Guest at Yana Smakula

Hello Friends,

Today I have something very very special to share. My very talented, and all-so-sweet-inside-out- team mate, Yana asked if I liked to guest at her YouTube channel. She asked if I would like to make a tutorial on colouring and of course I said yes! I'm always happy to help!

If you want to see my tutorial, please head over her blog or to her YouTube channel. If you haven't subscribed her channel yet, you should. :) She posts videos regularly and they are so easy to follow. Just love her work and I'm so honoured and thrilled to be in the same team with her! 

Here's the card that I made for the guest video. I made a similar one on my focus post Altenew a couple of days ago, but in this I used coloured pencils over the copics. Hopefully you'll like it! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Painted Butterflies, Birthday Greetings and Botanical Garden from Altenew.
Inks: Frosty Pink, Fayred Leaf and Buttercream Altenew Crisp Inks, Versafine Onyx Black, Shabby Shutters Distress Ink
Paper: Canson Bristol 250gms Smooth Card Stock, a stripe of green textured card stock
Sequins: Lime Sorbet and Lemon Meringue Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh, Clear SSS Sequins
Tomboy Multi Moni Liquid Glue
Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool Copic Markers: Butterfly: Y21 -YR21 -YR23,  Flowers: RV00 - RV11- RV32 -RV92, Greens: YG91 - YG95

Faber-Castell Polychrome Pencils: 
Flowers: Pink Madder Lake (129), Light Magenta (119), Middle Purple Pink (125), Ivory (103), White (101)
Greens: May Green (170) - Earth Yellowish (168) - Olive Green Yellowish (173) - Chromium Green Opaque (174)
Butterfly: Raw Umber (180) - Green Gold (268) - Naples Yellow (185) - Dark Naples Ochre (184), Black (199)

Thank you so much for visiting! See you soon!

Hugs,
Marika

Botanical Garden

Hello,

I'm at the Altenew blog today to share three cards made with Botanical Garden set. 

On my first I used the technique which is the easiest for me - no line colouring. Love how the sentiment fits so well for flowers.

Copic markers used: Y21 – YR21 -YR23, YG03 – G24 – YG67.

On my second card I used zig clean color markers to stamp and colour the flowers. 

Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers used: Pale Pink – Brick Beige

This third one is my favourite of these these - maybe because it is so different what I normally make. I made this into video tutorial, hopefully you'll find it helpful. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Botanical Garden, Many Thanks, Halftone Hello, Beautiful Lady by Altenew.

Inks: Deep Iris, Lavender Fields, Soft Lilac Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades, Buttercream Crisp Inks from Altenew, Versafine Onyx Black and Vintage Sepia

Clear Sparkel Embossing Powder from WOW!

Hammer White Paper Creative Paper

Altenew and Freckled Fawn Blog Hop

Hello, 

Hopefully you are all doing well. Today I'm participating on a very fun blog hop between Altenew and Freckled Fawn. You probably just came from Candi Billman's blog, if not please be sure to start at the beginning from Altenew blog. 

So let's go into my project for today. Here we go:

I started by creating my background from White/Pink Blossoms on Tree washi tape from Freckled Fawn. The patterned paper was so easy to create and I think it looks cool behind the branch. Then I stamped the butterflies from Painted Butterflies from Altenew and coloured them with copics and coloured pencils. I also stamped the branch from Vintage Flowers and used co-ordinating dies to cut them. I also cut a frame from white card stock and adhered a piece of cream vellum behind it. Then I glued the elements on to the frame then I glued the frame onto my selfmade patterned paper. I used Love Script Wood Chips as my sentiment.

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate, Altenew is giving away two  $30 gift certificates to their online store and Freckled Fawn is giving away two January Embellishment Kits valued  $27 each. Please leave a comment by Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 11:59 AM EST. Winners will be announced on the Freckled Fawn and Altenew blogs on January 28th.

GET HOPPING

Next on the hop will be talented Soraya Maes. Here is the full blog hop list. Hopefully you are having fun hopping!

