A little bit of the things I enjoy

City Crafter Challenge # 98

2012-03-05T06:28:00.003+01:00

Hello!

How are you?

A new week, a new day and a new card for the City Crafter Challenge Blog

At first I want to thank the wonderful DT of CCCB for making me a spotlight artist again.

I am honored; thank you ladies!

And I could not resist THIS weeks' challenge :)

You have to use two (or more) ribbons and nine (or more) words on your project.

I made this card for someone who been wonderful to me and my husband in the last few weeks..

I'll show you some photos of my card!

One of my very favorite stamps....:

Handmade pin by me and seam binding from Memrie Mare

That little pearl flower was a gift from Thea

Tilda papers from the "Winterbird" paper pad, some trim and distress ink...

Here is my card:

Have a great day!

Stella

Dutch Card Lovers #129

2012-03-04T21:46:00.001+01:00

(Please scroll down for English )

Hoi!

Alweer een nieuwe challenge bij Dutch Card Lovers

En deze week draait alles om vlinders....heel veel vlinders!

Net iets voor mij :) en uiteindelijk heb ik dan ook 2 kaarten in plaats van 1. Ik heb er voor gekozen om beiden in dit bericht te plaatsen en dus te volstaan met één link bij de challenge. Ik kon gewoon niet kiezen.....

Mijn eerste kaart is gemaakt met papier en die cuts van Tilda. Ik werk eigenlijk nooit met die cuts maar zie ze vaak op andere blogs en vind het resultaat supermooi. Tijd om het zelf maar eens te proberen. De vlinders op de kaart heb ik zelf uit het Tilda blok "Garden Party "geknipt. Knippen is niet mijn sterkste kant... De tekststempel is van Ludiec.De laatste letters zijn niet echt perfect; geen idee hoe dat kwam.

De tweede kaart heb ik gemaakt in neutrale tinten en een "poederachtige" rose tint . Ik heb de ruitjesstempel van Waltzingmouse gebruikt; de tekst cirkel is van Maya Road en mijn favoriete embossingfolder. Dat dat ding nog niet versleten is!

Hello!

A new challenge at Dutch Card Lovers

This week it's all about butterflies; and you have to use LOTS of butterflies.

Right up my alleye and I made 2 cards instead of one. I deciedd to post both cards in one post and create one link. ....I am pleased how these two cards turned out.

My first card is made with papers and die cuts from the "Garden Party" paper pad from Tilda. I never used die cuts on a card; I see them a lot in blogland and it always makes my jaw drop :). Time to use them myself! I fussy cut the biutterflies. (Not my forte). Sentiment from Ludiec. The last letters are not perfect; I have no idea how that happened.

My second card is made with neutrals and a "powdered"shade of pink. A gingham stamp from Waltzingmouse and my favorite embossing folder. Circle sentiment form Maya Road and that little rose is a gift from Thea.

Here are a few photos:

This sentiment stamp means in English "Just because I am thinking of you"

Till soon!

Stella

Something new...at least for me

2012-02-27T21:13:00.000+01:00

Hello how are you???

It must have been ages since I posted a decent post. Yes; a lot has happened but it's lovely to be back to cardmaking and crafting....

First of all I am so honored to be featured on THIS BLOG. It made me blush :)

Thank you so much Noor and Tammy ; I feel privileged!

And I also have something different to share; not a card but two tags.

I tried something new; I made a huge mess with gesso, old book pages, distress ink, pearls, spacers (originally made for creating jewelry), seam binding and die cuts sent to me by Ros (thank you so so much sweetie)

I got inspired by this photo for this challenge

A neutral color scheme is right up my alleye:)

And I am quite pleased that I made something worth showing after I cleaned up the mess.

Here are a few close ups:

I hope you like it.

I will hop over to all your blogs soon. I guess I missed quite some beauties. And in the upcoming days I will catch up. It's good to be back..

Till soon!

Stella

Dutch Card Lovers #127

2012-02-22T22:44:00.000+01:00

(scroll down for English please...)

Allereerst wil ik iedereen bedanken voor alle lieve reacties naar aanleiding van het overlijden van mijn schoonvader. Allemaal lief, meelevend en warm. Het heeft ons goed gedaan; jullie zijn bijzonder! Dank je wel!

Na een veelbewogen week kwam komt langzaamaan de zin weer terug om weer eens een kaart te maken.

Ik ben hartstikke vereerd met mijn plekje in de top 3 bij Dutch Card Lovers; wat een opsteker. Dames; hartstikke bedankt!

En deze week is er een nieuwe sketch

At first I want to thank all of you for your heartfelt comments, emails and cards upon the passing of my father in law ( oh my is this english?)

It means a lot to us and I want to thank you all. You all are so special....

After a week with a lot of emotions I am slowly getting back to daily life and I made my first card since 10 days. I am also honored being one of the top 3 of the previous challenge at Dutch Card Lovers. Ladies thank you so so much!

This weeks' challenge is based upon this sketch:

Sorry voor de niet al te beste kwaliteit van de foto's....

Forgive me the blurry pictures :)

Papers: and border sticker from Melissa Frances 5th Avenue, doily from my stash, pearl and swirl (on top of the "banner") from Thea ( such a sweetheart and co-worker..) sentiment from Waltzingmouse stamps, Antique Linen distress ink, and a few stitches from my sewing machine

That's all for now.

I will be back soon...

Stella

14 February 2012

2012-02-15T11:05:00.000+01:00

My father in law passed away on the 14th of February 2012 around 11.00 PM.

Surrounded by his beloved ones; while my mother in law held his hand.

Diagnosed with cancer in July 2011 we are thankful that we had the opportunity to spend time together with him.

He's in a safer place now; without illness or pain.

In Dutch and English :)..Dutch Card Lovers challenge

2012-02-11T16:53:00.001+01:00

Hello!

Are you all having a great weekend so far?

I am submitting a card for a Dutch challenge; therefor I wrote this post both in Dutch and English.

I haven't decided yet to do this with all my posts but a Dutch girl has to write in Dutch when she's participating in a Dutch challenge!

Dit is voor mij de eerste keer sinds 2 jaar dat ik meedoe met een Nederlandse challenge. Leuk, leuk, leuk!

Geïnspireerd door M@rjan en bij het zien van sketch wist ik gelijk wat ik wilde gaan maken. En dat gebeurt me niet zo vaak :)

Het gaat om de challenge van Dutch Card Lovers en gebaseerd op deze sketch.

Het is een verjaardagskaart geworden.

This is the first time in two years for me to play along in a Dutch challenge. Inspired by M@rjan and a fab sketch I immediately knew what I wanted to make. That doesn't happen too often:)

I made a birthday card and it's based upon this sketch:

Papers: Basic Grey, The Girls' Paperie and a the pink ginghma is a free printable.

( rose ruitjespapier van het internet; zelf te downloaden en te printen)

Tim Holts dressform die, sentiment from Waltzingmouse stamps (Say it loud), Distress ink Tattered Rose, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, corner punch, Martha Stewart border punch, ribbon from my stash, pink gems from Zeeman.

Flourish from Sasha

Ik ben benieuwd wat jullie er van vinden!

Hope you like it!

Tot gauw/ Till soon!

Stella

CR84FN 47

2012-02-10T22:48:00.000+01:00

Hi!

How are you????

After a period of decluttering the house, starting to put everything in place in my craft room, visiting family, going to a craft show ( bought lots of stamps and fabric for quilting), temperatures far below zero and snow I finally had the time to finish my card

My room is not finished yet but there is a table, part of the closets and rolling containers are sorted out and organised. And waiting for one more closet to come in the upcoming week I really wanted to get back to cardmaking and posting again.

Photos of my room will be here on my blog in about a week.

I made this card for the challenge at CR84FN

It's almost 11.00 PM here and my apologies for the blurry pictures :)

This week it's all about these colors:

And yes; there is blue involved; thank you ladies :)

I came up with this card:

Papers from Eline Pellinkhof "Winter pastels"

A rose and a pearl; trim from my stash

( That's what I love about sorting out your supplies; I stumbled upon that piece of trim and I love surprises like this :)

Pearls in pastel from Melissa Frances; thank you for sending me these beauties Pauline

And here is my card:

Have a wonderful weekend; till soon!

Stella

CR84FN #46

2012-01-23T20:44:00.000+01:00

Hello!

How are you? Did you all have a great start of the week?

Well today went by before I knew it and I love to come home from work and have the time ( and an idea..) for a card.

I just love the colors of this weeks' challenge at CR84FN:

I knew this would be a perfect pair with Melissa Frances supplies.:)

Paired up with a sentiment from Waltzingmouse stamps and a flower made by me.

I made this card for a colleague who is celebrating her birthday on Wednesday. I finished it just in time :)

A lovely ballerina...:

Melissa Frances stickers and a sentiment stamped is grey

And here is my card:

Time for some blogging and fresh coffee!

Till soon!

Stella

CCCB 92 and Waltzingmouse 81

2012-01-22T18:27:00.003+01:00

Hello!

It has been a while but I finally had a chance to spend some time making cards..

And I really wanted to use a set of stamps which has been on my wishlist for quite some time. And now I bought them :)

And today was a perfect day for cardmaking. Loads of rain on a cloudy day and a husband who went to see a football game. We were both spendng time on something we really love to do during the weekend.

After visiting so many blogs ( finally caught up; once a while a day behind but if that's all..)and looking at so many different styles I thought it would be a good idea to use different papers and colors.

I am playing along in 2 challenges .

This card is based upon this weeks' sketch at the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge:

And the theme of this weeks' challenge at the City Crafter Challenge Blog:

"pretty inside and out" That means that we also have to decorate the inside of the card.

I am so happy with this new stamp set ( well new for me...)

one of the sentiments from the "Say it Loud"

And decorated the inside too:

Papers from Basic Grey ( Picadilly) , the heart is a die cut of felt from my stash.

The button is a gift from Cathy.

And this is the inside

And here is the outside/front of my card

A bit different and I think I have a lot to learn :)

But it was fun being busy with stamps, ink and papers....

