Crafting in Croatia

OWH Memorial Day Weekend Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Hello, friends! First of all, thank you for all your sweet comments and email regarding my recent health ordeal. I appreciate all your prayers and encouragement! Though I have slowed down a lot with designing due to my lingering pain, I couldn't back down from this worthwhile hop.

I am honored to participate in this year's Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Weekend Hop. If you're a frequent follower of my blog, then you'd know that I recently lost my grandfather who was a WW2 veteran and a Bataan Death March Survivor. You can read his incredible story HERE. I thank God for sparing his life during the war and as a result, my grandfather eagerly sought the truth and found it in the Bible. He introduced it to me and I am now a missionary overseas, a living testament of God's work in his life, for which I will be forever grateful. And it is my privilege to honor him and the many men and women who sacrificed so much to ensure our freedom.

For today's hop, I followed sketch #139 to create this masculine thank you card. I created a white embossed collage background using Penny Black's Breezy, Love Chapter and Music Background stamps. I then spritz it with some Tsukineko Goosebumps and blended various Distress inks. The vintage car is from Penny Black's Hot Rod set.

Here is a close up of the background, which was die cut using Spellbinders Labels 8. I embellished it with Want2Scrap pearls, May Arts ribbon and a strip of October Afternoon papers.

As a gratitude for your visit, I am giving away the following to one random commenter below: Spellbinders' Venetian Accents dies, Spellbinders' Venetian Motifs dies, The Craft's Meow's Take the Cake stamp set, LOC Fairy Wishes (retired)

If you want another chance for a prize giveaway, you can check out the NinaB Designs Make It Masculine hop going on till Sunday evening. A set of Spellbinder dies and a Want2Scrap $20 gift certificate are up for grabs. I will announce the winners from both hops on Monday. Happy hopping!

A short update and a lot of giveaways!

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:21:00 +0000

Hi, all! If you follow me on Facebook, then you know why I have been absent here on my blog. Last weekend, I suffered my very first gallbladder attack and ended up in the ER. I didn't even know I had stones till a week ago when I had my regular systematic general check up. I can only compare the pain to labor pains but without relief, for 5+ hours, and without the joy of bringing home a sweet baby.

I'm still in a lot of pain, but not as bad as the attack. I'm doing tests and waiting for a surgery date, which I hope will happen in the next 2 weeks. In them meantime, there are FOUR chances to win amazing prizes from my favorite commpanies.

I missed The Craft's Meow's release hop. There is still time to join and win prizes. I have 4 stamp sets and 1 by Karen being released.

I am also part of the Authentique/Want2Scrap blog hop going on now. You can find my project on the Want2Scrap blog and get a chance to win a prize package.

Two of my Penny Black stamps are being featured on the Moxie Fab World blog today. Comment to win 5 PB stamps!

Finally, I will post the winner of the NinaB Designs hop this weekend. In the meantime, you can still enter! I hope to be back to normal soon as I have tons of projects to share with you all!

TCM Previews: Beautiful Hymns 2

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:51:00 +0000

Welcome to The Craft's Meow's May previews. Today we're showing a follow-up set to my popular Beautiful Hymns. I have included some more of my favorite hymns to this set that I hope you like, too.

I did the emboss resist on the background using Telegram, Celebrating You, Cherished sets. The white splash was achieved using Imagine Craft's Goosebumps.

You can see the background closer here. I embellished with Want2Scrap bling, Twinery and buttons!

Make sure you go to the TCM blog for more info on today's previews. And check out the NinaB Designs hop going on now. Have a great Friday!

May 2013 NinaB Designs Blog Hop: Make It Masculine

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the NinaB Designs Blog Hop! The theme of this month's hop is Make it Masculine. Father's day is just around the corner. It's a great opportunity to honor those men who mean so much to us. I have two cards for you today. One that is more involved, in the Mixed Media-inspired style I've been loving lately. The other is clean and simple.

