There are days...

Sometimes there are days when words simply can't express certain things...

Alan Alda once said: "The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition."

Exactly.



As you can see, I used all sorts of elements from my favorite "junk" collection.
I added delicious colors with Glimmer Mists and acrylic paints plus some gesso.

How about you?
Do you sometimes listen to that little voice in your head?
Don't you think we should be doing it more often?

Hugs, dear friends...

Hot pink? Yes please!

Last week I posted project inspired by my visit in Avoca Woolen Mills and my new blanket - it's colors to be exact :) When I started thinking on this project I didn't expect it will stay on my mind that long - but it did! After the first layout came one more and one more... And then I realized this hot pink color was probably the reason. Can you believe?
Well - this is number 3: mostly painted with Distress Inks, finished with pencil and stamping. Full of leftovers of leftovers from my desk. What can I say? I had wicked time creating it!

Supplies: 

Prima Marketing: Elementals - Stencil (Doily), 12x12 Resist Canvas Sheet - Checkered, Vintage Vanity - Stamps, Mechanicals - Bottle caps, Mini Flowers, Medium Trinkets. Ranger: Archival Ink - Jet Black, Distress Inks: Broken China, Brushed Corduroy, Shabby Shutters and Picked Raspberry. WOW - Clear Embossing Powder. Sizzix dies - click here for more info. Tea stain. Ecoline - Black. Soft pencil. White base. Scraps of white cardstock, tags, yarn, lace, paper clips and staples. 

Here are the details, if you want a closer look - more info you will also find here, on Sizzix.uk blog! 

Thank you so much for coming back to my blog and all the comments here and on my FB page. I aprecciate it - you really make my heart sing!

Wishing you a great creative time

Imagine the Sea...

Hello, friends.
Everything you can imagine is real...they say...
I totally agree. That's why I love my Imagine class so much!
Today, let's sit down and imagine the deep blue sea...





The materials I used on this canvas are of course my beloved Mechanicals, Sunrise Sunset epoxy stickers, gesso and Luminarte's Primary Elements pigments.

So...can you hear the waves? ;)
What will you Imagine this week?

Hugs, dear Friends

Inspiration: Avoca Blanket - woolen beauty and small challenge!

There are some places you love to visit and there are some things on the "wishlist" you are very happy to tick off. When I was the very first time in Ireland 8 years ago we were visiting Avoca Woolen Mills - which were smaller and less commercial than now. I loved this place: colours, buildings, smell of wool which for me is the essence of ultimate cosiness. I promised myself one day I will buy one of these insanely colourful blankets for my home.
In September my parents were visiting us and we've decided to visit Avoca Mills again. The experience was slightly different from the first time, but I loved it anyway. Again - the magic of colour and smell worked for me:) I took tons of photos - this place was literally asking for it!

Ok, enough...
This time I bought a blanket of course - now way I could resist for a second time! I took it home and after a few days looking at the pattern and color scheme ideas started coming to my mind... For a few days i got slightly obsessed with olive green, brown, turquoise and hot fuchsia pink...

Uhmm, the smell of woolen blanket...
Ok, anyway:
I was looking for the right color palette and elements - finally I decided to play with Distress Ink Pads - luckly I had all the needed colors at home (ehm... what a surprise) and I was ready to create my own, colorful, Avoca-blanket inspired background for my layout! It didn't take me long, really - some old labels, some pieces of the Avoca leaflet, and some hot pink yarn I got from one of my lovely students - and here it was, done!

I started with Distress Inks, then I continued with layers of paper - Vintage Vanity A4 Pad and Messy Head Collection - some doilies, labels, tags, veil, buttons, even some 3D Foam Squares from Scrapbook Adhesives...

Finishing touches were done with Ecolines, Archival Ink and Threading Stamp followed with a bit pencil doodles. I'm not a master of doodling for sure - but who cares? :)

Can you see this cute little woolen heart in a bottle cap? This is also a gift from my student - Lucky me! It was just perfect for this project!

If only the story ended here. But no!
The same night, using almost the same supplies I created another layout - and - heaven forgive! - I had the will to do far more! These colours and yarn and layers made something bad to my head, really!

And some details - this time with "Seamstress" stamp from my new collection and more of Checkered Resist Canvas Sheet from Elementals...

