Card à la Carla

You may have noticed that I am a huge fan of Carla Peicheff. *wink* She is an amazingly talented card maker and scrapbooker and I really love her work. ♥ Last Saturday she posted her first card tutorial on her blog, and of course I had to make a card à la Carla. If you like her cards as much as I do you should really give it a try.

Here's my card.....



Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper & Die-cuts: My Mind's Eye Snowed In Ribbon: brand unknown Buttons: Rusty Pickle Pearls: Kaisercraft Other: felt flower, twine and staples

Thanks for the tutorial and inspiration, Carla!!

Kazan's Sketch #10

Yeah.....it is Monday again.....a new week.....a new sketch over at 2 Sketches 4 You. It is so much fun to get a sketch by either Kazan or Laura each week. The 2 Sketches 4 You blog is so inspiring and challenging. I love to get inspired and challenged, but also love to inspire other card makers/ scrapbookers. Besides, it is so great to see all cards based on the 2S4Y sketches each week. There is lots of talent around the world.

Last week I made cards for the Dutch cards magazine Cards Only, and since the new issue will be Christmas themed I mostly made Christmas cards. When I got Kazan's sketch I knew immediately that I wanted to make a Christmas card with the yummy My Mind's Eye Be Merry papers that I received last week. I so love the colors and designs of these papers. BTW, the Snowed In collection is gorgeous too.

Here's Kazan's sketch.....#10 already.....



And here's my card....



Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper & die-cuts: My Mind's Eye Be Merry Ribbon: brand unknown Tool: sewing machine Other: white tag, eyelet

Go check out 2 Sketches 4 You to see Kazan's gorgeous card and the other DT members work. These girls are so talented and a great inspiration.

I promised to keep you posted on my weight loss. Well.....last Friday I had an appointment with my dietist again, and I lost 1.8kg (3.9lbs) in the second week. So....I lost 5.1kg (11.1lbs) in two weeks. I am doing really well and am very happy with the result. It really motivates me to go on with this diet.

Have a wonderful day!

Week of Punches

Yesterday I met my friend Hanneke at Dolls & Decorations where we had a fun day with lots of make & takes. Hanneke went on holiday to the USA at the end of August. Before she left we asked her aunt - who lives in the USA - to already look for some Martha Stewart punches for us. She bought 2 butterfly punches (the classic one is not shown in the picture below) and the lovely Doily Lace punch. And Hanneke found us the ZigZag punch. Thanks, girl!



Due to Carla I fell in love with the gorgeous Fiskars embossing border punches. I wasn't able to find the punches in the Netherlands, but fortunately there is eBay. I just love that site! I found the punches in the UK for a very reasonable price and just had to order them. I got them in the mail last Tuesday and already played with them. Unfortunately I can't show you the cards because I made them for the December issue of the Dutch magazine Cards Only.



Speaking of Carla and Cards Only.......Carla shares an exciting toot on her blog today. She has been asked to write an article and have her cards featured in the March 2009 issue of the dutch magazine Cards Only. I am so happy for Carla. She is the Queen of Cards to me. Her designs are always so gorgeous and she always inspire me. I am sure that the Dutch Cards Only readers will love her cards as much as I do. Congrats, Carla!!

Nothing else to show today, but make sure to check in tomorrow as I will reveal my DT card for 2 Sketches 4 You.

See you tomorrow!

Laura's Sketch #9

I have been busy creating cards, but can't show you anything yet. Therefore, I am glad it is Monday so I can reveal my DT card for 2 Sketches 4 You. Laura designed this week's sketch, and it was fun working on it.....as always. Laura and Kazan always inspire me, and I truly hope that they - as well as the DT - also inspire you.

Here's what Laura's sketch looks like:



Our sponsor this week is SheetLoad ShortCuts. SheetLoad ShortCuts was 2 Sketches 4 You's sponsor before, and back then I was the lucky Card of the Week winner. :) This week you can win another great ShortCuts product....a large pack of clear and frosted cards. And even the Fab5 will get some cards this week. Isn't that generous? The DT were given samples of these fab products and I can tell you it was lots of fun. I liked the product so much that I ordered an extra pack of blank cards last week which already arrived last Saturday.

