ATC-cards with Brusho Pigments

When I got into calendar crafts I didn't realise I would start again hole paper craft hobby!

But after nine monts I'm so into it that I want to update this blog again, too. Let's see if I actually have time or is it just a flight of fancy...

I traded three ATC-cards via Facebook group this month. One of them was from this series of four cards. This warm-up for Artist Trading Cards I started by making background with aquarelles and Brusho pigments. The strong violet color is from Brusho pigment. The details I added with golden acrylic paint, different pens/pencils and a sticker.

 

 I also traded one of these below, in which I reminisced about childhood paper dolls and doll clothes in general. It was fun to make these "look old" with some ink pads and stressing the paper with scissors!

P.S.

If you read this, leave a comment! I would love to see what people are up to nowadays! My next "plan" is to participate in Life Book 2024 Taster Sessions.

Back to Blogging :)

Hi! Hope your year has started well! I'm starting to get more cosy in my new home - one can actually call the apartment as home these days. ;)

This blog post I started already a month ago but... I found myself mixing Christmas bakings and decorating my house, and unfortunately not blogging.

The cardboard hearts I covered with gesso and home-made colour sprays.

Today I thought this is as good day to continue as any. There are things to show! ;) I have a huge list of things I'd love to do soon. The end of last year was quite tiresom but now I want to start expressing myself. :)

This digital drawing is already somehow Spring-spirited. :) 

Although Winter in Finland is beautiful, it's sometimes dark and depressing. 

A bit of colours have their place among the season.

Three ATCs

While the sun has been hiding behind clouds, I have made the best out of indoor life by crafting some ATCs.
/ Synkän pilvinen ilma on tänään jo vaihtunut auringonpaisteeseen, mutta viime päivinä en ole halunnut viettää aikaa ulkosalla. Yllätin itsenikin tekemällä kolme ATC-korttia. :)

Tällä kortilla haluaisin osallistua Tämä Joutaa Korttiin -haasteeseen.
Tässä on käytetty kuvina mainosleikkeitä. :) Jopa teepussin narun päässä ollut mietelause on mukana.
/This one is for the challenge Tämä Joutaa Korttiin. I made use of advertisements and even a tea bag aphorism.

Tässä toinen kortti haasteeseen. Hyödynsin taustaksi vesivärein värittämääni hukkapaperia. Olisi varmaan mennyt roskiin, ellen olisi ajankulukseni alkanut koristella metalligeelikynällä vihreitä osioita. Pidän paljon lopputuloksesta! Kasvitieteellisen puutarhan tekstit antoivat aiheeksi uhanalaisten kasvien suojelun.
/ The second card for the same challenge. Sometimes a cut off part of a painting needs just some decoration to turn into a card itself. A brochure of Finnish botanical garden gave a theme: Protecting endangered plants in scientific facilities.

This one I have started a long time, maybe a year ago. First it was just some ink drawing on a yellow copy paper, and little by little I worked it forward. Yesterday I coloured the edging with black, added the texts and some gold gel here and there. Finished!

Well, time to find more projects to work with! :)

First ATC for Tämä Joutaa Korttiin

Hypistelin keittiössä jo loppuun kuluneen teepakkauksen taustakartonkia viime viikolla, kun tajusin sen joutavan korttiin. :) Sopivasti ATC-kokoa lähentelevä kartonki muistutti siis Tämä Joutaa Korttiin -haasteesta! Kyseessä on tänä vuonna Silpputehtaan laajennusosassa käynnissä oleva korttihaaste.
Tulenpa nyt sitten mukaan haasteeseen. :)
/ I found my starting point for a Finnish ATC challenge "Tämä Joutaa Korttiin"(=This Goes into a Card): a packet of refreshing herb tea! It caught my eye with great pattern and colour. :) So it continued its life in this ATC card which says "Be Courageous!".

Kortista tuli kannustava, nappasinpa Pirkkalehdestä siihen tekstiäkin, ja poimin pari epätavallista tarviketta, tähtiriipuksen ja folio-kukkasen. Niillä voi nyt pyöritellä virtaa päivään... ;-)
/I tried giving the card a little twist - You can spin around the flower and the green star, lol!

