I have invited a very special artist to share her work with us today! She has been a wonderful inspiration to me since I started blogging and today I'd like to say a BIG thank you to my dear bloggy friend Astrid Maclean for agreeing to being here with us today. A big thank you for bringing joy to others through her gorgeous art and her sweet blog posts.
Astrid shares her work via her lovely blog Astrid's Artistic Efforts. When I visited her blog for the first time it was like discovering a big pot of gold! There is so much creative goodness it will leave you speechless and hungry for more! I would urge you to visit and follow Astrid's blog. You won't regret.
I fell in love with Astrid's style immediately, because she creates the most amazing textures and her colour combinations are out of this world. Have you seen her recent work for the Shimmerz Design team? Oh my, they have made such a good choice when they asked Astrid to design for them. Keep up the good work, Astrid! We love you and your talent! x
We have a lovely interview here for you so enjoy:
What inspires you most to create? / Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes from many different places, nature, other artists, things I see on Pinterest to name but a few.
Do you pre plan your pieces, or are they often the result of just 'going with the flow'?
I hardly ever pre-plan my pieces, I may have a vague idea in my head, or just stumble upon a substrate I think I would like to use, and then I just explore to see what happens. Usually things turn out totally differently from what I might have had in my head anyway.
What is your favourite medium to work with?
I don’t think I have just one favourite medium, but I can pretty much guarantee that Distress products, gesso and textures pastes are always to hand on my craft desk.
Do you have a tool which you couldn't live without?
I could not live without my ink blending tools, I specially love the new small size round ones from Ranger.
What's your craft space like?
My craft space is a corner in a spare room, which we call our study. I share it with my hubby of 42 years, and I have to say, he is pretty tolerant of my mess and ever-expanding drawers full of stash and overflowing piles on the floor. Definitely not a space to show off; I always dream of a dedicated tidy craft room with lots of space….
Do you have a favourite colour combo?
I don’t think I have a favourite combo, but most of my creations have brown on them somewhere. Depending on the time of year and/or my mood, it will be combined with blues, greens or warmer tones.
What is your favourite creation to date?
I find this one impossible to answer, I have absolutely no idea, I like some of my creations or parts of them, and others are failures. For me art is all about the creative process, once it’s done I usually lose interest…..
Astrid kindly made something special for us...
How amazing is this piece? Fancy finding out a little more on how this was created? Hop over to Astrid's blog HERE and read more about the creative process! We absolutely love it, Astrid! THANK YOU very much for sharing this beauty with us and for all your support. Lots of love! x
Thank you so much for stopping by! Today, I would like to introduce (not sure she needs it, really... ) and welcome a wonderful mixed media artist Suzi Blu! I am super-excited that she has agreed to join us here for the day and let us into her arty world by answering a few questions and reminding us how beautifully talented she is...
I absolutely adore Suzi's art! Full stop. I am a girly girl and love drawing & painting faces myself. I also love grunge and texture and Suzi delivers it all!! There is more to Suzi than her gorgeous and inspiring art though. Her energy and free-spirited personality is rather infectious and I find the realness of her very refreshing. I only know Suzi from her YouTube channel and her book 'Mixed Media Girls' (which is brilliant, if you want to learn how to paint whimsical faces...). I would like to invite you to explore Suzi's arty world and find your inspiration, encouragement or whatever else you might be looking for in life.
You can find Suzi on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and her blog . You could also become one of Suzi's Patrons by visiting Suzi's profile on patreon.com via which you can gain access to the Suzi Blu Gypsy Boho A Go-Go Show!
Suzi kindly agreed to answer a few of our questions for us so that you can get to know her a bit more! Check this out...
Where does your inspiration come from?
I started painting to feel. I remember being 27 years old and sitting on the carpet in my one bedroom apartment, painting and crying. I felt everything when I painted: the anguish of being dumped over the phone so my boyfriend could marry someone else, the poignant and bottomless hole I felt in my gut when I visited my parents, my bleak job at the strip club. For some reason when I put brush to canvas, everything inside of me came flooding out. When I create, I heal.
Do you pre-plan your pieces, or are they often the result of just 'going with the flow’?
