Vårkänslor!

Började att plantera om alla pelargoner idag. Det är ju en del så det tar några dagar! Jag startade med mina favoriter, som av någon anledning inte blev omplanterade förra året, fragrans-/odoratissimumhybriderna. Bilden visar en av mina absoluta favoriter - 'Nejlika', som doftar precis som kryddnejlika! I bakgrunden sitter katten Curry och inspektarar sitt revir.

Det har varit en helt underbar dag idag. Solen har skinit från en klarblå himmel. Det har droppat från taken och snön har dragit sig bort från gräsmattan mer och mer. Vi åt lunch på inglasade verandan för första gången i år och det var en härlig känsla. Jag tror minsann våren är på väg!

My first ATC swap!

I had such a great day yesterday at the scrap meeting! I can't believe that I've finally found some scrapbookers/card makers/art journalers/crafty people in my small hometown! We were between 20 - 50 years old and some had been rubberstamping since 20 years (me!) and one girl just started last december! And although that difference in age and "experience" we had so much to talk about!! I had a blast! Can't wait until the next meeting!

Yeah, I bought my first three stamps actually 20 years ago! It was in an home decor shop in a small English village and they had some stamps from All Night Media. I bought a cat hanging from a heartshaped balloon (still got it!), a frog (still got it, but damaged) and a worm peeking out from a hole (damaged and thrown away). And a black ink pad!! I wasn't very advanced then!
The next time I came across rubber stamps were many years later in a shop in Rome. I think it was a home decor shop as well. I bought two stamps with roses and a gold ink pad!! Still not very advanced!
I think the first shops that sold rubber stamps came to Sweden around 2003, at least that is when I found them! They weren't scrapbooking shops but shops that sold other tings and had a few shelves with rubber stamps. Two in Gothenburg and two in Stockholm! We have a bit more now! But still no one close to where I live, so everytime we go somewhere I always try to find out if we will pass a scrapbooking shop! And my husband is experienced so he will bring a book so he can sit and read in the car!

Cupcakes!

ProMarkers!

The ATC swap!
(Look at the gorgeous chocolate pastry
made out of FIMO clay! Definitely an
upcoming projekt of mine!)

My first crop!

Today is an exciting day! I'm going to my first crop and I'm going to participate in my first ATC swap! I live in a small town and finally I've found som fellow crafters nearby (thank you Internet!). We are 8 that have started a group on Facebook and 7 will come!! I am so excited!

The theme for the ATC swap was "Me". I've created a pink (♥) ATC with a patterned paper which representate a wallpaper (I love interior design), I've stamped a cat (♥), dog paws (♥) and a pelargonium (♥). Stamped the word Ciao since I love everything about Italy. I've also handwritten the world Ciao since I love writing, calligraphy and fonts. And since I am a medical secretary ATC means something else for me, Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical classification system, so I also wrote down the number of my favourite drug. At least the days I've got a headache! ; )

Dear deer!

Dear deer!

I love these plants too, so stop eating them, please!

I know it's been really cold in Sweden this latest week and we've finally had some snow, too. I guess it's difficult to find food in the woods right now but my hebe, come on!

Please knock on my door the next time and I'll give you some cat food the cats refuses to eat. High on protein, great for outdoors! You're happy, I'm happier and the cats are the happiest!

Thanks!

Scandinavian vintage

A few weeks ago I won a blog candy (Thank you Lilla jag!) and amongst all the lovely things was a stamp from Magnolia. I knew straight away that I wanted the song title by Bruno Mars as the sentiment. My husband has always been the athletic one of the two of us, but last year I started working out and he did absolutely nothing even though he had a membership at the local gym. And he wasn't completely ok with that! So everytime I heard this song I teased him by saying "Oh, I heard this song at the gym!". It was hilarious!

I'm not a huge fan of the Scandinavian vintage style but I decided to have a go at it. I have to admit that it's actually very fun to color the Magnolia stamps. I used Distress Inks and just one color. I tried not to make it too cute as the wall hanging is meant for my husbands home office just as a reminder of this lovely song! ;-)  And that he has got an athletic wife!! ;-)

On the panel I used my favourite stamp from Hero Arts (S5213), clear embossed it and added Distress Inks (Antique Linen & Tea Dye). The three hearts is another Hero Art stamp (A2126) which I embossed with Cloisonné (Blue Moon) and cut out. I think the name of the Magnolia stamp is Chasing Edwin. The doily is a Magnolia die. And I do hope that my husband appreciate this litte gift of mine! 'Cuz I really would catch a grenade for him.

Stamping into a mask

I finally got some time to do some stamping this week and I decided to try stamping into a mask, the technique that Suzanne Czosek showed on her blog Suzz's Stamping Spot at the Hero Arts blog hop.

I cut a heart out from a paper and used the paper as a mask. I didn't have a large flower stamp so I used a text stamp from Hero Arts (G2679 Thanks). I wanted the watercolor paper and the yarn to be in the same white color as the card, just like in Suzannes card, but mine are in different whites. I kind of like that too, actually! Finally I decorated the heart with a small stamped flower (Heindesign) which I colored with Distress Inks.

I just couldn't stop stamping so I made another card stamping the small flower stamp into the mask. I used the HA stamp to make a panel for the word 'LOVE', tied a piece of yarn and added a little label with the handwritten word 'always'.

Tjugondedag Knut

Jag tycker att det känns så sorgligt att plocka bort julen. Det blir så tomt. Men det är ju så att julsakerna inte gör sig lika bra i ljuset som kommer i januari. Så på ett sätt så vill jag ta bort dem. I år belönade jag mig med en mini-orkide för att det inte skulle kännas lika trist! De är ju så söta!

Och ja...alla julsaker åkte väl inte in i garderoben då! De här virkade stjärnorna hamnade på en hängare i hallen, det är ju fortfarande vinter!...