"Santa's Christmas sleighs" with Graphic 45

Hi my dear crafty friends,

I haven't been arround much lately, I haven't been in my best place and not feeling to well. But I still find time to play a bit with my beloved Graphic 45 papers, while preparing for my next workshop. Sleighs are made from two pieces of 2-dimensional chipboards and I added some cardboard in between to form a middle part of the sleighs, this way I recreated 3D piece from 2D piece of chipboards. Of course I used my favourite Deep rectangle Matchbook box from Graphic 45 to put my sleighs on and I dressed it in one of my favourite Graphic 45 past Christmas collections - Twas the night Before Christmas. I also used the same papers to dress up my gifts on the Santa's sleighs. You can also use some of the newest Graphic 45 Christmas collections, like for example "Joy to the world" classic or patterned paper pad - it has beautiful and quite similar patterns.

"A Dream is a Wish your Heart makes" altered box

Hello dear Dusty Attic fans,

I'm so happy to be here with you on the blog today again. I fell in love with this month's gorgeous Moodboard and its soft and bright colors. 

I decided to go with a magical sea and mermaid theme and I altered this lovely keepsake box. I hope you'll like it.

"Don’t let time define your heart" altered Scale for Finnabair

Have you ever thought of how we live in a “funny” little world? Last week I went to my first international workshop in a beautiful Ireland. I was so excited to go, but few days before the departure my heart started getting pretty anxious and restless. There were so many doubts going on in my mind... it was the first time I was leaving my kids home without tucking them in bed at night, … When I was leaving on a plane and my kids were crying “mommy don’t go” and between desperately trying to held back my tears and calming them down by letting them know we will soon be together again, I said to my husband: “This is totally out of my comfort zone in so many ways.” You know what?! My kids survived! They had a great time home alone with their dad and I had such an amazing time and such an amazing experience in Ireland that I can’t wait to repeat some of my workshops again in the future! By stepping totally out of my comfort zone I allowed myself and my family to make a big step and grow so much in so many different ways.

Routines and habits are a big part of our lives. They provide stability in our lives and reduce anxiety. We write our appointments and our schedules down in our notebooks, sometimes down to the last minute of the day. We feel it is important, so we can get more things done and achieve more goals that we set for ourselves and sometimes also our dear ones. I believe some planning is actually pretty good and quite necessary to have in our lives. But did you feel at any point in your life that sometimes these habits, routines and patterns of our everyday lives take over and we find ourselves at the position when our lives are running us? Between job, family obligations and chores we forget to enjoy our time with our dear ones, we don’t take time for our hobbies anymore, sometimes we don’t even take time to sit and listen to ourselves, listen to our hearts and think about important things in life. We sometimes give up on dreams just because of the time it will take to make them happen. But we don’t realize that the time will pass anyway. And life is not about passing of the time. It is about enjoying those amazing moments in time, it is about collecting beautiful memories throughout our journey. Like they say - Life is not measured by the number of Breaths we take, but by the moments that take our Breath away. So don’t forget to stop, listen, think, enjoy and dream. Don’t let time be more important than the precious moments in time.

Mixed media Phone Booth "Travel the World"

Hi dear friends,

Hope you are doing great and you are enjoying your Autumn days. I just received this gorgeous 3D Phone Booth from Scrapiniec not long ago and I had it colored in white waiting on my desk for my inspiration. When I was traveling to Dublin where I was teaching workshops I got the idea how I want this gorgeous chipboard piece to look. I decided to dress it into beautiful Wanderlust Mintay papers and add some beautiful mixed media touches. I felt it fitted perfectly. I'm realy realy happy with the result and I hope you'll like it too.

"Leap of Faith" Dreamcatcher for Finnabair

One of my favourites from the amazing selection of gorgeous Prima-Finnabair products is definitely resist canvas. It gives such exciting opportunities to play with. So, I decided to use it today for the background in making a beautiful soft vintage Dreamcatcher. I dressed it into gorgeous combination of blue and gold-brown colors. I love making Dreamcatchers lately. I love the idea of letting yourself go, dream big and being excited for your Dreams to come true.  

