yellow house studio

Modern

2009-01-19T07:23:00.002-05:00

Saturday Surprise theme this week is modern. Here's my entry:

Leimakuva on moderni - retro oikeastaan. Myös teksti on nk. modernia runoutta, Hannu Mäkelän v.1977 julkaistusta runoteoksesta Syksy tuli kutsumatta.
Hauska haaste!

Couples

2009-01-19T07:00:00.003-05:00

There are couples - and then there are couples. When Theme Thursday challenged us with this theme, I knew I wanted to portray something else than the inevitable happy couple.
So then, here's to all couples, happy or unhappy, conventional or not:

I Cannot Forget You

Favorite technique

2008-12-10T02:38:00.003-05:00

My favorite technique - thank you ArtyGirlz for a great challenge - has to be paint. I love doing painted backgrounds, and frequently, if the paint is thick, I will stamp into it, thus pulling out the paint and revealing the original background. Being thrifty, the background usually comes from a cereal box, a rice package or the likes. This means an added dash of surprise color coming through, instead of white cardstock.

Laughter

The swirl stamp in the upper left corner reveals beautiful colors underneath, and the texture seems just luscious. Hey, a bit of glitter and pearlescent paint is always in order...

TMTA: Seeing red

2008-12-09T14:47:00.003-05:00

I am seeing red, and it is the dress of this little girl, the bow of the kitty and a few dashes of the background. The flash made the text jump, the letters are glittery red, too.

I enjoyed this challenge by TMTA. I liked the fact that you can treat the subject very broadly.

Exotic Places

2008-11-27T00:49:00.006-05:00

WS challenge theme this week is Exotic Places.
The most exotic place I know, and one I would love to visit, is the past. Time travel, you know.

This is how I got the idea for my card. The young woman is looking at her younger self. Text was found in a book "I'm looking at you through the years"

on technique:
Sandpaper, gesso, stamping, scratching again, and an acrylic wash form the multi-layered background.

Hands

2008-11-27T00:44:00.004-05:00

Crazy Amigo challenge this week calls for hands. Hands, what an interesting theme.
Very few photos that I own show hands in motion, mostly hands are just idle, hanging beside the body, or folded up in lap.
For this one I wanted some action. And here's my take on it:

Please don't

Favorite Colors

2008-11-25T12:47:00.006-05:00

ArtyGirlz challenge today is asking us to use our favorite color. Well, it is a challenge, as it happens. At least for me. I love full, rich color, but mostly my work is kind of pastel-ly. Can't explain why. (Maybe because a lot of ATC material comes in vintage sepia hues?)

Anyway, this is what I came up with. Bright reds and deep blues paired with some happy yellow.

Friends

Thanks for looking!

Blog candy

2008-11-24T04:48:00.001-05:00

Just found this fabulous site! Hurry over to wins some fabulous blog candy. A girl can never have too many eyelets...

Saturday Surprise: Numbers

2008-11-22T06:36:00.004-05:00

Saturday Surprise's theme this week is numbers. My take on it:

Kuinka vanha olet, Leila?

tekniikasta:
Suihkutin vesiväripaperia kevyesti kultasuihkeella (Rayher). Sen jälkeen töpötin taustan kultaiset numerot sapluunan läpi kultageelillä (Pebeo Metal Touch, gold). Geeli on läpinäkyvän keltaista työstettäessä, mutta muuttuu kuivuessaan mukavan tummaksi.
Sen jälkeen leimasin taustan numerot Jim Holtzin Distress Inkillä (väri Fired Brick).
Leikkasin valokuvan (omista arkistoista), punasin hieman tytön poskia, ja koristelin hametta pastelliliiduilla.
Kirjoitus on siirtokuva Paperikeijulta saatavasta skräppilehtiöstä.
opuksi leikkasin kukat, leimasin ne ja reunasin ne punaisella.

Täytyy todeta, että monta työvaihetta tarvitaan näinkin yksinkertaiseen kuvaan!

Snowflake Kisses

2008-11-22T06:30:00.003-05:00

Wednesday Stamper has a charming theme this week: Snowflake kisses. This is how I decided to interpret it:

clicks for bigger. Thanks for looking!

TGIF / Vintage

2008-11-21T08:59:00.004-05:00

What a great theme and right up my alley! TGIF challenge is calling for vintage this week. Here's my take on it:

Summer

the caption reads: Summer came, and I was finally young. It is from a poem, so feel free to understand it the way you like.
Fern printed paper, stamping, a dried leaf, a dragonfly brad.
Traded.

A Woman's Best Friend

2008-11-21T08:43:00.004-05:00

... is a credit card, they say. Shopping is living in the moment, the thrill is in the chase. When the outcome is a lovely pair of new shoes, they can also be a woman's best friend.
Here's my entry for Kollaasimania's Thursday challenge. Enjoy!

Shoe Freak

picture transfer, chalks, a tag, some ribbon, found words, a pretty rose... available

Culinary delights

2008-11-19T14:03:00.002-05:00

For many, truffels is the ultimate delight, followed closely by champagne, chocolate, cheese and noodles...
TMTA is challenging us to make an ATC on some culinary delight. Well then, my choice is champagne. Here is my card. Enjoy!

Mais oui!

Hevoshaaste

2008-11-19T13:09:00.007-05:00

Pienen atc-haasteen aihe tällä viikolla on hevonen. Kuinka ollakaan, juuri tein vaihdon Ainon kanssa, jossa hän lähetti minulle kuvia ja materiaalia, ja erittäin sopivasti yhdestä kortista tuli hevosaiheinen.
Tällä siis osallistun Dum-dumin haasteesen.

Hoi poika sinipaitainen

Birthday Girl

2008-11-16T15:17:00.002-05:00

I have been eyeing Saturday Workout for a while, but not until now did I find the time to take part. This week you're encouraged to try out ribbon technique. Very interesting, and instantly appealing.
I used a card cut out from patterned card stock, tied ribon criss cross around it and sprayed it with my new Tim Holtz Glimmer Mist. It took a while to dry. The pattern on cardstock resisted the mist, so the result has some pattern, too.

Birthday Girl

How Kitchen equals Love

2008-11-16T11:22:00.004-05:00

Saturday Surprise has Kitchen as a theme this week. Kitchen led me think of food, and from food my thoughts wandered to a book by a Latin American author (forget her name now), roughly with the title "You only get called once to table and to bed" - which of course led me to think of love, and longing.