Have a lovely day/evening!

Stella

Problem solved :)

2012-01-15T22:47:00.001+01:00

Hello!

I am up and running again; pfew!

Thanks to Google Chrome; and all of you who left a comment or emailed me.

I took your advice and now Google Chrome is installed. So much faster and it's good to be able to leave a comment..

Thank you so so much for the advice!!!!!

And now back to crafting.

But not tonight; tomorrow evening .

It's 10.45 PM and I am off to bed...

Not funny...

2012-01-14T20:43:00.001+01:00

I wanted to catch up and I did. Back on track so to speak.

But I am having trouble leaving comments on some blogs in the USA, some in the UK and two Dutch blogs.

Am I the only one or is Blogger is bit off track?

Till soon :) ; at least I hope so :)

Stella

PDCC 113 and Pixie Dust Paperie January Challenge

2012-01-09T07:30:00.000+01:00

Getting back to normal routine; a new week and my husband is also back to work after 2 weeks vacation.

After months with hardly any crafting it's wonderful to have the time and the inspiration for cardmaking.

I made a card for two challenges; I rarely submit a card for two challenges but these two go so well together.

At the Play Date Cafe it's all about these colors; right up my alleye :)

And the theme at the Pixie Dust Paperie January Challenge is about a project for Valentine's day, OR a project with heart(s)

I have a place in my heart for Melissa Frances papers and embellishments and this card is filled to the brim with Melissa Frances supplies ( besides the brads and ribbon; both from my stash...)

A tag, banner, brad and some distress ink:

Die cuts and stickers from Melissa Frances

The crocheted heart was a gift from Ros

I added some stitches around the edges.

And here is my card:

Till soon!

Stella

CR84FN45

2012-01-08T20:30:00.001+01:00

Hi,

Almost end of the weekend....time to submit my card for this weeks' challenge at CR84FN.

This week it's all about these gorgeous colors:

It has been a while since I played along and it's good to be here again :)

Although I am not an "orange/yellow'' type I love the combo of these three.

And I came up with this:

Some roses and some polka dot ribbon:

A tag made with one of the dies from Eline Pellinkhof. The button dies and stamp are also from her..

The doily was a gift from Ros.

I used a border punch and distressed the edges with Scattered Straw. And added a few pearls.

Here is my card:

Have a great Sunday!

Stella

A new year....

2012-01-04T21:46:00.000+01:00

And before I knew it we welcomed 2012......Gosh it has been ages.....

Looking back at 2011 I am aware that I have not been blogging much since September.

Time has been creeping up on me and I wish there was a shop where I could buy myself some time. There are not enough hours in a day!

And I missed being in the inspiring world of bloggers and all the wonderful creations which are made by you.

Our holidays were perfect; spending time with family and I am still in awe of all the amazing handmade cards and gorgeous gifts that I received. It's too much; it almost feels like bragging when I am writing about it. But you (you know who you are) definitely added a very special touch to our holidays....

Thank you so so very much!

I had the privilege to sponsor two challenges at the City Crafter Challenge. I posted about the first prize but also wanted to add a photo of my prize of the " winter white" challenge. Besides this stamp set I also added a few embellishments for the winner.Myric this is on its way to you!

And...I am making cards again.This weeks' challenge at the City Ctafter Challenge you have to

submit a day, a month, a year or a combination of all three somewhere on your project.

A perfect opportunity to make a card for a very special and amazingly talented friend who will be celebrating her birthday on January, 12th. (In Holland we are used to write the day at first and after that the month)

Some adhesive felt numbers and a cute button from Deb

A flourish from Sasha

And a yo yo heart; lace/trim from a local fabric store:

Paired up with a doily:

And here is my card:

Have a wonderful day; take care!

Stella

You can win at CCCB 86 "Home for the Holidays'

2011-12-11T20:31:00.001+01:00

And bring in the tree :)

Being away for so long I am so happy to sponsor this weeks' challenge at the City Crafter Challenge Blog

I am offering a stamp set as this weeks' prize. I recently bought these cuties and I will ink them up soon!

To offer you a chance to ink these beauties up too :) you only have to enter this weeks'challenge at CCCB

This week it's all about creating a home decor project or include a house on your project.

This challenge is one of my very favorites and I played along quite a few times. Being able to sponsor this challenge is a token of appreciation to Kirsty and her fabulous DT. Ladies thank you so much for everything you do!

And the prize????

Well look at this:

Several stamps with all kinds of images and sentiments; you can use them on so many projects...

A photo of the back of the package; to get a better look of how it will look like once you've inked them up :)

It has been ages since I've been crafting. Besides a few christmas items for a few others my mojo went off and I am so happy that I finally made someting. I think it turned out quite good. I made a home decor project for the holidays; until Christmas break at Marcels'school this cutie will hang in his office. And he will bring in this tree when he will be off work during the holidays.

"Jingle bells. Jingle Bells"

Bits and pieces of bling, twine, ribbon and stamps:

I painted a wooden tree with off white craft paint and distressed the edges with Antique Linen

It's my very first time I stamped on wood :)

And no tree without a star...

The ribbon is from a local fabric store ( Jan Sikkes)

And here is my tree hanger...

Join the fun....

Till soon; enjoy this season!

Stella

Oh deer it is the season :) and CCCB

2011-11-21T18:46:00.001+01:00

But before I show you my card I have to share a photo that was made on our sisterday.

I feel privileged with 5 sisters and 2 brothers; I am the youngest child in a family of eight children.

Last Saturday me and my sisters came togther and it has been a wonderful day. Lots of talking, laughing, good food....priceless :)

On the couch from left to right:

Jacqueline , Jeanne, Annelies, Ingrid,

And sitting on the floor: me on the left and Loni on the right.

I am so happy that I finally had the chance to start with my Christmas cards; I know; it's a bit late....

But there is a start!

My card is based upon this weeks'challenge at CCCB

This week you have to incorporate an animal in your project.

I am so happy that I am submitting a card for a challenge after all the hustle and bustle of the last few months. More challenges are following soon :)

A perfect theme for a Christmas card.

This is the sentiment on the inside of my card

A bit of gingham paper and that ribbon is silver. ( Reflecting a piece of my dinnertable made from wood :)

One of my favorite text-it stamps from Waltzingmouse stamps

A bit of bling and a favorite embellishment of mine; an embossed chipboard frame from Tattered Angels. Covered with distress ink. The stamp is from one of Eline's "winter home" stamp sets:

I know that a reindeer is perfect for a Christmas card but this cute little deer is my favorite:

And here is my card:

Enjoy your evening!

Stella

Enjoy life....

2011-11-15T21:41:00.001+01:00

There is a picture overload; I just wanted to warn you :)

After posting about the birthday of our youngest son we had a weekend filled with lots and lots of things and my FIL went back to the hospital again. He's coming home tomorrow and all I can say it has been a time with a lot of worries.

But it also made me realise that life is a gift and that we really have to enjoy evey minute of it...

I am so so thankful for all your lovely comments, emails, thoughts and prayers/ It's hard to express myself but it was heartwarming and I am so grateful for all of you...

I am also looking forward to Saturday, November 19th; we wil have a "sister-day". Being together with all my sisters ( yes I am so lucky to have 5 sisters)

I will post a picture of all of us but I also want to to share a picture that was made on our "sister-day" back in 2008.

Top from left to right: Jeanne, Ingrid, Jacqueline and Loni

Bottom: Annelies on the right and I am sitting left of her..

Jacqueline celebrated her Birthday November 10th and instead of making a card I decided to make my very first mini album. Encouraged by Ros who told me to just do it and follow my heart ( thank you sweetie) and inspired by the a-m-a-z-i-n-g creations of Ros and Mona I gave it a try....

It's far from perfect but I am pleased with the result...

This album is made with Tilda papers and one of the die cuts. I also used all kinds of embellishments; some of them were sent to me by Sasha , Pauline , Ros, Victoria and even some buttons that Jacqueline herself gave to me.

And....Spellbinders and Creatables dies, stamps from Crafty Secrets and Eline's winter home, my cupcake punch, lace, distress ink, felt, silk ribbon, and a glittered star from Memrie Mare

Happy birthday Jacqueline....you mean the world to me!!!

( my other sisters too..)

Just a peek ...

She's special.......

The little tag says "to my sister" I wrote that with a blue pen; just tucked in my favorite color :)

I made these cute buttons with one of the Creatable dies; another favorite:

Jacqueline is a mutli talented woman; an amazing quilter and her sewing skills make me sigh...

She loves tea and we both love cake, cupcakes and pies :) I think we're not the only ones!

The Tag on the left was hand written by me It's written in Dutch and in English it says:

"Dearie, congratulations. With love, Marcel and Stel'".(my shortname)

A little heart and some sentiments....

Well; that's it for now. I wil be back with a few cards.

Have a lovely evening / day wherever you are and....enjoy...

Stella

Happy Birthday Martijn!!!!!!!!!!

2011-11-04T07:01:00.001+01:00

21 years ago we welcomed a beautiful, healthy bundle of joy into the world.......

And he's grown up to a wonderful young man:

Happy Birthday Martijn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We love you,

Mum and Dad

XXX

So much to tell and share...

2011-11-01T21:48:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I sincerely hope you are all well.....

October has not been a month of many blog posts from me; I know.....

The last few weeks we spent a lot of time with family and friends.

There is so much to share and I will post everything but this is just a start. And with just a start this already is a long post. Be prepared....

We've been helping one of my sisters with a bit of renovating in their home. We had 5 fabulous days with them. It has been wonderful to be together, spend some time together, working and painting ( Marcel and my BIL worked on a new bathroom and Marcel did some carpentry...he was educated as a carpenter...sooooooo handy!!!). And of course we did some relaxing too and laughed so so much; it made my belly hurt.

We also started painting the guest room at our house and cleaned out the mess :)

I will post photos once the room is finished!

While we were at my sisters' house my sister and I also spent some time painting boxes ( small ones for interior Christmas decorating) and sewing. That means; I watched my sister sewing :) And yes these photos will be posted soon too.

