My first Moleskine sketchbook A4 has arrived!

As the title says: I finally got it!!, yeahh. I am not going to work in it yet. I'll wait for the Moleskine watercolor notebook A3 and the Moleskine watercolor large. So I will be able to compare and make a choice which one to use first. Now for a long time I will not have to buy any art journal book. Why I went for the Moleskine, is because I hear a lot of these books and wanted to experience. Later I just went for this brand and as you read earlier and got three of them.

I will also wait for my Prismacolor premier pencils; I will use my Prismacolor watercolor pencils and use the premier as a alternative and as an addition to my workshop of drawing and coloring dollies. So there are a lot, lot of supplies I can use and not get bored. Of course I have some pictures for you:))

My camera gave me a hard time, so these are the best pictures I could get today.

I will not leave here, without showing you my art production of today. Tadaaaa ...

This is from my sketch book (no brand name), which I use as a art journal. In fact, this is my first art journal.The pages are too thin, though, so using gesso and layering are techniques frequently used in this art journal. It is also used as a try out book, but I am definitely making something of my trials:)) 

My art journals will be mixed media books. So, there will be a lot of techniques used and tried out. I keep you posted! Have a great evening!

The real arts thing

Here the page I created today. I started this morning with drawing and I could not stop. So this is how far I came. It is not finished yet, but I really have to wait until my other supplies arrive. There will be another post with, I hope, the finished page:)) Oh, she is holding a flower in her hands.

Close ups

Some pages of my art journal

Some pages I made last week. In a newer post I will add what I created today. Enjoy!

I did not use the right techniques on this face. But does it matter? I don't think so. It is a trial and I still love how it came out. It is my journal book, isn't it?

My first real dollie

Sometimes it is good to be impatient. Don't you agree? Hmmm, I have to wait and wait for some orders. Friday I was not at home, yes I was at work, when the postman left a message; it's a package. So I'll have to wait till monday! My daughter will be at home then. I can't wait!! So I started in my damaged Canson XL, lol ... My love doll is based on the tutorial of Adriana from doll dreams: Love doll. My dollie is holding a flower instead of a heart (as a start to find my own style).

Yes, you are right ... I didn't color her yet. But I am waiting for my supplies (Moleskine art journal, Prismacolor pencils, acrylics, etc.). I have some acrylics and I will start my 'art journal' (as the Cansons XL mix media will become), hehehehe. Have a splendid sunday:))

My poor Canson XL mix media acrylic block A3 and Winsor & Newton clear gesso ...

I received an order on friday. Everything was well packed, but inside the internal package was a BIG mess!! I ordered a Canson XL mix media acrylic block A3, Winsor & Newton clear gesso and Winsor & Newton matt gell. Well ...... the 'neck' of the clear gesso is broken. Can you imagine the mess? My poor Canson XL was totally covered with gesso .... as XL as it is ... just imagine. Just arrived at home, coming from work, I immediately had to clean up. Who likes to clean up after work??? Okay, my love for my 'artistic' adventure is very important, so love took over and I cleaned and cleaned, lol. But I could laugh about it: the company will resent the clear gesso and the mix medio block.

The resent is already on its way. Isn't that a good service? Applause for this company!

Keeping an art journal

Finally I get to my art journal. I kept a journal, but would love to do more in it. What kept me from it is me thinking I can not draw or do art. But I learned that anything I want to create is art for me. It is not meant for others untill I will publish it. But I had to find something to give me that confidence. In my search I found the art of doll dreams. Doll dreams is art made by Adriana. I love those dolls, the look you can create on their faces. I also discovered that she gives workshops. So up I went to her blog, flickr, youtube channel and finally I found her doll dreams ning network. And ..... of course I joined. My former ATC's are made after seeing the first video's and pdf's and much more. So my opinion has changed; I can draw and make my own art! And I would like to share my progress with you.

This is just a sketch book. I would not wait the Moleskine I ordered:)) THis sketch book is good for practicing. Although I have to say these pages will not be destroyed. I'll keep this sketchbook as an art journal. Watch the video here under to see what I created up to now!!!

The pages are kind of thin. But I adhere old newspaper or other paper to the pages. Then I add gesso to the pages and I am ready to go: draw, paint, use prismacolor pencils and so on.... Hey, that is called mixed media, yeahhhh!

