Soft Flowers with watercolours

Hello Friends,

Today I am at Altenew blog to share this card. I used Floral Motifs set and very easy and quick watercoloring technique. I find these Floral Motifs flowers to be so cute in their simplicity but for more I am loving the woodgrain background stamp. I just love how versatile it is and the elegance that can be achieve with it. I try to avoid not to use it too much since I would use it in every card that I make. LOL! But here is my card:

Stamp sets used: Floral Motifs, Wood Pallet Background and Birthday Greetings.

Here is video tutorial if you wish to see how I made this:



Supplies:
Stamps: Floral Motifs, Wood Pallet Background and Birthday Greetings by Altenew
Inks: Versafine Onyx Black and Versamark, Dusty Concord Distress Ink.
Embossing Powders: Ranger Super Fine Clear and White Pearl by WOW
Distress Markers: Milled Lavender and Worn Lipstick
Sequins: Neat and Tangled Sweetheart Sequin Mix and Love Sparkles Mix
Card Stock: Neenah Solar White 80lb, Canson Watercolou Paper 180gsm, WHSmith Linen Effect Paper 150gsm
Card base: Papermania A6 300gsm

Thank you for stopping by today! See you soon!

Marika

CASEing Genius by Kelly Latevola

Hello my friends,

Well, I have to say I am pretty excited when writing this. Today, my dear dear friend Kelly Latevola from You and Your Big Dreams is making her CASEing Genius feature on ME!! I so excited to see what she has created based on my cards. So so excited... 

I met Kelly here in last fall and we started visiting our blogs regularly. I immediately noticed that we share quite the same style in card making and I just adore her colouring and use of vibrant colours. In a few months we started chatting in real life and now I am so happy that I can call her as my friend. She is such a amazing, fun and caring person. It has been so much fun to notice that in real life outside card making, we also have a lot of in common. As she mentioned once about me, I am as well so happy that I have found my long lost American sister!! You're the best Kelly! 

Kelly started this feature called CASEing Genios last fall and every Monday she has a new crafter featured in her blog. She makes a card based on that crafter's creations. What a wonderful idea! She also have a few fun questions that she has asked to answer so if you like to know a little more of me, please visit her blog in HERE! I haven't seen the card she's made today, but I am SURE you are in for a true treat! Everything she makes is always so fabulous! 

Thank you Kelly for being my friend here in blogland and in real life! I really value your opinion and love to chat with you! Even though it is usually middle of the night for either one of us. LOL! 

Thanks for visiting and see you soon!

Marika

Stacey Yacula's new stamp collection Sweet Occasions is released!

Hello my friends!

Today is the day when the new collection of stamps from Stacey Yacula is in sale at Purple Onion website. The collection consists of 25 adorable images and a coordinating sentiment set with 20 different sentiments. 

Michele, is so sweet that if you act fast she is offering you a discount if you purchase the entire collection. For a limited time you can purchase the entire Sweet Occasions collection for $100.00.  This is a 30% discount off the regular prices.  This offer is only available until Sunday, June 7, 2015. 

I have a card to share today also. Here it is:

Stamps used: Cinnamon and Sweet Occasion sentiment set

Instructions: I started by stamping the Cinnamon with black pigment ink onto a watercolour paper. I coloured the squirrel with my Inktense Pencils. I used my pencil to draw the branch and coloured the trunk and the leaves with Inktense pencils. (Yes, again had tons of fun doing this). I added some doodling with my alcohol marker after I was finished with colouring and let it dry in between. Then I temporarily adhered the circle die behind the watercolour paper and ran it through my die cutting machine. This way, there isn't going to be that "indents" showing on the right side. :) Then I adhered the little stripes of patterned paper onto my card base and adhere the watercolored panel to it. I die cut a same sized circle out of fun foam and adhered the centre pieces to it and then to my card base. I stamped the sentiment with black pigment ink.

Supplies:

Stamps: Cinnamon and Sweet Occasions sentiment set from Purple Onion

Inks: Memento Tuxido Black, Versafine Onyx Black

Dies: A circle die (manufacturer unknown)

Card stock: Canson watercolour paper 180gms, Dovecraft Back To Basics IV Designer Paper Pack

Derwent Inktens Pencils: Willow (1900), Saddle Brown (1740), Tan (1720), Oak (1730), Sepia Ink (2010), Spring Green (1550), Light Olive (1540).

Copic Multi Liner Black 0.1

Card base: Papermania A6 300gms 

Thank you for stopping by today! See you real soon!

Marika

WINNER: Altenew May 2015 Blog Hop

Good afternoon!