But there was more going on...

My FIL is not getting better ( as you already know). At first when he came home he recovered quite good from the surgery. He's still on his feet and able to walk again. Not much but enough to get around the house and enjoy getting outside in the garden. His mental condition is not as good as it has been. he's slightly starting to forget things. At first that has been been hard to accept for him but at this moment it seems that he's accepting it.

My heart breaks when I watch him and my MIL..how much time do they have left together...weeks? A few months? We don't know and we are just keeping our fingers crossed..

Looking around me I know that there is so much to be thankful for and I feel privileged with being healthy, my family, friends and the life I live.There are so many people who have to deal with a lot of problems and I know I am blessed.

On a lighter note:

I also made a few cards again..not for a challenge but just for fun.

I recently bought some "Tilda" fabrics (coming soon) and papers. I love their new collection called "Winterbird". There is lot of blue in this collection and I had to have it!

Well hello there....

A butterfly...

That doily die is still a favorite die to use:

And here is my card

But there is another card....there is the another winterbird...and some pearls

the pom pom trim is a gift from Cathy; the color is spot on!

These roses from Marinanne Design are another favorite of mine:

And here is the card

I know there is a lot to look and read at your blogs; I know what I will be doning tonght..and the upcoming evenings...

Till soon; have a lovely day/evening and take care....

Stella

I have the honor

2011-10-11T06:30:00.000+02:00

Well hello.....

How are you? Yes I've been missing you....and I hope you all are doing well...

It has been more than 2 weeks since I've been here and to be honest; September went by in the blink of an eye. I caught a cold and after that a stomach flu. Nothing too serious but enough to keep my energy level below zero...Besides that we had the pleasure of a few dinner invitations and a few birthday parties. Also counting some cleaning and laundry and before you know it there are not enough hours in a day :)

A while ago I had the pleasure of receiving an email from Kirsty; the owner of the City Crafter Challenge Blog . She asked me if I would like to join them as a Guest Designer.
Of course I said yes; CCCB has been the first challenge I submitted and I play along whenever I can.
It's such a honor and I am very grateful that she asked me!
Over to the challenge!

This week it is a color challenge based on black and cream!

And you can win a fabulous prize; our sponsor is Pixie Dust Paperie !!

I made a card with a few of my favorite things...
Cream cardstock, black ink and a floral background stamp.
Paired up with a tiny tag, a sentiment and a silver pearl...

A flower made with one of my flower dies, a little doily and of course...a pearl!

Pop pom trim and a dressfrom die

A bit of distress ink arund the edges and there it is:

I hope you all can play along and join the fun! And get inspired by the Kirsty and the other amazingly talented ladies of the DT;

Ros

Linda

Cheryl

Have a lovely day/ evening;

Till soon!

Stella

CCCB # 75 "Let's face the music"

2011-09-25T20:27:00.000+02:00

Hello!

This last week I spent most of the time with a zillion Kleenex tissues. And I am glad to be back to cardmaking again :)

I am in time to join this weeks' challenge at the City Crafter Challenge Blog

This week it's all about music. Sheet music, a charm, an image, musical notes...you name it!

I made a card for someone who is going through a difficult time.

Her mum went to the hospital for a scan a passed away within a week....

I decided to make a card in soft colors with a little splash of color. .I hope it will comfort her.
(It's not a formal sympathy card)

I recently bought a doily die and I LOVE it. And had to use it again:)

My sister Jacqueline gave me the little silver pearls; another favorite...

Papers, tag and sticker from Melissa Frances; sentiment from Waltzingmouse stamps

I added a pearl brad to my yo- yo heart and the trim is from Maya Road

It's hard to see in the photo but I did ink the edges with a bit of white ink.

Here is my card :

Off I am; have a great evening/ day!

Till soon!

Stella

CCCB #74 I "heart" you

2011-09-18T19:48:00.002+02:00

Hi!

How are you?

There is a wonderful challenge going on at the City Crafter Challenge Blog. You can still join us!

The challenge is just to incorporate a heart(s) on your project.

This is the photo inspiration:

I made a card for my niece who had a little "goodbye" party last night. She finished her study at the University of Groningen. The next months she will be travelling with her boyfriend in the Far East (Malaysia, Indonesia and so on..)

She is the eldest child of one of my sisters and left home 6 years ago to study here. Living away from home in another city she loved to come over at our house for dinner. She's a wonderful young woman. With a great sense of humor and a lovely personality.

I bought a book for her filled with photos of Groningen. To look at and think back of a place that she loves so so much and brought her so many good things. ( That's what she told us)

I made the card and didn't add a sentiment; I wrote a personal letter and tucked it inside.

The phots are a bit blurry; I finished the card yesterday evening at 7.00 PM and it was already getting dark due to the

cloudy weather and rain...)

I used a new doily die and paired it up with some embossed papers and a text stamp from Waltzingmouse stamps

A heart cut out of felt with a little flower - made by me :) - on top

Here is my card:

Well I'm off for some coffee and I hope to squeeze in some time for another card.

Till soon!

Stella

Random and a 2nd card

2011-09-14T20:51:00.000+02:00

Well hello,

How are you?

At first I want to thank all of you who left a lovely, heartwarming and sweet comment during the last week. To congratulate me with my new job, wishing me luck and fun. It has been lovely to read them all and it made me realise that all of you are making this blog so special for me.

Thank you so so much! XXXXXX

A daily routine with a bit more time for blogging and cardmaking. And comments. I know there is a lot to read and look at on your blogs. I will hop over but it probably will take me weeks to catch up with all the posts from all of you during the last three weeks. Scrolling down in my dashboard I counted at least a few hundred posts. It will be fun but also take some time. And there is a chance that you might receive comments in the upcoming weeks upon a post that has been posted some time ago. It's not a matter of being interested; it's a matter of time....

I am still wondering how all of you are staying on top of your dashboard. What's your secret? I'd love to hear it!!!

It's 8.45 PM now. Our youngest son joined us for dinner and is now back to his own home. We laughed so much and I love it when one of our sons (or even better; both of them hee hee) are here. It really is quality time and I enjoy these moments so very very much.

I also want to show you a card that I made for one of my sisters. She's celebrating her birthday tomorrow and this card offered me a chance to create another card with a stamped background. I had so much fun creating the background for this card:

I really need to practice on stamping backgrounds and I have a few sets with background stamps from Waltzingmouse stamps. I used another set for my card; the Musical Background stamps.

I made this card for two challenges; it's my 2nd card for both of them. Thank you ladies for a wonderful color and sketch challenge!

I used the colors of this weeks' challenge at CR84FN

and the sketch of this weeks'challenge at the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge

I love to use a lot of embellishments but again; I wanted to let the stamped background speak for itself.

Not my ususal style but it's a great way to work on my styamping skills :)

A close up of the background:

I also used my Vintage Labels 4 and the Fancy Phrases set:

A fabric flower made by me; topped off with a pearl. And beneath the flower you can see a butterfly that I cut of a piece of grey felt with a butterfly die

I distressed the edges with Pumice Stone distress ink.

Here is my card:

Now it's time for coffee and blogging; till soon!

Stella

Three in a row!

2011-09-12T20:41:00.003+02:00

Hello!

How are you???

My oh my it has been more than a week since I've posted here.

With a new job the week went by before I even noticed it.

The first few days were quite busy; getting to know new people, training and learning to work in a another system. Fun fun fun but by the time I got home I was worn out......

At the end of the week I already felt settled and today I am not as tired as I was last week. Getting used to all the new things I can say that my new job fits like a tailor made jacket :)

Yesterday I really wanted to make a card and for the very first time I used three different challenges.

I made my card for:

The City Crafter Challenge #73

On your project you have to use

1 ribbon

2 or more words

3 or more butterflies

and CR84FN38 based upon these gorgeous colors:

and the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge #64 based upon this sketch:

A combo of 3 challenges and I decided to let the stamps speak for itself....

I used one the Text it Stamps from Waltzingmouse stamps to create a background.

It took me quite some time to stamp this background. A lot of paper is in the bin but finally I had a background that looked quite good (if I may say so...)

And stamped three butterflies on top of it with a stamp from Eline's Huis:

The sentiment is from Flourishes and I added a small gingham bow; there's the ribbon :)

I added a bit of distress ink around the edges of my card and my (little) banner with the sentiment.

And I am quite pleases with the result. Here is my card:

I also wanted to show you the keyhanger I made for Ira's birthday. The only decent picture that I have is of the keyhanger itself. On Ira's blog there is a good photo of my card; mine looks horrible...

And Saturday the mailman delivered this GORGEOUS package from Pauline

With a fabulous card. IRL it's even more gorgeous; a handmade jewel!

And she sent me this; a belated birthday gift and my jaw hit the floor...just look....

Pauline thank you so so much!!!!!

My dashboard has a new design; it's all white now and crisp. It looks great but didn't work the way I wanted... I hope it will be better now.

Am I the only one or are there more with a new LO/design of their dashboard and having the same trouble?

Well that's all for now.

Have a wonderful evening/day!

Stella

Well hello there....

2011-09-04T21:22:00.000+02:00

How are you????

It's so good to be here again!

It has been more than a week since I posted something

And we had a wonderful vacation!

Spending lots of time with our sons, family ( thank you Jacqueline for a weekend filled with priceless memories. And yes; we laughed so so much and had fun!), visited friends and had a wonderful time. And besides that we went shopping, made a few "steps" in renovating the bedrooms of both our sons, watched a few good movies and enjoyed just being together.

And tomorrow we are back in the routine of daily life. Like all of you.

I am also starting in a new job at an insurance company. I am excited; not stressed. And looking forward to it.

I've been quite busy with all kinds of things and I am telling you: there is a bit of a picture overload in this post.

So if you need a break, don't want to fold the laundry, ironing, cleaning the kitchen and fill the dishwasher, if your DH is watching TV, your children in bed or playing outside and have fun, if you're ready for coffee, tea or whatever...this post is a great excuse to sit down :)

I used quite a few things that were sent to me, used a lot of scraps, finished my first log cabin (a first attempt to start quilting hee hee), made a birthday tag instead of a card and...I started coloring stamped images.

