Monochromatic BD Card

i was surprised to find a couple of card challenge sites shutting down, most notably caardvarks. sorry to see it go, i always looked forward to seeing all the lovely creativeness on that site. i won a couple of challenges and had the honour of being a guest designer a while back. i really wanted to participate in the last challenge, so made this quick card. however, i did find this new challenge site. i got away with doing 2 christmas cards this year. i realized the other day that we have 5 celebrations this month, including birthdays. and i had 3 final exams. and a lovely little girl who keeps me very busy! hope you had a wonderful holiday and a great new year!

Holiday Card

all the paper used on this card is stampin up, which my mom sent me. really beautiful stuff. the flowers came in a kit. i don't think i'll be making anymore christmas cards this year, but i do plan on making a few small gifts.

the little muffin got to try out her jolly jumper (also sent by grandma) today and she absolutely loved it. she hasn't shown much interest in turning over, but she sure loves to sit and stand.

we've had a bit of snow in the last week, but none of it has really stayed. the snowfall definitely got me into the christmas spirit, and it's so nice with a little one around. we've put out a few decorations and hopefully will finish putting them up this weekend.

Holly Days

i had a bit of time during the little muffin's nap to make a quick card:i got the idea from the lovely card on the cover of the nov/dec 2010 edition of papercrafts mag. i used kraft paper, the wording is cosmo cricket and my handwriting.

we are getting into a routine around here somewhat these days, and i seem to have a bit more time, though it tends to go to preparing for school, laundry, cleaning, etc. :) time sure flies though, the little muffin is growing so fast and doing new things every day. school is almost done for the semester, the city is getting all prettied up for the holidays, and it remains fairly warm although they are calling for snow in the next few days.

Sew Kind

i have to make some thank you cards for the baby gifts i received. i based this one on Laura's sketch this week at 2 sketches 4 you. it's a lovely, simple sketch that i think could be used again and again. i got the idea for the tassel from moxie fab world. i wrapped some floss around a piece of card stock, slid the thread off then wrapped some around horizontally. i cut the loops and trimmed the ends to straighten the bottom edge. i attached a loop to the button. the handwriting is my own.

thanks for stopping by!

Still Here

yup, still here, just not making cards these days. i miss being creative, but have to prioritize:) in the last couple of months, i spent some time in hospital due to a blood clot from the c-section and then my mom was here for 5 weeks, which just flew by. the weather was awesome, we did a lot of walking, sightseeing, coffees and pastries at outdoor cafe's and visiting relatives. school has started for the semester too. here are some pics of the little muffin; she's a very happy, easy baby:

Shabby & Vintage Style Seeds

a quick post today... i started this card before the baby arrived, and wanted to get it into moxie fab world's shabby and vintage style challenge before the deadline :)

She's Here!

our beautiful baby girl arrived, almost 2 weeks early. we are at home now and enjoying her very much.

Thank You Clean & Graphic Style

over at moxie fab world, it's card style week, featuring different card styles (all of which i'm going to try to do). this is my card for the clean and graphic style, which is a style i love!!week 3 of heat wave ... yes, i realize that the weather is all i complain talk about these days. but my due date is two weeks away, and it's just hot, sitting and waiting. moms, you know what i'm talking 'bout :)

i did manage to meet up with some friends from school on the weekend at starbucks. it's the first starbucks to open in budapest. while i don't like the idea of having one on every corner in any city, it is nice to order a tall iced decaf latte with non-fat milk without getting a strange look :) budapest has acquired quite a coffee culture in the past few years, lots of places with the comfy chairs and sofas to hang out in.

Make a Wish Squares

loved the sketch at card patterns this week! here's my card: the paper's basic grey, which took 2 months to arrive from vancouver!! note to online retailers: ask how customers want their orders shipped, don't assume everyone wants the cheapest method :). i thought it would be sent airmail, not ground so good thing i didn't order it for anything specific.

the crochet flower i made myself. i added a srm sticker to the little frame.

i'm off to clean up my craft table! i enjoy that part almost as much as making stuff ... anyone else like that?

