* new look for the next year *

Since Christmas is over, I thought it was time to change the look of my blog again. Since we are having real winter weather over here, I thought it was nice to give it that look as well.
I love the photo of the little dog in my banner. I took the photo today in the woods. (Dog isn't mine unfortunately) Seh was running back and forth in the snow and having such a fun time. It was so cute to see and watch.

* 2 Sketches 4 You Cards *

It has been a while since I last played along with the 2S4U sketch challenges, so it was high time to change that :)
Yesterday evening I finished this card based on the latest sketch #42 And the day before I used #40 to create this card.

I used for both delicious October Afternoon papers, which I adore at this moment. I will give the cards away as a little thank you to someone.

Supplies: white cardstock, October Afternoon papers Ducks in a Row & Farm Fresh, Prima marketing flowers, buttons, scrappers floss, ribbon, organza ribbon, Fiskars border punch apron, Martha Steward border punch doily lace, Melissa Frances stamps, Studio G stamp, prima say it in swirls.

It's the last day of 2009 and I am off today. Really looking forward to 4 days free time. Yesterday it started snowing again but there was also rain. Today when I woke up at around 9 o'clock there was a little snow on the ground and in the trees and it's still snowing. So maybe I can take some shots, the last ones were not so great.

* Jaaroverzicht cards *

This whole year I participated in a weekly challenge over at a forum I visit. Even though I had drop backs and over the year had to catch up several times (I am now working on the 4th turn to get everything up-to-date. I still have to make 6 cards, but I am confident I will still be able to make them this year.) And even for the "fall backs in productivity", I am glad I joined over to make these cards weekly, but even more happier I did them digi. Otherwise I would have failed, just like happened with Paper Adventure 08.

Week 51 presents: Week 50 darker days, longer evenings:

Week 49 Sinterklaas:

I even liked it so much, that I am searching on the net for something to do next year. On one of the forums they are organizing a ABC of me next year, so I am thinking about either that or 52Q which was held by Emily Falconbridge this year. (Or maybe I should try both?? Nah, I don't think I will be able to manage that) If someone who is reading this, happen to know something challeging for next year, just leave a comment.)

* Merry Christmas *

The weatherforecast promised a white Christmas. Well over here the snow is melting. We had a little snow earlier this morning but didn't stay and now it's raining. The sight outside is really not beautiful at all with the melting and blubby brown snow.

Oh well....

Happy Holidays!

* Get over to Get Sketchy.... *

To enter an amazing chance to win a complete Basic Grey Origin collection pack!

Is that amazing or what? Go hurry because there have to be 700 followers on New Years Day.

You won't regret it because their sketches are amazing and a great weekly inspiration to create cards.

* brrr.... it's cold outside *

I was planning on writing this blogpost last Sunday, but I hadn't had the time, I was only able to upload the photo's and thought I would write it the next day. It never happened. I was busy this week and not feeling too well - looks like I will have the flue again this winter. And besides that the room were the pc is, is extremely cold this time of year with -8 degrees since there is no central heating.
Anyway this weekend it was snowing, the first snow of this winter. I took these shots at Saturday when there wasn't too much snow yet, but it was freezing cold with -8 or something like that. The landscape was lovely. I also received after some long waiting my parcel from Creatief Scrapwork: some nice flowers from Kaiserkraft. I *adore* these. Specially the pink ones since I seem to be having lots of papers with pink in them.

And I got some stuff from Scrapbookdepot; some nice Studio G x mas stamps. I love those tiny little stamps, so easy to use on cards and tags, letterstickers, some bling, some more flowers and glue dots.

I created some X mas like wallpapers for my PC background as well. This one is my fav and it is proudly placed as wallpaper. Don't you love Benji?

With these long winter days, I love to read. I have recently finished a novel from Simone van der Vlugt, Het laatste offer. A novel that reads like an adventure story, a nice change. Now I am reading Iris Johansen Pandora's Daughter.

This week I had no time what so ever to create a layout or even a card or tag. With the holidays I do have some more time, but I am not sure if there will be time to create anything.

* new blog layout *

Since the Christmas Season is upon us, I decided to change the look of my blog to be more into the season. I love the new header, but I am not so content yet about the blogposts divider. I am not sure if I will keep it.

It has been snowing in Holland for some days now. In some parts of the country the snow was so heavy (we are talking about 30 to 40 cm high!!) but were I live it is thankfully not so bad. I will go outside later today to get some nice winter shots.

* Christmas tag *

I hardly have time to create cards these days. However, I happen to give some little prezzies away and I thought it a good idea to use this weeks sketch over Get Sketchy to create a small tag to add to the chocolates.

