A little bird told me

I quit work early yesterday after too many hours in zoom this week. I couldn´t wait to pull out my supplies and start working on a card for two extremely inspiring challenges that combines so well. Over at The Card Concept there is this lovely inspirational photo with beautiful colors and, in the background, two pictures of owls (I love owls!!!). On SCS this week´s Free for All the challenge is to bring your happy on and use things that makes you happy (Owls make me happy, and watercoloring, and doodling...) So a card with an owl it is using my favorite techniques.

I started with loosly sketching the contour before hitting it with my black pen. Then I colored the segments with blue and green watercolor. I tried to mix a nice orange/coral shade, but failed so I went with my Opera Rose pink color. Then I doodled away. So much fun!!!

I can´t say the process went uninterrupted... I have a cat and she is very social... But this time I didn´t have wet acrylic paint on the desk...

I painted a watery background with paynes grey and added white dots with my Signo. then I doodled a simple frame. Stamped the sentiment and the pink stains. Done. I really like this card because I was truly happy making it. :)

Here is the inspiration photo from The Card Concept:

I used the mixed media style using watercolors, ink and pencils and a clean and graphic design.

Thanks for stopping by!

Get Well

I had a somewhat chaotic evening yesterday making a card (this one) and though it was bedtime, I had to calm down and  decided to make another card with no acrylic paint involved. :) Instead I turned to some old favorites - Heartfelt creations paper and odd stamps of unknown brands. Very relaxing.

I used this week's sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge:

My card from last week for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge was chosen as one of the top three and that totally made my day! Thank you!

And something else that made me very happy yesterday was the major event that my blog got it's very first follower. Thank you!!!

It's Friday so I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Acrylic paint fun

 Hi!

Last night I turned my craft space into a total mess trying out a new technique for a technique challenge "Lift the paint"  over at Splitcoast stampers. I had so much fun at first, making the background. I used acrylic paints - yellow occra, black, white and copper metallic and added it randomly with my palette knife on a piece of thick watercolor paper. Then, on the wet paint, I placed a stencil and wiped off paint with baby wipes. 

This is when things went south. My cat jumped up on my working space. It´s hard to describe our reactions but let´s say we had a little chase before I got hold of her. Then I spent quite some time to clean the cat, the floor and my working space (where I had thrown stencil and baby wipe with wet paint away when she surprised me with her visit). Oh my! The stencil will never be it's old self again, the paint had dried when finally getting back to it. On the good side, the cat stayed on the floor during our exercise and left no stains on any of my furniture except the desk. :)

Back to the card making I had a background that I actually like. It is a bit artsy and the copper metallic is beautiful. But I couldn't for my life make a card out of it. I spent like two hours trying out different approaches. Stamped quite a few images, colored and fussy cut, made die cuts, tried different decorations... Well, finally I pulled out a sketch that I really like from Tuesday Morning Sketches and simply added some of the decorations I had on my now crowded work space. 

It's a card. It has an intresting background. I learnt a lot. That is all good. :)

Here is the sketch:

Thanks for stopping by!

Watercolor daffodil

 

Hi! Yesterday I signed up to splitcoast stampers (again). I removed my old account years ago so I started fresh and oh my how I love that place. The challenges are awesome and participating in many of them gives you learning opportunities. Like the Watercolor Wednesday. In the WCW039 you are provided with a daffodil watercolor tutorial on Youtube and off you go. :)

I loosley sketched a daffodil and a bud (looove the bud) and tried to follow the instructions. Well, it didn´t work that well, I tried to fix things on the flower all the time and ended up with too heavy coats of colors. It´s my technique that needs to improve, and I need to stop painting to keep the watercolor look instead of adding more layers, but I also need some new watercolors and brushes. My 25 year old Windsor Newton cad Yellow is dry and not very happy loosing it's pigments... 

Anyway, I learnt a lot doing this, including using salt... Need more experimenting with that, but I think it gives a nice effect (can you see it?). Over all I'm happy about this card. It was FUN to do.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thinking of you

 Hi there! I combined not two but three of my favorite things to do: watercoloring, card making and doodling. It's a first try combining this so be gentle! :) 

I simply added water color splashes randomly on my paper in red/pink/corall and greens and when dry I doodled away trying to find flower and leaf shapes. Very fun and  intuitive. Didn't know when I started how it would turn out but it's ok for a first try I think.

This is a one layer card for this week's challenge over at Less is More. This time I used flowers (the other day I did another card for this challenge but when writing up the blogpost I realized I had totally gone happy crazy about the one layer part (LOVE THAT) and totally missed the flower part... 

I was so inspired by the inspiration photo from Just Add Ink. The coral colorss went a little bit too yellowish but hey, I'm learning!

Thanks for stopping by!

Life

 Here comes another card from yesterday's therapy card making session. I found this perfect pair of challenges: Sketch with optional twist watercolors from AAA Cards and One layer card from Less is more.

Here is the sketch from AAA Cards:

And the prompt from Less is More:

Do you see any problems with this one... :) I was so inspired with the One Layer part of the challenge that I totally missed the flowers... Well, another card will be coming - with flowers.

This card is part of my journey to learn how to paint with my watercolors. That journey includes watching and trying to paint from loads and loads of Youtube videos. This one was not only inspired but a try to reproduce the painting from this video.

Thanks for stopping by!

Another Hello card

 Hi!

Happy Sunday!!!

I've had a wonderful week. My son came home for a few days visit from the ski resort where he works during winter. I haven't seen him since early december and during that time he he's turned 20. Time flies!!! He went back yesterday and I've filled the emptiness with some therapy card making and watercolor painting.

