Saturday, February 25, 2012

Don't scrap it - Less is more

This is a wine-label which had a red strip on it - but when I stamped with these colors it didn't look right - so I didn't scrap it, I cut off the red piece and that gave me this card, which I think could be masculine too and will serve me to give to somebody this weekend. I just stamped the Hero Arts Peacock stamp with distress inks, sprayed with water and stamped on the label. Quick and easy!



Thanks Less is More for the challenge this week! I'm sure there are loads of scraps people can turn into cards in such a creative way.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Wine-Lable winners and a Frame in a Frame card

So as not to wait too long, I have picked five numbers for the wine labels via random org - they were 1, 21, 2, 5 and 15. As nr.2 was Sally and she has already received some, I picked comment nr. 3 - I think that is fair.
So the names are: Elborgi, Jann, Diana, Linda R and Lucille K.
Please send me your address via e-mail which you can find on my blog.
Happy crafting and have fun!!


Just to share a couple of cards I made today which I've called Frame in a Frame.


Blessed are those who dwell in your house! Ps. 84:4

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Wine label give-away

As I have done this on the HA Flickr gallery it is only right to give people a chance on the blog to win some wine labels that lend themselves to receive new inspiration (they have given me a new love for a stamped image and distress inks)! I will choose four (by number, asking my son to picks the numbers). If you are interested please make sure I have a way to contact you!


I have been really enjoying my free hours just working with these little canvasses. The quality of the paper is very nice and I am amazed how the stamps and inks react to them.


I have had this bird for ages, came from Suzz - finally I found a place for it on this HA stamped diecut and added a branch which came from Jill W - thanks ladies. I distressed the label.

I will have my next appointment for my health on the 21st March. I am enjoying everything creative and find that cookery is pulling me away from my craft room! MY DH and sons are more than happy with the results. I even made up my own little recipe today and it was a success.

I am resting in God and enjoying this season in my life.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Tuesday Trigger - Chiclectic

When I first saw the photo for this week's Tuesday Trigger, I thought no way am I going to be able to make a card.. such bold colors. But yesterday, it just came together.


This is the inspiration picture. And underneath is my card.


I used a wine label (may they live long) as it already had gold incorporated in it. The stamp is from Hero Arts called Floating Garden which I distressed and sprayed with water before I stamped direct onto the label. The background (black to match the bedspread) is also a Hero Arts Stamp, a friends definition. My thanks to the lovely Tiffany who sent me a bunch of Cameos a while back!

Now I have a KITCHEN TIP:

When using old bread to make breadcrumbs in the Food Processor for a meal, add oil and herbs to give them more flavor. These are delicious on top of a Fish dish. Source: Jamie Oliver.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Creating with wine labels

My son, Joel, has been working with his boss doing some interior work in a 'Cave', which is the French name for the place where one can buy and taste wine. Not only was he allowed all the wine he wanted, he saw a whole lot of labels in the bin which he kindly brought home for his mum!! He was so happy that he had all the wine he needed for his marriage which will be in September. Shall I show you a picture of him and Vivian, I'm so happy to have a daughter-in-law and they have found an apartment in the village we live too.


It will be all ready for them to move in after their wedding. Vivian still lives in Holland so it is very difficult for them to be separated for so long.


So I proceeded with some creative work to alter the wine labels and made some cards, so quick and easy. Love new things! The above label is how it looks before being altered and below is the altered label on a card.


Here are two more examples, the label is different, so the possibilities are different on how to alter it.




KITCHEN TIP

I am going to be sharing a 'Kitchen Tip' so now and then. It's funny but I seem to be learning new things every day at the moment in this domain. It is just common sense when you think about it. Today's tip is about Steaming. Do you have to have a Steamer? No! I saw Jamie Oliver do this - He put a saucepan with water on the hob and placed a Colander in it - then he placed his washed vegetables, stalks down, into the Colander, covered it with silver foil and that was his steam machine! Why didn't I see that before? It's just pure common sense!  I would love to hear your tips!

