I don't know a single person that doesn't like gifts and surprises. But I, everytime I receive a gift, I feel like I am child again opening birthday presents.

This morning, I started my day at the post, getting Elina's blog present. I left the package (unopened) at the car, until I returned from work. So, with full ceremony and a day's anticipation I opened the box.

And here is the big surprise. There weren't only a bunch of fabulus papers and two bags of embellishments, but also the unexpected: a very sweet card with a touching message.

Thanks Elina!!!!

Some time ago I won the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge with the step card I made for my sister's birthday.

The prize was stamps from Shirley's 2 Girls. It is a small stamp company that has fabulous stamps and sentiments. As they are going digital at the moment, they have all their acrylic stamps only 2$ each. And here is what they sent me:

They are all so cute! I can't wait to use them!

By the way I want to mention an other new small company. It is called sfragidomania which means "stamps' mania" in Greek. The owners are two very friendly girls, Efi and Katerina, that are dedicated scrapbookers themselves- so they know their staff.

They can make whatever you wish - I currently ordered a Greek alphabet, as everything I can lay my hands on, is in Latin. I also bought some mini- books and when I left I had my a bag full, as the girls gave me many presents as well. Thank you girls!

I had the Africa napkins for a long time and was planning to put them in canvas for a corridor decoration. However, I decided to use them in an Ikea mirror. I want to make two of these, but I have not decided about the second one yet. Sorry for the glimpse of myself in the mirror, but I could not make a clear picture from an other angle.

I couldn't resist, so I submitted it in

Craftalicious Challenge

Finally, we came to the end of the school year. My daughter is in first grade and is of mixed feelings: she would like to play all day but she doesn't want to lose her friends and her favorite teacher.

We were lucky this year to have a great teacher, so I had to make a thank you card for her. As we also have to go to a birth ceremony and a party, I spent my Saturday night making cards and I enjoyed it.

Unfortunatelly , in our busy lives there is rarely time to spend without disturbances: children, chores, telephones etc. Saturday night is the only night that I can stay up late, as I do not have to go to work next day, and is late enough for all the others to forget my existence and let me spend some time in peace.

So I made the card for our teacher using the fabulous papers that my scrap friend Melenia sent me.

Stamp: Stampendous the monkey and SeeD's the rose

Inks & markers: Tim Holtz's Distress and Promarkers

Papers: Core' dinations and Melenia's gift

I will enter to the following challenges:

- Pollycraft Monday Challenge

- A passion for promarkers

- A spoon full of Sugar

- Creative Card Crew

- Simon Says Challenge

- Cute Card Thursday

- Saturday Challenge

- Create4fun Challenge

- Crazy 4 Challenges

- All sorts of Challenge Blog

One of the procedures that get on my nerves is the measuring- cutting of small pieces. So I did it once for both cards.

I used:

- Papers: My mind's eye Bloom & Grow and Core'dinations

- Sarah Kay stamp and Papermania Fairy Prince

- Distress Inks & Promarkers

- Everybody Art Challenge

- The ABC Challenge

- Quixotic Challenges

- Creative Inspirations

- Crafty Creations Challenges

- Craftalicious Challenges

- Totally Gorjuss

- Anyone for Anya

And finally a quick card for a party for a boy:

I used:

- Plain Cardstock

- Digi stamp dragon and sentiment with Hero Arts

- Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations

- Stamp something

- Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge

The telephone daemon striked again! I have to leave straight away as they take my dad to the hospital. So goodbye for now!

Yesterday, arrived my monthly packet of crafting goods.

I try to shop only once a month , with no success I should admit. Every time I shop, I promise myself that I will not buy anything else this month, but I always "need" something more.

l have seen this stamp a long time ago, but it seemed to slip away from me, in exchange of something more fancy or pressing etc.

Last week I bought it and I couldn't let it in the drawer even for a day.

I used:

- Clear Stamp & papers: Coolkids by Kars

- Cork pad and wooden star

- Tim Holtz's Distress inks and Promarkers

- Palm tree and castle are hand drawn

I will submit to the following challenges:

The Pink Elephant

Everybody Art Challenge

Cupcake Craft Challenges

Papertake Weekly Challenge

Stampavie and More

Polycraft Monday

Crafty Cardmakers

Stampacular Sunday Challenge

Passion for Promarkers

A Spoon full of Sugar

Little Red Wagon

Delightful Scetches

Creative Inspirations

Stampin' for the Weekend

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