Simple Thank you!

Love new Regency papers from Papermania, so delicate. The little bird is stamped and painted with watercolour.

A Way of Describing Autism

A poetic way of describing autism.

Constant heart: the story of my great grandparents, Alexandra and Timofei

Today I will tell you the story of Alexandra and Timofei, my great grandparents. For the LO I have chosen an old wedding photo (a photocopy) taken in Kursk, Russia in 1917. The red angel is taken from Marc Chagall's "Wedding", one of my most favourite paintings.
Red crowns are references to the Russian church wedding ceremony, when crowns are held above the heads of the wedded couple.
There is a pocket behind the panel with the photo, and it reads like this:
"Kursk, 1917. They called each other Shurochka and Timosha. Soon the Revolution will shatter their fragile world, and the lightening of the Red Terror will devastate millions of lives. They were in love, and they married. During the terrible waves of repressions and executions of 1937 Timofei was arrested and taken away in the black car. He was forced out of the car and shot dead for being rude to the KGB officer. Nobody bothered to tell Alexandra. She thought he was exiled to GULAG.
As many GULAG convicts had no right of correspondence, the absence of letters meant nothing. And there was always hope that one day your true love would be back... You counted days, years and hoped... You never gave up, a constant heart.
When Stalin died in 1953, and those who survived the camps returned home, Timofei's friends told Alexandra about his death.
Can you imagine waiting for more than 16 years to find out that your husband has been dead all this time?!
She never remarried."

Materials used: Stampington newsletter lace download on Basic Grey Boxer paper, antique ribbon, an old pearly buckle (got it for 5p at a charity shop!) and other bits and bobs.

Aquarium

You are not allowed to use a camera with a flash in London Aquarium, so as not to ruin the fishes' eyes. When I saw Sasha moving along the big window, mesmerised by the sharks and rays, I took a photo, and I like the effect of a dark silhouette on the blue background.
Text on the shark says: "My boy is lost in this enchanted world. Past flickering fishes, his soul is pulled into the silent world of the underwater, where you don't need to talk."
A bit of recycling here: a net from washing tablets, lol, and the jellyfish is made of my old bra (lacy part). Did I just say that?!

P.S. As I've just found that WS theme this week is Under the Sea, and I did use two stamps of seashells, I am adding my entry to the weekly challenge.

My chocolate loves me...

as in "I love my chocolate, my chocolate loves me", lol.
Here is a birthday gift for a friend, who also recently got engaged, hence all the kissing couples.
Stamp on the top: The Stampsmith (From Russia with love plate).
Images are from Curious by Design. Papers: Daisy D's and Basic Grey.

Born Free ATC in Craft Stamper

Sewing, sewing, sewn

When I saw a feature in Craft Stamper about stamping and embroidering stamped images, I thought: I can do it. Off I went to the little sewing shop in town, chose a shiny blue silk thread and started on my project. I should have known better, it took me ages to finish a simple teddy bear. :)

And the winner is....

drumroll please... Riane (Kernowcards) from the Netherlands. I used the randomiser, and Riane's a winner. Congratulations!
Thank you, everyone, for participating and making it so enjoyable for me. I wish I could give a gift to each and every one of you!

St Basil's card

Do you remember as a kid colouring in pictures with so much zeal that even your tongue was sticking out from diligence. Well, I guess I was like that colouring in this Elusive Images stamped picture.:)Took me a bit longer than I expected. I'll try to do a better picture tomorrow, as there is no daylight anymore. I used watercolours and golden acrylics. Added a photo taken in the daylight, but then the gold is not so obvious, so left the previous shot with the flas as well.
I made this card as a Thank you card for someone who's very interested in Russia and its history, but thought it was appropriate to enter in a Charmed Crafts/Crafty Goings On blog colouring in competition to win a fab set of copics.
My forum friend Lynn was looking for a Russian Church stamp for me, and found this one only to discover that it was discontinued. So, Lynn, bless her, has contacted the stamping company and they made this stamp specially for me. I am so touched. I think it is a superb stamp.

A little giveaway

Just because... not for any particular reason, maybe because the sun is shining and the birds are singing in the garden, and I am feeling fine cause I slept through the night without being interrupted 20,000 times, lol
Here's what you can get: Riche Creme Beauty elixir with 30 precious oils (I love it! you need just a tiny bit, it absorbs beautifully, and you feel like Cleopatra after her milk bath), No 7 cleansing body polish (25 ml), No 7 stay perfect clear nail colour, 3 stamps from PA Mini, Bootiful stampz and Inka (sorry, no idea about their names), and CHOCOLATE, how can one live without chocolate: one G&B organic milk choccie and one Lindt excellence chilli choccie.
Anyone can enter, even if you don't live in the UK, I'll be happy to post anywhere.
I will choose a winner using randomiser on the 8th of April at 5pm UK time.
Good luck!
P.S. just wanted to add that by being interrupted in the night I don't mean I am married to a sex maniac, but only that my little guy rarely sleeps through the night.:)

Think, think, think...

Stamps used: Paperbag studios and TT

Princess cupcakes

What's the occasion? Just trying Dr Oetker edible paints. Must say, they are not as easy as my usual 3-d paints, and certainly the colour choices are very limited.
But Sasha was looking with great interest at my "painting".

Happy birthday, Sasha!

I can't believe you are seven today. My precious boy.