Another thing I have to share with you. A long time ago I heard somebody preach about the Widow in the Bible who the prophet Eli visited when there was famine in the Country. He asked her to make him some bread and she said that she didn't have anything to give him. He said to her 'What do you have in your house' - and that stuck to me. Now, often when I need something - I think first, what do I have in my house, and very often I find something to solve my problem. This time it was all about a Grater. I wanted one like Jamie had - a special one which could grate ginger, lemon, oranges, Parmesans... whatever - and I saw they were very expensive. DH told me to wait a couple of weeks and then I could order one. However much I thought about it I knew that I didn't have an equivalent 'in my house' anywhere. Then DH said to me that he had brought home a box of Kitchen utensils a while back which was a gift with an order he placed for office supplies at work. He said - Go look in the box. I had not thought of that! And lo and behold, a fantastic grater for all fine grating was in the box with a handle on it - just perfect. Needless to say it has a very special place in my kitchen!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

New Stamps = New inspiration

I don't know about you but whenever I get something new, the old seems to come alive with it. I have the same with clothes as I do with stamps.... not that I am always adding to my collection mind you - no I am very careful when it comes down to purchasing a stamp because it has to be versatile! On the other hand, when a lovely blog reader decides to send you a new stamp - well, that is just a little bit of heaven on earth for me!


And thats what happened this week. Jill Wright sent me one of the new 2012 stamps from Hero Arts, the 'Frame with Scrolls'. It has given me loads of joy already! Actually she sent me a beautiful little package and spoiled me, I was really touched! Thank you Jill for bringing my inspiration and use of older stamps back to life again!


Here I used the frame twice and cut them out.


This one uses one of my favorite stamps all time, the Hydrangea from Hero Arts.

We are still having cold winds here, although the sun is shining. I am so thankful to God for a warm house to snuggle in against the cold!
Have a super week!!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Colour-Blocking

Hello ladies, I hope you are not too cold where you are. I heard that the weather in some parts of America feels like Spring already. Next week it should go up to 12°C again here, which is better than these ice cold winds! When I'm warm inside I don't mind a bit of snow though.


Just sharing some cards I made with the colour-blocking technique, which involves masking to block off the inked areas.


I have been creative in other ways too... I am discovering cookery as never before and I love it!!


I even make my own chicken liver paté now (see above) and finally making use of the gorgeous herbs from the garden. Ages ago I found these old French Terrine pots (firefast) at a rummage sale, so happy with them now!


The Lemon tart is a recipe which uses a whole lemon, no squeezing out the juice or grating the rind - the whole lemon went in the Food Processor in thin slices - these are the kind of recipes I'm looking for! If this appeals to you too here is the recipe.
In all the twenty years I have been in France I have never made my own Paella - but I did last night. I received a beautiful Cook Book which is called 'Ministry of Food', from Jamie Olivier (an English man), from a flickr friend called Betty from the USA. Can you imagine - how generous the American ladies are. Thats where I learned a simple recipe for Paella and it was delicious. It gave me a sense of satisfaction. I couldn't take a picture because it was evening. And tonight, because it is DH's birthday I am going to treat the family to a lovely couscous!

Betty, I am forever thankful to you for this book which is helping me cook in a new and exciting way!

I think that only a couple of new stamps might resuscitate my stamping inspiration... but that will have to wait a week!

So thats the news until now from my side of the world.
Have a great week!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Tuesday Trigger - Fancy Schmancy

Thank you all so much for the lovely birthday wishes and get well wishes you sent on my blog post Tuesday, so grateful to you all!!

Just loved the Trigger inspiration photo this week on the Moxie Fab Blog, which is here. I would love to be able to make fancy cakes like these but I think they need a lot of work!


When I saw the cake on the foreground I immediately thought of a butterfly with a pink body (to match the cream in the middle), so that is what I based my card on. I used the Starburst Lace from Hero Arts for the background.

This picture is taken from my back garden of the snow which we have every year on the 'Montagne Noir' which is translated 'Black Mountains', taken yesterday.


We are not having some of the real cold temperatures which other countries in Europe are having, but it certainly is getting colder.