No courage yet to draw arms or hands, hehehe ... funny, but no ugly arms or hands for me:)

I am waiting for my Moleskine art journal. So what you see here are my first official trials. Love to do it and play with alll kinds of mediums. The freedom to play with whatever glue, paper, paint, pencils, markers, drawings, book, embellishment is immense. Just mix your mediums = mixed media. You should try it!

Keeping an art journal

Finally I get to my art journal. I kept a journal, but would love to do more in it. What kept me from it is me thinking I can not draw or do art. But I learned that anything I want to create is art for me. It is not meant for others untill I will publish it. But I had to find something to give me that confidence. In my search I found the art of doll dreams. Doll dreams is art made by Adriana. I love those dolls, the look you can create on their faces. I also discovered that she gives workshops. So up I went to her blog, flickr, youtube channel and finally I found her doll dreams ning network. And ..... of course I joined. My former ATC's are made after seeing the first video's and pdf's and much more. So my opinion has changed; I can draw and make my own art! And I would like to share my progress with you.

This is just a sketch book. I would not wait the Moleskine I ordered:)) THis sketch book is good for practicing. Although I have to say these pages will not be destroyed. I'll keep this sketchbook as an art journal. Watch the video here under to see what I created up to now!!!

The pages are kind of thin. But I adhere old newspaper or other paper to the pages. Then I add gesso to the pages and I am ready to go: draw, paint, use prismacolor pencils and so on.... Hey, that is called mixed media, yeahhhh!

No courage yet to draw arms or hands, hehehe ... funny, but no ugly arms or hands for me:)

I am waiting for my Moleskine art journal. So what you see here are my first official trials. Love to do it and play with alll kinds of mediums. The freedom to play with whatever glue, paper, paint, pencils, markers, drawings, book, embellishment is immense. Just mix your mediums = mixed media. You should try it!

Last swap made today

The last swap I made today is again greeting cards. I had to make three cards: two birthday cards and a senders choice. Here is what I came up with. I am totally satisfied and hope my partners will be too!

Card # 1 Happy birthday card

Sometimes I like to make a card in the style of Stampin' up or Close to my heart. So I think this one can be categorized as such. The background layer (patterned paper), the bird, branches, the circle and the oval were cut with Make The Cut and Cricut expression. The kind of scalloped like circles were cut with nestabilities die cuts and the Sizzix big shot. The corner of my cards are always cut with the We are memory makers corner chomper. No colored image for this card!

I like to make matching envelopes for my cards; not for all my cards, because I still have a stack of envelopes I once bought and I want to use them too. So here is my handmade envelope for the card above.

Card # 2 Happy birthday card

The color is purple. The color on the photo is not that bright. I love the color combination. The middle of the card is transperant, so you can see the message in the card through the transperancy of the card. Isn't that a great idea? At last I added a beautiful flower and pearls with my Viva decor pearl pen.

Can you see the middle of the card? You can see through it!

The message in the card: Happy Birthday to you, which you can see through the front.

Close up: inside of the card

I nearly forgot: can you see the border? It is cut with my paper trimmer (the wavy blade) from Provocraft: the Yourstory paper trimmer.

Card # 3 Senders choice

I kept this card simple, but it is a folded card. The card is stamped with a large background stamp from Rubberneckers. The flowers are done with a small flower punch. At last I adhered a border sticker on the card..

Both sides have pockets. So the person will be able to add a tag, a card or a gift card in these pockets.

The size of this card is not standard; so I made an envelope and adhered some punched flowers on the envelope.

Thank you for being here!

Swaps .... swaps ... swaps

Dear readers,

I put myself into a lot of swaps. Swapping is a lot of fun and it gives me a reason to start crafting again and again. Today I made four cards, yesterday I made three. Fun, fun, fun and such a suprising outcome. They are all beautiful. I have to admit that the cards I made today are (for me) simple, but I am still stunned. At night, yesterday, I start coloring with my copics. Nearly all images I once printed or stamped are colored.
There are four six left to color, I think ... I have a bad habit, yes I have to admit it ...
When I have colored an image and I like it very much, I tend not to use it. Why ... overwhelmed I think ... I'll get over it. Have to, because I can not keep all those images, just because they are so beautifully colored. But we'll see!

I have to make four cards for four partners from ourscrappingclub.ning.com. It is sender's choice, so I just went for it.