For Inspis Challenge

I take first time part to Inspis challenge.
The challenge was to use this design in the card:
/ Ensi kertaa mukana Inspis-haasteessa! Alla kortin luonnos:

I made card for Mother's Day which is 11th of May in Finland.
/ Valmistauduin jo äitienpäivään tämän kortin myötä. :)

Easter Greeting Card

Here's a sample of Easter greetings I made this year. Tested doing bows with a fork and it worked nicely. :) The card was very easy to make - I just drew a model for eggs and copied the outlines to patterned papers. This was an easy way to make use of small bits of paper! ;-)

Pääsiäisterveiset lähtivät tänä vuonna tämän näköisinä. Kokeilin ensimmäistä kertaa rusettien tekoa haarukka apuna, ja se toimi hyvin. Kananmunia varten tein mallin, jolla kopioin ääriviivat kuviopapereille. Tämä oli muuten kätevä tapa käyttää paperipakkauksista tulleet pienet palaset. ;-)

ATC about Easter

Hi! I have had less energy than usual last days due to a flu. I guess Spring time has its ups and downs... It is certainly a plus that I managed to get an inspiration for Lace and powder -blog's challenge "Easter". The Easter time is something I look forward to, because we are going to spend few days with our friends and just relax. :)

/ Heippa! Vaikka flunssaisuus on vaivannut, sain aikaan ATC-kortin Pitsiä ja puuteria -haasteeseen. Aiheenahan on pääsiäinen. Itse asiassa odottelen kovasti pääsiäisviikonloppua, koska näemme silloin kavereita ja otamme ihan rennosti. :)

Hope you have a relaxing Easter time as well!

Art Journaling - Third Page

The third page of my art journal looks quite finished!
/ Kolmas sivu tämänvuotisessa art journalissani on kovin valmiin näköinen. :)

I'm glad the watercolour splashes on the background are still somewhat visible. Completed the page with some glimmer mist and stamping with perfect medium and perfect pearls.
/Taustan vesiväritäplitys ei onneksi kadonnut kokonaan viimeistelyssä. Leimailin kuvioita perfect mediumilla ja mineraalijauheella, ja sumuttelin kimallesumutteella nuo tekstikorostukset.

A Spread for Love Songs

Last weekend I got inspired by latest It's All About Vintage -challenge.

The theme of 65th challenge is Music.

At first I gathered materials for a card. Then I happened to find two music-themed pictures I have been keeping safe. They gave me an idea to add a new spread for my scrap/deco book. Some songs have a way to move you and find a place in your heart. Especially love songs tend to do that. That is why this spread fits in greatly with other pages, showing things I love.

/ Viikonloppuna sain yllättävän inspiraation, kun vierailin It's All About Vintage -haasteen sivuilla. Teemana on nyt musiikki.

Löysin korttitarpeita etsiessäni huolella säästämäni musiikkiaiheiset vintage-kuvat. En ole halunnut luopua niistä, ja siksi ne ovat odottaneet oikeaa käyttötarkoitusta. Onneksi muistin kuvia katsellessani scrappays/deco-vihkon, jota olen tehnyt itselleni. Siinä on kaksi aukeamaa aiheista, jotka ovat minulle läheisiä. Koska monet musiikkikappaleet ovat nekin löytäneet tiensä sisimpääni, sopi tämäkin teema mukaan decoon.

Here's one of my favourite love songs from Sting:

A Postcard for the Faces theme

Hi!
After a short pause I'm taking part again to Sunday Postcard Art -challenge.
The current challenge is Faces. I think it's a fun subject because an artist can use only few lines and still capture person's character...

Here's my card, in 6 x 4 inches:

I think I name it "Bow Ties Are Cool". I didn't plan to make a fan art piece of Doctor Who, but the face just appeared on while painting with watercolours. :) That helped to design the surrounding area with stamps collected from various places.

Thanks for visiting!

