My Schnipselblog

Party!

2012-01-30T19:38:00.002+01:00

DD celebrated her 6th birthday last week. It was a bit of a challenge to organize it (DS was only 3 weeks old) but it worked out just fine. I kept it very simple - just traditional party games (such as hit the pot, potatoe run, stop dance etc) and I did buy the cake this time and just decorated it. My wonderful sister took my DS for a long walk, we timed the party around his breastfeeding times. The girls had a great time and it was important for DD to still have a party.

I used the sketch from Creative Scrappers 192 and used the lace and linen stack by DCWV. A bit of Prima flowers and a punch and I was done.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

First Smile °°°SWIRLYDOOS°°°

2012-01-28T15:05:00.003+01:00

Two days ago, we saw the first smile of Michael. What a milestone! Now it is even MORE fun to play with him. We tickle his cheek to get him to react. Ahhhh, sooo sweet!

I used a sketch from pencillines over at the Scrapqueens for the January sketch challenge.

Not sure why the flower turned green in the photo. In real life, it has the same color as the cardstock. Really strange!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Hug °°°Swirlydoos°°° Frosted Designs

2012-01-27T10:34:00.002+01:00

These photos were taken during the birthday celebration of my sweet DD. I used the current sketch from Frosted Designs for this layout and the January Kit from Swirlydoos.

I love being a SAHM for the moment, although there is not as much time in the day as I wish! Taking DD to and from school takes 3 hours, breastfeeding DS takes an hour every 3 to 4 hours, a bit of housework and the day is already over. I do make time for a little scrapping, just to keep my sanity. We are still trying to figure out a rhythm - I guess at 4 weeks, this is not possible yet. So, I just play it by ear - not easy for me who loves to write lists and plan the day and the week in advance.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Happy Pencilllines SWIRLYDOOS

2012-01-25T19:36:00.004+01:00

My sweet girl celebrated her 6th birthday. As you can see, she LOVED her party! She is such a happy girl and we are so thankful to be her parents.

I based this LO on a sketch by pencillines.

I used again the January kit from Swirlydoos. AND I finally got a sewing machine! I am so happy about that. I used it just a little bit since I am not very good with it yet, but I am sure that will change soon.

No post without a new photo of our little sweetheart. My heart melts every time he tries to smile at me....
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Hugs °°° Swirlydoos°°° and Page Maps

2012-01-22T20:12:00.003+01:00

I so enjoy being a new mom again. It is a bit of a challenge to balance the attention between my two sweet kids but so far we are doing well. I had 7 little girls over for DDs birthday party. We had a lot of fun but boy was I tired by the end of the afternoon.

Here and there I manage to steal 15 minutes to scrap.

This LO os based on Page Maps. Here is the sketch:

All items are from the January kit plus a few extra from past kits. I had fun playing around with the tattered angles mists. I love how the flower turned out with the three different mists.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

All bundled up °°°SWIRLYDOOS°°°

2012-01-19T14:11:00.003+01:00

I finally had some time to play with the January kit from Swirlydoos. Angelica was kind enough to post an "anatomy of a layout" guide. I find that I learn so much when I scraplift other people's work. Thanks Angelica! I love the Snowfall collection from Bo Bunny. It is so pretty and versatile.

We had our very first pediatrician visit with little Michael. Sarah is already a professional, she loves going to the doctor (because she always gets to choose a little gift afterwards) and I am so thankful that both kids are healthy as can be. Little Michi has put on a pound in just two weeks and has grown almost an inch.

My "little" girl turned 6! I cannot believe it - my little baby is growing up so fast.

This photo makes my heart melt. Sarah is the perfect big sister.

Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Elisabeth

The visitors -Sketch support

2012-01-17T14:03:00.002+01:00

This layout was a real challenge - I hardly ever do 2pagers and since I had to accommodate 10 pictures, I tried a clean and simple approach. Not sure if I like it, but at least the moment is documented.

I had to convert all the photos to black and white since none of the colors matched each other. In the hospital, Michi and I had lots of visitors! It was amazing to see everybody getting those googly eyes when they first saw the baby. Everybody wanted to hold him, it was just so sweet.

I used the Sketch support #24 sketch for this layout.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Believe °°°Swirlydoos°°°

2012-01-14T11:14:00.004+01:00

One more Christmas layout. On Christmas Eve we had lots of fun taking pictures in front of the Christmas tree. Since all my sisters had to have a "girls only" photo, the boys did the same. We laughed so hard that it took about 20 pictures to get one decent shot.

I based it on the "sketch along Tuesday" Nr 32 by Frosted Designs.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Tips for faster scrapping and Christmas Layout

2012-01-13T10:33:00.003+01:00

With the arrival of my little sweetie, I need to budget my time carefully. Since I still want to get some srapping done, here is what works for me

use a kit
use a sketch (here I used #190 from Creative Scrappers)
switch off facebook, email, skype etc to really focus on the LO.
use fast embellishments such as stickers, brads, trinkets , rub ons, flower vines, etc
use glue, which does not have to dry
stay away from paint, stitching etc
use pre-made titles
journal by hand

This layout took 40 minutes to make. While it is not an amazing piece of art, it still preserves the memory of a special Christmas (aka the walrus Christmas) and I had some "me time" which I need for my mental health.

What are your tips for faster scrapping? I would love to read about them!!!

Thanks for stopping by.

All the best,

Elisabeth

Silent Night °°°Swirlydoos°°°

2012-01-12T10:32:00.004+01:00

This is our DS, 5 days old. I guess the title is also a bit of wishful thinking! So far everything is going well. I do try very hard to get some "ME" time every day so I wont crash and burn .

I am keeping my LOs rather simple these days - this only took 35 minutes to do. I guess the focus is on documenting the moment and keeping my sanity. Scrapbooking is the best anti stress medicine for me.

