Riikka Kovasin - Paperiliitin

09/06/2023

Three Muses - a set of mixed media assemblages

It's Friday and a video time! This time I have some mixed media for you in canvas form. They resemble coins in my mind, like those collectible, special ones in honor of some achievement.

Like I say in the video, I started the set with some MDF circles that had a matching color palette. My idea at that time was to show some of the background in the finished pieces, but along the way I chaged my mind. I often if not every time let the project lead me. Some times I have an idea in my head or some guidelines, but I'm open to change the route if that should happen. It's about the journey, not solely the end result.

My idea the whole time was to add some flowers to these pieces, but as you could see from the video, they come in quite late. That's because the paper flowers sometimes loose their shape when they are soaked in mediums. I mean, that's no shock as wet paper doesn't hold its shape, but still. I chose flowers that already were ok for the color scheme, but still treated them with the paints to blend them more in to the project, make them a part of it.

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a lovely Friday and start to the weekend! May it be a crafty one! Oh, and hopefully you can join the FB live tomorrow evening (Finnish time).

Materials:

Prima Marketing - Art Basics Modeling Paste

Prima Marketing - Finnabair stencil Gothic

Prima Marketing - Art Basics Heavy Body Gel

Prima Marketing - Finnabair mould Queens of Steam, Vintage Portraits

Prima Marketing - Art Basics Heavy Gesso Black

Ranger - Distress Paint Tarnished Brass

PaperArtsy - Fresco Finish acrylic paint Deep Sea, Pine Grove, Hint of Mint

mdf discs

chipboard scissors, lace, paper flowers

wooden canvas bases

07/06/2023

My heart smiles - FB live announcement

Hello hello! There's going to be a Facebook live this week! On Saturday, June 10th, I'm recreating this card during a Facebook live. I hinted in the May English live that I'm using the same stamp in this that I used in the May art journal spread (link). I thought that to be fun, another take on the same thing.

I bought some watercolor pencils in May and used them a bit in the May live to replace the felt pen I used in the sample. As those seemed to arouse interest, I changed my plans a little and incorporated the pencils in this make. I'm using the pencils in this card a couple of ways.

I hope you can join me on Saturday! If you wish to see the materials list and maybe even create along side me, I've included the list under the next photo. The links go to the manufacturers sites. However, if you can't make it, I'll have the recording uploaded to my YouTube later.

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a nice Wednesday and hope to see you on Saturday!

Materials:

(links go to manufacturer sites)

Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Backdrops volume 5 (TH94309)

Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Metallic Sticker Book (TH94134)

Prima Marketing - Finnabair stencil Gothic

Prima Marketing - Art Basics Modeling Paste

A.B.Studio - Pure sheet no 5 "Scissors Cut" 12x12 sheet

Ranger - Distress Ink Lost Shadow ink pad

Ranger - Distress Ink Hickory Smoke ink pad

Ranger - Distress Watercolor Pencil set 1 (Picked Raspberry, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Picket Fence)

Ranger - Distress Crayon Rustic Wilderness

Ranger - Archival Ink Jet Black

Ranger - Distress Paint Tarnished Brass

Stampers Anonymous - Perspective stamp set

PaperArtsy - Fresco Finish acrylic paint Snowflake

Fabriano - Accademia 160g cardstock

purple cardstock, vellum

lace, rhinestone stickers, craft stamen

06/06/2023

Mother's Day cards

Hi there and happy new week! We celebrate Mother's Day in May here in Finland. Yes, I'm aware it's June already. I made these cards for my mother and my mother-in-law and didn't want to share them before the actual day so they would't see them and then they were left in the drafts for a while. But hey, if you see pass the wording, they could be birthday cards anyway!

The cards are similar in construction but have different color schemes. I made the other in blue tones and other in orange and pink. The elements in the cards are from my stash of die cuts and ephemera. I have this drawer where I throw extra pieces I've cut out or stamped items or items I get in ATC swaps. I'm hoarding these treasures but not often use them. But it's a kind of running theme in this month to use those bibs and bobs! I made some tags earlier (link), then these cards and there's even a video coming (shush, it's a secret).

I used simple mixed media in the background of the cards. It echos the tags (link) I made earlier. There's just some acrylic paints there, mixed on top of the surface and after drying then some stamping and doodles. Simple, but effective.

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a lovely week!

Materials: PaperArtsy, A.B.Studio, Ranger, Korttipaja, Posca

02/06/2023

Wings of Magic - Paper Garden

It's summer now! ...well, the weather is anything but summery, but it's June at least. And here's my first June project for you! As it's Friday, it has a project video as well. This first project is done using Paper Garden supplies and I've made some ATCs.

