Flower Pop Series 2025

Hi everyone!

At the beginning of this year I set out to create a series of floral paintings. I wanted them to be colorful, cheerful and expressive. These 20 x 20 cm artworks are painted with acrylics on wood panel, which give them a unique textured feel. While each original painting can be displayed on its own, the whole series comprises six panels, and when displayed together will turn an otherwise plain wall into a colorfeast for the eyes! I used premium wood panels and primed them before adding a base color. For my motifs I drew inspiration from flower shops, magazines and my own garden to create little bouquets of expressive flowers. I built up the layers over several days, shading and adding details. I sealed each panel with a semi-gloss finish. I enjoyed painting this series. Which one is your favorite? 

20 x 20 x 2 cm acrylics on wood panel

Thanks for reading along and Happy Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

...well almost :)

I planted these Azaleas last month. They are only about 30 cm tall, but happy to report they have started blooming. I love those clusters of tiny funnel-shaped blooms. I'm sure by next year they will be more lush.

Last year I planted a very young cherry tree. Actually, you can barely call it "tree" - it's more of a thin stalk with a few branches shooting from the top. Nevertheless, it gifted me with a few cherry blossoms a couple of weeks ago. I had the presence of mind to take a picture before they wilted. Their flowering time is sadly short lived.

I felt like I needed a bright pop of color in the garden, so I treated myself to this gorgeous pink rose (Leonardo da Vinci). It's currently in a plant pot just outside my studio. I might have to replant it when it grows. Pink is such a cheerful color!

And finally, I had a sweet visitor the other day! There are a few regulars who pass through my garden every now and then, but I haven't seen this tuxedo cat before. It was resting on the mat, but when I opened the door to gently put food out it scurried away. A strong indication that it's a stray cat. I will keep my eye out for it and who knows? I just might become a cat mom again :) After all, this is how Leo came into my life all those years ago.  

Easy Mixed Media Tags

Hello crafty friends!

Making tags is one of my favorite paper crafts. Type "gift tags" in the search bar at the top right of this blog and plenty more tag tutorials will show up.

Today I am creating my tags from scratch or rather from one of my gelli prints. The paper I used is 160 gsm, as I find this is a good weight for making tags. Scroll down to watch the video, which also explains how I made the gelli prints. Be sure to read the info in the description box as well. Today's craft is all about layering. I adhered tiny paper scraps including ticket stubs, which I found in the back of a drawer the other day. Looking at the date...wow, they are so old :)

Here's a step-by-step instruction - unfortunately it was an overcast day, so the photos aren't the best.  Scroll down to watch the video, which is a lot brighter.

Step One: measure a rectangle 7 x 14 cm on the gel print, mark with a pencil and cut along the lines. 

Step Two: flip the tag over and using a set square align the top edge with a parallel line and until the corner meets the edge. Mark with a pencil and snip off. 

Step Three: Add stamping

Step Four: Add marks with crayons

Scroll down to watch the video in full.

Step Five: Glue down pieces of collage.

Step Six: Embellish with a focal image (leaves, flowers, animals, words etc.)

Step Seven: Loop a ribbon through the hole

Tip: Plan a gelli printing session a day or two beforehand, then flatten the prints with a stack of heavy books. This way they are ready to go when you decide to make those tags. Happy crafting!