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!

n*Studio | Stampendous Summer Hop

STM_NatNfriendsHop_banner

Hi there! Welcome to the Nathalie Kalbach and Friends Summer Hop!

If you would like to start at the beginning of this hop, then please check out the Stampendous Blog. They’ve started hopping on Monday, so there is loads to discover there!

I’m sharing this iconesque Fashion Dame today:

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Fashion Dame Hop

Here’s how I created her:

1 | Cut a sheet of grey board into four 4″ x 6″ pieces.

2 | Set two cards aside. Cut a rectangle window in one of the remaining cards and a Gothic arch in the other.

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Fashion Dame Summer Hop

3 | Use Archival Ink to stamp the Fashion Dame and her attire on one of the plain cards. Cut the Fashion Dame pieces out.

4 | Give the Fashion Dame pieces a coat of gesso and the other cards a coat of gold acrylic paint. Leave to dry.

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Fashion Dame Summer Hop
Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Fashion Dame Summer Hop

5 | Use the Art Deco Wallpaper Stencil to stencil the background card in turquoise and dark blue. Use embossing ink to stamp a halo with the smallest of the Kaffee Klatch Cling Stamps, sprinkle on some Vintage Jade embossing glitter and heat set the powder with a heat tool.

6 | Take the Gothic window card. Use an old plastic (credit) card to apply gold paint to the card through the stencil that comes with the Elephant Foam and Cling Stamp Set. This will create a nice raised texture. Leave to dry completely.

7 | Take the rectangle window card. Use embossing ink to stamp with one of the stamps of the Fiesta Cling Stamp Set. Sprinkle with Blueberry Cheesecake embossing powder and heat set the powder with a heat tool. Use your finger to apply a bit of pink, blue and gold paint on top of the embossed frame.

8 | Adhere the Gothic frame to the background card and the rectangle frame to the front of the Gothic frame.

9 | Apply colour to the hands and face of the Fashion Dame with Neocolor II’s and a watercolour brush. Use acrylic paint to paint the lips and clothing.

Use one of the Fiesta Cling Stamps to stamp on top of the cardboard pants with embossing ink, sprinkle with Blueberry Cheesecake embossing powder and heat set to create the patterned pants.  Stamp over it once more with the pants stamp and Archival Ink.

Stamp and emboss the jacket with embossing ink and Mint Macaroon embossing powder.  Add black dots with a Posca marker.

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Fashion Dame Summer Hop

10 | Adhere the Dame to the icon frame and add small turquoise dots with a Pearl Pen.

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Fashion Dame Summer Hop

11 | Leave the card as is, or paint an old frame pink, apply gold stencilling with the Art Deco Wallpaper Stencil and adhere the Fashion Dame icon to the front of the frame.

For more inspiration, featuring Nathalie’s fabulous stamp sets check out all the wonderful projects in this Summer Hop!

Here are the links to the other designers participating in the hop today:

Stampendous Blog

Rae Missigman

Katy Leitch

Alison Heikkila

Mark Gould

Stampendous is kindly giving away three prize packages of Nat’s foam stamp sets. So don’t forget to comment for a chance to win and be sure to check out the Stampendous Blog to find out more! The give-away is closed! Winners are announced here!

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Ooooh… and before you leave! My post for the n*Studio Creative Squad is coming up on Tuesday, so be sure to check out Nathalie’s blog next week to see the spin off project I created with these leftover pieces:

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Fashion Dame Summer HopMarshaValk_nSCS_StampendousSummerHop_FashionDame-4

Enjoy your day!

