Scrapbook fair- gbg 30 mars 2014

This amazing dress was a part of 

Fair no 2 is the scrapbook fair in Gothenburg! So I convinced my friend Ellen to tag along and filled with hope and dreams we headed of to Gothenburg.
After have walked around about half an hour we finally found it, (to make big signs was not on their agenda...) We walked in and there was allot of space. It can be good coming on Sunday but couldn´t help to feel that something was missing.
The NEW was missing, I wanted to be wowed with new papers, stamps and mediums... I was not.







This Hat, shoe and dress was amazing but I had wished that they would have some demo or materials connected to this amazing art works... but no.

 Well I didn´t go home empty handed, but it was allot less then I had hoped for. 25 papers, some flowers and 5 markers...

 I really wanted some more distress markers but there was only one company that had them and non of the new colors...

Can you feel my bitterness? I´m sorry, tomorrow I will be happy again when I get to play with my markers :)

But I feel it´s the same feeling on Christmas, you build it up so much it can´t possibly be so good. 

But I cross my fingers for next time ;)

Markers from: Engströms

Papers from: Scrapfabriken

Flowers from: Scrapgrossisten

Check out my haul video from gotheburg:  Here!

Love Julia

Chocolate fair- Gothenburg 30 mars 2014

The thired and fainell fair of the weekend was the "Göteborgs Lakris Choklad & Delikatess Festival" (liquorice and chocolate festival). This was Ellens idea and now I thank her for it, this was really good! But the best part was not all the free samples, but meting the chocolate people. This guys are so prude of their chocolate and where it comes from.



The best pralines ever! Pralinhuset and so beautiful!

 Fudge, there is nothing bad to say about it, and this guy have it so right! mrs curlies

 This man loves his chocolate and you can´t help to love it to. But it´s not just the taste that he works for but for the workers to. He proudly tell us about a tribe of Indians the are so strong now that they have completely skipped the middle hand and is trading on there on. And he also has chocolate from Asia that was really good! check out his site: Beriksson ,there is a list of all companies he is trading with and the storie about them, by the way he also has a webbshop...

 And here is my take, 3 fudge, caramel & sea salt, chocolate & mint och chocolate & orange.

 Some pralines and Swedish "Knäckebröd" - Hällbörd. So good!

 Here Fairetrade is everywhere and the higher the % the better. This is not just chocolate, this guys are making a difference in the world. By choosing cocoa from sustainable plantation and where the workers are valued. One piece at the time, this chocolate will change the world

Love Julia

Fair-time!- Hem & Trädgårdsmässa

 O yes it´s that time of the year; Fairs!
I what better then to start of the season with the "Hem & trädgårdsmässan"(Home & garden fair) in Åhaga  Borås?!

I convinced my aunt to go with me... I wasn´t very hard. She has as of last year a summer house and she is redoing it from floor yo sealing and I thought this would be perfect for her!

We have such similar taste it´s almost funny when we point at the same thing.

 My aunt loves this stuff, it´s "Havtorn" and it´s some kind of super-power berry. It taste really good!

 This was just such a cute idea 

 I just love this guys!

 There wasn´t very many furniture and the ones that was there where 90% for the outdoors. But this set is just so chic, talk about bringing the inside out!

How ever I do have to say I was a bit let down with this fair, it was small and frankly I had thought it to be more home decor and landscaping and a bit less about books and food... (It´s not everyday I have anything bad to say about too much books & food) Any way there was some good stuff there but I do have to think twice before going next year...

Love Julia

Distress Markers

I don´t think it´s more then right than that I write this post, considering how much I have been talking about the Distress markers...

Well I think you can guess what I think about them but here it is, black on... computer screen...

Let´s start with what the markers is. Distress markers are a part on Tim Holtz´s distress line that has inkpads, reinkers, stains, paints, crackle paint, embossing powders, glitters and stickles. All of this has the same colors (they may very from medium to medium) But that is the basic idea is that all of this different mediums has the same colors.

