n*Studio | Out and About

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Out and About

It’s my turn on the n*Studio blog today! Which means that it’s time to share last month’s project with you here!

Out and About

Just in case you missed it: the Creative Squad had a super special assignment last month.

In honour of the release of Nat’s book ‘Artful Adventures in Mixed Media’ (aff.link) the Squad played along with her 30 day Artful Adventures Stroll Challenge and created with the prompt of the day of our posts in mind.

My prompt was ‘Pattern’!

And I made the art journal page you can see above, as well as a couple of Mondriaan inspired cards!

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Out and About

Read the how-to in this post on Nathalie’s blog: Out and About – Marsha Valk.

Curious about my project for June? Head on over here: Pattern Lovers Love Patterns – Marsha Valk and… let me know what you think!

Materials used
n*Studio Stroll Through the Hood 1 Cling Rubber Stamp Set
n*Studio Stroll Through the Hood 2 Cling Rubber Stamp Set
n*Studio Embroidery Cling Rubber Stamp Set
n*Studio Cardboard Cling Rubber Stamp Set

White cardstock
Black cardstock
Gesso (Royal Talens)
Hero Arts Shadow Ink Soft Granite
Tsukineko Brilliance Rocket Red
Tsukineko Brilliance Sunflower Yellow
Tsukineko StazOn Dove Gray
Tsukineko StazOn Jet Black
Tsukineko VersaCraft Ultramarine
Post-it Tape

Please note that though almost all of the stamps listed above were given to me, I will not benefit from sales generated by the links!

Bewaren

n*Studio | Let’s Go Somewhere

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Let's Go Somewhere \\ Faux Batik Stamping & Embossing

It’s my turn on the n*Studio blog today! Which from now on means that I’m going to share last month’s project with you here!

Let’s Go Somewhere…

Somewhere exotic… somewhere where there are palm trees… cocktails… and where the women wear beautiful patterned summer dresses in vivid colours!

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Let's Go Somewhere \\ Faux Batik Stamping & Embossing

The assignment was to use the Batik Art Foamies and batik only means one thing to me: fabric.

I decided to create patterned designs using embossing powder instead of wax in an attempt to make my paper look like batiked fabric. I’m not sure I succeeded, but it was a fun experiment!

Here’s the step-by-step video tutorial. There are a lot of repeat steps, to create a multi-layered look!

Materials used
RubberMoon – n*Studio Embroidery Cling Rubber Stamp Set
Art Foamies – n*Studio Batik Pattern 3 Foam Stamp
Stencil Girl Products – n*Studio Batik Stencil

Canson Mix Media Imagine (this is paper with only a light grain)
WOW! Clear Ultra Slow Drying Embossing Pad
WOW! Clear Gloss Regular Embossing Powder
Royal Talens Ecoline (201 Light Yellow, 334 Scarlet, 506 Ultramarine Dark, 578 Cyan, 580 Pastel Blue)
Posca marker (PC-1M black)

Please note that some of these materials were given to me, but I will not benefit from sales generated by the links!

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Let's Go Somewhere \\ Faux Batik Stamping & Embossing

Find the written steps on Nathalie Kalbach’s blog: Let’s Go Somewhere – Marsha Valk.

And just in case you want to see what I have up my sleeve for the March n*Studio Creative Squad theme… Here’s a link to the new blog post too: Say it like you Mean it – Marsha Valk!

n*Studio | Retrospective

Time flies when you’re having fun! Next month marks my one year anniversary with the n*Studio Creative Squad!

There’s a brand new project up on Nathalie Kalbach’s blog today. This time the theme is Let’s Go Somewhere and I even created a video tutorial to go along with it, so be sure to check that out here!

I haven’t shared any of the completed projects I made for the Creative Squad so far, so if you haven’t been visiting my friend Nathalie’s blog, you’re in for a treat!

Looking back on everything I created in the past year, I see some of my absolute favourites among the n*Studio projects. Nat (and her awesome assistant Kim)’s monthly prompts always seem to bring out the best in me.

Nat’s designs are of course also right up my alley, so I truly enjoy working with her stamps and stencils and I think that shows!

But you don’t have to believe my word for it… Take a look for yourself!

Click on the photo if you want to know more about the project, the materials I used and what prompted me to create it. The link will take you to the original blog post on Nathalie’s blog.

