Inspirational Card Sketches #47

it snowed for the first time this season on sunday. it was the kind of snowfall you see in movies, usually at the happy ending part where the snow isn't so much falling as it is floating and going in different directions, upwards and sideways. i took my coffee back to bed and watched it for a while;it was lovely.

so it finally feels like the holidays to me and i've started playing christmas carols now, starting with elvis' blue christmas :)

here's my card for ics this week:
dawn has created a lovely sketch again, and there's a great prize up for grabs this week, so i hope you find some time during the busyness to join in!

thanks for stopping by!

Inspirational Card Sketches #46

hello! it's tuesday again, so time for another awesome sketch at ics, and another awesome sponsor - the stamping boutique.i used the couch digi for my card. i printed it out on pink polka dot paper and coloured it a bit to add dimension. the sentiment is 'sit long, talk much'. i added lace and ribbon and did the stiching by hand. you can click on the pic to enlarge it.

thanks for dropping by, and i hope you join us at ics this week!

A Fresh Start

i finally found a store that i could order some kraft paper from, so i'm sure i'll be using it for a while. i like the clean look of cards this way. i photocopied a page from a book and painted over the text with white paint. i added some lace, bling and the letters are doodlebug. the inspiration is the lovely sketch at 2 sketches 4 you this week.

here's the calendar spot i made. if you'd like to use it, just right click and save.i used a 2" punch to cut it out.thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend!

Advent Wreath

i was quite busy with school last week. we presented our group marketing project which was to develop a communications plan for a non-profit organization. i created the print ads for the assignment, which i really enjoyed doing. i did that for years when i worked at a newspaper. it got me thinking that maybe i could do that again somehow, from here, maybe like on a freelance basis.

i made an advent wreath last week as well. i went to 2 craft stores and a florist to get the supplies i needed. when i want to make something, and i know exactly what i want to make it with, are the times when i sure miss wal-mart, micheal's, etc.

i wanted to buy garland, and although the 3 stores had them as decorations, they didn't sell them. the stores were packed, it wasn't easy to find what i needed, and with my limited language skills, it was quite an undertaking. though i finally bought some fresh pine at the florist in a metro station on my way home.

here are the supplies:and here's the finished product: 4 weeks before christmas eve, on every sunday evening 1 more candle is lit on the wreath (1 on the first sunday, 2 on the next, until 4 are lit on the last sunday).

when i was getting info on this tradition here, i found this (which a friend told me once, but i had forgotten about):

"the second sunday of advent is commonly referred to as bronze sunday, the third one as silver sunday and the fourth one as gold sunday. These are the high-shopping days of the retail industry there - almost like black friday in the us."

Inspirational Card Sketches #45

the mail carrier came to the door just as i was making this card, bringing with him the punch i used to make the label, and the border punch. talk about great timing! this card is for this week's sketch at ics. be sure to check out the lovely cards by the dt, and the awesome goodies up for grabs!

Mézeskalács Card

when i saw the 'christmas in the old country' challenge at moxie fab world, i knew i just had to do something from here. there are lots of lovely folksy things to choose from, but i choose the tradition of making mézeskalács (honey cookies). these are somewhat similar to gingerbread cookies, but not quite.i made the cookie from cardboard, used a glaze pen to make the design and darkened the edges to look like a baked cookie. i also used my (just got) upper crest border punch.

here's a traditional recipe for mézeskalács:

500 grams flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 whole eggs
1 tablespoon lard
150 grams sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
cinnamon
honey

Mix the flour, baking powder, eggs, lard and sugar. Add the lemon zest, a bit of cinnamon and hot honey. Knead it into a dough that is about as hard as strudel dough. Roll it out to half an inch thickness and cut into whichever forms you want. Place in a floured pan and decorate the top with whole or sliced almonds, or decorate with icing after baking.

Inspirational Card Sketches #44

wow, the weeks sure seem to fly by, don't they? here it is, tuesday again, and another new sketch at ics. here's my card for this week: oh, sure, the little christmas bulb might look sweet and innocent, but it sure gave me some trouble putting it together. no matter what i tried it just kept looking like a circle floating there. but then i pulled out some lace and pearls, and finally it looks a bit like what i had in my head.

you can find the sketch here, and i hope to see your card or project at ics this week!