Find Joy in the ordinary day and open doors to new adventures

I hope you are spending your first September days as lovely as possible. With the start of September here in Slovenia school also started after two months long summer vacations. My three kiddos went back to 5th, 3rd and 2nd grade of 9 year long elementary school. It's been a busy and quite stressfull week as we are all trying to again get used of all the morning and daily routins and obligations that come with it. 

But as always there is some excitement in the air as they are stepping on a new journey, opening some new doors in their lives. I tried to encourage them and offer them some advices as mothers usually do and of the most important ones was to embrace the journey and to rejoice over the small things that happen to them on this journey. So this was also my inspiration for today's post with gorgeous 49 and Market products.

"Believe in Yourself" mixed media canvas for Dusty Attic

Hello hello my dear crafty friends. I'm back again with you here on the blog sharing some fresh summerish inspiration with amazing Dusty Attic chipies, inspired by the gorgeous summer Moodboard here on the Dusty Attic blog. I adore previous month's colors! They are perfect to me with these soft pastel vibes. My mind immediatelly traveled to breathtaking peacock feathers chipies in Dusty Attic store and I decided to do something with it. I arranged it in the middle of the composition with various other stunning chipboard pieces, some Mitform castings embellishments and some beautiful Prima flowers. Of course I couldn't go without tons of my favourite Finnabair supplies. I hope you'll like the outcome as much as I do.

"Seek and Wander" mixed media Canvas for 49 and Market

Hello dear crafty friends. I'm back again with some inspiration for you with gorgeous 49 and Market products. 

This time I decided to go more mixed media and just play a bit and enjoy the proccess. I've had a pack of these gorgeous Layered embellishments from Sand & Sea collection still. I love them to bits! These layered embellishments are one of the most beautiful products I have ever seen, so if you haven't tried them out yet, be sure to do so. As it fits to them I decided to make an underwater mixed media canvas. 

Ice cream summer fun with Lindy's gang and Woodouts

Hello dear crafty friends. I was away for some time now due to some serious health issues, but I'm so so happy and excited to be back with you to share with you my creations made with gorgeous Lindy's gang products and maybe inspire you along the way.

Summer with kids is always about a lot of water, sun, fun and of course... ice cream. The last one can not be missing. I'm just trying to tell my kids that they realy don't have to have it each single day. :) I'm not succeding at the moment! :) So when I got this gorgeous ice cream Woodouts base in my hands I knew I had to make something beautiful with it. And of course Lindy's are perfect to alter it into a beautiful piece of art.

"Use your wings, dream, Inspire" Altered box for Dusty Attic

Hello my dear crafty friends. It's been some time since my last post. I've had some health issues to take care off and I missed my creative hours so so much in the meantime. I'm so happy today to be back with you again, sharing my fresh inspiration with you. This time I have for you a gorgeous altered box made with the amazing Dusty Attic chipies and some gorgeous mixed media goodies. As soon as I saw the eye-catching July Moodboard over at Dusty Attic blog, my mind wondered to gorgeous Stamperia paper pad, designed by an amazing artist Antonis Tzanidakis - Mechanical Fantasy. It fitted perfectly to the Moodboard. So I decided to create a rusty Mechanical Fantasy box, using the amazing Finnabair supplies, some Mitform castings metal embellishments bought at Mixed Media Place store and of course the fabulous Dusty Attic chipboards. I hope you'll like my today's project.

"Happy Summer moments" 49 and Market Coctail drink

Hi dear friends,

I don't know about you, but I allready started dreaming about a warm, happy summer days. They are nearer each day and I'm realy realy looking forward to them. So my today's project kind of reflects my summer mood.

I know you are used to see mostly layouts made with gorgeous 49 and Market products. I love to make layouts so much, but one of my biggest passions are also altered art and off the page projects. So today I decided to share something a bit different with you and prepare you one of my off the page projects. Here is my Summer Coctail drink!

"Found at the Sea" altered Fish

Hello dear Dusty Attic friends,

I'm on Dusty Attic blog today with you again to bring you some fresh inspiration. This time, a bit summerish one. :) I decided to alter a mdf wooden fish from Woodouts that I had in my stash for quite some time now. I made a small wall decoration. I took a piece of a drift wood and attached some rope arround each side of it and than attached the other side of the rope on a wooden fish. I then decorated the fish using several Dusty Attic chipboard pieces. You can find the list of used Dusty Attic chipboards at the end of this post. I colored the embellished decorative piece with Finnabair Texture fantasy pastes and used some waxes on top.  