I based this LO on sketch 264 from pencil lines.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Cookies! Swirlydoos

2012-01-11T12:09:00.004+01:00

I am trying to get some of my Christmas photos done. We have a nice tradition: Dec 8th is a public holiday in Austria and whoever of my family is in Vienna meets at my sister's house to bake cookies together. Every year, my sweet DD helps and each year she helps a bit longer.

I used the Swirlydoos December kit and based the LO on the January sketch of Artful Delight.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Little Angel °°° SWIRLYDOOS°°°

2012-01-09T06:49:00.003+01:00

Finally my long awaited December kit arrived. It was stuck in customs and took for ever!!!! Ithis LO is based on the monthly sketch challenge. The title "engerl" means little angel.

Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Elisabeth

First layout of Michael

2012-01-06T16:29:00.002+01:00

Last month, I finished all the preparations for the arrival of our little Michael. I also made this LO, all I had to do is add the photo. Lots of the blue goodies came from the give away from Natasha. THANKS!!!!

So far, he is a really good baby - sleeps a lot, drinks without problems and keeps his crying to an absolute minimum. Let's hope that he will stay this way.

I am very thankful that my mother came from Australia to help out. She takes DD to "cool" places, helped with taking the tree down, helps out with the household. I am a really lucky girl.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

READ! and Bo Bunny Sketch challenge

2012-01-05T10:14:00.003+01:00

Wow, time flies. A week ago, I was rushed to the hospital and now we are all home, adapting to our new life as a bigger family.
DD is the best big sister one can wish for. She is a great helper and loves him to pieces. In our family, reading has top priority. Just the night before the birth, I finished this LO, using the sketch from Bo Bunny. I used the Welcome Home collection, one of my favorites.

The light is not great but the challenge closes in a few hours and our weather is not cooperating! In reality, the colors are so much more beautiful.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Relax!

2011-12-31T13:27:00.003+01:00

So I am laying here in this beautiful hospital, the sun is shining in and this perfect little young man is sleeping on my tummy.

I am being pampered to the maximum and I am healing well.
Poor DH is so sick that he cannot come to the hospital, my angel sister is taking care of DD.

To all a Happy New Year.
All the best,
Elisabeth

Introducing Michael Daniel

2011-12-29T22:40:00.003+01:00

What a day! Woke up with a high fever, which would not go down despite medication. The water broke at 10. Had to go to the hospital with the ambulance (flashing lights, horns, running all red lights at the crossings) just to agonize if we should wait or not. Then the decision for the emergency Caesarian. But now he is safe and sound and Sarah is so proud to be the big sister. DH was so brave- usually he just can't see blood but he was with me in operation room- I squeezed his hand so much he is all bruised!
The staff here at the hospital are wonderful and take very good care of me. It will take a while to heal but I a so glad that this difficult pregnancy came to a good end.

In a few weeks, you will probably see a whole bunch of baby boy layouts!!!
Thanks for all those you kept asking how I was doing. It is much appreciated.
All the best,
Elisabeth

I love my new camera!

2011-12-28T12:26:00.003+01:00

For Christmas, my DH gave me a new camera - well, I chose the model....and I am so happy with it. It is a small pocket camera, knowing that I would NEVER take any pictures if I have to carry around a big, professional camera. It had to be fast (I was getting tired of pictures with a bit of hair of DD or half a leg!) and it needed a big zoom. So I got the Casio Exilim zr100. The zoom rocks! (12x optical zoom) the settings are super easy and it is fast!

Here is a LO featuring the zoom. Simply perfect for what I need.

The LO is based on the Pencillines Sketch 263. You can find it HERE.

Not my usual style, but I find the bright and clean style more appropriate for playground photos and since I am waiting for my Swirlydoos Kit and CHA before I buy anything new, I am using up my old papers. These are some Lilly Bees from the "hello sunshine" collection. The little butterflies up in the corner are eyelets which I had for a gazillion years.

No news on the baby - due date is next week. Yesterday's check up showed that he is doing great and I just have to be patient. Yeah right - me and patient - these two words don't go well together! Will keep you posted!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Museum visit and a card

2011-12-27T12:46:00.003+01:00

I live right next door of the Belvedere. It is a great museum just 5 minutes walking distance. It is surrounded by a wonderful park and the botanical garden.

We go there very often. They also have a fabulous children's program. There are special guided tours which my DD loves. These photos were taken 2 months ago. I used up all my bits and pieces of purple paper for this LO. The only "new" paper is the basis by creative imaginations. Since the eggs in the bird nest (Prima) were originally blue, I used my copic markers to adapt the color.

The card is inspired by Ozmagi (THANKS!). She had the great idea to combine the laurel leaf punch with the gate. It just looks sweet as a Spring card.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Big gift Creative Scrappers

2011-12-25T11:09:00.002+01:00

Creative Scrappers Nr 187 was the perfect kit start for this LO. Just love how it came together - the black, grey and red is a color combination I really like a lot.

And here is my sweet DD ready for church! We had such a nice Christmas, very easy, gemütlich and peaceful.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Big christmas gift - still all wrapped up

2011-12-23T17:41:00.003+01:00

Our biggest Christmas gift will be the birth of our baby boy. DD thought it would be funny to wrap it as well! Officially, we have 11 days to my due date.

We have also put up our tree today. Very traditional with mostly straw ornaments.

We had lots of fun decorating it today!
Thanks for stopping by- MERRY CHRISTMAS and
All the best,
Elisabeth

More cards

2011-12-22T18:22:00.002+01:00

Since my printer is not working properly (I will get a new one for Christmas as soon as I have chosen the model), and can't make any photo layouts, I decided to make a few cards. It is always great to have a few around - usually, I leave the sentiment to the last second, when I actually need the card!

