Bujo overview 2017

This was my "Hello 2017 intro
page at the start of the bujo"

Not many hours left in 2017. This would be the time to look back and evaluate things. To be honest, I think my theme for 2018 will be "The best is yet to come" and I will leave 2017 behind without too much introspection. 

Dear 2017, we had some good times, we had some bad times. We had some fun times, we had some sad times. I don't expect 2018 to be anything different - Life is a rollercoaster, you just have to ride it. 

One thing I did was I managed to keep a bujo through the whole year, and I also managed to create an intro page for each month in my bujo. Many of them are a bit more mixed media than I usually do, so I had fun experimenting with them. They are all below, warts and all. Next year's bujo will be unicorn themed. Fancy that? 

 

In January I was inspired by night skies and tried to paint some northern lights in watercolour.  Let's just call it an experiment and leave it there. February was my first and I think so far only attempt at using Distress crayons. I discovered they are not my medium of choice although others seem to get some really great results with them. 

  

March was a bit of a mess. Not sure what look I was really going for there. April turned out quite pretty, lots of stamping and masking using STAMPlorations floral stamps followed by watercolours.

 

May was fun, well anything with rainbows is fun isn't it. Distress inks and a STAMPlorations stencil and die. June was one of my first plays with my new Distress Oxides. They blend so beautifully.

 

July was all about colouring outside the lines - a big mess with watercolours really. August is a page from the STAMPlorations Bloomtangled colouring book. I treated the page with clear gesso and then coloured with watercolours. That was super fun.

September and October are also pages from the Bloomtangled colouring book, both coloured with Sharpies. September was supposed to be grunge but it's more of a mess. October is the first time I dared to try my new lettering skill. Let's just call that a work in progress, eh?

 November was Distress inks through a stencil and a bunch of die cut leaves I had left over from another project. December I have to admit I didn't have any time between manic work and preparing for Christmas to really do anything other than using an old card front from a card I didn't find any recipient for. Thought I might as well get some use out of it.

Now it's time to say goodbye to the old year and the old bujo. I managed to finish with 2 pages left in the notebook. I have a pink Rhodia Goalbook for next year, I can't wait to tuck into that. See you next year, and wishing you a lovely New Year's Eve, whatever you decide to do. I think we will do a repeat our last year and fall asleep on the sofa at 10pm.

4 Crafty Chicks - Glitter

It's time for my last post as the December Guest Designer at 4 Crafty Chicks. Thank you so much for having me, Dear Chicks, it's been a blast! This week we are challenging you with a Glitter theme. 

I decided to create a glittery scene with some super cute Lawn Fawn penguins. I started by inking up white card with pink, purple and blue Distress Inks. Then I die cut the background using the Snowy Backdrop die and the Stitched Rectangle dies. I also die cut the mountains and snowy hillside borders. Then I stamped the adorable penguins and coloured them with Copics. Last, I attached everything to create the scene. I adhered the background onto silver glitter card, and die cut the sentiment to up the glitter factor.

Thank you again to the ladies from 4 Crafty Chicks for the chance to design for you. I'll see you around, and I can't wait to see what challenges you have in store for 2018!

I'm linking up with the following challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations - North Pole

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Party 

Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Card: 250 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card, grey card, silver glitter card

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Snow Cool, Winter Penguin and matching dies

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Inks Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar, Dusty Concord, Broken China, Blueprint Sketch

Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Mountain Borer, Stitched Rectangles, Snowy Backdrop, Stitched Hillside borders, Scripty Merry 

December STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Mid-Month Inspiration

And so this is Christmas. Well, only a few sleeps away. We made it here once again, through the whole year. I hope you and your loved ones will have a wonderful and relaxing time, and enjoy your time in whatever way you are planning to spend it. And if you are one of the many people working your way through the holidays, thank you for doing that as you have one of those jobs which is vital in keeping the rest of us healthy, safe or happy. 