Seriously, it was hard to stop.
I have to admit there is one more waiting in a row - but I want you to have a deeper breath after this colour explosion on the blog today:) I will leave you with adorable video about Avoca Mills - enjoy! I hope now you will understand my small woolen madness;)

Avoca Mill since 1723 from Avoca Ireland on Vimeo.
.

And maybe you want to try this color palette too? I'd love to see your interpretation!
The colours I used for my Project were: Broken China, Brushed Corduroy, Shabby Shutters and Picked Raspberry. Feel free to leave me a link if you will decide to try - maybe I will have a small surprise for you?
Waiting for your projects!

Shortie: Autumn Greeting Card - mini tutorial:)

Today I've posted Autumn Greeting Card here, on Sizzix blog. It is one of these projects where I have to really challenge myself - I don't feel confident working on small projects, as you know. I have the feeling there is not enough space for all my layers so instead of spreading I always try to compensate it with dimension... Is it practical? Probably not, but most of my life is unpractical, random and surprising - even for myself!

You will find an idea like this and some more - from me and fellow bloggers - everyday on Sizzix blog, so if you are not familiar with this place - be sure to visit us :)

And now - something I was working on secretly, especially for you - new "Shortie"!

Shortie: Autumn Greeting Card

Supplies - click for links:
Prima Marketing: Vintage Vanity A4 Journaling Pad, Mechanicals - Pendants, Roses, Leaves, Large Flowers. Paper roses. Sizzix dies (click here for more info). Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L: E-Z Runner, 3D Foam Squares. Lace, trim, staples, some findings such as buttons, pins, metal elements. Craft Glue. Card Base - cream paper.

So here we go!

First we need to start with gathering the supplies - a mixture of Mechanicals, vintage buttons, lace, pins and paper flowers was perfect for me. I distressed my papers (Vintage Vanity Collection) and chose some bigger and smaller flowers.

Time for cutting and tearing into pieces - it's my favorite technique of altering things, you know... Next I started  to glue the layers together and creating the biggest element - the "mechanical" flower.

Now a lot of gluing and adding more layers... "More is more" in most of my projects - I am sure i can always one or 2 small pieces, no matter what I do!

Finally - time to glue the paper on the base and add some "finishing touches" - a bit of tea stain here and the won't hurt, right?

If  you are wondering where you can get the supplies designed by me - all in one place - as well as some exciting paints, pastes, gels and sprays - jump into our Mixed Media Place - "Prima" shelves are almost full now and more other stuff is coming :)

I hope you like  the project - and If so - feel free to share it wherever you like (linking to my page, if possible). I'd love to see your creations based on this "Shortie" too! Any wishes for the next one? ;))

hugs!

Altered Steampunk Horse - my way :)

I'm probably obsessed with horses. I really suspected it happened somewhere in the past, maybe in the moment when my parents politely explained to 4-year-old me I won't get a pony. Ever. Ponies won't live in the apartment, neither int he bathroom or on balcony. Yes...I think it could be it...
Fact is fact - hoses were always on my mind and no wonder when i was in Sweden I was going crazy to buy one or 2 nice Dala Horses - for display, for altering. I couldn't resist!
Speaking about horses - in Stockholm I was also horse-focused collage class: "Everyday Treasures" where we try different ways of altering using a lot of Primary Elements and Silks, Heavy Gel Medium and of course my favorite Mechanicals.
Here is the final effect - my class sample in black, turquoise, key lime and silver. I LOVE this color set!

Supply list:

Prima Marketing: selection of Mechanicals: Small Roman Numbers, Mini Flowers, Roses, Gear, Clock Face Small, Leaves, Large Flowers, Clock Elements. Luminarte: Primary Elements - pigments, Silks Acrylic Glazes, Chipboard Horse from Scrap Matrix,  Heavy Gel - Gloss, texture tools.

Here are some close-ups:
I love the texture of all kinds of fabric layered in the background - the effect is just amazing...

Silks on chipboard, wood and metal - you can't go wrong, right?

Most of the supplies for creating similar project you can find in Mixed Media Place - online store with exciting range of paints, gels, pastes and tools... and "Everything Finnabair" including my 7 Dots Studio and Prima products.
As I was posting not long ago - the shop moved from Poland to Ireland but the range of product didn't change much:) We  are working on adding new ones and re-filling the stock for you now - starting with Prima Vintage Vanity Stamps, Journals and papers, Elementals - Canvases and Stencils and new range of Mechanicals. For specific products used in this collage - please see supply list below the main photo!

