Watercolor Wednesday - oh my!

 Hi! Today´s watercolor challenge was to do a no line stamping and watercoloring and add abstraction (here is the inspiration youtube video). 

Well, it´s been a struggle, I tell ya! I went through every single stamp pad I own to find the lightest one and I tried out a couple. Didn´t work. Not light enough, whatever I did, the lines showed up. Finally I had to do with my clear ink for embossing. It´s quite thick, so it had a shine for a while so I had to work really fast to find the basic lines. So that is what I did, using fairly easy stamps. Once done coloring, I realized that the image in my head didn´t really match the mood of the result. It turned out a bit scary in my own opinion. Running woman in red dress in the dark.... Well... And THEN I got the brilliant idea to add some splatter to spice it up a bit and maybe make it more whimsical. And used RED (in my head to catch the color of the dress)... Let´s say it´s not my brightest idea ever. Looks like blood... THEN I added some black splashes to counter the red.... And then is when I simply gave up. :)

Oh my! But with the amount of agony and time spent on this, I might as well document it on my blog for rememberance of miserable failures. I'll even tag this post as just that. :) I will not mail this for my friend as planned, I'll send her the card I did the other day instead for the featured stamper challenge (using this card as inspiration).

Well, bed is waiting, I'm exhausted. Take care! :)

Mixed media journal page

Monday - not my favorite... But I have a page that is all about favorites to share. I saw the prompt over at Mixed Media Academy for March "Life is an art, live yours in colors" and thought I´d make a page about what makes my life joyful.

Colors, watercoloring, doodles are some of the most important things for me to light up my life in these very strange times, so I incorporated that in my page. 

Usually I write a lot on my pages, but this time I thought I'd let the colors and the techniques speak for themselves. So I added a lot of watercoloring and doodling, som stenciling with modeling paste and spraying with favorite colors - green and blue. I also added some yellow as a contrast and as my third color from the color challenge. That´s it. :)

Thanks for stopping by, I'm returning to zoom...

Mixed media postcard

 Hi! Mid week already! Time flies by so fast! I try to remember to seize the day, but I´m too often in either the past or in the future forgetting the now. So with that in mind, and hughly inspired by the More than words challenge - incorporate seize -  I made a card for an old friend who I share loads and loads of good (and bad) memories with also saying to us both to seize the day.

I just had some fun, collaging old papers, painting with acrylics, inking with oxide inks, stamping, splashing and what not. :)

I used the lovely sketch from Tuesday morning sketches for my over all design.

Short and quick post on my coffee break, now it´s time to head back. Have a beautiful day and thanks for stopping by!

Hi!

 

I woke up crazy early this morning and choose between cleaning my fridge or making a card. Really tough one...

I made a stencil out of a printed HI! and masked some flowers and colored with watercolors. I used a smooth regular cardstock and I should have gone with another medium, like copics. But I didn't think of that when going for my regular ink pad. Lesson learned. :) The colors on the photo are a bit off, they are more muted and purple irl, and I prefer it that way. 

I´m entering this in Retro Rubber Challenge, anything goes. I used flowers from a Heartfelt Creations set that dates back like 10 years or os. It´s my most used stamp set ever. 

Time to clock in for a day of zoom-meetings. Yay!

Watercolor Tulips and a Smile

We´ve had beautiful weather here today, sunny but a bit cold. We took a long walk along the lake and it was wonderful, just feeling and hearing spring burst around us. Those birds can sing, I tell ya'! So I thought I'd make a spring card for my mom. She's a bit sad that we can't meet up for Easter. Neither of us has gotten our shots yet and she lives six hours away. But I hope this will bring a smile on her face.

Tulips are the most springy flowers I know. And both me and mom loves them and spend way to much money every year feeling the luxury of fresh flowers and spring coming. I painted the tulips with water colors, did some splatters and inked the edges of the watercolor paper. 

I was inspired by this card for today´s featured stamper over at SCS. And I'm entering the card in All sorts challenge - spring flowers.

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Pug Christmas Card

 Happy Saturday! This morning I´ve been working on my stock of 2021 Christmas cards. With this it contains exactly two,.. But, if I do one a week until December I´m good. This one is made for a close friend of my mom's and I've known her all my life. She never had children, but she has always had pugs. Right now she has two and she states that they will be her last. The pugs are her world, so I thought I'd make her a card with a pug. She's gotten some before, but it is quite a few years since the last time, so I think she will be happy.