I am here to announce the winner of the Altenew May 2015 Blog Hop. Here is the lucky winner who will receive a $30 gift certificate to Altenew Online store: 

Petra Swart

who said:

Submitted on 21 May 16:04

"You make the most beautiful cards, Marika, and I love all of these!!!! 

And what a lovely card your daughter made for you!!!! Your work is such an inspiration!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!!"

Congratulations Petra! Thank you all for your kind comments. And I have translated them to Inari as well. She was very very pleased and couldn't stop smiling that day. Thank you for making her day! 

See you soon!

Marika

A new Stacey Yacula stamp release from Purple Onion Designs

Good afternoon,

I have great news to those of you who love Stacey Yacula's stamps from Purple Onion Designs. This next Monday, the 25th of May, Purple Onion is releasing a new collection of stamps by her. The new collection will cover almost every holiday, special occasion and celebration throughout the year.  The collection consists of 25 images and a sentiment set with 20 different sentiments. The newest collection is called Sweet Occasions.

I had been lucky enough to be part of the celebration of this new release and I got to play with a few of the stamps already. Michele, is showing examples what the DT made and mine is also their among those absolutely amazing ladies. SO head over to Purple Onion Designs blog to see the DT creations. When you're over there, please leave a comment and be eligible to win the entire new collection of stamps. Isn't it amazing!?! Also, Stacey Yacula, is giving away a collection of stamps and there are also smaller giveaways on some of the DT's blogs. Make sure you check them out!! 

Here is my card for today:

Instructions: I just thought this adorable image, called Daisy, is perfect for a new baby card. I stamped the image with black pigment ink and then drew the little scene with my pencil. Then I watercolored the images with my watercolour set. After it had completely dried, I drew black lines over my watercolored background with a alcohol marker. I die cut the tag and an extra tag out of some white fun foam. I adhered those two together. I stamped the sentiment using Stamp-A-Magij from the Sweet occasions sentiment set with black pigment ink. I added a bow made from white paper string and adhered the watercoloured panel to a my card base, to where I had adhered those little stripes of designer's paper.

I like how this card came together and I had tons of fun making that background. I hope you got a little inspiration and try to draw your own background. It is so much fun!! I am so keen on doing that at the moment, that I really should focus myself trying to do some other things too. LOL. Next I have little sneak for you, remember to come back on Monday to see the entire collection of stamps and this card with this little fella sitting in a tree. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Daisy and Sweet Occasions sentiment set by Purple Onion Designs

Inks: Versafine Onyx Black

Dies: Timeless Tags 2 by Wplus9

Paper: Canson Watercolour Paper 180gms, Dovecraft Back To Basics IV Designer Paper Pack

Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours: No. 33, 43, 53, 61 and 61

Copic Multi-Liner 0.1 and 0.3

White Paper String (manufacturer unknown)

Card base: Papermania A6 300gms

Thank you for visiting, I would love to hear what you think of these new stamps. I think they are so adorable! See you soon!

Marika

Altenew May 2015 Blog Hop

EDIT: You can find the winner of this hop HERE.

Hello my Friends!

Today I am participating Altenew May 2015 Blog Hop to celebrate the release of Altenew Crisp Inks. You probably just came from my sweet team mate's, Jocelyn's blog, if not please start from the beginning at the Altenew blog and see what other members of Altenew's design team have come up with. 

Within this release, Altenew brings a selection of these wonderfully co-ordinating inks with their stamps into their store. I played a bit with Vintage Flowers and Ori Kami set.

I started by cutting the masks for the flowers and adhered them temporarily onto my card stock. Then I stamped the shadow of the branch from Vintage Flowers set with grey dye ink. After that I stamped the branch with Altenew Jet Black Crisp Ink. I removed the masks and stamped the flowers from Vintage Flowers set with Altenew inks. For the pink flowers I used Frosty Pink, Coral Berry and Ruby Red inks. For the yellow flowers I used Buttercream, Warm Sunshine and Caramel Toffee inks. For the butterfly I used Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades and Evergreen inks. I made my own stencil for the black border by die cutting it and I inked it up with Altenew Jet Black Ink. For the tiny stripe of colour, I inked up my card base with Coral Berry, Warm Sunshine and Forest Glades inks. The sentiments are from Ori Kami set and I stamped them with Altenew Jet Black Ink. On the wedding card, I raised up the centre panel with fun foam. 

At this point, I'd like share where I got the inspiration for these cards. We celebrated Mother's Day on this past Sunday. My eldest daughter, Inari aged 4, had made this card at her playgroup and I was so impressed! Loved the Asian feel in it and I wanted to make a card or two on my own. Here is her card. Isn't it lovely! Later, I asked how they had made these and my daughter just laughed and giggled.. Then she replied:  "with a straw, of course!" 

