Stempel Spass

Connected through our love for card making, blogging and being from Germany we (Tanja from   Little Art Cottage   and I) decided to create a monthly project within predefined requirements. We are going to show you the result every 3rd Sunday of the month and this is our first transatlantic get-together! Our requirements for our first meet-up were: Easter bunny/bunnies and stencil. And here is my card: I used an iStencil for this - I love that one - you can see other cards with it HERE  . Sponged in grey and pink. My favorite Impression Obsession bunnies and a Michaels sentiment. The pink bunny is mounted on foam tape. I am linking this card with  Simply Create Too  - Easter Bunnies Steckenpferdchen - Fruehlingserwachen - Spring - spring makes me always think of Easter! Traumfabrik -  Chicken Run and/or Easter Bunny   Uniko Studio  - Anything Goes Stempelkueche - Vierbeiner Just Add Ink - Eggs or...

This is a difficult post for me to write. I have decided to step down from the Simply Create Too DT. I have overextended myself a bit and I feel too stressed about all those challenge blogs I am on, trying to keep up with the deadlines and commenting on top of working full time and running my household. I have been with Simply Create Too now for almost 1 1/2 years. It was the first DT for me and I will be always grateful to Diane , the owner, to give me a chance. I learned a lot and really enjoyed being on this wonderful team with all its creative and supportive members. So this card is for the wonderful Simply Create Too family. Thank You All! The challenge for the next week is to show us something new. I lately saw a few Brusho cards in blog land and was intrigued. Had to get that stuff.....And it is FUN I must say. Its pigment crystals. You sprinkle them on and mist with water. Great effect - absolutely love it. You will see more of that in the future from me, I promis...

Hi Everyone,  its time for a new challenge at Simply Create Too !  For the next two weeks out theme is  Old/Vintage. For me that is a real challenge.....but its always good to widen your horizon and step out of your comfort zone, right? So here is my take on it: I like it!!!! Materials: stamps by Stamp Camp, sentiment - Inkadinkadoo Chelsea sentiments, colored with Inktense pencils. I am also playing with this card at Less is More  - Anything Goes Simon Says Wednesday challenge  - Anything goes Edited to link up with  Seize the Birthday  - anything Birthday So, what 'd ya think - wanna give it a try to? Come on over , see the wonderful inspiration from your design team and start playing!

Hi my Friends - its time for a new challenge at  Simply Create Too !  This time we want you to use the colors of your country's flag in your card: Can you guess what country I am from - in case you don't now??? Not so hard, right? Its Germany. You have two week to play with us - I hope to see you there! And I am really curious to see where all of you come from.... Materials: Memory Box Chloe Stem die, Avery Elle die, sentiment: Stamplorations Trendy Feathers Thanks for visiting!

Simply Create Too  Challenge #61 - "Anything But a Card" is in its second week, but you still have time to play with us until  22 May 2014 at midnight [C.D.T. US] I don't do a lot of sewing - probably because my sewing machine is in a closet and I am generally too lazy to pull it out, but for this I made an exception. This is called a Dinkelmaus - its German and translates into Spelt mouse. You put it in the microwave for about a minute and 44 seconds, it heats up and then you take it to bed with you to keep you warm and cozy. My son loves it and his old one had a hole in it and was loosing the spelt - time to replace it..... You take a square piece of fabric (16 inches) , fold it diagonally, put some edging around (doube folded bias tape), as well as the diagonal for the head, tuck the ears under and sew on the buttons - if you feel like it. This is one hungry mouse - it swallows up 3 pound of spelt......but it lasts forever! I am l...

Hi Everybody, its time for a new challenge at  Simply Create Too ! This time we ask you to make a card without stamped images. No so easy, at least for me......I LIKE stamping! A stamped sentiment is okay (thank goodness!) Here is my card: T learned this on a previous Make it Monday from Papertrey - layered die cuts. Its really neat and a great way to display your border dies. The "paper" is really paint chips (courtesy of Home Depot). The sentiment is Papertrey Mum's the Word. I added some Paper Candy. I hope to see you there!

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!  But its too late to make a card for this occasion....Lets start working for St. Patrick's Day! Simply Create Too has just the right challenge for you - its GREEN or St. Patrick's Day I made this card with paint chips. Stamped those beautiful Stamplorations flowers from the set "eclectic florals" on them with Versamark and heat embossed it in white.  The sentiment is from the set - Graphic Pentagon . Added silver thread and sequins for some sparkle. You'll have until 2/27 to link up your card! I am looking forward to your creations!

Hi, it's time for another Simply Create Too challenge ! The theme is Valentine's Day or hearts. How perfect - don't we all need Valentine's Day cards? I used a Lifestyle Crafts die for the heart. I used foam tape to space the die cut from the card base to give it more depth. The red heart is a Fiskars punch, which I hung from a silver thread. The sentiment is Inkadinkadoo. This is such a simple card to make. I love this die. I made some cards with it last year, you can see them HERE . So go ahead and play over at Simply Create Too - you have until 1/29/2014 to link up your card! And don't forget, your kids can play too! I am also entering this card into the CAS on Sunday challenge -  Make a card for love/valentine's day

There is a new challenge starting at the Simply Create Too challenge blog - the theme is SNOW or USE ONLY WHITE. You have two weeks to play in it! I made my own embossing paste for this card - the recipe you can find    HERE . It costs  literally  nothing and its quick and easy. When I first made it I was worried, that it would flake off, but that has not happenend.  It stayed silky smooth and pliable.   I took one of my TCW stencils, took a PTI star die and masked the star of the stencil with washi tape. I then smeared the embossing paste onto the stencil, which I had taped onto textured card stock and let it dry.  I die cut two stars using glitter paper, mounted them on dimensional tape and "hung" them on a silver string. The sentiment is from Mama Elephant - Merry Greetings. I am also entering this card into: The  Snippets Playground  CHNC challenge   - anything Christmas    Simon Says ...