Thanks for stopping by and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Lost tooth - Frosted Design

2011-12-20T11:10:00.002+01:00

I have never been so calm before Christmas. Due to the pregnancy difficulties, I had almost everything ready beginning of November. Now, I have time to scrap, take care of my DD and enjoy the advent season, while still resting enough.

I used the sketch of Frosted Designs as a basis for this "lost tooth" layout. I really liked using the Welcome Home serious from Bo Bunny for it.

Wishing you all the best for the upcoming holidays - Hannukah starts today - Happy Hannukah for those who celebrate it!
All the best,
Elisabeth

School photo - using up my bits and pieces

2011-12-18T11:18:00.004+01:00

While cleaning up my scrap place (or should I call it scrap mess?), I found some bits and pieces. I always find it very difficult ot scrap the school photos of my DD, simply because of the multitude of colors in the pictures. So, I just put together the leftover papers and tried to match it to the photos. Together with the last elements of the Bo Bunny Learning Curve, I am actually quite happy how it came together.

The photos show my sweet DD at their "math morning" where they show the parents what they have learnt in the past few weeks. It was great to see her so engaged and excited about math! We are so thankful that she has such great teachers. This is when I don't mind paying all those school fees for her to go to this special school.

The LO is based on this weeks "Sketchy Thursday"

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the last few days before Christmas!
All the best,
Elisabeth

3 cards CPS 248

2011-12-16T10:14:00.002+01:00

Much to my surprise, there has been a high demand for cards in my family lately. So I am getting to work.

The first one is based on the sketch 248 by CPS. I used the last bits of my November Swirlydoos kit to make this card.

My second card is a really simple one, which I needed for a friend in exactly 10 minutes.... Still like how it turned out! Simple but I like the colors.

My last card took for ever to make. My nephew is saving money to do his driver's license. So all the aunts are helping him out and I made this card to put the money in.

I downloaded a clipart from the internet of a Ferrari, transferred it onto red cardstock and cut it out. The "apples" in the tree are brads...

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best and Happy Advent!
Elisabeth

The Tower Construction - pencillines

2011-12-14T11:02:00.003+01:00

On the 8th of December, I always bake Christmas cookies with my sister who lives in Vienna. Each year, the kids help (more or less) This year DD managed to stay on task for 30 minutes - pretty good for a very active 5year old. However, after that time, she built this great tower - all by herself. She was so proud of it! The Eiffel tower from the November Kit from Swirlydoos matched perfectly. I based it on the pencillines sketch Nr 262.

No news on the baby - everything is calm and it looks like we will be waiting for another 3 weeks. After all the commotion and worry, everything is back to normal. He is thriving and will decide by himself when it is time to make an appearance.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy Advent!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Love - DCWV sketch challenge

2011-12-06T18:18:00.004+01:00

Another page for my sister's wedding album. This time, I used the botanical stack from DCWV. I used their monthly sketch challenge to get my creative juices flowing. I love the big bow on the side, I think it looks pretty cool.

Here is my take on it. I only placed the title in the other corner because of the super sweet birdcage on the paper.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

School photo - artful delight

2011-12-04T14:47:00.003+01:00

Happy Sunday, everybody! I love advent in Austria. There are advent markets (Christkindlmarkt) everywhere - I have 2 in walking distance. Today we went to one with a Medieval/Renaissance focus.

DD loved the music and we also met Nikolaus and Krampus.

The pregnancy is going well - looks like he will hang in there until January.

To scrap this year's school photo of DD, I used the November kit of swirlydoos and the sketch of Artful delight. I had to flip the sketch but I loved the fuzzy cutting - Debbie did a great job on this one.

Here is my take on it. I cut all the vines at the bottom and used 3d glue pads for more dimension.

Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Elisabeth

Good-looking - Frosted Designs

2011-12-02T12:00:00.005+01:00

I enjoy the waiting time while DD is in school to get some layouts done. This one uses the November Kit from Swirlydoos and I based it on the sketch by Frosted Designs.

And here is my take on it.

DD and DH all ready for my sister's wedding. I am truly blessed with those two.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Declaration of love and tooth gone!

2011-12-01T10:13:00.003+01:00

Oh my goodness. Two days of absolute drama. That wobbly tooth just did not want to come out. DD was suffering - she even refused to eat a doughnut! It was really bad. Last night it FINALLY came out. It was a very stubborn tooth. Now she is so proud and smiling all the time.

I finally received my November kit from Swirlydoos. It is just fabulous!!!
The first one shows DD and DH fooling around during a walk in Upper Austria in October. I based it on the monthly sketch by Beggahuna.

This one is a declaration of love to my DD. Journaling reads: I am so thankful to be your mother. You are everything I could wish for: smart, pretty, sweet, caring and funny. I love you, your mom.

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great week.
All the best,
Elisabeth

Practice -Sketch Support

2011-11-27T13:00:00.002+01:00

We have new neighbours in our house with a sweet little girl. DD loves to play with her - "babysitting". It is a bit like being "the big sister in training" until our little boy arrives. They love each other dearly. Since my neighbor is pregnant as well (just a few weeks due after me), we are both very happy when the kids play together. DD is already so responsible that both moms get a bit of a break while they play. Talking about a win-win situation!

I used the latest Sketch Support Sketch to document this precious moment.

On other news - no news is good news. The contractions have not come back and I might be able to go full term with our baby boy - due 4.1.2012! Pretty happy about that.

All the best and "besinnlichen Advent" (peaceful advent)
Elisabeth

The firbst wobbly tooth - Sketchy Thursday

2011-11-25T14:47:00.006+01:00

My little girl is growing up so fast. Last week, she had her first wobbly tooth. Needless to say that she is terribly proud of it and shows it to EVERYBODY!

Since I am still waiting for my November Kit of Swirlydoos, I decided to dig in to my stash. As you can see, this totally changes my scrapping style, but then again, I change it all the time anyway. I admire the ladies who have got their own style - you can recognize the artist by looking at the LO. Not me!