For my first card, I did an emboss resist technique for the background using Penny Black's Puzzle Parts, Music Background and Breezy. The horse and sentiment are from The Craft's Meow's Giddy Up. This set coordinates with Spellbinders' Grommet Tag dies, which I used to cut the sentiment frame. I used various Memento inks to sponge the background. I added little flags of patterned papers from Oct Afternoon for added interest.

My second card is clean and simple using PB Treemendous set. The reds ended up looking more pink, but who says you can't use pink on a masculine card? :) I stamped the tree heads on vellum. I mounted them with foam dots. I placed buttons to conceal them. The sentiment is from The Craft's Meow's Mother and Father set. I accented it with some Want2Scrap Chevron bling.

Here are the products I used:

The NinaB Designs team is giving away these TWO PRIZE PACKAGES:

Prize #1: Spellbinders Fancy Tags Two Dies

Prize #2: $20 Gift Certificate to Want2Scrap.

Winners will be picked randomly from 2 of the designers' blogs:

Nina Brackett * Clare Buswell * Jennie Harper * Jessica Fick * Lea Lawson * Linda Lucas * Rae Barthel

Everybody is welcome to comment and be eligible to win. The winners will be announced on May 22 here on my Blog. Feel free to share this post on your Facebook page, Twitter and/or Pinterest. Finally, please consider liking the following Facebook pages that are represented on today's hop, so you don't miss the latest news and happenings:

NinaB Designs

Spellbinders Paper Arts

The Craft's Meow

Penny Black Inc.
Want2Scrap

Thank you for joining us today!

Vintage Flower Cards

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:33:00 +0000

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. And those who are moms celebrated your special day yesterday. My family spent the morning at church, then they took me to my favorite Chinese restaurant and a movie, and finished off with a trip to the ice cream shop. It was a great day!

I have 3 cards for you today that were posted previously on the Want2Scrap blog. First is a wedding card that uses TCM's Sweet Silhouettes and Timeless Tags stamp sets. The papers are Authentique. I used various Want2Scrap products on this. More details on the W2S blog.

My next two cards use my TCM Stitched Sentiments set and my favorite Want2Scrap bling.

More detailed info on the Want2Scrap blog.

The NinaB Designs team will be bloghopping on Wednesday. I hope you can join us!

Feeling Patriotic

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Hi, friends! I have a few patriotic projects to share with you today that was posted on the SRM blog a few days ago. Make sure you check out the blog the last few days as SRM has a giveaway going on that includes some Fiskars punches.

First up is a set of tubes that were simply decorated with stickers borders, twine and die cuts. Inside are Hershey's Kisses. I love these tiny tubes and they're so fun to decorate.

Here's a card using some Bo Bunny papers from last year. I love how these papers create movement because of their graphic style (with a vintage touch...my favorite!). I decorated my card with some Want2Scrap bling, more twine and stickers.

Another card using the same papers, twine and stickers. I added the word sticker borders on the edges as a subtle frame.

This is it for me today. I'm off to see a doctor for my annual (more like every 3 years) check up. I am still battling a nasty cold and now, also starving as I am not allowed to eat until the tests are done. So it's probably not a good idea that I am looking through one of my new favorite sites, FOODGAWKER. It's like Pinterest but strictly for food. It has a sister site called CRAFTGAWKER and it's also fabulous. Well, I'd better get away from the computer before I break my fast. Have a great weekend!

Hello Sunflower Card

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:51:00 +0000

I have another card today inspired by mixed media. I am really enjoying the process in making these cards. I usually don't do techniques, but am inspired to try new things. I created a Mixed Media-Inspired Pinterest board specifically for this type of cards as I see myself doing this more regularly.

For today's card, I made a collage background using Penny Black's Music Background, Love Chapter set and Flourishes Sunflowers. I stamped them with Versamark ink and heat embossed with white. I then sponged various Memento inks (Cantaloupe, Rhubarb Stalk, Potter's Clay, Pear Tart and Rich Cocoa) on the embossed panel.