Of to redecorate the tree (again) with freshly bought Christmas Decorations. (photo's will follow later)

(PS it it freezing here quite heavily for some days and today I saw some snow!! If it will be snowing I hope to find time to take some photographs!)

* Christmas tree * Intratuin * Flowerdecorations *

Friday evening I decorated the tree. Kept it fairly simply with only some extra glass items and rest only white ball. I noticed the best time has past (got it 4 years already) so it is time to shop for new decorations. So I went to a garden centre yesterday, Intratuin. But even though they had lovely decorated their centre and there were amazingly beautiful items, they didn't have any white Christmas balls!! Yeah something like it but it was too grey for me. I really want snowwhite balls.
But look how beautiful it was. There were also a lot of sceneries built up specially for kids. It was the first time I went there with the holidays so it was a nice surprise. Normally I feel a bit odd taking photographs of the Christmas deco, but there were a lot of people over here who did it as well.

Back home some flower decorations for Christmas had to be made with the bought materials. I love how they turned out. I still want to make piece of outside though. Let's see if there will be some time left to make it.

Enjoy your sunday! Mine will be a busy one, still got lots and lots to do and not only for Christmas :)

* Baby Card *

I wrote before that I needed some babycards. One of the babies is born, and even though I have some stock of baby cards, I couldn't resist using fab papers of October Afternoon Ducks in a row and the latest Get Sketchy sketch to make a new baby card. I finished it on time to post on their blog.Supplies: white & yellow cardstock, October Afternoon papers, ribbon, buttons, my little shoebox letterstickers, white puffy paint, fiskars borderpunch.

* little presents *

We are not really celebrating Sinterklaas but by coincidence I had to go over to family and brought some presents over and it happened to be around Sinterklaas. Even though it was a small gift only (chocolates and a shower gel), they liked it. And I think I will do so again next year but than officially for Sinterklaas :). Nothing big, but it's nice to spend time together.

I decided to add some tags to the gifts as well, even though it was last minute work, I think they turned out quite nicely.

I loved making these. Making tags is quick and easy and a good way to even use up the last scraps which cannot be used for cards anymore because they are too small.

Supplies: white cardstock, Daisy Bucket papers, October Afternoon papers, prima flowers, Melissa Frences stamps, Studio G stamps, ribbons, pins, button, scrappersfloss, prima say it in crystals.

It has been raining the whole weekend again... sigh... this really doesn't do much for the Christmas feeling. It would be great if there would be snow, but if this is not the case, please let it be colder than 10 degrees. (I am still hoping silently for a white Christmas though :) )

Yesterday I went shopping and it was very quietly in the city; probably because of the bad weather and the fact that mostly everybody has already all gifts for Sinterklaas and is preparing for the evening.

Since long time I have been working on a layout again, which isn't finished so I cannot show yet. (I need HOURS to finish a 1 page layout, I am a real slow scrapper) However, that means that I haven't had the time to make any cards for Get Sketchy & Card Patterns. Trying to squeeze that in the week between X mas preps.

* Dutch Food *

Tijd voor een nieuw recept, pas gemaakt en smaakte heerlijk.

Ingredienten:
800 gr runderlappen
50 gr margarine
3 grote uien, gesnippered
3 laurierblaadjes
5 kruidnagels
3 eetlepels rodewijnazijn
1 eetlepel appelstroop
1 runderbouillion tablet
400 ml water
1 plak ontbijtkoek 1 1/2 cm dik

Werkwijze:
1) Snijd het vlees in gelijke stukken, bestrooi met zout en peper
2) Verhit in braadpan de boter en bak het vlees op middelhoog vuur in 10 min. rondom bruin.
fruit de ui 5 minuten mee
3) Voeg de laurierblaadjes, kruidnagels, azijn, appelstroop en de bouillon toe.
Het vlees moet net bedekt zijn.
4) Breng aan de kook en draai vuur laag.
Stoof de hachee met de deksel op de pan in 2 toto 2 1/2 uur zachtjes gaar.
Voeg als er teveel vocht verdampt, een extra scheut water toe.
5) Verkruimel de ontbijtkoek boven de pan en laat de koek in het stoofvocht oplossen en
de saus binden.
6) Verwarm de hachee nog 5 min. op een laag vuur.
Lekker met rode kool, gekookte aardappelen.

Eet smakelijk!

* Read on...*

I haven't blogged in a while about the novels I am reading and which I finished.
Currently reading Esther Verhoef latest novel on which I had to wait since july to appear in our librairy in town. Only finished the first few pages but it looks quite promising. It's about a woman who meets up with a long lost boyfriend from the past.I finished yesterday a novel from Nicci Gerrard Simple in the moonlight. I love novels from Nicci French, which she writes with her husband. I have never read something she wrote alone before. It was an interesting novel to read but it isn't the same as with her husband. Less suspense and more about peoples inner emotions and family ties and trust etc. But I would like to read more of her.

