Moving house

Tomorrow the moving company will come to pack our stuff and on Tuesday we will make our way down south from Trondheim to Rygge: 560 km and some 8 hours. Thankfully the forecast has changed from +30 Celsius to +20 something with clouds and possible rain.

Our stuff will arrive on Wednesday the 1st, the moving company will unload and unpack and then we can take over. Our Internet will not be reconnected for the first 2 weeks (eeeek!), but I am sure I can find a hotspot somewhere. Until then, happy summer peeps!

xx,
nunt

-----

Huomenna muuttomiehet saapuvat aamusta pakkaamaan meidän kamoja ja tiistaina on edessä 560 kilometrin (n. 8 tuntia ilman pysähdyksiä) ajo Trondheimista etelä-Norjaan Ryggeen. Onneksi säätiedote on muuttunut auringonpaisteisesta +30 asteesta +20 pilviseen ja mahdollisiin sadekuuroihin.

Tavarat saapuvat Ryggeen keskiviikkona 1. päivä, ja muuttomiehet purkavat ne päivän aikana ja sitten homma siirtyy meille. Internet-pimennossa ollaan ensimmäiset kaksi viikkoa (iik!), mutta enköhän löydä wifi hotspotin jostain ennen sitä. Siihen saakka ystävät, hyvää kesää!

-nunt

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #7

Seventh sketch at MM already!



Another one of lady Mina's lovely Magnolias - she is so sweet!




Recipe
Papers: Brown card stock, traveling themed scrapbooking paper from the dollar store
Images: Magnolia
Coloring: Brilliance Dew Drops, Distress Ink Fired Brick
Other: Foam flowers, Basic Gray half pearls, Panduro brads

The Next Level

The Next Level challenge of the week was a self standing card. I really loved the tutorials, and this was the first ever card I made that included a stand.

It is a birthday card for my Finnish friend living here in Trondheim (Onnea is a birthday wish in Finnish). I began with brown card stock and worked on it with Distress inks, Brilliance Dew Drop inks, multiple stamps and some Basic Gray pearls.






Recipe
Papers: Brown card stock
Images: Various stamps
Ink: Distress Fired Brick and Vintage Photo, Brilliance Dew Drops
Other: Basic Gray half pearls.

Tag-bookmarks

So, we are moving away from Trondheim next week and I had a nice final evening with the girls from our knitting club. Here are some tags I made for them as a memento - stupid me didn't remember to take pictures of all of them though! I used so many different inks, stamps and papers, so I'll leave the recipe out this time. If you want to know about some particular one, please email and ask ^_^

Itsy-bitsy spider... / Hämä-hämä-häkki...

(click on the images to get a closer look / kuvat saa klikkaamalla suuremmiksi)


We were sitting on our patio and I saw something strange on the ledge, something that looked like a clump of snuff.
Istuskeltiin parvekkeella ja huomasin kaiteella jotain omituista, joka näytti ihan nuuskaklimpiltä.



Closer inspection showed gazillion itsy-bitsy spiders!
Lähempi tarkastelu osoitti, että siinä olikin miljoona pientä hämistä läjässä!



I couldn't resist blowing on them... They scattered like, well, little spiders.
En voinut vastustaa kiusausta ja puhalsin. Hämähäkkiläjä vilisti joka suuntaan.



Kirjoitus omistettu Aslanille, otahan kultaseni yhteyttä jos luet tätä - katosit :/

Gorjuss girls <3

I got this lovely Gorjuss girl from the wonderful Mina, among a huge stack of other images. Sugar bowl had a sketch challenge this week, and the included option was to use the color "kraft" or brown. Well, since I didn't have exactly kraft, I went for brown shades all over - I bet you can find something krafty there :D I painted her with water diluted Brilliance Dew Drops that I got from Panduro's sale today - Pearlescent Poppy, Coffee Bean and Crimson Copper, and her socks are Distress Vintage Photo. The corner flower I crocheted to go along with the color scheme :)






Recipe
Papers: Cream colored card stock, brown colored card stock
Images: A Little Birdie Told Me by Sugar Nellie, border stamp
Ink: Brilliance Dew Drop Pearlescent Poppy, Coffee Bean, Crimson Copper
Other: self crocheted flower

Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #6

I must say I love this collage stamp - I hope you are not getting bored with it :D Anyway, here's my take on the MMSC#6.



