Nuts About December!

As I said in my last post, I really enjoy December - a few of my favourite things are mentioned on this layout:




Patterned Papers & ornament: Harmonie. Chipboard: Imaginarium Designs. Pins: Maya Road.
Alpha: AC/Amy Tangerine, Basic Grey. cardstock: Bazill. Snoflake Dies: QuickKutz



Do you wonder why I have a photo of walnuts on this page? Here's the explanation:
In Norway we have a tradition of eating nuts as snacks during Christmas.

Some  years ago I planted a walnut tree in our garden, hoping it one day will carry nuts. Walnut trees are not very common here so I have never been sure if this could be a success. Last year we had two nuts (!), this year several kilos :-) I'm so happy to see it worked out!


The inspiration source for this layout is the December Challenge at Once Upon A Sketch:

To see all the beautiful, inspirational examples from the DT, and get the details in how to play, please visit the OUAS blog :-)

It smells like Christmas is here!

One of my favourite months is December. I love the lights we put up everywhere to decorate, and I love the traditional dishes we eat.

One of my absolute favourites is the Norewgian traditional dish Pinnekjøtt.

Here is how Wikipedia describes it:
Pinnekjøtt is a main course dinner dish of lamb or mutton. Pinnekjøtt is a festive dish typical to Western- and Northern Norway, served with puréed turnip and potatoes, beer and akevitt....  ...The preparation of pinnekjøtt uses a traditional method for food preservation utilizing curing, drying and in some regions also smoking as means of inhibiting the growth of micro-organisms. Although lamb is today available fresh or frozen all year round, pinnekjøtt is still prepared both commercially and in private homes due to the flavour and maturing the preservation process gives to the meat.
Before cooking, the racks are separated into individual ribs by cutting a sharp knife between the bones. The ribs must then be soaked in water in order to rinse out the salt and reconstitute the meat. Today pinnekjøtt is available in most supermarkets before Christmas, smoked or unsmoked, ready cut and sometimes also soaked, ready for cooking

If you want to learn more, here is a link.



Journaling: You know it's close to Christmas when you smell Pinnekjøtt in the house.



Some close up photos:

Patterned papers: MME, Studio Calico. Aplha: Websters pages
Buttons, tiles, twine & silver embellies: unknown. Tabs/cards: Chic Tags

My source for inspiration is this CSI case file:

Colors: OK
Evidence: Mosaic, silver metallic accents, border punch
Testimony: Document something kitchen related



What's you favourite dish during this season?

I'm guest designing for CSI in December!

If you have followed me for a while, you may have noticed I really enjoy doing the CSI Case Files (challenges). They push me out of my comfort zone and get me to scrap topics I never had thought of as well as using color combos far from my usual favourites.

So I was beyond thrilled when Debbi Therani asked me to guest design for December *lol*


Today is the day when my first GD layout is up, and here is how I solved case File #49:


Title: The Count down

Journaling: The Advent calendars ar important to the kids - you need to know how many days there are lft to Christmas Eve, right? And one $2 chocolate calendar from the grocery shop isn't enough - oh, no: there need to be one small gift each day.

Some close up photos:

The materials used for this page is a true mix of manufactorers, all taken from my large pile of stuff.

Here is the case to be solved:

 

How I solved it?

• Colors: as shown
• Evidence: numbers, rhinestones, buttons, twine, semi crircle nothes, Chritmas/winter accents
• Testimony: documenting a holiday tradition

What do you say - isn't this case file inspiring?
Why don't you jump right in and give it a try?
And remember, there are printables ("Coordinates"), up for grabs, too, in case you want some new stuff!

Link to case file #49: http://csicolorstoriesinspiration.ning.com/forum/topics/case-file-no-49-case-closes-on-december-16-2012

Please head over to see the full reveal of Case file #49 and all the inspiring examples from the DT and GDTs!

House rules - CSI file #47

Have you ever concidered visiting me and my family? Beware that we have house rules!

Did that scare you?
Don't be scared, they are very easy, just like the journaling on this layout says:


We really don't have many house rules guests need to have in mind - maybe three?

*this isn't a hotel so you need to tidy up yourself
*our butler's name is Do-It-Yourself
*guests are like fish - after three days they smell

And as our kids some times behave like they are guest in this house, the rules go for them, too."




Patterned papers: CSI Coordinates, MME. Rubon house: Maya Road. Rubon swirls: Hambley
Journaling cards: Chick TagsAlpha:AC. Ribbons, buttons, mesh, key & twine: Unknown


Do you have house rules?