And I read the short novel/story which was a gift in the month of the suspense novels in July I believe. Very good story, finished it very quickly and the ending is quite unexpected and open. Leaves you guessing. I kinda like that and at the same time I don't because I always want to know who and why but for writing an ending this is a good one......

* Xo Xo Xo * Get well soon *

I like it that Get Sketchy posts their sketch challenge so early (Fridays) so that gives me time to create a card in the weekend. This time I chose the delicious papers of Bo Bunny Love Bandit,(Already ordered some more, because I can use these over and over again) to create a Valentine card. Supplies: white cardstock, Bo Bunny Love Bandit papers, handcut swirl, Prima's say it in crystals, Fiskars borderpunch Apron, Martha Stewart punch doily lace, Crafts too cornerpunch, ribbon, white puffy paint, pin.

Next is a card for CardPatterns. I used MME papers Ooh La La to create a get well card. My aunt is having a (small) surgery next week.

Supplies: white cardstock, My Minds Eye Ooh La La papers, digi stamp Digital Delights, Melissa Frences stamp, hotfix with stones, handcut swirl, jewels, KaiserCraft flowers, organza ribbon, pin.

Enjoy the rest of your sunday.

* Round of Challenge blogs * Get Sketchy *

I am *so happy* I won last weeks challenge over at Get Sketchy:) Thank you ladies for chosing my card and of course for the weekly inspiration. I won a great prize of digi stamps over at Soft Pencil. Go see for yourself the art is amazingly beautiful. I fell in love with it the minute I saw it, so I am very happy to be able to use one of those digi stamps in the near future.

Of course I made this weeks sketch again. It's a card for someone who got a new job, to which good luck. I still have scraps left of the amazing Bo Bunny papers and I still *love* them. I also couldn't resist using my favorite bird stamp again, so cute. Supplies: Bo Bunny designpapers, Imaginisce stamp, Studio G text stamp, pin, ribbon, organza ribbon, roses

Next is a card for Card Patterns, I have not played with there sketches in a while and missed it. It was not the sketch that made me struggle with this card, and the papers are also lovely, however it didn't seem to work out for me. First one ended in the dustbin and I am not too happy with this result as well, but since I won't be having more time to make it one more time, I decided to put it up anyway.

Supplies: Imaginisce papers, cardstock, ribbon, Autumn leaves stamp, Studio G stamp, white puffy paint, pin.
Due to the dark weather the photo's are not too good.

Almost weekend, so I hope it will stop raining than but the weatherforecast isn't too good. Well, lets wait and see.

* cards * cards *

Yep, I have finished again some cards this week. The first one is for a challenge blog I never entered before, but the sketches are great so I decided to give it a try. Go see for your self at Taylored Expressions.
Supplies: 3 bugs in a rug design papers, ribbon, Melissa Frances stamp, Imaginisce stamp, white puffy paint.

Also I really wanted to play along with Get Sketchy again after weeks of absence. I really missed it. Bonus challenge was to use your markers, since I don't have any I chose for using my colored pencils. I got the stamp as a present a while ago but haven't used it so far, but it's really lovely.

Supplies: scenic route design paper, Marianne stamp, Imaginisce stamp,Kaiser Craft flowers, pin, ribbon, organza ribbon.

Since there will be some babies born short time, I have made already 2 cards; a baby girl card and a baby boy card. I lifted one of Ingrids' cards in an old issue of cards only.

Supplies: October Afternoon designpaper, white cardstock, Studio G stamp, white puffy paint, ribbon, pin, American Craft thickers.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

* Jaaroverzicht * new cards *

Last weekend I made the layout for the theme of the yearoverview. The theme as want you wanted most that week. Since I am feeling not good for quite some time, I made a layout based on that I really wanted to get either sick, or better now. (not knowing I would be sick the next week, how odd it that?)I also finished my first cards in WEEKS!! again. The first one is lifted from a card from Ingrid in the latest issue of Cards Only. I liked her design very much, but I am not completely happy with my end result and I cannot put my finger on it what it is. Maybe the papers used, or my bow is not big enough? I plan to do another sample with different papers and give it a twist.

Supplies: white cardstock Making Memories Fa La La papers American Crafts Thickers Letter stickers ribbon Crafts too corner punch.

Plus I made a card for a colleague who has moved to a new house. I thought the houses papers from My Little Shoebox would be very nice for this occassion. Design is based on an older sketch from Get Sketchy.

Supplies: whote cardstock My Little Shoebox papers Kaisercraft flowers ribbon buttons scrappers floss white puffy paint Crafts Too corner punch.