scrappassion

MY HAPPY PLACE

is the theme for the November challenge at OUAS.

This is my take on the challenge

 

 

Here are some close-ups

 

 

Go check all the fabulous pages from our fantastic Design Team!!

 

SUNSET IN TORVAIANICA

Early September Bruna and I went to Torvaianica to shoot a sunset (we also had two days to ourselves to chat and eat out and drink prosecco!)

           My partner in crime

 

 

 

 

 

 

KEEP IT SIMPLE

 The case file#64 is open for investigation once again at CSI!

EVIDENCE

rub-ons/stamps (both), circles, leaves (on a scrap of paper underneath the photo), stencils

JOURNALING

I used the following verbs to describe myself: hug, give, falter, laugh, appreiate, believe, dream, respect, advise, savor, bond, care

 

And here's my take on the challenge

new: star punch, journaling tag, washi tapes

old:  Scenic Route scraps, stamps, rub-ons, patterned paper scraps, Glitz package (grey)

 

close ups

 

 

 

I BELIEVE IN KISSING...

KISSING A LOT! I do, and that's the title of my layout for ScrapFriends     Sketch challenge #11

 

Here's the sketch

 

And here's my take on the challenge

Loved the sketch and loved working on it. Used gesso and stitching and layers of paper and washi tape and paint splashes and had loads of fun.

 

close ups

 

 

 

VUOROIN VIERAISSA - BLOG TAKEOVER

Check out Emmo's blog where I'm a guest today.

When Emmo from Finland contacted me and asked me to contribute to  Vuoroin Vieraissa  (Blog Takeover) on her blog I jumped at the chance. I'm Finnish and I was really proud to appear as a guest on a Finnish scrapbooking blog. That was also the first time when I wrote about scrapbooking in Finnish. 

Vuoroin Vieraissa is a series on different scrapbooking styles . Contributing guests illustrate their style and there's a challenge connected to each visitor's post and her style of scrapbooking.

 

  

Kun Minna pyysi minut vieraakseen tänne, jouduin oikein miettimään, mikä on minun skräppäystyylini. Sille tuskin löytyy mitään yhtä nimeä, vaan sitä voi parhaiten kuvata sillä, mitä käytän useimmissa leiskoissani eli mixed media -tuotteita, tyhjää tilaa ja ompelukonetta. Rakennan myös 90 prosenttia sivuistani yhden valokuvan ympärille.

When Minna asked me to be her guest here, I had to think really hard what my scrapping style is. I came to a conclusion that there is not one definition for it, but I guess my signature style is best described with what I use creating my layouts which is mixed media, white space and my sewing machine. And probably 90 % of my pages are single photo layouts.

 

Mixed media -tuotteita on valtavasti. Minä käytän niistä useimmiten gessoa, akryylimaaleja, suihkeita ja mistejä, musteita, modeling ja structure -pastoja, gel mediumia, découpage-liimaa, alkoholimusteita, vesivärjeä, tusseja ja värikyniä. Välineinä käytän sekä ostettuja että “kotitekoisia” sabluunoita ja maskeja, suteja ja pensseleitä ja usein vanhoja luottokortteja, kuplamuovia, kakkupapereita, kirjan sivuja ja kaikkea mahdollista, jolla saa erilaista pintaa ja tekstuuria.

There are tons of mixed media products on the market. I use most often gesso, acrylic paints, sprays and mists, inks, modeling and structure pastes, gel medium, Mod Podge, alcohol inks, water colors, pigment and artist pens and wax pastels (Neo Color). I also use homemade templates and masks as well as those bought at a store. Brushes, palette knives and old credit cards are good for spreading gesso and paints, and I use bubble wrap, doilies, book pages and whatever I can find to create depth and texture on my pages.

 

Tyhjä tila (white space) ei välttämättä ole kirjaimellisesti tyhjä. Se on tila, joka keventää sivua, ja ohjaa katsojan huomion olennaiseen sisältöön eli useimmiten kuvaan. Muistan, kuinka skräppäysharrastukseni alkuvaiheissa minun oli vaikea jättää tyhjää tilaa. Yritin kaikin tavoin täyttää sen, minkä tuloksena sivuistani tuli usein raskaita ja vaikeasti hahmotettavia.

White space is not literally white and not necessarily empty space. It's a space which gives breathing space and directs the eye to what is important on the page which on a scrapbooking page is usually the photo. I remember when I started scrapbooking that I had a hard time leaving white space on my pages which therefore resulted in heavy and cluttered layouts.

