Thursday 20 December 2012

Get Creative - Card sketch December


Good morning!!!

Today we have a new challenge over at Get Creative - the card sketch challenge for December. The card that I made:


And the sketch:



Once I saw the frame of the sketch, I thought of the Lawn Fawn frames, but I wanted to make something different. So I thought of using my Distress Ink markers and fill the frame with coloured flowers, while I would leave the flowers outside the frame without colour, in black and white. A coloured butterfly would be perfect as well.

But the black and white contrast outside the frame turned out to be too bold and distract from the coloured part which I wanted to be the focus point. So I used some vellum paper to tone it down. I found the result satisfying, what do you think?

And some close-ups:


To add some dimension to the card, I used quite a lot of glossy accent on the butterfly, the flowers and the frame. Especially the butterfly gives the illusion of vitro when you see it live! For the antennas, I coloured a natural twine with black Promarker, made to little knots at the end and positioned it behind the butterfly.


I also added 2-3 gemstones for addition shine..

I hope you like it!

So why don't you come over at Get Creative to see the amazing cards that the design team has prepared... I so like that there are different styles and different sketch interpretations! And don't forget, the winner of this challenge will come back as Guest Designer in February!

Hugs,
Anastasia
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Monday 17 December 2012

When eyes speak louder than words...


Good morning!!!

Today I wanted to share with you a layout I made more than 10 days ago. It was the last time I entered my craft room to create something... Work has been worse than frantic these last few days, but I'm waiting for my Christmas holidays and then I'll surely do something again! At least I had the DT cards I had made so my blog didn't go to sleep ;) And I would delay this post even more, but one of the challenge that inspired me is about to expire and that wouldn't it be a pity to miss it?

So, a few days ago I shared a layout that I made with my favourite photo of Nikolas from my nephews' christenings. Today the layout is about my favourite photo of Andreas from the christenings:


I just loved how the photographer was able to capture this family moment, with dad, mom and their baby. And one thing I have realised with my layouts lately is just how important it is to me that the photos I scrap have a meaning to me, reminds me or means something to me. Then the process of creating a layout cannot be compared...

I kept the colours in green/lettuce and blue/turquoise on purpose as those were the colours of the christenings. I used the sketch from Sketchbook 365 of Scrap 365 and it's the following one:



I also saw The Studio Challenges latest challenge that asks us to use lots and lots of layers... boy, who could stop me! I kept cutting up my papers... I think at the end I counted something like 9 or 10 layers! For so many months I kept "protecting" my favourite papers and keeping them "for this special layout"... By now I have more papers than I actually need, so I said - that's it. Let's start cutting some papers!

And some closer photos:

A number of embellies in the corner and the wooden embellishments are dad, mom and their son ;) The black letters with the definition of miracle are rub-ons. I thought I should use the word miracle in combination with the mathematical calculation of love on the top right corner of the layout (next photo)... Because very new life that comes to this world is a miracle to me!



Once again I dressed the wooden embellishments with washi tape and wrote on them the mathematical calculation of family with rubons:



The journaling is written on a tag and inside a transparent envelop. Really simple, it only says that sometimes words are needless when photos say it all.


And I highlighted what it is that the protagonists' eyes are saying... just in case it wasn't clear enough ;o)


So that's all from me today... I hope you like it!

Hugs,
Anastasia
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Saturday 15 December 2012

Addicted to CAS #3 - Sweet

Hello!

Are you ready for another Addicted to CAS challenge? This is the last one for 2012!

The card that I made:


And the code word for this challenge: "Sweet":


Although I did have stamps with sweets, I wanted to do something different. So I thought of making some lollipops with twine. And as if one wasn't enough, I went for five, lol!

And a few more photos:


Aren't they cute? I made the sticks with cardstock that I painted with white acrylic. The faux stitching is, once again, with my favourite white Signo get pen.


The sentiment is with white heat embossing powder.

I hope you like it!

Come over at Addicted to CAS for inspiration by the design team and to play along with us... The sponsor is again sweet Joanna Munster from Inspired by Stamping... The winner will get a $20 voucher for the store!



