Queen of Hearts - (industrial?) mixed-media collage

I did it again:)
Days and hours of work (but how joyful moments they were!), tons of rubbish, paint, embellishments and pure creative pleasure - and here she is - "Queen of Hearts" another big collage that was waiting in a row to come to life. I like the moment when I put the paintbrush back in the bucket and I can say - I'm done... but I love the process of creating even more!

"Queen of Hearts" - 50 x 70 cm (20 x 27,5'') mixed-media collage on canvas

This time the colors meant to be more feminine, soft, but not without  a bit of "industrial coldness", with a lot of shining gold on the top. The photo was chosen long, long ago, when I had the first idea of creating this piece -  I really kept this "baby" in my head for months!

I wanted to get the balance of colors and texture, rich look without  feeling of being too heavy - and I hope I succeeded! Details are very dimensional and taking good photos of them was almost impossible :( I can only promise you it looks better in real life...

Again I think I'm close to  industrial art, cyberpunk art or artistic upcycling but I'm sure you will find a lot of elements that would classify this piece as steampunk collage- with a bit of spiritual feeling. Are the names really important? The finished piece should speak by itself - and I hope this one can touch some strings in your souls... I'd love to hear what you think about my "Queen". Can you please share what comes to your mind? Thanks in advance!

This pile of painted rubbish could only change into collage with a big help of my amazing friends, fans and companies from all over the world :) I'm a collector - I know, but hey - I can't gather THAT much without support, right?

Huge thanks to: my Dad, Linda Brun, Drycha, Rae Cooper (and Scrap Mratix), Wendy Vecchi, Agnieszka Barska (Aniees) and my sweet students from Warsaw, France and USA. Thanks to your gifts, shared collections and open hearts I can create without hesitation as use as much as I need! You are just the best, guys!
Special thanks to Prima Marketing - for the best flowers ever made and releasing my metal embellishments included in this piece - Mechanicals. Prima stencils and Ingvild's Shabby Chic Treasures (birds) are also a very important part of this project!  Huge thanks to Luminarte - for possibility to play with the most amazing color palette ever (Primary Elements and Silks ROCK my world!!!)!
Other supplies: Ranger: Dylussion Sprays, Glossy Accents. Tim Holtz: metal embellishments (crown, keyhole), gel medium, heavy gel medium, black acrylic paint, gesso, fixative.

And... now is your turn, please leave me a comment and share - what comes to your mind, please!
Thanks... and see you soon in USA and Canada!
BTW: Those of you who are attending CHA show in Las Vegas may meet me and the "Queen" somewhere around Prima booth - see you there!

How about a journal today?

Here it is.
My Prima Mixed-media Journal, with a lot, a lot of goodness on the cover... that'ss how we play during "Grungy Spell Book" classes :)
Inspired?

I hope to see you soon - during the classes in USA and Canada or maybe in Vegas, during CHA show? Look for me around Prima booth!
And now I'm off to pack the samples... busy time :)
xoxooxox

Once Upon a Time - mixed-media collage

Honestly, THIS is what I love to create the most.
For me it is the best creative retreat and challenge in one. Perfect moment of creativity.

"Once Upon a Time" (20x20 cm - 8x8'')

And some close-ups:

As always - it is a mixture of everything: Prima paper flowers and embellishments (including my Mechanicals and Ingvild's Junkyard Findings), trinkets, fake jewelry, electronic and electrical elements, can openers, pebbles, trinkets, computer parts, found objects such as light bulbs, gears and other clock elements.
Colours: Luminarte Primary Elements Pigments and Silks Acrylic Glaze.
Most of the products are possible to buy in Mixed-Media Place - my favorite media online store!

Thank you again for stopping by - I hope you enjoyed the project:) Now off to preparing for USA and Canada Tour and making CHA samples...
Have a great creative day!

Sizzix update: Dreams in journal and Good Energy on the layout...

Hi again - time for the Sizzix update :)
In the last days I published a new journal page on Sizzix.UK blog - it is illustration for my story you can read in the post below - about moving, believing in dreams, following my own path.

I had a lot of fun creating the background of this small project - taking all the leftovers from my desk - mostly Sizzix doily cut-outs and masking tape - and covering it all with gesso... on this stage you never know what will happen next, which on one hand makes the process exciting and on the other opens new door and gives endless possibilities.

 This time I could use my new stamps and papers from coming Vintage Vanity line and Printed Canvas from Elementals - all from Prima Marketing of course. All the details including information about dies and some more creative tips you will find here - on Sizzix blog:) 

And if you will dig a bit deeper you will find one more project - "Space, Media, Dimension" layout - the one I created with my students during my class in Massy, Paris (definitely not Brasil, sorry!). It is a striking mixture of white space, 7 Dots Studio (Dreamer Collection and Domestic Goddess Collection), stencils, little bits of Sizzix cut-outs, Mechanicals and epoxy stickers from Prima  and my favorite Luminarte pigments mixed with water. 

Again - more details are here, on Sizzix.uk blog - take a peek or two :) And if you are interested in buying these products-  please remember that most of them is available in Mixed Media Place - here!
See you soon - huge hugs for now!

Dreams coming true - or welcome to Emerald Island.

Maybe this should be the proper title for this far too long blogpost?

Some of you already know - but I wanted to share the news with all of you, partly to excuse my constant absence on the blog and in the social media in the last months. I had a really good reason for being away, quiet and not here - besides travelling and teaching of course.

I was moving.

When I'm saying that, I mean MOVING, with capital letters and all the good and bad things included.  Because, you know, when I'm planning to do something I sometimes go big. Or BIG, really. Possibly because one day in the past I allowed myself to be fearless (sometimes it can be mistaken for careless too) and I am a dreamer... and what is even more scary, I tend to believe dreams can come true... usually if you close your eyes and jump into the big rabbit hole, screaming.

Yeah, that would be me, probably.

So, it wasn't just moving home, all planned, scheduled, packed, prepared  in long distance. No, who, me? Organized??? Impossible. I can reduce my sleep, work my ass off, forget about birthdays, including mine, but I can't tell I'm organized. Chaos is my second name and I've learnt to live with it.
We did it in 2 months - literally. From the moment we've made a decision till the moment we opened the door of our new place passed 8 weeks. And I can only bless my natural ability to push everything forward strong enough to move, including my husband. (Honestly, I think he's sill in kind of shock.)

In these 8 weeks, we've found a place to rent, we've packed all our home including my studio (blessed may be my friends and Mom who helped me tons) and we hired a car to move all of it from our apartment in Warsaw to a new place, over 2200 km away. And in the meantime there were classes, product designing, and everyday life. (I'm not daring to call it NORMAL everyday life. My life is crazy and I try to live with it... nobody's perfect. )

Then, in just a week we had to build everything again from the scratch, unpack and set up in our new home... yes, deadlines were coming, yes I'm lucky to have friends who are willing to help in the case of this kind of emergency. Then there were other challenges: finding all the important places, waiting all the media to be installed, praying for internet to go smooth, making myself comfortable in the new place, learning how to find all my art stuff in the new place, new organization... and getting used to be alone:(
Andrew is still in Warsaw, working, looking after our apartment being redecorated, preparing it for renting... I miss him so much.

So here I am. In Ireland.
The place I loved since I've read the first book of Celtic legend, place that stole my heart completely when we were on our honeymoon trip, driving around the island, smiling like madmen. This is the only place that makes my my heart sing no matter which part of this rainy, cold, windy country I am.
I'm in the beautiful, small town with a round tower and old stone church - and it will only take me few hours now to go to in the places I want to visit again and again. Even driving home through the fields, bushes and sheep walking around wakes up a horde of butterflies in my stomach.
Yes, I'm weird, I  accepted that years ago ;)
I can't wait to go to the sea :)

Can I imagine myself in a small, quiet place like this - no big streets, cinemas, restaurants, crowds of people? Me, big city girl? Yes.
I was feeling I needed a quiet space. Closer to the nature, bigger. And I got it.
I was willing to follow one of my biggest dreams, one that started from a talk I had with my newly-wed husband, sitting on the shore of Atlantic Ocean, somewhere near Dingle Town. Or around.
I've decided I want it more than I'm afraid of it, and - thanks to all powers in the universe - my family just gave up fighting to keep us close, understanding our vision of happiness is different than theirs. And there is no point in stopping us - because our hearts already moved.

I'm in a a dream. Now I only need my husband and dog to come... and my friends and family to visit:) Maybe I'm a really hopeless example of housewife and one of the hardest people to be friends with, but... welcome to my new home:) (Hopefully I'll be in, not travelling or working like crazy at this time, so please check before coming, ok? LOL).

I can't say the house I'm in is my final destination - but it was a huge step in the only direction I could imagine. Please, keep your fingers crossed for us - we will surely need it being  away from everything we've known for all our lives ;) I keep learning a lot, everyday!
xoxoxoxo
Finn

P.S. Mówiąc w skrócie - w ostatnich tygodniach przeprowadziliśmy nasze życie - dom, moje studio w całkiem nowe, ale bardzo ekscytujące miejsce, o którym zawsze w skrytości ducha marzyłam: do Irlandii. Jak zwykle u mnie był to wariacki plan rodem z bajki, którą niewiele osób zrozumie - ale udało się! Z pomocą przyjaciół i najbliższych, walcząc z czasem i zbliżającymi się terminami zapakowaliśmy wszystko, co było na liście, i rozpakowaliśmy w nowych 4 kątach. Po raz kolejny uwierzyłam, że warto zamknąć oczy, i z krzykiem na ustach skoczyć w króliczą norę... Dziękuję wszystkim za wyrozumiałość, cierpliwość i przepraszam, że tak mało jestem ostatnio z Wami - nie mogłam inaczej, było to fizycznie niemożliwe. Teraz, kiedy już wróciłam mniej więcej do normalnego rytmu pracy mam nadzieję, że mnie będę Was zaniedbywać - trzymajcie kciuki aby wszystko pomyślnie się ułożyło :)

Prima Sneak Peeks - Mini Journal and live step-by-step

High time for some more Prima Sneak Peeks!
You could already see most of my new lines: Vintage Vanity, Elementals and more of Mechanicals in the post below... now I'm willing to share some more:)
How about a longer look at the Mini Mixed-Media Journal?  This little brother of my first journal has 10 white, 10 brown and 10 printed pages - and 3 plastic sleeves too! It is handy, durable and... begging to be altered of course!