I loved the inspiration from Sketchy Thursday. It provided the perfect sketch to document this very precious moment!
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

The BIG bag

2011-11-24T18:53:00.002+01:00

My big girl is already 5 and started Grade Primary this year (Vorschule or grade Kindergarten). I thought that a small bag would be enough - she is only 5, right? Oh boy, was I wrong. Since the school lunch is really not good, I pack her lunch every day, add the PE bag, the library bag, the ballet bag, the Friday folder and the daily reading book.....you see where I was wrong!! So, during fall break we went and got her a big, real school bag. She is so proud of it and loves showing it off!

Thanks for stopping by,
All the best,
Elisabeth

2 cards

2011-11-23T18:17:00.003+01:00

I rarely make cards - usually only when I really need one. This one is for my nephew's 17th birthday. He has discovered photography as his hobby and of course, I fully support him - morally and financially. I will simply slip a bit of money in this card so he can buy a new lens.

The second card is the birth announcement which I might need soon. I kept it very, very simple since I made 40 of it.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Hanging in there and Swirlydoos

2011-11-22T09:57:00.003+01:00

I had a very good check up yesterday. No more contractions. Now it is a wait-and-see situation! (Not my forte, I have do admit! I love planning ahead and getting everything organized)

I still have a LO to share, using the October kit from Swirlydoos. I made it before going to the hospital. I based it on a sketch by Sketchy Thursday but could not submit it anymore.....

The real challenge of a wedding album is the sheer volume of photos. So I am trying to get all the guests on a photo, at least once. I had this piece of lace for a very long time, it just never matched. Now I added a bit of red twine on the side and I really like the effect. I cut up the bling swirl since it was too bulky for the layout.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Finally Home!

2011-11-18T12:59:00.002+01:00

After 5 days in hospital, I am home again. They managed to stop contractions - the real challenge will be to do NOTHING for 10 more days. Not even scrapping : (
Thanks for all your sweet comments.
All the best,
Elisabeth

Just a little bit longer

2011-11-14T21:24:00.003+01:00

Why don't you stay..... just a little bit longer! I am in hospital since our little boy thought it was time to make an appearance. Now with medication and bed rest, we are trying to convince him to stay 10 more days in hotel belly. Looking good so far, DH is keeping the fort and lots of friends are helping out with getting DD to school and back.

I do still have a LO to share. Another one for my sister's wedding album. All goodies are from my swirlydoos October kit. It is based on the October sketch by Beggahuna.

Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Elisabeth

Getting ready

2011-11-09T10:26:00.004+01:00

Offiially, I am due in 55 days. I am soo happy I made it that far. Yesterday, at the checkup, I found out that he will be a big boy. He already weighs 2,3 kg (about 5 pounds) and his head is in start position.

I have been busy getting ready for the big day. During our trip to Upper Austria, we picked up the family crib. It was build in 1930 and our little baby will be the 21st baby sleeping in it.

I also got the Christening gown ready. It is over 100 years old and we treasure it a lot.

Carseat, stroller, clothes (all hand me downs) are washed and ready to go, diapers bought. Today I will pack my hospital bag. I am sooo thankful for that pregnancy. After the miscarriage and the rough ride during the pregnancy, everything seems to come to a happy end.

On the scrapping side, I have been busy working on my sister's wedding album. I started off with the great sketch by Juliana Michaels Creative Scrappers 181 but it turned out totally different. I don't think I can submit it since I do not see a resemblance anymore between the sketch and the final LO. Does that ever happen to you???

I used the October kit from Swirlydoos for this LO. Just love the neutral colors - they seem to go with everything. I left the journaling spot empty so that my sister can record her feelings and memories herself.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Alles Walzer - Frosted Designs-SWIRLYDOOS

2011-11-07T09:02:00.004+01:00

Another page for my sister's wedding album. I used the stunning October Kit from Swirlydoos for this LO. At her wedding, there was so much dancing. We started out with a classical waltz, played by the string group, then the pop group came on and later the traditional Columbian group. At the end, everybody was dancing with everybody

To get all these photos onto one LO (otherwise the album wont be ready until their golden anniversary!) I used my scrore pal to zig zag the 9 photos.

I based this LO on the great sketch 27 by Frosted Designs. You can find it HERE. I am always thankful for new (and free) inspiration! It keeps my mojo flowing.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

My beautiful sister - wedding LO

2011-11-06T04:32:00.003+01:00

Still working on the wedding album of my sister. I think I need to speed it up bit - considering I am due in 58 days.

I had this paper for quite some time - it was in one of the swirlydoos kits and I have horded it for this special photo.

I dressed up the model a bit, played around with molding paste for the circle ornament, double matted the photo and added a few flowers. Since the paper itself is already so interesting, I had to remove a lot of planned embellishments. It just looked crowded. Good thing that I learned to only glue down l´things as the last step! (Learned it the hard way LOL!!!!)

Thanks for stopping by
All the best,
Elisabeth

Golden fall in Upper Austria

2011-11-03T21:17:00.007+01:00

DH and I have just spent 3 days in Bad Ischl. Our last mini vacation before the baby comes. Two of my wonderful sisters took care of my little, I mean BIG girl. We were so lucky - had the most fantastic fall one can imagine. The leaves were almost "burning" from the intensity of the colors. The hotel was really sweat as well. A villa from 1881 with a modern and luxurious annex for the guest rooms and spa. Every night, we had a 6 course dinner, which was simply mind blowing. Sigh. Life is good! This photo is from a small mountain (Gahberg) on Attersee. We took a walk there with my father. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the last bits of fall All the best, Elisabeth

Tagagna - Sketchy Thursday

2011-10-28T15:16:00.002+02:00

During our trip to Columbia, we also spent a few days in the Caribbean. Santa Marta is a great place to be. We also drove to this little fisher village Taganga. We saw the sunset of our lifetime.