I really wanted to try that and you can find the pictures of my first attempt in this post too....

Here we go!

Cathy sent me a box filled to the brim with gorgeous embellishments and one of them was this amazing flower:

I really wanted this flower to be the focal point of this card. And used papers from the Girls Paperie and Wild Rose Studio. The ric rac ribbon is a gift from Deb

(this picture is a bit blurry;sorry!)

Next is a card that shows my first attempt of coloring images with distress ink.

The sentiment is from Waltzingmoouse stamps; the papers were a gift from Jacqueline.

I used a waterbrush pencil; one you can fill with water and than...easy peasy :)

I used Forest Moss and Bundled Sage for the leafs and stem:

This image is stamped by Petra. She sent me a few so I could give it a try.

I know it's not perfect but hee...it's my first attempt you know

I made a big mistake with coloring the flower; just beside the stem. Well; lesson learned...

I used Chipped Sapphire, Weathered Wood and Old Paper to color the flower:

And here is my first attempt. I love to hear what you think of it and if I should do this more often. Of course; I have to practice and I would love to get some advice...

I made a few tags. I decided to wait with stamping a sentiment. I didn't pierce it. I can still add some ribbon, twine at the back or just glue it onto something. A few close ups:

And four in a row; the cute tiny buttons were also a gift from Cathy

I made a birthday tag for one of my nephews in patriotic colors; here in Holland the flag is also in red, white and blue. It tunred out quite well; hopefully not too girly:)

The tag:

I am so so happy with the way my first Log Cabin turned out.

I recently bought some more fabric and believe it or not; I already have some red patterned fabric in my stash. We seem to go along quite well the last few weeks...!!!

I had so much fun giving this a try and I am so proud of the result so I decided to frame it.

Here it is:

We didn't have much of a summer. We had too much rain. lots of wind and less sun.The garden looks horrible with one exception; my hydrangeas.

I am sharing a few close ups of these beauties:

This one is my fave. I love the combo of soft pink and fesh green. Colors of nature!

I am also busy sewing. With a lot of different projects and various fabrics I'll show you a little peek:

And one finished project. This is a keyhanger in the shape of a house. I made a few mistakes but again; first attempt and the second one turned out quite well. I'll post it later; I don't have a picture yet.

But here is the key hanger I made for myself:

That's all for now and I know there is a lot of catching up to do with all of you.

I'll better hop over :)

Till soon!

Stella

A bit of everything.....and a challenge

2011-08-23T20:58:00.000+02:00

Hello!

No I didn't fell off the earth. In fact; we finally have the opportunity to enjoy a bit of vacation.

Marcels' father got home from the UMCG last Saturday. He is so happy to be home again after spending almost 8 weeks at the hospital. Counting the circumstances he's doing well.

The porch is finished and Sunday he finally had the chance to sit at it. Marcel finished it last week and it turned out great. It's quite big; you could easily use it as a dancefloor hee hee!

Marcels' father is over the moon. It has been on his wishlist for ages and now it's finally there...

We also celebrated his fathers' birthday; he turned 70 yesterday. A very special day and he enjoyed every minute of it.

With his father at home and two weeks of vacation left we decided to spend more time together, with our sons, family and friends. The last few months were not easy and after all the hustle and bustle it's wonderful to spend more time together, relaxing and enjoying each others company.

That's also the reason for my MIA the last few days. And it's NOT because I'm not interested but we all need time to relax. A sort of break. I will be around but not as frequent as usual. And be back at full strength after 2 weeks :)

There are a few challenges that I really want to participate. And one of the very few is

this weeks' challenge at CR84FN. It's all about these gorgeous colors:

I made two cards. Based upon the same idea and with similar embellishments, use of stamps and embossing folder.

At first there are pictures of my first card and after that you can have a look at the details and final result of my 2nd card. There are 8 photos coming up :)

That gingham paper is a free printable. You can find it here

I used this lace on both my cards.

The scroll stamp is from Maya Road

I distressed the edges with Antique Linen.

Here's card #1:

Flowers from Mulberry and string of pearls from my stash.

That pin is made by me :)

Both sentiments are from the Fancy Phrases set of Waltzingmouse stamps:

A small button:

And here's card #2. Same idea; different result:

Till soon!

Stella

Waltzingmouse sketch # 60

2011-08-18T20:04:00.000+02:00

Hi there...

How are you?

I am just poppin' in to submit my card for this weeks' challenge at the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge.

This week the challenge is based upon this sketch:

I made a simple card; not too much embellishments.

Almost monochromatic with a splash of pink.

The sentiment is from the Fancy Phrases set and the circle stamp of the Victorian Frippery set. A piece of lace and a little peek of the splash of pink:

A flower from Marianne Design; I added a grey pearl:

Below the circle I stamped a scroll also from the Victorian Frippery set and added a small white pearl:

And here is my card:

Simple but I hope you like it!

Till soon!

Stella

Scraps and polka dots

2011-08-17T21:15:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone!

How are you?

I am in the creative mood...card making, sewing and baking!

(There is nothing as good ad fresh coffee, home made apple cake and time for some crafting hee hee)

I have a card to share that I made for this weeks challenge at CCCB.

This week it's all about scraps ...

I am also entering my card for this weeks'challenge at the Shabby Tea Room.

This weeks' challenge is all about polka dots;

I have enough scraps and my choice of colors is based upon these pieces of fabric. I bought them for quilting..

( sorry for the blurry picture....)

And I used these scraps; I made a lot of these flowers a few weeks ago and I found the last one between my scraps....I still haven't figured out how it got there:

Here are the polka dots and a sweet little sentiment of Waltzingmouse stamps:

The charm was a little gift when I bought pp online, pearl and twine drom my stash:

The flower and some leafs cut out of felt. A rub on and a few stitches:

Here is my card:

Í am also back on track again with my 365 blog. It has been quiet for a while but getting back in a normal routine also offers me the chance to make pictures again!

Till soon; enjoy your day/evening!

Stella

And by chance it fitted perfectly!

2011-08-15T21:38:00.001+02:00

A day without rain and yes we had lots of sun; I even had my lunch in the garden hee hee!

I love days when things turn out just as planned :)

That happens rarely lately. The last few months have been quite a whirlwind and today was the first day in ages that went smoothly and without "surprises"or stress.

Not that I'm stressed out but a lot has happened and it's to great to look back at just an ordinairy day!

Yesterday evening I decided to clear up my box with scraps. I have a lot of pieces of 3x6 and it's about time I made something out of it. I know; some of you have a closet full of scraps but this box is my limit :)

I used one gorgeous flower that Cathy sent me ( I love this color.....); all the other supplies are from my stash.

And after finishing my card I found out that my card made a perfect fit for this weeks' challenge at the Shabby Tea Room . It has been ages since a played along.....

This week it's all about Polka Dots!

Here is the photo inspiration:

I made a card for a friend; grateful that she's always there for me.

A card to say "Hi" ( and of course to thank her) in soft, muted colors.

I used some adhesive letters of felt and added a star beneath the dot of the "ï"

I cut a heart out of cardboard with a Spellbinders die; painted it with white kraft paint.

A little button and a pearl on top of it:

Here's Cathy's flower; pearl flourish from Prima:

A doily and gingham ribbon from my stash:

The papers are "leftovers" from Prima, Crafty Secrets and Melissa Frances. A few stitches and some inking around the edges. It's not perfect ( here and there some mistakes..) but I am still pleased with the result.

Here is my card:

Have a great day/evening!

Stella

PDCC 94

2011-08-14T17:21:00.001+02:00

Hello again.....

This is my second post for today.

We are slightly getting back to a normal routine. There are still a few vacation weeks left and we are looking forward to spend some time together.

And I also want to spend more time crafting :) that's why I am glad that I was able to create a card for this weeks' challenge at the Play Date Cafe.

Look at the gorgeous colors:

I had to make a masculine card ( not my forte:)..) for one of our friends

who went on early retirement this week. (lucky fellow haha)

He loves to work in his garden and that garden is a small paradise.And because of his love for his garden I had to add a flower but not too girlie.

My card turned out quite simple and there is no sentiment on the front of the card.

I am just writing a personal message inside...

Papers from Graphic 45. The striped paper was sent to me by Jacqueline.

You can also see a small part of my Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Motifs.

I stamped the circle stamp of the Victorian Frippery set of Waltzingmouse stamps in the center of it:

I made a flower of felt and used my Creatables die; I hope it's not too girlie....

I inked the edges of the card to soften the look.

Here is my card:

Enjoy your Sunday!

Stella

Spoilt part 3...

2011-08-14T17:21:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,

Are you having a great weekend?

It has been raining here for 15 hours and it finally stopped.

I really have had it with rain; eating outside and working in my garden is almost a fairytale right now...

This is my first post for taoday; I will also post my card for the Play Date Cafe.

I have a few cards to share that were sent by me last week. And I finally had the time to make a few pictures. I already thanked the ladies but their cards are so gorgeous that I really wanted to share them.

Bea

sent me this gorgeous card; thinking of me..She is such a sweetheart.

She knows that I love everything of Melissa Frances and this card is IRL even more gorgeous.

She also has her own webshop http://www.scrappapier.nl/ . If you're looking for gorgeous papers just hop over.

I emailed her a few months ago when I was looking for all kinds of supplies of Melissa Frances. And she ordered them all. That's what I love about her shop; if she doesn't have it she will order it!

Deborah has a blog called "Debs'gems"and let me tell you; I am the proud and lucky owner of one of her gems! That medaillion stamp; sigh...

Sylvia sent me a gorgeous birthday card:

And a card I won at her blogaversary - giveaway:

And a lovely notepad:

I always love to visit all your blogs and looking at all your amazing creations. And when some of these amazing creation arrive at your doorstep they look even more gorgeous IRL.

Well that's all for now. Back in a few minutes with a card

Till soon!

