It all started with this picture:

It is a small cafe in Areopolis near Gythio. We were there, a week after Easter, for a two-days excursion. On the road to Diros caves, we stopped for a coffee.

Baked under the strong golden sun of Mani, the town was like a medieval dream! I made a lot of pictures but this one is a full recipe : new and old, golden and white, the dried summer plants with their still green edges... Magic!

As I could not capture the colors on paper, I printed the picture in both paper and acetat. I made several attempts - the plain acetat was almost the real image, but I left it for a week and it didn't dry. The inkjet printer acetat dried at once, but the colors lost their brilliance. I wish I had one of these professional printers, but, alas, I have a cheap HP (I don't compain-it does its job decently most of the time).

The result is the following:

I used:

- Stamp set: Tim Holtz "Travel"

- Papers: Core'dinations and I believe the patterned is Rouge de Garance Aile ou Fleurs #4

- Distress powder "Aged Mahogany"

- Sticker: Karen Foster "Adventure Awaits", letters from Upikit

- Tim Holtz's Distress inks

- Glitter Dusts

I will submit it to the following challenges:

Crafty angels

Crafts and Me

Simon says Challenge

Sweet Stamping Challenge blog

Quixotic Challenges

Practical scrappers

Delightful Sketces

I had won the seagull stamp at an ebay auction last month, but as the stamp had not arrived, I thought that it was lost at the post. But yesterday, I received the parcel at last, so I had to use it asap.

I made a summer birthday card, as many of my beloved are summer-born and I am always in short supply!

I used:

- Inkadinkado Seagull Stamp, and sentiment

- Promarkers, Tim Holtz distress inks and distress embossing powders

- Marabu metallic liners and Cosmic Shimmer for the sparkling part

- The chipboards are from a summer packet - I don't remember what and when - that I have never used before, but is really nice.

I will submit it in the following challenges:

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge

SophistiCat Challenge Blog

Practical Scrappers

Dare U2 Digi Stamp

Crafty Angels

Simon Says challenge

I am compiling a scrapbook album for all the special moments throughout the year. However, as we did almost nothing for the Easter celebration this year, I have left the the layout for "sometime later".

So, yesterday, I finally decided to deal with it. I thought to keep it simple - no designer papers, no new fancy stuff, just things from my stash and a breeze of fresh spring air for a day of cosy family relaxation. The important thing of the day, anyway, is the unique feeling you have when four generations of the family gather together to enjoy each other's company.

I used:

- Plain Cardstock

- Promarkers, Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Marabu Liners

- Martha Stewart "Spring" punch

- Artemio background stamp, Sugar Loaf floral stamp

I will submit the layout to the following challenges :

Crafts and me

Saturday Challenge

Sweet Stamping

City Crafter

Fab n' Funky

The Crafty pad

Charisma Cardz

Doodle Palace

Craft your Passion

Pile it on

Moving along with the times

Papertake Weekly

Passion for Promarkers

Crafty Ann's

Lexi's Creations

It has been a busy week ...I was very pressed at work and so full of different obligations that every night I was totally exhausted. Yesterday, however, I made a card for the birthday party of one of my daughter's friends Lydia.

I used:

Papers: Core Color "Core'dinations", Basic Grey "Green at Heart"

Stamps: Suger Nellie "Daisy & Dolly", bird, butterfly, flowers and sentiment I think Inkadinkado

Inks, markers: Tim Holtz and Promarkers

Glitter: Stickles, Marabu and Hero arts sparkles

Charm: Shrink Plastic white

I think I mentioned everything. So I will participate to the following challenges:

http://craftyangelsonline.blogspot.com/2010/05/week-34-one-for-girls.html

http://www.theshabbytearoom.blogspot.com/

http://craftyannschallengeblog.wordpress.com/

http://thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/

http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com/

Not bad for a beginner- what do you think? To tell you the truth, after I made the card, I just found a blogger that has participated in all the above challenges and many more with just one card. So I checked some of the challenges and participated in those, that my card fitted with!

I am a constant follower of Vicky Papaioannou blog as I really like the stuff she creates. So, I got inspired by the picture of Santorini she posted- it could be any Greek Island but I like to dream of Santorini. Altough I have never participated in any challenge, in my first attempt I combined two challenges (Cropstop and Clips-n-Cuts) and here I am participating in both.

I used:

Papers: Core Colors Nostalgia, Basic Grey's "Green at heart"

Inks & markers: Tim Holtz Distress Inks Stormy sky, Tumbled Glass and Wild Honey and Promarkers.

Stamp: Artemio Voyage

Tag: My Minds eye "Breaking Free"

Chipboard flower: Giraffe