Graphic 45 Money box with altered violin

Hello my dear friends,

I played today again with gorgeous Graphic 45 collection "Love Notes". I had a custom order for a money box for a young girl who loves music and violin and these gorgeous papers were just a perfect fit for it. I used both 12x12 paper collection pack as well as 8x8 paper pad. I also used some gorgeous Graphic 45 Roses in red and natural colors and I added a small chipboard altered violin on top. Hope you'll like my project.

"Create your own Happiness" layout with 49 and Market

Hi dear friends,

I kind of threw a lot of fresh inspiration and projects to you in the last few days. Hope you are not getting too much from me. :D Today I have for you my layout project with gorgeous 49 and Market.

 

Let me tell you... I adooooore these 49 and Market Laser Cuts! They are just amazing to work with and with layering them you just get this amazing, stunning, rich composition. 

This time around I used Laser cuts from another gorgeous 49 and Market collection "Tattered Garden". Along with those I fussy cut some shapes from the "Exclusive Cut-Out Sheet from the same collection. I cut out the floral border and used it at the bottom of my layout as a forest soil. I then placed the photo and the gorgeous mystic door on top and surrounded everything with other laser cut greenery. I added some gorgeous 49 and Market flowers in between. For the background of my layout I used beautiful Vintage paper from "Vintage Remnants" collection, that coordinates perfectly with "Tattered Garden" collection.

Hope you'll like my inspiration.

Old-fashioned Altered Sewing Machine with Lindy's and Graphic 45

Hello dear friends. I promised you another interesting project for today and here it goes.

 I hope your day is going well. Mine has been very creative as I have just finished my inspiration for you for the amazing Lindy's gang blog. This time I went all wild and altered a chipboard sewing machine that I got from amazing 14 craft bar store. I used some Graphic 45 papers - a Deluxe Collector's Edition of "A Ladies Diary", beautiful, soft Vintage paper and made a sewing box out of it. It was a lot of work, but so worth the time spent. I love it and hope you'll like it too.

My black Lindy's sprays are usually quietly sitting on my shelfs. I admit... I don't often use them, since I don't often make "dark" projects. But I'm doing them an injustice since they are really really gorgeous. So today's project was perfect, I decided to alter the sewing machine in an old-fashioned vintage way - black with some gold touches.

Graphic 45 2019 Brand Ambassador Audition

Hello my dearest friends,

Last year one of my biggest dream ever came true. Dream of becoming Graphic 45 Brand Ambassador. Dream that I worked for hard in the last years. This year, spent with amazing Graphic 45 family was the best one. I can not believe it's allready gone by. It was a hard year for me. Lots of my dear and near people died and this DT allongside of some other happy things that happened was one of the best highlights of the year. I truly enjoyed every minute of this adventure and I would love for it to continue for another year. This would make me so so happy and this is why I couldn't miss the opportunity to apply for this position for another year. 

The project that I made is one that I had in my mind for some time now. I wanted to prepare it for the previous year's Audition but I decided then to go with something else instead. I had lots of other ideas this year that I've been playing with in my mind, but eventually decided to go with this one. I altered a Box in a shape of a Book and build "Alice in Wonderland" "Adventure" on top. There were many mixed media techniques also used in this project and I hope it will maybe give you some new tips, tricks and ideas for your creative endaveours. Hope you'll like it. 

"Enjoying the spring" Layout with 49 and Market

Hi dear friends,

Have I told you allready that I love spring time? Yes, I do also love winter... I love the winter magic that we feel in this special time of the year. But... each year I'm so anxiously waiting for the spring to come. I love when nature is awakening, when warm spring sun is shining on us, when everything blossoms... I love spring fragrances of the flowers. And I absolutely adore birds and butterflies. So today for you I made a layout with 49 and Market in which I tried to capture that spring feeling. I hope you'll like it and be inspired by it.