If you will look closer you will see some of my new Mechanicals on the cover too - Vintage Centers and Gears.

During the Live With Prima on Ustream I created a page inside - and you can see it below together with quite long video, recorded  live:) If you are patient enough and want to see it - step -by-step, just click on the window below :)

I hope to see you back soon - there are some more secrets to be revealed!
hugs

Prima Sneak Peek Time - Vintage Vanity, Elementals and Mechanicals are coming!

Finally!
I hate the moment when I've got something, waiting to be shared, begging me to spill the beans and I simply can't!!! You know this all SECRET thing is killing me :) But now - Prima sneak peeks has started and I can finally share some of my new Prima products coming in July 2013! Woo hoo!

(If you don't mind bad quality, freezing videos and a lot of surprises you can see my broken in pieces Ustream Live with Prima presentation of the collection here, here, here and here. Yeah. THAT many episodes, almost like Brazilian Soap Opera, LOL!)

This time I've got 3 lines coming: 

Elementals :
- Washi Tapes: vintage prints and versatile patterns
- Printed Canvas sheets - 12x12, printed in black and white (vintage and more modern, versatile patterns)
- Matching background clear stamps
- Matching stencils

Vitage Vanity:
 - A4 Journaling Printed Paper Pad: soft, romantic colors perfect for artsy backdrops too.
- 5 x 7.5'' Art Journal: embossed cover to the variety of media pages inside there is something for everyone!
- Matching background clear stamps
- Matching stencils

And of course - some add-ons to the Mechanicals line - great for mixing, matching and all kind of journal, scrapbooking, mixed-media, altered art and jewellery projects:
- Vintage Centers, Washers and Gears
- Labels and Typewriter Keys
- Pendant Elements
- Leaves and Flourishes

And what is more - there is a giveaway on Prima blog, here,  and you can take part in it and learn more about the lines, see inspirational projects and... win of course! Who doesn't like a gift from time to time?

And now, how about some peeks of the first projects I made with my stuff?
Let's start with this "Lucky" layout, including my new Stencils, Stamps, Mechanicals and A4 Paper Pad:

And here you can see the second layout - you can find here my doily Stencil, Background Stamps and again some  Mechanicals and A4 Paper Pad. One of the layers is one of the Elementals - white printed Damask Sheet!

I'd love to hear your opinion - which elements from my collections are the most appealing for you? What else you'd like to see coming in the future? Don't hesitate, let your fantasy flow - anything can happen! I'd love to know what would make you happy :)

July and August 2013 classes - update on USA, Canada and UK!

I'm getting quite a lot questions about classes coming later this Summer:)
I'm so happy you are interested in coming - I've made an update for you with all the current information - in many places aren't any seats left, so if you are planning something please keep that in mind!

Lets's tart with USA and Canada tour:

10-11. 07. 2013 - Little Bird Creations - New York City - USA

Classes: Imagine - collage, Tea for 2 - paper layout, Grungy Spell Book (cover and pages) - journal class

Last seats left! Contact: mluxenberg@hotmail.com

13-14. 07. 2013- Art House Studio - Kitchener, Ontario - Canada

Classes: Imagine - collage, Tea for 2 - paper layout, Grungy Spell Book (cover and pages) - journal class

Last seats left! Contact: thearthousestudio@rogers.com

17-18. 07. 2013 - Clipper Street -  Langley, British Columbia - Canada

Classes: Imagine - collage, Grungy Magic - paper layout, Grungy Spell Book (cover and pages) - journal class

Sold Out. Contact: langley@clipperstreet.com

28-29. 07. 2013 - Scrapbook Island -  San Jose, California - USA

Classes: Imagine - collage - book here,  Grungy Spell Book (cover and pages) - journal class - book here
Last seats left! Contact: scrapbookisland@att.net 

3-4. 08. 2013 - Paper Niche - Davie, Florida - USA

Classes: Imagine - collage, Grungy Magic - paper layout, Grungy Spell Book (cover and pages) - journal class
Last seats left! Contact: customerservice@paperniche.com  

6-8. 08. 2013 - Queen’s Ink - Savage, Maryland - USA

Classes: Imagine - collage, Everyday treasures - collage, Grungy Spell Book (cover and pages) - journal class

Sold Out. Contact: queens@queensink.com

And now classes in the UK:

 

24-25. 08. 2013 - Damselfly Crafts - Glasgow, Scotland (UK)

Last seats left! Contact : 0141 341 0119

30.08-1.09. 2013 - Snazzy's - Wiltshire, UK

Sold Out. Contact: snazzy@snazzysstudio.co.uk

Thank you again for your interest - and see you soon in the classroom!