her HERE. The design paper used is Basic Grey Jovial combined with some cream and red cardstock. The sentiment is from a stamp sheet also by Lily of the Valley which you can find HERE. The crystals are Magnolia chandelier and the poinsettia are by Irene's Paper-N-Things. The ribbon is from stash. I added Christmas Red and Stardust Stickles here and there. The layout is by Bev for the Lily of the Valley challenge blog where I am entering this card. Here is a close up of the gorgeous angel (with a little 3D here and there):
And for those of you who want to know here are the Copics I used:
skin: E31 - E21 - E00 - E0000
hair: E34 - E31 - YR21 - YR20 - YR0000 - C4 - C3 - C1 - C00
cheeks: R24 - R22 - R20
berries: R59 - R29
holly: YG67 - YG23 - YG11 - C4 - C3 - C1 - C00
dress and wings: G02 - G000 - G0000 - C4 - C3 - C1 - C00 - blender pen
background: C7 - C4 - C3 - C1 - C00 - blender pen

I know those are a lot of markers but I tend to keep blending until the image is exactly how I want it and since I don't own all the Copics colors that sometimes means blending different colors to get the result I want.

Have a great day everybody!!

xxx
Mariska

Lili of the Valley Me and my cat

Hiya folks :),

So I know you haven't noticed but I have been away to a little cottage in Drenthe (still The Netherlands) for a week :). I did have some time to craft there though so I'll have a couple of cards to show you in the next few days (I have colored the images but still have to make the cards). Here is my first one using this very cute Lili if the Valley stamp called Me and my cat:I am very sorry to say that I completely forgot to take down the Copics I used on this image or the others I colored while away in Drenthe, I'll try to take notes the next time I start coloring. All papers and ribbons are from stash and the layout was completely insprired by THIS fabulous creation by someone I admire very much (and read every blog post of) Paula Tracey. Now if you haven't heard about Paula or every been to her blog you really shouldn't just look at the card I shamelessly copied but look at her entire blog HERE, Paula's coloring belongs amongst the best out there and the way she makes her card I always feel like she frames her gorgeously colored images. I had to try one of her layouts to see if it would work for me as well. Anyway, here is the image I colored:
Hope you like my little card, the picture was taken on a gorgeous pine tree (hope that's the right name for the tree ( :) ), outside of our cottage. That's it for this short post (I've got a lot a lot of unpacking to do and my hubby and I are sharing a gorgeous bottle of wine (I'm a real wine lover for those of you who didn't know, please excuse any misspellings in this post, it's due to the two glasses I already enjoyed :) ). Have a great day everybody and I'd love to read you comments!!!

Take care! Be back soon!

xxx
Mariska

First card in ages with Lili of the Valley Wedding Couple

Hi girls,

I know... it's been way to long since my last 'new' card. I promised my mum I'd make a very sweet aunt and uncle a card for their 25th wedding anniversary so I couldn't put it off any longer and I'm so glad I had this 'assignment' because I loved crafting again! I decided to ink up the Wedding Couple by Lili of the Valley stamps... such a cute image I think! Here is the result:Now it isn't a card really, my mum asked me to make a card because my parents and a couple of other uncles and aunts are giving the uncle and aunt in question (Herman and Rina as you can read on the sentiment) money and I decided to make a wallet like I did ages ago, I again used one of my favourite tutorials by Moni. The papers I used are from the Card Art monthly kit from March I think, such gorgeous paper! Here is a close up of the image:
A little bit of 3D for the extra dimension, gorgeous Stickles to her dress and flowers and colouring as always with my Derwent Watercolour Pencils and Copics. Here is a close up of the sentiment:
Gefeliciteerd is Dutch for Congratulations but I'm sure you understood that already :). The heart-stickers were also in the Card Art kit. I created a very simple card to put in the wallet for the different aunts and uncles to put their names on:
Again a lovely Lili of the Valley stamp on this one, Teddy with Bouquet this one is called.

Well hope you like this first creation in ages :). Hope to be back soon with another fresh creation, Pink Cat Studio has some gorgeous digi's coming up so really hope I'll find the time to use those. Dyanne is going back to school on Monday after being home for the last two weeks so that'll make for some more time during the day.

Take care everybody!!!

xxx
Mariska