1st Sunday of Advent

The first light in the advent calendar is lighted today - wow Christmas is knocking at our doors soon.

One of the biggest sign locally is, that the big Christmas tree at the towns square is being lighted today and will spread some Christmas joy for all the holiday shoppers until Christmas is over. Some kids, and even some adults too, enjoys getting advent gifts which means they will open up the first one today - that particular tradition is not in my family but then we have another one starting December 1st. Locally people starts decoration on either first Sunday of Advent or December 1st, depending on which one is first in the calendar.

Most families will also start lighting the outdoor Christmas decorations today - and the past 10 years a few houses have attracted a lot of special attention as they do it the American way :o)

Last year I counted down the days until Christmas with some of the trees in Happy Xmas tree held in Copenhagen 2010 but this year I wanted to do something a little different yet in the spirit of Christmas. During the days of December I will give you a little insight of what a Danish Christmas is like seen through my eyes and family traditions - you may find a lot of similarities to your own traditions.

Hope you will enjoy my Christmas "journey" starting December 1st :o)

P.S.If you are wondering, why the shutters on my windows are closed, it is because we are having stormy weather today.

Giving Thanks

To those of you living in or from the US:

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We all have different things to give thanks for, and the way we do our thank yous often variate :o) The welcome home card I usually leave for the owners when house/appartment sitting is my part of saying thank you: I got a sort of mini-break from home and I was temporarily an animal "owner" again.

Most of the times the owners give me a little something from their travels, that they figure I would like (they are usualy never wrong), just look at this one - Is it not cute??

Looking forward to cat-sit again in a few weeks from now :o)

Agnes Cupcakes

Yes, I know. Agnes Cupcakes is a dangerous place, as the mere sight of the scrumptious cupcakes persuades you to buy a cupcake. When I purchased one to-go the other day, the cupcake box was sealed with this sticker, that immediately triggered my imagination:

The Lily of the Valley stamp "Never Too Old for Cupcake" was perfect for a card.

The brown background paper is from an Agnes Cupcake paper bag, and the sentiment was to be just words that fuelled the idea for the card - and orange is a color you will see inside the cupcake boxes and paper bags. Color of the cupcake frosting could be no other colors than a light brown, symbolising my favourite flavour: liquirice :o)

There are two outlets of Agnes Cupcakes in Copenhagen, and today my favourite one will receive this card with my thanks for their scrumptious cakes. Why? How often to we forget to show appreciation for something we like? Often "just" taking it for granted, that you can always buy a good cupcake - well someone decided to bring cupcakes to parts of our city.... guessing that someone has a strong passion for her business, which as brought smiles on my face when eating the cupcakes.

Upcycled For Christmas

When I went to the craft fair a couple of weekends ago, I heard a lecture about creativity. Quite interesting that financias crisis always seem to spur peoples creativity, but also the tendency to start reusing instead of buying new things constantly. It is not "IN" to buy-and-throw-away - but it is "IN"/trendy to reuse items, and create something with your own hands. Insert a little laughter here, when I claim, that I have not been untrendy the past 5-10 years, I have merely been ahead of time.

Got this box with something inside a couple of months ago, and decide to save the box, as it had potential for being upcycled. It just so happended that I this week realised, that I was in need of a box, hence the mentioned one getting a purpose.

An old friend of mine, who also loves receiving letters in the post, celebrates her birthday next Saturday. Wanted to give her something personal, that I know she will make good use of : homemade Christmas cards.
Had thought of stamping a lot of images to use on the cards, but the purchase of the die Reindeer w/Antlers gave me an idea and a chance to use a lot of the redish/white designpaper from Panduro hobby.

Maybe these seem simple, but I like them all and actually have a hard time parting with them. Have considered, if a sentiment should have been stamped on them, but decided agains it, since the birthday girl is to send these to receivers ,who speak various languages (just like her). Included some of my gifttags to the box  and some of this years Christmas stamps in the box.

Hope she will like the box and the items inside.

Christmas Mojo

Where is the mojo when you need it? Even tried to put on a Christmas movie, but could not concentrate on Christmas cards, but got a few other cards done instead. Browsed through some scrap paper and suddenly I remembered Mojo Challenge 215 - seems like my December is going to be turned upside down so need to finish those Christmas cards soon.

Goal is to use a Danish Christmas heart in all the Christmas cards this year, so this card is no exeption. Only thing is, that they are weaved of glitter paper and thus difficult to photograph due to the reflection - so this card looks like it has uneven edges even though they are perfectly even.

The "Let it Snow" sentiment/paper was a freebie in PaperCraft Inspiration Magazine - the other papers are from Panduro Hobby. The heart is the 77th heart in my pursuit in folding one per day :o)



Hot Chocolate Cuppa Swap - Part 2

Yesterday, I received my Hot Chocolate Cuppa Swap  from Niamh - did not get around to post about it, as I fell asleep very early in the evening on my couch, woke up 4½ hours later only to go to bed. Sleeping pattern lately have been anything but usual.

The swap Niamh sent me also included some chocolate - guess anything in my life is unusual these days, as I had eaten it, before taking pictures (I do not eat chocolate often) - from a local chocolate place in her area- Scrumptious :o) 

Cadbury hot chocolate? Did not know, that existed - despite having encountered Cadbury chocolate lots of times when travelling to London (a friend of mine always gets a big batch, since she brings me tea from her travels to London)... It is cold at the moment, so always time for something steaming hot, when I get home from work.