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I admit it: I some times run out of ideas/topics to scrap about, but the CSI Challenges ("Case Files") always push me in the right direction. My brain start work as soon as the challenges go live, and for the past three months I have scrapped stories I never had thought of. It's easy to think we just want to remember the vacations and happy days when we browse the albums in thirty years, but these "out of the box" themed layouts will surely bring back memories of what our real life was like, the everyday life.


This goes for CSI case file #47, too:

 

The CSI printables ("coordinates") was fabolous this round, so I didn't even bother to dig into my pile of papers - I just grabbed the printable papers and used them - how easy is that?

This is how I solved this case:

• Colors: OK
• Evidence: Patchwork pattern, mesh (golden, behind photo and house), flourishes (rubons)
• Testimony: Etiquette guide (the house rules)

I also admit I'm happy and proud to find this layout on the CSI Watch List this week:

Tell me: do you ever run out of ideas/topics to scrap about, or is it just me?

New Cardabilities and OUAS sketches are up!

It has been a fun ride to be at the Cardabilities DT, but it has come to an end (for this time).


Here is the latest sketch and my take on it, another Christmas card.

Please head over to the Cardabilities blog to see fabolous creations from the DT and to learn how you can be our featured designer :-)

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Do you fancy a brand new layout sketch from Once Upon A Sketch?

Here it is, the December Sketch:

And the theme this month:
We would like you to create a layout and interpret the theme "'It's December.. " however you like based on the following sketch. You can journal as little or as much as you like, but your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below. Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.


Please head over to the OUAS blog to see the jaw dropping creations from DT team A and our GD Tara Orr, have a look at the fabolous prizes this month, and learn how you can win a GD spot.     As I am on the DT Team B, my example for this challenge will not be released until December 15th, but here you have a little sneek peek:  

CSI Coordinates Cards

As I promised in my last post, I'll show some cards made with CSI Coordinates.

CSI Coordinates are printables which comes with every CSI challenge. There are both background papers, word art and (journaling) spots/tags etc. So convenient if you don't have what you need among your own stash!
 

Background paper, tag, frames: CSI. Ribbon/twin: Scrapbook Fantasies.
Cardstock: Bazill. Buttons: Unknown

I don't always use the Coordinates, as I do have planty of stash on my desk, but some times I do. Usually I don't use all of it, and it's a shame to just toss the remaining pp and embellies. So I got this idea - why not use them for cards? I bet somebody has done it before me, but I haven't actually seen it, so nobody can blaim me on beeing a copy cat *lol*
 

Patterned paper/frame/owl: CSI.  Ribbons: Scrapbook Fantasies.
Brads: Harmonie. Cardstock: Bazill

I printed one of the background papers from CSI Coordinates #46 on grey cardstock, grabbed the spots that I had printed and were left from designing my layout for the challenge, and came up with these cards.

Patterned papers, ticket & frame with deer: CSI.  Ribbon: Scrapbook Fantasies.
Twine: The twinery Cardstock: Bazill. Buttons: Unknown

I have some remaning patterned papers from CSI Coordinates #47 on my desk, and the matching spots are just lovely, so I think I will do it this week too.

Do you ever use printables for cards?

18 things to do before I die

Are there things you really want to do but haven't got round to yet? I have a long list...

Some of them should be quite easy to tick off my list, because they are not very time consuming or expensive - it's more a kind of getting my butt in gear. Like taking a class in flower decoration, which I started on last week. I had had in my mind for years, but finally took the plunge when one of the local florists had an ad for it. I really enjoy it, and some details of my first decoration is shown on the layout below.

Then there are other things that have to wait. Like seeing kenguroos in Australia. It's not like something I can to in an afternoon, and I will certainly need some more money than I use on a class at the florists. But if I start saving...

Title: 18 things to do before I die

Background paper & journaling spot: CSI Printables. Frame: Imaginarium Designs
Ribbons: Scrapbook Fantasies. Tiles: Harmonie. Glitter pins: Marens Landhandleri
Alpha: AC, Webster Pages & Glitz. Wire: my florist. Buttons: unknown

The got the idea for this layout when I saw CSI File Case # 46

Evidence: frames, translucent element (some of the tiles), something that shimmers (glitter pins).
Testimony: 18 things - a list of 18 things I want to do before I die.


One thing I really like about the CSI challenges, is that they have a set of printables (or coordinates as CSI call them) along with each challenge. It's both backgrounds, tags/spots, word art and other embellies you can print out. For my layout I printed out one of the backgrounds on matte photo papers as well as a sheet of tags/spots. I used one of them only, but spent the remaining parts for three super cute cards I'll show you later this week. If you're curious about these printables, here is the link to Challenge #46 - scroll to the very bottom and on the left hand you find the printable files.


So what's on your list - what do you want to do before you die?