I mostly used the tradewind stack from DCWV. The sketch is provided by Sketchy Thursday. Also, for the first time, I played around with gesso. I really love the extra dimension it gives to a LO.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Let the countdown begin!!!

2011-10-27T18:31:00.005+02:00

Or actually, two!
There are only 58 days left until Christmas and only 68 days left until the due date of my sweet little baby boy!

To make sure, I will have at least the cards ready for these events, I got started.
Here is my Christmas card: I used last years BoBunny Noel collection and a stamp.

And here is the card for the arrival of my baby boy:

Both cards are very simple since I would like to make many of them.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Just us °°°Bo Bunny°°°

2011-10-26T18:16:00.005+02:00

Another page for the wedding album of my sister. The moment after the kiss was a magical one. They just looked sooo sweet.
I used a whole bunch of Bo Bunny- et cetera, timepiece and Noel for it. I love it that they go together so well.

I used the door of the 6x6 pad and cut it open so my sister can add her own journaling and record her feelings on this special day.

Thanks to Gabrielle Pollaccio for the great sketch which I used for the LO. You can find it HERE.

I love how the flower cluster turned out. I mixed and matched lots of different flowers.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Family

2011-10-21T18:24:00.002+02:00

I cannot believe it, only 76 days until my little baby boy is due! I am still on sick leave, I just cannot work anymore. I had a check up yesterday and it showed that he is growing well -already measuring almost 40cm and weighing 1,5kgs. So, all is good. All the resting and taking it easy has paid off and he is thriving.

I am using my free time while DD is in school to scrap the photos of our summer vacation. She had a great time meeting up with her cousins in Wisconsin. They have only met twice but when they got back together, they were instant best friends. They had a fun playing in the backyard with the sprinkler.

The "Welcome Home" collection of Bo Bunny was perfect for this. I love the fence chipboard!
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Let's get outside °°°SWILRYDOOS°°°

2011-10-19T11:54:00.003+02:00

My little girl is a real outside girl! A day where we have to stay inside (because she is sick or similar) is rather difficult.

StarSailer provided the tutorial for the big flower http://what-a-beautiful-mess.blogspot.com/2011/03/swirly-hibiscus-flower-tutorial.html

The sketch I used is from Frosted Designs.

Almost all materials are from Swirlydoos kits of the past 3 months. They all match, so there are never any bits and pieces which would not get used -

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Simple Mini. One year in review

2011-10-15T09:24:00.003+02:00

For Christmas my DH's family will get a mini of my DD's last year. Since we live an ocean apart, they often mention that they do not see our little girl grow up. Last summer, we visited them and now they will get a simple mini album with the highlights of DD's year. I used up scraps from all kinds of different papers to match the photos, just one or 2 embellishments but focused on the journaling. Although I kept it rather simple, it still took me several hours to get it done! But I do hope they will enjoy it.

The last page will be filled with a drawing by DD.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Cave of the Mounds °°°Swirlydoos°°°

2011-10-14T18:48:00.003+02:00

Leanne from Artful Delight has posted another wonderful sketch on her blog. Check it out HERE. And here is my take on it. I only flipped it over since I liked the decoration in the lower right corner, but otherwise I stayed pretty much true to it.

I personally do not think a layout can have too many Prima goodies on it - do you? I had fun going to town with it!
During the summer, we visited DH's relatives in the USA. In Wisconsin, we visited the cave of the Mounds. Pretty neat stuff!
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Speed - pencillines

2011-10-14T08:34:00.005+02:00

Pencil lines has another cute sketch up on their page. Check them out - they are great!
I used the sketch the way it is - it just happened to work out with the photos I had planned to use. My DD is a real tomboy! She loves to be outside, jump from all kind of high items, is a speed fanatic on her scooter and loves to rough house with Daddy. A second later, she can be the sweetest girl, putting on her pink outfits, playing with her Polly Pocket dolls and asking to put on nail polish. I just love her to pieces. I wonder how she will react when we bring home her little brother in (hopefully) about 11 weeks. Right now she is still excited to become a big sister, but that might change....

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

You go, girl!

2011-10-08T14:35:00.003+02:00

Up to yesterday, we had the most beautiful fall one can dream of. It was so warm that on October 1st 3 families drove down to Neusiedlersee, about 40 minutes away from Vienna. We had such a great time, playing badminton, boules, juggling etc and the kids even took a quick jump in the water!
I played around with the Olivia kit from Basic Grey and added the yellow elements to match the great colors of the fall trees and the toy in the photo.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Getting lots of photos on a page....

2011-10-07T14:08:00.004+02:00

...is sometimes really hard! But since I am trying to get about 300 photos of my sister's wedding in one album, here is the latest page with 5 pictures. We always joke that all siblings have the same face in different variants. So, we had all our pictures taken with the bride and yes, we are definitely all from the same family.

I based this LO on a sketch by Frosted Designs.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Kisses for Daddy °°°Swirlydoos°°°

2011-10-05T15:05:00.002+02:00

My little girl is growing up so fast, way too fast! Snuggles, hugs and kisses are harder and harder to get. I caught her giving Daddy a kiss for coloring with her in her strawberry shortcake coloring book. I always have pens and a coloring book in my bag in case we have to wait somewhere.

Just a bit of lace, masking and punching. I did get out my rub ons (Thanks Nancy aka HomesCool in my little corner for the inspiration!)
All items are from different kits from Swirlydoos of the last few months. I just love them.

I am still on sick leave, hence the multitude of posts in the past few weeks. Just making sure little baby boy stays in my tummy for 12 more weeks. I am supposed to sit and lay on the couch as much as possible, no lifting, no dashing around, just rest. At least, I can scrap!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Layering and lots of details

2011-10-03T16:37:00.005+02:00

Sometimes, I am in the mood for a more clean and simple LO and sometimes, I just want to fill up the page and layer as much as possible! Such as today when I finished this LO. We are being silly tourists, in front of the president's palace in Bogota. Usually, I would just make fun of what tourists do but when you are in the situation yourself - it is just SO MUCH FUN!!!!

