Birgit’s Mixed Media Art Crew | Imagine A World Where

Marsha Valk | BMMAC: Imagine A World Where

It’s Wednesday today, so that means there is a new Mixed Media Art Crew post up on Birgit Koopsen’s blog!

The theme this month is ‘Imagine a world where…’ and I tried to come up with a way to kill two birds with one stone.

Visit Birgit’s blog to see what I did!

Enjoy your Wednesday!

PS. The $40 early bird deal for Creative JumpStart 2018 ends tonight Nov 29 at 11.59 pm EST! Sign up here: CJS 2018 if you haven’t already! (affiliate link)

Birgit’s Mixed Media Art Crew

Birgit's Mixed Media Art Crew

I am super excited to share that I’m now part of my dear friend Birgit Koopsen’s Mixed Media Art Crew!

From May onwards, each Wednesday the crew will share inspiring projects on Birgit’s blog using the fabulous stamps and stencils she designs for Carabelle Studio.

My fellow crew members are amazing and so, so talented! Birgit is introducing them on her blog today, but I also recommend checking out their websites for a peek at their stunning work:

Hermien

Linda

Karin

Femke

And be sure to check out Birgit’s blog on May 3rd for the very first BMMAC post!

I can’t wait!!!

Inspired by | Nathalie Kalbach & Birgit Koopsen

Inspired by: a monthly challenge by Riikka Kovasin and Marsha Valk

Hello September! It’s the 10th already, so I’ve got a new instalment of Inspired by for you!

Inspired by is a monthly challenge that my friend Riikka and I started 3 years ago. 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 all about our sweet friends, amazing teachers and huge inspirations Nathalie Kalbach and Birgit Koopsen!

Marsha Valk | Inspired by: Nathalie Kalbach & Birgit Koopsen

I think this month’s theme emerged in June, right after Riikka and I each individually took classes from Birgit and Nathalie. Riikka went to their joined retreat in Finland and I went to the same retreat held right here in the Netherlands.

Both ladies not only teach classes and create stunning art work, but they also have their own product lines.

Nathalie has released stamps with Stampendous and stencils with Stencil Girl.

Birgit products are produced by Carabelle Studio and she’s getting ready to release a set of brand new designs as we speak!

During the retreats, there was one class they taught together and in that class all of their products were available for us to use. So for this Inspired by, the briefing was to use Birgit and Nat’s stamps on one (or more) project(s), just like we did in class.

I started out by rummaging through the gelli prints I did during the retreat. I worked on some of them to warm up, but in the end I decided to create this page in one of my art journals:

Marsha Valk | Inspired by: Nathalie Kalbach Birgit Koopsen / mixed media art journal page

The background is created with modelling paste and one of Nathalie’s stamps. On top of that there are layers upon layers upon layers of spray ink, stamped images, black Stabilo All pencil, Liquitex paint and markers, Derwent Graphik Line Painters, some green Neocolor II and a white Sharpie.

I should also add that the page wasn’t blank when I started. There already were some remnants there of a glitter paste I made from gel medium and Elizabeth Craft Designs Silk Microfine Glitter.

The hearts and leaves images are Birgit’s stamps, stamped on one of the gelli prints from the retreat, cut out and adhered to the page.

Marsha Valk | Inspired by: Nathalie Kalbach Birgit Koopsen / mixed media art journal page

I’m pretty sure I was taught all techniques used on this page by either Nathalie or Birgit at some point in my crafty career and I love that the page (at least to me) even looks like a Birgalie or a Nathit!

Thank you so much Birgit and Nat!

And now please visit equally awesome Riikka to check out her Nathalie and Birgit inspired project!

Cling rubber stamp sets used:
Carabelle Studio by Birgit Koopsen: Follow your heart, Bloom and Punchanella Background
Stampedous by Nathalie Kalbach: NK Studio Marks, NK Studio Kaffee Klatsch
and NK Studio Fiesta

From the weekend | Art Specially 2015

Marsha Valk | Scrapbookzolder at Art Specially

Art Specially 2015 in Nijkerk was a blast! Birgit Koopsen and I spent all weekend make ‘n taking at the Scrapbookzolder stand.

At Birgit’s table participants could make a Gelli Plate print with her brand spanking new Carabelle Studio stamps:

Marsha Valk | Scrapbookzolder at Art Specially

At my table it was all about spritzing with Letraset ProMarkers and NeonMarkers and the Tim Holtz Distress Marker Spritzer and (almost) no cutting in craft sheets:

Marsha Valk | Scrapbookzolder at Art SpeciallyOn Saturday night, there were workshops at the adjacent hotel for the guests that had booked for the entire retreat.

Birgit taught her Gelli Plate printing techniques in an hour-long workshop:

Marsha Valk | Scrapbookzolder at Art Specially

And I tried really hard to teach how to make fun backgrounds with Letraset ProMarkers and NeonMarkers:

Marsha Valk | Scrapbookzolder at Art Specially

The hours flew by! In fact: the entire weekend went by way too fast! It’s so weird that something you’ve been looking forward to for many months is suddenly over!

I saw and spoke to a lot of familiar faces and I’m terribly sorry I still missed so many of the people who I know where there too!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hi and/or took the time to take the make ‘n take or the workshop: you’ve made my weekend!

Special thanks to the wonderful people at Scrapbookzolder for having me!

And finally: thank you Birgit for your lovely companionship! It was fun!!!

Photos of Birgit and I in action by: Saskia van der Heide

Hello Autumn

141003_MarshaValk_S365_BirgitStamps1There was one more blogpost on the Scrap365 blog that I haven’t shared here yet: Product review – Art Stamps by Birgit. Riikka and I each created a project featuring Birgit’s stamps with Carabelle Studio and modelling paste.

The results were interesting because Riikka and I not only used the same technique and the same stamps, but without knowing we had also chosen a similar colour scheme for our individual projects!

141003_MarshaValk_S365_BirgitStamps2

Check out the post on the Scrap365 blog if you want to know more about the modelling paste technique we used!

Birgit Koopsen and Carabelle Studio Blog Hop Giveaway Winner!

140915_MarshaValk_BirgitKoopsenCarabelle5

Hello again!

Did you enjoy the Birgit Koopsen & Carabelle Studio Blog Hop? I sure did!!!

If you’ve read Birgit’s winner announcement, you are aware that Carabelle Studio has generously decided to have one winner for each participating blog. That means that there are not six… but thirteen winners!

And… my winner is:

P1040240

Congratulations PiHi!!!

You’ve won Birgit’s fab I heart Washi Tape stamp set! Please contact me with your address, so I can make sure it’s mailed out to you!

I Heart Washi Tape

If you’re not a lucky winner here, be sure to check the other participating blogs. Maybe you’ll have more luck over there!

Here’s the list again:

Birgit Koopsen

Revlie Schuit

Marsha Valk <- You are here!

Riikka Kovasin

Janna Werner

Lilith Eeckels

Loredana Bucaria

Magda Bolinska

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Ana Bondu

Azoline

Chris Scrap

Carabelle Studio

Thank you for stopping by and a huge, HUGE, thank you to everyone who took the time to leave me such lovely comments!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!