I used to never plan before I started a new painting, but sometimes now I do. I find that if I choose my palette colors beforehand and have an idea about composition, the end result is more pleasing, but it is still a loose idea. Much of the content of my work is created spontaneously. Too much planning beforehand makes me feel like I am following instructions, even if they are my own. I LOVE the way it feels when I don’t know where I am going and put one mark down, step back, and then decide on the next.
What is your favorite medium to work with?
Being a mixed media artist that is truly hard to say. My go-to medium for faces, which is the most important element in my work, is colored pencils. I can create detail and expression with them that I cannot achieve with a brush. But pencils alone do not give the feel of mixed media that I want. Liquid color, whether it be watercolor, ink, or acrylics, has to be included.
Do you have a tool which you couldn't live without?
Cosmetic sponges. I use them for sopping up too much liquid, dabbing color onto a stencil, and blending colors on a canvas. Cheap and effective.
What's your craft space like?
It is always changing because I am not settled in my own home yet. I have lived with friends the last few years so my studio has consisted of what I can carry around and easily clean up. I find that putting supplies on wheeled carts is the best. I long for a real studio with large windows, however, with enough space so things can be left out.
What is your favorite creation to date?
My first Gypsy Warrior painting - I call the style ‘Abstract Bohemian.” I think it incorporates everything that is new about mixed media. A girl is still the subject matter, but the layers are tighter. It also has a touch of the doodling everyone is doing, but in a refined style. My new work is also distressed without looking grungy. I think this has to do with a lot of the healing that has taken place in my life these last three years. The girls I paint still live a complicated life, but they are more optimistic.
Do you have a favorite colour combo?
I love anything in the violet family. Bluish purples next to magenta. Cool tones with a patch of warmth.
What a treat! I don't know about you, but I feel very inspired and ready to get creating!
A HUGE THANK YOU to Suzi for all her precious time and simply for being a very precious and inspiring beautiful self and sharing it all with us! I hope you have a wonderful arty journey! We shall look forward to seeing more of your gorgeous art! Big hugs! x
Dear sweet reader, don't forget our 'Gorgeous Textures' challenge is still running and there is still time to link up your fabulousity! Have fun creating and crafting and we will be back with a winner announcement and a new challenge next Sunday! Whooohooo! ;)
It's beautiful and sunny here in London and we have a wonderful news to share with you here today on this glorious day! As our blog post title suggests, the one and only mixed media artist DINA WAKLEY is here with us today as our Star Designer and is sharing a little bit about herself! I hope you are as excited as we are!
Many of us know Dina Wakley as a mixed media artist and a teacher and for her awesomely messy art journal pages full of sketchy faces and gorgeous colours. Some of you might know that Dina is also a Ranger Signature Designer and has her own line of products. Have you seen the gorgeous paints and her brushes? Awesome stuff! She also released two fantastic books full of information on how to create your very own beautifully freestyle art. Look for the titles 'Art Journal Freedom' and 'Art Journal Courage'. If you prefer working of a computer then you can download her DVDs and other fab downloads from the North Light Shop or learn from her online workshops. And if this is not enough you can meet Dina Wakley in person when attending one of her classes!! Dina teaches in the UK too! Yay! You can interact with Dina via her social sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or follow her Blog! Enough from me though, let's have a look at some of Dina's creations and find out even more about this wonderful lady...
I'd like to invite you to have a read of our exclusive interview with Dina and learn a bit more about her style, preferences and about her creative processes:
What inspires you most to create? / Where does your inspiration come from?
Everything! But especially art in all its forms. I think the best inspiration is to go to a museum and look at REAL art up close. Get away from Pinterest and get into a museum. Very inspiring.
Do you pre plan your pieces, or are they often the result of just 'going with the flow'?
I never, ever, ever plan anything. Never.
What is your favourite medium to work with?
Acrylic paint and Stabilo All pencil.
Do you have a tool which you couldn't live without?
Tim Holtz scissors. The one ones with the short blades. My son was using them once and said, "wow, these scissors are glorious!", so now we call them the glorious scissors.
What's your craft space like?
A mess! Utilitarian. Paint everywhere. Disorganized.
Do you have a favourite colour combo?
Magenta, Turquoise, Lime Green, Navy.
What is your favourite creation to date?
Besides my three children, my favorite creation is usually whatever I just made last. And...whatever I am going to make tomorrow!
