Wildflowers

Hello and welcome to yet another challenge over at the Alphabet challenge blog. We've reached the letter W, and your task is to showcast "wildflowers" on your creations. With nature awakening, I'm sure you'll find plenty of ideas everywhere. And of course, the DT has been busy as well, preparing a variety of wildflower-inspired art for you. 

As for my DT project, it goes way back to my rehabilitation last year. I found a wooden bunny during crafting therapy, and I knew immediately that I'd like to bring it to life somehow. As I focused on other projects, however, I only managed to cover the silhouette in white acrylic paint. I then took it home, but never really found the time to finish what I had in mind. Partly, because I couldn't pick the right napkin for decoupage, partly because renovations & moving, and mostly due to health issues. 

When I packed for this years' rehabilitation, I decided to take the bunny with me. I also packed a couple of art supplies which I'd leave in the crafting room fto refill the stash. Amongst the things I wanted to keep for myself was a napkin with wildflowers - you see, I already had a faint idea on how to decorate that bunny, except I ran out of time before I left for rehabilitation.

Once I found myself in the art therapy room, I quickly picked my crafting supplies. I covered the bunny in another layer of white acrylic paint and proceeded to cut out a couple of wildflowers. Turns out the bunny silhouette was rather small in comparison to the blooms, but I tried to pick the ones that wouldn't look all too odd. I also decided to add a bee on each side.

When that was dome, I placed them onto the bunny, and added a bit of grass by using different shades of green acrylic paint. I then sealed everything with napkin glue. 

And then, I started looking for a location for the photoshoot. I figured it would be fitting to include some wildflowers which came out out during the past warm and pleasant spring days. I sneaked my bunny into the local rose garden, where patches of primroses grow along the paths. The bunny seems to blend in with its flowers, and doesn't the bee look like it's alive? 

Fun fact: this was only my second attempt to get decent pictures. In my first try along the road, I managed to incorporate some primroses as well, but the direct sunlight seemed to cast a strong contrast between the surfaces, which is why I figured the shady gardens would be more suitable.

However, as I was packing up, I noticed a movement in the grass... a tiny red button crawling onto the primrose blooms... 

I can't help but the sight of a ladybug is like an instant shot of happiness to me, and you can imagine my surprise when I discovered  a whole ladybug family! Apparently, they spent the night under an old leaf and were only waking up when I barged in with my bunny. If only I could know what they were thinking?

challenges:

- 613 avenue create: ATG with optional twist "things with wings"

- a place to start: ATG with optional twist "small critters"

- allsorts challengeblog: ATG

- C.R.A.F.T.: spring/Easter/ATG

- card free zone: ATG but a card

- classicdesignchallenge: ATG DT 

- crafty catz: ATG

- crafty gals corner: ATG

- creative inspirations: cute critters

- critter crazy: ATG animals

- do-all kreatives: ATG

- lil patch of crafty friends: ATG handmade

- little red wagon: include an animal

- love to craft: ATG

- morgans artworld: ATG
- moving along with the times: birds and/or bees

- nachteulen: ATG

- traumfabrik: Sing - all kinds of animals

- vesela hiska: daisy

- wortartwednesday: ATG

Volume (dimension)

Hello, and welcome to another challenge over at the Alphabet challenge blog. I'm back from another break - I meant to improve my routines after the new year already, but it didn't work out. I'm trying to stay afloat with everyday chores, dealing with pain issues still, and after ages, I managed to create some DT inspiration for the theme "Volume", which wants to see some depth in your projects. Use foam pads to raise parts of whatever you'll show us, we can't wait to see what you'll come up with. 

As I had limited time to create something, I opted for a small card base - one of those that can be placed on a bouquet, a box of chocolate, or any kind of a "just because" gift. I went through my paper stash, where a strip of autumn-inspired patterned paper caught my eyes. To be  precise, it's part of the album cover of a paper set, which featured a strip with samples of the papers inside - but I think it looks way too pretty to be thrown away.

