Baby and Bunny

Today I want to schow you the card I made for my lovely pen pal, whose baby boy was born at the end of June...

Stamp: "Baby and Bunny" from Mo Manning

Sentiment: from Penny Black Transparent Set "Bundle of Joy"

Pigment Ink Pad in light blue

Colours: Polychromos from Faber Castell

Sketch: The Sketchy Challenges (old one from Challenge #28)

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities, Joy Crafts

Papers: Baby Paper from Heyda & dotted paper from CraftsToo

Buttons, plain papers and cardstock from my stash.

I am entering the card in the following challenges:

incy wincy designs challenge - frogs n snails and puppy dog tails
take time for you challenge 74 - anything goes
tammy scrapin corner challenge 24 - anything goes
everybody art challenge 202 - anything goes
the paper shelter challenge 79 - layers on layers
crafts and me challenge 99 - birthdays
simon says stamps challenge - anything goes
mo's digital challenge 150 - lovely layers
stempelsonne challenge 70 - Kinder
whimsy inspires challenge 50 - lots of layers
creatalicious challenge 37 - fantasy or baby theme
hooked on craft challenge 24 - cards for men

Sparkly Birthday Bath

It is Wednesday again (time is flying by soo fast) so it's time for another another challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog, The theme for Challenge 91 is Sparkle and shine...

So get out your glitter, gems, pearls... and enjoy making a card to join our challenge. We also have some great prices from our sponsors again.

Stitchy Bear Stamps

Prize - $10 voucher to use in store

and

Sassy Studio Designs

Prize - 4 Digis of winners choice

 and

Eye andie Creations

Prize - 4 Digis of winners choice

As usual, we got some lovely images from our sponsors to play with. I used a Stitchy Bear image for my card...

I loved this cute stamp as soon as I saw it the first time... and it is absolutely perfect for a friend's birthday  -  she loves ducks!

Stamp: "rub a dub dub" from Stitchy Bear Stamps

Sentiment:Birthday Ticket from Prairie Fairy

Pigment Ink Pad in brown

Colours: Polychromos from Faber Castell, Joy Crafts Decorative Chalks

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities

Stickles, gems, ribbon, plain papers and cardstock from my stash.

I am entering the card in the following challenges: 

cute card thursday challenge 231 - bling it up

totally paper crafts challenge 131 - zesty summer colours 

craft your days away challenge 52 - anything goes 

crafty catz weekly challenge 147 - ribbons and bows 

simon says stamps challenge - anything goes 

everybody art challenge 202 - anything goes 

forever friends challenge 43 - anything goes 

crafty sentiments challenge - let's sparkle 

bearly mine challenge 50 - anything that glitters 

take time for you challenge 74 - anything goes 

stempelsonne challenge 70 - Kinder

Relaxing Day

Right now, we're having absolutely great summer weather here in Germany's "Tuscany"  -  the Southern Palatinate. Since last week our temperatures are above 30°C and the sun is shining and shining... So it is fantastic when you have a swimming pool in your garden and can jump in there whenever you feel too hot! I've spent most of my time in the pool the last couple of days as it had been the best place to be with that kind of weather...

But as it is time for a new challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog I also spent a little time in my way too hot crafting room to make another card for this challenge... Our theme for the next week is Masculine.

So grab your crafting supplies and make a card for one of the men in your life  -  may it be for your hubby, boyfriend, son, grandson, nephew... We're looking forward to see all those masculine cards...

We also have some great sponsors for this challenge:

Dudetime Doodles

Prize - $10 gift certificate

and

Make it Crafty
   
 Prize - $15 gift certificate 

and 

Crafty Sentiments

prize - 3 digi images of winners choice

Here's my card:

Stamp: "Charles just relax" from Crafty Sentiments Designs
Sentiment: my own handwriting

Pigment Ink Pad indark blue

Colours: Polychromos from Faber Castell

Sketch: Here comes the boys
Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities, Sizzix Framelits

Embossing folder dots

Stickles, plain papers and cardstock from my stash.

I am entering the card in the following challenges:

the crafty pad challenge 184 - to die for
craft your days away challenge 52 - anything goes
pink gem challenge 53 - animals or teddies
here come the boys challenge 34 - Sketch
tammy scrapin corner challenge 24 - anything goes
craft your passion challenge 124 - power of 3 (3 stars)
whimsy inspires challenge 50 - lots of layers
the paper shelter challenge 78 - anything goes
divas by design challenge 49 - anything goes
forever friends challenge 43 - anything goes
take time for you challenge 74 - anything goes

Back to School

Here in Germany schools started again on Monday and over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog our theme for this week is "back to school". It is fitting perfectly, I think...

We're having some great sponsors for this challenge:

The Poodles Doodles

 

Prize - 7 Digis of winners choice

and 

Fred she said

Prize - $15 Gift Certificate

and

Eye Candie Creations

Prize - 4 digis of winners choice

First I made a bookmark as that was the only thing I came up with when I thought about the theme... Here in Germany it is not common to give cards to the kids that return to school after the summer holidays, that's why I had been struggling a lot with that theme  -  actually I always skipped those challenges in the past.

Here's the great corner bookmark I made:

and a bit closer as well...

Stamp: "Emma Blowing Bubbles" from Fred She Said & "Sparkling Bubbles" from Magnolia

Pigment Ink Pad in silver

Colours: Polychromos from Faber Castell

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities

Punches: Floral Punch from Nellie Snellen

Charm: from Pink Gem Designs

Stickles, rocailles pearls, plain papers and cardstock from my stash.

