The Case of the Cursed Flower...

You know that moment when your creating mojo just goes down the drain and all you end up doing for a few weeks... or months... is surf on Pinterest and re-create other people's projects? Yep! It's been one of those creator's blocks and I blame it on the cursed Flower!

A few months back, I made this lovely flower with my Daydream Medallions and Floral framelits kit from SU and since then ... blah! ... That lovely, cursed flower just sat on my desk for months, sucking all creative life out of me!

Last week, I decided it was ENOUGH! I turned that sucka' into a card, and though it wasn't an easy ordeal, I'm not too disappointed in the final result:

I would have loved to share the inside with you but unfortunately my camera refused to focus right...

So if my calculations are right, now that the cursed flower has been mounted on a finished card, my creator's block should vanish. Therefore, I should be posting some more original lovelies real soon :)

Thanx a million for encouraging my madness!
Noukie xx

Mother's Day Explosion Box Workshop!

Just thought I'd share a few preview pictures of my upcoming workshop! A gift and a matching card...

Just LOVE explosion boxes! Don't you?

 

 

 Do you recognize the Artisan embellishment kit from Stampin' Up's spring mini? What about the fabulous colors from the More Amore paper collection?

 

 

...and a little detail off the top :)

 



 

Just in case anyone would like to have  more details about my workshops just e-mail me : anoukbel@hotmail.com...

 

I will be giving my blog set-up a good re-vamp very soon to include SU links and all the details of my different workshops ... but I have to meet with my designer-pal first :)

 

 

Thanx again for encouraging my madness!

 

Noukie xx

Become a Stampin' Up Demonstrator? Why not!!

I first started scrapping when I met Stéphanie Binet who is a Stampin' Up demonstrator. You can view her blog here. She invited me to a Valentine's Day demo and just like certain drugs, it only took me once to be hooked! She was my SU demonstrator for nearly 2 years until she moved last fall :( ... so my little scrappin' gang and I were left stranded.... So, tell me, what other choice did I have than to become an Independent Demonstrator myself? .. obviously NONE!!! LOL!

Jokes aside, I took the leap in January and have been a demo since then... I've only held one workshop since. It was a Stamp and Stack style workshop which introduced certain basics of cardmaking as well as basic tools...

This is one of the 4 different cards that we made (each in 3 different color schemes).

(The Christmas owl as well as the picture frame are 2 projects that I got to make at Stéphanie's workshops...)

I was so excited when I prepared my workshop I took more pictures of the preparation stage than of the final projects :)

 

 

I only took one picture of the cards all together and hadn't realised I was missing 2 colors in a set...

 



Next time I take the cards out for a project I promise I'll take more individual pictures ;)

All in all, the workshop went really well and I was quite satisfied with the outcome! Hopefully I will have the chance to have a repeat :) especially so I can send more of my little Sheep Minions to my crafty clients!

Aren't they the cutest Minions ever?

For now, I need to concentrate on my Mother's Day workshop! We'll be making an EXPLOSION BOX!!!! I just CANNOT wait! (can you feel my over-excitedness??) ... and yes, I'll take better pics of that one!! lol!

Thanx a million for encouraging my madness!
Noukie xx

Explosion boxes.. My new Passion!

Earlier in March I was looking for an original birthday gift idea to make for my bestest pal who is just starting to paper craft. After spending way too much time on Pinterest (Who doesn't?) I came upon explosion boxes and fell right in love with the project! Who wouldn't like to receive a mini scrapbook album in a box?

 

I used the Specialty Sweet Shop paper collection from SU.

inside view

 

a few tags to add notes or display more pictures...

sorry... still have no idea how to rotate pictures on blogger...

and my favorite page: a little keepsakes box...

 

I absolutely loved the challenge of making this box. Hopefully my Bestie will have just as much fun filling it up with pics and souvenirs :)

Thanx again for encouraging my madness!!
Noukie xx

A few more Holiday wishes...

Happy New Year 2012 !!

Health and happiness: be thankful when you are blessed to have them, have faith and hope when they somehow slip away for a while, but most of all, never take them for granted... Have a great 2012 everyone!!!

So a few more cards for the season:

 a few stockings from Stampin Up... I scraplifted this model from a friend who came over to make cards with me :) thanx Kathleen!!

 Another card made with Stampin Up's Blitzen... LOVE this stamp :)

This is Snow Day by Mo Manning. I was totally inspired by Jak Heath's card: Winter Fairy . Had to try out the white embossing technique which is soooo beautiful :) Thanx Jak!!

