Tea with lemon? - a set of cards

A splash of color after a couple of gloomy posts! Well, I didn't mean them to be gloomy, but the color scheme is quite different when you compare these cards to the art journal spread I shared in the beginning of the week! 

Although, I have to be honest, I did use some brown in these as well. For the tea, naturally, but also to dull and grungy that background a little so the colored elements on top would pop even more. If you want to see how I made the cards, please see the process video below.

I've been using more my dies recently and I think I owe it to Milla Lampinen (link). She uses dies in such an innovative way that she inspires me to use mine as well. Although I'm much more conventional in my use! I mean just look at this Mr. Spock (link), Roadrunner (link) or this gorgeous quilling (link), in each make she has used the dies meant for something in another way. Just mind-blowingly inspiring! 

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a sunny Friday and a splendid weekend to come! 

Materials: 

Fabriano - Accademia 160 cardstock

Sizzix - 3D Texture Fades Damask embossing folder 665733

Sizzix - Thinlits Papercut Cafe die set 666287

Sizzix - Thinlits Moroccan Tile die 661725 

Sizzix - Bigz Fruit Shapes 663855

Sizzix - Thinlits Specimen die set 665930

Ranger - Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers, Picked Raspberry, Twisted Citron

Ranger - Distress Ink Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Vintage Photo, Scorched Timber

PaperArtsy - Fresco Finish acrylic paint Snowflake

Korttipaja - leimasetti

Ranger - Archival Ink Jet Black

epoxy stickers

craft glue, double sided tape, foam tape

inking tools, paper cutter, scissors, stapler, stamping block, water mister, brush

Morning mists - a painting

Hi again! Not so long ago I wrote that I've been making some canvases lately. Here's another trio I've made. 

I enjoy making these very much and find it relaxing especially as I'm working with acrylics. For example I added some circles on here, only to paint over them in a later stage. All that was left where those thin, drawn circles, echoes of the shapes that were there. 

The texture is done using modeling paste in different ways and then acrylics and acrylic glazes on top. The thin lines are drawn using Posca paint markers.

Thank you for your visit! Have a great day!

Materials: Sinelli, Posca

Imagine possibility everyday - YouTube live recording

Hi there and happy new week! In the beginning of the month I kept a YouTube live and I'm now sharing the recording of it. My goal was to make a textured art journal page mainly in black and white.

If you were unable to attend the live while it was happening, you can see the recording underneath. As you can see from it, I had prepared another base as the drying time of the modeling paste was a bit extensive for a live. 

Like I wrote in the beginning, my goal was to make the whole spread with just black and white, but in the end I chickened out and added a touch of color - like in the sample spread, too. You can see the sample project and the materials list here in the announcement post (link).

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a wonderful week!

Materials: Fabriano, A.B.Studio, Sizzix, Prima Marketing, Ranger, PaperArtsy, Tim Holtz Idea-ology

Do all the good - an art journal spread

Hi there! It's Friday again and time for another video! This time I'm making an art journaling spread inspired by a canvas I did earlier. 

From the beginning of the year I started to try to grab some time to make fun things. I cut back my design assignments in order to have time for just to create. Some of that time I've been using to paint. This particular spread was inspired by one of the canvases. It was similar to this one I have blogged (link) with the exception of the texture. In the blogged version I was trying to make some quite dimensional texture, but in the inspiration one I just used modeling paste and a texture comb and made these circular shapes. I guess no one is surprised if I say the canvas was in teal, blue and hints of yellow turning to green - my go to palette.

With this spread I played with the idea turning an abstract painting into a background for my art journal and then adding something depictive on top. I'm not totally sure I pulled it off, or if the character just seems to float on top of the background, but it was a fun thing to do. If you want to know how I did the spread, please see the process video below.

I've listed the materials underneath the next photo, if you want to check something out or re-create something similar. You can also find the materials list in the description box of the video.

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Materials: 

Finnabair art daily journal

Fabriano - Accademia 160g cardstock

Prima Marketing - Art Basics Modeling paste

PaperArtsy - Fresco Finish acrylic paint Snowflake, Baltic Blue, Blue Moon, Zesty Zing

PaperArtsy - W3 stamp set

Ranger - Archival Ink Jet Black

Posca - Uniposca marker PC-1M black, blue, PC-3M white, apricot, PC-5M aqua green

Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Transparent things TH94241

Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Paperdolls TH93555

A.B.Studio - Cream sheet 6 "Do what you want"

Ranger - Distress watercolor pencils set 1

Korttipaja - Sanasuikaleita #1

black buttons

double sided adhesive sheet, double sided tape, foam tape, craft glue

palette knife, paper cutter, scissors, brushes, circle ruler

Sewing Circle - PaperArtsy

Hello again! Another day, another set of ATCs! But as you can see, these differ quite heavily from the ones I shared yesterday! 

This set is made for PaperArtsy and is a part of a new blog topic called "With 3 things". In this format three members of the design team are sent almost the same ingredients to create a little project with. The joy is in seeing how different the projects turn out - even with three same core ingredients! You can explore the posts with this topic (link).

My three things were a stamp set "Buttons 4", "Tall Heart" die and Fresco Finish Frosting Glace. The latter was a new product for me, but the little note with the parcel provided info that all it took to lit my imagination. The combination of "small" and a product that would turn plastic resemble sand-blasted glass let to see though ATCs. If you want to see how I made these, please visit the PaperArtsy blog (link) or my Instagram (link) as I will post a Reel there.

These ATCs are up for swaps and grabs as well. But I need to say that the PaperArtsy post went live yesterday and I offered them there, too, so the risk is that they are all gone. But in case you want to inquire one, please send me an email. Address is on the side bar there. 

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a pleasant day!

Materials: PaperArtsy, Ranger

Spring hopes and blooms - a set of ATCs

Moikka moi! It's a new week again and some new projects to be blogged! I'm starting this week with a set of ATCs.

These ladies make me think about flower power of the 70's. I also love the vibrant colors and the lush leaves. The focal points as well as the sticker leaves in the background are from a PET tape by My Indie Co. I bought a roll last year and have then gradually been using it. This is now the second set of ATCs with this imagery. 

For these cards I created the background using watercolors. I first added different green with 'wet on wet' and after those pools of color had dried, I then painted some leaf shapes on top. Not sure you can make out any of those in the finished cards, though! I used the watercolors also to create some blooms to be used as decorations. For those I took inspiration from this piece (link) I created after the lesson by Tiare Smith in One BADASS art journal. 

As usual, if you'd like to receive one of these or swap them, please let me know! 

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Wishing you a wonderful day!

Materials: Prima Marketing, Tim Holtz, My Indie Co, Posca