Small and sweet balloons!

I got my first die cutting machine only a few weeks ago- can you believe it ??? so silly, but being a textile teacher I thought I did fine with my sissors - but uhu , how wrong I've been...
I don't own any large dies yet but my sweet host Cecilia at Cili in Papers let me use hers for a month while she's packing up and moving her great shop - and guess if I'm in heaven!!!
The lacey circles though are from my dear friend Camilla who is much wiser than me - she doesn't blog (-:

Anyway, here's a set of cards I've designed for the WMS sketch challenge. (3x3 inches) I used ballons for it so I could enter some  more typical "Karin"-cards for the "In my Beautiful Balloon" challenge at Moxie fab 
I also used the colors from the Playdate Café - think you can tell that this (blue, pink and silver)  is a fav. color combo since it's my third entry  (-: (+ the prize is FABULOUS!!! a set of stamps from Wplus9!) and since I've used my favorite colors I'm also entering it for Wee Memorie's color challenge.

Florals

Here's a card for the Floral challenges at Tuesday Throwdown, The Shabby Tea Room and The Kraft Journal. I used the colors from Wplus9' stamp away with me challenge (white, yellow, light green and gray ) and the sketch is from Hero Arts.
All stamps are HA; Blosson Art, Antique Engravings, Layered Flowers and Just Find Me

Sending You caring thoughts!

Here's a card I made for the Papercrafts Connection color challenge and for Hero Arts Sketch challenge. I will also enter it for the Tuesday Throwdown Floral Challenge.

Bird pics!

Here's a card for Jay Gee's Nook challenge -see beautiful pictures below! (birds, flowers, leaves + colors) It is also for the color challenge (blue, pink, silver) at The Playdate Cafe and I've used the Skipping Stone's fabulous sketch for it. The stamps are from SSD.

Coming to pick you up "In my Beautiful Balloon!"

Here's my first entry for Moxie Fab's fab challenge to use Hot Air Balloons in an innovative way.

This is actually a card I started out making for the Tuesday Trigger - Decadently Yours but never got to finish. But took the chance now because even if it isn't the most beautiful balloon you've ever seen, at least I hope it is a little inventive (-;

I stamped 5 balloons from the Up and away set and cut them out, folded them and glued them together to create the little 3d ballooon.

Inspired by the TT pic I used paper cups (or whatever they might be called in English) for the basket and the balloon was supposed to resemble one of the truffles.

All the stamps I've used are from PTI, Up, up and away, Wonderfully Whimsical, and Tiny Treats Christmas.

Have a great day, hugs Karin

HERE you find my second entry which is much more "Karin" in style!!!
Also I thought I could show you the lamp I made for Ted last year - it is just a ricepaper lamp from IKEA that I attached a little basket to with braided ribbons and decorated with bows and little "sand" bags:

Kitchen Towel Card!

For this card I've used the beautiful colors from The Shabby Tearoom's inspiring picture this week (+ flowers), I used the fabulous sketch from The Waltzing mouse Sketch Challenge (Yihaa - got to take out my favorite set again! - the Teeny Trees!!)

 + I hope you can tell that I was once again very inspired by Cath's fabulous Tuesday Trigger picture at Moxie Fab!!! And at Wee Memories it's anything goes!

 Have a great day, hugs Karin

Make it Monday - Blending Techniques

At PTI's Make it Monday this week Betsy Veldman shows us how she uses her blending too to create beautiful backgrounds and we are challenged to try for ourselves. Here's the result of my play with seascape, landscape, tea dye Chamomille + little of the dark chocolate ink.
Stamps are from Up, up and away and Birthday Basics.

In honour of Amy!!

I wanted to make a card for Danielle Greenwood's beautiful picture at the Shabby Tearoom challenge this week and also wanted to join in Joy's, (at Less is More) nice challenge where you are to honour someone who inspires you! So I turned to my super sweet, always so positive and supportive and oh so talented blogging buddy Amy's blog - Amy's Bobbles. If you haven't visited her already you should right away - her cards are so beutiful - and fun and cool!!!
Found this beauty and fell in love with the flower and the polkadot embossed background so I made my version of it.
I will also enter Wee Memorie's Anything goes challenge with it!

Have a great day/  Karin

What a great week!

WOW - what a great blogging/cardmaking week last week was - the best one actually since I started blogging! First Cath at Moxie Fab posted the Moxie Fabber of the week interview with  .... Me!!! You can read it HERE if you want to.
I still can't believe it, it was such a surprise and such a great honour that I jumped with delight when Cath   asked me a few weeks ago if I'd like to answer some questions about my cardmaking. And guess if I was both excited and nervous when it was published - worried that since I'm so new to this blogging world and a "foreigner" nobody would comment or recognize me, but it is AMAZING how many sweet and kind people there are out there. You have no idea how happy your comments and e-mails made me - THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!! And thank you Cath for this fantastic opportunity and for all the great inspiration you give us every day at Moxie Fab - my favorite source of inspiration!
Then on Tuesday Hero Arts Twittered about one of my vellum butterfly cards :

and to top the week off I was one of the Fab Five at Hero Art's Birthday card Challenge - think I'm still in chock - but so greatful and so very, very HAPPY!

Hugs, Karin

PTI March Blog Hop! Spring Wishes from Lapland!

For the March Blog Hop at PTI we are challenged to use embroidery floss in a fun and inventive way on

our projects. For my card I used it to make grass for my card Santa and his dear reindeer on their well deserved spring break!

I wrapped it around a piece of paper before sewing it onto my background. Then cut it off half way up for the fromt straws and trimmed the backstraws the length I wanted it.

I used the  Bitty Dot Basics paper and the stamps are from Daily design sentiments and Tiny Treats Christmas.
Have a nice day and a great Blog Hop, hugs Karin

Love is in the air!

This card is for the WMS sketch challenge, The Shabby Tea room's Bingo challenge ( die-cut, embossing (the butterfly), ribbon) and for Stamptacular (I've textstamped the ribbon and the word LOVE is in focus) and it is also for Simon says Stamp and show - a word! I was also inspired by the front cover of CARDS March issue!