A HUGE thank you to Dina for answering our questions and therefore allowing us to get to know her a bit more! THANK YOU, Dina, for sharing your art with us and for being a wonderful inspiration to us all!
Thank you, dear reader, friend, for stopping by today! We appreciate you joining us and for every comment you might leave. I hope you too enjoy the interaction! If you also like to interact via social media feel free to join us there too...
Get in touch! Have a fabulous Sunday wherever you are! We'll be back soon with more inspiration and exciting news so stay tuned! In the meantime feel free to join my (Ingrid's) current challenge 'Gorgeous Textures'. You can find the link on the side bar.
Dear Friends, Followers, all beautiful crafty souls out there!
Welcome back to Mixed Media World! Today is a very special day for me. If you've been following this blog you know that we run a series that we call 'Star Designers'. The clue is in the name. It is all about inviting and introducing well-known mixed media artists from all around the world not only to talk about their wonderful achievements, to tell you about new products or publications they released, but mainly for them to come to us to connect with you and vice versa! And today really is special and if you are reading this I suggest that you make a cuppa and enjoy!
Today I have a great pleasure of introducing the one and only abstract collage artist...
"The senses become mixed and intertwined in the mind of the artist. Sounds appear in colors, numbers sing songs and frequencies dance in her head. Synesthesia is a crossing of the senses. The paintings and works on paper are a beautiful blending of sounds, science, and nature.
Sandra Duran Wilson comes from a family of artists and scientists. She grew up in a world where everything was possible, where she would look through the microscope in her father’s office and then draw what she saw. Sandra’s early years were spent on the border of Mexico where the people, animals, landscape, drama of the religious rituals, and stories of the curanderas shaped her reality. Years later she would return frequently to Mexico and South America to absorb the culture, traditions, and art. Her spirituality combined with her scientific studies has directed her work from realism to abstract mixed media.
Her work is influenced by abstract scientific concepts in physics, biology and chemistry. The pure fun of exploring what paint can do and her natural curiosity keeps the work fresh and lively. Her work is represented in the US and Australia and is found in many corporate, civic, and educational collections and in private collections worldwide.
She experiments, paints, writes and teaches at her studio in Santa Fe, NM, and also teaches around the US, Europe and Australia. She is the author of five art technique books and several instructional DVDs."
I have been a big fan for quite some time! Sandra and I seem to have one thing in common and that is our love for exploring and using various materials to create interesting textures! I, however, am still learning whereas Sandra has been a professional artist for about 20 years now, released five fantastic books to this date and have enriched many lives by her gorgeous art! If you want to learn about the techniques Sandra uses in her art and have a go at your very own abstract collage you can learn so much just by attending one of Sandra's workshops.
The way she uses textures, colours and adds interest to her artworks is out of this world. If you cannot travel don't worry! There are wonderful books (Alternative Art Surfaces, Mixed Media Revolution, Surface Treatment Workshop, Image Transfer Workshop and her most recent book Acrylic Painting for Encaustic Effects) that you can purchase, learn from and explore in a comfort of your own home! You can purchase all via Amazon and even pre-order her latest book! Christmas or not, I'm buying one!! :)
I must salute Sandra for releasing this book. You ask why... she shares 45 wax free techniques to achieve encaustic effects! She's saving the bees!!! A big virtual hi-five, Sandra! I explained that I bought a small and rather expensive 100g pot of organic bees wax not so long ago, but couldn't stop feeling guilty using it despite the fact I made an inchie to test it ;/ Bees are exploited enough for all their by-products by food, cosmetic and other industries. The art and craft world is huge and we should be a little more considerate with the way we approach encaustic art. Ok, the eco-warrior in me is starting to surface so back to the point. Sandra has done a brilliant job releasing a book on using alternatives and I would like to support and congratulate her on the idea and would like to spread the news. You will find a link to her book on the side bar. Please note, this is not an affiliate link, i.e. I will not get paid when you click on it, I put it there to support the overall idea.
A couple of sample pics you'll find in the book...
Gorgeous! Enough from me though, Sandra has written a wonderful article for you, Ladies and Gentlemen, provided us with an exclusive interview by answering a few of our questions and is sharing a few examples of her gorgeous art. I bet you can't wait and are as excited as I am so here's our little interview....
