Monday Moodboard

Hello everyone!

If you have not already guessed today's theme - it's "patterns". As a former fabric store owner I love all kinds of patterns, especially polka dots and gingham. I'm known for sporting bags printed with polka dots. Nautical stripes are also a firm favorite. My choices here include fun stripey earrings and a vintage gingham skirt. The scarf with irregular dots is so pretty and the tote bag would be a great choice on market days. Which one is your favorite?

Click on the links below for info.

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Art Journaling with Art Prompt Cards

Hello blog friends,

I endeavour to make art every day, even if it's just a fifteen minute break in between work and chores, but sometimes I struggle to come up with an idea. This is where my handmade Art Prompt Cards come in handy. 

I shuffled the cards and then picked three. The prompts I chose were "shades of red", "make splatters" and "add stamps". On a whim I decided to film my process of impromptu art making and you can find the short video below. Don't forget to leave a thumbs up 😊

Whenever I don't have much time, I like to grab a few favorite tools, such as a brayer, grungy background stamps and paint pens. In the above collage you can see how I have built up layers with paint and stamps using the art prompts. If you look closely - in step four I made some splatters in a darker shade of red than the main red, which is carmine. (In the video I mistakenly said crimson).

If you have followed my blog for a while, you'll know that I often add face sketches to my art journal pages. Alternatively, I use this fun face stamp from Jane Davenport - and before you ask - it's been discontinued, but there may be some sets still available online. Just put her name in search + stamps. This face stamp in three sizes lets you create endless hairstyles, which I find highly entertaining. Should you choose to draw a figure the clothing options are endless, too. 

In my example: after stamping on a separate piece of paper I sketched in a short hairstyle and added just the top part of the body. Yes, my lady has lilac hair 😊💜 I also used my large alphabet stamp set to stamp some words.

A fun page created with the help of my art prompts and using some of my favorite tools! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a wonderful weekend ahead and Happy Easter to those that celebrate 🌸

Monday Moodboard

Hello lovelies!

I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend. We're in the middle of a cold spell, which is not unusual for my area. Hopefully the temperatures will have warmed up by Easter at the end of the week. And that's the theme for my mood board today. As in previous mood boards I have chosen a pastel palette once again. Enjoy and happy Monday!

Click on links below for more info.

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Art Challenge! Mixed Media Abstract with Watercolors (and a Fail)

Hello lovelies!

If anyone asked me I would say that most of my time is spent experimenting rather than creating actual artwork. And I'll let you in on a little secret...quite a number of those pieces don't turn out as I had hoped. But I would never simply discard them, as there are always some bits that I like. My solution: tear those bits into small pieces and use them as background collage! It works for me. 

And on a few occasions on this wonderful art journey of mine, I have purchased items that somehow end up at the back of the supply cupboard, sadly neglected. I came across a few of these as I was clearing out my studio. In the short video below I'm sharing my art experiment with these unused supplies and how I feel about the result. One thing is for sure - I will never use gold leaf in my art again. I'd rather use gold paint or paint pens. 

That being said, if any of my readers has experience in using gold leaf and its proper application, please kindly share in the comments. I would love to know!

Here is a close up of my abstract art experiment

Even though I messed up the lower part with the disastrous gold leaf, I do like this color palette and the round shapes as well as the mark making. As I mentioned in the first paragraph - there are always good bits to be kept. As for the other supplies, I have put the marker pens in my line of sight, so that I can use them for mark making. I'll try to use up those watercolor pans, even if "only" for making background washes. I probably won't use the stencil that much, as the florals are too stylized for my liking. Thankfully, it only cost me a few euros. I like the India Ink and I'm not sure why the jar has been sitting there unused, but instead of the dip pen, which, I admit, is very decorative, it's more practical to journal with my regular fountain pen.

As always, thank you for stopping by and again, if you have any tips as to how to work with gold leaf, do leave a comment. Thank you. Happy Friday!

Monday Moodboard

Hi there!