All the stamps on this card are from the same set Folies de flocons by Stampin Up. I kinda went balistics on the glitter for this card but it actually didn't turn out so bad :) Besides, can there really be too much glitter on a Christmas card??? lol!

And finally, more of Mo's Snow Day, which is just too cute to live without :) A little embossing here and there and still a whole lot of stickles and glitter :)

Hope you all have had as much fun as me making all sorts of crafty goodness during this Holiday Season!!!

Thanx for encouraging my growing madness (which may be contagious, I warn you!!!)...

hugs,

Noukie xxx

A Little Christmas fun

Not much to say except for: I work too much, I don't scrap enough, and I LOVE making Christmas cards :) Here are a few of my Holiday creations... Starting with one of my favs (though I have no merit cause we made this one at our scrap-club meetings... the idea was from my Stampin Up rep: Stephanie )

 

This second one is sweet and simple. The stamp is Dasher from Stampin Up and I stamped him with a little champagne mist all-purpose ink from Tsukineko.

My snowman comes from Meljen's Designs`freebies and the papers are from Echo Park, Winter Park collection.

...and a little more Dasher...

Gotta love glimmer and shine for the Holiday season :)

I'll have more to share soon since I made a few more today, just  need to wait for tomorrow's daylight to take pics :)

Take care everyone and Ihope you are all having a WONDERFUL time getting into the Holiday spirit!!

Thanx a million for visiting!

Noukie



«Moederkesdag».... A Card for my Mum-in-Law

After seeing so many beautiful tri-fold cards I just had to try one!

I also got to test the satin-ribbon flower technique I had just learned at my friend Stephanie's workshop, who just happens to be my friendly neighborhood Stampin`Up rep :) You can visit her blog here.

Here is what it looks like closed (seems a little bland but that all changes once it's opened!):

And a side-view:

Absolutely loved coloring this little Tike! He's from Penny Black: «Just for You» cling stamp. Afterall, this is my Man's mother's card, so it had to represent him somehow ;)





The brown paper I embossed with Versamark ink and pen, using clear embossing powder from Stampin' Up and the rest mainly came from my scraps folder.

Challenges entered:

Cute Card Thursday #164: It's So Distressing!

Moving Along With the Times #98: 2 B`s (Boy, blue, bling, blooms...)

Stamp Something: 3 Year Celebration Blog Hop and Challenge

Crafty Creations #118: Anything Goes
Penny's Paper-Crafty #53: Anything Goes

Delightful Challenges: Flowers

Papertake Weekly: Fancy a Punch?

Thanks a million for visiting! and a million more for your comments :)
Noukie

«Neuseke» or Little Nose

«Neuseke, neuseke, neuseke!» a special moment between baby Jake and his Grandfather from the other side of the ocean...

I based this page on the wonderful sketch number 147 provided by Friday Sketchers:



And I must admit, this is the first project that I am satisfied with... I guess we are all our worst critics :)

Oh! and before I forget, I have to mention: There’s a new challenge blog in town with articles, swaps, interviews, videos, challenges, great prizes and MORE! Check out Lily Pad Cards! [Link: http://www.lilypad.inlinkz.com/] The contest rules are quite simple and the prizes are absolutely AWESOME!!

Fot the curious:
I used SU cardstock as well as the «So Cute» stamp set for my bunny background.
The patterned paper,the paper flowers, pearls and cut-out were all bought at my corner dollar store and the little silver hearts are silver Liquid Pearls (which I adore).

Thanks so much for encouraging my madness :)
Noukie

Got there sooner than I thought

Just last week I was telling my boyfriend how I wasn't ready for blogging yet.... Apparently I got there much sooner than I originally thought. So why now? Simple, just wanted a chance to participate in all the wonderful scrapbook challenges that are out there and, obviously, to share my creations with all the other paper addicts!

So here are some of my first creations:

I made these cards for friends` birthdays... The first I made from scrap paper I had and a stamp found at a scrapbooking store`s workshop (I unfortunately did not take note of the stamp maker). The second card I made with the Penny Black «spinning a yarn» stamp and Stampin` Up «loving hearts» set.

This last one is for the arrival of a beautiful little Belgian girl named Lénaï... I used Stampin`Up «baby Tees» wheel and My Little Shoe Box paper. All it's missing is a front sentiment but I still haven't found the right way to add it yet... 
Can't wait to have more to show! Thanks for visiting!
Noukie