I water colored the sunflower using Memento inks as well. I colored the sentiment from Stitched Sentiments set with Copics to coordinate with the background colors. I adhered random Want2Scrap LeCreme pearls where I thought they were needed :)

As a final step, I sprayed Tsukineko's Goosebumps all over my card. This product was part of a prize package I won a while ago and I didn't know what to do with it, so it sat in a shelf. But let me tell you, I LOVE it! Instant texture that leaves a beautiful effect, don't you think?

The colors were inspired by Flourishes's Colorful Creations Challenge. I'll be back with more mixed media-inspired cards. For now, I have to tend to my sick family. It seems we're taking turns with a nasty cold. Have a good one!

The Craft's Meow's May Blog Hop: Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Tue, 07 May 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Welcome to The Craft's Meow's May Blog Hop. Our theme this month is Flowers. If you came from Lindsay's blog, then you're at the right spot. Please check the TCM blog for the complete list.

I used a few sets for my card today. First I created a background collage. If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have noticed that I've been inspired lately by mixed media which is gaining more popularity among cardmakers lately. This card was inspired by that art form. I stamped the hexagons (from Thanks Bee to Thee), I love you collage (Sent with Love), cancelled stamp (Telegram) with Versamark ink onto a white card stock. I then heat embossed it with white. I blended a few Distress inks to achieve the colorful background.

I stamped the stems (from Flower Garden) on a Want2Scrap tag. I fussy cut the stamped flowers (also from Flower Garden) and adhered them using foam dots. I distressed the edges of the tag, sentiment and background panel. The sentiment is from the Telegram set. I finished the card with a natural Twinery twine and Want2Scrap LeCreme pearls.

One commenter will get a stamp set of their choice. He or she will be chosen from the comments left on ALL BLOGS. Deadline to be eligible for prize is11:59 EST, Thursday May 9th. Winner will be announced Friday, May 10th. Your next stop is Sharri Seffens. Happy hopping!

Penny Black For You

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:40:00 +0000

Happy Monday, friends! I have a card for Penny Black's For Family Challenge going on now. This card was made using three PB stamps: Flower Charm, Flower Flourish (background) and Sweet Wishes (sentiment).

I first stamped the background stamp on white cardstock and used that to paper piece the little girl's dress. I then added some Copic shadowing on her dress. The bottom panel was left over from the stamped background piece.

The rest of her was also colored with Copics, in a more messy way. She kind of reminds me of my curly-haired little girl. The sentiment was highlighted using Want2Scrap's LeCreme pearls.

I am also on the SRM blog today with some patriotic projects. They were so fun to make for expat me who misses the US a lot, but I do love living here in Croatia. I wish I could live in two places at once. :) Have a great day!

May Day Picnic

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:39:00 +0000

Our church family had a picnic yesterday, May Day, which is a national holiday here, at another beautiful part of Croatia. Isn't this a beautiful view? It reminds me of the Hobbits' shire. Our town is just as pretty, I think, so lush and green. I got to play photographer and enjoyed taking these photos. These are dear friends of ours and they are like family to us.

Some photos of my kids and their BFFs.

My daughter's pet for the day, a very hungry caterpillar.

Our dog Max photobombing our friends' engagement photos.

One of my favorite shots of the day. This happy, young couple will be married soon!

Our friends' daughter who has the prettiest blue eyes.

Trying to take a family photo is a little bit challenging with little kids. I remember going through this so many times. It's the stuff of memories.

Thanks for letting me share a little bit about life in beautiful Croatia. Do you celebrate May Day where you live?

Blissful Card Set

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:41:00 +0000

I have a set of 4 cards today that uses the Penny Black's Blissful stamp set. I love this huge background stamp. This set took no more than 40 minutes to make.

For my cards, I made a watercolor-mosaic background. I don't know if this technique is something new, but it is new to me. I first dabbed various Distress inks onto the stamp, making sure I don't overlap the inks too much. (*TIP: start with the light colors and move on to the darker ones so you don't contaminate the ink pads too much) I stamped it on white cardstock, then spritzed a little with water and let it dry. I mounted them in coordinating cardstocks for the card bases.