I can't believe we are nearing the end of March already! I was going to tend to the garden, but I have more pressing issues on my schedule this week. I'm glad we went for a low maintenance garden that can wait another week or two. But I digress...

Today's mood board is inspired by this month's birthstone. Aquamarine symbolizes serenity, courage and harmony and is connected to the moon and carries the healing and calming qualities of the sea. I feel like my chosen items perfectly reflect this. Happy Monday!

Please click on the links below for more info. 

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Personalisierte Strandtücher für die ganze Familie

[Werbung]

Hallo ihr Lieben 🌷😊

Letzte Woche gab es einen kleinen Vorgeschmack auf Frühling und Sonnenschein und man hätte meinen können der Winter sei vorbei - aber ich ließ mich nicht täuschen, wohlwissend, dass er uns noch ein paar kalte Tage oder gar Wochen bescheren wird. Vorerst bleibt der blaue Himmel mit strahlender Sonne ein Traum. Aber träumen darf man ja, vor allem wenn man wie ich ein absolutes Sommerkind ist 🌞

Nun komme ich zum eigentlichen Thema. Vielleicht gönnt sich ja der eine oder andere  Sonne pur an einem der beliebten, warmen Reiseziele in den kommenden Osterferien?

Wisst ihr was außer luftiger Kleidung und Badeschlappen im Koffer nicht fehlen darf? Strandtücher! Und warum nicht gleich personalisierte Strandtücher. Eine reiche Auswahl dieser findet ihr auf Callie Deutschland. Nachfolgend zeige ich euch ein paar Beispiele.

1. Dieses hübsche Strandtuch mit Retro Blumendesign kommt in acht floralen Varianten und zwei Größen. Zudem lässt sich das schnelltrocknende Strandtuch mit Namen personalisieren. Sechs sommerliche Farben stehen für den Schriftzug zur Verfügung. Das Badetuch mit Namen ist in wenigen Tagen lieferbar, so dass ihr es noch rechtzeitig vor Reiseantritt bekommt!

2. Wer es etwas schlichter mag empfehle ich dieses Badetuch mit klassischen Streifen im maritimen Look. Das personalisierte Badetuch lässt sich sowohl mit Namen als auch mit einem großen Initial verzieren. Hier gibt es sogar zwölf Farben zur Auswahl!

3. Mein persönlicher Favorit ist das obige Strandtuch mit Foto. Das Tuch lässt sich mit eurem Wunschbild, welches ihr auf der Webseite hochladen könnt ganz einfach bedrucken. Da bleibt dann nur die Frage, welches meiner geliebten Fellnasen diesen Ehrenplatz bekommt 🐱💕🐶 Dieses Strandtuch ist übrigens sehr saugfähig, weich und leicht und macht sich auch prima als Geschenk für Tierliebhaber. Hier hat man ebenfalls die Option das Badetuch mit Namen personalisieren zu lassen. 

🌞🍧🧡

Für die Kleinsten in der Familie gibt es diese witzigen Badetuch-Hoodies in der Wunschfarbe und mit der Möglichkeit mit Namen zu personalisieren. Im Übrigen gibt es bei Callie jede Menge personalisierte Geschenke für Kinder jeden Alters.

Und wer noch zu dem Strandtuch eine passende Strandtasche sucht, der wird bei Callie ebenfalls fündig.

Nun kann ich es kaum erwarten die Strickjacke und den Schal abzulegen und die ersten warmen Sonnenstrahlen auf meinem himmelwärts gerichteten Gesicht tanzen zu lassen. 

Wer freut sich noch auf Sommer, Sonne und Strand?

Vielen Dank fürs Lesen, und ich hoffe, dass wir bald milderes Wetter erwarten können. Eine schöne Woche und liebe Grüße...

Colorful Abstract Art Journal Page with Bird Sketch

Hello lovelies!

I still don't feel great, unfortunately. I did finally see a doctor last week to rule out pneumonia and he prescribed some medication to help alleviate the symptoms. Other than that he told me to take it easy and get some bed rest.

