Because Not All Valentine’s Days Can Be Great Successes

There’s a new, Finnish card challenge blog called Kortisto that has these rather oddball themes. Additionally the challenge blog is all about winning. No having fun, no satisfaction from just making things. They are looking for blood, sweat and tears.  The current challenge, 14th in order, is Something Out of a Porn Shop. Meaning you have to make a card that an adult store might sell. Personally I thought more of Ann Summers kind of place rather than something from Amsterdam’s back alley.

Aren’t we Finns fun?

Anyhoo, my new Crate Paper-goodies arrived today so I decided to make an adult Valentine-card (which probably isn’t something the designers at CP had in mind but eh, what they gonna do about it?) Here it is:

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Can’t get any classier than this. The height of boudoir sophistication, don’t you think? This is the card for the confident gal.

I wouldn’t recommend giving this card to your office crush. Or anyone who you would be seeing again in any kind of normal social setting. Unless…

 ….You are very, very good at coping with rejection.

I’m sharing my Valentine at following challenges:

Kortisto: #14- Pornokaupan Kortti
Creative Inspirations: #198- Anything Goes
Creative Card Crew: Challenge #28- Girly
City Crafter Challenge Blog: Week 143- Forever Mine (or not)
Craft Us Crazy: Challenge #35- Celebrate Love or Seeing Colour Red
Pile It On: #3- Have a Heart
Simon Says Stamp and Show: What Are You Known For? (Witty humour!)

Have you started making Valentine’s Day cards yet? Are you going to? Have you considered taking part my January Giveaway?

Related articles

• Books : Zombie Valentine’s Day Cards (thinkgeek.com)
• Chocolate-Flavored Envelopes Just Solved the Worst Thing About Valentine’s Day (gizmodo.com)
• Be My Valentine! (stampingwitheldonna.com)
• I want to be your Valentine (stylebizarre.com)

January Giveaway!

The other week I thought about ways to make my blog more interesting and fun. Well, I don’t know if this is interesting but it sure is fun! I decided, drumroll, to share my thrifty finds with you via giveaways! Every month! Through the entire year 2013!

Applause! Applause!

Au Revoir, Christmas

My Christmas tree

It’s been over a week since I last posted. But I had reasons. First I had my pre-op doctor’s appointment (of which I have a story to tell). Then there has been general life organizing going on and lastly, I’ve been grieving that Christmas is over.

It’s always so sad. Taking down the decorations, packing them away, thinking how you have 11 months before you can take them out again.

No presents in pretty papers for 11 months either. This is terrible. I can’t handle this. Maybe a picture of a puppy would help?

It does. Feeling better already! Meet Ava, 7-months old French bulldog. No one can do a stare down quite like Ava. Also, for a small dog, you wouldn’t expect her to be the Master of Space Hogging but she is. Funny story: one day I caught her licking my sister’s Moistmaker Sandwich while my sis was in the kitchen getting a drink. I didn’t tell my sister until the next day. I’m very proud of myself for keeping a straight face when she kept commenting how delicious the said sandwich was. Hey, one more thing to be proud of in 2012!

Seriously speaking, I should start taking the decorations down. But I don’t want to! Okay, I’m taking the decorations down but leaving the lights. And the tree. And the Christmas star in my window is such a hassle to remove so might as well leave that one in too.

Greetings from Thrifty “The Master of Rationalisation” Finn

Alter It!

I’m so sad. Christmas is over and there are no leftovers left to eat. *insert a sad puppy face here* There’s some consolation in this week’s Craft Your Passion challenge where we were asked to alter something and I used this opportunity to make a Christmas present! Yes, my friends. I made something to someone I care about!

There was just one problem. I forgot to photograph my altered item for the challenge before I gave it away so I had no pictures to post on the challenge blog. To have something to share, I altered another box. For me:

 I’m storing my paper scraps in there now. Pretty cute, huh? That trim is real vintage and I’ve been hoarding it for ages. I think this is the first time I’m actually using some of it. And speaking of vintage…

I now have pictures of the first box I made. My friend Niko, loves vintage and glamour so I used fab papers by Graphic 45 to pimp a box for him. I called him on the morning of Christmas Eve and asked/told him to take pics for me and although I had to remind him today to mail the said pics to me, he came through admirably. Pics of before opening the present and after. He is so smart if you give him instructions. Repeatedly. And say them  very loudly. (No. We never make fun of each other. At. All. Or point out and laugh when we do something embarrasing. Ever. This is totally an adult, functional relationship that we have over here).

I’m linking up Niko’s vintage box in these challenges:

Challenges 4 Everybody: #10- Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes
Divas by Design: Challenge #66- Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge:  #187- Not a Card
Paper Play Challenges: Out With The Old, In With The New
Paper Crafting Journey: Anything Goes
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenges: #52- Anything Goes
Card Crafter’s Circle: #55- Anything Goes

Related articles

• Homemade Christmas Cards (procrastinationdiaries.wordpress.com)
• Deck The Halls With Christmas Cheer From Graphic 45! (g45papers.typepad.com)
• Christmas Card 2012 (billiescraftroom.wordpress.com)

Recipe Challenge! Or How You Can Find Inspiration In Everything.

Yes, it’s time for the weekly challenge card! The theme is a recipe: 3 designer papers, ribbon or twine, something circle shaped and we were asked to use an image from Delicious Doodle.

I requested the Robin Redbreast (who is a distant relative of me, Niina Itchynipple) and had some (a lot) trouble with the colouring. As you have seen in the past, my colouring skills leave a lot to be desired. I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface on what I could do with my ProMarkers. However, this time I couldn’t even decide what colours to use! I tried realistic colours. Nope. I tried leaving the image black and white. No, that didn’t work out either. I was getting frustrated. I stared and stared at the image until I suddenly got a feeling of familiarity. I’ve seen something like this before!

I did some creative Googleing and found it! A fabric print by Maija Louekari for Marimekko called Pakkanen:

See where I am going with this? After seeing the image, my card came together very quickly and here it is:

  My patterned papers are: the one on the background, the black paper is actually brown chevron I stained black and the blue circles were white but I coloured them blue with my ProMarker True Blue. The heart on the ribbon (twill tape) is also drawn with a ProMarker, colour Poppy.

I love the graphic style of this card and it’s already on its way to someone. Don’t forget to take part in this week’s challenge on Craft Your Passion where you can win 4 digi’s by Delicious Doodles. I’m also sharing this card in following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge Blog: Snowflakes!
Creative Inspirations: Challenge #193- Contemporary Christmas Colours!
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: What’s Your Favourite? (ProMarkers, stitching, ribbon)
Divas By Design: Challenge #65- Use Some Red
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge: #185- Winter
Dutch Dare Card Challenges: #195- Snowflakes
Pin And Tack: Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #4-Anything Goes!
Paper Crafting Journey: Christmas Projects
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge: #194- Christmas Time!
The Squirrel and The Fox: Challenge #33- Christmas
Challenges 4 Everybody: Challenge #9- Anything Goes

It literally has taken me nearly an hour to link these babies up. I think I need to replenish my strength with some chocolate.

Related articles

• doodlin’ (givemeadaisy.com)
• Oh Deer! (thriftyfinn.wordpress.com)
• Deconstruction: Marimekko – Art of Printmaking Since 1951 (design-milk.com)
• A Conversation with Marimekko CEO Mika Ihamuotila (apartmenttherapy.com)