We'll be waiting for you!

Hugs,
Anastasia

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Thursday 13 December 2012

My favourite photo from Nikolas' christening


Good morning!

Sketches in Thyme has a new sketch today! Here's the layout I made:


Based on the sketch #96 (I sooo loved this sketch!):



As soon as I saw the sketch I knew it was my opportunity to make a layout with my favourite photo from Nikola's christening. It captures my favourite moment from the christening. When poor little thing, exhausted from the double christening (we just had his cousin's Andreas before his) rest his head on my shoulder and fell asleep. I literally felt my heart melting... my little love!!!

So when I saw the photos from the christening, I was so thrilled when I saw this photo! Nikolas sleeping, (my face expressing how much I was suffering from the high heels, lol!) and his parents in the background smiling. What a great photographer!!!! I could have done without the red blouse in the background... but I don't have photoshop!

And a closer photo:


The turquoise paper was a bit too loud for the photo, so I used a bit of gesso to tone it down. I coloured the wooden embellishments with promarkers.

I hope you like it! Come over at Sketches in Thyme to see how the design team has used the sketch and to play along with us!

Hugs,
Anastasia Pin It

Friday 7 December 2012

Sketches in Thyme - Guest Designer

Hello!

Just came back from a business trip and realised that I should have made a post today. (So pardon my english, I am really very tired at the moment... If I find any terrible mistake tomorrow morning, I will rectify!)

October seemed to be my month, winning a couple of challenges... So for December, I am guest designer also at Sketches in Thyme! That is because one of my very favourite (for its sentimental value) layouts,  The Circle of Life, was in the top 3 for October (can't tell how happy I was... thank you again!)

So here's the layout that I made for the first sketch for December:


It is based on sketch #95:


The layout is from the series "Business trip photos - Amelie style" ;o) So every time I visit a town for the first time on business trip, I take some pictures of myself - actually just a small part of my face in the corner of the picture, kind of documenting "I've been there". This one is from my recent travel to Zagreb, Croatia - a small, but oh so beautiful city! I'm looking forward to my next visit in two weeks ;)

Here are a couple of closer photos:


Dressing up my wood embellishments with washi tape has become one of my very favourite techniques...


Above you can see a way to cover a big "boo-boo" I made... A really ugly black spot on the corner of my paper. So I found the remains of the paper I have used and made a discrete banner...

Why don't you visit Sketches in Thyme to get inspiration by the design team and play along with us?

I hope you like it!

Hugs,
Anastasia
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Wednesday 5 December 2012

Get Creative - December 5th challenge

Good morning!!!

As these lines are being posted, I am actually flying somewhere above Europe on my way to Warsaw (so I get an opportunity for another Amelie-style photo to scrap! ;o)

But let's leave behind the travels and layouts... Today we have the first December challenge over at Get Creative! And this month Irini asks from us to play Bingo!

Here's the card that I made:


It's the first vertical line with pattern paper, die cuts and ribbon:



The die cuts are the letters of the sentiment and the background with the small hexagons. The pattern paper is by Lawn Fawn and I used them both for the letters and to give some colour behind the hexagon background (I cut them in small stripes and glued them behind the background. Finally, I used the ribbon to create a background behind the sentiment so that it would pop out

And a closer photo:



I hope you like it!

So what do you say, will you play with us this month? The winner will get a gift from our sponsor this month

owner of the Etsy shop




Come on... who doesn't like washi tapes???

The design team has "replied" to the challenge with some unique cards which you can see at Get Creative... We are waiting to see the gorgeous projects that you will make with your three materials you will choose!

Hugs,
Anastasia

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Monday 3 December 2012

Scrapbookers in Greece - December challenge

Third day in a row with a post... December is full of design team work for me!

So today I wanted to show you the card that I made for the Scrapbookers in Greece December challenge:


The theme of the challenge couldn't be any other than "The Christmas spirit is here"... so what better than a Christmas card? I used Katerina's sketch:


And because I liked the sketch so much, I followed it really, really close!!!