Stella

Spoilt part 2 :)

2011-08-12T21:40:00.000+02:00

Hello!

After a few busy days finally some time to post again.

The last few days I spent a lot of time with friends, family and some fun/craft shopping...

The days passed by in the blink of an eye and I also have been busy making a card but didn't finish it yet.

Yes I've been spoilt again and I still have to make a few more photos; that will be part 3.

But the last few weeks the mailman has been working overtime.

I feel very privileged and I am still speechless.

I already emailed them but I also want to thank them by posting all the happy mail on my blog.

Sue

sent me a gorgeous card; blue is my favorite color...

Kirsty

sent me a gorgeous card with my favorite flowers; roses and peonies...awe...'

But that's not all she sent; she also sent me an amazing note pad and ahesive tabs and a pen.

And again; peonies!

Deb

sent me a card that made me sigh the moment I saw it:

She also sent a beautiful organza bag; filled to the brim with all kinds of blue ribbon and lace, blue buttons and flowers. And look at that heart!!

Joanne

sent me this gorgeous card. Yes pink is another favorite of mine :)

And she also sent me a FABULOUS crocheted doily ( made by her!), gorgeous lace , tulle and pom pom trim...

Ladies thank you so so much. I wrote it before but I am again speechless. There are so many warm, sweet, heartfelt and lovely women in this big world of bloggers and I am so thankful for the fact that you all have been thinking of me. And spoiling me with the most amazing cards, lovely wishes and gifts.

Yes I am privileged and I am so very grateful.

THANK YOU!!

XXX

There are still a few amazing cards and gifts to share but I ran out of time to take a few decent photos. It's dark already here and I dont have a lighttent. I'll post them very soon.

Off to visit you all; till soon!

Stella

CR84FN #35

2011-08-09T21:24:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,

How was/is your day so far?

Today I finally had the chance to finish my card for the challenge over at CR84FN.

The moment I looked at the colors I knew I wanted to make a card for Marcels' mother; she will be 72 years on August 13th.

We're celebrating her birthday in the UMCG; Marcels' father is still there and it's the only place to get together and share some time with my in laws, my SIl, her children and our family. Just a small party, not too long. But Marcels'mother definitely wants to eat cake and have a good time. My in laws really want to celebrate this special day.

Over to the challenge!

Just look at the gorgeous colors:

I decided to create my own patterned paper with different stamps from my favorite brands....

A polka dot stamp and a floral stamp from Darkroom Door; seam binding from Pixie Dust Paperie , some sittching and a heart-shaped pearl from my stash:

One of the Text-it stamps from Waltzingmouse stamps and more stitching.

The sentiment is from the Fancy Phrases set from Waltzingmouse stamps:

My sister Jacqueline ( you know the bride from yesterday :)...) gave me a package with doilies; this is a quarter of one of them. The flower is from Prima; I hope it's not too much pink. The outside of the flower really is lavender...

I'm very pleased with the final result.

Here is my card:

Off to post my card...

Enjoy your day/evening!

Stella

For the bride and groom!

2011-08-08T22:12:00.001+02:00

Hi!

I Hope you all had a great start of the new week.

We are still enjoying fall here in Holland; argh!

This afternoon I went to friends by bike and on my way home I had the "privilege" of a rain shower that looked and felt like a waterfall. Soaking wet; there was not one single piece of dry clothing left.

I looked like a drowned cat.....

I can only dream of having dinner in the garden; the BBQ is covered with dust :)

But today is a special day. It's the wedding day of one of my sisters Jacqueline ( Come on dearie! Where are the photos of those handmade jewels/quilts of you? :)........)

She and her husband Frits are celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary.

They got married on a special date:

8-8-1988........ Congratulations sweeties and happy anniversary!! XX

And of course I made a card. She received it so now I can post it here!

The stamp is from the Fancy Phrases set of Waltzingmouse stamps:

That lovely heart-pin is a gift from Cathy; seam binding from Memrie Mare and an adhesive pearl from my stash:

I inked up a chipboard frame and glued a small string of pearls on top of the lace

papers from Pink Paislee. I slightly inked the edges of my card with Egg-Shell from Color Box.

Here is my card:

That's all for today; till soon!

Stella

Home sweet home............................

2011-08-07T20:22:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone....

How are you all doing?

It has been a few days since I've been here,,,,

We had a week of mixed emotions and ups and downs. Last weekend our eldest son Michiel moved into his own apartment and he is so happy there. Although he already noticed that his life is a bit more busy with cooking meals, grocery shopping, cleaning and doing the laundry.

I noticed less laundry and less clutter here :)

My FIL.....

First of all I want to thank you - also on behalf of Marcel - for your heartwarming comments, emails, thoughts and prayers. The world of bloggers never ceases to amaze me and we are grateful for that.

Marcel visited his father this afternoon with Michiel. It has been the 1st time for Michiel to visit him after we heard the bad news. He looked a little reluctant to visit his grandfather and and wasn't eager to go on his own.

I can imagine that; it's hard to visit someone knowing that his time is limited due to cancer...

But they had a good time; together with my MIL. There was enough time and opportunity to talk and even a few laughs. Marcels'mother will come over for dinner at Michiels' house this week; His apartment is only a few minutes away from the UMCG. My FIl can take a nap and she doesn't have to worry about cooking dinner for herself...

My FIL already planned building a porch before he went to the hospital and Marcel is building it for him. He wants to go home as soon as he can. To spend as much time as possible with his wife. And he's looking forward to the days that he will able sit on the porch and have a small BBQ or what so ever....

Yes it definitely has been a week about a new home, going home....

Definitely home sweet home...

That also brings me to the card I am posting today.

I made it for Michiel; for his new home....

This card is based upon this weeks; challenge at the City Crafter Challenge Blog

It's all about a house on your project; or an altered birdhouse or what so ever. Just as long as there is a house involved!

Home sweet home.......:)

A little gingham bow and a red brad (!!! yes stretched my limits haha)

. Michiel is playing guitar so I had to add some music sheet paper from Melissa Frances:

I cut the house out of fabric and felt. Added a small piece of lace, a chimney and a heart.

Home is where the heart is....! ( too bad the lace slipped away a bit; argh!)

I added a few stitches; some more trim and inked the edges with egg-shell ink from Color Box.

Here is my card:

I'll be back tomorrow with another card and more happy mail. I've been spoilt rotten

and I can't wait to use all the lovely supplies and gifts.

My mojo is back and after last week crafting really is a wonderful outlet for stress and a wonderful way to clear up my mind :)

Have a lovely evening!

Stella

M.I.A.; I'm sorry...

2011-08-04T22:52:00.001+02:00

Hello everyone,

How are you?

I am popping to let you know that I will be back within a few days ( yes with a few cards...)

But there is a lot going on here....

We received the devastating news that Marcels' father will not recover....

The tumor from his kidney is progressive and spread all over his lymph nodes. The combo of metastases , kidney failure, dialysis and the fact that they also diagnosed him with Amyloïdoses ( deposits of certain proteins) is very very bad.

Chemo therapy and radiation are no options. There is nothing more they can do.

The news hit us hard and I just wanted to let you know...

But I apologise for not being able to commend on your blogs. ( In the last few days and the next few days....)

Till soon,

Stella

Birthday girl....

2011-07-30T07:30:00.042+02:00

Hello everyone!

I celebrated my birthday last Monday and I can honestly tell you that I'm spoilt rotten.....

Surrounded by family and friends. But also cards from friends from far away and breathtaking gifts.

I already gave thanks to them personally ( some of them by email) but I wanted to show you all the beauty that is now surrounding me....

Yes; a picture overload. I just want to warn you.....

Giséle sent me this gorgeous plaque:

Tante Käthe sent me this card whicih is also a wonderful puuzzle; brilliant!

She also sent me this banner:

Ira is a very dear friend and sent me a stunning card, a GORGEOUS pincushion and a bracelet that took my breath away....

And then a package came from Ros. She has become a very dear and close friend.

And she spoilt me rotten...

An amazing card that I love. I have a place in my heart for banners and she knows that :)

A notebook; handmade...so precious. Love it!

Sorry for the blurry picture; IRL this tag is so so gorgeous:

Such a clever girl :) to use one of the photos of our silver wedding and she framed it.

Fabulous; look at all the blue gems.....

I almost hit the floor when I looked at this:

One of my sisters Jacqueline ( just started a blog and pictures will be there very soon)

came last Sunday and stayed till Tuesday. She gave me the cutest buttons I've ever seen. Yes; if there is a cake or pie involved you got me :)

And a wonderful book with 200 recipes for cakes and pies; yummy!

Jeanne my sister came also . She knew that I wanted to learn how to quilt and made me a starters kit

A folder with all kinds of handy dandy supplies....

Another folder with quilt-yarn, needles, pins a quilt thimble and needle wallets:

She made a few bases to start with log cabin squares and added a few examples of different log cabin patterns:

Some ribbon to add oto my quilt and card projects. Or an art quilt....

The fabric is to die for:

A close up of a needle wallet; she made it herself

Sweeties thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never ever expected to be spoilt rotten but you did.

And I am so thankful!

A big hug and XXXXX

And before I go here is a peek of my very first log cabin square. Hand sewn; no sewing machine:

Yes I know no red square in the center :)

But this is my first attempt and I just picked some fabric that I love :)

Till soon!

Stella

Wow Cathy!

2011-07-29T23:29:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,

How are you?

Gosh; it has been a week since my last post.......

It has been a busy week. My FIL is now on the mend. Last Sunday he went back to the ICU; his bloodpressure was still too low and his blood wasn't good either.

They discovered an infection and now he's also getting anti-biotics.

He came back to the ward yesterday and started eating yesterday. Very carefully and in small steps. He started with applesauce... :)

I celebrated my 47th birthday last Monday and we're also busy packing because Michiel is having his own apartment and moving on Monday. August 1st.

No I am not bored :)

There is also a birthday post coming up soon and I hope to have some time for crafting this weekend.