My first idea when making these was to use the stamp set I have from Paper Garden. The second idea was to make the background out of old postage stamps. This then limited the project type a little. Well, I could have done a bigger canvas, true, but as stamps are small, I found it easier to limit the project size and maybe make a couple of them rather than one big one. Please see the video below and tell how I did!

As you could see, I added a layer of white gesso on top of the stamps. Like I say in the video, even though I liked the look, it seemed a bit over powering compared to the focal point. A thin layer of gesso dulled the layer a little, just enough to let the butterflies pop up more.

As always, these ATCs are ready to be swapped or sent out. Just let me know you'd like to have one either by an email or a DM in Instagram! I send worldwide.

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a sunny weekend - the first one of many in June, I hope!

Materials from Paper Garden:

Sweet Nothings 2 stamp set

Curiouser and curiouser 1 cut and paste stickers

a sheet from old Paper Garden kit (similar printable)

Garden poetry clipping cut and paste stickers

Vintage postage stamps

Other:

Ranger - Distress Collage medium mat

Ranger - Archival Ink Black Soot

Ranger - Distress ink Crushed Olive

Prima Marketing - Art Basics Heavy Gesso White

A.B.Studio - ATC chipboard bases

Prima Marketing - Watercolor Confetti set

baker's twine

31/05/2023

Replace fear with curiosity - FB live recording

Moikka moi! Yesterday I blogged a Finnish Facebook live recording and today I have the English version! Not the same project, though, but an art journal spread. Funny I should write that because I've never even thought to use the same project in both lives! That of course would be easier for me, but not as nearly fun for you guys. So, I keep my thing and make two projects during those months I make Finnish live.

This project I created last Saturday. Quite an easy peasy, but still fun. Like I say in the beginning of the recording, it was inspired by an earlier art journal page where I used a letter from my great aunt as the background. What I also say in the beginning is that I wrote some misinformation to the announcement post or rather the add in it. I typed that I'd use both dye and pigment ink where indeed I only used different dye inks. Sorry about that! You can see the announcement post here (link).

I'm going to use that same butterfly stamp in the June live project. I thought it might be fun to continue some of the materials to another project. I also altered my original idea and used the watercolor pencils in it! But more about that in June, when I announce the live.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Wishing you a beautiful Wednesday!

Ps. If you like my videos and lives, it would mean a lot to me if you'd subscribe my YouTube channel! Thank you.

Materials: Ranger, Stampers Anonymous, PaperArtsy

30/05/2023

See through bottles - FB live recording

Hi there and happy new week! It's just a couple of days left of May and then it's June time. That's a summer month and vacation month, but at least June seems to be quite normal here in the blog. The only exception is near Midsummer when there's not going to be a process video published. But other wise there should be project on Tuesday and Wednesday and then a process videos on Fridays.

But let's stay in May still. Today I'm blogging the Facebook live recording. I kept this some weeks ago and in my mother tongue, Finnish. I made some transparent ATCs using acetate (an overhead projector transparency) as my base. As you can hear from the recording underneath, I mainly babbled in Finnish, but perhaps the images say a thousand words! In case they don't, please ask for clarifications!

I was playing with the idea of transparency a little in these. As I made ATCs I needed to have a solid layer as well so the info could be added behind the card. But I used the acetate as the background and added another layer on top as well. As it's plastic, I needed to use a medium fitting such an nonabsorbing surface. As you could see from the recording, I used alcohol inks but you could use liquid acrylics as well or them alcohol based markers and blending solution! In case you want to check the used materials, here's the link to the announcement post (link), where I've included the complete list.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Wishing you a splendid week! Oh and like always, these cards are available for swaps or just to be sent out should you want one! Please send me an email or a DM in Instagram in that case!

Materials: Sizzix, PaperArtsy, Ranger, Tim Holtz

26/05/2023

The heartbeat of soul - A.B.Studio

It's almost June! Oh my. I feel it was just turn of the year and now it's almost half way gone. I really enjoy the light season here in Finland as it's daylight trough the night in places. That also means that my energy levels are up, a bit different to the "no light at all" winter. But still, I need the both ends of the spectrum. The joy I experience each year when light starts to increase easily surpasses the discomfort of the gloomy days.

Although it's the season of color and light, I made some quite monochromatic cards for A.B.Studio this time. My inspiration were those beautiful moths in one of the 12x12 sheets. They are cut from "Love love love" of the "Rustical Time" collection. If you wish to see how I made the cards, please see the process video below.

As you can see and hear from the video, I used the same steps and elements in each but still each card is unique. That's partly due to the focal points and gears being different. Each card has a moth and a gear but they are not all of the same gear and moth design wise.

I really enjoyed making these cards! I hope you enjoy watching the video and maybe pick a tip or two or some inspiration out of it!

Thank you for stopping by today! Wishing you a wonderful start to the weekend! And please join me tomorrow for a Facebook live at my blog's Facebook page!