Altenew Blog 

Megan Anderson

Therese Calvird

Candi Billman 

Marika Rahtu

Soraya Maes

Sveta Fotinia

Svitlana Shayevich

Adrienne Alvis

Amy Gray

Freckled Fawn Blog

Thank you for stopping by today and have fun hopping! See you soon!

Hugs,

Marika

Guest at Time Out!

Hello,

Today I have the honour of being asked to be CASEd at the new challenge over Time Out Challenges. A few weeks ago, Sandy from London Days contacted me and asked if I would like to be CASEd and I said yes. I went through a couple of cards and ended up choosing this to be CASEd - hopefully you find it inspiring. 

So if you happen to have time over this coming forthright, it would be wonderful to see your take on mine. Please, share them over at Time Out. 

Thank you Sandy and Nonni for asking me to be CASEd designer for your challenge. This means a lot to me. Thank you!

EDIT: And yes, there IS a video how I made this. :) 

Thanks for visiting and see you soon! I'll be back (probably) tomorrow with a new card. See you then!

Hugs,
Marika

Whimsical Flowers for my Friend

Hello!

Firstly, I had a special post on posted on before Christmas. I asked if I could send a card to one of you and so many of you said yes! Thank you so much! You gave such a warm Christmas gift!

I randomly chose the recipient with the help of random number generator and the number given to me was 32! 

The 32nd comment was left by Teresa Doyle! I didn't find your email address linked to you comment, so if this message finds you, would you be so kind and send me an email with you mailing address. It would be my pleasure to send you some happy mail. 

Today, I'm also at the Altenew blog today to do a video by request. About a year ago, I made a guest design post in the Altenew blog and on the second post I used Whimsical flowers and coloured them with coloured pencils. Since I started to make videos, a tutorial how I coloured the flowers was asked, and I did made it twice and twice I got my head on the way while filming.. I mean it just didn't popped in and out - it kinda stayed! I used to be one of those that colour a nose attached to the paper - since filming I had to learn out of it.

So now it is finally here:

This video tutorial is the first after the three month long break in filming and editing, so there are some funny things, so please bear with me. You can watch it here or in HD in YouTube.

Supplies:

Stamps: Whimsical Flowers and Birch Land Finnish

Dies: Shutter Cover Die and Whimsical Flowers co-ordinating die, Pierced Rectangles by MFT

Inks: Buttercream and Frayed Leaf Altenew Crisp Inks, Versafine Onyx Black

Card Stock: Simon Says Stamp Cream Coloured Card Stock

Sequins: Simon Says Stamp Clear Mix Sequins

Faber-Castell Polychrome Pencils: Flowers: Ivory (103) - Naples Yellow (185) -Burnt Ochre (187) - Burnt Siena (283), Darl Cadmium Orange (115), Leaves:  May Green (170)Earth Greem Yellowish (168) - Chromium Green Opaque (174) - Olive Green Yellowish (173) - Cadmium Yellow Lemon (205)

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a great day!

Hugs,

Marika

My best nine in 2015!

Hello!

Today I'm here to share my best nine projects for the year of 2015 and I explain a bit why on each one. These come in the published order. So here we go:

1) A window Thank You

This card was made inspired by the CTS sketch. This is special to me because this was first  card that I coloured combined watercolours and Inktense pencils. I'm very pleased how the colouring turned out and that time I was very into window cards. 

2) Pink Flower Thank You

This card was made to the DT introduction post for Altenew. This card is very special to me since I used Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours that I had just received to colour the flowers and I just love how softly they look. And the window theme continued also.

3) African Sunset

I included this card into the best nine because I love to colour and I usually make cards that have coloured focal point. This card I made without colouring and I really really like the intensity and dimension it has.

4) A beautiful Day 

This fall I found my favourite colouring medium (at least at the moment) and it is copic markers combined to coloured pencils. The flower in this card is one of the best flowers that I personally think I've coloured so far.