I wish you a great, creative day... now off to unpacking!

Edgar Allan

Hi, everyone!
November is just around the corner. So is Halloween and gloomy early evenings.
It makes just perfect timing and excellent inspiration for my new art journal pages.

This journal is a round robin one belonging to my friend Belladonna who had us all create pages inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe.

So get ready for The Fall of the Usher House by Finnabair... ;)




I really love some dramatic atmosphere and totally enjoyed conveying the complex nature of the main character.





The stamps I used come from my Vintage Vanity collection.

Well, autumn is here to stay so let's make it a creative one!
Sending you hugs!

My Art Journey

Hi, everyone!
If I were to write about my art journey, it would take a reaaally long post... ;)
So today let me just show you my visual take on the theme.




This layout is a project made for Harsh & Soft class from my Industrial Baroque series of workshops.
I love this class because that's when I can convince you that grunge can be feminine, eclectic and a little wild. :)





Supplies I used here are: my Mechanicals embellishments (including metal labels), pieces of various resist canvas from my Elementals collection, gesso and LuminArte paints.




Harsh & Soft class is also about looking at embellishments and everyday objects with a fresh eye.
Which is exactly what I did here.
And here's a question for you - who doesn't like a good guessing game, right? ;) -
When you look closer at the plastic gear right between my photo and the "journey" label - can you guess where it came from?
Hint, hint: it's a part from one of well-known and widely used craft tools...
Any ideas, dear friends? :)


[EDIT]: So, yes - you guessed! The gear came from the inside of E-Z Runner by Scrapbook Adhesives. Well-done guessing! ;)

Have an artful weekend!
Hugs

p.s. In case you missed this week's big news, hop over and read why Andrew and I are so thrilled! ;)

Our new "baby": Mixed Media Place - online store has arrived!

Hi friends!
I was quiet last days for a good reason again... I've got a wonderful news to share with you!
We've decided to take another challenge in our life and start running an online store - one with all my favorite products, my own designs and anything that can be related with the classes I teach for my and my students convenience :)
And you know what - the dream came true again- my husband decided to join me on this trip and our friend Tusia gave us a hand - and this way Mixed Media Place - European Mixed-Media online store opened again - in Ireland. We are so very happy and excited - you can only imagine!

So, first of all - let me introduce you to the team:
it's my husband Andrew, who will take care of the store and orders, me, Finn,  - the one for supplying the store in new, inspiring products and helping a bit and last but not least our great DT - Agnieszka Anna, Anai, Czekoczyna, Justi and Tusia. All the girls will as always post their great posts on the Mixed Media Place Blog - make sure you will visit us from time to time to have a peek on the new arrivals, projects and regular challenges or just to say hi to us all!:)

And what else? Those of you who already know Mixed Media Place will only see few changes - there are as always our facebook page, twitter and pinterest waiting for you - all are worth visiting - with lots of inspirations and information there.

Of course there are some changes - the main one will be shipping method and prices. You can always find the estimated shipping price for your orders here - in Delivery Information which shows estimated prices with shipping by Irish Post - An Post. All the international shippings will have a tracking option for your safety and convenience and as we discovered - it is cheaper to break the heavy orders into smaller ones, under 2kg, so we will be happy to do it for you - if possible:)
All the other functions of the shop including ways of payment, changing languages, currencies, weight-based shipping costs remain the same - if you want to learn more have a look into our FAQ section!

We've also prepared a lot of new products in the store - and we can promise there is more coming!
So far you can find a large number of my new Prima products from Vintage Vanity Collection: clear stamps,  Small Mixed-Media Journal and A4 Journaling Pad. There are Elementals - Stencils and Resist Canvases ( strips and 12x12 sheets) and finally - more of my beloved Mechanicals! :)
Here is a small teaser for you...

Of course - please keep your fingers and toes crossed for us - as as always with new projects we will need it for sure!
Take a minute and peek into the store - and if you are looking for a product and would like to find it there - send us a message and we will see what we can do for you!
hug hugs from excited as hell or two...