Happy 30:th!!!

Today I'm off celebrating my 30:th birthday and I thought you would get something nice to look at meanwhile (since you're not getting any cake ;)

Here's my card I made for the whiff of joy challenge blog this week. So those of you who go there have already seen it, not as detailed though. It was a sketch with the middle part shaped like a gate. I instantly thought of this stamp, Charlotte with mailbox, when I saw the sketch. This is the first time I've used this stamp that I got last week and these papers from Basic Grey. I got the stamp and a bunch of Moonlight whispers Kraftin' Kimmie stamps last week.. I bought them at stamp and create and I can seriously recommend the shop. It's run by Lacey and it's seriously one of the best shopping experiences I've had. She is so helpful and I managed to buy during a special she had which made the stamps even cheaper since I'm always looking for great deals. The shipping was great and fast and especially great to Sweden (And no, I'm not getting anything out of advertising, lol)
The text stamp that says "love inside" is from a set of stamps I won as candy. Worked great with this card! I made the envelope by colouring plain white card I use for my stamped images with almond promarker I think it was (same as for the mailbox). Then I stamped on it, added the black lines and dabbed black ink around the edges to make it stand out. I also added a shade under the "flap".

Ribbons that were originally white and that I coloured in with promarkers to fit perfectly:

Hearts were cut out with different dies and punches and I sandpapered some of them to get that white border.

Hope you've liked my card. Now I'm off to bed so I can actually get up tomorrow to celebrate and not sleep away the whole birthday, lol. Although if it's any day you should be able to do exactly what you want it's your b-day, right?

Ok, now I seriously have to go. Hoping to make it to bed before 3am. It's 2.42...
:D

Last day of my 20-somethings...

Actually it's a little over an hour until midnight, but I was born 1.50pm so I still have some hours left :D It feels a bit weird. Nothing will really change - it's a day just like any other, but still....
A friend of mine read about a man that did something new every 10 years. One decade he worked for some big company, the next he travelled and so on. Don't remember the details, but it sounded like a great idea. According to him it was easier to set goals for yourself if you have a tighter timeframe instead of: "sometime in the future I would like to..." I think there is a lot of truth in that. Despite everything I am quite proud of myself and what I've achieved. I still have one big dream that I keep thinking about:
going to Australia and diving in the bareer reef (before it disappears!), swimming with dolphins and cuddling with koalas and wallabies (my fav stuffed animal is a kangaroo) There is no doubt in my mind that I will achieve that in my thirties.


So here's how I'm thinking: 
my 20:ties were all about finding myself, finding my place in the world in relation to it and to my fiancée. A lot of fear of not doing the right thing, making the "right" choices, finding what it is that really makes me tick. Having a few jobs that I didn't really enjoy and were not so good at. But at least they made me realize what I didn't want to do and what I was NOT good at. Then finally finding something I loved: studying art and developing more crafting skills and also being nicer to myself, not having to be so perfect all the time. And just over a year ago where I started this blog and came in contact with all of YOU wonderful people from all over the world, bringing a smile on my face and not making me feel so alone.

Now for my thirties I'm focusing more on my career - continuing studying psychology and maybe letting it be my careerchoice? (it's about time, lol) Travelling more, being as happy as I am and definatelly continuing blogging and developing my crafting skills. Maybe sometime in the future I'll write a book or have a tutorial blog - who knows. With you as my support I feel like I can do anything! Sheesh, now I'm almost looking forward to tomorrow instead of dreading it, lol.

Yesterday and today I got some more birthday cards - the last ones before my actual b-day. I know there are some more on the way, but these are the last ones right on time.  I'm really getting them from all over the world!

The first one is from Andrea in Germany. She also included a magnolia stamp that I've been wanting to have, but was too cheap to buy, lol. Thank you so much Andrea! Love the colours on this card and the beads on a string are brilliant! Love the little embossed hearts too.

Next, a card from Linda, Sweden. I love that it looks like the kitty is holding the same flower she has put in the right lower corner. Almost like a real memorbilia. Fab colouring too. Love the ribbons and flowers.

Last but not least - the card that dropped in today was from Elsina in Israel.I really like the motif and the smaller sized card. Fab colours too. Did you notice that the girl's dress is the same pattern (but smaller) than the background paper? Just gorgeous.

I'll be back after the weekend with at least one great project. Sweetpea stamps are having a new great release from the Elaine Cox series and I'm working on something very cute. I can't reveal much, but I will say this: you will think it's a HOOT!

Great news!

Things are really going for me lately. First I got chosen guest designer for the whiff of joy challenge blog, then I found out I was chosen top five passionista at the promarker blog with my sweetpea card. And finally yesterday, I got a mail from Katharina - the owner of whiff of joy - asking me if I would want to make a tutorial for the woj tutorial blog with my bookmark cart! I'm on cloud nine at the moment... :)