Recipe
Papers: Brown card stock, glossy magazine paper, dollar store scrapbooking paper
Images: Kreativ Hobby collage stamp and Love-tag
Ink: StazOn Jet Black, Distress Inks Vintage Photo and Fired Brick
Other: Half pearls from Basic Gray


Note that MMSC is running a CASH PRIZE, which will increase according to entry numbers, so go and join the fun!

China Doll

Something I started last summer and finished last winter, and never got around to wearing until yesterday evening. Lovely piece, and interesting construction - it is worked beginning from the left side of the cowl, worked around the back of the neck, down to the front and then down and around. The only problem I found was that I crocheted the edge for the overlap little too tightly, so it pulls a bit from the armpit.

Pattern: China Doll (Interweave Crochet Spring 2008, Ravelry-link)
Size: 41'
Hook: 5mm
Yarn: Garnstudio Cotton Viscose



Aloitin tätä jo viime kesänä ja sain valmiiksi joskus talvella, mutten tullut pitäneeksi ennen kuin eilen. Kaunis malli ja mielenkiintoisesti suunniteltu, virkkaaminen aloitetaan läpän alta vasemmalta, jatketaan niskan ympäri etuläppään ja sen jälkeen alas helmaan ympyrävirkkauksena. Ainoa ongelma oli, että tein päällisläpän reunuksesta turhan tiukan ja se hiukan vetää vinoon kainalosta.

R.I.P. - not for the faint hearted...

This is something that happened today:


End of an era I think :)

To anyone who goes "How could you?!": today I was vacuuming and my hair got caught in the handle of the vacuum. Again. That kinda was the last drop.

Happy birthday -card

Simon Says 'Let's Celebrate ' for this week.


¨

I printed her out twice and layered her hair and the cake. "Gratulerer med dagen" is Norwegian and directly translates to "congratulations with the day", a sentiment that is commonly used for birthdays and similar events. The frilly edges are cut with pattern scissors :)


Recipe
Papers: digital downloads
Images: InStyle Mellie with a cake (digital)
Ink: printer
Coloring: watercolor pencils
Other: sentiment printed from the computer

My first Magnolia

Double challenge, for
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #5


First off, I used the sketch from C.R.A.F.T. Challenge blog - I really liked this one, as I finally "dared" to use my Basic Gray papers, as the backing used so much of it. The image is from a great lady, Mina - she sent me a pile load of images! I colored her with watercolor pencils and Distress Inks.

I am also going to try for a DT position! I know, silly me, been around for such a short time - but it is something amazing! Roses on Paper challenge blog has a DT call for Belles 'n Whistles - a new store opening in July with Elisabeth Bell's stamp designs!

One of the requirements is to participate in one of Roses on Paper challenges, and challenge 14 in their blog is "Flowers" and "Combined challenge".




Recipe
Papers: Basic Gray Porcelain, Brown card stock
Images: Magnolia, Sugar Nellie "So sweet"-circle stamp
Ink: Distress Ink Fired Brick
Coloring: Distress Inks, watercolor pencils
Other: flowers, Basic Gray half pearls, pink ribbon

Another rose...

Mojo Monday week 91 sketch

I used MM's sketch for this card, but I had to switch the image and the backing paper because my image was so long. This rose though fits perfectly to a long format card, and is beautiful without any excess embellishments!

My stamp is once again digital one, from the absolutely ingenious Sketching Stamper. I love bicolored roses, especially cream colored ones with red edges like this:

Hence the coloring :)




Recipe
Papers: Raspberry Road Digital Downloads, dollar store scrapbooking card stock
Images: Sketching Stamper, Kreativ Hobby Love-tag
Ink: Distress Ink Vintage Photo and Fired Brick
Coloring: Watercolor pencils (dry)
Other: puffy stickers, brad, half pearls from Panduro Hobby

Wonderful free vintage imaginery

Today I came across not one, but two wonderful blogs full of vintage images!

Go check out Graphics Fairy

and

Green Paper, and join also the June giveaway at Green Paper.