For this LO, I did not have enough red embellishments, so I used the barn door ink from Tim Holtz to add a bit more color and added some red pearls around the picture to match the incredible RED of my rain jacket. Hidden journaling is underneath the picture. I used a wild mix of Christmas, Halloween and vintage papers for this LO, but somehow it all kind of went together.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Florida Mini Album

2011-10-01T13:43:00.003+02:00

Yepee! My first Christmas gift is done! We had such a wonderful time in Florida wiht DH Uncle and Aunt. As a small gift, I made this mini for them. It is easy to ship and definitely unique and made with lots of love. The hardest part was to pick the 8 most beautiful pictures of all 300 we took while we were there!
I kept it quite simple, focusing on the photos and the journaling - usually something I find quite difficult.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

2nd page of Flamingo Finca °°°SWIRLYDOOS°°°

2011-09-29T13:49:00.005+02:00

Yet another page from my dream trip to Colombia. The next day after my sister's wedding, we were invited to a typical Colombian brunch of friends of my eldest sister. Only the closest family was there, which was over 20 people. My brother was very brave and tried the Colombian way of drinking the hot chocolate - with cheese! He was not entirely convinced!

Sergio (the groom) and his siblings fit perfectly with our family - they are just as nuts as we are.

I used the July kit from Swirlydoos. I just love the soft pink colors and the fabulous embellishments in this kit.

To make this LO, it took me for ever! It laid on my desk for almost a week. It just would not "fit". Finally, I took my "big bite" and went to town with eyelets. This set the frame for the pictures and finally all photos found their spot. I did not add a title, since it was simply the second page to the "Flamingo Finca" from the previous post.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

2 layouts to share

2011-09-26T20:05:00.003+02:00

Well, on Saturday I was a very lucky girl! I spent the entire day at a scrapbooking course. Exactly what the doctor ordered: relaxed, sitting down, feet up and having fun. No pains, no cramps, no braxton hicks. Pregnancy can be good!
The style which was taught at the course is not mine, but I truly enjoyed learning all the techniques and trying out new products.
Here is one layout:
My family in Florida. Since my brother complained that I look too touristy with my white socks in my shoes, I covered them up with a big flower LOL!!!

I also learned how to make cute gift bags and a mini. But since I do not know which photos I would add, I have not added all the embellishments.

Last night, I finished another LO. This was on the finca of a friend in Columbia. Such a cool, great, different country. I made a real effort to add journaling to each photo since I would forget all the great details of my trip. Not sure I am happy how it turned out, something is missing, but it is finished and ready to get in the album.

Here are some close ups:

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Last instructions

2011-09-23T11:03:00.003+02:00

Another page for my sister's wedding album. DM giving DD last instructions what to do as the ring bearer. They hardly ever see each other (DM lives in Sydney, while we live in Vienna) so it was great for me to see them together. DM also took care of my little angle at the wedding when I decided I had to go to bed (I was very tired from being pregnant) and DD just wanted to stay up and dance. They got some real quality time together for which I am very thankful.

I was just playing around with the great DCWV paper stack tradewinds. Such a cute stack, just my colors!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Botanical Garden - 2 pager!

2011-09-18T18:23:00.002+02:00

I hardly ever create 2page layouts. However, this time I could not decide which photos to take to scrap our most recent outing to the botanical garden. I found this GREAT sketch over at sketch support which was perfect for all the cute pictures of my DD. Together with the Garden Girl from BoBunny, I was able to scrap these sweet pictures.

Here a a few close ups: I had this super sweet embellishment from Prima for a looooong time but could never find a matching spot for it. With all the fun colors, it matched.

Title: I love stitching on my LOs and this time I added a few pearls to it. I really like the effect.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Happy °°°SWIRLYDOOS°°°

2011-09-16T16:52:00.003+02:00

I cannot believe it, but here is another layout, where I am in the picture!!!! My brother took this surprise photo just before my sister's wedding and we were both surprised that is turned out well.
The fabulous colors of the July Kit of Swirlydoos matched perfectly. I loved playing with my border punches (yes, I have many of them!) and playing around with the Dusty Attic swirly gate was a lot of fun. I have started to like the dew drop chalk of versa magic. Not only are they a lot cheaper than other inks, they stick everywhere and are so easy to apply.

I based it on the Pencil Lines Nr 251 sketch. So glad to see them back from their break.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

All dressed up

2011-09-14T14:57:00.003+02:00

For my sister's wedding, we managed to get all kids together. Usually, we live in different countries but nobody wanted to miss this special occasion. All dressed up and with the hair done, we are posing at the wedding location.

My mother and one of my sisters are wearing the traditional Austrian dress from my region. Due to my pregnancy, I could not wear mine.

I based this LO on Creative Scrappers 173. I only made a few minor changes to the original sketch.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Riding lesson °°°SWIRLYDOOS°°°

2011-09-11T08:20:00.005+02:00

Wow, two posts in two days. I am really lucky that DH took DD to the playground so I could rest my big belly! No better way to relax than "sniffing the papers".

I have got 3 sisters and a brother. And all were able to attend the wedding in Villa de Leyva, Columbia. We had a GREAT time! My eldest sister was the main organizer of this mega party. However, she took the time to let DD ride her horses every day. Of course, DD was excited and told everybody about it. It was even more important than the actual wedding. LOL!!!