The tomatoes in the colander read "kitchen", but did you know tomatoes were also called Love Apples, back when they were first introduced to Europe? They were said to enhance the libido, and were generally thought of as fruit, not vegetable.

Here, then, is my take on SS Kitchen. Enjoy!

Kaipaus

On technique:
Background is a post card advertising a summer street fair in my town. I scratched it with a coarse sandpaper, then smeared it with some acrylic paint, which I partly wiped off. The same method was applied to the tomatoes in the colander. I just love this technique, it's great for altering and getting an aged and matte surface.

Bird challenge

2008-11-16T07:20:00.006-05:00

Theme Thursday this week calls for Birds.
Here is my take on it. No more bad dreams...
My desk is a mess, and cleaning it up these scraps just fell together. (Should clean it more often.)

Pic clicks for big. Available for trade. Thanks for looking!

Colors of Autumn

2008-11-03T01:44:00.003-05:00

Mixed Media Monday challenge this week is calling for fall colors. Where I live, the leaves have turned a while ago and the peak is over, the world is a drab brown. So that's the base of my fall colors, this mysterious woman wandering in the woods - can you feel the athmosphere?

Winter Magic

2008-11-02T15:19:00.005-05:00

Haastan Sinut challenge #18 - had to use this photo of a little girl. Tonight it's well below zero, and this is my take on it:

Winter magic

I am also taking part in Anne's atc swap *atc-vaihto 8*. This card is going to an unknown recipient - whoever Anne matches me up with - as is this second card I made today:

A Question.

Pics click for bigger. Thanks for looking.

Hot teddy

2008-07-06T13:53:00.004-04:00

Saturday Surprise challenge this week is Door/Doors.
Here's my entry: a teddy bear peeking out to the yard and discovering a bathing beauty.
I know I know, it's just too bizarre - but maybe also a little bit funny?

And the award goes to...

2008-07-06T12:25:00.002-04:00

Thank you Melanie for nominating me!
I, in turn, nominate:

vikke
nappikappa
inkku
tatsi
ansku
minibookpixie

You all make my day!

Here are the rules for the award: 1. The winner can put the logo on her blog. 2. Link the person you received your award from. 3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. 4. Put links of those blogs on yours. 5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you've nominated.

Beauty

2008-06-10T14:40:00.003-04:00

Saturday Surprise challenge this week: Beauty.

Oh!
I'm living mostly in Flickr these days. Do pop by! There's a lot more to see there.

Magical

2008-05-03T00:09:00.005-04:00

Saturday Surprise challenges us to make something Magical this week. Since I am working with Oriental themes right now, my entry has Oriental flair.

Magical Walk.
Tilda papers (look very Oriental to me!), a pine bough, little guy and a huge butterfly.

Something sweet

2008-04-19T12:41:00.003-04:00

Saturday Surprise challenge this week asks for something "sweet". I decided this 20's lady was sweet and fitted the bill!

Pretty pretty
Stamping and collage. Reserved for our upcoming live trade event.

Something winged

2008-04-19T12:22:00.005-04:00

Kollaasimania's challenge this week: "something with wings". Here's my entry:

Sky is large
With just collage and stamping it's one of your super simple basic cards, but the colors make it pop. Have been waiting to use this lady for a while now, and finally I lucked out, yay.

available for trade. Click for bigger!

Purposeful blogging

2008-04-08T13:20:00.004-04:00

This award comes from Vikke. Thank you! I didn't realize I had a purpose... well, suppose I do! MOts of us have a purpose, that's why it is so hard to pick five. There are plenty, but I will pass it on to:

1. Mielitty - great knitting and genious reflections of life!
2. Matroshkin - productive, and a great reading to boot!
3. Sheri over at Blendedcolors - love her spirited art!
4. Paula at Minibookpixie - her art is purposeful.
5. Inkku at paperiharakka - striving to be good and better.

The rules:

1. You have to nominate 5 blogs, which haven't had awards before.

2. Each of the blogs must have a purpose!

3. The nominated blogs must make a link back to this page!

4. The logo from the award must be put on their blog and it must link back to this blog.

Well then, hope you all hop over and at least take a look at these blogs even if you cannot read them!

Spring is in the Air

2008-03-25T14:41:00.004-04:00

Nappikappa's 10-day challenge has come to an end. Last theme is Spring. Here is my take on it, a smart lady all dressed up in her spring coat and hat, ready for taking a walk.

A Walk Before Dinner
But what kind of a walk? There's a lottery ticket peeking out from her pocket. And what, pray, is with the key?

PS. I have called in the first Finnish ATC Forum with a live trade session. Everyone interested is welcome, whether a seasoned maker or an absolute rookie, Finnish, English, it does not matter. Please email me for details, you'll find my mail in the profile. It will be held in Turku this coming Sunday.

Monday challenges

2008-03-24T11:34:00.007-04:00

Today I made an ATC with effects for TMTA. It had a picture of a family for Nappikappa's 10-day challenge. I don't often try to kill two birds with one stone, as you know, but today is an exception. I did plenty of textured backgrounds, but this was the only one I felt was nice enough for using.

Help me, mommy.Story of the picture is told in my flickr entry.

My favorite texture is achieved this way: Take a slick catalog page and sand it down. It will get a rough texture and the edges will start to look worn. Now it's time to smear any liquid but thick color on it, acrylic, gel paint, colored glue, whatever. While it's still liquid, move the paint around with a credit card, a vial, a pen - again, it doesn't matter. You will get nice textural pattern. As the top layer here was glue paint, I stuck a piece of mesh on top.

Day 8: Birds

2008-03-23T12:34:00.005-04:00

Birds, yay! Nappikappa's 10-day challenge is calling for birds today.

Birds and nests seem to lend themselves well for life affirmations.

Luota itseesi (Be confident about yourself.)

Elämä kantaa. (Life will take care of you.)

Brown background here is the utmost, paper-like bark of pine tree. It's lying on the ground after winter. I glued it down with decoupage glue, and weighted the piece heavily. That was the only way to bring the curly bark into submission.

Both are available for trade. Thanks for looking!

Challenge on Men

2008-03-21T15:24:00.004-04:00

Kollaasimania's challenge this week is Men. Meet Axel von Knorring, engineer.