StampARTic second June challenge

StampARTic has as the second June challenge a call for "animals" in the design. Surprise, I went Greeting Farming again, I just can't get enough of this cute little lion! I had a long strip of cream card stock left over from cutting cards, and this little stamp goes well on long card I think :)



I know it looks a bit bland without embellishments, but as I don't have any that would fit the color scheme and I am much better at simplistic style, this is what you get :)


Recipe
Papers: cream colored card stock, digital download papers from Raspberry Road Designs
Images: The Greeting Farm Wild Thing -set,
Ink: Distress Vintage Photo
Coloring: watercolor pencils (wet), Distress Vintage Photo
Other: Chipboard tag, star brads

WoJ #34

This is for Whiff of Joy challenge #34. I changed the sketch a bit, because I don't have any text stamps that would have worked with Willow - must get me one of those circular sets...





Recipe
Stamp - Whiff of Joy Willow
Ink - Distress Ink Vintage Photo
Papers - Cream colored card stock, digital download papers from Raspberry Road Designs
Coloring - Watercolor pencils
Other - brads

Sukkersött # 44

I tried to get out of my comfort zone and made a blue card for Sukkersött #44 challenge, where the subject is "flowers".





Recipe
Stamp - Sketching Stamper (digital), Scrappy Cat flowers
Ink - Distress Ink Faded Jeans
Papers - Purple colored card stock
Coloring - Watercolor pencils (dry)

Summerhat / Jäätelöhattu

I needed a summer hat, and I totally fell in love with these shades of Muskat.

Pattern: Fun in the Sun -hat (Interweave Crochet Spring 2007) (ravelry-link)
Yarn: Garnstudio Muskat (100% merc. cotton)
Hook: 3.5mm




Kesähattua kaipailin, ja nämä Muskatin värit olivat todella ihania... Valmiista hatusta tulee mieleen Trio-jäätelö :)

Vintage couple

I really love this Greeting Farm digital stamp 50's Sweethearts, she is so chick and he looks just like Fonzie :D This is for The Greeting Farm's no layers -challenge. No paper layers, just the card stock, which I false-layered by making a frame with Distress ink Vintage Photo, then stamping some background images within the frame. Buttons are Basic Gray.




Recipe
Stamp - The Greeting Farm 50's Sweethearts (digital), Scrappy Cat flourishes
Ink - Distress Ink Vintage Photo
Papers - Cream colored card stock
Coloring - Watercolor pencils, Marvy Le Plume II felt pens
Other - Basic Gray buttons

Roses are red...

These roses are a wonderful digital stamp from the Sketching Stamper, check her out, she has some magnificent works for sale! I love the roses and I am happy the way I colored them, but all together this card isn't really what I was aiming for - it is too restless. Oh well, live and learn I guess...

This card is for Stampin' for the Weekend "Going digital!" -challenge and 2 sketches 4 you Kazan's sketch 28







Recipe
Stamp: Sketching Stamper roses (digital), Scrappy Cat flourishes and BG Eva Bitsy
Ink: Distress ink Vintage Photo, Fired Brick, VersaColor Burgundy
Coloring: watercolor pencils (dry)
Other: White stickles
Paper: watercolor paper

**tomorrow, tomorrow** Whiff of Joy!

Tomorrow.

Need I say more?

Ribbon border card

Entry for The Next Level challenge #2, requiring a ribbon border and Simon Says Challenge calling for "pink and brown":



Recipe
Stamps - Whiff of Joy, sitting Willow, Stampin' Up butterflies
Ink - Distress Ink Vintage Photo
Papers - Digital downloads
Coloring - Watercolor pencils, Marvy Le Plume II felt pens
Other - Pink ribbon

This is STILL a knitting blog! / Tämä on YHÄ neuleblogi!

Even if lately I have been seriously bitten by the stamping bug, I still do a lot of knitting... I do! June 20th is the graduation ball at the Airforce Academy here in Trondheim, and my bf is finishing his school, so I am kinda forced to attend. No, I don't like formal parties, and this is as formal as it gets... Well, anyway, I needed a new shawl to go with my dress, and I went for Aeolian from Knitty.com.

I did not use beads through out the pattern, but instead added them only during the edging. It slows me down considerably, and I wouldn't have had enough beads anyway - and I am happy with the result.

