Get To Know Anja Zurga

Hello Scrapping Cottage friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with us. We started a new feature several weeks ago that we are continuing with today on the Blog.  We would like to give you a closer look at our designers.  It's  a "get to know the design team"  and today we are featuring Anja Zurgman.

As you know my name is Anja. I'm 31 years old and I come from a small village in the center of Slovenia. I'm a psychologist by profession and in September I started working for a small NGO that helps victims of road accidents and their relatives. We are also doing educational workshops on road safety for kids, teenagers and their parents. 

I’m not married yet and I don’t have any kids. But I have a border coli named Oxi, a cat Oli and a house bunny Toni. They are great inspiration sometimes. I love reading books and watching sports. I’m a big tennis fan, I also like to watch winter sports and handball. 

When I don't work (which is very rare as of lately) I craft. I mostly create cards and explosion boxes. I love working in 3d. I always listen to music when I’m crafting. It feels strange if I work in silence.
I specialized in paper crafting approximately five year ago when I found Pinterest and bought my first Big Shot (it is still the one I'm using today). Before that I was mostly making jewelry and crafting with felt. But now paper is the material I use most. 

I prefer using white paper and coloring it my way. I always use 300 g paper that I color with Distress Inks and Oxides. I could not craft without those. One of my favorite crafting supplies are also Cottage Cutz dies. When I was little, my favorite toys were Lego bricks. And putting together all the small pieces from Cottage Cutz dies reminds me of building the bricks.

I started writing my blog Ideje od A do Ž (Ideas from A to Z) last year when I met some of my crafty friends from Slovenia. Before that I used Google + to publish my work. 
My crafting role models are definitely Vladka Šerbinek and Janja Albreht. I remember how I was eagerly waiting for every new blog post they published. I still  am :)

Here are some of my favorite projects made with Cottage Cutz dies:

HOPE

Hi, Lois here with another card using one of the dies in the CottageCutz get-well release.  There is

a card-making technique that is currently popping up all over the place -- the Eclipse technique.   Basically, it involves stacking layers of die-cuts for a raised, camouflaged sentiment or image.  I used this technique today on my Joy Fold Card, in which I used the CottageCutz HOPE die.

The cardstock and patterned paper for my card was cut as follows:

Pink - 4 1/4" x 8 1/2"

Brown - 4" x 8"

Patterned paper:

     1 piece - 4" x 5 1/4"

     1 piece - 2 3/4" x 4"

     2 pieces - 2 3/4" x 3 3/4"

Pieces of white and dark pink cardstock

I used a second, larger sheet of patterned paper the same as the paper I will be using on the front of my small panel.  I matched up the pattern of the smaller piece and placed my die so that the word would be centered on the smaller panel and the patterns would line up.

I then found a piece of darker pink cardstock and cut five of the large ribbons from the dark pink cardstock (as well as the small "inside of the ribbon") and the rest of the letters from white cardstock.

I then ran the letters through my Xyron sticker maker so that it would be easy to stack them.

I colored the small "inside" of the ribbon with a Copic marker (see small photo in upper left-hand corner) and stacked the letters, making sure the patterned paper was the top layer.

To construct my card, I scored the 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" pink cardstock at 5 1/2" and the 4" x 8" brown cardstock at 4".  I then added the patterned paper, as shown.

The small panel is centered on the inside panel of the card base, so that the small top panel folds over the left hand panel of the base.

I then carefully added the letters, making sure that the pattern on the letters lined up with the designer paper.

For the inside, I cut a brown and a white oval shape, using the CottageCutz Double-Stitched Oval.

I stamped an encouraging sentiment on the white oval and carefully trimmed it down by cutting on the inside stitch marks . . .

. . . glued the white oval onto the brown oval and adhered it to the inside of the card.

I added the photo clip to the bottom left-hand corner with a matching brad to hold the small panel closed, and I was finished.

CottageCutz dies used on this card are:

Get Well Soon

Hi!

It's Anja here again. Today I made a card for my brother. He was sick for the last few days and went to the doctors yesterday. He had his appendix removed last night. Luckily everything is OK with him, but he will have to stay in the hospital for a few more days. So I had him in my mind when I was making this card. It's actually a simple one. I just combined a few different dies from the latest Cottage Cutz release.

For this card I used:
- Cottage Cutz dies (Bear Patient, Nurse Puppy, First Aid Kit, Get Well Phrase),
- Distress Oxides (Black Soot, Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo, Fired Brick, Broken China),
- white card base (10x21 cm),
- white and craft card stock for die cuts,
- patterned paper (9,7x20,7 cm),
- black pen,
- paper glue.

First I die cut all the small pieces. I used craft card stock for darker pieces (like the bear and the bottles) and white card stock for lighter pieces. I colored everything with Distress Oxides. When I had everything colored the way I liked it, I glued it together.

I cut a piece of patterned paper for the background. It is a bit smaller than the card base.

I glued the patterned paper on the card base and then added the bear and all the bottles and other pieces of first aid kit.

I first planned to add the get well phrase on the front side of the card, but taught it was to crowded. So I decided to put it inside instead. 

Now I'm on my way to visit my brother. Thank you for visiting and have a nice Sunday.
Anja Z.


Cottage Cutz dies I used:

Valentine Cups of Love

Hello Scrapping Cottage friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit today. It's Mary Marsh here bringing you the Saturday edition of the Blog. Hope you are staying warm during this cold snap that is currently with us.

The winter months are so perfect for enjoying a hot cuppa and doing some crafting. Don't you agree? And that's what I have been doing this past week. Today my card is featuring some older Valentine dies. I used the cups of love dies to make this card. So let's get started with the details of how I created my card.

Step 1: I started my card this week with my layout. That's always a good starting point for me. It gives my Mojo a jump start. Splitcoaststampers had this sketch that worked really well for the card I had in mind.

Step 2: Once my layout was decided upon, I chose my card colors. I kept with the traditional red and white with a black accent for the card base and layers. For the cups I decided to add some pink and a Caribbean blue cardstock.

I had a pack of older Valentine themed papers and chose one of the patterns for my card. I used a hearts embossing folder on the black panel for interest.

Red Card Base: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

Patterned Paper Layer: 5 3/8" x 4 1/8"

Black embossed layer: 5 3/8" x 1 1/2"

 

Step 3: On this step I cut the cups and the various embellies to decorate them. I assembled them and then took my photo. I attached everything with Ranger multi medium matte.

Step 4: Started my card assembly. Adhered the card base panels with double sided tape.

I attached the cups to the black embossed panel with dimensional adhesive.

Then I added the steam and the ascending hearts. On the blue cup, I added the love word from the Love Bow & Arrow die. Did you catch the cute little perched birdie?

Step 5: Since I was stamping my sentiment directly on the patterned paper, I heat embossed. Used pigment ink and black embossing powder. I wanted the sentiment to stand out.

That completes my card for this week. I hope I have given you some inspiration for the Valentine cards you may be creating. All the dies I used on today's card are available in the online store.

 

Have a great week and I will be back again next Saturday.

 

 

Dies I used to create card: