Getting into mixed media

It has taken me a year to look at videos, read blogs and scrol through hundreds of photos and dozens of websites to finally take the first proper steps into the world of mixed media. I ordered a few new bottles and cans of magic, took my gear to the basement where we have an awesome wood crafts room the original owner of the house has built, and had so much fun!

I had been reading and learninng so much, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Layer of this - layer of that - and a lot of drying time in between. My inspiration for the work is from a post by Solange Marques's Altered bottles and tea pots. I simply fell in love with those bottles. And now I've got myself some too. 

It's my friend´s birthday this weekend, so I decided to give the first bottle to her and made a matching card to go with it. Rather happy with both of them, eventhough there are so many things I'd do differently next time. I suppose it's a learning curve, just like anything. 

And some detail photos: 

The sentiment is from KaiserCraft Blue Bay paper pad. 

As I often do, I added a few pieces of Paua shell to remind of my New Zealand part

Sentiment from Graphic 45 Artisan Style chipboards

So much more to play with! 

Materials used: Old bottle
White Gesso
Finnabair Art Extravagance Texture Paste, White Crackle
White acrylic paint 
Turquoise acrylic paint
Ranger Perfect pearls Perfect copper
Ranger Glossy accent
Die cut butterfly is a gift from a friend 
Graphic45 Artisan Style 2 chipboards
Graphic45 Artisan Style 2 Rubber stamps by Hampton Art
Sizzix Tim Holts Tiny Tattered Florals die
Scrapiniec chipboard
KaiserCraft Blue Bay paper pad sentiment
Ribbon and twine from my stash
Paua shells from New Zealand 

So happy with my first ever mixed media project, I dare to submit it to the Anything but cute - May challenge. The theme - celebrate your style - is perfect, as I feel the new techniques just took my work to a completely new level, yet staying true to my style. 

If you're into mixed media, Anything but cute is a page worth of visiting, they have some awesome blog posts under the "learn from the best". 

Thanks for visiting, and if you did read all this, please do leave a comment too :) I love getting the comments and feedback. 

Summer wedding

Is there anything more romantic than a summer wedding? This card is made with Pion Design Vintage Wedding collection, the perfect summer wedding papers, aren't they!

I used the Tim Holts Alterations Collection Mixed Media 2 die to make the pattern on the background. I lightly distressed the edges of each layer for added depth. 

I used Wild Orchic Craft flowers and a couple of roses I made myself with the Tim Holtz spiral flowers die. Lastly I wrapped some white and green thread around the flowers. 

I just love using chipboards on my cards, I like the natural wooden impression they have. This couple is from Scrapiniec 

Materials used: 

Pion Design Vintage Wedding Collection

Tim Holtz Alterations Collection Mixed Media 2 die

Sizzix Tim Holtz Spiral Flowers die

Wild Orchid Craft roses

Sizzix Leafy Lane

Distress ink

Scrapiniec chipboard
Liquid Pearls 

Birds return

I have long been admiring the beautiful mixed media works people do. I really like the idea of combining textures and layering. My style is a lot more simple than most really good mixed media artists, thus my first shy try on mixed media looks, well, true to my style :)

I took inspiration for the colours from the Paper Players colour challenge this week. It's been a long while since I last played there, so it's about the time!

Materials I used for the cards

6x6 cardstock

colour cardstock 

Tim Holtz Bird Crazy stamps 

Sizzix Tim Holtz Bird Crazy dies

Tim Holtz Flower Garden stamps

Distress Inks & Markers 

Liquid Pearl, white to accent the eyes 

I submit the cardset to the Papar Players Colour Challenge #290.

Spring flowers

Last night I had told my husband I'd be in my crafts room making cards. I bit later he came in with a look of amazement "did I just hear your sewing machine?" A little bit earlier I had been in the basement with a saw and big wooden box working on another project.. Who said papercrafting is just cutting and clueing :) 

Another inspiring challenge at Pion Desing this month with their new collection Flowers of Provence. I still have a high pile of old spring collections, so to use up those, I made a set of cards for the challenge. 

Materials: 

Pion Design Fairytale of Spring collection

Wild Orchid Crafts roses

Petaloo Botanical Collection 

Tim Holtz  Alterations Collection Mixed Media 2

Memory Box Tiffany Frame die

Memory Box 

I enter the set of cards to Pion Design April Challenge

Neverending card tutorial

You know the weekend when the weather is bad and you've got nothing but time... and your craftsroom. Happy days! A couple of weeks ago I had the luxury of such weekend, and I wanted to make something special. Here's one of the projects I had wanted to do for a while, a neverending card. It is so awesome, as it just keeps on going.

It looks complicated, but it really isn't. The most difficult part is to make the design, and I recommend you take some time to think about the story you want to tell with your card. Make sure you have some space for text in there too, for all you see is all you get. No backside of the card for the greeting! 

Step 1 

Cut out 4 pieces of cardstock 3x6 inches each
Score each at 1,5 inch from both ends (green line on the image)
fold lightly on the scoreline 

Step 2

Place two pieces horizontally next to each other, add adhesive on the outer corners 

Step 3 

Place one of the remaining pieces on top vertically, making sure
the corners are aligned. The more precise you are here, the better your card will fold. 

Step 4

Repeat with the other side. Now your card is ready for decorating! 

Decorating

Face 1 

Front cover decorations:
4 pieces 1,3/8 x 2,6/8 inch designer paper, horizontal

2 pieces 2,6/8 x 2,6/8 inch designer paper

I also added a small ribbon and bow

Face 2

Decorations:
4 pieces 1,3/8 x 2,6/8 inch designer paper, vertical

2 pieces 2,6/8 x 2,6/8 inch designer paper

Face 3 

Decorations:
4 pieces 1,3/8 x 1,3/8 inch designer paper (yellow corners)

2 pieces 2,6/8 x 2,6/8 inch designer paper

Note: the red paper is actually part of the face 4 so at this face you will only do the corners and two main images. 