Enjoy the Journey

the winner of this week's challenge at 2 sketches 4 you will be given a spot on the design team starting in august! very exciting!!i made this card for a friend in miami. we met years ago while both traveling in croatia and have stayed in touch since. she loves traveling and has been all over the world. the paper, which has names of cities printed on it, and which i've been saving for ever, is packaging from a clothing store bag. everything else is from various kits. i printed the sentiment on light yellow.

thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your day!

Good Marriage Wall Hanging

i made another wall hanging for the bride and groom whose wedding i attended this weekend in romania. it was very similar to a canadian wedding in most ways. dinner was served over many hours (from appetizers to the cake at the end) and the main difference was that, due to the groom's families' religion, there was no dancing or drinking. but they had some entertaining games.

the church:the reception: i was a bit nervous as i didn't want to deliver in romania :), but everything was fine. we only stayed one night, and drove around the area a bit before coming back.

the heat wave continues here, we are into week 2 of temps in the upper 30's.

Wedding Cake Card

i made a card for my cousin's daughter's wedding, which is this weekend in romania. the card stock is the same purple i used for their invitations. the cake i cut out free hand, added some lace and pearls, and made the wire stand. i based it on the sketch this week from 2 sketches 4 you.

i went to lake balaton (affectionately known as hungary's "sea") this weekend. it's about a 3 hour drive, and there are many beaches all along it's shores. then we took the (10 min) ferry across to tihany, had a lovely dinner and came home. it's always nice to get out of the city for a bit. it was slightly cooler, but not much :) the other night we watched the game at one of the parks here, where they have set up a large screen to watch the world cup. there was a thunderstorm, and the rain had just stopped at this point.

You're the Coolest

card patterns has an awesome card sketch again this week, this is what i came up with:i made the felt sun and cone while watching the world cup. don't tell the canadians, but i think i like soccer better than hockey. less violence and slightly less spitting :) i outlined the velum circle in white pen, the stickers are pink paisley, the paper some left over digital freebies i printed out.

the weather has cooled down a bit, it's been sunny, and i've been out and about enjoying it! i went to the pool the other evening. it was supposed to rain but it never did, so there were hardly any people there. budapest has many baths and waterparks in the city; they are very accessible and fun to hang out at, even if i didn't go in the water.

another reason i love this city... i'm continually amazed at the kindness shown to my belly. people are practically falling over themselves to give me their seat on the tram and bus; twice now people who were standing made people who were sitting give me their seat! and opening doors, and not having to wait in line at the grocery store or post office! maybe this happens in other countries, but i've never been pregnant in another country! so it's totally not presumed, but very much appreciated :)

thanks for dropping by and enjoy your day!

ETA: oh wow!!! i just found out i made the card patterns super 6 for this card!! such an honour, considering how much entries they got this week (and every week). they have another lovely sketch up now, and i'm hoping i can find some time this week to come up with something for it. i'm also really looking forward to seeing who their new design team is :) thanks card patterns!!

Happy Day

after 2 weeks of rainy days (great for studying) we are now in the midst of a heatwave. all i've been able to do at home is sit in front of the swamp cooler with my feet up, drinking iced herbal tea and eating copious amounts of watermelon. (... doesn't sound that bad, actually ;)) but really, today is the first time i have some energy because the temps went down to 30 something and the breeze feels a bit cool.

the grades i got so far have been good; i'm very happy about that as my brain is not working 100% these days. i'm just more interested in getting a good baby wrap than the economic situation in central eastern europe :)

i've been doing some bike riding with my big belly. i read the only concern is falling off*, so i am really careful and go very slow :) but i really enjoy it so plan to do it for as long as i can. we've been to a few festivals as well.

here's the card i made today:the inspiration is from this week's tuesday trigger at moxie fab world. i used a bunch of scraps, the rub-ons and bubble letters are rayher, the brad is kaiser. i was going to do some sewing on it, but thought it was enough as is.

thanks for looking, and hope you're staying cool in your part of the world!