Then, I remembered this tiny little penguin in my stash - it was on the wrapping of a children's face cream for cold/rainy weather, and you *may* remember I used it before ages ago. 

I think it couldn't be more perfect for the occasion. It matches both the colour scheme and the autumn feeling I was going for. I cut it from the packaging and placed it on a piece of light orange cardboard. I then took a piece of light blue paper to place onto the card base - I figured the blue and orange would be balanced out by doing so. 

I then took a bunch of colourful snippets from my paoer stash to punch out some autumn leaves. I basically decided to stick with the colours in the background, placing the leaves as if they were dancing in the wind. Then, I added a tiny gold sticker in the top and bottom part of the blue background. The reasoning was that the blue strips looked just a bit too big compared to the small amount of blue on the sides. I therefore used those decorative borders to elongate the patterned paper for a bit, and also to add a bit of bling to the card. I think it turned out quite fine, what about you?

To emphasize the rainy weather, I added a couple of tiny blue gemstones to the penguin motif. Once everything was done, I placed said picture on 3D adhesive pads to elevate it from the background papers. 

challenges: 

- 613 avenue create: ATG with optional twist "animal magic"

- a place to start: ATG with optional twist "small critters" (I'm not sure whether it counts for the twist, but I like to think this is a small penguin)

- allsorts challengeblog: ATG (the focal penguin image comes from the packaging of a Paediprotect skin cream for kids, it features their old logo which is not available anymore)

- as you like it: cute or elegant (while I try to add a bit of elegance to every project, my emphasis is always on the "cute". I like to work with cute motifs because they go well with my paper stash, I like to add cute little details like paper flowers punched embellishments, and I think that even the most elegant occasion can go with something cute when the opposite is not always the case.)

- classicdesignchallenge: ATG DT 

- crafty catz: ATG

- crafty gals corner: ATG

- critter crazy: ATG animals

- do-all kreatives: ATG

- fabnfunky: dies or punches (punched leaves)

- lil patch of crafty friends: ATG handmade

- little red wagon: just the way you are

- lovethoseprettypapers: ATG patterned papers

- nachteulen: ATG

- traumfabrik: Sing - all kinds of animals

- unicorn challengeblog: animals

- wortartwednesday: ATG

Pumpkin soup

Hello and welcome to another challenge over at the Alphabet challenge!

As we're getting towards the end of the Alphabet, we'll be stopping at the letter P this fortnight, and what could be a better match for that other than "Pumpkins"? Have a look at what the DT has prepared to inspire you, there are numerous projects to admire. For my DT task, I decided to create a little autumn tag, which can be placed onto a seasonal present, a bouquet or else. And as usual, it didn't turn out quite the way I planned. 

You see, I started this tag ages ago, when I came across this gorgeous orange paper. I cut a piece to place it onto a kraft tag, and decided to decorate it with golden stickers depicting autumn foliage. I intended to use this side as the front side, as the shimmering leafs seemed so pretty, but I couldn't come up with a way to embellish the back. Until I recently tried to recycle the front page of an album of patterned papers. With different writings in the page, I could only make use of a tiny bit of paper, but it was enough to cover the tag. The stripes in the pattern seem a bit too geometrical at first glance, but I think with all the polka dots it doesn't look that bad, especially as they all come from a warm colour palette. 

I then tried to come up with something to add to what I still thought was the back of my tag. With my  DT date coming closer, I needed to act fast, and I turned to the internet looking for pumpkin colouring pages. I figured if I could find a small motif and crop it in size, I might be able to finish the tag and present it for the P challenge, making a great win-win situation. 

I did find the perfect pumpkin image, and after a bit of colouring, I decided to add more paper. To be precise: a piece of golden paper to be placed behind the image, and a patterned paper with orange swirls to be used in the background. Once that was done, it became clear to me that the back side of the tag was now clearly the front side, and vice versa. To make the unintended star shine, I added shimmering gemstones and a golden sticker, which complements the stickers on the other side. They all still look wonderful, adding a seasonal touch to my tag, but this clearly isn't the front anymore.

