Life is like a roller coaster. It has its ups and downs, but its your choice to scream or enjoy the ride ♥

It is incredible, but it is almost a year since I have updated my blog. I don't want to give it up. I have accepted I am not one of those who can blog on a regular basis. That has to just be ok ♥ right? The blog is some of my creative journey. But sometimes I forget that I can share that journey :D

Life comes first, family comes first and health comes first ;) I am still a creative soul and have so much I want to make and express. It just has to come second and third most of the days now. Creativity is in my core being - it opened me so much up to being-ness♥ . I still create, get inspired and feel more and more connection to life. By just being and accepting what life is right here and right now ♥

The last years have truly been a roller coaster for my family. At times I have frozen in fear, other times I have cried thankful tears. But most of all I have felt such gratefulness for the ability to adapt. The ability to learn, to feel grateful - even at the darkest of times.....Meditation, good friends, family and a solid support system. Has really made me believe in good in all of us.

Our true nature is to help ♥ each other I think. To connect and give each other compassion, empathy and trust. Through the suffering there has surfaced so many answers. The knowledge that resisting suffering or resisting to adapt - is like building a wall around ones own spirit or the loved ones around us. That fear can lead to disconnect. Though fear is important for survival. Fear can also be a destructive force if not kept in check ;) Being truly honest with an open heart filled with gratitude and empathy. It gives such peace and freedom. Even at the most troubling times. It also gives such strong ways to communicate in a compassionate way.

I read Marshall Rosenberg several years ago, and I am still learning. How to communicate in a non violent compassionate way. Listening to someones needs instead of listening to give a response. Knowing that empathy brings connection and deep understanding. Brene Brown who gave me such an understanding in what Empathy is. How important self empathy is ♥ When there is harmony on the inside, it will reflect on the outside.

The last years have taught me nothing is permanent, nothing is to be taken for granted and to enjoy every minute with loved ones ♥ Life is precious ♥

Between my rambling you have probably noticed the pictures lol! It is of a canvas I made for my goddaughter. It is from the lyrics of Thousand Foot Krutch - Bring me to life. It is one of her favorite songs. I captured a piece of the lyrics and made a stencil out of it with my Silhouette Cameo. Then worked in layers with Molding Paste, paints and also Gold foil and other mediums. Her favorite color is purple, and to make the gold really reflect and pop. I went pretty dark in some parts of the canvas. I made it also like this, so when it is in a dark room; -the gold letters will reflect and express themselves ♥

Hope you like it, also I hope you are having a beautiful day ♥

Maybe I will be in the zone to share some more this summer, time will tell ♥ Have an amazing summer everyone! 

Love and light to you all - best wishes from Linn ♥

I am in love with K-Designs from Sweden!

My very good friend Silje, surprised me with the most gorgeous patterned papers I have seen in a long time! She said they have written Linn all over them ♥ Then I got them in my hands, and I have not felt this kind of inspiration in years! I kinda went crazy with joy!

Not only are they truly gorgeous to look at! The quality is perfect for a mixed media girl like me! I have so looked forward to playing with them! They were just as wonderful as I thought. It feels almost like they have a resin coating on them. ( I have no clue, but they have a very cool finish!) So I went to town with some paint, sprays and OH MYYY!! They take mediums with no problem! I am just giddy inside of the thought! And I am sooo hoping more shops orders their gorgeous papers! K-Designs used to have a webshop. But now the producer is focusing on the production side instead. Si I hope they will be found on many social medias. Right now they have a blog that shows some of the collections. But I hope the whole series will be easy to find on the web in a while. I will at least do my best to shout out a big HELLOO to K-Designs! You rule!! I want the whole series of Color Explosion!!  I have to show you guys some of them!

I have borrowed the pictures from different webshops ;) Those were the ones I could find. Most shops in Norway have sold out several of them. That is a good sign right? :D

 So now to show you what I made! I do not have a picture of the original patterned paper. But it is easy to see how wonderful the paper is!


Hope you like my Layout ♥ It is colorful that is for sure! I have stamped with black and white in the background. Used a homemade stencil (the big circle shape misted with black in the background)

Since the background is so vibrant and has a lot going on. I just wanted to give it room to shine as it was. I wish I was better at taking photos, especially of things like glitter! It is hard, to get everything in focus, also hard to show the vibrancy. I adore, love, jump for joy for using Stampendous glitters and embossing products. They are so gorgeous and wonderful to work with! The glitter I have used on this one is Halo gold mix. 