Scrapped a wonderful robin's egg's blue envelope from 1931, sent by Axel's office. (Of course this is not the real Axel, but rather a dapper man from an old cabinet card!)

This card is for live trade.

WS / First letter

2008-03-19T10:06:00.004-04:00

Haven't seen this challenge before: make a card using the first letter of your name as an inspiration. Go over to Wednesday Stampers to participate!
My first letter is A, and the word that came to mind was Award.

A is for Award.

But no-one is saying what kind of an award! For all we know it may be an award for the worst dresser.

Fashion and Torso

2008-03-19T09:53:00.003-04:00

What do these two thing have in common? Why, glad you should ask, it's two challenges wrapped into one.
I had wanted to make a torso for Theme Thursday for the longest time - yes, it's a full week coming! And the Day 4 challenge for Nappikappa calls for Clothing.
This was a happy marriage.

Absolument naturel.
On the torso you see a corset coming along. In days past, underwear was called foundation garment. They were the foundation of everything, and ensured a proper fit of regular clothing (something to be considered even today).
Were those foundation pieces rigid and downright deforming? Bet they were! But what doesn't a woman do for her beauty?

Day 3: Love

2008-03-18T11:55:00.003-04:00

Only by sheer chance did I find Nappikappa's 10-day-challenge. I'm glad I did!
Every day there is a new theme, and you have time till midnight to make your ATC.
This is mine, today's theme being Love.

Poetry by Hannu Mäkelä, 1974, book: Syksy tuli kutsumatta.

On technique:
A catalog picture, sanded down and aged with red acrylics and a brown ink pad.
Red swirl is one of those "daily tattoos" sold almost in every store that caters to the pre-teen and teen crowd. A piece of gold printed natural paper.

TMTA / Transparent

2008-03-18T11:44:00.004-04:00

I have never understood transparencies. Why use them? Why not stamp directly onto the picture? Could someone please explain!
Anyway, I found myself extremely challenged when TMTA was prodding to use them on this week's art.
This is the result:

Enter in Paris.
On technique:
Black stamping on white paper, blue stamping on a transparency, both glued on top of each other and then on gold (some of it peeking as sky), a 50's lady and a piece of foil (from a dog food package, peeled off real easy!) - voila!

I'm so happy to be challenged! Otherwise I would just stick in my old rut. A huge Thank-You to the folks at TMTA!

Tea Party

2008-03-16T16:15:00.005-04:00

Tea Party is the theme over on Saturday Surprise. I can't help but being a tad bizarre. Here's my "magical" tea party (see the pixie dust?):

No sugar for me, please.
clicks for bigger. Thanks for looking!

WS / In My Garden

2008-03-15T13:31:00.003-04:00

In my Garden is Wednesday Stamper's challenge this week. Here's my entry:

Stamping, gel paints, German scraps, musical notes... My garden is a happy place!

Inspire me Thursday: Kitchen

2008-03-07T15:29:00.005-05:00

Looking around my kitchen, I found plenty to inspire me. I was drawn to the most colorful items on the shelves, rice bags and noodles packs. Here is what I made for Inspire me Thursday's challenge this week:

Kitchen Fairy 1 (Fragrant Jasmine Rice)
Kitchen Fairy 2 (Quick-cooking Noodles)
I just love those whimsical little clouds, don't you? Just one line, and you have a puffy happy little cloud.
A short note on technique. The rice bag is heavy duty kind of cellophane, and my Uhu stick just wouldn't glue it to ordinary paper. I found out that if you first glue it to tissue paper it will make a permanent bond with it. Then the plastic has a paper backing and will stick to all other surfaces. Well, at least to normal and slick papers.

A short note

WS / Stars

2008-03-02T08:52:00.004-05:00

How nice! Cheers from Wednesday Stamper for returning week after week. This week we should put some sparkle on our creations. I love sequins for their almost decadent sparkle, and added some. In pink, of course. (Of course!)

A little bird said... (you can never have enough hats, pink or sparkle)
Stamped background, collage of vintage photo, German scraps and a magazine cutting, aged with cream acrylic paint, then highlighted with sparkle gel pens, sequins.

Fragile

2008-03-01T03:44:00.003-05:00

The theme this week on Saturday Surprise is Fragile. Which lead me to think of a bird's song. And spring, the most fragile season, alternating between snow and sunshine, warm and cold.

Tulip Song
On technique:
Tulips were stamped onto tissue, and attached with copious amounts of decoupage glue. This makes the surface slightly slippery. I then stamped dark green dots all over and smudged them. The tulips were colored in with cream colored acrylics, and, when dry, chalked in with pink pastel.
After glueing on the bird and the musical notes, and stamping the flourishes, I covered the whole picture with decoupage glue. It dries on colorless, protects the chalks and gives the piece a nice satin finish.

Alice in Wonderland

2008-03-01T03:29:00.005-05:00

4x4 Friday's theme this week is Alice in Wonderland. First off, I'm not a fan. I find the book hard to read. It is too bizarre and breathless to my taste. Oh well, challenges are all about breaking your boundaries, so I decided to give it a try. It helped, of course, that I had just received a stamped Alice in a trade, which I now could put to good use.

Why then, you may ask, is this an ATC, not a 4x4? Oops, my mistake! I usually jot down the challenges on a piece of paper, and then promptly forgot which challenge Alice was due for.
I'll post my link, anyway, don't be too mad! There is no chance to make another Alice, I have no more pics of her.
The technique is explained in my flickr.

Thanks for looking!

I'll be there for you

2008-02-24T11:45:00.004-05:00

Step Outside Your Box has a toughie this week: Fabric of our lives.
Well then, I had to step outside my safe zone, but I know it's a good thing and one of the reasons I try to manage every challenge.

T-shirt jersey, paper flowers and a a placket made with white polyshrink, stamped and chalked. I can't believe I have 6 sheets of that stuff and no sensible use for it. I bought it to try make some nice jewelry with it, but the stuff is just mean! I dislike how it feels when it is cured. Makes my teeth hurt. Ugh.

The placket is attached with silk embroidery floss, as are some of the flowers. Yes, it's real silk, a terrific find at the flea market in Vienna.
This ATC is for a dear friend, who makes cards and now wants to explore the world of ATC's.