What inspires you most to create? / Where does your inspiration come from?
Concepts, like ideas in science. I love to experiment and see what materials can be pushed to do. I have a background in science and my studio is like a laboratory, complete with test tubes and a microscope.
Do you pre plan your pieces, or are they often the result of just 'going with the flow'?
Yes and no. If you were to peek inside my sketch books you would see a lot of writing. I am usually working on ideas that I would like to express, like astrophysics on the edge of space. My sketches are very rudimentary and I will often add color concepts. I pull ideas from magazines on architecture and design to inspire me. I may see an interesting color combination in fashion and I jot the idea down in my sketch book. But, when I begin to create the painting often has other plans. I have learned to listen to the painting and follow it where it leads.
Sometimes I just begin with materials and products and push and play until I have something cool to work with.
What is your favourite medium to work with?
Acrylic and all of the wonderful mediums, gels and pastes that go along with acrylics.
Do you have a tool which you couldn't live without?
My hands! I do paint with my hands a lot. I also like to use silicone color shaper tools. I also will grab unusual materials to create texture like cardboard cup holders, wood skewers and deli papers.
What's your craft space like?
I have worked in tiny closet spaces, on my bed, in garages, on the dining room table, the extra room, but now I have a fantastic space where I create and teach. I designed my studio and when we bought this home it was because it had space for the future studio. It has never mattered what the space was like to create-I just needed to create. I am sure you all feel this way too.
Here is a video of my studio
Do you have a favourite colour combo?
I love complimentary colors like blue/turquoise-red/orange or purple, orange and green.
I have a crossing of the senses, synesthesia. When I hear music I see colors and numbers have sounds. Sometimes I paint to specific music or lectures. I did a painting based on Richard Feynmans physics lecture on gravity and space. It is now in the home of a college dean.
What is your favourite creation to date?
Hard to say. I have many favorites but now I am challenging myself with sculptures. I have a few favorites, but they all have new homes. I do keep a few paintings, but I give them to my husband so I am not tempted to sell them.
Sandra also wrote a fab article that we'd like to share with you today:
"I have always sensed things in non-traditional ways. I would “hear” numbers, feel others sensations, see wavelengths and textures always captivated me. I grew up on the border of Texas where my family was all doctors, nurses and healers. The Catholic Church played a big role with the drama of the rituals and the small but colorful churches. I remember someone speaking of eternity and I asked what it was. They said endless space and time. I was probably about 4 or 5 years old, so I had not even developed abstract reasoning. I imagined going out into space beyond the solar system and then there was a brick wall, but what was beyond that? My mind would create all kinds of worlds beyond the walls, but I never got to comprehending eternity. In my work, circles represent this non-linear time.
I sometimes would stand on my head and look at the world upside down. I would imagine walking on the ceiling and having to jump to go through a doorway. Throughout my life, when confronted with a thought dilemma, I would turn my thinking upside down to come up with new answers or lines of thinking.
I grew up with scientists and artists both and was always encouraged to use all of my talents. I learned color mixing sitting next to my great-aunt Santa Duran, who taught me to paint at the age of 5. She showed me how to mix colors, but I always heard and felt them. It was a very intuitive process. Later when I studied science and optics, I would know all about color perceptions and wavelengths, but I would still sense color. I could feel it.
When I was studying science at UNM, I had many statistics classes and experimental science classes. When I would be working with numbers, I would hear songs; and these songs would produce certain colors in my mind. When I would be working in the garden, poems would flow into my mind and I would say them aloud to the plants. This poems led to stories and paintings too. For me, math and numbers were frequencies which were songs that led to colors and the movement and the poems would aid in creating the compositions.
When I am working in my studio I only listen to music or lectures when I want to be influenced by them. The gallery recently sold a painting and the collector wanted to know what I was listening to when I created it. I laughed because I was listening to a lecture by Richard Feynman on the uncertainty of knowing. Some pieces are created in silence and I am hoping to create songs from the paintings. I have been working with a simple online synthesizer but I am looking to collaborate on some future projects.
