Learning to fly

This week's challenge at TMTA was to use textured effects. I love playing with gesso, and that's what I did here. I applied it many layers thickly all over, and also added little touches of wax pastels here and there and smeared the surface with fingers. The worn look is achieved by torchuring the card real bad. That includes rough sandpaper and scratching with several sharp tools. And finally I wanted to make some marks with a good old pencil, because I like the ephemeral feeling of it.

A stubborn piece of work

I've been working on this collage/painting for a couple of weeks now. I'm kind of frustrated with it! My original plan was to make something light and ethereal, but instead, it has turned into black and darkish. Funny how these works seem to have a will of their own, even though it is me who holds the paintbrush. Sometimes the most difficult thing with a painting, is knowing when to stop! Anyway, I'm done with this piece now.

About the materials used: I collaged the book pages and images from magazines on aquarelle paper with acrylic medium. Then I continued with gesso and watersoluble wax pastels, smudging them with fingers. Then added black acrylic paint and more gesso and more wax pastels and some more black...

Day 10/10: Spring

Miss Spring has come to town. But not to my town yet! Still waiting for her...
Today is the last day of this ten-day challenge, and it certainly has been very creative time. I'm quite pleased with myself for persistently taking the challenge every day. It was fun and I've already traded some of the cards. So big thanks to Jaana for hosting this thing! What on earth am I gonna do tomorrow?

Day 9/10: Family

Little Polly is an only child in the family. (Just like I am too.) I planned on making a sibling for her, but then the card would have been too full. Family planning based on compositionary matters...

Day 8/10: Birds

This was the perfect opportunity to use my new bird collage sheets. I made bird houses for these two little ones.

Day 7/10: Food

I made eggs for the challenge. That's the first thing that popped into my mind when thinking of food today. Well, there is also of course mämmi... but that might have looked a bit undelicious in this collage. Even though I think it's very tasty!

Day 6/10: Travel

Travelling without moving, it's cheap and comfortable in your own armchair. No passports required.

Transparent Art

Using transparency in ATC was a very inspirational challenge at TMTA! This technique gives a whole new dimension to layering. In my card, texts are on the background, as well as some wild colourings with watersoluble wax pastels. On top of that, I attached the printed transparency film with brads. And finally I made some calculations on the film's surface with my super great white pen, that sticks everywhere (Sakura Soufflé). A truly fun project!

Day 5/10: Altered playing cards

My cards are from a "Spanish deck". It means that instead of clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades, there are swords, coins, cups and wands -just like in the Minor Arcana cards in Tarot deck. Anyway, half of the cards were missing, so I gave these two princes a chance to become altered art. It sounds nobel enough.

I cut the cards' edges with wavy scissors, so now they measure roughly 9 x 5,7cm. A bit more narrow than the ATC size. Characters are cut piece by piece and then attached with brads on the back sides of other cards. Oh, and I also gave these guys royal names, nothing less.

Day 4/10

It's about clothes today... I went very pink and girly.

Oh, to be in love...

Today's theme is love. Mr and Mrs are wearing Basic Grey papers, and their heads are copies of old photos. And of course, they are very much in love!

Tuned Elisabeth

I'm trying to keep up with this daily ATC challenge. Maybe it'll do me good to speed up my crafting. Usually I'm very slow with making cards. First I make some backgrounds ready... and then add something the next day... and after that, maybe let it rest again... and then on the third day.. I might get it done, or might not. The thing is, that I really need deadlines!

So, the theme for today was Royalty. I had an old magazine with pictures of Queen Elisabeth. And I got a little carried away with tuning Her Highness, but it was fun.

Abragadabra!

It's Palm Sunday and there's magic in the air. Jaana started a new one-ATC-per-day challenge and the theme for today is of course -witches!

Gardener's daughters

I seem to like green very much these days. And yesterday I even started growing pea sprouts. The spring is coming!

Medieval

Maybe it's because of watching Tudors from tv, that I have this strong interest in medieval people and dresses right now. Although I'm not that fond of the series, but it's still a great visual treat. And it's also a pleasant way to refresh your knowledge of history. At least it got me googling Henry VIII and his wives...

And for the creative part, here are some medieval ATC-cards I made. They are all available for trade in my Flickr page.

Eggpeople

This is a great way to use your leftover yarns! I found the wonderfully illustrated instructions here. Even though the tutorial was very clear, my pebbles became somehow longer than the originals. Maybe it's because of thicker yarn, or just something I did wrong? Well anyway, mine look more like eggs than pebbles, but it's alright since it'll be easter soon...

Collages in pairs

When I start working on collages etc. I find it almost impossible to do only one piece. It's easier to make a series, or at least a pair. That way there's always somekind of larger story involved.




It's the same thing with these two ladies. At first I planned to place them both in the same picture, but I ended up (once again) with a pair of works. Well maybe it's more like a diptych or something...

I used photos from magazines and pages from old books, glued them on aquarelle paper with gel medium, then continued with acrylic paints, gesso and wax pastels.

Wee Creatures

Hooked on crocheting again... and these fellows are my latest achievement. I kind of planned on making bunnies and bears, but these actually look more like aliens. I don't mind though.