Don't let the rain dull your sparkle! Projects for Visible Image DT

Hi and happy Wednesday!

Last weekend it was snowing heavily in Southern Finland and while waiting for the weather to calm down I took out my new Visible Image goodies and started stamping! 'Sparkle In The Rain' stamp was a perfect match for the rainy day, and I made a simple card with it:


I started with inking the background with blue and green Distress inks. Then, using my watercolour brush, I let drops of water run down the inked background, dissolving the ink and leaving white drip marks on the surface. The little white splashes are made with clear water, too. Once I was happy with the background pattern I dried it with a heat gun.


I stamped the girl image and the quote on the background with black ink, and sew a few stitches with my sewing machine on the bottom of the card. The girl image came out nice and crispy, but I wanted the black colour to be little bit darker. So I inked the stamp again, positioned it carefully on the stamped image, and heat embossed it with black embossing powder. Better!




I used the same stamp set also on a monolith project a few weeks back. The freestanding monoliths measure 10cm x 17cm and are the perfect base for creating various mixed media, stamping and home decór projects. This time I used it as a base for a mixed media collage that I coloured with water-soluable crayons, paints and inks. The monolith did not mind the wet media at all!


I stamped the girl image on plain cardstock with black ink, and heat embossed it using black and gold embossing powder. Then I fussy cut both the girl and the quote, and glued them down on my collage background. 


For painting the monolith base and the project sides I used black gesso.
This was really a nice project to make!




The above projects were made using these Visible Image products (click on the pictures for more info):

     
  


Wishing you a sparkling day!
Hugs,

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Learning from the master: Great workshops by Liesbeth Fidder!

Hello,
Two weeks ago I spent an amazing weekend participating in stamping technique workshops. I have been playing with stamps for some time already, but I was so happy to yet learn many new tricks. Our teacher, Liesbeth Fidder is a sweet and lovely person and a true stamping master, and I really enjoyed her teaching style that was so easy to follow.


During the four workshops I took I was able to try the techniques on several projects, and after the first workshop day I mat some of the finished pieces on cardstock to turn them into ready-made cards. After the last workshop on Sunday I was really happy; for meeting new people, for learning versatile techniques, and for being so productive during the weekend!

Here are pictures of the projects I made (click the pictures to enlarge):









Note to my crafting friends in Finland: New workshops by Liesbeth are held in April!

Jos et päässyt helmikuun leimailukursseille mukaan, niin suosittelen ehdottomasti ilmoittautumaan pikapikaa huhtikuun uusille kursseille. Kursseista ensimmäinen pidettiin myös helmikuussa (kurssi myytiin loppuun hetkessä - nyt on uusi tilaisuus osallistua!), ja kolme muuta ovat uusia. Yhden kurssin hinta on 35 euroa, ja paikkasi inspiroivassa opissa voit varata Amalian verkkokaupassa. Kaikki kurssit sopivat sekä vasta-alkajille että pidempään leimailleille. Kaisankodissa nähdään!

I fill for sure take out my stamps again tonight and create something using the techniques I learned. Bister will be one of the medias in use, as well as watercolours, inks, ...!

Wishing you a great weekend!


Sizzix Sale!





Treat yourself and get some goodies form the Sizzix sale, they have up to 80% off! 
Just follow this link to see the listing of all items on sale!

Wishing you a wonderful day!

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Decorated with stitches

Hi!
For this weeks post in the Finnish Paperilla blog the DT memebers received a task to use stitches as decoration elements on their projects. Some of the gorgeous projects included hand-stitched elements and some machine-sewn decorations. To view all the inspiring projects please follow this link.

I take out my sewing machine quite often when working on a paper crafting project. With a sewing machine it's so easy to add e.g. a stitched border around the card. If you are sewing over thick materials like chipboard, or over glued or taped items, I recommend that you change the needle for paper sewing. For paper projects you can even use a bit older needle that you would no longer use for fabric.