I see the world as a matrix, sometimes it is moving slowly and I can get a glimpse between the pixels; and sometimes it is moving so fast it is like a blur that takes on a whole new sensation of sound, taste, feel and color. I think I have always experienced altered sensations. As a child I felt I could hear the animals talking to me and the sounds of the breeze, the running water and even the rain had stories to tell me. Math and science are like a poetic language that weaves its way into my work.
Experimenting and mixing things up has intrigued me all of my life and I have always done these things in one way or another. As a jeweler or a bartender, I would stir things up to make new patinas or a new margarita. This is my passion as an artist. My training as an experimental scientist plays out in my experiments. I have written 5 books on art techniques. My favorite book was on alternative surfaces because I really got to explore and experiment with many materials and surfaces not commonly used in art. My first question of the day is always, What if?
The sculptures I am now creating using cast acrylic, resin and steel are a compilation of all the techniques and knowledge I have acquired over the last 30 years of making art. I am using many painting techniques along with developing and creating textures. I am employing my knowledge of printmaking, which is what my fine art degree is in and I am I am continually challenging myself to experiment and explore. The technical challenges keep me intrigued and I have never run out of ideas for making sound and beauty visible."
I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Sandra a little more. The samples of her work we're sharing here are exquisite and I personally would love to get a closer look!
The dimension on the last piece is amazing! I think you'll agree with me when I say that Sandra Duran Wilson certainly is a star in the world of art. Each and of her artworks is a true reflection of her talent and her curious soul. I would like to invite you to explore her website as well as her blog and join her via social media. You will certainly find the inspiration that you crave.
Feel free to say hi and share your thoughts in the comments below, we're look forward to hearing from you!
Seeing all of these wonderful textured wonders created by Sandra I hope you're feeling inspired and ready to create your very own art for our current challenge 'Gorgeous textures'! I can't wait to see what you'll make. Have a quick read of our simple rules and join, join! ;)
A BIG THANK YOU to Sandra for her time and for coming to share her own mixed media world with us! Thank you, Sandra! You rock! xx
Thank you, dear reader, for spending some time with us today! See you soon!
Welcome back! Thank you for stopping by! I hope you are enjoying your weekend to the full! If you're looking for some inspiration look no further!
We have a pleasure to welcome Trish Latimer as our Star Designer! We're very excited that you could join us here at Mixed Media World for the day!
Trish is a wonderful lady that enriches our lives with her creativity. Her art always leaves you with the 'how'd she do that...' feeling. The good news is she shares her processes in her blog posts at Ink, Paint, Beads and you can purchase her very own DVD 'Create with Paint'. I would like to invite you to visit her blog and explore. You can really learn a lot from this lady.
Trish recently became the Editor for the Craft Stamper magazine and, in my opinion, there's no better person for the job! Congratulations, Trish!
Fancy a little insight into Trish's creative world? We have an exclusive interview so enjoy... !;)
What inspires you most to create? / Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes from all around me, something I think most artists will tell you! Colour combos in nature, shapes and designs from pictures, home furnishings etc. Weirdly, I get most of my ideas in that tiny little ‘window’ just before I go to sleep! Once my brain starts drifting off, I find project ideas jumping out all over the place. Luckily I can usually remember them once I wake up the next morning!
Do you pre plan your pieces, or are they often the result of just 'going with the flow'?
I always have a plan. 99.9% of the time the end result looks NOTHING like the original plan… but I always start with one! Sometimes a colour takes over, sometimes a figure almost ‘tells’ me the words I need to add, sometimes I just drop an ink pad on the background and have to have a rethink!
What is your favourite medium to work with?
Paint. Always paint. You can create the exact shade you want, you can layer it, smear it, drip it, stamp with it, everything. Totally addicted to paint! (I need to get a T shirt with that on it, I think!)
Do you have a tool which you couldn't live without?
Hmmmm…. My heat tool gets used every single time I make something, as I always dry my projects between every layer of paint I add, so that is one thing. The other would be my fingers, strangely. I rarely use a paint brush, everything is smeared and blended with my fingers. Same goes for gesso or gel medium, fingertips all the way! (and very messy, but that’s part of the fun!)
What's your craft space like?
My studio is our loft conversion, so whilst the floor space is very large, the sloping eaves on either side make storage a little tricky! The main walls are shelved with all my mounted stamps on them, with LOTS of folders of unmounteds, and baskets full of clear stamps. The light is wonderful though, and you can open the windows and watch the light show from Blackpool Tower at night!