 

Ompelukonetta käytän jokaisessa leiskassani. Mitä vinommat ja hullummat ompeleet sitä iloisempi olen! Käytän ompelua myös elementtien kiinnittämiseen. Suihkeet, gesso ja maalit tekevät usein paperista hyvin painavan ja ompelen yleensä leiskani kiinni toiseen paperiin. Käytän tähän sellaista kuviopaperia, joka ei miellytä minua tai josta olen kasvanut ulos. Itse asiassa käytän erittäin vähän kuviopaperia sellaisenaan, vaan peitän sen gessolla, maalilla ja suihkeilla. Joskus ompelen myös käsin.

I use my sewing machine on every layout. The more crooked and crazy the stitching the happier I am! I also use the sewing machine to stitch the elements to the page. The paper gets really heavy with the use of mists, gesso and paints and to avoid the warping I stitch my layout onto another patterned paper. Usually it's a paper I don't like anymore. Actually I use vary rarely any patterned paper as such but cover it with gesso, paints and mists. Sometimes I also hand stitch on my layouts.

Tyylini on kokenut monia muutoksia. Aloitin hyvin yksinkertaisella ja puhtaalla tyylillä, jossa kaikki värit sopivat aina hyvin toisiinsa. Sen jälkeen siirryin erittäin monimutkaiseen ja sanoisinko ylirikkaaseen tyyliin, jota hallitsivat kuviopaperikerrokset, revityt reunat, distressaus ja leimaaminen, mutta en pitkään aikaan ollut tyytyväinen sivuihini. Olin vakuuttunut, että oli olemassa jokin tietty “oikea tapa” skräpätä ja turhauduin, koska en hallinnut sitä. Minua vaivasi myös kauhea tarve säilyttää muistoja ja sisällyttää joka ikiseen sivuun tärkeä teksti, mitä moni kansainvälisessäkin skräp-maailmassa korostaa. Itselleen kasvattaa helposti paineita siitä, mitä muut tekevät ja pitävät tärkeänä. Toki tekstillä on paikkansa skräppäämisessä, mutta se ei ole minulle itsetarkoitus. Teen usein leiskoja, joissa ei ole tekstiä ollenkaan, sitä on hyvin vähän tai se ei ole näkyvillä.

My scrapbooking has gone through various phases from clean and simple but very much color coordinated to overly rich and elaborate which included layering, tearing, distressing and inking but for a long time I wasn't happy with my pages. I was convinced that there was a certain way, ”the right way” to scrapbook and I was frustrated because I wasn't achieving that. I was also haunted by the urge to preserve memories and to always include meaningful journaling which is very common amongst many international scrapbookers. It's easy to get sucked into concepts that are important to other people. Of course journaling has its place in scrapbooking, but for me it's not the purpose of scrapbooking. I often create pages with no or very little journaling or where it's not visible.

 

 

Käytän inspiraationa aina jotain haastetta, joka useimmiten perustuu värimaailmaan tai luonnokseen, vaikka en aina välttämättä osallistu ko. haasteeseen sen jälkeen, kun sivuni on valmis. Tällä hetkellä olen kahden blogin Design Teamissä. Color, Stories, Inspiration ( lyhennettynä CSI) -haasteet perustuvat värimaailman ja muiden vaatimusten täyttämiseen kun taas OUAS (Once Upon A ...Sketch) antaa aiheen ja luonnoksen, joita saa tulkita melko vapaasti. Molemmille teksti eli journaling on hyvin tärkeä osa sivua.

For inspiration I always use challenges which are based either on a color palette or a sketch even though I do not necessarily participate in the challenges after completing my page. I´m presently on two Design Teams. The Color, Stories, Inspiration  (CSI ) challenges have always a color palette and other requirements whereas the OUAS (Once Upon a...Sketch) challenges are based on a theme and a sketch which can be interpreted quite freely.

OUAS-haasteissa aloitan aina valokuvasta, joka sopii teemaan. Heinäkuun teemana oli “ystävyys” ja luonnoksena tämä.

For OUAS challenges I always start with a photo that fits the theme. July's theme was “Friendship” , here is the sketch and my interpretation.

