Author : Päivi

Some Publicity!

Posted on April 3, 2012Posted in News Archive4 Comments

My interview is published at the newest issue of Taito magazine. It is a Finnish magazine about crafts and art industry in Finland. My story and the photos of my work covered several pages. It feels great! Here are some of the pages.

My folk bags were included in the cover of the magazine!

Here’s me showing how I save even the tiniest piece of paper!

Even if I enjoy tremendously making all the stuff I show here at my blog and sell at Etsy, it is hard work. I have a day job and all the creative work takes place at my spare time. That’s why rewards like this interview feel really great!

Faberge Revisited

Posted on April 1, 2012Posted in Crafts, SeasonalTagged decorated papers, foam egg4 Comments

Now is the time to grab those handmade patterned papers and make your own Faberge eggs! I used the smallest scraps here!

I began with a polystyrene egg and covered it with gesso. After the gesso had dried I glued the paper scraps with matte medium. Then I drew few extra doodles on it and added some faux jewels.

The stand is made from used tealight candle tin. I covered it with paper and added a decorated ribbon on it.

You can’t have too many details here! The more the better!

Have a creative Easter!

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Masking Tape Magic

Posted on March 25, 2012Posted in A Step by StepTagged masking tape, Smash book23 Comments

While reading the morning paper I saw this painting from Paivi Takala. It is made using masking tapes. Masking tapes! Surely I can do something for my art journal with them …

I made a page about Japan and wrote how I love all the tiny stuff they produce from bonsai trees to small boxes. Instead of layering with paint I used masking tape.

Here are some snapshots from the process.

Here you can see the masking tapes and how I have doodled over them. I started with black marker and color pencils.

Then I added some glitter paint.

Now I have removed the tape.

Here’s the final page again. I have filled some of the areas with handdrawn patterns but used most for journaling. Will definitely used this technique again!

Pretty Art Journaling

Posted on March 17, 2012Posted in Art JournalingTagged Smash book20 Comments

I have started to wonder: is there only one style in art journaling? Is it only for those who are ready to explore with paint and who are not afraid of getting messy. And scrapbooking: is it about using commercial products and aiming for pretty pages?

Can’t there be pretty art journaling?

I bought this pink Smash book some time ago. The pages were so pretty I could not put any mess over them. And my style of making scrapbooks was not suitable for them either. But after getting fed up with messy mixed media, I dared to open it and just make it pretty!

Pretty art journaling by Peony and Parakeet

So why not glue all the pretty stuff to your art journal? Add lace and frills and anything you find beautiful!

A detail of a pretty art journal page by Peony and Parakeet

I added both commercial products and my own hand decorated papers to the page. Even my handwriting is a bit more controlled than how I usually write.

Finished Journal

>> See the flip-through video of this art journal!

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