Here are closeups of two of them. This one uses Blue China, Fired Brick and Mustard Seed Distress inks. The sentiments is by SRM Stickers.

This one uses Peeled Paint, Spun Sugar and Spiced Marmalade. I embellished the cards with buttons, lace and coordinating Twinery twine (well, except the red because I forgot to do it before adhering the stamped background :).

Tomorrow is a holiday here in Croatia (yay!). Can you believe it's already May? Time goes by so fast. Until next time, friends!

Some Mother's Day Cards

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:51:00 +0000

Mother's day is just around the corner and I've been busy making these that were posted in the product manufacturers' blogs. I am so blessed to work with these companies. I'm especially thankful for their kind and generous owners whose products are so fun top play with.

The first one was shared on the Want2Scrap blog previously. The sentiment is TCM's Mother & Father set. I did some stenciling on this with a Want2Scrap silhouette shape.

My next two were on the SRM Stickers blog s few days ago. The papers are Carta Bella.

I used some new Twinery shimmer twine and Want2Scrap flourish bling on this one. More info on the SRM blog.

Have a great week!

Paper Wishes Feminine Card Sets

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:16:00 +0000

I have a card set of 8 for you today using some more of the Hot Off the Press products (available through Paper Wishes) they generously sent me to play with. I used the brand new Rosemary & Thyme 6x6 Paper pad, the coordinating 22 Flowers 3-D Papier Tole and Pink Jewel Border Dazzles™. The first 4 are for the upcoming Mother's Day. The gorgeous papers are from this collection. The sentiments are from The Craft's Meow's Sweet Sentiments set, which is this month's Free with $50 purchase.

The butterflies are die cut using Spellbinders Wonderful Wings dies. I adorned my cards with Want2Scrap's Beautiful Bling Border, lace, doily and some paper roses.

The next 4 cards also use the 22 Flowers 3-D Papier Tole to create these layered flowers. I put a small Want2Scrap pearl in the center of the flowers and on the corners of the cards.

The sentiments are SRM Stickers. I love the white on dark patterned papers, don't you? The strips on the bottom are from Pink Jewel Border Dazzles. Some delicate doilies and pretty pink seam binding finish the card.

As with most of my mass-produced cards, I follow a basic sketch to make the process easier. Feel free to use the sketch if you're feeling inspired.

Have a great rest of the week, friends!

Birthday Card, Spring and Winners

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:58:00 +0000

Hello, friends! I hope you are enjoying beautiful weather where you are. It's been gorgeous here in my little corner of the world and we're taking advantage of it by spending a lot of time outside. Here are my girls being creative with "weeds" yesterday. They made these wreaths using only ribbon and tape.

My card for today is for October Afternoon's sketch challenge. As soon as I saw it, I knew that my Penny Black Embellishments stamp set is just the perfect to use for it. This set enables you to add different elements (staples, clothespin, paperclip, washi tape, buttons, flag, twine, stitches, etc.) without the bulk. I stamped the washi stamps in coordinating colors that match OA's Cakewalk. The scalloped on the side was die cut using Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeabilities, which was embellished with Want2Scrap pearls.

I fussy cut the party image from the patterned paper. Also cut were the banners and the mini clothespin image as you see below.

Here's the stamp set I used, Penny Black Embellishments:

Now the winners of the NinaB Designs blog hop...

Prize Package #1: from Lea's blog is...Mary-Anne V

Prize Package #2: from Jennie's blog is...Sue D

Winners, please email (via Contact tab above) me with your info within 4 days (till April 26) in order to claim the prize. Please put under Subject, "April 2013 NBD Hop Winner." This will help with organization and avoiding confusion since I have to depend on my mom to do most of my mailing for me. Thanks for understanding and thank you all for hopping along with us!

Mother's Day Butterfly

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the last day of The Craft's Meow's Non-Release Festivities. Today, the team is blog hopping and following a simple sketch for our projects. If you came from Lin's blog, then you're at the right spot. If not, check out the line up of participants on the TCM blog.