Face 4

Decorations:
4 pieces 1,3/8 x 1,3/8 inch designer paper (blue)

2 pieces 2,6/8 x 2,6/8 inch designer paper

I also added some stamp images from the paper collection.

Note: The top and bottom part of the larger squares are visible on the face 3 too. Something to take into consideration when planning your design and adding decoration on this face! 

You can add little embellishments on any face of the card, but make sure they are not too thick for the card to fold. Cut outs from the same paper work well. 

I also like to distress the edges of the designer paper with Distress Ink. I think it gives the card more depth and character. 

Materials I used: 

Graphic 45 Mother Goose collection 8x8 paper pad

Orange cardstock

Little pieces of green and yellow cardstock for framing some of the images

Ribbons

Distress Ink Tea dye for distressing the edges

Douple sided tape

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you found the tutorial useful! Please live a comment, I love to hear from you! 

Easter greetings

It's the time of the year again, when I start to miss the yellows and greens in the nature. It's still a good month at least before we lose all the snow here, so all I can do is to dream and use the colours in my crafting.

Pion Design March Challenge is all about yellows, greens and Easter. What a perfect challenge for my mood! Here's a couple of Easter cards I made for the challenge. The papers are mainly from the collection Fairytale of Spring, which I found at the depths of my Pion Design paper pile.

There's still plenty of time to play, and many gorgeous projects to see behind this link : 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Magic of travel

I love to travel and visit new places. I have lived in many countries and visited even more. When I first saw the Graphic 45 Come away with me - collection, I knew I had to make a selection of travel inspired cards. Here are the first two, and more is to come!

Fabulous me

Art Impressions challenge this week is about paper piecing. Another technique I had not tried before, I like colouring too much. But, as I have said before, the reason I like the challenges is because you have the motivation to try something you might not otherwise try. And maybe even like it!

I stamped the image on patterned papers for the balloon and her dress. I cut them out and attached to the image which I had stamped in normal white paper I use for stamping. Oh so simple, and so nice!

I think I might give the card to my husband being that he so quietly puts up with the ever growing piles of papercrafting materials in my crafts room :)

Materials used: 

Stamp: Art Impressions Tina Set

Papers: Studio Light Paper Pad

Coloured with Distress markers 

I submit the card to Art Impressions challenge #176 

Thanks for popping by and please, do leave a comment! 

Valentine

Valentine's day preparations keep me busy. In Finland Valentine's day is called "Friendship day", so lots of cards for friends too. Here some examples I've made with Pion Design papers. 

Pion Desing Paris Flea Market Collection 

Pion Design Paris Flea Market Collection

Pion Design From My Heart Collection

The inspiration and quite frankly - the whole model for this card I got from Anne at Pion Design's blog today. Can't wait to get my hands on the gorgeous Easter Greetings collection  But for now, I made this card with papers from Vintage Wedding collection. The folded pocket card has a matching tag inside. Such a simple yet super cute idea! Will be making more of these. 

Birthday wishes

In the middle of Valentine's day cardmaking, I made a birthday card for a little boy. In the big box of AI stamps I got from Santa, there was also these cute Front & Backs stamps. I really like the front & backs, they give such a different element to the cards.

The card is 10x15 cm in size, and I decided to make space for some handwritten greetings at the back and leave the opening side blank. 

Materials used: 

Stamps: Art Impressions: Fence, Scarppie Front & Back, Billy Front & Back 

Papers: Studio Light Paper Pad 11 

Coloured with Distress Inks & Markers 

Winter wonderland

Art Impressions challenge this week is about Winter Wonderland. I didn't need to go far for some inspiration, for it was a stunning -32 degrees Celsius today. It is cold for sure, but as my husband says, extreme temperatures, extreme beauty. At the end of this blog, a photo he took in December, when the temperatures hit nearly -40C at the place where we spend most of the winter.

But first to the AI challenge. Santa was very kind to me and got me 2 very generous gift boxes of AI stamps. Among them this heartwarming Fred & Millie stamp. The card is bigger than most of my cards, 15x15cm. I think the extra space was needed this time. 

I added some white Distress Stickles to create frost on the ground and embellishment  

In my little bag of New Zealand Paua shells I found an almost perfect heart shape 

Materials used:
Stamp: AI Fred & Millie

Paper: BG Jovial Blizzard 

Coloured with Distress inks & markers

Tag cut out from Garphic45 Home Sweet Home papers 

I submit the card to AI Challenge #175 

And finally, I promised you to post my husband's photo of the beautiful -40 degrees Celcius. This was taken in Kilpisjärvi, very northern part of Finland. It was during the polar night, when the sun doesn't rise for 6 weeks above the horizon. But, as you can see, it is not dark and terrible, but rather beautiful. If you want to see more of his stunning photos, click the picture, it'll take you to his page. 

Thanks for stopping by, and please leave a comment! 

Little girls

A friend of mine asked me to make a card for a little girl's first birthday. I had just got the Little Sprout stamp on mail and there was the perfect change to try it out. As I often do, I was looking for inspiration online, and Reneë's card was what got me. So here are the two cards I made for my friend to choose from.

Stamp: Art Impressions Little Sprout

Papers: Studio Light Paper Pad 16 & 11

Pion Design My Beloved Sun

Coloured with Distress Inks, as always

Thanks for popping in, I'd like to hear from you so, leave a comment and do return, I have a couple of exciting new projects under work, posting soon!