*funny thing is that the boy ran into a pole last time we were out. hahaha...

I've Been ...

reading ... i found a used English book store a few weeks ago and bought about 7 books. i finished these two and highly recommend them both.

i'm currently reading this one, and it's pretty good. i've liked all the oprah book club books so far, so i think i'll order them if i can't find them here. i see there's lots on the list since the last time i checked.

baking ... oatmeal cookies, apple muffins and these awesome chocolate chip cookies. i finally had to give them to the boy to take to eat at work, because i had no will power at all, could not just have one or two at a time. :)

making ... my cousin's daughters wedding invitations... 250 of them!! i didn't realize they needed so many when i offered to make them, but i got them done finally! they will be getting married in romania, and we are planning to go. it's about a 3 hour drive, so we will just go and come back the same day. i love romania (on the top of my list of fondest vacation memories) but i don't really want to deliver there!! :))) i blurred the details in the invite, but you get the idea. the original sample i made had the ribbon woven through the paper at the top; it was the bride's idea to have the bow at the corner. attending ... prenatal class, and so glad i did. there were 4 sessions: "giving birth in hungary", "labour", "newborn care". and "breastfeeding." i learned a lot (so much to know!!). i've also been going to a mommy-baby group every week. it's been great meeting other expat moms (from all over; swedish, german, american, asian, english) and again, hearing their experiences and getting lots of great info.

shopping for ... baby stuff! there's so much, and so much to choose from. not easy to narrow it down, especially stroller/car seat. there are so many brands, so many choices, quite overwhelming. we almost had one picked out, but now it depends on whether or not it'll fit in the elevator... but hey, we're lucky we even have an elevator, as many apartment buildings here don't have one. i am also looking for a baby wrap/sling (moby, ellaroo?), and ordered a book on attachment parenting.

enjoying ... lemonade. this is my current phase/crave. i make it myself (after the boy squeezes the juice) because they don't have it here in the stores, only in restaurants, as shown in this pic from dinner out a couple of weekends ago. what have you been up to?

Sweet Girl

it's afternoon, dark, the rain has started to fall and i've just ran around closing all the windows and the balcony doors. we get major thunderstorms here that last about 20 minutes, just enough to clear the air and the streets. and they usually happen at night. so if you suddenly see everyone crowded under building overhangs, find a place for yourself too and don't make the mistake i did when i first got here; i got absolutely soaked the first time i got caught in one, even with an umbrella.

i made a card for the little sister of the person i mentioned in yesterday's post. i made the cupcake by cutting it out freehand, did some stitching and added some seed beads. i gathered the yellow ribbon, added some lace and sparkly flowers. the rub-on is doodlebug. i used the sketch from 2 sketches 4 you this week, which was just the perfect inspiration!

the girls' birthdays are about a month apart, so i'm going to send their presents together with a note to open them as soon as they get them.

i'm going to order a couple of things from this etsy shop, as soon as i decide which ones i like best :) and print them out on card stock.isn't that just the cutest!? i love paper dolls, colouring, etc... and soon i'll be able to play with all of that kind of stuff :)). thanks for stopping by!

M Happy Birthday

i have a bit more time this week, finally, to do some creative stuff. i had all my pink and glittery supplies on my desk for a few days, wondering how to put it together, then i saw this week's sketch at card patterns, and it all came together from there, so thanks card patterns!! i continued the swirly pattern in the paper by adding bling and ribbon with swirls on it. the paper has some glitter on it too. the butterflies are actually flowers which i folded in half and cut the 5th petal off of. the heart is one of those stickers meant for a cell phone.

this card is going to one of my best friend's daughters, with whom i have been friends with since we were 11 years old, even with both of us moving around a lot, and both spending a few years overseas. i was very fortunate to stay with her and her family for 4 months when i went back to vancouver (before moving to the netherlands) and i am so lucky that i learned so much parenting stuff from her and her two girls. the youngest was born just a month before i got there, and i was basically "the nanny." i am very grateful i was able to stay with them, now more than ever. and i sure miss them!