I missed a few of my very favorite challenges; argh!

Last week I really missed my mojo but I think it's back. I have lots of ideas; it's now a matter of finding the time to make something...

But first of all I want to show you something that made my jaw drop about 1 1/2 week ago.

A while ago I sent a few things to Cathy. She is an amazingly talented cardmaker and her blog is a fabulous source of inspiration to me. I love her style and her projects are breathtaking!

Cathy wanted to sent me something.

Well something is a bit of an understatement; I'm spoilt rotten and over the moon...

Speaking of her talents; just take a look at the card she sent me....sigh...

But she also sent a box; the shape of a teacup. So d.rn cute and GORGEOUS!

I don't know what it is but I can't upload all the pictures but here is a peek of what she sent:

But also chipboard frames, doilies, burlap, yarn, pins, buttons, little spools and so on and so on. The box is filled to the brim and it took my breath away.

Cathy thank you so so much; I am so grateful and I feel so privileged.

You really made my day!

Stella

Waltzingmouse 56; just for fun

2011-07-22T18:16:00.001+02:00

Hello everyone,

It's Friday; yes! :) Weekend!

Last night I decided to make card using some of my scraps. Just for fun; I started without a sketch. But things turned out different...

I started with a piece that was left after I made a baby boy card; it's a piece of a free printable gingham paper.

And a piece from Marianne Design; I had to add a label from the Rescue Remedies set.

Blue is my favorite color and aqua and teal are related with blue. Well that's my opinion :)

I love love love these colors!

At first I wanted to add another color; something pink. But couldn't find anything in my stash what would match with what I already picked. So I decided to stick to the idea of a monochromatic card.

I also wanted to use distress ink and used Antique Linen.

These little gems are a bargain; found at a discounter. I paid €0.99 for 35 of these cuties!

At that very moment I looked for a sketch and stumbled upon this weeks'sketch at the Waltzingmouse blog:

I decided to flip the sketch.

I found a piece of trim; one of my sisters gave it to me ( Thanks Jeanne!)

It's a perfect match with the distress ink; I made a small bow and glued a little gem on top of it:

A close look at one of my favorite label stamps:

And here is my card:

Till soon; have a wonderful weekend!

Stella

CCCB # 66; card # 8

2011-07-21T15:02:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

How are you? Looking forward to the upcoming weekend?

First of all I want to thank you all for all your lovely comments, emails, thoughts and prayers for my FIL. I am so grateful for all of you; thank you so so much!

My FIL is on the mend; each day he's making a small step but there is progress. We are relieved and thankful for that.

That also means that we are starting to get back to the normal routine. Things are still busy here because our oldest son just got his own apartment and will be moving out on August, 1st. We are so happy for him but it also means that we're back where we started. Just the two of us. No; I am not afraid of an "empty nest". Both our sons live nearby; riding their bike they are home within 15 minutes ... Of course I will miss my son but not his laundry :) and the mess he can create..... :)

And I made a card; in fact I made 8 cards. But 7 cards were disappearing in the bin and card # 8 turned out the way I had in mind and is worth showing.

I made this card for this weeks'challenge at CCCB.

This week it's all about creating a project related to the beach.

A "shore" thing and it "sure" has been a challenge.

I don't have any beach related stamps. I am not into scrapbooking ( I am not that creative..) and

the first attempts were made with free printable beach images. Vintage, nostalgic and so on.

I started last night at 6.30 PM and 2.00 AM I screwed up 7 cards and went to bed a bit frustrated. (To put it mildly....)

This morning I started digging in my favorites folder for inspiration. ( There are 800 pictures of all kinds of projects in it)

And finally; I got an idea...

Maybe I went off track with the challenge but this is the best I could do. The last few weeks I really lost the inspiration and once in a while that is really getting on my nerves. I see so many gorgeous creations and every time I am wondering where you are getting all these great ideas? And why can't I come up with just one good idea?

Is anyone recognising this or am I the only one?

Well; I better show my card.....

I made a card based upon the style of which I think it suits me best.

Soft, a bit of romance....

Papers and die cut from Melissa Frances 5th Avenue:

"Fly across the ocean" is my challenge related piece......

The flower is from Marianne Design; I glued a silver bead in the center.

The starfish was sent to me by Ira.

The chipboard crown was sent to me by Victoria; she's my vintage swap partner at the City Crafter Party Blog. I painted it with cream paint and distressed the edges with Antique Linen. And added a few rhinestones. The tag was a gift from June and the pearl heart was a gift from Pauline.

Some trim and twine from my stash and finally I distressed the edges with Antique Linen:

I'm off to visit you :)

Till soon!

Stella

Sending you sunshine..... CCCB #65

2011-07-18T20:53:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

Monday again and things are going so much better here since last Monday!

My FIL left the ICU and is now taken care of at the ward of abdominal surgery.

That's a wonderful step forward; he called us this afternoon; I haven't heard him on the phone in three weeks...

We had friends over fo dinner. They left early because of a business appointment and now it's time for a challenge.

After all the hustle and bustle here I missed a few challenges but I really wanted to participate in this weeks' challenge at CCCB. (I hardly miss a challenge over there)

You have to use an image of the SUN or the word SUN on your project.

I don't have a stamp of the sun and looking for something appropriate took me almost 6 days...

But I found something; I hope it's good enough for this weeks' theme.

I am still not very pleased with the result, I think it's not perfect.

(I am still learning you know :)....)

A card to send to someone who can use a bit of sunshine:

Tiny alphabet letters from Cosmo Cricket:

papers from My Minds Eye ( Stella & Rose "Hazel")

The ticket is from June's online shop.

And a sewing machine which decided to stitch the way he want...

A beautiful image:

And here is my card:

Enjoy your day / evening; till soon!

Stella

ATC swap

2011-07-17T18:24:00.000+02:00

Hello!

A few weeks ago I joined the swap at the City Crafter Party Blog.

Victoria became my swap partner and just look what she sent me...

She decorated a match box (GORGEOUS!!) and filled it to the brim with all kinds of fabulous vintage embellishments.

It is a bit of a picture overload but it´s the only way to show it all :)

She also added a few vintage book pages; I am in love :)

And her ATC (left under' is even more beautiful IRL. This ATC shows a world map and she added a gem to show me where she exactly lives...

And...the box....

A close up of the top

The bottom of the box

The box was filled to the brim with all kinds of vintage embellishments

Images, butterflies and just look on the inside of the box; that's a stamp of her dog!

It even has my name on it:

Just look at all the things she sent; especially that pin..it has my name. Victoria I already mailed you...you really knocked me off my socks!

And more:

It has been so much fun to join the swap and Victoria described it in a wonderful way.

She wrote a lovely message on the wrapping of her ATC:

"Blogging friends reach out and make the world seem small "

Victoria thank you; it's a privilege getting to know you!

Stella

Step by step

2011-07-17T17:56:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,

Before visiting all of you ( my oh my it seems ages.....) I want to tell you that my FIL is still on the ICU. But step by step things are slightly going better.

He's off the ventilator and awake.

But still; morphine for pain and only drinking a bit of water. ( Although he said to Marcel this afternoon that he would love to have a milkshake :)....

His blood pressure is still very low but he's able to talk again; even if it is only for 2 minutes.

Technically spoken the surgery went well but we still have to wait for the final results of the anatomical pathologist. And if his body is strong anough to make the steps for a full recovery.

But for now we are happy with the fact that he has come this far looking at where he came from.

Till soon!

Stella

Update

2011-07-15T22:13:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,

Just popping in for an update about my FIL.

The surgery went well.

The surgeons removed his right kidney, a part of his intestines (and the malignant tumor) and placed/made a stoma.

Technically speaking it all went well but my father-in-law really had a difficult time during the surgerey. He also received two units of blood and is now in the ICU.

Visits are very limited and my MIL is now with him

There is a long way to go and the first few days will be very important..

We are hoping that he will find the strength to fight his way back.

Till soon;

Stella

2 challenges, one card

2011-07-14T23:25:00.000+02:00

Hello again....

This is my second post for today and I want to show you a card that I made for 2 challenges.

It took me a while to make this card; my mojo is still somewhere in the Pacific and I hope it will be back in a few days :)

My card is based upon the colors of CR84FN

oh yes....red again :)

and the sketch of the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge

I made a card; just to say hi.

Papers from My minds Eye "Stella & Rose " (Hazel)

And stamps from the Victorian Frippery set; I used a small sentiment:

That circle stamp is amazing.

The gorgeous flower is a gift from Joanne

Scalopped circles from felt and some pearls:

Pink gingham paper from my scrap box.

I slightly rubbed the edges with white ink and used a corner punch.

Here is my card:

That's all for now....I hope to be back tomorrow with good news about my FIL.

Enjoy your day/evening.

Till soon..

Stella

All we can do is wait and hope.....

2011-07-14T23:09:00.002+02:00

Hello everyone,

I hope you all are doing fine,

I have a few things to share. I made a few cards and I got the package of a swap but for now I just want to post an update about my father-in-law and after that I'll post a card that I made for two challenges.

The last few days have been tough; my FIL is very very ill and goes into surgery tomorrow.

We visited him today; he's weak and only a shadow of the man he once was....

He lost another 11 kilo's in the last 14 days. Due to an infection in his intestines and kidney dialysis ( His kidneys fail to work)

I am so so worried. The surgery will be very tough and complicated....

They are removing his right kidney; there is a malignant tumor in. There is another malignant tumor in his intestines that also needs to be removed... And a stoma created..

3 different interventions in a single operation, very heavy and complicated.

The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and it will take about 6 hours.

All we can do is wait and hope....

I'll keep you posted.

Stella

(my apologies for my horrible english...)

Laugh and a bright card for a baby boy

2011-07-10T20:57:00.003+02:00

Hi!

The weekend is almost over and I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

This morning I stumbled upon a quote on Pinterest and this one made me laugh!

photo credits

I also made another baby card. And again with a banner; but this time in bright colors.