To make my tag complete, I then added a robust twine, and that's about it. 

For more autumnal inspiration and warm colours, you may join me on a short trip to the mountains. Because there's nothing like the forests turning orange when the seasons change, especially if the hillsides glow in the afternoon sun while the valley down below is full of fog.

I decided to make use of the autumn weather by making a short trip to Poden/Bodental. Knowing I won't be able to explore much in sights and duration, I tried to enjoy the car ride itself and focus on the major views... as well as tiny details along the way.

And nature certainly didn't disappoint with the abundance of colour! I do bealieve that the smell of forest is among the most amazing smells ever - the smell of warm wood in places that are exposed to the sun, the smell of moisture in the shadow, and above all, all those tiny sounds that are produced by nature itself as well as the creatures living there. 

And so my path led me to Jezerce/Meerauge, a tiny leftover of an ancient glacier, now surrounded by tall mountains and autumn colours.

Turns out I wasn't the only one seeking sunshine and warmth.

And if this isn't the very definition of a picture-perfect autumn day, I don't know what it is.

challenges:

- 613 avenue create: ATG with optional twist "thank you"

- a place to start: ATG

- allsorts challengeblog: ATG

- as you like it: favourite embellishment (my favourite embellishments by far are shimmering gemstones. I like to add them when all the "major" work on my crafting projects is done, and I believe it adds a bit of sparkle to anything I create - not only literally, but figuratively. I like how the shimmer depends on the light conditions, and I like how this brings life into a flat creation in a way that can't be achieved by flowers, die cuts, patterned papers or else.)

- C.R.A.F.T.: ATG

- card free zone: ATG but a card

- classicdesignchallenge: ATG DT 

- crafty catz: ATG

- do-all kreatives: ATG with optional twist "bookmark"

- lil patch of crafty friends: ATG handmade

- little red wagon: gold or silver (gold: stickers, paper)

- lovethoseprettypapers: ATG patterned papers

- love to craft: ATG

- morgans artworld: ATG

- path of positivity: send an unexpected surprise

- pennys papertake: ATG paper

- wortartwednesday: ATG

Oval + one word

Hi there, and without much ado, let me show you my contribution to the newest challenge over at the Alphabet challenge blog. We have reached the letter O this fortnight, and we'd like to see your crafting projects under one condition: make sure they include an "oval" and a "one word sentiment".

First, I thought about creating an oval pendant that could double as an early Christmas tree ornament. However, as I'm still waiting for my crafting table and my dining table is pretty small, I wouldn't have the space to spread out all my supplies for a mixed media project. As an alternative, I went through my paper stash. As I've sorted my papers just recently, I still had a huge pile of scraps in my mind, and amongst them I found this beautiful vintage telephone print (does anyone out there remember that telephones used to have cords at some point?). 

I've been saving it for years (literally), but I could never find the right occasion, and the fact that those scraps were rather small didn't help either. To fulfill the "oval" task, I picked one of those card bases with an oval aperture on the front page. I imagined to place the telephone paper on the inside, but it looked like I wouldn't be able to use this combination after all, as the opening was just too big for the paper scrap and the gap was just too obvious to cover it up... Until I figured that by turning the piece of paper, I could align its diagonal axis with the vertical diameter of the oval - it was a very tight solution, but it worked!

I then trimmed the edges of the patterned paper that were sticking out on the side of the card base, and I covered the inside of the card with embossed swirls. 

In the end, I took a golden sticker to frame the oval centerpiece. As the ends of the sticker didn't meet properly, I knew exactly where to place the sentiment. I opted for a simple "Hello!", which can be used for many different occasions, and not only that - I think it perfectly matches the telephone theme. I also like to think that the pattern of the swirl looks like a telephone cord. To connect the sentiment with the card, I used a piece of golden paper and 3D pads. What do you think? To me it looks like a decent masculine card. It was quick and fun to make, and turned out to be a great way to use paper scraps.