"Blossoming Bicycle" for Graphic 45

Hello my dear friends,

This month we have a special challenge for you at Graphic 45 blog, which is really close to my heart and I'm so happy and excited to be able to be a part of it and share my inspiration for it with you. It's a Mix&Match challenge and I love mixing and matching Graphic 45 paper collections. I find it to be so rewarding and so easy to do. All the Graphic 45 collections are gorgeous, each in its own way, but they all have some elements and characteristics that are unique to Graphic 45 brand and go so well together. So the mixing thing is quite easy.

I had this gorgeous Vintage Bicycle in my stash that I got form 14 craft bar store and I felt it was perfect for this task. Especially with Spring beeing here, all the gorgeous blossoms, birds, butterflies, sunshine... So I grabbed few different Graphic 45 collections with blossoms and made this lovely home decor piece. Hope you'll like it!

"Spring Easter basket" with Dusty Attic and Graphic 45

Hello dears,

Spring is here in our country and it makes me so so happy! I love winter and creating winter projects, it's kind of magical, but every year when spring comes something awakens in me. I love birds, butterflies, rabbits and gorgeous flower blossoms. It feels like a nature is awakening again and you can find so much life everywhere wherever you turn arround. 

So for today's Dusty Attic inspiration I prepared something with a touch of Spring - A Spring Easter basket, using lots of beautiful Dusty Attic chipboards, paired with one of my favourite spring paper collections by Graphic 45 "Once Upon a Springtime". Boy I just can not move away from this collection! :D I've also used bits and pieces from "Fairie Dust" collection. Further bellow you can find list of Dusty Attic products I used. I hope you'll like my April inspiration.

"Once upon a Springtime" April Moodboard challenge with Lindy's

Hi my dear crafty friends,

Today started a new April Moodboard challenge over at Lindy's gang blog, filled with soft, pastel spring colors. I loved the color scheme and I figured the colors were perfect to pair them with one of my favourite paper collections ever - Graphic 45 "Once upon a Springtime". I used gorgeous mdf lantern from 14 craft bar store and added few colored Easter eggs inside and then embellished it with gorgeous cut-outs from the Graphic 45 collection and some beautiful flowers from 14 craft bar store. 

I used several colors from Lindy's gang store to color my project - lantern and eggs:

- Glory of the Seas Gold Starburst,

- Pineaple Paradise Flat Magical,

- Fuzzy Navel Peach Starburst spray,

- Magical Mai Tai Magical,

- Mad Hatter Mint Starburst spray,

- C'est La Vie Cerise Flat Fabio spray. 

Hope you'll like my project. <3 

"When music speaks" Graphic 45 altered box with an altered flute

Hello, hello my dears,

Recently I finally recieved my gorgeous Graphic 45 package full of amazing new goodies, including the absolutely gorgeous new paper collection "Love Notes". I just had to play with it as soon as possible, so I altered a small box that use to be a box of chocolates. A centerpiece of the altered box is an altered flute, surrounded by blossoming roses from the collection. I also added bunch of Dusty Attic chipboards to complement the composition. I hope you'll like my project and it inspires you to create something beautiful by yourself.

"Your story matters" Altered brush for Finnabair

Hi my dear friends. It's been such a long long time since I last altered a brush., that I realy wanted to play with it. One giant brush was sitting in my drawer, waiting for me to take time to alter it. So this time, I decided to go with this project. 

I wanted to create a soft, a bit frozen look, so I decided to work with Texture Fantasy pastes that fit perfectly into this frame - "Old Walls" Rust effect pastes. I love their subtle colors! 

"Memories Captured" Layout for 49 and Market

Hi dears,

Vintage and dark is quite out of my comfort zone, I must admit. I absolutely love such projects each time I see them by some other artist, but never quite thought I can make it. :) Did you ever feel like this too? Well I decided to go out of my comfort zone this time, because I just totally fell in love with Vintage Remnants collection and I just had to branch out and play with them. :) I have to admit I quite like the result and I hope you'll like it too.

For the background I used paper N 02 and paper N 04 from new "Vintage Remnants" collection. I added some stenciling with Graphit texture paste on the background and some random stamping. Then I created the flow of my layout and put some colored cheesecloth along it. Then I embellished it with chipboards, laser cut shapes and gorgeous vintage colored flowers. I colored my chipboards with Rust Effect paste. At the end I added some highlights with dry-brushed gesso over some elements and few splatters of white color for the finishing touch.