I used a clear card for Laura's sketch in combination with Scenic Route's Providence papers. I had a bit of a problem to make a good picture of the card due to the sun, but...you won't hear me complaining because I love this sunny fall weather.



Supplies: Clear card: Sheetload ShortCuts Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper: Scenic Route Providence Flower: Prima Marketing Button: Rusty Pickle Ribbon: local market Rub-ons: Making Memories Heidi White Tool: Fiskars Threading Water punch Other: floss, Tulip Puffy Paint

If you are interested in these clear and frosted cards go here, and found out about the product specifics and pricing. SheetLoad ShortCuts has a special deal for 2 Sketches 4 You.

10% off
If you place an order through ShortCuts Online Shopping Cart before September 30, 2008, make sure to use the discount code “2 Sketches” during your PayPal check out, to receive 10% off your order*! *10% will be taken off package price(s) only, not S/H charges

Carla - who is also a DT member for SheetLoad ShortCuts - made some stunning cards with these blank cards. You can find them here. Don't you just love her designs? That girl is so amazingly talented.

We also have a Guest Designer at 2 Sketches 4 You, and I am so happy to tell you that it is my sweet friend Hanneke. Go check out 2 Sketches 4 You to see this week's amazing work by Laura, Hanneke and the design team.

Well, that's all for now. Have a great week!

-3.3kg (7.2lb)...

...that is the weight that I lost in 1 week!! I started a diet on Saturday and this morning I had an appointment to weigh again. I guess I don't have to tell you how HAPPY I am with this first result. I have a long way to go because my goal is to lose 18.2kg (40lb). So.... 3.3kg down....14.9kg to go. After we got back from vacation I decided it was time to seriously lose weight, because I didn't feel comfortable and confident anymore. I am very determined and know I can do it. It won't be easy, but this is a good start. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Have a nice weekend!

Kazan's Sketch #9

Monday, Monday....it is that day of the week again, and you know what it means, right? Yep...a new sketch over at 2 Sketches 4 You. Sketch #9 already...this week designed by Kazan. I always make cards based on the weekly sketches, but this time I decided to create a little gift bag. There are (electronic) die-cutting machines that easily create a gift bag for you, but I made one myself using the Scor-it tool. A great tool for making perfect scores. And you know what....you can win one including a tote if your card is chosen as Card of the Week. Scor-it is our sponsor again. So.....why wait? Hop on over to 2 Sketches 4 You and make a card based on Kazan's sketch.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper: We R Memory Keepers Flowers: Prima Marketing Ribbon: local market Chipboard: Maya Road Fresh Library chipboard Letters: Making Memories Rub-ons Providence Black Tools: Scor-it Mini, Coluzzle Circle Template Other: sand paper, Hotfix crystal rhinestones

I made a tutorial on how to make this simple gift bag.


Cut 2 pieces of cardstock: 5x12" and 5x2.5".


Score the large piece of cardstock at 4", 5.5", 9.5" and 11" which leaves a flap of 1" that you need to assemble the bag. Make sure you face the right side of your cardstock down.


Score all sides of the small piece of cardstock at 0.5".


Cut off all corners of the small piece of cardstock. This piece is the bottom of your bag.


Glue all edges of the small piece of cardstock and adhere to the large piece of cardstock.


Your bag now looks like this.


Cut 2 handles for the bag. I used the Coluzzle circle template.


Adhere your design to bag.


Adhere the handles to bag.

Fleur really liked my gift bag, and asked if I would like to make some bags for her birthday party. She is celebrating her birthday in December, so enough time to make some bags.

To all Dutch visitors of my blog....the Scor-it Mini and 12x12" Scor-it can be bought at Dolls & Decorations in Almere. The Scor-it is available in inches and centimeters, but since we are used to metric measurements Petra sells the boards featuring a ruler in centimeters.

Don't forget to check the 2 Sketches 4 You blog to see Kazan's card and the other DT girls' cards. They made gorgeous projects again. I am so happy to be part of this amazing and talented team.