Hei,
Tällä viikolla Paperillan tiimi on ottanut ompelukoneet sekä neulat ja langat esille ja koristellut askarteluprojekteja ommellen. Itse käytän ompelukonetta koristeluun varsin usein, sillä koneella saa nopeasti ja helposti tehtyä vaikkapa koristereunat korttiin. Myös hankalasti liimalla tai teipillä kiinnitettävät koristeet (kuultopaperi, muovikalvo) kiinnitän usein koneompeleella.
Kartonkia on helppo ommella kankaan tapaan. Kartongin ompeluun kannattaa varata omat neulat, sillä paksu pahvi, liima ja teippi saattavat tylsistyttää tai sotkea neulan. Toisaalta pahvin ompeluun voi varata sen hieman tylsemmänkin neulan, jopa sellaisen, jonka kangasompelija olisi jo heittänyt pois.


The background of this card is decorated only with machine-sewn stitches. The pink thread was chosen to match the colour of the paper flowers. I like the colour combo of dark chocolate brown, pink and white!

Tämän kortin taustaan ei tarvittu kuviopaperia, sillä koristelin suklaanruskean kartongin kokonaan koneompeleella. Langan värin valitsin samaan sävyyn kortin kukkakoristeiden kanssa. Tykkään vaaleanpunaisen, valkoisen ja tummanruskean yhdistelmästä!


I started with cutting a square from dark brown cardstock, slightly smaller than my white card base. For getting my first stitch lines straight I made a few pencil marks on the cardstock.
The grid pattern is sewn quite randomly, without thinking too much. At each corner I turned the cardstock 90 degrees clockwise, at the same time trying to avoid sewing same line twice. For getting perfect corners on the grid, leave the needle down when turning the cardstock. 

Taustaa varten leikkasin ruskeasta kartongista korttipohjaa hieman pienemmän neliön. Piirsin lyijykynällä kevyesti muutaman ohjausviivan korttiin - näin sain ensimmäiset ommelviivat menemään suoraan. Korttipohjan ruudukko on ommeltu enempiä miettimättä; käänsin joka kulmassa korttia 90 astetta myötäpäivään. Neula kannattaa pitää käännöksissä aina ala-asennossa, niin ruudukon kulmien ompelu on helppoa.


I ended the grid at the same spot where I started. The loose thread ends are pulled to the backside of the card. The pencil marks did not show too much on the finished grid, so I did not bother erasing them.

Lopetin ompelun aloituskohtaan ja vedin langanpäät kortin takapuolelle. Lyijykynäjäljet eivät juuri taustassa enää juuri näkyneet, joten en pyyhkinyt niitä pois.


Vellum is a great material for highlighting something without covering the background too much. I used a thin strip for lifting the die-cut letters off the background. The letter die is a bit older one from Sizzix.

Otsikkotekstin korostamiseksi kiinnitin alle suikaleen valkoista kuultopaperia. Kirjaimet on stanssattu vaaleanpunaisesta ja ruskeasta kartongista muutama vuosi sitten hankitulla Sizzixin aakkosstanssilla.

The larger white leaves are die-cut with Sizzix 'Spring Greenery' die, and the smaller ones are punched with the large 'Laurel' paper punch. The pink cardstock was stamped with text stamp befor punching with large 'Tattered Flower' paper punch. For creating a 3D look I pressed the centers of the flowers against the palm of my hand, and then glued them down on the card front. The finishing touches were made with gluing lots of small pink seed beads on the flowers.

Suuremmat valkoiset lehdet on leikattu Sizzixin 'Spring Greenery' -stanssilla, ja pienemmät 'Laurel' -paperileikkurilla. Vaaleanpunaisia kukkia varten leimasin tekstiä kartongille, ja naksuttelin kukat irti 'Tattered Flower' -leikkurilla. Ennen liimaamista korttiin painoin kukkia niiden keskikohdasta kämmentä vasten - näin sain kukkien terälehdet nousemaan taustasta.
Kukat on viimeistelty liimaamalla keskelle kasa vaaleanpunaisia siemenhelmiä.


I hope you give this simple technique a try. I could imagine decorating the background of a scrapbooking layout with my sewing machine, too!