"Look for the Magic and Find Yourself" Altered Handmirror for Finnabair Art Recipe Challenge

Today we have for you a little surprise :) Have you ever wished that Finnabair Art Recipe series published originally on Prima Marketing blog would be such, that you could take a part in? I have always found them so inspiring. So today I'm so so happy to share with you the amazing news that they've become a regular monthly challenge available on Finnabair blog :) And today we have the very first Art Recipe challenge! Isn't it exciting?! 

The rules are simple. Each challenge consists of colour palette and products. You need to stick to the colour pallete and use all products listed in a challenge.

Colours of March Art Recipe:vintage shades of gold, rusty, brown with pinks and greens

Products:Art Basics: Clear Gesso
Art Alchemy - Metallique Waxes
Art Ingredients - Mini Art Stones
Art Extravagance - Icing Paste

If the products on your project are not easy to recognize, please add in description information, where exactly we can see them. Challenge is open till Apil, 19th. The winner will  be invited to be Guest Designer on Finnabair blog. How exciting right?!

When I was not yet part of this amazing Creative team I used to do "oooh's" and "aaaah's" each time I saw new Art Recipes published. I often went to the older Art Recipes for the inspiration. I love to take part in monthly Art Recipes and I'm sure this challenges will inspire you all so much! Can't wait to see your beautiful creations! So as you can see, this month we are playing with clear gesso, mini art stones, metallique waxes and icing pastes and we are creating in Vintage style and color scheme. So I decided to go all Vintage. I altered an old, empty tin left from my paints in tubes and I've hidden an altered Vintage handmirror inside. I used shades of light brown, gold and rose gold. For giving a bit extra interes to my tin I dressed it into new Finnabair Decorative tissue paper. I hope you'll like my project and be inspired by it! 

"Fashion Wardrobe" Mini Album with Graphic 45 Ladies Diary

Hello my dear sweet friends,

I'm back on my blog with another one of my Graphic 45 inspirations. I've been holding this gorgeous Ladies Diary collection in my hands for so many times, but couldn't prepare myself to cut into it! But I decided that this time has finally come! This is one of my favourite Graphic 45 collections! I love the colors, I love the images and my imagination goes wild going through this papers. I made a Wardrobe Mini Album with gorgeous Scrapiniec mdf bases and chipboards. I hope you'll like it!

"Timeless Beauty" Layout with 49 and Market

Hello dear sweet friends :)

This is very exciting day for me. I'm here today with my first ever inspiration for the amazing and long desired 49 and Market team, so this is quite a happy and excited moment for me. I prepared for you a layout with the new "Bold & Beautiful" 49 and Market paper collection and Laser Cut Shapes.

"My Happy Place"

Hello dears,

Spring is comming to our land and I was very anxiously waiting for it. So I'm now in the making of all things springy. I actually had a small accident this week. I fell badly and I hurt my right arm. Of course I got a plaster cast for my arm going from my fingers right up to my elbow. My instant thought was... oh my... what about my creating... how will I do anything?! Well... of course... I wouldn't be me, if I haven't at least try. And you know what? It actually worked! It took me some extra time to get it done, but I'm a very determined person by nature, so... :)

I made this beautiful, soft, springy Altered Door Entrance, bathing in flowers and butterflies and of course with a gorgeous bicycle to go for a spring ride on a warm sunny day, using lots of amazing Dusty Attic chipboards and some gorgeous flowers and laser cut images from the new 49 and Market collection "Bold & Beautiful". You can find the list of the Dusty Attic chipboards used at the end of the post. 

I hope you liked my inspiration for this month. Here is the promissed list of Dusty Attic chipboards that I used in making of this project:

- Door #3,

- Door Knockers #2,

- Bicycle,

- Mystic Frame #2,

- Foliage #13,

- Poppies, 

- Industrial Globes #3,

- 49 and Market Bold & Beautiful Laser Cut Shapes,

- 49 and Market Laser Cut Shapes Frame set 2

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderfull day! See you back again soon!

Hugs, Aleksandra