My first (and last!) coloring experiment!

                 {click on the picture to see it bigger}

Since I was a little girl, I wanted to be able to paint, to color or draw. I have seen some amazing cards out there, where the use of the Copics went down to an art! I knew I won't ever be like that (not that I couldn't, but I know I won't dedicate enough time to learn), but I decided at least to try and apply little tricks of coloring I learned here and there.

Yes, it's another "Sunshine" card, with the cherry paper I've been wanting to use from the beginning of the summer. I planned to make it for MojoMonday, but in the end it was so remote from the sketch, that I gave up! :-) 

With this occasion I experimented with my new camera and great photo tutorials on Lisa Spangler's website. For this I really want to dedicate more time and learn how to make good photos. 

Recipe for "Wishing You Sunshine"  4 x 5 1/2 in

~ Cardstock: PTI and unkown source;

~ Paper: Stampin' Up!;

~ Stamp: PTI {Scattered Showers}, Mary Helen Gould 1995 (wow, that is an OLD one)

~ Ink: Stampabilities {Brown};

~ Ribbon: PTI;

~ Markers: Crayola.

I'm gonna dig in the bowl of cherries now!

Have a beautiful summer day! 

  

Sunshine!

If I sent this card to someone here in southern Texas, they'd say I'm making fun!

I knew about the Splitcoaststampers website for quite a while. I visited once or twice and even uploaded a few cards. I guess my slight agoraphobia (I never felt quite  comfortable in a concert hall) applied to this massive community website. 

Last night, as a result of a post I saw on another website, I went to Splitcoaststampers again. Something led me to the challenges forum and the predictability of each day having an assigned challenged rang true with me. I chose the Wednesday one {Card Sketch Challenge SC238} and here I am with a CARD for it. 

Recipe for "Wishing You Sunshine" 4 x 5 1/2 in

Paper: Stampin' Up! Delicate Dots, Sandylon;

Stamp: PTI {Scattered Showers};

Ink: Stampabilities' {Brown};

Accesories: Flowers {K&Company}, Pearls (self-adhesive) {KAISERscrapbook};

I'm wishing you sunshine your way, but I hope it gonna rain soon here!  

A day of celebration

A new day has come! The day that the energy is getting back in my hands and feet and mind, the day that I dance because there are so many dances to be danced, because yes, the passion hasn't left my heart for good. 

I hope it lasts! 

For the past couple of weeks, I'd have the energy to either make a card or clean after the last one. More often than not, I would end up making a card and watch the room whither under the touch of entropy. Last night James transformed into a haven of inspiration and creation back again. 

My plans for this card was to knock two challenges with one shot. Two of my favorite challenges, at that: Raspberry Suite Color Challenge {Dawn McVey} and Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge {Karen Giron}.  

Recipe for {Celebrate}   4 x 5 1/2 in

~ Cardstock: PTI {Spring Moss, Raspberry Fizz}, Paper Studio for the Dark Red and Cream;

~ Ribbon: PTI {Spring Moss Saddle Stitch};

~ Stamp: {Celebrate} from AAC (?! - that's all it says, no idea...)

~ Ink: PTI {Moulin Rouge};

Can't wait to see all the entries in these challenges! Thanks for stopping by! 

 

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #26

Hello everyone!

I am back with another card for Karen Giron's Challenge, Sweet Sunday Sketch, this time the 26th. 

Here it is:

Recipe:

~ Cardstock: PTI and unkown source;

~ Paper: Mara-Mi vellum paper;

~ Stamp: Sentiment from {Scattered Showers};

~ Ink: {Brown} from Stampabilities;

~ Pearls (self-adhesive): KAISERscrapbook.

I had to hurry up when taking the picture because hoards of mosquitoes roamed around me, driven crazy by the heat. It's a terrible drought here in southern Texas. When is it gonna rain? 

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

Turkish Food is calling my name

This was supposed to be a post about a card I made...two days ago, that is. It's ready: layered, stamped, embellished. 

But those couple of days all I could think about was Pide, a turkish cheese or meat pizza kind of food. I lived in Germany for 5 years, where there is quite a large community of naturalized turkish people. If you live there long enough to find places that serve authentic turkish food (not necessarily fine dining), then you are hooked!  All the vegetables and spices that abound in the Mediterranean region are right there in front of you.

My craving for the so-called Pide became so unbearable that I actually decided to do something about it. 