Thanks for the lovely card Niamh, and the hot chocolate :o)

Hearts And Snow

Time for another Christmas Card, using primarily the Danish colors (red and white) and the weaved heart. This heart is just like the 41st I did, in my ongoing pursuit of weaving one heart per day. To make all the cards different, I use different hearts and get help from various challenge sketches, to make the card - today's choice is the latest from Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge:

All papers (design + glitter) + double adhesive tape are from Panduro Hobby, white ribbon from Søstrene Grene, red snowflake ribbon from Michaels, heart template designed by Knud Vægter, freebie sentiment stamp from a magazine, COPIC 100 Black, Versa color 82 black (ink) and foam tape from Tiger Stores.
Entering my card into the following challenges:

CropStop Challenge #45: Flag Colors
Floweret Stämplar Challenge #8: Julkort / Christmas Cards
Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #143

November Tea Swap 2011 - Part 2

Fran called out for the November Tea Swap, and this months theme was Fall/Thanksgiving or the colours orange, red and brown. Was not home, when I created this card, so had brought limited supplies, but still managed to create this card for Brenda:

Inside I made this details, so the teabags (YogiTea: Licorice Mint and Pickwick Winter Tea) would not fall out of the card when opening the envelope:

I was just happy that I could actually create a card with the little amount of supplies that I had put in my travelling bag.

Snowmen On My Mind

Think it was the cold weather today, that made me think of snowmen - no snow yet, but we have frost during the nights now.....brrrrrr!! When outside today, I tried day dreaming of steaming hot tea, hot chocolate etc. but somehow my mind kept wandering back to the freebie stamp Duck Snowball Warrier! on Dude Time Doodles blog and their latest challenge.

Inspiration to the card design was needed, and stumped across Sketch N Stach Challenge 74 - some wrapping paper I bought years ago, with the intent of using it as design paper instead, could be perfect as the background. Then adding some snowflakes, which was stamped by a friend - and the let it snow banner, was made of scrap white paper and stamped with a freebie from a card magazine.

Entering it at Card For Men Challenge 23: It's Nearly Christmas too :o)

November Tea Swap 2011 - Part 1

Received the November Tea Swap from Brenda today - it landed in my po box all the way from Hawaii.

It took some attempts with my camera, but finally managed to capture all the nice details in the card - this months theme was autumn. The background reminds me of wintertime, where the dusk arrives earlier making the days shorter. Today was a clear sky here in Copenhagen, but that also meant that it was very cold.

When I got home, hot beverages was required, if wanting to be warm.

Thanks Brenda, for this nice surprise :o)

Veterans' Day

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.


Take up our quarrel with the foe
o you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

John McCrae

Vintage Car: The VW Bobble

Did you know, that if a car is more than 30 years old, it is considered a vintage car? Does this apply to humans too?? Ok, they lauched a new version of the VW Bobble a few years back, but for me a Bobble is only the original one, that was popular when I grew up. These are spotted in my neighbourhood:

Knitted Christmas Balls

Last year, knitted Christmas balls became very popular in Norway and now the book that fuelled the trend has been translated to Danish, English etc. As a teaser some of the Danish magazines have shown how to knit reindeer Christmas balls - but wanted to do some testing, if I was to choose between the two different reindeer patterns. Not the right yarn to use for the Christmas balls, but good enough when trying the patterns.

Can not really decide which one I like the most, so just maybe I am going to make a pair of Christmas balls, and then decide.

Flower Power

If you see a sign like this, what comes into your mind?

Taking a step backwards, and you feel like you have stepped back to the late 60s

Love when something on the streets make you smile big and just take away any grumpy thought you might have had the second before spotting something like this.

Mr Snowman

When I saw Tuesday Morning Sketches #118, I had and idea about which things to use on the card, but then completely forgot all about the sketch due to running around trying to make ends meet... until Claire posted her card with the cupcake girl - love that card :o)

When I spotted the three buttons on the sketch, I though of some newly launched shaking stickers from Panduro Hobby, that would be perfect for the snowman stamp from Simply Gorjuss - redid the colouring of the stamp a bit, but luckily advise from both Claire and Birdie was within reach as this is the first time I have tried to do something vaguely close to shadows..... still a long way to learn how to make the best use of my COPICS.

Ended up with this card, which my niece is going to get for her birthday in December.... just like her aunt, she loves snow and snowmen :o)

Yarn Bombing

I couple of weeks ago I passed this - stopped when back.... smiled big and was happy, that the camera was in my bag that day

A lot of details to be spotted and only makes you wonder, how much time it actually took to knit this bicycle??

This type of street art is called yarn bombing, and this bicycle was comissioned by the local city council of Frederiksberg to create smiles on people faces. Other bicycles similar to this one, was placed around the city but I have so far only spotted this one.

Was not the only one, that was taken by surprise when spotting this bicycle. Creating smiles on everybodys faces and they all managed to find cameras or mobile phones in their bags so they could capture and share this fun moment with friends and families.

Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Cake??

I was actually about to finish this post, while also catching up on blogposts, emails etc. from the previous days, when I spotted a post on Claire's blog. Wait.... me an expert on cupcakes?? Oh well, I did make this post for fun - and I have actually signed up for a cupcake course :o)

Like so many others, male cards often makes me wonder for a looooong time on how to even make one for that person, but since a HouseMouse stamp founds it's way to my home, several ideas have come into mind. Made this one earlier today the husband of one of my good friends, and he definately has a sweet tooth.

Well needed this card in a hurry, so no time to redo it - and would have altered the width of the brown pice of paper behind the ribbon (which is actually mint green - but only had my mobile phone at hand when taking the picture) to be a bit smaller.

Smile

Ever seen the Chaplin movie "Modern Times"? Nat King Cole sang the song "Smile". I always have the lyrics inside my head when watching faces like these:

Words of Inspiration

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.

Maori Proverb

Words of Inspiration

Me, many moons ago on my very first bicycle

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.

Albert Einstein