Blue Season's Greetings

another christmas card to show you today! i think i am almost done with them now. i was so worried about getting them done in time to mail them so that they would arrive before the holidays, and now i am wondering if sending them a month ahead is too early....? i have to tell you that this one is more of a 'functional' card as some of my cards have been lately. i use my glue gun to make sure everything stays together during shipping (i hope).

and here is the sentiment i created for you to use if you'd like. just right-click on the image. i made it for a 2" punch. enjoy!

M's Sketch #4

i was finally able to participate in M's sketch challenge over at Savitri's blog. i simply adore her blog; she is so honest and just puts everything out there. i am a very private person and have always had a difficult time telling people my personal details, so she is kinda inspirational to me! that and how she seems to get an amazing amount done in a day. and she's so cool!! i mean, c'mon, who makes a layout of her ex's engagement photo? and i think that it's awesome how she supports and encourages her child this way... that's gonna be one well-adjusted kid if you ask me.

anyhoo... here's my card. thanks M for the great sketch!!

Can I Get a Wahoo!!

i'm so happy and excited that my wall hanging won the 'plum crazy' challenge at moxie fab world. so awesome, being in the company of such talent!! i'm still in a state of shock and disbelief, actually. this is what the lovely Cath had to say:

"This wall hanging has so many trendy elements that work so well together that I'm just not sure I can contain myself! The stapled ruffles, the notebook background paper, the corrugated cardboard, and the scrunched up layered flowers with the buttons in the center just scream moxie fab! Pair all that with the balance in the design (the corner elements off-set to "frame" the focal point and the sentiment) and the poetic sentiment (Normal day let me be aware of the treasure you are) and I am in moxie fab heaven!"

isn't that just so nice!? totally made my day, if not my week!! thanks so much Cath, and everyone for your sweet comments!

i have a simple card to show you today. it was a gorgeous day today, the sun was shining all day. i managed to clean my craft area (i can't say room, cuz it's just a table, but it works :)) so i have a bit more desk space to work on now!i'm off to make dessert now, thanks for stopping by!

Inspirational Card Sketches #43

it's tuesday, so that means time for a new sketch over at ics! this is my take for this week: i made the felt heart last year but never got around to using it until now. i think this card has kind of a 'rustic/country' feel to it.

the ladies on the dt have come up with some beautiful inspiration to look at, so do check it out and leave us a link to your card!

Christmas Bulb

i wanted to make a christmas bulb card this year, even before i found the current challenge at caardvarks, which is to make a 'round card with pizazz'.i'm not sure if this one has much pizazz, but i did make the snowflakes and top bit from tin foil, which is no easy task, my friends! it didn't want to cooperate at all. (speaking about not cooperating, i'm having huge internet problems atm, so pages take forever to load. i'm hoping the prob gets fixed soon.)

all the papers were bought last year, and i really like the brown and blue combo. if you'd like to use the template i created, let me know and i'll gladly email you the pdf. thanks for dropping by!

Plum Season's Greetings

i made a second item for the 'plum crazy' challenge at moxie fab world. this is actually the idea i had in mind when i first read about the challenge, but the wall hanging i made yesterday went in the plum direction also, so i decided to enter both, though i have no idea if it is allowed to enter more than once. :)
anyhow.... i am quite happy with how this turned out, and i think it's one of my favourites so far. but really, it is just me or are christmas cards just easier to make? i think it's the availability of embellishments. i used some trim from some potpourri, so this card not only jingles, but smells nice too!!

Plum Crazy for a Normal Day :)

is that possibly the worst title you've ever read? anyway...

i made this wall hanging for my oldest friend (not that she's the oldest, but rather that she has been my friend since we were both 5) for her birthday. i am late with it as usual, but i think she is used to it by now!! we agreed years ago that we would send each other something handmade for our birthdays.i started out with some scraps for the grunge flowers, and decided that i really liked the purple with the green, so i pulled out this gorgeous plum ribbon, which i absolutely love, so have kinda been saving it. my bad, i know, but i tend to do that.

so then i decided that i could enter this in the moxiefabworld 'plum crazy' challenge. this is my first time entering anything on the site. there is just simply a whole lot of talent there, but i thought i'd give it a go! i'm off to continue making stuff. it sure feels good to get a few things off the list :) thanks for dropping by!