5) Modern Congratulations

This card is pretty simple in design and lay-out but for me it is special because I'm very proud of how I was able to colour the leaf at the bottom to look like a real leaf - and I've had issues in colouring leaves.

6) You are made of awesome 

If I have to choose only one card from my 2015 cards, it would be this one. This is absolutely my favourite from this year. I am very pleased with the colouring and the shading and I am very happy that I was able to gain such a clean design to this. The font of the sentiment fits also perfectly to the flower. I wouldn't change a thing in this card.

7) Merry and Bright

I made this card a special crafting friend in mind who usually watches my videos over her morning coffee so I thought this POD owl would be perfect for her. I am really happy how the colouring turned out to be, I think he is the best coloured critter from this year. I'm also very pleased with the sky colour that I recently found and love the effect of white gel pen in the sky.

8) Beauty of the Season

Usually, in the cards that I make there are some parts that I'm very happy with and some parts I would change if I made that card again. In this card I wouldn't change anything and that is very a lot to say after how many days I actually tried to put this card together. I had coloured the image and I played around so many leaves, diets and sentiments. But the end result is what matters and I'm happy with it.

9) Frozen

This card is one of the latest cards that I made for this year and this got its ticket to my best nine because of the sky. I really tried to gain a feeling of a bright and cold winter night with a full moon. I'm very happy with how it turned out. I also practiced back-lit shading for the image and although I have to practise more I like how it turned out.

Well, this was the best nine of the 2015! Hopefully some of your favourites also found its way to this group. If your favourite is missing, let me know! :)

Thank you for stopping by and see you soon!

Make a Wish

Good Morning!

Hopefully your holidays have been peaceful and you've enjoyed the time with your family and friends. I'm here today with another Purple Onion Designs card. I have made this card and the video a while ago for a new release of Stacey Yacula's stamps in October. Somehow I have forgotten to share it with you. If you have visited Purple Onion Designs' blog, you might have already seen it there but here it is on my blog today.

Stamps used: Be mine, Bloom No.2 and Sweet Occasions Sentiment set.

You can watch my tutorial on how to use unmounted red rubber stamps here or in HD in Youtube:

Supplies:
Stamps: Be Mine, Bloom No.2 and Sweet Occasions Sentiment set by Purple Onion Desings
Dies: My Favourite Things Pierced Squares
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black
Card Stock: Neenah Solar White 80lb, Papermania Premium Textured Coloured Card Stock

Copic Markers: YG03 - YG67 (greens), W0 - W1 - W3 (greys), Y38 - YR68 (orange), YR31 (yellow), W5 - W7 (Black)
White Kids Fun Foam

Thank you for stopping by today! See you soon!

Marika

Happy Holidays and a GIVEAWAY!

Hello!

This is my second post for today, please check out the collaboration post with Pia from Pia's Creative World. You can see it HERE. We also have a video tutorial how we made our collaboration project.

I'm also at Altenew blog to share my last post for the year of 2015. Within this card I want to wish Happy Holidays for all my Altenew friends. Please, enjoy the holidays and cherish the time with friends and families.

I used Poinsettia and Pine set to make this CAS card. Firstly I stamped the images with light brown and light green ink and then coloured the images with copic markers and coloured pencils. The background is firstly stamped with Woodpalet Background onto a smoke card stock with Versamark Ink and then heat embossed with Vanilla White Embossing PowderThe background.

I started blogging about a year and a half ago and this journey here in blogland has been such an amazing experience for me. I have met so many kind people whom I can call my friends now although we live in different countries - even continents. I truly appreciate all the love and support that you have given me and because of your encouragement I have become better in crafting, colouring and drawing since I always want to give the best of me to you. Finding out that I have that kind of skills in colouring, has been one of the biggest discoveries for me and without the support of this loving crafting community, I may never have found it. So thank you all of you! 