Since I was done so quickly, I decided to make one more card using the same recipe. This time, I took a soft pink card base and the other side of the patterned paper - a side that features a number of fashion accessoires in a pink/turquoise colour scheme. 

As opposed to the masculine telephone print, I never knew how to use this one, until now: I turned the small piece of paper in the same way I did before, cutting away the edges that peeked over the sides of the card base. I then framed the centerpiece with a silver sticker, placing a sentiment saying "Congrats!" in the lower part of the card. To emphasise the turquoise part of the main motif, I used a piece of turquoise paper behind the sentiment. To emphasise the pink part, I placed a couple of shimmering rhinestones in the upper corner of my card. 

On the inside, I used a pink polka-dot paper that goes well with the pink card base, and also with the polka-dots inside the oval image. 

This card is obviously more feminine that the first, but it was never my intention to create a male/female version. It just happened somehow, and I think it's a good example on how differently things can turn out even in a single crafting session. Feel free to use any of them for your inspiration, and have a look at the work of the other DT members as well. I can't wait to see what you'll come up with!

challenges:  

- krafty chicks: ATG

- 613 avenue create: ATG with optional twist

- a place to start: ATG

- allsorts challengeblog: ATG

- classicdesignchallenge: ATG DT 

- crafty catz: ATG

- kreativtanten: ATG

- lil patch of crafty friends: ATG handmade

- lovethoseprettypapers: ATG patterned papers

- pennys papertake: ATG paper

- wortartwednesday: ATG

Night

I'm horribly late again, and I don't even have any new excuses. I'm busy with appointments, I'm almost done with organizing my crafting corner, and I started to look for job opportunities (not that I'm fit yet, but I guess the employment agency ladies need jobs as well). 

I also found a new art therapy group, and in my last session, I managed to create this collage.

It comes late for the current "Night" challenge at the Alphabet challenge blog, but let me explain it real quick anyway. Most of the pieces are cut-outs from different magazines that I've collected over time. I don't have many magazines at home, but sometimes, I save a photo or a quote that  I think will come handy at some point in future. With a new creative setting came an abundance of magazines, and I think I spent almost an entire therapy unit just flipping through the pages, looking for motifs. 

I decided to start with a full-page photo of the Milky way, placing it all over a page of my art journal. I then fussy cut a couple of planets and clouds. They all found their place on the starry sky. 

Once that was done, I took that picture of a girl in a hammock. I think it was originally featured in an ad for something hiking-related, but I decided to fussy cut away all the mountains in the background, and hang the hammock in the starry sky. To add a little something in the lower part of my crafting page, I cut out some hearts, making them look like they grow from the mountain ridge. My last additions were a "handmade with love" sticker which came with one of my Etsy purchases, and a butterfly that ended up in the middle of the whole scenery.

I'm not sure about the message of the image, nor about how to interprete it, but I do like the feeling that comes with it. The night isn't dark and scary, but full of colours and floating curiosities. It does remind me of my own hammock, and how easy it felt to swing in it this summer. Sitting in it feels completely different than sitting in a chair, it makes it possible to sit while relaxing all of your muscles, and it worked wonders with my burning backpain (which turned out to be inflammation from an autoimmune disease, and not "something in my head"). My mom helped me prepare the balcony for winter this week, but I certainly hope to bring it back to life next spring. Until then, I will just enjoy the views - even if a sudden afternoon storm looks as dark as the night. 

challenges:

- 613 avenue create: ATG

- a place to start: ATG

- C.R.A.F.T.: Halloween/ATG

- card free zone: ATG but a card

- classicdesignchallenge: ATG DT 

- crafty catz: ATG

- double D challenges: Halloween colours

- fabnfunky: things with wings (butterfly)

- kreativtanten: ATG

- lil patch of crafty friends: ATG handmade

- little red wagon: not a card

- make my monday: Halloween colours

- morgans artworld: ATG

- pennys papertake: ATG paper

- try it on tuesday: autumn colours

- unicorn challengeblog: circles (planets)

- vesela hiska: autumn

- wortartwednesday: ATG