Inspirational Card Sketches #42

here's my card for this week's sketch over at inspirational card sketches. i flipped the sketch and used a digistamp from this week's super sponsor: the greeting farm. the image is 'timmy in stocking' and i altered it a bit, and added some fluff to the top of the stocking.

i also added glitter to the border and snowflakes, but i think it's more visible on the ribbon :( !! i wanted to use non-traditional colours, and thought the dots looked like snow, but maybe that's just me :)))

Check out the lovely inspiration the rest of the dt came up with at ics, and hope to see you there this week!!

All Saints Day

last sunday, nov. 1, was 'all saints day' or 'all souls day' here. it's a day of remembrance of those who have passed away and families visit cemeteries to light candles and place flowers on the grave sites. here are a couple of pictures of where my grandparents were laid to rest.
i felt a bit disrespectful about taking pictures, but my aunt assured me it was okay, and i wanted to show you how much care and attention is given to these cemetaries. we also went to where my other grandma was buried. she was my mom's brother's wife's mom, and we were great friends for about a year (when i lived here before). i could talk to her about anything, and she was never judgemental, only offering her kind advice and support.

i spent many weekends at her apartment. she would make me lunch, and in the afternoon i would sit in the kitchen watching her bake something or we'd go across the street to my aunt and uncle's. and then in the evenings she'd doze off while i'd watch tv.

i never knew my grandparents, so i am so very grateful that i had nagyi for a year. i miss her tremendously.

Inspirational Card Sketches #41

a card without ribbon!! it wasn't easy, but after much trying, i decided that ribbon would just be too much on this card. :) we have another great sponsor this week at ics! check out the beautiful digistamps from digistamp boutique. i used the bird from the "everyday collection 1", and modified it a bit by adding the wing and legs. here's a close up: thanks for looking, and i hope you join us this week at ics!

My Little Pumpkin

Happy Halloween!

Cultural Differences

one of my electives this term was "intercultural management" which i thoroughly enjoyed, because the instructor was great (she's 67, born in switzerland, from paris, currently teaching in india) and because i really enjoy learning stuff about people - what makes them tick, why they do the things they do, etc.

which is why i majored in marketing and hr; it's all about figuring out what motivates people and then using that information to influence their decisions. realizing this made me a much better consumer as well.i did a presentation for the course about an issue that happened in france a few years ago. to summarize, an anglo-saxon tourist wanted to get off on the first platform of the eiffel tower, the elevator operator wouldn't let her, she complained, he lost his job, his colleagues went on strike, the eiffel tower shut down for a couple of days. it illustrated the misunderstandings that can happen from cultural differences. you can read some of the article here.

now i'm working on my 'comparison of north american and european work culture' essay and i found an article that i thought was interesting, particularly this part:

"The average American worker gets only two weeks paid holiday a year. As a result, he or she works around 350 hours more each year than the average European. But that's just the average. In many jobs, there is even less time off. Thirty per cent of all American workers never take a lunch break. In many jobs, days off for sickness are sometimes deducted from holiday entitlement."
you can find the rest of the article here.

Quick Trip to Zurich

i was in switzerland last week, zurich to be more precise. the centre is lovely, clean, nice to walk around. i did a bit of sightseeing as you can see, but mostly i shopped ... a lot! it was a bit chilly but sunny so in between i had lots of chai lattes!zurich is fabulous for shopping, with one main street with tons of stores, including department stores so i bought some things for my apartment. But mostly i bought clothes. :) it was time as most of my clothes have traveled with me to 3 countries :)i also bought chocolate from this store that sells chocolate in "slabs". i waited to eat these so that i could take a pic, but the pics didn't turn out anyway :( the white chocolate is my fave - it has dried fruit and pistachios in it. i found the website and was hoping they'd deliver, but they only ship within switzerland... though i might send them an email :)
oh!! and i found a craft store so i bought some christmas picks, lace, and punches!

Inspirational Card Sketches #40

here's my card for this week's sketch at inspirational card sketches. click on the link to see what lovely cards the other ladies came up with this week, and to play along! we have another awesome sponsor this week - the pixie cottage, so i hope you join us!the photo is a bit dark because i wanted to show the text, but i don't think it's visible anyway :(. it reads:

may christmas bring you many joys and happiness from year to year.

although it's still very warm here, the grey skies are making it feel like christmas is right around the corner. and because i have to send stuff to canada like around now, i have to start thinking about presents and such these days. but i am always behind it seems, despite good intentions every year :(

anyway, thanks for visiting and have a good one!