Warm Colors

2008-02-23T14:44:00.003-05:00

Theme Thursday is asking for warm colors. A nice change from my usual greens and darks. Here is orange.

Alphonse will be looked after
pic clicks for bigger. Thanks for looking!

TMTA / Insects

2008-02-18T12:36:00.006-05:00

Insects are the theme this week at the TMTA challenge.

Here are my pretties:
Single chap, eh?
click for bigger!

The bodies are from an old engraved book on insects. I made liberal use of pearlescent, silver and gold paints on their bodies. The guy is actually lavender.
Background is a mixture of cream acrylic, green glitter glue and sage stencil paint. I usually put them in a heap and start blending on the card. Any overflow goes on the paper that covers my desk. Whenever that starts to look interesting I cut it up for new backgrounds.
I also made a gel transfer of some b&w line drawings of insects, but those got kind of buried under.

Hypnotic

2008-02-16T14:34:00.003-05:00

Saturday Surprise has an interesting theme this week, hypnotic. It took me awhile to get my juices flowing. I spent many hours agonizing, staring at my blank paper, toying with pictures, backgrounds, ideas... I felt like at first grade. Luckily everything fell to it's place - here is the result: Look into my eyes

clicks for bigger!

Dancing in Paris

2008-02-16T10:38:00.003-05:00

Kollaasimania's this week's challenge is Dance / Moulin Rouge. A ribbon or twine has to be incorporated. Now, I think Moulin Rouge is associated with the recent film where there was a lot of couple dancing, rather than with the famous revue hall sporting scantily clad women kicking their legs up in unison (like Radio City Music Hall, just with more skin).

So, I found this couple from 1910's. There is a look of real pleasure on the woman's face (though not really visible here). It doesn't feel - like so many photographs in any era - like she was posing. Imagine how it must have been: the lights are bright, the decorations fancy, you feel the music, the heat, the noise, other dancers bumping into you, you twirl and move and dance the night away.

Cheek to cheek in Paris
click for bigger!

Wednesday Valentine

2008-02-14T15:14:00.006-05:00

Just tried to be clever there... It's Thursday, of course, but the challenge was by Wednesday Stampers, calling for Valentines.
My card doesn't have the usual sugary coloring.

"Because you're hot" came from a magazine, and seemed to go well with the picture of this lady. She's the sweetheart of a gustav, adolf, angus or some such. The pink heart brad screams love, as do the row of hugs and kisses top of the card.

pic clicks for bigger! Traded.

Faces

2008-02-14T15:05:00.005-05:00

Inspire Me Thursday prompts to explore faces. Well, I did, and this is what came out:

Her left eye has this bad nervous condition.
Background is a magazine photo treated with some diluted acrylics. Also glued some white and lavender tissue paper at odd spots, and softly added some stamping.

traded

Think outside the Box

2008-02-12T15:32:00.000-05:00

There is a great challenge on Think outside the Box. No glue!
Oh, I love my trusty stick of glue as much as the next guy, but I decided to give this challenge a try, anyway.
Not happy. Not happy. I could have gone wild and uninhibited, I know, but this is as far as my faint heart allowed me to go: clips and cross stitching with bronze thread.
No Other Colors
The fish are held with silvery clips, their tails are stitched with a cross stitch, and the straight stitch in the middle holds the text.

Pic clicks for bigger. Thanks for looking!

Childhood in a frame

2008-02-10T13:33:00.000-05:00

Kollaasimania (sorry folks, in Finnish only) has childhood for a theme this week. In addition, one has to use a frame in the collage, too.
EDIT: And a day later, TMTA has the theme child with bird.
Here is my entry:
Kasva lapsi (Grow up, child)
Picture clicks for bigger!

Saturday Surprise: Men

2008-02-10T13:25:00.001-05:00

Here is my entry for Saturday Surprise. The theme is Men. I wish I could have found the words: Time is love, time is money. Kind of sums the bulk of them up... Harsh generalization, of course!

traded

Asia

2008-02-09T00:18:00.000-05:00

Wednesday Stampers calls for Asia-themed entries. Well then, here is mine.
I glued on the brown skeleton leaf as an afterthought - the upper right looked a tad empty. Too bad it hid some of the flourishes.

TT/ Spring

2008-02-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

Spring (Sprang. Sprung.)

Theme Thursday this week: Spring. To me me, nothing says spring like the first butterfly. Which won't be for another couple of months... oh well. But these vibrant colors make me happy. Can't wait!

Clare

2008-02-05T15:13:00.000-05:00

Please send Clare in, then.

I used gesso, acrylics, transfer and pencil. I like the spare look, makes Clare (and what she did) look even more menacing. And will you just look at her, cool as a cucumber!

pic clicks for bigger, as always.

I now have a flickr-account! Please visit to see all available cards for trade - and some private ones as well.

TMTA / Cats

2008-02-05T10:27:00.001-05:00

TMTA challenges to use a cat in our art work. Here is my take:

Dreaming Big
click pic for big!

MMM/ swirls and flourishes

2008-02-05T10:15:00.001-05:00

Mixed Media Monday has the best challenge to ease me in: swirls and flourishes. Yes!

The background has been stamped with a swirly pattern, even though it's not apparent at first sight. I used a really coarse foam stamp and dabbed it thickly with cream acrylic paint. The background paper is old sewing pattern paper - love that stuff! You can achieve such nice gradation with it. Plus it's got quirky words. Like this one: 3UP. No idea what it means, but I incorporated it in the composition.

Pieni (Small)
clicks for big!

Love, etc.

2008-02-03T14:05:00.001-05:00

I made some ATC cards today. Feeling a bit rusty, though. The break has been a very long one, but I'm back now!

Started thinking about love, how it takes funny forms sometimes. These ATC's are a bit tongue-in-cheek, and everyone is free to interpret them their way.

Placement Line (#1435, 1455 and 1451).

Thank you, Judy dear.
Both are available for trade.

Buttons!

2007-11-21T01:01:00.000-05:00

This week both FFTT and Mixed Media Mondays (MMM?) have challenged us to use buttons in our artwork. I have a lot of beautiful, but really dimensional and bulky buttons. My favorite to use on flat(tish) collage work are these old underwear buttons from Germany. They are just round cardboard discs clad with white linen, simple and to the point. An added plus: they come on a pretty printed card.
I played around and made these tags. (Lately I have been making just tags, but double sided, so you can flip them. Possible use? Bookmarks, I guess. Or carry-along pocket art?)