I would like to send you all a thank you card but that is just impossible. So within this project, I would like to say thank you to you all. And I would like to send this to someone, so if you like to receive this item, please leave a comment on this blog post before the 29th of December 2015. I will randomly draw the person whom I'm sending this and I will announce it soon after. I'm also having a giveaway over at Altenew Blog, if you want to participate please head over there to enter into the drawings.

If you wish to see a video tutorial on this technique that I used to colour the Rose piece, you can watch the speed colouring video HERE and a similar card made in this following tutorial. You can find it HERE. 

Thank you for stopping by today. Please, check out our collaboration project with Pia as well, we really had fun within that project. I also have a few holiday cards to share which I will do over the holidays. They are holiday cards but can be used as everyday cards as well. 

Hugs,

Marika

Video Collaboration with Pia - Sparkle and Shine

Hello Everyone!

Today I have something special planned for you. Today is the day when we share our first part of our collaboration with Pia from Pia's Creative World. 

Back in the summer we started talking and planning that this kind of collaboration would be a lot fun - it's like crafting together and finishing up card together although we are living (and crafting) in different countries. In this first part, I made some individual stuff and sent them to Pia and she finished up the card. 

Firstly, if you don't know Pia already - you should! She is so sweet and kind, always happy to help and she happens to have such a creative mind and very talented hands. I find that the name of her blog is just Genius and sums up everything so well! Her style is different from mine  - and I just love that - and that makes this collaboration so interesting. I love her CAS style combined sort of graphic style in card making but still she has a lot of clever and neat ideas that just leave me speechless - oh, I-never-thought-of-doing-that-like-that -kind of way. She has a Youtube channel where she shares some of her work and ideas and if you haven't subscribed, please do so! She speaks such a fluent English and her videos are very easy to follow. If you are interested in new techniques, then her channel is one that you must follow. :)

So here's the card that we've made together:

You can see how we made this card in video tutorial that we made together. You can watch it here or in HD in YouTube.

Supplies that I used:

Stamps: Joe the Skating Snowman from Purple Onion Designs, To the Moon by Altenew.

Dies: Tiny Pine Trees by Marianne Designs

Inks: Versafine Onyx Black, SSS Smoke Ink, Fairy Dust and Falling Star Pure Color Ink by Wplus9.

Paper: Canson Watercolour Paper 220gms, Neenah Solar White Smooth Card Stock, SSS Slate Card Stock

Derwent Inktense and Metallic Pencils

Hopefully you found this fun and entertaining. We surely had fun doing this and we both learnt so much in the process. Thank you for stopping by today and see you real soon!

Hugs,

Marika

Merry and Bright Season Greetings

Hello!

I'm here to share an other holiday card. I used a few Stacey Yacula's cute images that you can find at Purple Onion Designs.

I had a bit of trouble while making this card. Firstly I stamped the images with black die ink. Then I cut a mask for the birds and the top of the trees. I didn't bother to cut a mask for the trunk of the trees, since I was going to colour them quite dark so I can hide the ink with my colouring. While I was inking the background I noticed that the black ink started to bleed, you can see it on the bigger bird on the bells. I don't know why, maybe I should have waited longer before I started to ink up background but then I figured that I should have done this in different order. I think the smarter thing to do this, would have been first stamp the trees and cover them with the masks, then just put the masks for the birds, ink the background, let it dry and then stamp the birds and colour them. Have you had this kind of trouble and how have you solved it? Please, feel free to share. 

The birds are coloured with copic markers and I added a little bit yellow copic marker to the trees and added white jelly roll pen and wink of stella on top. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Maple, Juniper and Seasons Greetings by Purple Onion Designs.   

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (sentiment), Memento Lulu Lavender, Cantaloupe and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink (I think or Peacock Feathers).

Wink of Stella

White Jelly Roll Pen

Copic Markers: Birds: E40 - E42 - E43 - E44, E04 - R56 - R59, Trees: YG03 - YG67, E47.

Thank you for stopping by today. See you real soon!

Hugs,

Marika