I prefer to work with soft colors but sometimes it's good to worl outside my comfort

zone and stretch my limits :)

I made this card for my nephew and his wife; they became

the parents of a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

The inside of my card;

Welcome to the world beautiful boy:

His name? Levi....

And this is my card:

Have a great Sunday (evening)

Till soon!

Stella

Welcome baby girl.....

2011-07-09T20:48:00.000+02:00

Hi,

How are you?

We are enjoying the weekend; time to relax and some cardmaking.....

I made a card for one of my nieces and her husband; they became the parents of a beautiful, healthy baby girl; Nine. (pronounced as Nie-ne)

I know she decorated the the baby's room in white, sand and grey with a splash of pink and red.

I sticked to that colorscheme; but skipped the red :).

I wanted to create a sleek and modern card with a touch of feminine ...

I printed some gingham papers in grey. You can find it here. Thank you Lin for this fabulous tip!

I stamped a sweet sentiment:

And glued it on the inside of my card:

( there is enough space for my personal message :)...)

the pearl is a gift from Pauline

I used a a sentiment of Waltzingmouse stamps ( Fancy Phrases)

Welcome to the world sweetie....

And made a little banner; the buttons and letters of felt are from my stash:

And this is my card; my take on sleek and modern with a touch of feminine; I hope you like it!

Enjoy your weekend; till soon!

Stella

Waltzingmouse # 54

2011-07-08T14:52:00.000+02:00

Hi!

How are you?

It's Friday and that means that the weekend is just around the corner....such a wonderful thought...:)

It also means that there are only a few hours left to submit a card for this weeks'challenge at the Waltzingmouse sketch challenge

This week it's about this sketch :

I decided to make a card without a piece of patterned paper or a stamped background.

My interpretation of the sketch;

The two lines are the edges of a border. I immediately thought of the Victorian Frippey border.

That set is my absolute favorite and the border...I will never ever get tired of that beauty. I stamped it in Versamark and heat embossed it with white embossing powder The circles became handmade flowers. I cut circles out of satin lining and melted the edges above a candle. Glued them together and added a pearl. The leafs are cut out of soft yellow felt:

The sentiment is from another favorite set; Rescue Remedies Additions.

It's also stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder:

I rubbed the edges of my card with a white ink pad. That's all; I think that these three items - flowers, border and sentiment - are enough and didn't add anything else.

Here is my card:

I hope you like it.

Off to visit some/your blogs :).

Last night I planned to catch up but I didn't...sorry. It's my goal for today!

Till soon!

Stella

CCCB # 64 "Birds of a feather"

2011-07-07T19:19:00.001+02:00

Hi!

How are you?

Summer is back here and the last few days we had lovely weather.

The days go by in the blink of an eye and I LOVE this season :)

I have quite a few challenges on my to-do list and this weeks' challenge at the City Crafter Challenge Blog

it's all about birds and birdcages.

And I stumbled upon an image on the internet ( Graphics Fairy) that took my breath away.

A bird with blue feathers; getting the picture already? :)

I choose papers with a classic and a bit of an old look.

These are papers from Prima "Botanical"". And a few buttons from my stash. A bit of twine and a lovely little stamp of the Victorian Frippery set of Waltzingmouse stamps. I will never ever get tired of that set; it's definitely my favorite:

A small handmade pin (made by me) and a flower from Magnolia (I added a pearl in the center). And a little bow made of cream ribbon with white polka dots. They go so well well with my birdie....

I placed that small stamp in three corners and in the 4th corner I added the sentiment; which is also from Waltzingmouse stamps ( Fancy Phrases)

A bit of distress ink and to be honest; I love the result.I am so happy how this card turned out!

Well here it is:

Time to hop over to your blogs :)

Till soon; have a lovely day/evening!

Stella

City Crafter Challenge # 63

2011-07-04T11:08:00.002+02:00

Hello everyone,

To all of you who are living in the USA; happy 4th of July!

A new week and I hope that we will find out what's going on with my FIL. He is very sick and all I can say that there we're very worried about his health.

I'll keep you posted...

We had a quiet weekend at home and I also had some time to create a card. The last week I prefer neutrals and soft colors (cream, white, pastels) and I also wanted to use these colors for this weeks'challenge at the City Crafter Challenge of this week.

This week it's all about this sketch:

(I flipped the sketch)

Some buttons from my stash and an image that Heather sent me:

A little tag from June and papers from the Girls Paperie:

I used one of my MS border punches and added some trim from Maya Road.

I thought about using my sewing machine but I decied not to...The patterned papers and the sketch brought enough dept and texture to this card. Well; that's my opinion :)

I inked the edges with Antique Linen but it turned out a bit darker a splanned so after that I inked the edges again with Egg Shell from Color Box.

Here is my card:

Hope you all are ok; have a great Monday!

Till soon,

Stella

CR84FN32

2011-07-01T16:17:00.001+02:00

Hello.....

How are you? Ready for the upcoming weekend? I know I am....

It has been a week of mixed emotions and a few very busy days. Monday we attended the church service and funeral of the father of our closest friends. My father-in-law is in the hospital since Tuesday.

Enough to worry about....... As soon as we know more I'll let you know.

But it's Friday; that means weekend and this weekend I have no plans besides crafting.

And doing the laundry....

I promised Marcel home made soup and some pancakes; baked with bacon and also a few with snippets of apple and cinnamon. Anybody hungry yet?

And today I finally had a chance to create a card for the challenge at CR84FN

It's all about these gorgeous colors:

That paper on the right side was sent to me by Jacqueline; other papers from Melissa Frances

That yellow ribbon is a gift from my sister Jeanne ( thank you sweetie:)!!!)

and the label is a gift from Pauline (thank you so much!)

White scalopped ribbon and flowers from my stash.. I also added a few stitches:

Some stitches and inking on the edges of my card; here it is:

Now I am off for the soup and the pancakes. I'll hop along at your blog this evening. Marcel, Michiel and Martijn are going to the movies; I'll be fine at home with time for blogging, fresh espresso and later this evening a nice glass of cold, dry white wine.

Till soon!

Stellla

CCCB # 62

2011-06-27T23:20:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

How are you? Are you all enjoying summer?

Here in Holland it really is a bit too hot :)

Although we had no plans for the weekend....it went by before we knew it.

I am a little late for submitting my card for this weeks' challenge at the City Crafter Challenge blog

This week the challenge is about to use the number ONE or the word "first" on your card or project.

It ook me a few days and Saturday evening I got the idea :)

The idea came with the quotes I added to one of my boards at Pinterest. (I will post about that soon)

You can find the original quote HERE.

I just had to use this quote. I changed the font and color and used it on my card.

But besides the sentiment I wanted to make a card with white and a few soft/vintage colors and used the papers from the Girls Paperie.Here is a peek of the papers and a doily that I got from my sister Jacqueline.

I also knew I wanted to add a little splash of bright colors. The brad (yes I also went out of my comfort zone; this is red :).......) is from my stash and that adorable flower is crocheted by my sister Jeanne.

I love love love this quote. You can use it for so many ocassions.

And I immediately had to think of my husband; Marcel.

I can tell you that he is the best thing that ever happened to me.....

And in this quote you can read the word "one"..........

I sponged the edges of my card with Egg Shell from Color Box.

Here is my card:

I hope you like it....

Almost time to go to bed ( It's 11.19 PM here ) but it's still sooooo warm and I think it will be one of those nights that it's hard to fall asleep.

Till soon!

Stella

Tuesday Trigger; "Lovely as a lullaby"

2011-06-25T22:24:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

How are you?

After a few very busy weeks it's lovely to finally have some together.

Michiel is at his girlfriends' house and that means just the two of us.

Lots of time to relax and take it easy!

It's one of those days where I also have plenty of time for crafting.

and I made a card for a challenge that I just LOVE.

I am talking about the Tuesday Trigger over at the Moxie Fab World:)

It has been ages since I played along...

This week Cath gave us a photo inspiration that took my breath away:

Sigh....

The last few days I am up till my neck in making baby cards

( I'll post them soon; almost finished!)I love making baby cards but it's

great to do something else in between all the pinks and blues!

These colors made me think of papers from Melissa Frances.

I struggled a bit with the grey polka dotted fabric and decided to add

a piece of polka dotted paper in that gorgeous robin egg?/aqua?/teal? color...

I added some grey with a piece of music sheet paper, a flower,

a piece of ribbon and with the ink I used for my label.

The label stamp is from the Rescue Remedies set from

Waltzingmouse stamps. And that's where I started!

I stamped the label and distressed the edges.

And added a piece of adhesive polka dotted ribbon

( I found it while I sorted out my craft closet; I already had forgotten I had it! )

Besides polka dots I also love gingham and I had to add this cute little bow.

And of course; pearls..I am very pleased about the roses;I think that the colors

are fitting great !( Oh my is this proper English??)

Papers from the 5th Aveue paper pad and a piece of "Kayla". All from Melissa Frances..

Here is my card: I hope you like it!

I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend; till soon!

Stella

Waltzingmouse sketch #52

2011-06-24T14:49:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,

It's Friday and that means....weekend!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Maybe some crafting???

I am just popping in to submit my card for this weeks' 1-year anniversary challenge at the

Waltzingmouse sketch Challenge blog.

First of all; congratuilations ladies; and especially Clare!

And thank you for all the gorgeous stamps (a perfect reason to raise my craft budget :)....)

and fun with this challenges!

This week you can choose one of the sketches from the previous 51 weeks.

I choose this one:

Last year I made a Christmas card based upon this sketch; this year I made a card for a friend. Just saying "hi"; it's already on its way to her. Along with a small present...

It turned out a soft, subtle card with a few pearls and a small rose. I used the papers and one of the chipboard pieces of "Botanical" from Prima.

A piece of old lace; my sister gave it to me. It belonged to my mother.

Seam binding from Lina Beas. Rose from Mulberry

The sentiment is from the Victorian Frippery set. The sentiment didn't turn out the way I wanted. That chipboard piece seemed a bit coated and my stamp almost slipped away. I inked the edges with""Egg shell" from Color Box and used a corner punch

And while I uploaded my pictures I noticed that it's not spot on the sketch....argh!!!!