Wishing you a nice day,
Hugs,

Kaikki ihanat Paperillan DT:n tekemät ja ommellen koristellut työt on nähtävissä täällä. Toivottavasti tämä inspiroi myös sinua kokoeilemaan helppoa koristelutekniikkaa!
Mukavaa päivää, t. Elina
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Scrapbooking Layout for February Jehkotar CRAFTChallenge: Joulu-Christmas

Hi,
Over the past few weeks I have mainly made cards, drawn and painted, and played with mixed media art journal pages. I have not created many scrapbooking layouts, but there's one quite recent one I wanted to share with you. It's a page I made for Finnish paper crafting challenge site, Jehkotar CRAFTChallenge, in which we are given a mood board, written task and a sketch to play with. The projects made to this challenge can be of any type (cards, altered items, art journal pages, scrapbooking layouts, ...) and they must include at least one of the three design elements. The written task was: "Include something hand-drawn on your project", and I combined that with the winter feelings picked up from the mood board:

Hei,
Viime aikoina on askartelupöydälläni syntynyt lähinnä kortteja, piirustuksia tai art journal -sivuja. En ole skräpännyt montaakaan leiskaa, mutta tässä on yksi ihan hiljattain valmistunut. Tein sen helmikuun  Jehkotar CRAFTChallenge -haasteeseen, jonka tehtäväksiannossa on kirjoitettu tehtävä, mallipiirros ja mood board. Haasteeseen osallistujan on valittava näistä vähintään yksi, mutta muuten työ voi olla ihan millainen tahansa - kortti, skräppileiska, kolmiulotteinen askarteluprojekti, kanvastaulu tai vaikkapa art journal -sivu.
Minun leiskassani on jotain vapaalla kädellä piirrettyä ja talvisia mood boardin sini- ja harmaasävyisiä tunnelmia:


Here's my take:


The layout title 'Joulu' translates into 'Christmas'. The picture is of a little Christmas angel we always put on our Christmas tree. It's one of those funny little things that make us smile.

For highlighting the colour photo and the blue pearl chains (paper puncher circles glued down on the background) I coloured my hand-drawn Christmas baubles with several grey tones and white. The title text is coloured with green Neocolor II crayons. Black texts on the background are made with Christmas text stencil 'Greetings' by 13 Arts.

Sivun kuva on pienestä jouluenkelistä, jonka ripustamme kuuseen joka joulu. Koriste ei ole kovin kummoinen, mutta sen näkeminen tuo hyvälle mielelle.

Jotta kuva ja taustan siniset helminauhat erottuisivat taustasta riittävän hyvin, väritin taustaan piirtämäni joulupallot vain harmaan ja valkoisen eri sävyillä. Sinisiä helmiä on myös joulukuusessamme - tässä leiskassa helmet oli tehty liimaamalla rei'ittimen roskat taustakartonkiin.
Otsikkoteksti on väritetty Neocolor II -liiduilla, jotka ovat todellinen tämänhetken suosikkini. Mustat jouluaiheiset tekstit taustassa on tehty 13 Arts:n jouluaiheisella sabluunalla 'Greetings'.

 




Helmikuun haasteen sponsoroijana on Piian Puoti. Tervetuloa kaikki mukaan! Lisätietoa haasteesta voi lukea täältä.



Have you scrapped your holiday photos yet? Or maybe you took the effort to make a December Daily album? Maybe some day I will have the patience to make one, too :)

Wishing you a wonderful day!
Hugs,
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More inspiration for February MMCC: Together

Hi,
Have you checked out the beautiful cards linked to our February Mixed Media Card Challenge? Theme 'Red' is interpret in many gorgeous mixed media cards, so if you are looking for card making inspiration I suggest you check out this and this post!

My second project was started in a stamping workshop I attended a week ago. Instructed by inspiring and very talented Liesbeth Fidder I spent two full days stamping, getting my hands messy with inks and paints, and learning a lot. Thank you Lisbeth for sharing your knowledge with us!

 

On the background of this card there are hearts stamped with gesso, resisting the Distress inks I put on top. Before decorating with text stamps I splashed water on the inked surface. Love that technique- it's such an easy way to add some extra pattern on your project.