Opposites Attract
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Opposites Attract \\ Gelli Prints

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Opposites Attract \\ Gelli Prints

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Opposites Attract \\ Gelli Prints

My City Speaks to Me
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: My City Speaks to Me \\ art journal page

Elephants Never Forget
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Elephants Never Forget \\ Mixed media woodpanel

My Own Drum
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: My Own Drum \\ Mixed media cards

Letter to My Future Self
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Letter to My Future Self \\ Mixed media art journal page A4

Say Yes to New Adventures
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Say Yes to New Adventures \\ Gelli printed accordion booklet

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Say Yes to New Adventures \\ Gelli printed and doodled accordion booklet

Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Say Yes to New Adventures \\ Gelli printed and doodled accordion booklet

From Small Beginnings
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: From Small Beginnings \\ Mixed media scrapbook page A4

Today is the Day
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Today is the Day \\ DIY Mixed Media Planner Dividers

Good Things Just Keep Happening
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Good Things Just Keep Happening \\ Mixed Media Gelli Prints

Return to the Light
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Return to the Light \\ DIY stenciled votive candle holders

Dream a New Dream
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Dream a New Dream \\ Mixed Media Art Journaling Page

Let’s Go Somewhere
Marsha Valk | n*Studio: Let's Go Somewhere \\ sneak peakCheck out my latest n*Studio Creative Squad project on Nat’s blog.

Enjoy your day!

Inspired by | Tea

Inspired by: a monthly creative blog series by Riikka Kovasin and Marsha Valk

Hi! It’s the 10th again… Time for another Inspired by!

Inspired by is a blog series by my friend Riikka and I. We decide on a theme (and that theme can be anything from a film, a book, a painting, to an item, colour scheme or material) and then we create something with that theme or thing in mind.

We keep what we’re making a secret until reveal day on the 10th, when we show you and each other our creations.

This month’s theme is a beverage we both love and drink everyday:

Tea

I don’t remember how I came up with this month’s theme exactly, but if I have to take a guess, I think I had either tea packaging, a tea story or tea dyeing in mind and as Riikka and I are both tea drinkers, it just made sense!

Riikka sent me tea, called Lumi-kellot, which Google Translate tells me are snowdrops. At first glance I thought it would be a winter tea, flavoured with cinnamon or apple or berries, but it isn’t. It’s banana tea!

Marsha Valk | Inspired by: Tea

Anyway: I really wanted to try tea dyeing, because I had never done it before. Well, I have… I’ve used tea splatter in workshops by the fabulous Finnabair, but that’s about it.

I grabbed some watercolour paper and I chose four teas from my stash that I thought would make different tints of colour: the black banana tea, a Christmas tea that I hoped would make the paper turn pink, nettle tea and remnant of rose green tea. Then I put the kettle on and the experimenting began!

Marsha Valk | Inspired by: Tea

I flooded, submerged, steeped and double steeped the paper and I dripped tea onto it. I even attempted ‘watercolouring’!

Marsha Valk | Inspired by: Tea

The black banana tea worked the best and it turned the paper a lovely tea colour. The Christmas tea didn’t turn the paper pink, but a nice lighter tea colour and the flowers and other stuff in there made nice marks on the paper.

The nettle tea turned the paper a beautiful soft green and the rose green tea just gave the paper a faint yellow colour. I think that I could have gotten more colour out of that one if I would’ve had more tea leaves.

marshavalk_inspiredby_tea-1-2

ATC’s

So… my take on the theme was mostly tea dyeing and then I thought: oh, but I also have to make something!

I’ve drawn as a pastime over the holidays, because it was something I could do in the company of others and I could easily stick a couple of pens, a pencil and some paper in my purse.

I also already made some tea inspired prints in November, so kind off inspired by that I created a couple of fun ATC’s with the tea dyed watercolour paper.

Marsha Valk | Inspired by: Tea

Conclusion

Tea dyeing is as fun as I guessed it would be. I’m inspired to try other dye methods too, but maybe I should wait for Spring or Summer to experiment more.

marshavalk_inspiredby_tea-5

I used up some watercolour paper that was collecting dust in my craft space. It’s too textured for my taste and it was hard to draw the tea cups on, because of the bumps. But… I went with it. I also used coloured pencils, which I hardly ever do and I even broke out my sewing machine, which I don’t use that often any more!

Marsha Valk | Inspired by: Tea

This was a good experiment and a good exercise in looking what I have on hand and using stuff I usually don’t give a second glance. I call it a win-win!

Now, let’s take a look at what my awesome friend has created. Visit Riikka here: Paperiliitin!

Edit: I’ve created an Inspired by | Tea board on Pinterest, if you would like to see more tea inspiration!