I Just Wanted a Backrub...

... now i'm due in august :)))) all is well, and so far i am very impressed with the medical system here. it has been quite a learning experience as it's quite different than the canadian system (not that i ever had a baby there, i mean in general...) for instance, i have lots of people looking after me - gynecologist, his assistant (but more than that because her title is "pregnancy caregiver" or similar) who sends me for lab tests and has been awesome for help and advice, a védőnő, who is similar to a midwife, but will not be present at the birth, just before and after and will do home visits, an obstetrician (because the gynecologist doesn't deliver) and i will have a private nurse during the delivery as well.

my only complaint is that it isn't very organized, that most places don't have a receptionist who you can tell that you have arrived, and then sit and wait. some places have an assistant, some places you get a number, sometimes you knock directly on the doctor's door, some you line up and wait (leftover from the communist era). luckily i know enough hungarian to either ask, or i can understand the others also trying to figure out the system at each particular place.

my obstetrician says i've gained too much weight (i gained over 20 lbs so far) so i have slowed down a bit on the eating, and go for walks a lot and actually feel much better. i was trying to make sure that i was getting enough protein (i'm vegetarian) so was eating a lot of cheese, yogurt, nuts etc but it isn't easy to find anything low fat here.

check out these fun t's from etsy, where i got my idea for this post title :)

Thanks a Bunch

i made a simple card for the current challenge at the srm stickers blog, which was to use circles and stickers. i just squeaked it in, the deadline is today. the flowers and grass are felt, and i added a strip of zigzag stitching, and of course, a srm sticker!

after i finish my part of a report on wind energy for my environmental sustainability course, i am off for a walk to the park. it's a beautiful day today, 25+ degrees!

Your Day to Shine

it was our so-called "intensive week" last week at school, which meant that we were in class from 8 am until 7 pm everyday, except for one, which i spent preparing two presentations (one on the hu economy and the other about solar energy for an environmental sustainability elective). i'm not sure why they have this week, it was a bit much, but oh well. and this week i've been studying for an accounting exam, but had to take a break to make this card, based on the gorgeous sketch at 2 sketches 4 you. i've been wanting to use tulle since i saw it on terrie's blog (check it out, this lady makes truly beautiful things!) but it's taken me this long to find some here (that wasn't sold by the metre, that is). i used a fiskars border punch, some ribbon from rayher, and a flower pick i bought at a housewares store, which i took apart and put together bits of. the sentiment is from srm stickers.

thanks for stopping by and i hope you're enjoying your day so far!

ETA: when the boy came home, he looked at this card, and put it back on it's side! and i thought it looked better like that, so that's how i sent it out :)

Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger

moxie fab world choose my submission for this week's tuesday trigger!! i love the mixture of colours, and the funky, retro look of these napkins:and here's my card: i do hope these napkins inspire you to make something fun and groovy; i can't wait to see what you come up with!! here are the deets on the tuesday trigger challenge. enjoy!

Congrats Card and SRM Goodies

woohoo, 3 cards in 4 days! i've wanted to make one of these spiral flowers for a long time. i cut a spiral from a 3.5 x 3.5 piece of cardstock, but when i rolled it up, i thought the centre looked too empty so i rolled up another strip and added it to the centre. so next time i think i would use a 6 x 6 piece or something like that. the leaves are from a plastic flower stem. the paper is rayher (can you see the carrot? :))) i used two strips of lace. the inspiration is from the current caardvarks challenge, who also sent me my very generous assortment of srm stickers!! can't wait to start using these! and check out the lovely card from jenyfur which was included; isn't that just the cutest?! thanks so much caardvarks!!