Simply Create Too's challenge is vintage. That was a true challenge for me. I guess that's why I joined a design team - to expand my card making skills...... so I struggled a bit with this one. I am just not a vintage type of gal....Although I do admire people who can do that.  I used the  Hero Arts Just saying Hi and Hero Arts Keyboard Alphabet sets. I ripped out a page of my local phone book and used a tag. The background paper is from K&C. The phone receiver handle is attached with a little ball chain -  (kind of the mini version of a toilet chain) and as you can see, it is removable. I am totally in love with this - especially the removable receiver... :) And I am proud of my first vintagy card, although I don't think I will add this to my repertoire.... You still have a little more than six days to play in the challenge! Come on over and motivate you kids too - there is a separate kids entry!

Simply Create Too has a photo inspiration this month. (I wish I could show it to you, but the computer here does not let me copy the picture into this post - I will add it later)... I made two cards for this challenge and I want to share them with you: For this card I used the Memory Box Chloe Stem die, Washi tape and the lovely sentiment I got from my friend Monika in Munich - I can't remember the company - I am still in Calgary - leaving tomorrow morning and apparently I have nothing better do do....   I am also entering this card into the Moxie Fab Birthday card challenge . For this card I used the technique by Betsy Veldman , that I have used on a recent card I made for the Make it Monday by Papertrey. I like the result better this time - it really needs some practice... The birthday die is by Papertrey, the stars are from Simon Says and added some bling. Go and visit Simply Create Too - you have 12 days to s...

A little late, but here are two cards I created for the  Simply Create Too challenge blog . There is still time to play in this challenge and if you have children, who like to make cards - there is a separate kids category. Not many kids play in there - the chances of winning are high! Since I am not from this country and since I am fairly new to blogging, I was wondering what to do with that theme. So I took this quite literally and had some fun with those cards. The surfing snowman I made with a die from Papertrey, and masked off an old Penny Black stamp, to put the snowman on it.  The sentiment is from Inkadinkadoo, as are the snowman's sunglasses.  I colored it with chalks and Copics. The snowman is partially elevated with a foam dot. The second card was easy too. Not my usual style, but I like it. Its funny, isn't it? I took some Martha Stewart paper and cut off the wintery houses at the bottom half of it. I masked the sun and sponged it. I al...

Simply Create Too has a new challenge to play in - the theme is  Fathers Day or Male Card.   You have until June 20th to enter. I made two cards for the challenge - both are pretty simple.  I stamped the mustache and the hat using those $1.50 stamps sets from JoAnns. I  mounted the white cardstock on patterned paper and put the googly eyes on. Some Washi tape to finish them off.  By the way - Simply Create Too has and extra youth entry option. Children 12 years and under can play in there and there is a separate youth challenge button to win! My son has started to play in the challenge - he occasionally enjoys making cards. And I like this much better than him spending his free time playing computer games. But I did encourage him to start his own card blog -   Cards with Greg   - and that he enjoys even more than making cards - LOL! You would just make him sooooo happy if you visit his blog and leave a lit...

I created some more cards for my debut at the Simply Create Too challenge blog. There is still time to link up! Besides, this challenge has an extra prize for children 12 years and under - so get your kids to play! For this card I wanted a summer theme and I used the new drops by Ryn Tanaka for this card. The background is distress inks applied to an acrylic bloc and spritzed with water. I pressed the watercolor paper against it, waited for it to dry and then stamped over it with with a stamp by Rubber Stampede. The water drops stamps I added last, taking off some color from the drops and adding some white highlights. I am also submitting this card to CASology - the challenge is BLOOM an to Simon Says - Flower Power --X-- And here is another card - a spring theme. The tulips are by Hero Arts. I did not submit that for the blog post, so this is extra..... I am trying to convince Ryn to design an icicle stamp - that would be coo...

Hallo,  I am so excited to announce that I am now part of the Simply Create Too Design Team! I could not tell anybody about this until today - the day of the official new design team member announcement! I am very proud to be chosen into this fantastic team. I was a little nervous at first, but everybody has been so welcoming and nice and has put me at ease.  I made this card for the first challenge - it is "Anything Goes" - actually my favorite type of challenge. Although it is a little different if you know that you are supposed to be the "inspiration". Usually if I see a challenge like that I just participate with whatever I have..... I decided to use my all time favorite stamp for this occasion - the famous water droplet stamp by Ryn Tanaka I used distress inks for a watercolor background. The Japanese maple leaves are by Stamp Camp and the sentiment is from Heidi Grace Designs by Fiskars. I put littl...

Hallo Everybody, today I want to welcome 2 new readers to my blog: Dewi  from Indonesia and Nicole -  BaNiKa  from Germany I am so happy you found me and hopefully you will enjoy your future visits here as well. I found a welcome picture for you in my "stash" - perfect for this time of the year: Its a Dogwwood - they are flowering right now, but I took this picture 2 years ago when I visited the Walter Reeds Arboretum near my home in New Jersey. --X-- But now back to cards....... I made this card for two challenges. One is Less is Moore , which is a sketch challenge this week and the second challenge is Simply Create Too , where the theme is "All about Babies". I have copied the sketch below. The sentiment is from Kaisercraft. And since its "Anything goes" at Simon Says" I am linking this card with them as well. The second card is done with the ink blowing technique that I tried yesterday  (see det...