I Should Be Making Easter Cards...

... but I''ve just finished a Christmas card!

This lovely Santa is from DigiStamp Boutique and I've made this card for a challenge of course!

It's almost spring and Easter is not too far so I'd better make Easter cards but I do want to enter these fabulous Christmas challenges I discovered a while ago so I still make Christmas cards!

Another reason is that I don't manage to find the right images for Easter so I keep on postponing the moment I start making them...

The Challenge I'm entering with this card is ABC Christmas Challenge where the theme is: "D for Double Trouble". They would like us to use a digital image, 2 papers and at least 2 embellishments!
The original card for this Challenge was another one but I had an idea in my mind on how to finish it and the two papers did not fit!

But before Easter & Spring cards I have some Custom orders to finish so maybe I won't be able to enter challenges for a while and I'm sorry because I've already listed some I'd like to enter...

I Love Hedgehogs!

I must admit I love hedgehogs!

It started with a couple of stamps I bought to make some charity cards for a girl who asked for some donations for a "Save the Hedgehogs" cause.

A year + later, I must admit I'm addicted to them!

I remember many years ago when I was still living with my parents I met a hedgehog (the only one in my life) and tried to save it from the road: it was difficult to raise it and put it on the grass!

Living in town means these meetings are pretty rare but I still remember that not-so-little hedgehog!

Among my favorites, there are Little Claire's and I'm happy to tell you that they've just started selling digi stamps next to their clear stamp line and so I took the chance to buy a hedgehog digi with which I made this card:

It's a small card I made for Mother's Day: I colored the digi with watercolor pencils and added two light blue rhinestones and a yellow pearl as flower centre. A heart is a must-have in a Mother's Day card!

This card is being entered in Little Claire # 1 Challenge: for their very first monthly challenge the theme is "Anything Goes".

Mother's Day in Italy is mid-May so there's still plenty of time to think about it!

A Christmas Card.

Hello!

I've another card ready for a Christmas Challenge!

Birds are singing early in the mornings these days and this means that spring is closer and closer and I wanted to celebrate these cheerful songs using this lovely digi from Doodle Pantry which I colored with Christmas colors and glitters.

Here's the card:

I've used a quite big blue cardstock card which I dotted with white paint, a patterned paper from Bo Bunny, a chipboard decoration from DCWV, a satin ribbon and a couple of rhinestones. Then, I added three punched musical notes.

This card follows this sketch:

It's Jingle Belles Challenge which this week have teamed up with Sketchy Thursdays: two challenges with the same card! Fabulous!

Well, I'm happy because a second Christmas card is ready and another one is on its way!

I can't help smiling...

Look at these LOVELY crocodiles:

I can't help smiling when I look at them!

I found them weeks ago from The Paper Shelter shop and immediately colored them without finding the right moment turn them into a card.

A few days ago I read that The Paper Shelter was starting challenges and I absolutely wanted to enter their first challenge with this digi. I thought I could never manage to make a card in so short a time but this morning I magically made it!

The challenge asks for Buttons and Bows so I added buttons and bows! It's not difficult for me to add them... it's more difficult to part with my precious buttons and I had to part with four of them today!!!

Luckily enough, there is another challenge I can enter with this card: Paper Sundaes. They want a card with masculine colors and I think these dark and light greens are something masculine.

Well, better go, lots of things to do!

Spring flowers...

It started as a very dark and rainy day and I was even more depressed because I had to clean the house.

Then, it turned out to be a sunny day and this made me happy and gave me the input to make a spring card.

I wanted to enter my beloved Sweet Sketch Wednesday Challenge: after I won the Grand Prize last week I wanted to enter a card this week too, even if I have lots of things to do which do not include cards...

But I've managed to make this and, once back from school, my daughter wanted to play by herself and I managed to color another couple of digis and hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to finish some more cards. There were so many interesting challenges this week and I'm so sad I cannot enter them and enjoy the fun!

Anyway, this was the sketch this week:

The sponsor is DigiStamp Boutique and I've used one of their digis to make this card:

I've used a white card, then I added a DCWV pastel green paper, a digi paper with small flowers which I found years and years ago somewhere I don't remember and another digi paper with white dots from Pink Petticoat. The digi is colored with watercolor pencils, I added some yellow glitter to it and some pearls here and there on the card.

The ribbon with flowers is another buy I made many years ago and I don't remember the brand.

I'm entering this card in the DigStamp Boutique monthly competition, too.

Fresh spring colors and a flower: spring come quickly!

Another Hambo Challenge

It's a dark rainy Sunday and I've just finished a card with a summer feel.

This week Challenge at Hambo Hoedown says "Let's Take a Trip to the Beach" and they gave us a fabulous digi with a pelican eating fish.

We had to use shades of blue, brown and tan and make a beach themed card.

It's funny how things work when you make cards or handcrafted items: you start thinking about Halloween and Fall in June, about Christmas in July and August when the sun shines, it's hot and winter colors and weather are really out of one's mind.

I love Christmas but I never dream about dark cold winter days while I always dream about summer, so it's been a pleasure to think something beachy today..

Here's my card:

This pelican is so cute with its fish in the mouth!

I thought about adding some little shells I collected on the beach last week but I'm not ready to see them on a card!



Pretty in Pink.

I'm definitely a Pretty in Pink girl.

Nor that I wear constantly pink or girly things, but I do love them! I like pretty girly things, pink is probably my favorite color and I adore making girly cards.