It is really great to see how enthusiastic some of the 2S4Y fans are....the first cards are already posted. Thank you all so much for playing along.

A New Home

You may think that I only make cards. You're right......well almost. I did create a layout and mini album in the past two weeks, but can't show it yet because it might be published in the Dutch Scrapbook Magazine. So.....I'll leave you with another card I made this week. I so love these October Afternoon papers.



Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper: October Afternoon Detours, Daydreamer Letters: Bookworks Mini ABC and Numbers Tools: sewing machine, QuicKutz Silhouette, EK Success Circle punch Ink: VersaColor Pinecone

Thanks for your lovely comments, and have a wonderful Sunday!

Ashild's (2S4Y) Bonus Sketch

This morning I realized - in time *wink* - that I had to make a card for a friend who will be celebrating his birthday on Sunday. Since I had very limited time to make a card I wanted to use a sketch which I think is perfect if you lack time and need some inspiration. Ashild - one of my fellow DT members at 2 Sketches 4 you - designed a bonus sketch for this week and I followed her sketch to make the birthday card.





Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned Paper: Kaisercraft Stamps: Heidi Swapp, Hero Arts Tools: Sizzix Circles die, sewing machine, stapler Ribbon: May Arts Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia Other: chipboard

Have a nice weekend!

Too late

Last week I missed 2 birthdays. This hardly happens to me and now I missed 2 in 1 week! I guess I was just too busy at home and at work, and with the upcoming business trip to Berlin I totally forgot about these birthdays. Therefore, I made another card to apologize for being too late. The other card was my DT card based on Laura's sketch 8.



Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper: Scenic Route Providence Flowers: Prima Marketing Buttons: Rusty Pickle Letters: Bookworks Mini ABC and Numbers Tools: Fiskars Threading Water punch Other: floss, ribbon and large eyelet. Size: 10x10cm/4x4"

Have a wonderful day!

Laura's Sketch #8

It is Monday again, so time for a new sketch over at 2 Sketches 4 You. A great sketch designed by Laura. I am not really satisfied about the final result, but that has nothing to do with Laura's sketch. My card just didn't turn out like what I had in mind. Anyways....I used one of the new lines by Kaisercraft that I bought last week.





Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper: Kaisercraft Ribbon: May Arts Flowers: Prima Marketing, EK Success Flower punch Letters: Making Memories Tiny Alphas Button: Rusty Pickle Other: Fiskars Threading Water punch

Go and check the 2 Sketches 4 You blog to see Laura's card and the cards by the fabulous DT. The girls come up with the most beautiful cards each week, and this week is no exception. Hopefully you'll be inspired by Laura's sketch and our cards. Give it a go and maybe your card will be chosen as Card of the Week.

Have a wonderful day, and thanks for your lovely comments on my pub!

Cover Girl

Today I got home from the business trip to Berlin. 3 Days full of meetings, but fortunately we also had time to go into town and do a little sightseeing. I went to Berlin twice in 1993. Things have changed a lot since then, especially in former East Berlin. We spent most of our time in that part of Berlin and I enjoyed it a lot. I think Berlin is a great city....very friendly, relaxed and spacious. And of course it has a fascinating history. If you ever go to Berlin and would like to have dinner in a trendy restaurant you should really go to Shiro i Shiro, a great place with fab food.

When I got home around 4pm today I found the latest (#3) Cards Only magazine in the mail. I was completely surprised to find one of my cards on the cover of the magazine. Wow! My very first publication in this cards magazine....never thought I would make it to the cover the first time. 7 Cards and 2 sketches designed by me were published in the magazine. Needless to say, I am very happy with the result and opportunity.



Here is a sneak of one of my cards published in the magazine. This is one of the cards that got me into the 2 Sketches 4 You DT. I still can't show you the card yet....just a sneak....so you have to wait till early November.



Below is a sneak of one of the cards that I made based on my sketch. I was asked to design sketches for the magazine, and submitted two sketches.



Well, that's all for now. Have a nice weekend!