This is the mid-month reminder for the STAMPlorations December CAS challenge, the last reminder for the last challenge. Of the year that is, we will be with you bright and early in the new year on January 4th with a brand new challenge. But for now you can enjoy our gold theme for a few more weeks, maybe squeeze in those last Christmas cards you need. Or are you one of those super organised people who have a stack of cards bigger than you need? Congratulations in that case, and can you please tell me your secret (yes, yes, I know, it's all about getting started early... maybe I'll try having a January Christmas card crafting session to start the stash for next year to avoid the madness of the December crafting rush). Thank you for crafting with us this year and for sharing your gorgeous creations in the gallery, hope you will continue to do so next year.

For my card, I started by stamping the beautiful wreath from Joyful onto Neenah Solar white card in Memento black ink and coloured with Copics. I then stamped the beautiful sentiment from Delight in the Joys - Typografia Christmas in Versamark onto vellum and heat embossed in gold. Last, I die cut the vellum using the smallest die from Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies and attached to the card using micro glue dots for vellum.

Card: Neenah Solar white card, Dovecraft 110 gsm premium vellum

Stamps: STAMPlorations Joyful, Delight in the Joys - Typografia Christmas
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Copics
Dies: Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies
Other: Gold embossing powder, vellum micro glue dots

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

4 Crafty Chicks - Tags

Time for those last minute Christmas presents. And nothing completes a beautiful hand wrapped present like a handmade tag. This week's challenge over at 4 Crafty Chicks is Tags so we would love it if you shared your tags with us if you are making any this week!

I created a big batch of tags using my favourite Lawn Fawn stamp sets. I started by stamping the snowy background from Snow Cool in Versamark and heat embossed it in clear powder onto tags I die cut using the Tag You're It die. Then I inked the background using distress inks. I stamped lots of cute little critters and coloured them in the same colour scheme as the background using Copics. Last, I stamped the sentiment in black ink and added some pink and blue twine from my stash.

I'm linking up with the current challenge over at Lawn Fawnatics where the theme is to use your favourite stamp set. I'm slightly cheating as I couldn't choose whether I like Winter Alpaca or Winter Unicorn more - so I'm linking up both tags!

Card: 200 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Alpaca, Winter Unicorn, Critters in the Snow, Toboggan Together, Critters in the Arctic, Winter Penguin, Snow Cool and matching dies

Ink and Colouring: Tim Holtz Distress Inks Blueprint Sketch, Broken China, Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Copics

Other: Lawn Fawn Tag You're It dies, Ranger Clear embossing powder, Signo White Gel pen 

Polar Bear and Northern Lights

Our living room has transformed into Christmas lights central. I decided this year to go minimal with Christmas decorations - no tree, no tinsel. Instead lots of warm white Christmas lights, poinsettias and candles. I'm loving it (although I had to let the BF put his blue Christmas lights somewhere, and he chose the bedroom... oh well, as long as they are not in the living room, eh?). But the presents are wrapped, food prep is done as much as it can and tomorrow I'll deliver the last of my Christmas cards and presents to my colleagues after which I'll start focussing more on winding down and relaxing than anything else. Every month I set myself one task for the following month, and the task I set myself at the end of November was to spend some time in December sipping some mulled wine or hot cocoa and reading a book, or maybe just enjoying all the Christmas lights in the house.

I haven't had much time for creative crafting - at best I've managed a few batches of really simple Christmas cards and gift tags. But the other night, inspired by the most amazing Northern Lights we saw when we spent a week in Finnish Lapland a few weeks ago, I wanted to create a card inspired by the most magical lights in the sky. I used watercolours to create the sky, splattering it with white acrylic paint for stars. Then I stamped and coloured the cute polar bear from Lawn Fawn Critters in the Snow.

I'm linking up with the following challenges:
CAS on Friday - Christmas 
CAS Mixup - Stamping + 2 of your choice (watercolour marbling and die cutting)
CAS Watercolour - ATG
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Stitch It

Card: 250 gsm white card, scrap of red card, Daler&Rowney 300 gsm watercolour paper
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters in the Snow, Hats Off and matching dies
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, Gansai Tambi watercolours
Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Circles, Scripty Merry
Other: Ranger Ice Stickles

4 Crafty Chicks - Christmas Winter Critters

It's my second week guest designing for 4 Crafty Chicks. This week the theme is Christmas Winter Critters. Hop over to the blog to see what the talented ladies of the DT have created for your inspiration. 