I cut out the inside of the flower pattern some places on the background. To bring some white in to the mix. 

The black on the left is from an old stamp. The text behind it also. I had forgotten several old text stamps I had. Such a joy to find them again ♥

The words "be you" and the circle frame. Are both made in my Silhouette Cameo. It is my own handwriting, that I made to a cut file. Then I used my melting pot with different kinds of embossing powders mixed with ultra thick embossing enamel. To get more of a thick coat on the cutouts. I also painted it with a thin layer of Matte Medium, so the splashes of paint would stick better on it. I also did not want it to be very shiny. Matt medium does the trick ;) I used Dylusions inks since they are so vibrant. But added some Acrylic Glazing liquid and then flicked it on the frame and the title. I added the acrylic glazing liquid so that the Dylusions Ink would become permanent. 

The feathers I have made from different cutfiles, also some hand drawn. Which I have than added glitter to ♥ The peacock feather is from a stamp I bought off of Ebay. I soo love it!! I stamped it on a transparency and used my Sharpies to color it on the opposite side of where I stamped. I also stamped it once on vellum and used glitter on it. Then I adhered the vellum glitter feather with the transparent one. That is why you can probably see some glitter behind the turquoise color ;)  

The circle stencil shape can easily be seen here :) I have so many plans for it. With a Silhouette Cameo in my studio, any stencil is possible! But I am saving my money for a Bamboo tablet! Now I draw on my phone in an app. Or draw free hand and take pictures and use the image in my Silhouette program. There is always a way with the Cameo and Silhouette Studio. It has such range of usage, I learn something new every day I create with it! I will for sure save up money for the new one that is coming too! It will cut out chipboard! Not this thin "chipboard" that my cameo can cut right now. But seriously thick chipboard, some wood, and ohh I will for sure make and cut out even more stencils wohoo! Have some plans for home decor too with my own stencils. Just need my energy and health to get better.

Hopefully in few years there are good treatments for M.E. Than I will for sure take off like a lightning  bolt lol! Soo much to do and catch up on! Life is so precious, so fun and I just want to grab it to my chest and say "let's dance!" In the meantime I am learning what I can, the wonderful brain is still functioning pretty well so HIHI! Learning something every day is such a gift and pleasure ♥

Gosh I had a lot to say today lol! Hope you all are having a wonderful day ♥

Love and light to you all!

Creative Soul ~ Layout

Hello everyone ♥ Hope you are having a nice Saturday :) Here it is ok, would be nice to see the sun and feel the warmth from her (sun). But when the skies are gray, I can at least create something inside :) Doing a lot of touch ups around the house. Right now working project is painting our kitchen furniture and giving it a lighter and vintage look. By using a DIY Chalk paint recipe, looking good so far!

But enough babbling! I just wanted to share a layout I have used A MONTH to make! But hey when you first draw your own feathers, make your own circle frame (with vellum, paint and glitter), make your own butterflies and your own Glitter-washitape and not to forget my own title! Well it takes a little time. Of course layers in the background too! But I enjoy every bit of the process. Usually when I am the happiest is when I am deep in a project. So no sad face or being stressed out, just enjoying and taking it all in ♥

So here is the finished result ♥ Hope you like it :) 

In the little hearts under the picture it says Happy. Forgot to take a closeup sorry :P 

Drawing feathers was pretty fun, I am not a pro. But with some patience the were a'okay! Also the little wood clock had to get some love and attention with some white paint.

The title I made in my Silhouette and welded the letters, cut it out three times. Glued them together and then I embossed the title. Also drew with a pen to make it pop more from the background. I also found an old ruined necklace that I got to use, wohoo! I get so excited when something can be reused! I loved how the soft vellum with the other layers gave some depth.

 Look at all the yummy glitter!! Stampendous has the most gorgeous mixes! I have used one called Halo Gold Mix.

 I will for sure use glitter and vellum together again :) That was all for now, have a good weekend everyone! Also thank you for stopping by ♥

Love and light to you all 

Linn 

Audiophile 4 Life - Mixed media layout

It must be at least a year since the last time I made a layout. Maybe even more :p.... I guess this one will never be called a clean and simple layout LOL! But I bet my love for layers and texture just had to express itself in some way.

This picture is such a precious one for me. It is one of the few pictures I have of my hubby from 1995. This picture was taken by a photographer for a local newspaper here in Bodø. Which made an article about my husbands love of Hi Fi.

