That Little Push from ScrapHappy.org

Here's a scrapbooking layout that's my entry to ScrapHappy.org's sketch challenge in April. It's about making circles and why I love it. I have used my hand decorated papers for the layout and I quite like it how they work with the photo and with the peaceful background. (I try to keep hand decorated papers available in my Etsy shop from now on so if you like to try them, see Peony And Parakeet at Etsy).

Now you might wonder what is ScrapHappy.org. It's a community hosted by Lain Ehmann, a famous scrapbooker. It has a monthly fee and each month you get blog posts that have challenges, videos, audios and other fun and inspiring things for scrapbooking. I like the way Lain brings her personality online. You also get to participate her Layout a Day challenges where you scrapbook layout a day for the whole month. Those repeat three times a year.

What I really like with Lain is that she really tries to make scrapbooking easy. The sketches are very simple and her tips about taking time for scrapbooking are practical. Sometimes I need that little push to get the page done!

How to Make Paper Flowers

This is the old blog from Peony and Parakeet. 
Welcome to follow the new blog at www.peonyandparakeet.com/blog
This post is also found in the new blog, go to: 
http://www.peonyandparakeet.com/how-to-make-paper-flowers/

Once you have made your own patterned paper, why not turn them into adorable paper flowers!

I just love the way they go along with the papers. Once you have developed your own style, anything you do can be combined together. As I have said, the best shop for papers and embellishments is the one you can set up for yourself!

So take out your hand decorated papers (I have quite a pile of them) and start making flowers! In addition to papers, you will only need correction pen, black marker (I love PITT artist pens), some embroidery floss, glue (Tombow is my favorite) and scissors.

Pick three papers that work well together. Remember to ensure there's enough contrast between them.

Cut three circles, a small one, a medium one and a large one. My largest one is about 3 inches (7,5 cm) but you can make them in various sizes. Just be sure the smallest circle is big enough to add details like button holes.

If you have made your papers drawing layered circles, you have your circles ready to be cut. I cut the circles free hand as I am not so fussy about making them accurate.

After cutting the circles, take the biggest one and draw the shape of the flower with the black marker. I like my flowers to be asymmetrical. I think they look more artsy that way!

Cut by following the marker line so that the black marker line remains visible. The line frames your flower and make it look more dimensional.

You can also change the shape of the second circle if it feels right. I often find myself adjusting the shapes of the circles during the process.

Make the smallest circle to look like a button by drawing circles with the marker and the correction pen. Then add holes with the marker. Big holes look better than small ones.

Now you have the three parts of the flower ready to be attached. Glue the parts together. Then take your needle and sew the buttonhole. After this phase I often add details with the marker. Here I have added little dots around the button and circled the second circle. As I love adding layers to my work, I finally glued the flower to another paper (blue one in the picture) and cut it out.

Here's the finished piece. Have fun with your papers!

Burning Heart

I got inspired by Pave Maijanen's song "Palava sydän" (burning heart). I used sewing machine and handmade papers for this. This is also available as print in DeviantArt, I've added few of my photos and collages there too.

This was the first time I used my sewing machine after moving to the new home in December. I think that even if I sewed paper I am heading towards textiles. I have some new ideas and they relate to fabric.

Burning heart - that's what I really have nowadays. My heart is burning for creativity, it is so wonderful to see art and make art. It makes my life worth living. I hope that you feel the same way too!

Treasure Box

I needed a new, larger box for my handmade papers. First I went shopping to the shopping centre trying to find a suitable cardboard box. Did not like anything I saw. Then I went online to find a pretty tin container. Could not find one either. The world is full of boxes but nothing pleased me.

Finally I noticed a box on my shelf that I have got with a present and had not thrown it away because of its sturdiness. Well it only took a couple of hours to make the collage on the top!

Now when I open it, it is full of my little treasures. Pieces of papers that I have doodled on!

Painted Pottery

It all started with the two flower pots that I found at the antique flea market. I found them so inspiring! Then it continued with the few drops of wood stain that were left in the jar after some home renovation. I made some patterned papers by combining the stain with the watercolor pencils. Then I had to scan them just to see how they looked like at the computer. And then it all got out of hand ...

I made a digital scrapbooking page about the pots.

But before that I made my own kit.

It is available for you for free. Just remember: just for personal pages, no commercial use, no alterations.

Painted Pottery Digital Scrapbooking Kit (large zip file, over 17 MB)

Art Journaling With Bad Taste

I have many strict rules. Let's just say my mother was strict and I inherited the personality. However, there is a little rebel inside me. Today, I got this stupid idea of cutting letters from magazines and incorporate them to my art journal. I tried to get rid of the thought of ruining all my handmade papers by glueing cheap lettering on them.

If you have read art journaling literature you recognize that I had a conversation with my "Inner Critic". I strongly believe in inner criticism and I am actually pretty fond of my Inner Critic. She always knows what's best for me and the life with her is very simple: toss toss toss away... No second thoughts.

But today I had the day off from work and my Inner Critic was feeling lazy too. So I did it, grabbed the scissors and chose carelessly the words "Talo" (house) and "Valo" (light). It sounded like a small poem and suited to my mood as I was enjoying our new home and all the light that comes through its huge windows.

Needless to say the page did not really satisfy my Inner Critic. But as it was made to a Moleskine journal and it was difficult to tear the page off without breaking up the journal, she decided that the page would be treated as an evidence of bad taste that anybody can have in their weak moments.

Sales Table

I am going to a small crafts event tomorrow and here's the most of my sales table. Fabrics, cards and decorated papers. It has been fun to gather them all together and it will be fun to attend the event, sales or no sales!