I was inspired by this pin for todays inspiration challenge over at SCS. I colored with watercolors and the light bulbs got a coat of glossy accent for some shine and texture. I also went over the sentiment with my glitter pen.

I'm entering this card in The Holly And Ivy Christmas Challenge - anything goes.

Last night I finished a journal page I've had in progress during the week. I found these awesome napkins on my shopping spree last weekend. They have the image of a colorful woman that sparked my inspiration. I felt the urge to actually try to paint a person for the first time. I have always been afraid of that but I thought what the heck... So I did. And it was so frustrating and so much fun. 

Yeah, I know, she looks really wierd but I did her all by my self taking another step (patting my shoulder). This journal is all about trying new things, exploring, trying, having fun, and journal about things that matters to me so I don´t care about the result, it's the process that counts. I incorporated the napkin and journaled about inspiration and I used some favorite quotes on the subject. The more personal journaling is tucked away on the tag. The poem by Langston Hughes is an old favorite which I´ve meant to use for a while. I only used the first part.

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful Saturday!

Steampunk mixed media card

 I've been out of my comfort zone having fun all night. And I mean all night, it´s getting late but I couldn't put my crafty supplies down until I had finished this card. Just add ink posted a new challenge today - add steampunk. WHAT! I have never ever in my life made a steampunk project but I knew I had some old never inked up stamps and never used dies somewhere and was really inspired to have a try. It was a blast and I´m quite happy about the result. :) The photos came out a bit wierd. It should be more like silver than white, but I blame it on my home built light box.

I stamped a steampunk inspired background stamp from Heartfelt Creations and inked it up with distress inks and splattered some water over it. Then I cut out a big butterfly from a pasta packaging, added some modeling paste with a stencil and once dry colored it with black acrylic paint and finally inked it with a silver ink pad. I diecut flowers, leafs, gear and chain loops and treated them the same way (except from modeling paste). Then I layered it all on the card. I´m really happy about the chain I built.

I used two stamps - one heart with wings and a butterfly and layered them and colored the butterfly wings with water color. The wings and butterfly finally was painted with a glitter pen and added to the center of the card as contrast to all the grey, black and silver. I chose a butterfly and colored it pink/purple inspired by the Card Concept inspiration photo. The butterfly is small, but I think it shines. 

I´m not happy about the sentiment, but I blame it on the late hours and me getting tired. I just needed to get it done. :) Might change it if possible before I mail it, but it will have to do for now.

Good night!

Some Maremi inspirated fun

 Hi! Today the watercolor challenge over at SCS is going abstract with circles inspired by Maremi's video. Super fun! As always I had this idea in my head but it didn´t really turn out that way. But I´m happy anyway. It was fun and, if I had had a heat gun, also relatively quick. Hope my new one will arrive sooooon!!!!

I painted circles with watercolors and doodled, added a sentiment and a rhinestone, done. It was fun that the inspiration video today was by Maremi, since I´ve been watching her a lot lately. It´s lovely to hear her chatter away on her long videos with inspiration while crafting myself. She is amazing. My own journaling is nothing like hers, and I use it to try things, journal my thoughts with a lot of writing and nothing I would share. But I did try out a page the other day, using her free papers inspired by this and this youtube video. Wasn´t going to put it on my blog, but since the challenge is inspired by Maremi, I could just as well. Be gentle!

Oh, well, I learnt a lot and had tons of fun!!! And since I do put it up on my blog I'm entering it in the Time Out Challenge "Do your thing different". And boy is this different... I never use cut out pre made images, never journal like this with just the intention to make something nice. I always have my writing as the main object and doodle and paint according to that. But I think I´ll try some more non journaling pages in the future. 

 Back to work after a lunch break! Have a great day!

Spring themed cas card

 Hi! Popping in to share the result of a speedy craft session. Worked late and the rest of the evening will be spent in the phone with my boy who is in the process of applying to the university. He has no clue what so ever...

Anyway, the CAS challenge over at SCS is "spring" so I dug out the most spring themed stamp I could find (except all my butterflies...) and the beautiful sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and had 30 minutes of fun.

A really simple card but I like it. Especially since it pracically made itself. I just had to color and fussy cut the stamp and adhere it on a base with a diecut border. :) Both stamp and die cut are from Heartfelt Creations.

Here is the ske4tch:

Wish me luck in keeping me calm when dealing with a stressed out and a bit negative young man.

Take care!