First, I asked James, my husband, if we can spare 1,000 dollars for a quick trip to Germany. For him, nonetheless. Well, I'm pregnant, so he's the one who gets to go and travel and have fun and all that. One little detail I expected for him to bring back was my Pide. For reasons that escape my logic, he wasn't so thrilled about the trip. 

I knew I had to come up with a new plan. I checked all turkish restaurants I could find online that deliver (no pun indented - I don't plan to deliver my baby in a turkish restaurant). The closest one was two hours away and no fresh food delivery. 

At this particular point, I felt alone against the world, so I knew I had to get aggressive. I went online and  searched for a Pide recipe that I could make at home. To my surprise, I found one that looked really good. One favor I had to ask my forever patient husband: that he goes and gets me some Feta cheese. From the HEB a couple of blocks away. 

Turkish Pide 

Here is the recipe:

For the dough:
3 cups of plain flour
1 tablesp sugar
1 teasp salt
2 teasp instant yeast (or 1/2 tablesp fresh yeast)
1.25 cup water

For the filling:

400 gr grated cheese (almost one pound)

1. Mix flour, salt, sugar, yeast and water in a bowl, knead until well-mixed. Cover, and let it rest for an hour until it has risen.

2. Set the oven to 400 degrees. Divide the dough into four pieces. (Rub some vegetable oil to your hands beforehand so that the dough is easier to handle). Using a rolling pin, obtain circular flat pieces. Then extend each piece from the sides, using your hands, and obtain oval shaped pieces.

3. For cheese pide, brush the flat dough with egg, sprinkle with grated cheese. 

4. Fold one in. of the dough from the sides. Bring together at the tips. Brush with egg. Cook on lightly greased oven trays at 400 degrees, for about 20 minutes until the dough starts changing colour, and the cheese is bubbling. When out of the oven brush with olive oil or butter before serving.

Saalam Alaykum ~ Peace be upon you!

New Card

I've been in the shadows lately, but not idle. My craft room was in serious need of structure and order. James and I got a new desk and some plastic drawers, to store things at hand. Much better now. I don't have to rely on intuition so much, as to where are my dewdrops or my scissors. I know now from the top of my head:  dew drops - second drawer from the top, scissors - last drawer. ;-)

Although I'm inclined to appreciate strong colors in a card, I ended up with neutral/light colored cards lately. Maybe it's a "phase". This new card is for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Challenge #25 . I've had this musical paper for a while and had a soft spot for it. 

Card Recipe:

~ Paper: Sandylion {Music Notes};

~ Golden Jewerly thread;

I don't know the origin of the cardstock, as I bought it from a garage sale. 

Hope you like it!

** Thanks for stopping by**

P.S. It's so humid outside that I saw the cardstock literally bent in my hand under the effect of water in the air. Unreal! 

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #24

Good morning (sickness)!

It's been a little while since my last post. This past week brought us very good news: we are going to have a baby!! Our first.

At least this is what they say (the pregnancy test and my ecstatic husband). All I know is that I have been nauseated days on end, been exhausted and can't touch coffee and sweets! Can't touch COFFEE?! The tinge of depression and moodiness on top of everything else probably makes my husband think that my evil twin sister's unborn spirit decided to dwell in my body for the next months. 

A friend told me yesterday: "The sickness passes, but the baby stays". I believe her! :-) 

I went to my craft room this morning and opened the blinds. I needed all the light I could get. I saw all these paper and punches and ribbon and ink and thought I must be liking making cards! I'm not sure anymore, but it sure looked like it! 

The card for his weeks' Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge lied on my desk, sentimentless and unposted. I decided I can't let that happen. I've got to shake or ignore this uneasy feeling. I've got to get on with my life! :-) 

So, this is the card! I don't understand how it turned so pastel! :-) Not my intention at the beginning. But then one shade asks for another...:-)

"Celebrate" Card  5 x 5 in

Card Recipe:

~ Cardstock: PTI {Aqua Mist} and unknown source;

~ Flowers: K&Company 's {Paper Flowers};

~ Stamp: PTI's {Scattered Showers} - Sentiment

                 "Nightingale" Set (it has no company label on it anymore, does anyone knows?);

~ Ink: Stampabilities' {Brown};

~ Clear embossing powder: Ranger;

~ Pearls: Kaiserscrapbook;

Phew, I finished a blog entry. I need to go lie down now...

P.S. I've just seen that I missed the deadline! Oh no....Anyways, all the other entries are so worth looking at HERE!