DIY Postcard swap: Finished and on their way

My postcards are finished, and they're on their way. I posted them yesterday, to Germany, Scotland, England, New Zealand, and different corners of the United States.

 I just hope that I got all the addresses right, and that they're all going to arrive.

And now I'm looking forward to what the postman will bring for me :)

{Happy Sunday} Autumn still life

I went for a little walk yesterday, when it was dry and sunny, gathering some autumn leaves and a twig for a little autum still life.

Today, it's very wet and windy, perfect to stay at home all day, and play a little bit in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Have a lovely Sunday!

DIY Postcard Swap: Work in progress

More details added to the collage backgrounds of my cards for the DIY Postcard Swap. A little bit of paint, texture, stamps, and some washi tapes. 

And I could finally make use of that postcard stamp I bought about two or three years ago. Isn't it just perfect?

They're almost finished but there are still some details I want to add over the coming weekend. I really like how they're coming along, and I can't wait to send them out into the world. I received the addresses yesterday. So exciting! The creative juices are definitely flowing again.

Linking up to the wonderful Paint Party Friday as well, even though there's not really much painting going on in these. But I've missed a few weeks, and it's always a great and inspiring place to to go.

I'm a winner!! Thanks to Featuring Magazine

I meant to write that post 3 months ago, but well, better late than never, right?

I mentioned in my last post that I used some patterned paper I had won in a give away. Three months ago, a big envelope from Gauche Alchemy appeared in my post box, filled with all kinds of goodies perfect for art journaling and mixed media projects. And it was a really uplifting surprise, because that day hadn't been a very good one. But that really made my day. Well, where had I won these goodies? I hadn't entered any competitions or anything. But I had pre-ordered the latest issue of Featuring Magazine, by which I automatically qualified for the give away draw.

If you don't know it yet, Featuring is a printed magazine filled with inspiration from all kinds of artists all over the world. The first issue appeared in spring 2012 and so far, four issues have appeared. There's so much inspiration to be found online, but it is really nice to lie down on the sofa with a beautifully made magazine in your hand and flip through the glossy pages filled with creativity. I like the fact that it combines different media, and that it is based in Europe, which makes shipping rates affordable.

Thank you, Gauche Alchemy and Featuring Magazine for a lovely surprise! And I hope that there will be many more issues of Featuring.

DIY Postcard Swap: Getting Started

Fuelled with new creative energy after having signed up for the DIY Postcard Swap, I sat down on my desk on Saturday afternoon to get started. I wanted to make collages using (up) some patterned paper and stamps - both things that I have loads of but hardly ever use.

Me and white glue have never been friends, I just can't manage without making a complete mess all over the place. Especially when having two pieces of paper the same size, that need to be stuck together. But the result wasn't too bad.

The patterned paper are from a give away I won a few weeks back. I meant to blog about that, but somehow never got round to it. The past few weeks/months haven't been very good blogwise, but I hope to make up for it again.

Some collage bits added to the backgrounds.

The back sides needed a bit of colour too. The mess I made with the glue added some nice effects.

A postcard swap to help the creative juices flow again

As I mentioned in my last post earlier today, I'm feeling a bit uninspired at the moment. So today, when I came across a postcard swap, I spontaneously decided to sign up for it, in the hope that having to produce 10 postcards over the next couple of weeks will help me get back into the creative mood.

While I'm a little bit intimidated about it all (will I be able to come up with 10 decent postcards?), I'm also quite excited about it. It's the first swap I'm taking part in. I've tried to take part in one before, with an online class I was taking, but it took me so long to sign up with the internet site were we had to register our addresses, that by the time I finally managed it, I was too late. So all I got from that attempt is being registered with and receiving a steady flow of e-mails from a website I'm not even sure what service they actually provide.

The swap I'm taking part in is the DIY Postcard Swap, organised by Hanna of iHanna's Blog. In this swap, you have to create 10 postcards and send them out to the 10 addresses you receive by November 14 at the latest. And in return, you'll (hopefully) receive 10 postcards from all over the world. It's not too late to take part, registration is still open Sunday, November 3.

So, that's my weekend sorted...

Project 365 | October 2013

Another month gone, and only two left 'til the end of the year. Doesn't time just fly this year? But I enjoyed October, it was a nice month, with the leaves starting to change colour, the nights getting longer, and the days foggier. After the heat of summer, I can finally breath again, come to life again, feel the fresh cool air on my face when going for a long walk in the forest. With October, my favourite seasons start, autumn and winter. Yes, I prefer dark evenings to long summer nights, and fog and cloudy skies to endless sunshine, and I'm already hoping that we will get lots of snow this winter. October also brought another trip to lovely Dorset, with long walks on the cliffs, spectacular waves in the sea after a night of heavy storms, and a trip to the historical town of Bath. So here's my October in pictures:

I haven't been present in this spot very much this October. I haven't really had anything to show. I'm afraid I'm having a bit of a creative low at the moment. I don't think I've picked up a paint brush even once this past month. I've been spending a lot of time with learning about Lightroom and Photoshop CS6, and I've started doing some more extensive photo editing again, but I'm still waiting for the spark to get me going with painting again. I hope that November will bring inspiration back.