Winged Pierrot

Goodness gracious, I did a thing with wings, lol.
Basic Grey challenges site is running a challenge "All Round".
Materials used: Basic Grey Archaic paper and flourish stamp, acetate, brads, eyelets.
It was very tricky to take a photo, so I'm putting up two images to give a better idea what it looks like.

Alice in green (Wed Stamper Green challenge)

The colours are honestly much greener in real life than in the photo, lol.
Materials used: The Stampsmith stamp (Playing cards: French plate), Basic Grey papers, crystals and buttons, image is by Lewis Carroll.

You old fossil! (Basic Grey pocket challenge)

My lil bro's birthday is approaching fast. Happy birthday, Stepan!
Both my brother and son were born on St Patrick's day, so we consider ourselves half-Irish by proxy, lol.

Here's my card with a pocket and a tag for BG pocket challenge.
I love BG papers, so versatile, just my cuppa tea.
Materials used: Basic Grey Archaic papers and stamps, Boxer brads and buttons.

Ode to Jo

Life takes precedence over crafting, and 2009 has been a trial so far.
I was inspired by Jo's recycling article in Stamp Crafter, and as she kindly sent me the stamps she used for her feature, I had no excuse not to make some cards, especially that some of my forum friends were having birthdays.
In my mind I call this stamp from Innovative Stamp Creations "Jo's stamp". :)
Jo is not only one of the most talented paper artists that I know, but also a great Mum and a wise woman. Whenever I feel down or stressed, she always finds words of comfort.
Following in Jo's footsteps, I have done some recycling as well. For the Aloha (Love)card I stamped the flower on bits of glossy magazines and scraps of patterned paper and cut them out. The lovely shells are bits left over from a bracelet bought in a charity shop.
The other card is decorated with a mesh ribbon, salvaged from a bouquet of flowers.
Thank you, Jo, for the stamps and inspiration!

Meet Stepashka

As I passed Teddy Bears of Witney shop earlier today, I spotted this cutie in the window on sale for £20 (reduced from £75). He looked so mischievous and cheeky - you can't help smiling looking at him. On the way back home the temptation was too much, I felt that I had to adopt him.

If you love chocolate...

You end up with empty boxes, lol. And they ask to be decorated. So, here's yet another of my altered chocolate boxes with spun sugar inside.

Find you passion

When I saw this image, I loved this girl with an attitude, and thought it was perfect for a birthday card for my forum friend.

We wish you a cuddly Christmas!

Rejoice, rejoice!

For this Christmas I designed an angel image, and Tanda Stamps have efficienlty turned it into a stamp. I wanted my cards to be simple and easy to make, playing with different patterned papers, golden acrylic and inks.
This Angel comes from Ust'-Borovaya, and it's a spectacular wooden carved sculpture, one of my favourite sculptures on display in Perm art gallery. I love its glorious trumpet, it seems to be singing: Rejoice!

Russian journey chocolate box and ATC

I received a set of stamps as a gift from lovely Audrey, whom I never met in real life but would have really loved to hug for her kindness, as I absolutely adore these Russian-themed stamps. To thank her and also wish her a happy birthday I decorated a box of chocolates (Italian, I'm afraid).
The ATC is for the architecture swap.

Recent birthday cards

Salem witch/Wednesday Stamper

Wednesday Stamper are asking for Goth-themed submissions this week, so here is my little witch from Salem. I made it a while ago, and I remember Sasha was particularly vexed by her lace apron and tried to rip it off, bless him. The stamped gate is by Inka. The witch is painted with acrylics.

An Angel flew over Witney

Yesterday I looked out of the window and saw this Angel-cloud. And I asked it to watch over us.

More Jolly-ness

The card at the bottom was made using golden leaf on a tag, with the embossing powder,and a card from the chocolate box Amelie.:)

Christmas in July (DT)

I was surprised to receive Christmas stamps in my latest DT. I also had to use a metal leaf,a pack of tags and some sticky acetate which proper name escapes me.
So, another case of Ready, Steady, Cook. I didn't find it easy, especially with this heat, and holidays.

Favourite song/Arty Girlz challenge

It's not a new work, I did it a couple of years ago in fact, but this is about one of my favourite songs by Leonard Cohen.

And where, where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight
I've heard all the wild reports, they can't be right
But whose head is this she's dancing with on the threshing floor
whose darkness deepens in her arms a little more
And where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight?
Where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight?
Ah the silver knives are flashing in the tired old cafe
A ghost climbs on the table in a bridal negligee
She says, "My body is the light, my body is the way"
I raise my arm against it all and I catch the bride's bouquet
And where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight?...
Too early for the rainbow, too early for the dove
These are the final days, this is the darkness, this is the flood
And there is no man or woman who can't be touched
But you who come between them will be judged
And where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight

Serenissima/MMM Places challenge

A friend sent me a wonderful surprise package recently, when she knew I was feeling blue. As a thank you gift I have bought some lovely sugar sticks for coffee in our local coffee shop (white and brown) and decorated an empty chocolate box with images of Venice (Curious by design). As those sticks look a bit decadent in my mind, I thought they would go nicely with the opulence of Venice.

Fairy jam jar

Sasha's school has a fete, and they asked for donations of jam jars filled with sweets. So here is my fairy jar. A pity I couldn't fill it with pretty Jelly Beans, as we could only use wrapped sweets. I added a Candy Tuft fairy image.