Boo!

i wanted to make a halloween card and i thought the current challenge at caardvarks, which is to make a tall card, was just the perfect thing! i was a bit sad to find out that some of my fave caardvarks crew members were leaving, because i will sure miss their creative inspiration! but of course i wish them well.i love halloween! it's not celebrated here, although they are trying. by that i mean that the stores are filling with lots of decorations, costumes and such, but, like many things that are adopted from other countries, they just don't quite "get it" in europe. they have a traditional view, in that the holiday is all about witches and devils and ghosts. which of course it isn't though it may have originated from that way back then. i actually hope people don't buy into it too much. they do their own celebrations really well, and i hope they keep their own local traditions going.

this year i got a pumpkin (as you can see in the pic) which i may carve if i get ambitious, but back in the day i used to decorate my house inside and out. i had these very cool skeleton lights which may or may not be in storage, i can't remember. outside, i made graves with leaves from the beautiful maple tree in the front yard, got hay and dried cornstalks and a piece of old wooden fence from somewhere.

after i typed this all out, i realized that i might have a picture to show you, which i do !! so here it is:
thanks for dropping by!!

Inspirational Card Sketches #39

this is my card for sketch #39 at inspirational card sketches. i used the 'baby bear with sailboat' image from doodle palace, who has generously sponsored this week's challenge. they will be giving the winner 4 images!! and they are seriously cute!! i hope you'll play along this week!
i have been super busy with school and a trip out of town, but i hope to have more time in the coming weeks to be more crafty and visit some blogs, which i really need to do!!

thanks for dropping by!

Inspirational Card Sketches #38

as i'm sure you know, vintage images are very popular right now, and i am ♥ing this lovely non-traditional vintage Christmas pic!!

here's my card for this week's sketch at inspirational card sketches:
have a look at the other ladies' wonderful creations and leave a link to your card for a chance to win paper from the elliot collection from scrapbooks n stuff!

Inspirational Card Sketches #37

i am very happy to show you my very first card as part of the dt for inspirational card sketches! the gorgeous paper is from shabby princess. be sure to check out the lovely creations from the rest of the dt and, if you play along with us at ICS this week (and i hope you do!) you'll have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate from my creative classroom!

Happy Birthday, Sunshine!

i had a totally different idea when i started making this card, but alas, sometimes you gotta show 'em who's boss, and sometimes you just gotta let them do what they will.

i didn't like the sun in the corner; it seemed like a big blank space, so i cut out a cloud, added a rubon and used foam tape so it kinda looks like it's floating.

i made this one for my cousin's birthday. she's celebrating with a party at a pub/bar tonight, and everyone is asked to wear either polka-dots or stripes. for sure i don't own anything with polka-dots on it, but i think i can come up with something with stripes.

in other news... apparently it's international hug a vegetarian day today....?

Made ICS DT!

woohoo! i am so happy that i was chosen to be a part of the Inspirational Card Sketches design team! thanks Dawn and everyone at ICS for this great opportunity!

There are lots of lovely sketches and goodies coming up, so be sure to check it out! and you can take a peek at other dt members' blogs from the list on the right.

Going Back to School

i have been accepted into an MBA program here. it's a 2 year course in English, on the weekends (so i can still work if i find something). i have always wanted to do this, and feel very fortunate that the opportunity presented itself and that i am finally able to do it!

we had our orientation session where we met the rest of the group and it was a ton o' fun! it was a team-building session in a resort area, complete with wine-tasting, bowling and a trip to the lake.

classes started last week and i have assignments and group projects due already! so far much of it is review for me, but i am looking forward to learning about the European side of things.

ICS DT Call Submission

inspirational card sketches is having a dt call right now. i just recently discovered this site, and the sketches are fab!! i would so loooove to be a part of the dt, because i so love need deadlines and i know that this would get me making more cards and visiting everyone's lovely blogs. here is my submission: i got my sewing machine out for this one - the first time in many months and it felt gooood!! although it still has a rather annoying habit of missing stitches, but i went back and fixed them by hand.

the things in the corners are actually pushpins and i had to get out the pliers to bend them (very carefully). the yellow thing is a huge paper clip, stolen borrowed from bf's stuff. don't tell him because it might have sentimental value because i'm pretty sure it's from his elementary school days. or high school, at least.

and! i made the card while suffering from a nasty bowling injury, obtained on the weekend. however, it is much better as it no longer looks like i have a grape on the end of my finger, and has deflated somewhat.

and! there is a reason why i made a "back to school" card... more details on that to come!!

thanks for dropping by, and good luck to everyone trying out!!