If you've known me through my blog any amount of time you'll know that it's almost impossible for me to lay in bed with my mind in overdrive. My "to-do-list" is stretching ever longer and I am feeling quite antsy.

Then I remembered that before I fell ill I filmed a little tutorial, but only uploaded it now. 

 

At the time I was tired of the gray weather that I decided to bring in some bright colors on the page to cheer me up! In the above collage you can see some of the process that went into creating this page. I used various tools for the background, such as a brayer and stamps and also a watersoluble pencil to make random marks. 

The little birdy is a sketch I made on a separate piece of paper, cut out and glued to the page along with some strips of collage and random word snippets. 

This style is more abstract than my usual and I utilized the white space. I explain this in the short video above. It's a simple page, but in the end it really did cheer me up with all the yummy bright colors!

I really do hope that I will feel more myself soon. Thank you so much for visiting and your lovely comments. I do appreciate every one of them!

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Monday Moodboard

Hi everyone!

Today's mood board is "the linen edition" in pastels. Linen is a flax-based textile used for home accessories and clothing, which, unlike cotton, dries quickly and thus it's a very popular fashion choice if you live in a hot and humid climate! These days most clothes are a mix of linen and synthetic fibres which prevents creasing and doesn't shrink when washed. I wish they had had those when I lived in Asia! 

Click on the links below for more info on the items. 

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p.s. I've been battling a rather nasty flu - hope to be back to regular blogging soon!

Mixed Media Art Journal Page with Vintage-style Birds

Hi lovely readers and followers,

I am close to completing the final pages in my vintage-style-themed art journal and it's getting quite fat, hence the three clips to hold the pages down! This spread is similar in style as the previous one, except for the bird images which were a free download from The Graphics Fairy. There are plenty other birds in various styles available over there.

I intentionally kept things simple with less layering and focussing more on composition and shapes.  I painted the background with beige acrylic paint and dropped in some ink in raw umber, then let it flow down the page. 

Once the background was dry I adhered bits of collage papers in browns and creams. I mixed a pale mint with a light gray-blue and applied it randomly all over the spread. Then I brought in some subtle colors with more collage bits and pieces and stamped a botanical image on the right side.

I made some splatters with watered-down, light green paint and shaded the edges of the pages with my Stabilo All pencil, which turns a nice grungy black when water is added.

I like how bits of the brown collage papers peek through the gray-blue paint and the pop of color from the bird images. When I printed these they came out in rectangular format with a white background. I only wanted the colored bit, so I cut the images along the blue edges. I considered going around the images with more paint, but then decided to just leave it as is.

As I am writing this it is snowing again. The sky looks like the paint in my artwork! I am off to make myself a steaming cup of tea and hoping to see a sign of spring soon...🌸

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you have a cozy Sunday!

Monday Moodboard

Hello everyone!

Today is Rose Monday, in other words, the highlight of the carnival in major Germany cities. Back when I used to live in Duesseldorf many years ago, I partook in the festivities and enjoyed watching the procession of the famous floats. As it so happens, this week is also Chinese New Year! 2026 welcomes the Fire Horse, symbolizing vibrant energy, adventure and momentum. I thought it would be fun to curate a mash-up of these two significant events. I hope you enjoy my picks! Click on the link for more info.

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Abstract Collage in my Junk Journal

Hello lovelies,

it's almost two weeks into February, and I naively thought I'd see some signs of spring to brighten my day. Alas, it's more of the same with icy winds, grey skies and rain. The birds have been busy at the feeder outside my studio and I'll need to replenish it, and our resident squirrel seems grateful for the nuts and seeds I put out. He/she is quite shy, and I can never get close enough to get a good picture. 

Personally, I have a lot going on at the moment, so I'm grateful I have my art to turn to when I feel overwhelmed. Time and again simply playing in my journal with collage, a bit of paint, a few colorful crayons and my favorite stamps has a calming effect on my mind. I thought I'd share my recent art journal pages here. 