Card # 1

I love this card. Do I have to sent it? I can't keep all the nice cards I make?!? Okay, this one (all those four cards, by the way) will be sent to the USA. The scalloped square and the red square are cut with the help of the Make the Cut and my Cricut expression. The circle on which the girls is, is cut with a nestability on the big shot. And, how silly, I just noticed that I forgot to put a sentiment on the card. Will be done in a minute:) The little girl is an image from a coloring page. With a Viva decor pearl pen I attached three pearls; the color is white.

Card # 2

Why not make a masculin card? Most of the time it is hard to come up with inspiration for a masculin card. But today (I don't know where it came from??) I just went on, as I said earlier. I love this KennyK image. He is so handsome and I love American football. Lively and full of energy ... Also colored with copic markers, the helmet and other green parts are colored with prisma color markers. With my Sizzix big shot and a cuttle bug embossing folder I embossed the blue background. A red ribbon it attached under his feet. With the program Make The Cut and my Cricut expression I cut the tag and stamped a sentiment on it. The sentiment is from the set "Creepin Kit" from The Greeting Farm. Hehehehe, his pants are so dirty. Doesn't he rock? 

Card # 3

Did I had a KennyK moment? I think so! Again a KennyK digital image. She is colored with prisma color markers. The tag is cut with my Sizzix big shot and a Spellbinder's nestability.

Card # 4

Months ago I downloaded a few images from coloring pages. They were meant to experience digital images. Notice that the images on coloring pages have thicker drawing lines than the digital images you can buy. 

Well, I do prefer rubber stamps over acrylic stamps and digital stamps. It gives me a certain crafty feeling, I can see and touch my rubber stamps, for sure when I am searching for creativity. 

Still I have to admit that digital stamps have some advantages such as enlarging the image, the fine lines on the image and it's also possible to print the image on an exact spot.

So this image is colored with copics on marker paper. The patterned paper is from a patterned paper block, but it has no brand name on it. I used a nestability die for the sentiment. The stamp used is from a set and this one has no brand name either.

I would love to know what you think. And if you have any questions, please leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by.

Doll dreams ATC

A lot to do today, but I took a few minutes for myself. I start drawing and this cute ATC is the outcome. Colored with Copic sketch markers on a 3,5x2,5 cm piece of marker paper. I love the eyes; have to practice some more:)

Hand drawn ATC: june sender's choice

This is my last creation of today. Have to study... This is my first doll dream to send to someone. I recently joined a class to learn to draw doll dreams. In my opinion I can't draw, well.... I changed my mind. Practicing helps. This doll is created based on a tutorial at dolldreams.ning.com, thanks to Adriana, our teacher.

The title of this ATC is "Flowerly happy". So I will visit the post office tomorrow to mail her to the USA.

Request of a friend

Good morning everyone, happy Whit Monday. Most of us in The Netherlands don't have to go to work today, yeahh! I love to spend more time with my family.
I hear the birds singing and it makes me cheerful. It also reminded me of this request. A friend of mine spontaneously said one day: "Oh, I would like to receive such a card. I never receive a card in my mails." So she got a card, one I especially made for her, through snail mail. Her favorite color is pink; isn't the combination of pink and grey so cute? The card is left blank inside, so she could use it for someone. She told me she will keep the card and not use it. Too beautiful to give away, she said. Isn't that a great compliment?

The image is a digital stamp from KennyK. Love his art. The image is adhered on foam tape, so she pops out of the card. The circle is cut with a Spellbinder nestability. The text cut on my Cricut expression. She is colored with Copic markers. And as you see I used a Martha Stewart punch. Look at those eyes!! 

Thank you so much for stopping by today; I hope everyone has a GREAT Monday!!! Enjoy this (free) day:)

Handmade postcards

I could not leave without showing some of my handmade postcards. It seems that when making postcards I seldom struggle with the layout or sketch. Love to make them!

Sent to Romania

Sent to Poland

Sent to Taiwan

Sent to Australia

(what do you do with your scratch? I punched circles and had fun; stamped some butterflies, voilá)

Sent to China

Sent to the UK

Sent to The Netherlands

Sent to The Netherlands

Sent to Poland

Sent to the Ukraïne (was sent this month)

Sent to The Netherlands

Sent to the USA

Sent to the USA

Sent to a little girl in the USA