I made two tags, but gave the second one to my sister before I had a chance to take a picture. Eventually I will show the second one here. Two tags for two challenges, fair enough.

Domestictext left: changes temporarily
right: background shows ads for domestic help and summer houses to rent
clicks for big!

Hearts!

2007-11-19T01:45:00.000-05:00

Arty Girlz challenges us to use hearts on our artwork. Not hard, not this time of the year. I made a crop of holiday cards, and find this one to truly capture the spirit. The sentiment reads: be merry.

tech stuff: photocopy of a holiday-themed song white-washed with gesso, then stamped and torn. Silver joss paper, gold craft, red tissue and gold non-woven material for the heart. This comes with a red envelope with black snowflake stamping.

Skinny Saturday

2007-11-18T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'm really into tags right now, which I've been doing in this skinny format.

Sarah's Skinny Saturday challenge is asking to make a diptych. Well, I made a tag which is a diptych in itself, as both sides are needed to form a complete image.

Edit: Oh WHY can't I get the pictures to appear side by side, oh why!

Theme Thursday: Boys

2007-11-18T09:08:00.000-05:00

Trying out the new Theme Thursday for the first time. This week: boys.
I made a tag. The "caption" reads: smart, well yes. That is boys for me; they act silly even if they're smart.

too many challenges

2007-11-13T00:38:00.000-05:00

Life throws challenges at you and you keep jumping. I haven't followed the blog world for two weeks, and boy, does it make me feel like I'm losing touch big time!

No Script

To illustrate the point: life has no script. I made this card just before the long hiatus, as if I had known. Between now and New Year's I'm going to have very little time of my own, but I'll keep posting, if infrequently. Keep your fingers crossed I'll manage some quality time with my art supplies, soon!

Wednesday Stampers: Growing old

2007-10-29T13:42:00.000-04:00

Off the cuff: My piece is not about how old you are, it's about getting there. Getting to be really old, wise, respected, y'know, stuff. It's a long road. My sentiments go out to the very young, to the adolescent. I'd like to shout: don't give up, don't despair. The world is harsh, the world is unjust, parents should know better but some never do. Just do not give up. Be a better person, a good person, be all you can!

For this challenge I decided to "illustrate" the poetry I've been slowly working on. Hannu Mäkelä of Finland wrote these lines (among others) in 1974. I'm positive he wasn't writing about children, or adolescent, but I think they fit beautifully to describe growing pains.

"My road shrouded in darkness. There is no other road."

"We have very little future, and we have to take care of it ourselves."
click both for big. Sorry for the glare!

Oh mercy me!

2007-10-29T06:05:00.000-04:00

Hallowe'en, oh mercy me!
All challenge blogs are full of Halloween, and I'm not a huge fan. The evening is altogether too noisy, people are going wild on the streets. I usually have a Halloween party "just for us girls", nice food, wine, good music, the obligatory pumpkins as decoration. Well, used to have. That was in the big city, thousands of miles away. Now I live in a very rural life, secluded, even, where lighting just one candle will make a big difference.
I made these inchies for Joanne's inchie swap. Halloween, if you will.

The picture clicks bigger.
tech stuff:
Note the festively sparkly background. I used a wild concoction of ink, dye, glitter glue and puffy fabric paint. Squirted everything onto the surface and blended it then and there with a thick brush. Different type mediums didn't exactly blend, some colors stayed mostly where I had put them, others could be manouvred around. There is coverage, though it is deliciously uneven. The background was school grade (100g) watercolor pad. I flattened it out with hot iron after drying as it had started to buckle.

in the pink

2007-10-28T15:51:00.000-04:00

Chris at My favorite Thing for Today has a wonderful mini challenge in her blog. Plus great papers to download! Make a card or an altered object using her pink papers and you might win some goodies. Right up my alley! I love pink, love-love-love. Some pink can be real tacky, but check it out, Chris has wonderful clean shades of pink. It was hard to choose what to use.

I made an ATC (is this getting old?) using this paper. Only in my card you can't see a whole lot of it since I stamped it, too.
(Sorry Chris, I didn't do anything sweet! But if you scroll down my entries for this weekend you'll notice I have had my fill of sugar...)

So here's my entry for Chris' mini challenge, and I think it fits the prompt for Inspire Me Thursday - all things spooky, ghoulish or haunted! This lady would spook me!

Quiet please! (I'll have order please!)

Sunday couples

2007-10-28T12:43:00.000-04:00

I'm still rolling on... Made some interesting backgrounds, and used some for these cards.
Clearly it is couples day!

Vaaralliset aseet (I'm not scared of men like him, unless, of course, he carries some terrible weapons.) traded
found words, gessoed paper, gel transfer (gone bad), background color sponged on directly with the ink pad

Kuiskaus (Whispering loudly: I had to return)

Words from a third-rate play. The background is my thriftiness... I always keep a sheet of printer paper under my work in progress. A good and reliable catchall for any overflow ink, or stamping, trying out pens, doodling, and especially all that excess glue. The glue gives the paper a nice shiny surface, and this takes sponged ink from ink pads beautifully.

Robbery. A play in 4 Acts
Torn papers, sponged in with ink pads, then stamped with the same inks, some lavender tissue paper, found words (from a list of plays)

all pics click for bigger!

Saturday Surprise: Letter

2007-10-28T05:03:00.000-04:00

She's got mail! And not just any, but clearly happy mail. See the stamp: Au pays des fees. Couldn't resist it - translation: in fairyland.

Good tidings
click for big!
Saturday Surprise is here

I'm on a roll

2007-10-27T12:52:00.000-04:00

Clearly, I'm on a roll. Ten atc's in two days. Not that I've been trying to be fast, no, just because I'm usually good for one card per night, maybe in two nights this rare occasion filled me with happiness and contentment.

There is a new Mixed media Monday challenge site, and their first prompt was Vintage Women. I "blame" them for the overall vintage look. Once I had made one, the others just kept coming. I can't show all, some are meant for swaps. But these I can show you, and if you'd like to trade with me, I'd be happy to! Ps. There are more free cards in the posts below...