I made this Mother's day card using the new Free with $50 purchase, Sweet Sentiments (frame and sentiment). The butterfly is from Beautiful Spring and colored with Copics.

The frame is die cut with Spellbinders Labels 10. The papers are October Afternoon Cakewalk. A small Want2Scrap pearl adorn the seam binding bow.

Don't forget, TCM is having a HUGE sale! From now through Sunday, April 21st, take 21% off of your entire order, including already low sale prices on retiring stamp sets, by entering the code April21 at checkout! If your order net of the discount exceeds $50, then place in your cart this month's free gift with purchase, Sweet Silhouettes! As always, orders of $65 or more receive free shipping within the US (discounted shipping for our International customers).

Introducing Sweet Sentiments by TCM

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Welcome to the release of the new free with $50 purchase by The Craft's Meow,, starting April 21. Make sure you check out the TCM blog for more info! The set is called Sweet Sentiments, which coordinates with the Sweet Silhouettes set. Sweet Sentiments include a wooden frame and sentiments that can go inside or with the Sweet Silhouettes set.

For my card, I die a small piece of cardstock with Spellbinders Labels 10 die. I used the negative cut as a window for the Sweet Sentiments frame. I stamped the frame on a patterned paper. The silhouette from Sweet Silhouettes was fussy cut.

The sentiment is also from Sweet Sentiments. The papers are October Afternoon. The bow is adorned with a tiny Want2Scrap pearl.

Sweet Sentiments (Free with $50 purchase, starting April 21)

The Craft's Meow's Non-Release Festivities Catch-Up

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:40:00 +0000

Hello, friends! Thank you for your sweet comments on yesterday's post HERE and HERE. I have been blessed by your love and prayers. Thank you!

I have missed the last two days of The Craft's Meow's festivities, so here is my catch-up post. First of all, TCM is having a HUGE sale! From now through Sunday, April 21st, take 21% off of your entire order, including already low sale prices on retiring stamp sets, by entering the code April21 at checkout! If your order net of the discount exceeds $50, then place in your cart this month's free gift with purchase, Sweet Silhouettes! As always, orders of $65 or more receive free shipping within the US (discounted shipping for our International customers)

Today's theme is Masculine. I used my Sweet Silhouettes to make this birthday card. I distressed this quite a bit. I've been playing around with my Distress Inks as well. I'm still not good at it and prefer the "cleaner" distressing, if that makes sense :). I die cut the frame using Spellbinders Labels 10. I know lace and Want2Scrap pearls are girly, but I thought I roughen them up enough here to fit in a masculine card. I stapled the messy lace and colored the pearls black with Copic markers. What do you think?

My next card is for Tuesday's hop with the Card for a Child theme. I used TCM's Sweet Birthday on this. The papers are October Afternoon. I also used Spellbinders' Lacey Circle die, Copics and Twinery twine. The cake is adorned with Want2Scrap pearls.

This next one is for yesterday's Feminine/Mother's day theme. I used Beautiful Spring and Mother & Father stamp sets. The papers are Penny Black's Madison. I colored the butterfly with Copics. I also used some Want2Scrap bling on this card.

Finally, the NinaB Designs team is hopping right now. Check out HERE for more info and giveaway!
This is it for me today. Thank you for your visit and I hope you're all enjoying a beautiful spring day!

My Grandpa's Amazing Story

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:04:00 +0000

In case you've been wondering where I've been...my grandfather passed away on Saturday, peacefully in his sleep. He was 96 years old. He was a WW2 veteran and one of the very last Bataan Death March survivors. Though he was Filipino, he served in the US Army, but somehow was never recognized for his service during the war. Perhaps this little tribute would bring to light his amazing story, which is definitely worth telling.

Below is his short autobiography, written many years ago. He had a sharp mind till the end. He was the one who introduced me to the Bible. He was always curious about spirituality and I remember him taking us from one church to another. He finally found his "home church" in a small church plant where I attended Sunday School for the first time. I will forever be thankful to him for not accepting the religion of the masses, but looked for the truth on his own. I'm glad he found it in the Bible, which has changed so many lives in our family.