Daybook for August 31

For Today
August 31, 2009 around noon

outside my window... a few clouds, but sunny. temps are a bit cooler today, but heatwave is expected to continue this week

i am thinking ... how the summer is almost over, and with september comes a feeling of getting organized, planning, learning, and getting back to some kind of routine

i am hearing ... the washer on spin cycle, workers cutting trees or something in the courtyard

from the kitchen... i made morning glory muffins on the weekend. very happy that they turned out, as this was the first time using the oven due to a: not being sure how to use it, and b: simply being too hot to use the oven at all. i also made chocolate haystacks, a very old recipe that my friend taught me how to make when i was about 12 or 13.

i am wearing ... khaki capri pants, white tank top, socks

i am reading... i just finished an awesome book which i highly recommend - "a year by the sea". it's about a woman that lives on her own for a year, and basically finds herself. at times it's a bit much, but if you can get past that, it's a lovely, descriptive read

one of my favourite things ... bike riding. i am still surprised how much i enjoy it every time i go out for a ride

i am thankful for ... playing on a trampoline this weekend, and discovering that i can still do a few tricks from my gymnastics days

a thought from last week ... went to the madonna concert last weekend. despite that she was 2 hours late and the rain (which could have been avoided if she had started even just one hour late), i thought it was pretty good. i felt for the audience when she insisted that they sing along to "get into the groove" and "dress you up in my love", which were released back in the days when they couldn't even get bluejeans here. i, however, knew most of the words :) and while you have to appreciate her efforts, i didn't much care for the preachy interlude where she tried to convince people that they should save the world, when she could do a lot more with her success than most of those in the audience

a few plans for the rest of the week ... getting started, getting organized.

a picture to share ... flowers in the city centreyou can find the simple woman's daybook blog here.

Super 6!!

wow!! i just found out i made the super 6 for sketch 28 at cardpatterns for my heart card!! thanks cardpatterns!! you totally made my day!!

Another ♥ Card

i absolutely looooove the sketch this week at cardpatterns!! i love hearts, and hearts with a swirl... well, it just doesn't get much better than that! i used core'dinations paper which i sanded for the heart, and combined the pink and orange thread to handstitch the swirl.

♥♥♥

♥ Card

i had cut out this paper and the heart a looooong time ago, but just didn't think it matched, no matter how much i wanted it to, although it is coordinating paper (i think). so finally i crumpled it up, outlined it with black ink, distressed the edges, and after not too long, this was the result:i used the sketch from cardpatterns this week. it's a great sketch, very versatile that could be used over again. thanks for dropping by!

Daybook For August 18

For Today
August 18, 2009 around 2 pm

outside my window... very hot and sunny again, a few clouds and a bit of a breeze

i am thinking... what a nice week i've had. went to the sziget festival last week, had friends over for dinner on friday night (made bruschetta, pasta with beans and lots of veggies, salad with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds and a homemade ice cream cake), biking all weekend and a bit of retail therapy yesterday at the mall

i am hearing ... the radio is on as usual, the planes for the red bull air race are practicing over the danube which is 2 blocks from my apartment

from the kitchen... a huge pasta salad is chilling in the fridge

i am wearing ... tank top, shorts and slippers

i am reading... still trying to get through 3 cups of tea. i had high expectations for it, but i just can't seem to get into it

i am hoping ... for a visit with my relatives soon

i am creating ... affirmations in photoshop to put up

around the house ... laundry is done, dinner is made, all is well

one of my favourite things ... homemade rooibos vanilla iced tea

i am thankful for ... where i live, so close to everything

a few plans for the rest of the week ... enjoying the holiday celebrations here this week, including the air race, fireworks and folk art festival

a picture to share ... my new bike (the one on the left ;))!
check out the simple woman's daybook here!

Welcome Max

the heatwave finally broke here, although they say it will return on the weekend. it took me a long time to make this... i guess because i haven't made a card for such a long time.:) i used the lovely sketch from 2 sketches 4 you this week. i used denim to make the buggy.my friends wanted 2 kids, and now they have a girl and a boy! i think that's so nice when that happens. and they get 3 years of maternity leave here, so she will be on mat leave for 6 years. can you imagine!? i think they are pretty lucky to have that option here. however, as of next year, mat leave will only be 2 years.

Safe At Home

i'm very happy that my parents are safe at home now, after having to evacuate because of the forest fires in BC's interior.