I made another Hello card. Very versitile and can be used for anything... 

I wanted to play with the amazing colors of this week's Sunday Stamps challenge. A bit out of my comfort zone, I tend to make more soft colors or blue tones and that became very clear to me when going through my paper. Didn't have any orange, but I used distress inks for coloring the stamps.

I used Aster stamps and dies from Heartfelt Creations, more old favourites! 

Here is the inspirational image - amazing colors!!!

I was also inspired by this sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches.

Thanks for stopping by!

Congratulations

 My mom asked me to make a birthday card for one of her friends. I went with a little vintage look (at least I tried) :) and a cute girl who could be taken for being from the 50's. Maybe. I like all the components and the design (based on this week's sketch over at Retro Rubber Challenges) and papers. But I went a little heavy with the flowers in the left corner and the card didn't come out as I imagined it. Well, the laydy who will recieve it doesn't know whats in my head and my mom loves everything I do, so...

Retro rubber challenges is all about using your old stamps combined with fun challenges so it's a perfect fit for me. I haven't bought anything card crafting related in years. The girl on this card is from Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps from around 2012-13, The flowers are Heartfelt Creations 2011 (I found cards from back then on my old blog) and the sentiment is The Rubber Café 2014.  

Over to my latest watercolor experiment. The doodlewash promt was Black Swan. And this one includes my very first try to paint water. Oh My! I learnt a lot doing this, among other things the need of practice and the need of a good tutorial (which I'm on the hunt for).

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello

Last night I played with one of my all time favourite flower stamps. It's like 10 years and still in good shape. And to make it even more fun, I used one of the paper pads I've been hording forever. It's from 2012. I have saved most of the papers for something special. Well, starting to make cards again feels special... :)

I used layers and loads of dimension tape to make the flower stand out.

The card was inspired by the Lovely sketch of the week over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

And I also used a circle for the Make the Cards Challenge: Circles.

Over to my watercolor endevour - yesterday´s promt was Bread. I love foccacia so I tried with that.

That´s it. Thanks for stopping by!

Just thinking about you today

I inked up some favourites from Heartfelt Creations today. I adore this little bird and I was known for over using it back then. But now it hasn't seen ink for years so I think I'm home free. 

I was inspired by a lovely sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello Wonderful

I've been having some fun with my watercolors lately. Found the lovely Just Add Ink blog with a Just add a blended background challenge. :) So, watercolors, distress ink and a very old but actually working Ink Spray made a total mess of my desk.

I used a great sketch from Sunday Stamps for inspiration.

My mission to learn to use my watercolors continue. It's a struggle. But I've decided to follow the  #doodlewashFebruary2021 art challenge til the bitter end. Today's promt is to paint shadows.

I'ts ok, I think. I'm new.... Yesterday's promt was squrrel and that was hard! First I thought I wouldn't post it, but hey - that is the quite opposite of the intention of this blog. Create, document, have fun - no stress! :) So here it is.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

I used to paint with my water colors 30+ years ago when in my teens. I've had them all this time, sometimes using them for coloring my stamps (but mostly I used distress inks). Now I've got me some water color paper and want to learn. I have a lot of Learning to do! :) I signed up to the Doodlewash Community earlier today after browsing pinterest finding beautiful art and a monthly challenge. The challenge is perfect for me. Every day a prompt about what to paint. Today is a cup. And here is my go.

I'm working on not being critical but instead focus on actually paint (and not only browse pinterest dreaming about what to do) and my learning process. And from that point of view I'm happy. :)

Happy Mail

This is the last stamp I bought way back, and never used. It was a true joy to ink it up. Made a card for a long lost card making friend trying to re-connect. Wish me luck! :) 

I was inspired by two challenges: AAA Cards #183 One Corner, and Casology week 383:Envelope. I know, the envelopes are tiny, but they are there... :)

Thanks for stopping by!

New blog, new creative life... maybe...

 It's strange how life changes. Six years ago, I was into scrapbooking and card making big time. I had difficulties understanding the concept of creative blocks. I saw friends from the scrapbooking community leave, not to be seen again. Blogs I had been following for years and years suddenly stopped updating and so forth. I found it really strange and thought it could never happen to me. But it did. For the last five years I've not touched my stamps and papers except for a sell out of a big part of my stash when moving to a new apartment. 

Did I miss it? Not really. There were to many things going on in my life to bother. And to be honest, I think the last years before putting my stamps down, I put too much pressure on me. Being on several design teams, deadlines to be met, competition, create, get published, share, get likes and comments... it finally took the fun away. Until it was too much. Then I stopped. Just like that.

And now, for a few weeks, I feel the urge to create again. I'm rusty. I don't have much stash (Thank God I never sold the basic tools and my favorite stamps!!!) But I have what counts - some energy and longing to create. I started with some doodling, and I've been doodling like crazy. Then I started to color my doodling... And yesterday I made my first card. It's for my mom. She's turning 71 tomorrow and she will be over the moon happy to, again, receive a hand made card. 

I doodled some poppies and colored them with water colors. And that's it. :) Happy and trying not to be too critical of my long neglected coloring skills. It's a struggle, I tell you! Working on it. Need to improve on my photo technique, and, more important, take photos in daylight.

I started this new blog instead of continuing my old one. I need a fresh start, I want a place to document the things I do, have the possibility to share what I do when I like, and most importantly, have no pressure from my past. Just have fun. And right now, I'm having fun!

Some things don't change... I do love card challenges... So, I will enter this card in this month's The Paper Funday Challenges. Anything goes, perfect fit.