Supplies:
Stamps: Vintage Flowers and Ori kami (sentiments) by Altenew
Inks: Altenew Crisp Inks - Yellows: Buttercream, Warm Sunshine and Caramel Toffee - Pinks: Frosty Pink, Coral Berry and Ruby Red - Greens: Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades and Evergreen. Altenew Jet Black Ink, Memento London Fog.
Card Stock: Neenah Solar White 80b, WHSmith Linen Effect paper 150gms (wedding card)
Card base: Papermania A6 300gms

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate this release, Altenew will draw three winners who will each receive a $30 gift certificate to their online store. Please leave a comment on the Altenew blog by Friday, May 22 11:59pm EST in order to have a chance to win. The winners will be announced on Saturday, May 23. 

And there is more! I will randomly draw a winner from comments left on this post and the prize will be $30 gift certificate to Altenew online store. Please leave a comment on this post by  Friday, May 22 11:59pm EST for a chance to win. I will announce the winner here at my blog on Saturday, May 23. 

GET HOPPING!

Your next stop will be very talented Yana Smakula. If you encounter a broken link, please go back to Altenew Blog.

I hope you have fun! See you soon!

Marika

CAS(E) this Sketch Guest Designer

Hello my crafting friends!

Well, you probably know that I love to play along at the CAS(E) this Sketch. Their sketches are so wonderful, versatile and challenging! I also love to visit their gallery since it is always  full of beautiful cards and enormous amount of inspiration. Just love the challenge. So, you might also guess that when Chrissy emailed me and asked IF I liked to be their Guest Designer I screamed so load that my girls thought that I had hurt myself. LOL! Yes, of course! So here is my card for this challenge.

Here is this week's sketch:

If you wish to see how I made this, you can see my video here or watch it in Youtube.




Supplies:
Stamps: Sunflower Set by Sheena, Birthday Wishes, Wood Pallet Background by Altenew
Paper: Canson Watercolour Paper 180gms, Neenah Solar White 80lb, Neenah Desert Storm 80lb.
Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolour set: No. 20, 42, 44, 46, 47, 53 and 54.
Inks: Memento Desert Storm, Versafine Vintage Sepia and Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.
Card base: Papermania A6 300gms card base

I hope you like my cards and got a little bit inspiration! Hope to see you in the gallery this week! And, I've joined Instagram! Yes, #ifeltsosenilenotknowinghowtouseit but now I do. If you wish to follow me on Instagram you can find me here. 

Marika

Magnolias for Her

Hello my dear friends!

I just got back from my vacation to Rome. What a lovely city. We just wondered around the little streets, ate a lot of ice cream and pizza. We also visited Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica. I was so mesmerised by that beautiful art there. So amazed by the talent they had and how they were able to build those beautiful, huge buildings with the equipment they had in those days. This trip was a our first vacation just the two of us, my hubby and me, and we decided that no crafty blogs for me and no work emails for him. So, I am a bit behind visiting you but I'll come visit you soon. 

One amazing thing happened here in blogland while I was in Rome. I started my blog in last August but I had followed through Youtube some crafters prior that and one of those persons is Therese. I loved here tutorials already back then she is one of those first blogists that I started to follow. I adore her cards, they are so cleverly designed and her colouring is amazing. What comes to my colouring skills, I am not trained in any way, I've just watched many tutorials from the internet and tried on my own and I believe I've seen every video Therese has made. So big thanks along many others goes to her. I saw this amazingly wonderful card in Pinterest that she had made for her mom, you can see it here. And when I went to visit her blog today and leave her a comment, I was so blown away that MY IDOL had been inspired by my colouring. What an honour Therese, thank you! And how amazingly, I also have some magnolia cards to share here today that I made for my mother and mother-in-law. :) 

So, today it is my turn to host Altenew blog and I share these two cards of mine and a colouring tutorial how I coloured these magnolias with Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours. 

Well, I don't know what it is but every time I turn on my camera and start filming, everything starts to go wrong as you can see in the video. Too much pressure I guess. After several attempts to try to put that second card together, I finished it but I still felt that something was wrong about it but I couldn't figure out what it is. Luckily I have this awesome crafting friend, we chatted and she pointed out to me what was wrong about the card. Thank you, Kelly! You are the BEST! 

Here are my cards:

Stamps used: Magnolias for Her

Stamps used: Magnolias for Her

Here is the colouring tutorial if you wish to see me colour this.

Supplies:
Stamps: Magnolias for Her by Altenew
Inks: Victorian Velvet Distress Ink
Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours: No.20, 34, 44, 46, 53 and 61.
Card stock: Canson watercolour paper 180gms, WHSmith Linen Effect Paper 150gms
Card base: Papermania A6 300gms

Thank you for visiting and have a good day!

Marika