Time to Relax and Enjoy Winter Hobbies

This weekend I got a head start by one day, which I really needed. I've tried some new stuff both in baking and crafting. :-) Both are nice ways to spend time indoors. We have had some chilly wind here is Southern Finland few days.

The new thing I've interested in is quilling. I saw some photos of beautiful quilled decorations a week ago. Last Wednesday I happened to find a tool for quilling from sale!

My first work is a snowflake, a pattern taken from here. Thanks :)

Since I used copy paper the outcome wasn't good for window decoration. Instead I made a card out of it.

This certainly needs more practise! What I also intend to practise is making gingerbread dough.

They look fine but could have more spices. :) I love to use those old moulds that I got from my mother.

There was one success in my weekend - muffins! I filled these with (frozen) strawberries and white chocolate crush. Yum! First time I also used baking soda instead of baking powder. And yes - there is a difference in size.

I still have some baking and gift shopping to do, so I have a good reason to go out today to admire the falling snow. :)

Take care and enjoy the season! x

29 Faces #18, #19 and #20

Here are some not-so-planned faces for the 29 Faces challenge...

18th, of subconscious messages. I had fun doing this a step by step, whatever came to my mind.

As you can see I used a lot of techniques and pre-cut paper shapes. That's too big list to start at this hour...


19th was a quick watercolour work that I didn't like earlier, but now it's better with ink lines.

20th, today's version of an old sketch from my notebook. Redrew her with watercolour pencils.

From the Bottom of the Heart

Hello!
Got this collage ready in the last minute, but I hope you like it! :)

Taking part to Collage Obsession's challenge Purple. My all-time favourite colour!

Thanks for visiting! x

A Mix of Cool Colours and Warm Thoughts

Here's something I that just emerged from my subcontiusness. Planning to hang it on the wall, not sure in which room though...

Taking part to Take a Word challenge "Cool Colours". Thanks for the challenge! x

I used watercolours and water-based inks for stamping and painting the background. The stamp in the centre I made with permanent ink so I could continue adding layers of colour. I also washed the colours off few times to make them blend together. Finally I glued some flowers, the butterfly, pearls and the key and decorated them with sparkling glue.

Let's See... Bingo!

Hi! With this card I take part to Dutch Dare Card Challenge.
I used the line of flowers, buttons and distressing.

As you can see, I'm getting ready for Valentine's Day. :)
I think this is the first time I took part to this challenge. I've been following themes some time, and they are very interesting. Glad to be with you this week!

Thank you for looking!

Inner strenght lifts you up...

...when it's time to take wing. I find red colour powerful and energetic - it encourages to take action.

Taking part to Collage Obsession's challenge "red". This subject gave me a push, thank you for that. :)

I started my red collage with my favourite fairy picture and the rest just came along... Completed the details with black ink and metallic gel colours.

Thank you for looking!

Spooky Halloween Greetings

Taking part to Sunday Postcard Art's last Halloween challenge "purple, green, orange and black".

(31/10/2012 Got a better pic today!)
That's a card that I'll definitely bring along with me this weekend!

Thanks for looking! x

Movie poster

Had very much fun with Take a Word's new challenge POSTER.
Glad to be with you this week!

Here's my imaginative movie WINGS:

Doing this as a paper collage was challenging, but after finding the background picture it started to go on more smootly. The "actors" had such intriguing expressions that they had to be hired! ;) They also had an effect for the title and the punchline.

I think the movie is some kind of a thriller with a dark secret involved... ;-)

Thank you for looking!

Gleaming Dragonflies

There are some beautiful photos of dragonflies at Inspiration Avenue's blog!
Here's something I made after giving the challenge a good night's sleep...

I think they are perfect for cards and gifts! :)

Beside the inspiring pictures I applied the instructions of Clare Youngs (Papercrafting in No Time, 2010). Btw, in case you have read the book, I sketched my own patterns for these dragonflies...
This was a quick project in which one needs very little materials: some clothe spins (these were about 2 inches long), sequins, craft gems and glossy papers in three colours.

Thank you for looking!