Here is my card:

And this is the card I made last year; based upon the same sketch.

That's all for now; till soon!

Stella

I feel privileged

2011-06-23T15:04:00.002+02:00

Hello everyone!

Time flies; it's already Thursday and just one more day before the weekend starts!

I spent the last two days busy cleaning the house and sorting out all my craft supplies. There was so much and I really had to organise it all again. I stumbled upon things that really surprised me. You know; embellishments and papers you almost forgot about :)

There will be a lot to share in the upcoming days but today I want to share two cards that were sent to me and an award. An I'll pass it on :)

First of all got this GORGEOUS card from Pauline; wow!

She sent it to us for our silver wedding anniversary; Pauline thank you so much!

And a few weeks I made a card for Kirsty; for her birthday.

And to thank me for that she sent me this; sigh.....

Kirsty thank you so much!

Ladies it is a privilege getting to know you!

On to the award!

There are two lovely ladies who sent me this award:

Linda B

and

Maria

The rules for this award are:

1. Send a thank you to the person who nominated you and include their link.

2. To accept this award, you need to answer seven random facts about yourself.

3. Pass the award on to at least eight other awesome blog buddies

1 Linda and Maria thank you; I feel honored!

2 Seven random facts about myself: Here we go:

1 Favorite dinner:

Garlic toast with smoked chicken and a dressing of mayonaise and rosemary ( heavenly...really!!)

Homemade Tagliatelle Carbonara and a green salad

Fresh strawberries and whipped cream for dessert

After that a Nespresso with mints

Amen:)

And than; jogging pants because after this dinner

my hips and bottom will have increased with at least an inch...

2 Favorite Clothes:

Capri Jeans

White blouse

Suede moccasins or shoes with medium height heels

3 Favorite flower:

White peonies, white roses and white hydrangeas

4 Favorite quote:

"A laughter each day keeps the doctor away"

5 Favorite brands for cardmaking

Melissa Frances, The Girls paperie, Prima Flowers, Waltzingmouse stamps and Memento ink pads

6 Favorite, priceless, once in a lifetime moment:

Giving birth to both my sons

( My wedding is runner up.....!)

7 Favorite moment of the day

Waking up, into the garden with a cup of coffee on a summer morning around 6 AM..

The whole world is still asleep; all you can hear are the birds and a view at the garden in full bloom.

Now you know a little bit more about me and I'd love to hear from you if there are favorites that we have in common

I pass this award on to:

( it really has been a tough choice....)

Jeanne http://dezondagssteek-jeanneke.blogspot.com/

Joanne http://creativestampingideas.blogspot.com/

Ros http://ros-mikeysmom.blogspot.com/

Colleen http://colleen-dietrichdesigns.blogspot.com/

Kirsty http://handmade-little-things.blogspot.com/

Deb http://aworldofimagination-deb.blogspot.com/

Gisèle http://supersnooks13.blogspot.com/

Heather http://simplyhandmadebyheather.blogspot.com/

and beacuse I had to pass this award on to at LEAST 8 blog buddies I added a few more:

Wendy http://wbtenhove.blogspot.com/

June http://linabeas.blogspot.com/

Lynn http://www.millers-ink.net/

and last but not least :)

Ira http://irascreacorner.blogspot.com/

Enjoy your day; till soon!

Stella

Play Date Cafe Challenge # 86

2011-06-21T14:11:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

How are you?

It's Tuesday and time to post another card.

But before I post my card I want to thank you all for your wonderful comments on my previous post.

I had this post on my mind for a few days and I thought a lot about whether I should it post it or not.

I decided to post it; this blog is about me, who I am and the things I enjoy.

Your comments touched my heart and brought a smile to my face.

It has been a special day; filled with memories, a lot of talking and also laughing.

I think my mum would have wanted it that way. She loved a good laugh......

I also want to thank the ladies from the DT of PDCC for choosing me as the winner on the previous challenge. I am so so very proud of it and I feel so honored. Thank you so much again!

And now it's time for the challenge!

This weeks' challenge is based upon these colors:

If you were wondering what summer looks like; well it looks, like this! :)

I love everything pink but a combo of bright and vibrant colors is always a reason to stretch my creativity.

It was fun to search for papers, stamps and embellishments.

I had to add some bling and a post stamp:

I made a heart out of fabric; I used a Yo-Yo maker; my sister Jeanne showed

me how to make them and now that I have my own I'm hooked :)

I added a gingham brad:

The ginghma papers is a free printable; you can find it here,

the other paper is from Marianne design ( Eline's huis).

I made a border with a creatables die from Marianne Design:

The sentiment is from Wild Rose Studio; I tried different tags but I was not pleased with the result. I decided to stamp the sentiment on the patterned paper itself.

Here is my card!

Enjoy your Tuesday; till soon!

Stella

Hi Mum

2011-06-20T09:46:00.003+02:00

Hi Mum,

June 20th; it's a day of reflecting and being thankful.

On June 20th, 1983 you passed away. You were diagnosed with cancer on March 31th and after a battle of almost 3 months you went on your last journey to your Heavenly Father.

Your faith helped you through these three terrible months. I've never noticed bitterness or anger.

But you were strong and thankful for the life and the happy marriage you had...

I wanted to let you know that we all are doing well.

You raised us all in a wonderful way.

We all the had the chance to develop ourselves.

To choose the education we wanted.

And you were always there for us.

You were frugal, creative, heartfelt, warm and loving.

A wonderful mother.....

You were also very creative...sewing, cooking, baking, home decorating . All kinds of crafts and your creations were always GORGEOUS!

We all inherited your love for crafting :)

But most af all; you taught us some very important values.

And one of them is that you told us that it's not about what you GOT but it's all about who you ARE.

I know for sure that if you were still with us you would have a blog, a laptop and a cell phone.

Being connected with your children through the amazing technologies of today

would have bring you so much joy.

I have a lot of precious memories about your amazing sewing skills.

You dressed us all with clothes that were made by you.

An amazing job and we always were well dressed.

I post a picture of your sewing box.

Jeanne painted it and now it's having a place of honor in her living room:

I am so proud of you........and so thankful that you are my mum......

With love,

Stel

XXX

TSTR # 66 "Pink Lemonade"

2011-06-19T21:48:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,

Are you all having a great Sunday?

We had a day with loads of rain; a wonderful day to make more jam :)

I made strawberry jam; there are 7 jars at my kitchen counter which need to cool down

I also made a card for this weeks'challenge at

The Shabby Tea Room

This week it's all about pink, green, neutrals and flowers.

Here is the photo inspiration:

I made a few flowers with a flower die from Marianne Design.

And added a few leaf pins from Maya Road:

That cute pink ticket is a gift from June

The sentiment is from Wild Rose Studio; stamped with Bamboo Leaves

I used one of my MS border punches, added a few pink stitches and inked the edges.

Papers from Melissa Frances and Amercian Crafts.

Here is my card:

Till soon; enjoy your day/evening!

Stella

CCCB # 61 ATC

2011-06-18T20:25:00.000+02:00

Hi!

How are you? Enjoying your weekend?

It's weekend and that also means more time for crafting :)

Yesterday we celebrated Michiels' birthday; it was a small birthday party.

There will be a big party once he is fully recovered from the surgery.

I also spent time making jam ( strawberry/rhubarb with a little bit of cinnamon and vanilla; d-el--i-c-i-o-u-s!!) And this weekend I am also making strawberry jam :)

It has been raining on and off today and after my grocery shopping and the never ending story of the

laundry I made an ATC. Yep; the first one! And I must admit; making these cuties is addicitive.

My head is spinning with ideas and I will make more of these.

But first I want to thank the DT of the City Crafter Challenge Blog for making me a spotlight artist again; thank you so so much ladies. I am so honored!

The idea of making an ATC is because of this weeks'challenge at the City Crafter Challenge blog

Since these Artist Trading Cards are for exchange only you can submit your ATC for the challenge and add it to your package if you decide to join the swap;

You can read all the details about the swap HERE

At first I had no idea how to begin but looking at the gorgeous creations from their DT ( thank you ladies)

I decided to create something that is also telling a bit about the things I love to use on my cards and projects.

I added;

something blue ( not really surprising :)

patterned paper with flowers and gingham

a crocheted flower

some pearls

pom pom trim

a sentiment

some twine

distress ink

some stitching

and a little charm that I just LOVE!

I think that pretty sums up the things I love to use; let's take a look!

Twine from the Ribbon Reel and that charm was a gift from my sister Jeanne.

The sentiment is from Cosmo Cricket ( Tiny Type stickers)

I added a bit of scrappers floss to the button

That crocheted flower is also a gift from my sister Jeanne ( check out her blog. She started blogging last week and posted already a few of her a-m-a-z-i-n-g creations!!)

A little pink pearl and a piece of a string of pearls

Pom pom trim from Maya Road

Papers from the Girls' Paperie; Í am hoarding these :) , a few stitches and some distress ink.

Here is my ATC; I think it gives you a good impression of the things I love to worK with:

Enjoy your day/evening; till soon!

Stella

PDCC #85

2011-06-14T20:31:00.001+02:00

Hello everyone!

How are you?

Already Tuesday and it's nice to get back in the swing of things;

the last few week passed in the blink of an eye.

The weather is still lovely here and it's one of those days that everything seems to work out well.

I also had enough time to create a card for a challenge that I really wanted to join.

It has been weeks (or months? I'm sorry....) since I played along

at The Play Date Cafe.and I didn't want to miss it again.....

This is the gorgeous photo inspiration:

I stamped a background with one of the Text-It stamps from Waltzingmouse stamps and embossed a piece of pink cardstock. Some stitching and some distress ink:

This shade of pink looks different but IRL it really is the same as the shade pink shown above....

I also inked up an embossed chipboard frame and after that I coverd it with glitter.

A small sentiment, some seam binding, a pearl and a flower:

Here is my card:

I hope you like it......

Enjoy your evening; till soon!

Stella