Do you have a favourite colour combo?
I don’t really have one! Generally I have phases where I create lots of things in a particular scheme, then move on to another. I love red and baby blue with lots of white, or lime, red and black together. And you can’t beat a good rainbow!
What is your favourite creation to date?
Again, this changes a lot! I have things that I adored when I made them, then I look back and can’t believe I liked them so much! I’m very fickle…..
Here are a few things I love right now!
I LOVE creating Art Dolls, weird and quirky figures created from all kinds of things. This one is definitely weird, but I love the shape!
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There has to be something very painty in any kind of ‘favourite list’ from me! This background was done by monoprinting from an acrylic block.
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My current obsession is drawing whimsical figures. I like this one because I managed to get the eyes looking good! Sometimes I finish a picture, take a step back and realise I’ve created something that looks like it’s about to kill me!
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Another Art Doll! This one is created from wire, with a painted dress and flower. She was featured in a Craft Stamper article a few months ago. I have been writing for Craft Stamper for 6 years now, and have recently become Editor of the magazine. A total dream job, I’m still pinching myself!
And, of course, don’t forget the UK's number one magazine for Mixed Media: Craft Stamper!
*****
And there you have it, Ladies and Gentlemen! The one and only, oh so talented Trish Latimer! I cannot tell you how much I love her quirky art dolls and painty backgrounds! I don't know about you, but I am soooo inspired to make my own art doll!
A BIG THANK YOU to Trish for being here with us today! You are a great inspiration to us all and we look forward to seeing more and more of your wonderful art from you! x
Dear, friends, I hope we've re-charged your creative batteries today and hope you will have a go at creating something amazing! Come and show us what you've made by linking your make to our challenge 'Stencils'. You have one more week to join and could win a voucher from our sponsor!
Thank you for your time! We'll be back with the announcement of our winner, our Fab 3 and a new challenge next Sunday! Until then.... happy crafting!:)
Welcome to the Mixed Media World! We have an amazing Star Designer for you today, her work is admired the world over and we are so delighted that she could be here with us, so that she can share some arty secrets with you, but also share her incredible work.
Riikka's work is truly inspiring, ranging from scrapbook layouts, altered art, ATC's, canvases, the list goes on, her talent is seriously impressive! This is also shown by the teams she currently designs for:
Craft Stamper Magazine
Mixed Media Place
7 Dots Studio
Cinnabar Creative Team
ScrapFX
Artists Live
Prima Marketing
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Here we have arranged an interview with Riikka:
What
inspires you most to create? / Where does your inspiration come from?
Everything around me can inspire.
There’s not just one source but usually many.
The most common sources are photos
and memories I want to preserve, the products I’m using or something new I’ve
just acquired. But it really can be anything! A texture I saw, a color combo or
a new technique.
Inspiration is something that
intrigues me and I’ve started to write a series of post connected to that. They
are found here.
Do you
pre plan your pieces, or are they often the result of just 'going with the
flow'?
Most of the times they are results of
the flow. Of course if I’m doing a piece for a sketch challenge I try to plan a
little ahead and follow the sketch. And the dimensional pieces often have an
idea behind them, like a sketch in my head but usually the pieces still evolve
as I craft.
What
is your favourite medium to work with?
There are many mediums I’m drawn to.
One of those is mists, other one paint media like gesso and acrylic paint. I
often have “phases” when I use a medium in almost all my pieces and then it
gets substituted by another. But if I’d have to pick one, I would probably go
with the gel medium or the 3D Gel as none of my dimensional piece would have
been made without it. The other one that I adore is the humble, simple pencil.
Do you
have a tool which you couldn't live without?
I’m an impatient crafter so I would
have to say my heat tool. Drying things overnight is really a challenge for me
as I would love to continue right away! The other musts are scissors, double
sided tape and paper cutter. I would be lost without the last one – it’s so
fast to cut pieces of patterned paper with a paper cutter!
What's
your craft space like?
My craft space is actually our living
room. Or a corner of it although I must say that I’m overtaking a bigger and
bigger area. It started as one bureau and now I have bureau, selves and a
trolley. This post is a year old, but if you wish to see my space here’s a link.