 

CSI-haasteissa valitsen väripalettiin sopivan valokuvan. Sen jälkeen etsin sopivan paperin ja päätän valokuvan paikan, jonka jälkeen pohjustan paperin gessolla, maaleilla, suihkeilla ja leimaamalla. Käytän aika vähän koristuksia, useimmiten washi-teippiä, joskus nauhoja ja pitsiä, muista töistä jääneitä paperi- ja kartonkisuikaleita, pieniä metalliesineitä, helmiä, nappeja ja vaatteiden hintalappuja. Pyrin myös käyttämään jokaisessa leiskassani joitain varastossani olevia skräp-tuotteita, joita on vuosien varrella tullut hankittua. Pohjustuksen jälkeen lisään kuvan ja koristukset, jonka jälkeen siirryn ompelukoneen ääreen. Viimeisenä roiskautan vedellä jatkettua maalia, vesiväriä tai mustetta ja siinä se.

For the CSI challenges I always start with the photo that fits the color palette. Then I choose the background paper and decide the placement of the photo. I work on the background with different media. I don't use many embellishments, mainly washi tape, sometimes ribbon and lace, left over paper strips, small metal trinkets, pearls, buttons and clothing labels. I'm determined to use some old product from my stash on each layout. After building textures I add the photo and the other elemenst. Then it's time for my sewing machine and at last I flick some watered down paint, watercolors or ink onto the layout and voilà.

Tässä on esimerkki CSI-haasteesta nr 23. Here is the CSI challenge nr 23

Ja minun tulkintani. My interpretation. 

 

Pari vuotta sitten löysin mixed median, mikä oli suuri käännekohta skräppäämisessäni. Erilaisten tekniikoiden ja yrityksen ja erehdyksen kautta olen oppinut ilmaisemaan itseäni vapaammin. Pääsin myös eroon harhakuvasta, jonka mukaan on vain yksi oikea tapa skräpätä. Olen vihdoin löytänyt tyylini (vaikken tiedä sille nimeä!) ja olen tyytyväinen leiskoihini. Ne eivät suinkaan ole täydellisiä, mutta ne ovat minulle tyypillisiä ja kuvaavat minua.

Two years ago I discovered mixed media and through various techniques and through much trial and error I have learned to express myself more freely and finally let go of the misconception that there's a ”right way” to scrapbook. I have found my style (even though there's no name for it!) and I'm pleased with my pages. They are not perfect but they are ”me”.

Haluan toki säilyttää muistoja ja pidän ajatuksesta, että lapseni arvostavat jonain päivänä leiskojani ja niiden sisältöä, mutta skräppään itselleni ja itseni takia: se on terapeuttista, minusta on kiva leikkiä väreillä, muodoilla ja materiaaleilla ja joskus skräppään kuvan ihan ilman syytä tai ihan “siksi vaan”. Liiat rajoitukset ja määräykset tappavat ilon ja spontaanisuuden.

I do like to preserve memories and I like to think that my kids will appreciate my pages and their content one day, but I really scrapbook for myself: it's therapeutic, I love to play with colors and textures and sometimes I scrap a photo just because. Too many rules kill the joy and spontaneity.

please join in on the challenge (at the end of the blog post) which runs through Dec 15.

 

 

The Second September challenge at CSI + OUAS

 

Here's the CSI challenge #37 with Nadia's wonderful sketch for OUAS.

 

EVIDENCE - USE AT LEAST 2 ELEMENTS

• Use stripes and dots
• Use wrappers/ packaging
• Use a book page
• Pen work/ doodling
• labels
• Use a craft knife
• Circles (inspired by the knobs and reels)
• buttons (inspired by the knobs)

TESTIMONY - USE AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT:

• Use a song title or lyrics as inspiration for your journaling (inspired by the tape recorder).
• Handwrite your journaling.
• Take a break - break your journaling across several journaling spots.
• Write your journaling on note paper.
• Do your journaling as a diary entry.
• Inspiration Words: -- daydream, break, think -- use these as inspiration for your journaling, not just as a title

 

My take

I flipped the sketch and for my evidence I used dots, book page, circles and buttons.

For the journaling I used the Inspiration word 'daydream'

"What an awesome feeling. It was so great to be daydreaming about something for such a long time and actually have it come true."

I keep saying that I'm not a red and blue kinda girl but I loved to work on this page and precisely with these colors. The photo was taken by Andrea last year (thanks Babe!)

I sprayed the background with gesso through The Crafters' Workshop stencil (I believe it's one of Julie Balzer's wonderful stencils) and also flicked  watered down gesso to create random splashes, stitched  a strip of bookpaper, a notebook paper and a strip of patterned paper with the bar code and one strip of patterned paper underneath my photo, smeared the Imaginarium Designs' butterfly chippie with gesso and painted some of it blue. I also stamped on the background with Archival Ink  'French Ultramarine' and bubble wrap stamped a bit of black ink to spice it up. Finally I added a plethora of buttons and voilà.

