Making stencils

Now cutting stencils is getting slightly obsessive - this time I went with the quote of G.B. Shaw: "Life isn't about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself".

Schnip, schnap - stencil cutting

Remember, I had this idea of stenciling onto my background. But I hadn't any stencils. So I made one. Easy. I took a piece of heavy paper and my x-acto knife. It was so not a big deal, much easier as I expected it to be. And I got exactly what I needed. 

Today it's about how the things get evolved. The canvas is ready, and I need two dozens of painted paper pages for the folder, and it's gonna be ready to receive photos as a photo album. Have I mentioned that I have trouble to find albums I like, so I have to twist here, paint there, and off it goes into creative scrapbooking!

Work in progress - papers (PART II)

The in-between results of moving on with backgrounds. A motif to paint onto's gonna be dahlias from our garden. I've simply played around with Photoshop before getting started with paint.

Papers, papers, papers...

Today it's about making backgrounds. And this is something that I really start to love - mixing papers, modge-podg'ing them on, well, anything, but right now small-sized canvas and folders. I've already made folders in this technique here and here.

This time I've gone bigger and more spontaneously (well that's thanks to my kids - I do not have that much time to plan, or if I spend my time planning, I've no time to work anymore. Simple, don't you think?). Here you see a folder (about A4 size), and canvas - also something about 20 x 30 cm.

Anyway, now I'm gonna coat them loosely in my all-time-favourite teal-turquoise to even it all and paint something onto. Stay tuned.

Back to lino carving

Why did it take me soooo long to get back to lino carving? Prior to my baby boy's birth I thought it would in fact be one of few occupations that I'd definitely pursue, for it can be easily interrupted and taken on, it makes little mess, it's easy to clean, and my little girl wouldn't mess it all up while I'm busy with the baby boy. I was sure to re-start with it back in April. And I paused for over THREE month. Herrje!

Well, there's something positive though. I've sketched LOTS of lino carving ideas, that means I would have to carve HOURS and HOURS and HOURS. But with the time passing by, and me not carving anything, LOTS of them have fallen through the cracks, and I adhered at the end to this simple one, that seems to work with the most of my upcoming ideas.

So I'm working on a couple of new designs for upcoming pouches & Co, and this is how I'm gonna print the painted fabric before I proceed with appliqué. 

Saturday randomness

It's time for bold intentions for August... My goals for July were not all met as I expected. But honestly, I didn't expected to meet them all. I hoped, and I did try to make it all happen. And this hope was and still is the best motivation to get there. Writing the ToDo lists sunday evening for the coming week has become something that is so comforting and recharging. Something, that makes me focused and pushes  me up. Something that pulls my forces together and helps me to keep the record about what was done. And this is important. Houskeeping, working and having two kids (one of which a baby) is quite demanding. So that I sometimes loose the record of what has been done, and feel powerless in front of oh-so-many projects that need to be tackled. I feel like I'd move on at a snail's speed. So those ToDo lists are great reminder, that I make at least enough, and that's gratifying.

• I haven't sewn the teddy bear, but I've started to play piano again.
• I haven't blogged according to the plan that I imposed, but I've found out how to make it better and more focused (gonna write a post on it soon).
• I haven't read much, but I've got back to learn finnish again.
• I've finished my little girl's room, but my studio is still messy.

I stepped back and enjoyed this mid-summer, and tried not to feel guilty about the amount of work left behind. And I know, my August list's gonna be a bit longer to make things even, but I look forward to better focusing on important things, and better feeling how to keep us all sane and sound.

Finally I've got my fellas napping together - so cute, it literally breaks my heart. SO GLAD, it lasted twenty minutes, and I got this drawing.

Me playing a kids' interior designer

Another week and silent me, my friends. But now I'm gonna share a preview of how my little girl's room is getting re-decorated. 

Since quite a while I'm talking about this project, about the colours (blue, red, yellowy-greeny), and show the tids bits that're gonna complete the look, that is now almost done. Almost. And I'm happy with it. As much as I'd like to finish the details into the smallest frame and last hook, I'm gonna stop for now and simply let this brand new room evolve. And I'm gonna wait - for other things to come and to integrate it. I'm done with all the thrifting, repainting, drilling, thinking, browsing for this or that, re-thinking, furniture moving. I'm done and I stop. 

I didn't want to spend much. I've re-used, re-purposed, painted lots of pieces. The most expensive piece is a one-and-a-half meter cotton fabric from Marimekko as future curtain, that has come today, and needs yet to be sewn.

And I wrote yesterday a meter of text about what I had, and what I did and bought and what followed what, how it evolved and developped and got into life... and let it be. I grew tired and am going to simply let those preview photos speak for themselves. There're still a couple of corners that need some work, and I'll share'em with you as I move forward.