Supplies:

n*Studio products:
Fashion Dame Cling Rubber Stamp Set
Kaffee Klatsch Cling Rubber Stamp Set
Fiesta Cling Rubber Stamp Set
Art Deco Wallpaper Stencil
Batik Stencil

I also used the stencils that come with the
Elephant Foam Stamp, Cling Rubber, and Stencil Set
Urban Scribble Foam Stamp, Cling Rubber, and Stencil Set
Mish Mesh Cling Rubber Stamp Set

Other:
Grey board
Vellum
Acrylic paint (Talens Amsterdam: Deep Gold, Lamp Black, Phthalo Blue, Turquoise Green, Quinacridone Rose)
Gesso (Liquitex)
Watersoluble crayons (Caran d’Ache Neocolor II: Apricot, Pink)
Pearl Pen (Viva Decor: Turquoise)
Permanent ink (Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black)
Embossing ink (Tsukineko VersaMark)
Embossing powder (Wow!: Blueberry Cheesecake, Mint Macaroon, Vintage Jade)
Paint markers (Uni Posca: Black, Pink, White)
Sewing machine + thread
Cosmetic sponge
Old plastic gift card

n*Studio | Stampendous Blog Hop

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Blog Hop

Hi there! Welcome to the Nathalie Kalbach and Friends Blog Hop!

The n*Studio Creative Squad is joining the Stampendous Design Team today for a blog hop focusing on Nathalie’s awesome foam stamp sets!

If you would like to start at the beginning of this hop, then please check out n*Studio. Or go over to the Stampendous Blog: They have been hopping there all week, so there is loads to discover there!

I’m sharing this art journal page, featuring Nat’s Elephant Foam Stamp, Cling Rubber and Stencil Set:

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Blog Hop

The idea came to me when I was flicking through an old Flow magazine and found the image of two acrobats, doing a stunt on a couple of horses. They were just made for Nat’s Elephant!

Here’s how I created my art journal page:

Print | Monoprint a background with a Gelli Plate. I started by pulling a print of just plain red paint. Then I covered the Gelli Plate with rows of ultramarine, light blue and white paint, put the Lily Wallpaper stencil on top and pulled a print on top of the red layer.

Stamp | Cover the solid Elephant foam stamp with white paint and stamp the Elephant onto the page. Once that’s dry, stamp over it with the Elephant cling stamp using black ink.

Collage | Stamp another Elephant (cling) image onto a sheet of copy paper using neon pink ink. Cut out the elephant’s cloth and collage it over the stamped image on the page. Cut out the acrobats and collage them on top of the elephant. The guy was missing part of his legs, so I sketched them back in.

Stamp some more | Use the Fiesta Cling Rubber Stamp Set and the stencil that comes with the Elephant Foam Stamp Set with white paint to create curtains for the ‘circus tent’.

Glaze | Darken the area under the curtain with a glaze. This is a thin layer of translucent paint that I created by mixing black paint with a glazing medium.

Doodle | Add details with paint markers, pencils and gel pens.

Finish | Add more stamping, more stencilling and splatter paint until you feel the page is done!

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Blog Hop

For more foam stamp inspiration, check out all the wonderful projects in this Blog Hop!

Here are the links to the other designers participating in the hop today:

Nathalie Kalbach

Louise Healy 

Janelle Stollfus

Gwen Lafleur

Michelle Rydell

Cheiron Brandon

Lea Fritts

Pam Hornschu

Wendy Price

Stampendous Blog

Stampendous is also kindly giving away three prize packages of Nat’s foam stamp collection. That’s three x three foam stamp sets with a foam stamp, a cling stamp and a stencil each!!! So don’t forget to comment for a chance to win and be sure to check out the Stampendous Blog to find out more! The give-away is closed! Winners are announced here!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Marsha Valk | n*Studio Creative Squad: Stampendous Blog Hop

Supplies:

n*Studio products:
Elephant Foam Stamp, Cling Rubber and Stencil Set
Urban Scribble Foam Stamp, Cling Rubber and Stencil Set
Fiesta Cling Rubber Stamp Set
Lily Wallpaper Stencil

Other:
Canson Mixed Media Imagine (8.3 x 11.7 inches, 120 lb.)
Gelli Arts Gelli Plate
Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid
Hero Arts Neon (Neon Pink)
Liquitex Soft Body and Heavy Body Paint
Liquitex Matte Medium
Ranger Archival Ink (Jet Black)
Stabilo Write 4 All (Black)
StazOn (Black Cherry)
Uniball Signos
UniPosca markers
Charcoal pencil (Black and white)

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