I used the August kit of Swirlydoos and based the LO on a sketch by Sassy Lil' Sketches. When I first got the kit, I was a bit timid about the amount of green in it. But then I realized it matched perfectly the photos of the trip. Krissy always puts together the cutes kits, with sometimes very surprising elements, which I end up loving!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

50% Austria 50% USA

2011-09-10T15:05:00.003+02:00

I finally got a proper chair for my scrapping area! Nominell from IKEA was on sale and put it together in just 7 minutes. Boy, this feels good. I might never want to leave my scrapping area again. LOL. To honor the new chair, I decluttered my desk and the shelf behind it. Hopefully, I will now be able to find things more easily, without getting frustrated. This did not last long- as usual the procrastination about doing it took way longer!!!!

During our trip in the summer, we also stayed in Indiana for 2 weeks. The heatwave and the pregnancy of my sister in law and my own limited us a bit in what we could do. So we did little things - the park, visiting relatives etc.

My DD was given this cute dress and it inspired me to choose some Austrian/American colors.

I based it on a sketch by Julie Bronner. Thanks, Julie!!!!
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Romeo and Julieta - Artful Delight

2011-09-06T13:30:00.004+02:00

As a matter of fact, it is Romeo, Susi and Julieta, the three watchdogs of my sister. When you don't know them, they can be terribly frightening. Once they know you, they are really cuddle lapdogs! DD loved playing with them, patting them, taking 143 pictures of them (I am not kidding!!!) Here are 3 that turned out really cute and the sketch from Artful Delight was perfect for it. I used the August kit from Swirlydoos to create this page, kept it quite simple to not overload that sweet laser cut die cut gate paper.
Thanks for stopping by!
Elisabeth

Back to school. Bo Bunny Sketch challenge

2011-09-05T07:32:00.002+02:00

Bo Bunny has a fun sketch challenge over on their blog. I liked it and I had two cute back to school pictures of DD. I cannot believe she is already in Grade Primary. My baby is growing up way too fast. This year, 9 teachers (including the specialists) will look after her. We are very happy with the school, even if it costs us a fortune. We are investing in her education (and cut back on other sections of our life).

I used last year's "learning curve" line, I just loved it. Such sweet embellishments and papers. My favorite are the brads. I stitched and inked around the edges and layered the stickers over the paper.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

See you later, alligator!

2011-08-31T11:27:00.003+02:00

I finally got into my August kit from Swirlydoos! Such great colors and the embellishments are to die for.

Once upon a sketch has this fun challenge: Use this sketch and at least 2 lines from a song.

At our recent trip to Florida, my DD was allowed to "cuddle" an alligator. Yes, his mouth was taped and he did not seem to mind but I did feel a bit uncomfortable! She had great fun and enjoyed it. The song I used was: See you later alligator!
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Ringbearer Snips and Snails

2011-08-26T10:56:00.004+02:00

Stephanne over at Snips and Snails.com has come up with yet another wonderful, versatile and pretty digital kit! It is called Girl's Night Out and is busting from the seems with great embellishments, my favorite colors and cool additions.

Have a look here!
This kit is perfect to scrap your fun pictures of your last night out - and if it has been a while since you have done that, here is a real incentive to do it again! However, it also works perfectly for cute boy pictures and other events.

I had fun scrapping the photo of my sweet little girl being the ring bearer at my sister's wedding. I tried a different approach and tried to go more into a minimalist direction to really highlight the cute picture.
For this hybrid LO, I only added some ZVA creative flowers and added sparkles on the swirls.

You can get your kit here.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Beached Whale - Artful Delight

2011-08-25T06:57:00.003+02:00

During our trip to Florida, we also went to the beach. At 5 months pregnant, I resemble more a stranded whale than anything else! Nevertheless, I had a great time, sitting there, watching my little girl "hunting" for shells and DH chasing her around.

I based this LO on the monthly sketch by Artful Delight. Have a look HERE.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

El Fosil - Sketchy Thursday

2011-08-24T19:04:00.003+02:00

We are back to school and I am still trying to beat the heat (36° and no air conditioning in Vienna - not even my office), taking care of my big baby (who is in grade primary already, sigh) and my little baby (22 weeks pregnant), my job, catching up with household chores and SCRAPPING!

Here is one LO from Columbia. In Villa de Leyva, they found a fossil, in perfect condition. It is amazing! Sketchy Thursday delivered the perfect sketch for it.

I used the entrance ticket as a title, since the colors happened to match.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Our last part of our trip

2011-08-14T14:24:00.005+02:00

After our fun time in Florida, we are now in Columbia. What an amazing country, full of contrast! I haven taken so many pictures, I will have enough material for months to scrap!

We visited Bogota, a stunning city,

Flew out to Santa Marta on the coast

Went to the National Park where we enjoyed the most stunning beach (no photoshop here, these colors are real!)

And then, the highlight of the trip, my babysister's wedding on the finca of my oldest sister in Villa de Leyva. It was a fairytale wedding. They had transformed the riding hall into a festive hall with millions of flowers. My brother led her in, the symphonic orchestra of Bogota performed (my sister is their solo cellist), my oldest sister, who is an organizational genius, had everything arranged perfectly, my mother made the wedding cakes, my other sister compiled a powerpoint presentation .... it was magic!My DH and DD, ready for the wedding

and my cute little girl as the ring bearer!

We fly back on Tuesday night and then it is back to reality - I have to work on Thursday morning! I am so thankful for the great 5 weeks I spent traveling with my family. It has brought us closer together and now I feel truly ready for our next adventure, baby boy! He has been kicking lots and lots lately, I love the feeling! The second trimester is truly the best of all.

All the best,
Elisabeth

I love Florida!

2011-08-04T15:46:00.004+02:00

No Layouts to share today but I just love my vacation in Florida! We have done so many cool things thanks to DH's Uncle and Aunt. They are just the sweetest people in the world!

We went to Jungle Island
Took a boat cruise to beautiful island

Went "shell hunting"

Had a fancy dinner in their club house.