Mixed media tag

 Hope you are having a fantastic Sunday! I have spent the morning hours by my desk making a tag. Today's featured stamper, Layersofink, is an amazing mixes media artist. I was totallaly blown away browsing her gallery. It was really hard to choose which project to case and I started out with this one. In the middle of the first layer of embossing, my heat gun died on me. Totally dead. It´s been one of my closest friends since 2003 and it will be missed. Soooo, I had to start over again and I picked this tag instead. And here is my take.

I kept the lighthouse theme and the glass flakes (can't believe I actually had some, must have gotten them in a DT box ages ago, never used) in the bottom but instead of crackle paint and diecut I used a stamp and modeling paste and glossy accent to get some texture. The background is watercolor paper dipped in watery distress inks - tumbled glass, broken china and some iced spruce. I also added some lace and twine and changed up the design a bit. So, it´s a case, but also  my own. I'm crazy happy about this tag and it will go to my long lost friend who I reconnected with only a few weeks ago. (By sending her this card, actually). 

For the first time for a VERY long time I´ve spent hours shopping. Since my heat gun died, I am in desperate need for a new one. I use it daily, all the time, embossing but more so drying layers of whatever media I use. And since it was a long time ago I went to a store except my local supermarket, I had a long list of things to buy and get fixed. It was very calm down town today, so it was ok, and really nice to catch up on the shopping list. I got it all except a heat gun. It was sold out. I´ve ordered one online, so it will show up in a few days. I will have to endure. :)

I´m enering this in Allsorts Challenge: a stamped image.

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas card in Mars

 We have crazy weather here. Yesterday, while in zoom meeting after zoom  meeting I had to close my blinds for all the sun, and today when I´m free it´s snowing... But it was a good weather for starting building up my Christmas card stash. :) I haven´t sent a home made Christmas card for years, but 2021 will be different. 

I used one of my favorite stamp sets ever from Heartfelt Creations - the poinsettia flowers. I love poinsettias but since I got a cat I can´t anymore. So it´s a good thing to have some beautiful stamps instead. :)

I worked with layers and dimensions and simply things in my stash that I love - the papers (wonderful colors), an old PTI die (favorite) pearls (who doesn´t love pearls...). 

I used this week's sketch from TGIF. It´s a perfect one for layering some flowers. And I was also inspired by the Inspiration challenge over at SCS. This week we visit a rug web shop. And I chose this one. A poinsettia for sure. :)

Now I´m off to wathc Maremi's free youtube class and have some fun. You can find her here.

Have a fab rest of your Saturday!

Doodled cats

 TGIF! This week has been a busy one. I've spent most of it in zoom meetings. Geeeeesh!!! I needed some relax time badly so I made a card. There is no better way! :)

Today´s free for all challenge over at SCS is cats. I don´t have a single cat stamp. Or image. Or anything. And I have a cat... Crazy! I will have to do something about that someday. Right now I'm not into buying anything, trying to use what I have. Well, I doodled some instead just for fun and colored it with watercolors. The background is inked with distress inks.

I made this card for my niece who got a part in the school play and is overly excited. :) So I went for a "spotlight" look and some glitter on stars and the spotlighted cat. The splatters are yellow glimmer mist, so there are even more sparkles there. I need to practice some more with the splatters, it got a bit messy. But I don't think she will mind that, the more sparkles the better according to her. :)

I used the sketch from this week's Fusion challenge. 

I'm also entering this in the Color Crazy Challenge. Lot´s of coloring here. :)

Have a fab Friday!

Watercolor Wednesday - Roses

 Hi! Today´s watercolor challenge was roses. We got this youtube video as inspiration. It looked fairly easy, just paint some c's around the center... Well, let me tell you it was NOT easy to me. I struggled bad. I have this habit of imagining how things should turn out but it seldom does, and absolutly never ever when comes to watercoloring. But that is part of the fun too. Fun trying, fun learning.

I love this sentiment stamp so I knew from the start I wanted to use it. It´s pretty big, so I had to work around it. It got even bigger since I stamped it with a frame. This frame is kind of funny. It comes from the very first clear stamp set I bought 15 years ago. I remember buying it, cause it was CRAZY expencive. The price tag is still on the cover and I would even today concider it expencive. The sad thing is I never ever used it and tried to sell it when I got rid of most of my stamps. Nobody wanted it. I found it the other day going through my storage room in the basement looking for embossing folders. I'm really happy to help this poor stamp fulfill it's purpose and let it taste ink for the first time. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Embossing folder technique

 Hi! Busy Monday today, but after work I had to try the technique challenge over at SCS. We got this youtube tutorial as guidance (and a really good tutorial it is!). One major problem had to be solved before I could start though - did I have any embossing folders??? I sold off most (all?) of them back in the day when I thought I´d never ever make a card again. But down in my storage room I had some left over craft related things. Found three actually. Two with small dots and one with circles. Yay! You have to work with what you've got. But I actually like the one I used. :) A bit grungy feeling.