Fashion Demands / Muodin vaatimukset
traded

Life is Blue (Alakulo)
pending

Silver Wedding Anniversary
reserved

Vaaralliset harrastukset (I almost stopped playing soccer after hurting my knee )
free

The Last Masks - a play in one act
pending

A Room of her Own (Kiinnostus omaan tilaan)
traded

All pictures click for bigger. Thanks for looking!

Last minute Vintage

2007-10-27T12:31:00.000-04:00

Mixed Media Monday is a new challenge site. This week the theme is Vintage women. Not too hard, in fact, somehow I always end up with vintage women... Here is the one I made for this challenge, though whether you scroll up or down my blog you're going to find plenty more vintage ladies!

Joy of living
clicks for big!

Brilliance pearly blue re-inker, brown painting ink, stamped with brown chalk.

arty dots

2007-10-27T12:18:00.000-04:00

Arty Girlz' challenge this week is to use spots, dots, circles - anything as long as it's round.
Well, then, here's my slightly surrealistic take on it. Spots reside on the background...

The Unused Path
traded

Using up scraps of my papers on the background, reworked Basic Grey on left. Center strip came as a freebie with a British magazine (PaperCraft?), right some watercolors and gouache stamping.
Clicks for big!

Milk Fairie

2007-10-22T14:37:00.000-04:00

Skinny Saturday challenges us to use a Fairies as theme this week. Here is my take of it, Mary the Milk Fairie!

Clicks for big as always!

Dream

2007-10-21T11:48:00.000-04:00

4x4 Friday's theme this week: use the word Dream, Inspire or Create on your 4x4.
I chose to dream. Or rather, this lady is dreaming of flowers, of spring, cherishing a handful of earth.

Funny enough, this piece has plenty of circles. Could have suited DCM as well.

Daring circles

2007-10-21T11:39:00.000-04:00

Oh, just talking about Daring Cardmakers' newest challenge Circle (of friends). Contemplated doing something cute, something carefree, but nope, got finally sidetracked enough so that the circle on my card is a vicious circle: shoes, the cost of them, dreaming of them. Shoes are clearly her friends. And, oh, this lady does have a round earring. Not quite what the challengers might have had in mind...

Circle dangly earring (Thinking in circles)
traded

Saturday Surprise

2007-10-20T14:57:00.000-04:00

Lapsen mielellä
pending

Today's Saturday Surprise challenge prompt is More precious than gold.
What is more precious than that? To me it is imagination, creativity, being able to think like a child. Just suppose, we all were guilless as a child, open, unbiased. Would the world be a better place?

pic clicks for bigger!

Saturday Stampers: Winter

2007-10-20T14:25:00.000-04:00

The winter solstice is drawing on. It's a starry night, the air is biting cold. Indoors it is very warm and stuffy, the candles and oil lamps give warmth as well as light. Adele feels like going out for a walk. She puts on her fur-brimmed coat (her next-to-best) and strolls out into the garden. The young man, who had wanted several dances with her, follows Adele outside.

The stars are shining, the snow is falling in soft petal-like clusters. The young man falls on his knees and recites: En voisant le bonheur au fond des yeux scrilles, Le coeur dans le regard une etoile, brille.
The meaning is beyond Adele, she has never been too good in French. She is annoyed and doesn't hesitate to show it. - Sir, would you care to use plain English so we may all understand. - Certainly, Miss Adele. I see the happiness in your eyes, and compare it to the brilliance of the stars.
What was it about the heart? Adele has caught this one word, coeur. The young man coughs. Hm, hm, Miss Adele, the French language is too delicate to be translated fully, it has to be understood - with your heart. He grabs Adele's hand and presses it to his heart. Adele feels delicious little shivers along her spine. - Oh, I do love the winter! she breathes, rather incoherently.

Saturday Stamper' Challenge: Winter
click picture for a bigger view

WS / Children

2007-10-18T01:17:00.000-04:00

Wednesday Stampers has a topic this week: Children. Here is my take on it.

Charley Boy (traded)

And in case you are wondering about the four-letter word that now is cut to half - not my doing. It kind of censored itself. I have a glueing board, and part of this strip got accidentally glue on the letters, so it stuck to the board when I was lifting it up. D-a- came off, m-n stayed. Some vocabulary, Charley boy!

FFTT/ a very wicked witch

2007-10-17T08:15:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's that time of year again! Spiders, webs, ghosts, oh my!
And since Fluffy Fatbottoms Twisted Tuesdays is challenging us to make a wicked witch, I'll show them a wicked witch - yes sirree!

I have been reading Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale. Do you know it? If not, you should definitely pick it up. It was published 1985, but it has remained eerily accurate in mapping out things to come.
In my picture below the witch is a woman, as per convention. Though who the real witch behind the happenings in this book may be - my guess is as good as yours.

A Wicked Witch

Leni's challenge

2007-10-16T10:59:00.000-04:00

Sinä et kuule
traded

This one is for Leni's holiday challenge! She asked to use her picture.
It reads: You cannot hear me.

I'm still cutting up that poetry book I told about earlier. Go, go already, so you may return.

Mene mene jo
traded

Ring-robin ATC's

2007-10-15T01:22:00.000-04:00

These ATC's have gone through five participants. I was the last, so I did the finishing touches. Some of them needed a lot of work, while with one I was at a loss what to do, since it felt finished. Well, I added my touch, anyway.
Too bad I didn't take pics of before and after, only after, it would have been nice to compare.

Piki, our hostess should receive them today, so I don't think I'm spoiling anyone's joy. She'll also make a drawing and send each participant one ATC.
I have two favorite cards, and cross your fingers for me - maybe it is my lucky day!

A transformation

2007-10-13T15:15:00.000-04:00

Just a little something. An ATC for no challenge and no-one. Available for trade, though, if you so wish. EDIT: traded.

Clicks for bigger.

tech stuff: background matte rub-on color and iridescent ink refill used as paint, stamping with Versamark and pearlescent paint, a slaughtered book (what a terrible thing!), collage elements.

FFTT: where was my head?

2007-10-13T14:58:00.000-04:00

Fluffy Fatbottoms Twisted Tuesdays! Those challenges are tricky! Mean! Tough! But really great! No wonder, then, that my entry is really not a straight answer to their new challenge: Where was my head? I interpreted the head theme rather freely. Like so:

What's wrong with them?
background Gesso, dye and watercolor. German scrap, vintage face cutouts.
Clicks for huge.