And all that in just 3 days. Too bad we have to leave tomorrow! Hopefully, we wont be affected by the tropical storm Emily and we can still fly out to our next stop: Bogota!
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

My little princess

2011-07-27T23:42:00.004+02:00

Still in the USA! I love being here. JoAnn Fabrics had a sale, Michaels had a sale. I spent my birthday money in style!
Since we are getting ready for my sister's wedding, I got the cutest dress for my little princess, who will be the ring bearer at the ceremony! It was very hard to convince her to take the dress off again, but only after having done a photo shoot. This of course, had to be turned into a LO. Very pink, very girly but DD and I love it.

I went wild with my SIL's sewing machine - even on the photo. I just could not stop - it was so much fun! I used the paper pack by K&Company McKenna. There is hidden journaling behind the photo and some prima flowers.

In other news, I had an ultrasound yesterday and turns out we are expecting a BOY! I am so thrilled to add a little prince to my sweet princess. Baby seems to be healthy and is growing well. I am so relieved after the miscarriage last September and the very rough first trimester! I am simply just happy!!!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Ahhh, I love my white gel pen!

2011-07-24T00:33:00.003+02:00

Still in the USA. Since the heat is so bad, we have to stay inside most of the time. Only in the early morning and in the evening can I get DD outside. So, lots of time for crafts and she is allowed to watch Disney movies with Daddy (something we don't do in Vienna).
I managed to get this LO done.

For Christmas, my sweet sister-in-law gave her and my daughter matching pyjamas. Usually, they live far away from each other, but this summer they could show off their matching outfits. I loved playing with the pink and brown combination and the cupcake theme. I made the flowers (all my pretty prima flowers are in Vienna) and then I thought that the corners look a bit boring. I had just bought a gel pen and went wild with the swirls. My other sweet sister-in-law let me use her sewing machine. Now I know, I need one for my scrap place at home!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Scrapping without tools!

2011-07-23T03:24:00.003+02:00

I am on my second leg of my big trip and the heat is getting to us! Heat index 110 and 93% humidity confines even the most dedicated outdoor person to the indoors. We hit Michael's for lots of crafts for the girls and Archiver's for ME! Since we are staying with my in-laws, I do not have access to my tools, punches and inks. I could not wait to dig into my new papers, so I made this very simple LO, using nothing but the kitchen scissors and a 5inch ruler.

Last week, we went to zoo in Madison and spent a wonderful afternoon there.
Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

Getting ready for my sister's wedding part 2

2011-07-21T07:34:00.002+02:00

I have reached the second stop of my big trip. After Madison, Wisconsin last week, we are now in Indiana! With the heat index reaching 110F, we could not do anything outside. So we decided to get the outfits for my sister's wedding in August. Look at my little princess! She is just so excited (and me too, since the dress was on sale.....)

Second trimester is treating me very well and compensating for the misery of the first trimester of my pregnancy. For the past week, I have felt my little baby move and next week, we should find out if it is a girl or a boy! My relatives are so sweet! They entertain DD and make sure I get enough rest.

It is a good thing that I do not live in the USA. With so many scrapbooking stores everywhere, I would really strain my budget! Went to Michaels yesterday and almost had a heart attack from all the goodies. Could not decide what to get, since I wanted it all!! LOL!!! If things turn out ok, I might even be able to hit a crop at Archiver's soon.

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

37 Life is an adventure °°°SWIRLYDOOS°°°

2011-07-10T07:39:00.003+02:00

Finally, I feel a bit better and I have more energy! I used the June kit of Swirlydoos to make this LO. It will be a two pager, the second one to come in a few weeks. I turned 37 at the beginning of the month and I had a few friends over.

I had so much fun snipping away! The page almost "fell into place".
"Life is an adventure" refers to all the changes ahead. My pregnancy, DD starting school, our big trip etc.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment.
All the best,
Elisabeth

Getting ready for my sister's wedding

2011-07-08T17:27:00.004+02:00

Quite some time ago, I made the invitations for my sister's wedding. Look here for a peek. To match these invitations, I made the wedding boutonnieres. Here is a collection of them. Each one looks a bit different which I like very much. I also had to use different shades of purple since it is so hard to match colors to a photo and over skype.

And here is the bigger one for the groom.

The next item in a similar design is the guest book. I took an artist's sketchbook (the paper quality is really excellent) and covered the front. I made sure it was not too bulky, since it had to be used! I put it in a beautiful purple box to protect it from dust.

I am very happy how it all turned out (especially since I felt so bad the last few months that I could not get anything done) but I would not do it for a customer. This is something so personal and we had lots of discussions over skype how she wants it done. When I come back from the wedding in August, you will see lots and lots of LOs from the wedding since my wedding gift is her wedding album!

Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,
Elisabeth

We made it to week 14

2011-06-30T07:04:00.003+02:00

Welcome 2nd trimester! I have decided I will stop worrying now. We made it to week 14 and all the tests are finally looking good. All I need now is a bit more energy so I can finally get some scrapping going!

Yikes, she kissed him!!!!

2011-06-28T06:59:00.002+02:00

I love working with the sketches provided by SKETCHY THURSDAY and I love using the digital kits of SNIPS AND SNAILS for my hybrid projects.

This is my DD with her two cousins Eric and Victor. DD adores Victor so much and Eric is just not sure if he is ok with it. (See his sceptical look on the left picture). When she kissed Victor, this was just too much for Eric. He screamed from the top of his lungs: Igitt, sie hat ihn geküsst (yikes, she kissed him). We all had to laugh sooo hard.

The kit I used is called WATERMELON COOLER and has the juiciest colors and summery embellishments. A real keeper for all your summer photos. All papers are from the kit as well as the borders (I printed them and fuzzy cut the details). I replaced the printed buttons by real ones and the glittery sequins by real ones as well. Just the letters are from my stash, but I do not remember which brand this was. Sorry!

All the best and thanks for stopping by!
Elisabeth