I realised that I hadn't used my Distress Inks for some time. So I used my favourite tree dies to cut white cardstock, heat embossed a starry background with pearl embossing powder, used my Versamark marker to heat emboss the frame as well, and coloured it with Distress Inks. To make it more festive, I added loads of red rhinestones as well.

I couldn't find my pearl acrylic paint (where have I put it???) so for the wood veneer stars I used white acrylic paint and glitter gelly roll pen.

As usual, I gave some dimension with 3d foam stickers... Finally I did the frame with Micron pens and the glitter gelly roll pen.

And some close-up photos to get a better idea:






I hope you like it!

So why don't you come over at Scrapbookers in Greece... The design team has prepared some exceptional work! And we will be waiting your beautiful holiday creations. Our sponsor this month is Lena and our favourite Enjoy Scrapping!

Hugs,
Anastasia

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Sunday 2 December 2012

White with 1 - December Guest Designer!


Good morning again!!!

I don't know if you saw my layout Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that I did in October for White with 1? I was soooo happy when it got honourable mention... and thanks to that, I am Guest Designer for December!

So December challenge has the following requirements:

WHITE + RED + CHRISTMAS PHOTO


And the layout I made is this:


I have to admit it wasn't easy to make this layout... and that's because I realised that I don't have any Christmas photos!!! Only some photos of Sakis sleeping below the Christmas tree, he spends all day there and as a result I cannot leave my presents there. And because the photo is quite dark, it was a bit difficult to print it and to make the layout.

But at the end I managed to do something with which I was satisfied.

The beautiful felt embellishments, i.e. the red star and the white tree is from the very generous present I received from Chrysa for winning the  October inspiration challenge (yes, October was a good month for me!) - thank you Chrysa!!!

White with 1 is one of my favourite challenge blogs and I love participating in their challenges when my time and inspiration allow me to... There is also a new design team that starts its term with this challenge. I highly recommend a visit over their blog for inspiration by the design team and to play along with us!

I hope you like it!

Hugs,
Anastasia
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Saturday 1 December 2012

Addicted to CAS #2 - Bauble

Happy new month!!!

(Yes, in Greece, just like we say "good morning" and "happy new year" we also say "happy new month" every first of the month!)

So... today is the first day of my favourite month of the year... Although my favourite season is summer (yes, despite the heat, I just love all the light!), my favourite month is December. For the happiness that Christmas brings to us, for the (perceived) new start that the new year brings... and because most of the Sagittarians celebrate their birthdays - just like myself ;o) No matter how old I get , I just looove my birthday! Crazy, right?

Anyway, that's not what I wanted to discuss today!

So today we have a new challenge over at Addicted to CAS! The start with the first challenge was amazing with more than 130 participations! I wanted to thank from here as well all the friends who participated and supported us with their amazing cards! If only everyone could win...

This time the challenge comes to us by our very own Marie and the word she has chosen is "Bauble":



 ...and here's the card that I made:


... with my favourite Lawn Fawn stamps and the Studio Calico wood veneers that I seem to use in all my creations lately!

And some additional photos:

I do love giving dimension to my cards. So most of the times I use 3d foam stickers to give this dimension. For this card, I stamped the tree three times (two for the small one), I cut them in different levels and glued them together with 3d foam stickers. It's a simple trick that I have used before and will use again because I just love it ;o) :



I stamped the sentiment with white embossing powder - my favourite on kraft cardstock. I doodled around the card with white gel pen to give a frame to my card. Finally, I added wood stars which I painted with white pearl acrylic paint (tip: when I paint something small, I put it on post-it paper so that it doesn't move).


So that's all for my card...

Why don't you visit us at Addicted to CAS to get inspiration from the amazing design team and play along with us! It's time for (more) christmas cards!!!

The sponsor for the challenge is, once again Joanna Munster from Inspired by Stamping...

Joanna is offering a $20 GIFT VOUCHER to the winner of this challenge -




I hope you like it!

Hugs,
Anastasia

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