I couldn't imagine using anything but Lawn Fawn stamps for a Christmas Winter Critters theme. I used paper from Let's Bokeh in the Snow for the background, then built up a scene using mountains and snowy hills inhabited by some happy Christmas Critters. 

Card: 260 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card, light grey card from my stash
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters in the Snow, Toboggan Together, Hats Off and matching dies
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Mountain Borders, Stitched Hillside Borders, Stitched Square Frames
Other: Lawn Fawn Let's Bokeh in the Snow paper

December STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - Anything Goes With Gold

And here we are, starting off the last month of 2017. And that also means starting off our last STAMPlorations CAS challenge of the year. Our optional colour twist is gold, so a perfect chance to get those remaining Christmas cards finished. 

I created a very quick CAS Christmas card, perfect for mass production (which is quite important this time of year...). I started by masking off a rectangle, sprinkled very lightly with Brushos and sprayed with water. After the background had dried, I used my embossing buddy on the background before stamping the beautiful Merry Little Christmas Typografia Christmas and heat embossing it in gold.

Hopefully you will get inspired to join us over at the STAMPlorations CAS challenge. 

Card: 300 gsm Daler & Rowney watercolour paper
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Brushos
Stamps: STAMPlorations Merry Little Christmas Typografia Christmas
Other: Gold embossing powder

STAMPlorations discount code: If you want to save 20% when shopping at the STAMPlorations store you can use the code STAMPGIRLKAROLA at checkout. The discount applies to all normal priced and discounted stamps, stencils and dies. The code cannot be combined with other discount codes.

4 Crafty Chicks - Monochrome

I'm very excited to be guesting over at 4 Crafty Chicks for the month of December - thank you very much for having me, ladies! The challenge this week is Monochrome.

I've seen some awesome cards and tags out there in blogland lately with pink skies, and felt I wanted to try this gorgeous look for my monochrome card, so I inked up some card with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick, and cut a starry, snowy sky using the Lawn Fawn Snowy Backdrop die. Then  I created some snowy hills and stamped and coloured the cute critters. Last, I added a sentiment and scalloped background using Perfectly Plaid Winter paper. 

Hope you will come and play with us, I can't wait to see what you make inspired by the monochrome theme.

Card: 250 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 190 gsm white card, scrap of pink card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Unicorn, Winter Alpaca, Critters in the Arctic, Joy to the Woods and matching dies
Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Copics
Dies: Lawn Fawn Scalloped Rectangles, Stitched Rectangles, Hillside Border, Forest Border, Snowy Backdrop, Merry Christmas Border
Other: Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Winter

ARTplorations Stencil Hop Reminder

Just popping in to remind you that the ARTplorations Stencil Blog Hop is still in full swing. You can find all the info in the main ARTplorations Blog Hop post.

I used the new Christmas Tree 1 stencil to create this year's batch of mass-produced cards. I feel like it's always good to have a big pile to use for neighbours, colleagues etc. I like the cards to be something simple enough to produce in a large quantity and I also want them to be something quite unique and a bit artsy, and suitable for all types of winter celebrations.

Initially, when I started working with the Christmas tree stencil, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Then I thought of layering the stencil multiple times and inking it up with different colours and all of a sudden I just fell in love with it completely and decided the artsy trees were the perfect background for this years' card. And it's so easy to extend the pattern, so I covered a whole A4 sheet with the background pattern, perfect for cutting the squares for the card backgrounds. Then I all I needed was to die cut the Christmas trees in gold mirri card. I also die cut some baubles and stars for the inside of the cards and finished off with a sentiment in black ink. Got a whole bunch of these finished already, and a few more in the making.

Card: Stampin' Up Real Red card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, gold mirri card

Stamps: STAMPlorations Homespun Christmas

Stencil: ARTplorations Christmas Tree 1

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Peeled Paint, Pine Needles, Twisted Citron

Dies: CUTplorations Christmas Icons - Christmas Tree 1, Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle Nesting dies, Joy to the Woods matching dies