I painted the watercolor paper with blue and green nuances and when embossed I went over it with my Broken China distress ink. I stamped and colored the dragonfly and coated it with utee so it has a beautiful shine. 

Do you notice the much improved photos? Out of frustration last night I made what is supposed to be a lightbox using old packaging and tape. It is pure ugliness and far from robust, but works ok. I need to get me a two brighter lights and a background white paper and then I´m set for a while. So happy about my craftiness. :)

I'm entering this one in this week's Festive Friday challenge. I used circles, insect and twine. Also green, but it got a bit lost in the process. 

That´s it for tonight! Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday is funday!

 Hi! We have a beautiful weekend here. Yesterday we went to the golf club for the first time of this season, trying to remember how to hit the ball. It was awesome! :) I have also played some with my inks and water colors. First up is a card for today´s featured stamper over at SCS. I cased this card. 

I was going for an "urban" background with pretty happy florals an butterflies as contrast to go with the sentiment. I had so much fun making the bacground. I used shades of blue and grey distress inks. A lot of weathered wood. Water, new layer, some stamping with a "crackled wall" type stamp and a brick wall stencil. There are five layers and I used some decoupage media after the first two layers to seal the light background and first layer of stamping. It was so much fun and I´m really happy how it came out. I used the left over inks with a spray of extra water to dip the sentiment piece for some random staining. 

The flowers and leafs and dies are from Heartfelt creations. Love them. :) And I pulled out my ancient Martha Stewart butterfly punch. Happy to use my stash! 

This other card was done last night for the inspiration challenge at SCS. I used this image as my inspiration because I loved the square design and the doodle like pattern. I used my ruler to make the square design and doodled away randomly. Then colored the squares with my aquarelle pencils. Pure therapy. 

I have to make a light box or something. I can´t take a decent photo for my life! Once upon a time I had a great camera and a big garden so there were always a way to find some good light somewhere. Nowadays no camera and no garden, trying to take photos inside. Will have to work with that. Anyway, now it´s time for some dinner making. Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Thinking of you

 I love it when challenges make you do a special card for a special person. My best friend as a child lived on a farm and every spring it was a joy to play around all the little cute lambs. We had so much fun! We haven´t met in over a year (stupid corona!!!) and when I saw the daily prompt over at Doodlewash: lamb, the Just Add Ink challenge just add L and the awesome colors from the inspirational photo of The Card Concept the card was done in my head. Well, things seldom come out as I picture it. :) But it´s a card with meaning for the reciever and I enjoyed making it.

I really struggled painting the lamb. I wanted it as white as I remember them but it´s really hard with watercolors with the limited skills I have. But I´m happy with the end result. :) I think she got some attitude with the pose... :)

I was totally inspired by the awesome green nuances with the white on the photo inspiration. It´s spring all over it! I tried to make a clean and simple card with graphic design.

That´s it for today! Thanks for stopping by!

Here and now

 I had some fun yesterday playing with my watercolors. First I did a card out of a doodle from some time ago that I colored, cut out and mounted on a cardbase with some patterned paper. Just for fun, love that it is colorful. :)

I'm entering this card in this month's The Paper Funday challenge, anything goes.

Then I worked ahead with Doodlewash promt for march 3rd: Potatoes. Well, I did a couple of potatoes, they turned out, well, braun... boring.... So I went with my guilty pleasure of french fries instead.

My trials and errors continues... Today´s SCS watercolor challente is Hollyhocks. That will be fun! And hard! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Patterned paper fun

 Hi! I pulled out another of my old and cherished 6x6 paper pads and had som fun making my own background, piecing stamped and embossed images together. I reall like how it came out. :)

I got the octagon stamp from a Cocoa Daisy kit and I really love it, so very versatile. Also used a bird from Skipping Stones Design. They don´t seem to be in business anymore, which is sad. I really enjoyed their sets and have quite a few. 

I used this week's sketch from Just Add Ink as inspiration.

Here is another random card where I tried to paint peonies. It was fun and I'll try some more. Need extra practice on leafs... :)

Thanks for stopping by!