Please read the full story on my Taste and See the Lord's Goodness blog.

NinaB Designs April 2013 Blog Hop, Giveaway and Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the NinaB Designs Blog Hop! The theme of this month's hop is Stamping Techniques. I challenged the team to do a technique, which could be as simple as coloring, die-cutting or more involved like emboss resist, making your own embellishments, etc.

I have two cards for you today. The first one uses a few techniques: fussy cutting, Copic coloring on the flower (Penny Black's Dahlias set), die cutting, embossing and stenciling the jar (Spellbinders' Homespun dies). I also made a background and tag for my sentiments using stamps from Penny Black's Embellishments set.

The sentiment is from PB's Treemendous set. The paper strip is from PB's Madison. A little bit of twine and button on the jar finish the card.

My second card uses my new The Craft's Meow's Take the Cake set. The techniques I used here are die cutting, fussy cutting, and 2-step stamping.

The papers are October Afternoon. The pearls are Want2Scrap. The die cut doily is Spellbinders' Persian Motifs dies.

Here are the products I used:

The NinaB Designs team is giving away these TWO PRIZE PACKAGES:

Prize #1

Prize #2: TCM's Crafty Shelf and Retired LOC Elegant Labels set

Winners will be picked randomly from 2 of the designers' blogs:

Nina Brackett * Clare Buswell * Heather Jensen * Jennie Harper * Jessica Fick * Lea Lawson * Linda Lucas * Rae Barthel

Everybody is welcome to comment and be eligible to win. The winners will be announced on April 22 on My Blog. International commenters are welcome.

***Before I leave, here is the winner from my previous post...Leanne! Please email me via tab above with your info. Finally, please consider liking the following Facebook pages that are represented on today's hop, so you don't miss the latest news and happenings:

NinaB Designs

Spellbinders Paper Arts

The Craft's Meow

Penny Black Inc.
Want2Scrap

Thank you for joining us today!

Changes to the NinaB Designs Team!

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:54:00 +0000

Hello, dear friends. As you know, I have been so fortunate to have a group of talented ladies who help promote my designs on our (somewhat) monthly blog hop. I still pinch myself for having such a fantastic group that supports me in my design endeavors and makes my designs shine! I don't believe you can find a better team out there than these dear friends who have joined me in my creative journey.

I'm sad to say that we will be saying goodbye to two of these ladies, Julie Overby and Beatriz Jennings. They have been an invaluable part of our team this past year. Their unique style and jaw-dropping creations have been a source of inspiration to me and I'm sure for you all. So, Julie and Beatriz, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for gracing our group with your lovely work, for supporting me in my design work and for being patient with me as I fumbled my way through organizing a team! You will be missed, but I support your decision wholeheartedly to leave in order to spend more time pursuing "life" and all those wonderful blessings that are more important than our beloved hobby.

I want to introduce you now to two lovely ladies who will be joining our little NBD family. Not only are these ladies among the industries' best, but they have also become dear friends of mine in my short paper crafting career. They both design for many manufacturers, so I'm humbled to have them join me as well. I have had the privilege of meeting them both at CHA 2010. I'll share more about them in future posts, but first let me introduce you to the new team members.

When Rae Barthel and I first met, we immediately hit it off! She had her sweet mom with her and we talked non stop about another mutual love, Croatia. As you know, Croatia is my current home and Rae is Croatian by heritage...instant connection! I was just excited to meet THE Paper Crafts Magazine Gallery Idol winner of 2009! That is no small feat, my friends. And she is one of those truly sweet people who are down to earth, warm and makes you feel loved.

Here is one gorgeous card she made using some of my designs:

This next lady is another dear friend, Jessica Fick. We go a long way back. In fact, she was there when I first arrived in the amazing world of paper crafting! We have worked together for a few companies, including currently The Craft's Meow. I have learned from her as a designer and have shared life experiences with her as a friend. You know the kind that either makes you miserable or a better person. She has been a source of encouragement and support and for that I will always be thankful to her.