So in the markers is the same ink as it is in the pad or reinker. This way you can use them for what ever you want, from coloring stamps to make big art pieces.

So why should you get the pens? I started with 2 ink pads, followed up with 9 reinkers (you can read about them Here ) and now I have 15 markers. I love my reinkers but with the markers you get a more precis coloring, witch is good for coloring stamps. But you can also get lines from the markers the won´t blend out.

The lines the won´t blend out is not fun. With the wrong color and this can mess up your entire project. Some of the colors this is no problem but some colors a almost impossible to blend out (black soot) But not all is lost I have found 2 ways to make it a bit better.
1. Don´t let the color wait. Work in small areas so that the ink won´t have time to set.
2. Take a brush with very little water and wet the area first. This to will prevent the ink from setting to fast and gives you time to blend it out.

But if this doesn´t work for you you can always use the color as ink. Take a acrylic block and draw on it. Now you can pick up you color and use it as ink. This also works great if you want to mix different markers or marker and reinker/ inkpads.






My last tip is making a color chart. Here you can see what colors you have and how they look. Here you can see how my black soot wont blend out but the peacock feathers blend really nice. I blended out half of each color so it´s really clear how they react.

My final word are, I really recommend this markers not just for they preform really well but for that the colors are just beautiful.´They are worth it and if you want to invest in them start of with colors you know you will work with. This can be tricky but if you usually work with bold colors then go for that. If you tend to go for the more subtle then go for that. Tattered rose is a perfect skin color and picked raspberry just pops, so choose your colors so that you work with them and don´t avoid them.


So give them I try and check out youtube for more tips and tricks, their are so many talented artist out there that share their knowledge.

I hope this has help you and please come back soon :)

Love Julia

Man-card & new video!

Hello and good day to you all!
I just have to say that I love playing with my new Distress markers! They are so easy and the colors are so pretty.

But to this card, I was surfing around and saw that magnolia-liciouschallengeblog new challenge is "It´s a guy thing" and I had already planed to make a man-card (ha ha man-card, I´m too funny) so this challenge came at the right time with so much  inspiration.

 It´s not easy to make a masculine card, so I tend to just use neutral colors and some metallic embossing

Papers from Prima- engraver and black cardstock

Embossing from stampendous- aged silver and pearl micas

dymo

Stamp- Magnolia Edwin

Distress markers: 

    Skin: Tattered Rose & spun sugar

    Hair: Antique linen

    Hat: Tea dye, walnut stain (band) wild honey

    Jacket: Antique linen & scattered straw

    Bow: Victorian velvet

    Vest: Scattered straw & Wild honey 

    Pants: Weathered wood

    Shoes: tea dye

If you want to see how I did here is a new video: Here and if that wasn´t enough I have an another video coming up of how I put together the card so keep a look out for that.

Love Julia

Decluttering Monday

Hello all crafty people!

Today the sun is out and it really feels like spring and I tough I would do some spring cleaning. So I set to declutter my scrapbook stash and boy did I found stuff!
So much of this I haven´t used in...like forever.  But I think it sad that all of this stuff just laying and not getting used.

 So I took some photos and put an add up on tradera: Here ,the auction starts at 1kr so if you live here up in the Scandinavia check it out :)

Love Julia

Julija- wax pastels and distress ink

Hello! Today as promised is about my painting; Julija, that I talked about in my last video: Here .

 Here is the first sketch  of her. I wanted to work with my Reeves- water soluble wax pastel set on this piece but also take in distress ink and markers.

So I started with the wax pastels and then went in with the distress ink & markers for more depth.

I have a new video up so You can see start to finish, the only thing that is not in the video in the embossing work I did in the sky and on her hair. In the sky is it fran-tage; shabby white and her hair is fran-tage gilded mica, aged gold, Ranger fine gold and Magnolia gold glitter .

I really wanted that watercolor look so I tried not to blend out everything all the time.