This layout is very important for me since I'm living that dream right at this moment :)

 

TFL!

YOU MAKE MY LIFE BEAUTIFUL

That is the title of my layout for the CSI #35.

Loved the color palette

Here's my page

I loved to work on the background using gesso, paint, modeling paste, stamps and stitching. The background paper is from an old Crate paper collection that had practically all the required colors on it. I just covered it up with gesso and book papers because it was too loud as is for my liking.

I smeared gesso on the big wooden Kaisercraft heart, placed my round photos on doilies and stitched in circles around the bigger one.

I cracked the case using paint, heart, wood (the heart) and flowers (on the tape) as my evidence and for the journaling part I wrote random things about Hubbs:

- you make me so very happy
- you are patient
- you don't bear a grudge
- I always get what I want :P
- for you the family is the most important thing
- on vacation you serve me hand and foot and that is why I LOVE to go on vacation with you!
- I am a better person because of you

 

You can use Michele's fabulous printables to help you crack the case. 

FEATURED ON RONDA PALAZZARI'S BLOG

I'm over the moon. When Ronda contacted me about wanting to share some of my work on her blog I just about cried of excitement! She's one of my favorite scrapbooking and mixed media artists and one of the nicest people I know.

I met her virtually at Cocoa Daisy's message board a few years ago and then in person in Mykonos at Kouros Hotel during a fantastic scrapbooking event.

Thank you Ronda for wanting to share my art!

I'M SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE...

that I'm part of the fabulous Design Team at OUAS!!!! 

Here is the official announcement Nadia Cannizzo, the owner of OUAS, made on the blog.

So without further delay please welcome the brand new (with a couple of oldies :) ) Once Upon A...Sketch Design Team. The team will be split into 2 groups who will show their work on the 1st and the 15th of each month. 

Jeni O'Connor -Administrator (Australia /Canada)

Georgia Heald - Guest Designer coordinator (Australia)

Patti Hamil - Sponsorship Administrator (USA)
Eila Sandberg (Sweden)
Efi Stamatelli (Greece)
Erin Blegen ( USA)
Romy Veul (The Netherlands)
Kelly Foster (USA)
Jolaine Frias (USA)
Vicky Alberto (Canada)
Luzma Bruna (Chile)
Mona Pendleton (USA)
Solange Marques (Brazil)
Anna Zaprzelska/Brises (Poland)
Evgenia Petzer (South Africa) 
Renata Moni (Brazil)
Elena Stefanidou (Greece) 
Melenia Agapides (Greece) 
Cathy Cafun (Australia) 
Tina Walker (USA)
Kim Jeffress (Australia)
Florence Teixeira - France 
Helena Virpi (Italy) THAT'S ME :))))))
Hilde Aaslund (Norway) 
Kay Fatula (USA)
Camilla Ekman (Sweden)
Svetlana Austin (South Africa)

I will introduce these ladies in the coming weeks before they officially start on July 1st! I have already seen some of their work uploaded in our Design Team private blog and I am already getting a feeling that we are in for a treat :) 

I am so happy and excited and honored. Can't wait to start! But you have to wait for July to see the new team's first creations.

OUR STORY

This is my last layout as a Revolving Door Artist at TCR for their color palette #112. I have so much enjoyed creating these pages and I will surely not abandon TCR.

Loved creating the background here: used gesso to whitewash, added book pages, swiped acrylic paint and then plashed some ink. I usually use watered down (black) acrylic paint and I really don't know where I got the brilliant idea to use Distress Ink re-inker (Black Soot) . It took FOREVER to dry! Even with the occasional warming ups with the heatgun, it still took DAYS! Never again.

I swiped the flowers with yellow and misted just a little with Glimmer mist Dreamsicle to achieve the pale apricot required by the color palette. The apricot/white argyle tape is o-l-d  Heidi Swapp tape. At last I stamped randomly, added some number  rub-ons and stitched and distressed the edges. I also added some pearls here and there to mimic the pearls I have in my paper bouquet.

The photo is of last February when Franco and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. Quite an achievement if I say so myself;) 

---------------------------

 

This week I didn't have time to create a page at CSI even thought the color scheme was really yummy! You on the other hand have still the whole week to participate.