My pink nature is more visible in summer, when I can use floral blouses and bags, candy colored shirts and dresses. I love floral curtains, bedlinen and tablecloth.

I have pretty pink and girly accessories around me in my studio especially boxes: boxes covered with pretty pink papers, glass jars full of pretty buttons, old glasses full of ribbons, pictures. And what is not yet pink and girly is there waiting to be turned pink and girly... or maybe shabby. I'm also a pretty shabby chic nature but I think that the two can get along quite well.

Anyway, when I read the theme in this week's PennyBlack Challenge I was delighted: it says "Pretty in Pink"!! Luckily enough, I had a lovely hedgehog dancing already colored from several projects I made last year and so I only needed to add some details, some glitter and make a totally new - and pink - card.

Here's my card:

My daughter is a little dancer and everytime I see a stamp or digi with ballet as theme I can't help thinking about her!

I'm a Lucky Winner!

This morning I had to go out quite early but I had a look at my shop, mail and blog before leaving and I had a GREAT surprise: I was among the Sweet Five at ByLori Design Challenge # 3. I was so excited! I love Lollipops and Puddle Jumpers and every kid in their gang of digis and I'm so happy they like the way I use them!

A part from this very good start, the morning was not very exciting and I was a bit nervous and angry. After waiting for one month, I had received a purchase I made on Esty but... they sent me something wrong! A part that I needed it before Valentine Day, it wasn't waht I ordered!

After lunch, I sat down at the computer to relax a bit and found out that I had won the Grand Prize at Sweet Sketch Wednesday Challenge # 88! This is my very first prize and I started to scream: my daughter looked at me in astonishment and I immediately showed her my name there on the screen and the digis I'm going to win!! This challenge is very sweet, they leave sweet comments and I try my best to be there every week! I just enjoy their messages!

When I discovered my card was chosen among the Sweet Five I was even happier because today post had to be to show you something I did for ByLori Designs Challenge # 4.

This week colors are:

and, instead of creating a card, I decided to do this:

It is a tiny notebook: I covered it with glittered paper, added a ribbon and a button on the top, colored Kaylee digi with watercolor pencils and added glitter to her dress. It's really a tiny notebook, but I love how it turned out! (My daughter loves it too...).

This creation is perfect for another Challenge: A Spoonfull of Sugar Challenge # 139 where they ask for "Anything but a Card" and this is definitely not a card!

Well, now I'm much happier and I managed to cool down and relax a bit.

Thank you for giving me these two great prizes! You made my day!

A Pretty Handbag.

Those who know me very well know that I have an affair with handbags.

Most women buy shoes I buy bags and totes.

I love shoes but I prefer to walk comfortably and safe and without pain in my feet so I buy them of course but not so many.

But I buy bags. Especially in summer, I have lots of them with stripes, flowers, spots...

In winter I prefer to wear an old messenger bag because it's more practical and with those heavy jackets and scarves and hats at least the bag is not in my hands but in summer it's another story...

I even bought a couple of bags (one made to order) in a lovely Esty shop in Australia!

For this reason, when last June I saw a set of cards made like a pretty feminine handbag I had to buy it. I actually didn't know how to decorate them until a couple of days ago.

This week Bugaboo Catch the Bug Challenge asked for a different kind of fold and I started thinking about my handbag card and yesterday I made it:

I even managed to add a paper doily, which seems to be the latest trend, and a lovely red flower. And of course I used a lot of glitter, rhinestones for the earrings and pearls for the bracelet.

Such a trendy girl!

I could never wear those shoes the heel being too high for me but I COULD wear all those shopping bags...!

Back from the Seaside

At the beginning of last week, my husband suggested to go to the seaside and have lunch there to celebrate our anniversary and Valentine's Day.

So this morning, we picked up my mom and headed East to the seaside.

We are lucky enough to live not too far from the sea. It's not a beautiful sea but our Coast on the North Adriatic Sea is quite famous as one of the most amusing sea locations in Italy. Discos, pubs, hotels, amusement parks etc. are all at their best next to perfectly equipped beaches.

This in summer. In winter - and especially in a foggy day as today - it's not so amusing but we had a great time. No traffic to arrive there, lots of people walking around, open shops, fully booked restaurants and THE PERFECT BEACH.

We had lunch early then we headed to the beach: it is a quite small beach and in summer it's full of umbrellas placed in perfect rows, full of people trying to have the best suntan, kids playing in the sand and teenagers answering phones and playing soccer.

Today, we were just a few. The sea was far away with an incredible low tide, seagulls were making noise while fishing on the beach just a few steps away from us. Bunches of shells (not beautiful shells but my daughter loved them!) to look at hoping to find hidden treasures. The sand was accumulated in dunes, no umbrellas, no one shouting. It was not sunny but it was not too cold so we had an hour of complete relax, wandering around.

Then it was time to drive back home and here we are, an hour later.

And to celebrate this winter day at the beach, I have a card to show you:

This lovely digi is from Whimsie Doodles and I used a Bo Bunny flower paper from the Alyssa Collection and a dooted cardstock from DCWV.

I made it using a sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday:

The sponsor this week is Whimsie Doodles so it's a perfect match.

This card will be entered in the following challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday Challenge # 88

and

 Cute Cards Thursday Challenge # 151 where they ask for hearts and flowers.

Well, time to go and do something more useful for the home...