The yarn is absolutely fabulous, the silk content gives it incredible sheen which you can best see from the photos I used flash in. The last picture shows how the beads and the color of my dress coordinate ;)

Yarn: teetee Elegant (raverly link), 70% wool 30% tussah silk, 500m/50g, received as a gift from the ever so elegant Mielitty
Needles: Addi Turbo Lace 3.25mm
Beads: Toho seed beads, 8/0, metallic iris purple
Knitted between May 21st - June 12th







Tämä on yhä neuleblogi, vaikka viime aikojen postaukset ovatkin enimmäkseen olleet tulosta kortteilukärpäsen puremasta... Kesäkuun 20. tanssitaan ilmasotakoulun valmistujaistanssiaisia, ja allekirjoittaneen on enemmän tai vähemmän pakko osallistua, koska turska valmistuu. Tilaisuus on viimeisen päälle muodollinen, miehillä on pingviinipuvut ja naisilla tanssiaishameet. Tarvitsin uuden huivin oman pukuni seuraksi, ja malliksi valikoitui Aeolian knitty.comista.

Helmiä en käyttänyt kuin reunusta kutoessa, niiden asettaminen kun on niin hidasta touhua, eikä minulla niitä olisi ollut tarpeeksikaan. Olen kuitenkin todella tyytyväinen lopputulokseen tällaisenaan, teeteen Elegantissa on aivan mahtava silkin kiilto. Se näkyy parhaiten tuossa yhdessä salaman kera otetussa kuvassa. Viimeisessä kuvassa näkyy pukuni kangas ja kuinka helmet ovat sävy-sävyyn ;)

Ja lankahan oli aina niin elegantilta Mielityltä lahjaksi saatua :)

Bear hugs!

Guess what, 2 challenges again! The sketch for this card is from Midnight Madness #5. I also hope to enter this to a new challenge blog called ISB-challenge, but I think I might have goofed as I did use other stamps than TGF.



And here is my take on it:



I love this set from the Greeting Farm - the stamps are so cute and fun to color! I stamped the little bear girl twice and layered her hair. She is colored with watercolor pencils - again - but used dry.

Recipe
Stamp - The Greeting Farm Wild Things, Scrappy Cat flourishes
Ink - Distress Ink Vintage Photo
Papers - Digital downloads
Coloring - Watercolor pencils, Marvy Le Plume II felt pens
Other - Basic Gray buttons, glossy varnish on cutout flowers

Magnificent knitting news!

Xrx apparently finally caved in after tons of email requests from avid knitters...

Magnificent Mittens revised edition

# Paperback: 144 pages
# Publisher: Xrx Books (November 1, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1933064161
# ISBN-13: 978-1933064161

What can I say but POWER TO THE KNITTERS! This book is a total gem <3

~*~*~

Joukkovoiman riemuvoitto: Xrx Publishing julkaisee uudistetun painoksen Magnificent Mittens -kirjasta. Tämä opus on täynnä mahtavia kirjoneulelapasia!

Hki/Esp/Vnt/K -alueella asuville tämä kirja on saatavilla Helmetin kirjastoista, mikäli sitä ei joku ole sitten viime näkemän varastanut. Ebayssahan alkuperäistä kirjaa myydään ~200 dollarin hintaan...

The Next Level + Stampin' for the Weekend

The Next Level first challenge called for a card with an aperture and a lollipop flower, and Stampin' for the Weekend first challenge gave the theme "From Dusk to Dawn", ie. purple and yellow as color theme.




Recipe
Stamp - Scrappy Cat flourishes, The Greeting Farm Wild Things (Soar high -sentiment)
Ink - Distress Ink Vintage Photo, StazOn Jet Black
Papers - Light purple card stock, Basic Gray Urban Prairie (yellow paper), digital Midnight Milly by Tinker & Co (purple papers)
Coloring - bird stamp has 2 shades of yellow watercolor pencil
Other - yellow brads

Simon Says Let's stamp with Tim!

Simon Says Challenge this week was inspired by Tim Holtz.

Here's my take, and of this I am much happier than the previous post :) All coloring is made with Distress inks on cream colored card stock.



Recipe
Stamp - KH Design: Collage tankefull, Scrappy Cat flourishes
Ink - Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint and Fired Brick
Papers - Cream colored card stock
Other - Basic Gray Urban Prarie Brad