It was some time ago sens I painted I it was so much fun to jump back in after month of card making. But don´t fear I have some cards coming up as well as more "watercolor" pieces.

I´m really happy with this piece and now she is in a frame up in front of my desk! 

So if you want to see how I did check out the video: Here

Love Julia

Britta

Hello, today is not a very happy day but not all days are happy. You might remember my lovely bunny Britta, she is not doing so well. She is not ill but something is not right with her. She as always been a very happy and curious but now I think she is not feeling very well. She as attacked my parents and bit them and sens she always has been loving people, I really think she is unwell.  Some might just shrug it of but I know my bunny and I really think something is wrong. And when she is inside in her cage she is almost manic, running around and digging.  This is something new and that is why I´m so worried. And sens she outside allot she is hardly under-stimulated...

I don´t know what to do with her, I can´t stand it when my animals are sick physically or mentally. And to be honest if she had been a horse everyone would have made a big deal out of it and trying to find out way she is feeling the way she is. But sens she is a fluffy bunny, nobody really care and some thinks it´s best to let her keep sleeping. So you see it rather serious.
So now I´m asking you, if you have or ever have had a bunny that as acted like Britta, please let me know what you did.

Love Julia

Princess Card with Tilda

Hello! How have you all been? Here it´s been raining for for days and my creativity has been way down. But here today I have a card, using my new favorite papers: Prima- Princess line

O and I have a new video up Here

And check out my blogcandy giveaway: Here

Love Julia

Princess Tilda

Hello! the weekend is here and I just have to show you this card I made last night. You see at a moment of weakness a drove to my local scrap-store and I found so stuff that I wasn´t expecting to find, so I got them... I you know what? I´m in love! It´s the Primas Princess paper that is just to cute and the 3*4 atc card are just right. So I barley got through the door  before I started to play with this adorable papers!

 The flowers are from the same haul and just pimped with some glitter glue from dove craft

 This sweet bird is from mod podge resin mold and are so easy to make

 Tilda and all the edge work are done in Versa Fine- smoky gray to get that inked look and I think in worked out well with the pastel colors.

Have a great Saturday and check out my latest video (link in the sidebar)

Love Julia

Prima paintables layout

Finely Friday! Today I have a layout to show you and a new video is up on youTube about this layout.

The paper is an old goodie from Prima Paintables, I used my lovely distress ink

 The light blue paper are from Maja Design and then I have some old book-page and a tiny doily.

So if you want to see how I painted the paper and put together the layout check out this video: Here

Love Julia

Tilda in pastels

Hello!
Today it´s so much sunshine! You most think I obsessed with the sun, ans yes I think I am but if you would live in Sweden- Borås (where it rains... allot) you would be obsessed with the sun too :)

Anyway todays card is a ordered card for someones birthday, she like pastels and orchids.

Have a great Thursday!

Love Julia 

Let it Rain

Good morning to you all! It´s already Wednesday witch means that the weekend is soon here! Yesterday I was going though my news feed on blogger and saw that Magnolia-liciouschallengeblog had a new challenge. So I headed over there and just got so inspired by the design team that I had to make a card!

This week it´s -Clean & Simple- and like I said I got really inspired and this is what I did:

 I used some stickles on the rain drops to make some interest.

-Clean & Simple-

Love Julia

  

Edwin in yellow

The card that i´m showing you today I spend allot of time on. I really wanted to try something different and I´m so happy with the end result! And for all of you that has been following me for some time know that I struggle with the color yellow... But I think I really love it now!

papers are from pandurohobby

 The key hole is from a Tim Holts grunge board that I embossed with stampendous -aged silver (love that stuff!!!)

 The bird-nest resin is colored with gold and the eggs with blue and some dots of black and brown

 Edwin is colored with distress ink and mated over a brick stamp from Prima

Edwin is in the card challenge over at: tildastown

And you haven´t missed the giveaway here at Life of Julia have you? For your chance to win Magnolia stamps and decorations leave a comment at this post: easter-blog-candy and follow this blog.

Love Julia