I was short on time so I grabbed my handmade junk journal, with pages that already have some background patterns on them. I don't mind making a "mess" in this journal. I find it rather freeing to slap on paint with my fingers and there is just something relaxing about tearing pieces of collage paper...you can see some of the process below:

I have a bunch of "collage fodder" at the ready, such as leaves, flowers, mushrooms and various stamped images that I make in batches when I have time to spare. They make great focal points in my journals or on cards. If you haven't seen them already, check out these short videos:

In the below close-up you can see how I chose a mix of papers and patterns and played with lines and other marks. Variety is key and instantly makes the page come alive. I like adding uplifting quotes.

The full quote reads: practice reckless optimism and kindness.

I felt more energized after creating this art journal spread. I like the juxtaposition of lights and darks, round and angular shapes. Splatters always make for interesting marks. If you'd like to watch the full video (around 4 min.) click here.

As always, thank you for reading along. Perhaps I have inspired you to try some "messy art" for stress-relief yourself! Have a beautiful day wherever you may be.

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Monday Moodboard

Hello everyone!

The enchanting amethyst is February's birthstone and my theme for this monday's mood board. Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz and is known as the stone of inner peace. Its soothing purple color has a relaxing effect on the mind and soul. Wearing amethyst jewelry can help to bring a sense of peace and balance into everyday life. No wonder it's so popular. I hope you enjoy my amethyst-colored picks! Click on the links below for more info.

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Vintage Style Art Journal Page

Hello everyone!

for as long as I can remember I've always had a diary to express my thoughts and feelings - sometimes with words, other times with loose sketches - a place to take refuge at the end of the day. I suppose my art journal is an extension of that, and it's become more than a creative outlet. For these past six years my journal has been a faithful companion on my art as well as life journey. 

As mentioned in a previous post I didn't quite complete this journal within the last year, on account of being a slow journaler. I like to contemplate each step in the process, often guided by my current emotions and let the story unfold intuitively. Some of the steps can be seen below:

I often start by journaling with a watersoluble pencil and then give the pages a good spray with water to let the color flow. Most of the journaling will be covered with collage, but it felt good to express my thoughts. I did leave a few words and some of the pale mint colored paint that had already been on the pages peek through here and there. Once I was satisfied with the collaged layer I pushed it back with white paint. At this point I took a break and came back to the page the next day. 

One of the things I enjoy is adding sentiments from word snippets that I collect in a small box. I have them in different sizes and fonts, which adds a whimsical touch to the page.

At this stage I know I am nearing the completed spread and usually add some marks, lines, and splatters as finishing touches.

I chose this image from The Graphics Fairy as my focal point. Before printing it out, I processed the image to match the colors in my spread. Then I used gel medium to adhere it to the page along with a stamped leaf image. It was very satisfying to complete this spread. 

Thank you for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful day ahead!

Artist Trading Cards with Watercolor Background

Hello lovely readers and followers,

Perhaps my subconscious was longing for spring, because I found myself creating these artist trading cards in decidedly spring-like colors!

This project gave me the opportunity to pull out my watercolors, a supply I have been endeavoring to use more frequently. 

Watercolors are great for covering large areas quickly, such as this master board. A master board is usually a large sheet of heavy weight paper with a simple background design. It serves as a base for artist trading cards (ATC), bookmarks, tags, greeting cards etc. and saves time, since you don't need to start from scratch.

I divided my sheet in half, so as to have one side in warm and the other in cool colors.

I kept the background simple, as I would be adding more layers to my ATCs later on. I stencilled one side, and stamped the other (not shown).

You can watch me create this watercolor masterboard in the video below:

I cut two ATCs from the masterboard - one from the cool and one from the warm side.

Below you can see how I built up the layers.

For my focal point I stamped a flower image onto leftover gelli prints, fussy cut them out and adhered them to the cards along with a sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

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