Edit: Oh, dang! Just realized it had to be postcard format! Where was MY head!!!

Skinny Saturday: Childhood

2007-10-13T14:44:00.000-04:00

I'm trying out a new format, a 3x5". In my book not as hard as the 4x4" - I really struggled with that one! There is a new challenge, Skinny Saturday, now into it's second challenge. Of course I had to do it. (But of course!)
Childhood is the theme this week. Jump in, try it out! You won't be sorry.

I Am Happy to be Me

click for really big! Sorry for a hazy photo, the gold kind of overpowers everything. Not in real life, though.

OMG, I just linked the challenge page and realized I had used golden corners as well! I wasn't even aware. They must have looked cool to me ...!

Saturday Surprise: Waiting

2007-10-13T05:43:00.000-04:00

New challenge over at Saturday Surprise: waiting, expecting.

My take is melancholy: waiting for life to happen, for time to pass. Quotes are taken from a poem by Hannu Mäkelä, Finland. (Syksy tuli kutsumatta, Otava, 1974.) I can't believe I'm actually cutting the book - sorry, Hannu!
I like his poems, and the best ones I'm keeping. This one is a rather somber one, the protagonist is waiting for life to happen, for time to pass. Aren't we all, at times?
I think they suit well to illustrate what these Victorian ladies may be thinking.

Odotus I: Jokainen hetki
"Every moment lasts its given time" (traded)

Odotus II: Edessä päiviä
"And there are days ahead I don't want to live through" (pending)

pics click for bigger!

Hats!

2007-10-12T11:47:00.000-04:00

Inspire Me Thursday came up with a fabulous theme: hats. We all wear many hats, trying to fit our art world into our daily world, but this lady has a head to go with each one, it seems. She's not taking part in Twisted Tuesdays, though, I have another one coming for their headless challenge.

Hats just look so much more chic with French titles, don't you think so too?

Wearing Many Hats

believe in yourself

2007-10-11T13:33:00.001-04:00

Beyond the horizon
reserved
Gold spray, iridescent paint, stamping with Versa color, Distress Ink and Brilliance, collage elements

Believe in the power of you
traded

Gesso, papers, paint, scrape, ink, collage elements

another image transfer

2007-10-11T13:22:00.000-04:00

Sisters
traded

I used acrylic paint medium for this one. The ink jet print was about a month old. It didn't transfer as smooth as the previous one. I am getting to know the quirks - my background paper was now more porous and the medium was diluted with some water. Note to self: thick medium is fine as long as it is applied thinly, whereas thin medium applied thick doesn't do the trick.

TMTA / Mask

2007-10-11T12:50:00.000-04:00

TMTA threw a hard one this week: masks. I don't like them, I hate not seeing someone's eyes. It took me this long to overcome my aversion.
My thought process ran like this: mask - hiding face - not knowing - what don't we know? - future - we don't know the future - future is masked - something that can hide the face - butterfly? - yes, perfect -

Masked and hidden

Do I think too much? Maybe I make the challenges too difficult for myself by reflecting on the meanings of words and what they conjure? I wish I could do something fast and straightforward and just call it a day.

background has Gesso for texture, dye, watercolor & glitter glue

pic clicks for bigger!

recycling items challenge

2007-10-08T02:05:00.000-04:00

Running on ink posted a challenge. We have to use recycled utems. What fun!
Mine are: a puzzle piece, found on the street back in August, now gilded. Waste ribbons from my job. Also the background has been made spraying gold paint through an old doilie.

Picture can be clicked bigger!

Forgot your birthday!

2007-10-07T13:51:00.000-04:00

4x4 Friday is calling for Men. I purchased a bag of stamps at ebay, the funniest stamps, I'm telling you! How about this: A clear conscience is usually a sign of bad memory. Yep! I forgot your birthday, but my conscience is clear.
Well, there won't be many occasions for using it, but here it fits! On the background another gel transfer - yay, this was fun!

Saturday Stampers is prompting us to show a different point of view (DPOV) by using the same stamp on different pieces. I stamped the funny saying about the clear conscience on a piece of watercolor painted paper, then cut it in three random pieces and used as background on three moo cards.

I also used up the surplus of the musical notes. This version could be used as a greeting, the letters on bottom spell hei - hi in English.

Saturday Surprise: History

2007-10-07T13:32:00.001-04:00

1856 / Katarina (traded)

Year 1856 - Czar Alexander meets young Katarina, then a child of 10, and falls instantly and violently in love with her. Eight years later, at her coming out dance he meets Katarina again. It was said her beauty was not from this world. Katarina becomes the mistress of Czar Alexander. The Czar is assassined in 1882, Katarina flees to Paris where she lives until her death in 1922.

Saturday Surprise challenge

On technique: This is my first gel transfer ever! I followed these instructions and found them very consise. I peeled off the picture while it was still wet, the image transferred great! My print was a week old ink-jet printout. (I think I'm hooked!)

Bird tags

2007-10-07T12:55:00.000-04:00

Pick a challenge, any challenge!...
Three challenges just happened to coincide perfectly.
These tags are an answer to Arty Girlz challenge #3 that is calling for tags on our projects - only I made tags as my project... At the same time Technique Thursday was prompting us to use embossing powders, Inspire Me Thursday had birds as a challenge!

I combined the three, voila - bird tags with embossed backgrounds!

On the occasion of a newly hatching chick - a friend of mine is expecting - these are for her baby shower gift. As for the gift itself, I am contemplating making a mini-album slash journal for her first days with the new baby.

Technicalities: this is my absolutely second time around that I have done embossing. My previous attempt (seen here as the pink stamp on moo cards) produced a good quality image, this time I was trying to emboss card stock and that didn't go too well. I did it over a light bulb - I guess a heat gun would be mandatory if I was to become serious. So far I find the results nice, but nothing I could imagine becoming addicted to. My embossing powders came with my newly acquired stamps from ebay, they are from Stamp 'n Stuff, Print Art and Rubber Stampede.
Stamps are carved by me, and the hatched egg is decorated with bronze mini sequins and beads.

Picture clicks for bigger!