I am entering the card in the following challenges:

trimmies craft challenge 167 - add a charm
moving along with the times challenge 157 - summer
just hanna stamps challenge 151 - summer
crafty catz weekly challenge 145 - anything goes
allsorts challenge 167 - going around in circles
di's digi designs challenge - no squares allowed
cards und more challenge 62 - anything goes
stempelsonne challenge 69 - Lesezeichen (bookmark)

But as the start of school always reminds me of the first years that start school, I also made something different  -  a small "Schultüte" (a Schultüte is a large cornet of cardboard filled with sweets and little presents given to children in Germany on their first day at school).

The tradition of the "Schultüte" leads back to approximately 1810, to Saxony and Thuringia in Germany. The first documented report of the cone-shaped Schultüte comes from the city of Jena in 1817, closely followed by reports from Dresden (1820) and Leipzig (1836). It started in the bigger cities but spread quickly to the small towns and villages, soon becoming an institution all over Germany.

At first the practice of the school cone, which did not spread to other parts of Germany at this time, was to not give the bag to the kids directly. Marked with the students' names, they were taken to the school by parents or godparents and in a ritual, reminiscent of the Mexican piñata, hung on a metal "Schultüten-Baum" (School cone tree) from which each child had to pick their cone, without breaking them. The story told to the children goes, that there is a Schultütenbaum growing at the school, and if the fruits (the Schultüten) are ripe and big enough to pick, it's time to go to school for the first time.

The only custom that has changed in the later half of the 20th century is that fewer sweets seem to appear in the Schultüte, with more practical gifts such as crayons and pencils, small toys, CDs, books and even articles of clothing replacing the traditional chocolates and candies. (from Wikipedia) 

The kids are also bringing the Schultüte into school... it's a good thing to hold on to when you're pretty shy (as I had been when I was small).

This is me with my Schultüte on my first day at school...

 Back then people bought those Schultüte, nowadays most moms craft their own in kindergarten.

 and a close up of the bubble blowing girl...

 

Stamp: "Emma Blowing Bubbles" from Fred She Said & "Sparkling Bubbles" from Magnolia

Pigment Ink Pad in silver and red

Colours: Polychromos from Faber Castell

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities

Stickles, ribbon, crêpe paper,  plain papers and cardstock from my stash.

I am entering the card in the following challenges:

just hanna stamps challenge 151 - summer
stampin for the weekend challenge 15 - monochromatic
everybody art challenge 201 - summer

The Happy Couple

The first week of August is over already and I had been lucky as I got a few more nice and sunny summer days since my last post here. Now I hope that it will stay warm a bit longer...

Anyways, it is challenge time over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog, Our new challenge is starting today.

We're having another Sketch for you this week. But it is an easy one, so don't worry too much...

Our sponsors for this week are:

My heart pieces

Prize - 3 Digis of winners choice

and

The Paper Shelter

Prize - $20 gift certificate

I had been lucky as I could work with one of those awesome Paper Shelter images. They're just soo cute! Unfortunately I don't get to use them as often as I want to...

I just used the same design paper for the inside of the card as I thought it is soo pretty...

Stamp: "Happy Couple" from The Paper Shelter
Sentiment: WordArt

Colours: Polychromos from Faber Castell, Joycrafts decorative chalks

Sketch: Penny's Challenges (of course, as it is our Sketch challenge this week)

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities, Magnolia Doohickeys

Punches: Edge punch

Papers: Sweetest Love Papers from the Paper Shelter

Stickles, gems, pailettes in heart shape, plain papers and cardstock from my stash.

I am entering the card in the following challenges:

cute card thursday challenge 228 - clean & simple
crafty catz weekly challenge 144 - pink
totally papercrafts challenge 128 - monochrome
love to create challenge 27 - punches and dies
stempelsonne challenge 68 - Anything goes
tammy scrapin corner challenge 22 - show us your bling
craft your passion challenge 122 - anything goes
sparkles forum challenge 34 - wedding
challenge up your life challenge 75 - anything goes
hooked on craft challenge 23 - let's celebrate
crafty sentiments challenge - clean and simple
papertake weekly challenge - anything goes
crafts and me challenge 96 - use a digi
simon says stamps challenge - let's play bingo   Die Cut - Free (swirls) - Glitter
emerald faeries challenge 29 - bling
cards und more challenge 62 - anything goes

Butterfly Wishes

I can't believe it is August already  -  time really is flying by and summer still can't decide to stay here... After some really great summer days, it is colder again! I want a hot, sunny summer!!! Is that too much to ask for?

Anyways, as it is Wednesday again, it is time that I show you my card for the new challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog,

Our theme for this week is Butterflies and/or bows. That's easy, isn't it? I am looking forward to all your amazing entries...

Our sponsors for this challenge are:

Limited Runs

Prize -3 Digis of winners choice

and

The stamping Boutique

 

Prize - 3 Digis of winners choice

As usual, we got some lovely images from our sponsors to play with. I used a Limited Runs image for my card... 

Stamp: "Butterfly 5" from Limited Runs

Pigment Ink Pad in lilac

Colours: Polychromos from Faber Castell

Sketch: Take Time for You

Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities

Punches: Edge punch

Papers: Rainbow Paper from an unknown Asian company

Stickles, triple ribbon (all in one), star shaped gems, plain papers and cardstock from my stash.

I am entering the card in the following challenges:

stempelsonne challenge 68 - Anything goes

take time for you challenge 72 - Sketch

the crafty pad challenge 181 - things with wings

dream valley challenge 37 - summer

creative craft challenge - summertime
the paper shelter challenge 75 - glitz and glimmer