There’s a huge window in our living
room and I usually make my pages and crafts on top of the Expedit shelf placed
just under the window. I do most of my crafts standing as I walk about getting
stuff along the way. And I hold my heat tool in the bath room – it’s a kind of
relic from the time when the kids were small and I didn’t want to wake them
with the noise from the tool.
The videos and the Ustream shows I
make using our living room table on the other hand as it’s bigger than the top
of the Expedit shelf.
Do you
have a favourite colour combo?
I love blues, teals and minty greens
together! That’s my favorite go-to scheme. But I also enjoy pink with yellow. I
often like to use a touch of white and black in my crafts to really make other
colors pop.
What
is your favourite creation to date? (please provide a pic)
That’s really a hard one! There’s many crafts I like and
usually my favorite gets substituted with the next project I do. I guess my
three favorites at the moment are a layout done for Prima DT Call “XOXO”, an
altered guitar done for Finnabair Creative Team and a spring canvas done for
Mixed Media Place.
Isn't it amazing to have an amazing sneak peek into Riikka's world?!! To learn how she creates, what inspires her and how she generally lives her arty life... Speaking of arty art, here are a few favourite pieces that Riikka has shared with us:
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I'd like to say a massive thank you to the lovely Riikka for being our Star Designer today, and I'm sure everyone will agree, it's been an absolute delight having you here! We feel very honoured!!
Thank you to all of you out there who read our posts and leave comments supporting us! You are amazing! Don't forget our current challenge STENCILS is still underway, which is being sponsored by That's Crafty, don't miss your chance to win! :)
Calling all mixed media and art journaling enthusiasts! Super-exciting contents right here right now! :)
Before I proceed to introduce our wonderful Star Designer I'd like to welcome our new followers. Thank you for joining us here! I hope you will enjoy the ride!
We have had so many wonderful entries for our Bright Colours challenge! Oh, it will be a tough one to choose our Winner and our Fab 3! The challenge will be up for a few more days so have a good craft up and link up your masterpiece HERE.
Last month it was the super-talented Seth Apter who kindly agreed to join us. Your response was amazing and I sensed a lot of excitement. It really was heart warming to read your comments. Some of you appreciated the introduction of a well-known artist, some already were familiar with Seth's work. I am certainly enjoying the collaboration and there is more to come so stay tuned!
Today, I have a pleasure of introducing the oh-so talented ...
Marjie once kindly featured my 'Dragonfly' artwork on her blog for her Tuesday's Texture series. As you know I love creating texture so I am a big fan of the series. I'm always amazed by the makes featured. There truly is so much talent out there and thanks to Marjie and to my delight I'm yet to discover many more texture loving people. I would like to invite you to explore Marjie's blog. There is so much treasure to be discovered!
You will notice that this lovely lady is a Certified Ranger Educator and a Designer Member of the Craft & Hobby Association which speaks for itself. There are a number of publications proudly featuring Marjie's work too!
I know how much effort goes into filling a blog with a good quality contents and when I visit Marjie's website I cannot help the feeling that Marjie is one generous, hardworking and sharing individual that does a wonderful job bringing the crafting community together and providing endless inspiration for us all. I think it is time to give Marjie the gratitude she deserves not only for her teaching, her fantastic tutorials, her colourful artworks and talent demonstrated in each and one of them, but also for all her efforts to get many like-minded people together through all her hard work and passion.
Thank you for being so wonderful, Marjie, and thank you for sharing with us here today!
This months theme is 'Bright Colours' and Marjie has kindly made her creation to coincide with our theme! This should definitely get your creative juices flowing and stimulate your senses!
It’s a pleasure to be invited as your guest designer this month. I live in New York with my husband of 20 years and our two teenage boys. When I heard the theme of ‘bright colors’ I turned straight to my Ranger distress inks and got started on a spread in my art journal. I love building up color with multiple layers, and I teach classes on this topic online as well as nationwide in the US. I hope you’ll take a moment to visit my site and say hello. You can also find me on all the social media platforms. I’m looking forward to seeing all the creations on this theme!
Thank you for your visit! I do hope you enjoyed your stay! :) There's more to come so join and re-visit soon!