The bird couple and the nest are from Art Journey 'Garden Birds' stamp set. Aren't they the cute! I stamped them on plain white cardstock and coloured with Distress inks.

The sentiment text and the little red hearts are die-cut using these dies (follow link for more info):
Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 16PK - Friendship Words: Script
Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 3PK - Happy Trims


Wishing you a wonderful day! Hope you can steal a moment just for yourself and create something pretty!

Hugs,


Sizzix news: Valentine's Giveaway and Amazing Clearance Sale!

Hi and Happy Valentine's Day!
Hei ja Hyvää Ystävänpäivää!

For celebrating the special day Sizzix has revealed a fabulous giveaway:
Ystävänpäivän kunniaksi Sizzix on käynnistänyt kerrassaan upean arvonnan: 


One lucky person will be the winner of a brand new Big Shot™ Express machine, plus a selection of heart themed dies including the gorgeous new 'From My Heart' die!
Just follow *this link* to participate in the giveaway!
Closing date: Friday 26th February at 10am GMT

Yksi onnellinen voittaja saa uuden helppokäyttöisen ja sähköllä toimivan Big Shot™ Express -stanssauslaitteen sekä kokoelman sydämellisiä stansseja! Voittajan paketissa on mukana myös vast'ikään julkaistu 'From My Heart' -stanssi. 
Klikkaa *tätä linkkiä* osallistuaksesi! Osallistumisaika päättyy perjantaina, 26.2. klo 12.






There are lots of heartfelt dies on sale at Sizzix UK, for really heart-warming low prices !
I have picked up some sale items for you (click on the below pictures for more information). And for viewing the entire list 197 (!!) clearance items just follow this link!

Sizzixillä on myös käynnissä hurja varaston tyhjennys, jossa myydään paljon sydämellisiä stansseja sydäntä lämmittävin pikkuhinnoin! Jos haluat nähdä kaikki 197 (!!) aletuotetta, klikkaa tätä linkkiä. Valitsin tarjouksista muutaman päivän teemaan sopivan - lue lisätietoa tuotteista klikkaamalla alla olevia kuvia:

Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 6PK - Friendship Bear

Sale price: EUR 4.50 

Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 6PK - Friendship Penguin

Sale price: EUR 4.50

Sizzix Thinlits Die - Do What You Love

Sale price: EUR 7.64


Sizzix Framelits Die Set 8PK w/Stamps - Beautiful You

Sale price: EUR 5.34


Sizzix / Tim Holtz Paper Punch - Butterfly, Large

Sale price: EUR 7.00


Sizzix / Tim Holtz Thinlits Die Set 7PK - Handwritten Love

Sale price: EUR 4.78


Wishing you a wonderful day! Hugs,
Toivotan sinulle ihanaa sunnuntaipäivää! Terveisin,

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Another card for February Take It Make It Challenge: Three Waiters

Hi,
I wanted to share with you another card I made for February Craft Stamper Take It Make It challenge. Our 'Take A Technique' theme is 'Text Me', with the idea to use text stamps/book pages/other text items on the projects. A sentiment word on the foreground does not count, but we are thinking texts as background or decoration elements. Interesting, isn't it!

Our TIMI design team has made another gorgeous set of projects for your inspiration, check them out here!

Here's my take:



The background text is stamped with my favourite text stamp from Wycinanka. It must be one of the most used ones! The foreground stamp I purchased just last weekend. The image with three vintage style men are from Lost Coast Designs ('Three Waiters').



Colouring is done using yellow, orange and brown Distress inks. The background is masked using yellow Distress paints- dry paint acted as resist when it was coloured with orange Distress ink.

I hope you take out your text stamps and play along our great challenge. One lucky winner will get a generous prize from our sponsor A Sprinkle of Imagination: £25.00 gift card in their online store!
For viewing the challenge rules and linking your project just follow this link.

Wishing you a nice weekend! I will be attending a local paper crafting fair- who know what new goodies and 'must-have's I will find there!

Hugs,
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