Wednesday Stampers / fall colors

2007-10-04T01:07:00.000-04:00

The glorious colors of fall! The challenge this week over at Wednesday Stampers is to use these colors in our artwork. I was drwan towards the muted shades of those colors, and this is the result:

I am

background: reworked Basic Gray paper (Urban Couture Mila), mulberry paper, textile leaf with brad, postage stamp, old portrait, stamp from ebay. 4x4 format (starting to like it!), a wire for hanging.
Clicks for big! Sorry I didn't get the picture face-on, so it shows some unfortunate perspective!

fluffy fatbottoms

2007-10-02T15:08:00.000-04:00

Fluffy Fatbottoms Twisted Tuesdays - a new challenge. The first dare is "Fish out of water".

Here is my take on it. Format 4x6", post card size. Only I can't think of any fitting occasion for this card. Well, maybe Bat Mitzvah or any other girl becoming woman kind of event. Only, though, girls want to be reassured, not made wistful.
And this woman is certainly that. I can't decide whether she's a fish transforming into a human, or a human longing to be a fish. And what happens if she can't make up her mind?

Song of Freedom (Transformation)

pic clicks for big!

Alpha Challenge + DCM

2007-10-02T06:54:00.000-04:00

I recently run into Alpha Challenge, and of course had to try it out! I was itching to use frame in it, since DCM's this week's prompt is Frames. Which I did take part in already, but didn't really dare to use a full-size frame... Long story short: here is a frame and the letter N:

Resume of Helene Neville

TMTA / Pirates

2007-10-01T11:11:00.000-04:00

Oh, the pirates, lurking everywhere! This is my take on TMTA's this week's prompt, Pirates.

A Real Gu--, eh, Pirate

Too bad the photo doesn't show the glitter on her eye patch!

Is this serendipidity, or what!
An interesting looking paper had been lying in the grass for a few days, but only today I decided to pick it up. It's the kind that comes along with candy. The kiddies like to tattoo them on their hands, foreheads or whatever. Lookee, lookee, it's a pirate ship and it fitted perfectly!

Other than that it took me half a day, as in: six hours, to do this. Lucky that it was my day off. (I must be slow?) It grew in fits and starts. My original idea was very far removed from this one.

Gothic Arch / vacation

2007-10-01T02:52:00.000-04:00

Here is my take on Gothic Arch challenge: an arch embedded in a 4x4.

Having a Fine Time

My absolute favorite place is Montauk. It is at the very end of Long Island, also called The End. There is a wonderful lighthouse at Montauk Point, and you can walk miles and miles along the white sands. In fact, we once did walk all the way to Amagansett. From there on you could walk to Hamptons, then to Long Beach, then Brighton Beach on Coney Island (Brooklyn) - a trip that takes 4 hours by train. That is the extent of sandy shoreline! I find it world's best kept secret. No need for exotic destinations, not for me.
I toyed with the idea of sprinkling the background with real Montauk sand (which I fill each year in found little bottles from the beach, funny me!) - but in the end I just settled for sand colored textured paper.
This is my happy place. Loved this challenge!

Contraries

2007-09-30T03:06:00.000-04:00

Merry, or what?
traded

Made for Saturday Surprise Contraries challenge. My contraries are black and white, old and modern, meaningful and meaningless. This cocktail veers towards the slightly bizarre, but hey, not feeling too sunny these days...!

pic clicks for big

Intimacy

2007-09-30T02:57:00.001-04:00

En vente partout - Sold everywhere

Inspire Me Thursday's prompt Intimacy made me think of how the true intimacy can only be achieved with time - contrary to what the media may make us believe. I was still in black and white palette, a few pale peachy pink hearts lift it.

pic clicks for big

4x4 Friday: b&w

2007-09-29T13:59:00.000-04:00

Black and white is called for in the 4x4 Friday challenge. Last week I took part for the first time, only to realize I couldn't handle the format. This time I persevered, and this is my take on the colors:

words: Behnaz Sarafpour via Vogue. Very apt, I'm thinking, as her spring runway show was all just black & white.

DCM / frames - and more Moos!

2007-09-28T14:34:00.001-04:00

A frame! I have hard time fitting frames onto my atc's. I always admire everyone who can do it. How come they look so good, what is the magic? So, anyway, now that DCM is calling for frames in their latest challenge, I seriously wanted to put a frame on my atc. Started with a slide frame - nope, too massive. Proceeded to an even 8mm frame - it looked silly. Finally went with a super thin black line around the picture - now that's still a frame, isn't it!

Fill me with Dreams
tech: on a scan of an original design by moi I stamped a poem. The blings above and below the photo are cut from an embellishment that came off a blingy shirt from the early 90's. In real life they shine like poured silver!
(traded)

And just because...
I love Moos! Here are three more.

7261 - 4874 - remember

It was my day off, and I had perfect time. First: long breakfast. Then four hours of cleaning up my studios (yes, it is a plural) which had become dangerously cluttered in the last hectic weeks. After that I had a languid lunch, did an hour of art, after which I raked some leaves and dug up the rhubarb for replanting. After dinner I did some more art. Sometimes life flows very nicely! I am all rested and can face the weekend (=work).

Three Moo

2007-09-26T15:02:00.000-04:00

Wednesday Stampers are great! I have seriously never heard of moo cards before, but these girls made me try the format. I've probably said it often, but I'll say it again: I love challenges! Especially if I manage to do something with them, of course.

This is what I did - three moo cards, in a relatively cheerful orange.

tech stuff: crumbled up the paper, stamped with a nameless cherry blossom stamp, colored in with watercolor, arranged some (watercolor dyed) text on top, added images and flowers and some random word clippings.

I decided I like the format. I could imagine dividing an atc into a similar triptych and doing it quasi in three parts.

Thanks for the well-wishes! I am feeling better than in the morning, now that I've not only had time to make some art, but that I have managed to finish a challenge right away, in one sitting, and actually even like the result. Makes me feel better about myself.

There are days when I sit at my desk all night after work and not complete a thing.
I was really glad to read Paula's words this morning: you've got to try to work with your art every day. I do try to. I would love to finish every challenge every time.
Lately I have not been happy with what I make. I have kept trying, but I grow more and more frustrated. And when I'm frustrated I tend not to like myself too well - and then, for sure, I'm not able to do any art all.
Not sure how to get out of this pickle...

Oh, and please, if you'd like to be linked with me, would you kindly drop a note! I'd love to be starting to work on my links next. Thanks!