Here's a beautiful card she made using one of my TCM stamps.

So, am I blessed or what? Please join me in welcoming them to the team. In honor of their joining the team, let's have a giveaway, shall we? Just leave me a comment below and I'll pick a random winner on Monday, when we have the NinaB Designs April blog hop. I hope you can join us! Until then, have a great weekend!

Happy Colors, Happy Cards

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:07:00 +0000

I have two cards for you today. I love the bright colors and the twine just shouts happy, don't you think? :) The first one was posted on the TCM's blog previously uses my new Take the Cake stamp set. The papers are October Afternoon. You can see details HERE.

I am not sure if I have shared the card below, but here it is anyway. It uses TCM's Geometric Foundations. I colored the Chevron stripes with Copics. The heart bling is from Want2Scrap.

I have exciting news to share with you tomorrow! And maybe we'll even have a giveaway...stay tuned!

Elegant Shabby Cards

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:17:00 +0000

It seems spring is finally here! It was a beautiful day today. My girls and I went on a long walk and it felt so good to be outside again without our heavy coats on!

I have two cards for you today that we were shared in the blogs of a couple of manufacturers I'm blessed to work with. First up is one posted on the Want2Scrap blog a few days ago.I used my TCM's Mother and Father stamp set. You can find more detailed info the Want2Scrap blog.

I created my second card for SRM Stickers. It uses some of my favorite Embossing Folder and Label dies by Spellbinders. More info on the SRM blog.

Enjoy your day!

Some alternatives to Google Reader

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:14:00 +0000

Now that Google is shutting down its Google Reader RSS services, I have had to look for alternatives to view blogs I follow. Here are some options I found that I want to share with you all. You can sign up with either one and they will seamlessly migrate the blogs you follow through Google before the deadline of July 1, 2013. The transfer didn't take more than a couple of minutes. I hope you will take Crafting in Croatia along with you when you transfer your RSS to either one of these services :).

Follow my blog with Bloglovin -HERE is the link to import your blogs to Bloglovin'.
Feedly - works as an addon to your web browser. Instructions on transferring from Google to this new service can be found HERE.

If you're an email subscriber, I'm still investigating what other options are available since I have heard rumors that Feedburner, my current email subscription service, might also soon be shut down. Stay tuned. Thank you, friends!

TCM April Blog Hop: Friendship

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Welcome to The Craft's Meow's April Blog Hop. Our theme this month is Friendship. If you came from Lindsay's blog, then you're at the right spot. Please check the TCM blog for the complete list.

I have two cards for you today. One is for a special occasion in a friend's life like birthday, graduation, engagement, etc. I used the Free with $50 purchase, Sweet Silhouettes, for my card. I die cut the frame using Spellbinders Labels 10.

The papers are Basic Grey's True Love collection. The pearl brad came from my stash.

My second card uses Take the Cake. I layered the cake using the colors of the pretty Fourteen collection by Crate Paper. I love this color combo!

Your next stop is Sharri Seffens. Happy hopping!

Spring-Inspired Penny Black cards

noreply@blogger.com (NinaB) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:10:00 +0000

I have been enjoying creating spring-inspired with my new Penny Black stamps. I have a few cards for you today. The first one uses my set, Dahlias. The sentiment also come from this set. A heart lace from Hallmark, some Want2Scrap pearls and burlap twine embellish the card.

I colored the flower and leaves with Copics. The papers are by Basic Grey's True Love.

My second card is one that was posted on the SRM Stickers blog the other day. I used the Penny Black A Little Bird set, colored with Copics. I also used Twinery Carribbean, Spellbinders' So Trendy M-Bossabilities Folder and Want2Scrap rhinestones on the flowers and wheels. More info on the SRM blog.

My last card is a CAS using some scraps of ribbon, flower, paper and rose that were sitting on my desk just waiting to be put together. I used Penny Black's Free Flight set. The papers are by My Little Shoebox.