"High fidelity—or hi-fi or hifi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts (audiophiles) to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound^[1] to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment, or the inferior quality of sound reproduction characteristic of recordings made until the late 1940s. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has minimal amounts of noise and distortion and an accurate frequency response."
So I truly wanted it to be a layout that said a lot. So I have a panel that disguises some of the text, and also on the tag behind the picture. Hope you like the layout and can find the picture within ALL the layers and details LOL!

Here it is in all it's glory LOL! As I said,it's a lot going on here! I do not think I have ever used so many layers on a layout before. Oh how fun it is to push the boundries and just go for it! On this layout I have even used my sewing machine both behind the pictures, but that do not show up lol. But also around the edges of the orange paper on top and on the right :) 

I love using old necklaces as a decor element. To get the color I wanted, I used Alcohol Ink. Also on the chipboard from Creative Embellishments I used paint but also chunky metallics enamel. To give it more life and interesting details. I got this wonderful chipboard from my bestfriend Jorunn. She spoils me rotten with gifts all the time. I bet 25% of my creative space is from her ♥ She is a generous soul in all ways of the word ♥

 These patterned papers from KaiserCraft was kinda on the thin side really to use mediums.. even though I used matt medium and clear gesso to cover the paper, It still was very on the gentile side for use of mediums. So I was kinda careful and used mostly some paint, stamping and embossing. I also used some Gel Medium to make texture. It did not show as well up on the picture as I had hoped for. But IRL it is easy to see ;) I loove the button in brass I wish I had more than one of it hihi!

 I do not throw anything out, I mean well no not really. I fint a purpose for all my scraps and also things that might not be so "Inn" at the time. But at my house the all have a home. Because suddenly there is a use for them. Behind here I have used a lot of old scraps. The painted gold and blue thing on the right here is from an old dies I have. I have cut it and then had on gold leafing and paint :) The white card behind the picture with gold dots are from Project Life. That one is pretty new and had to find it's shining glory on this page :) All the buttons are also old finds, I have taken care of. I just had to cut off the ring thingy behind it, so I could adhere it flat on the layout.

 Here is the hidden panel I mentioned before. The clasp(? is it called that, do not remember ;) ) is holding the panel closed.

 There is a lot of text behind here, but all needed to go on this page. I really want to share this story with my daughter when she is older. So she can go read about her dad. Also on the tag behind the picture I wrote about the speakers. These were the one's that really got my hubby hooked and could never ever look back to a "regular" sound-system again.

 Well finally at the end of this blogpost hihi! AS you can see a layers and layers also with thread, old packing material, chipboard and a lot of paint. Finally I felt the layout had enough and I had to set it "free" to be as it is now ♥

Hopefully I will soon make some more Layouts, it was kinda tough getting back in gear... hopefully next time will be just as fun but maybe with more ease and trust that I can fix it ;) Scrapbooking and creating truly has muscles and it is important to take care of them.. something I plan to do in the future. If the health issues stabilize and let there be room for more fun hihi!

Challenges I am attending with this layout is: Scrappelyst - lag din egen bakgrunn
and also to the mixed media challenge at : Ett Trykk - bruk av søm og knapper (søm rundt noen kanter og bak og under flere lag. Knapper på høyre og venstre side av LOen.

Best wishes to you all, love and light!  

Birthday card to my daughter ♥

She is a creative soul as her mother. So I had to take it a step further with her birthday card than I usually do ♥ Of course she deserves everything I can give and teach her in life ♥ She is my heart and soul in so many ways.

She knows how to gelli print, scrapbook, paint canvases and so on... On my instagram, you can see a canvas she painted. She is a true artist my sweet little ehh big girl, I am suppose to say :D So I know she loves deep magenta the color, she loooves bling, she loves texture. So momma had to make her favorites of course.

Hope you like the card as much as she did :D

 I love love love to work i layers and layers. Also with all kind of mediums and materials. Well that is called mixed media right? I am finally allowing myself to call myself a mixed media artist. That is were i feel comfortable. I still love scrapbooking and cardmaking. I think a scrapbooker and a cardmaker is just as much a mixed media artist. They know how to combine the most amazing products, colors, texture and so on.

 My daughter loved the sweet cupcake on the card and wished it had been a real one lol! The white'ish texture in the background is Finnabair's amazing Texture paste. I have tried cheap pastes, expensive pastes and so on... and must say: there are of good quality. But I am not suprised, Finnabair is a wonderful artist with a lot of knowledge. So of course she will not put her name on something that is not good. I LOVE my pastes from her, that's for sure!!

Well that was what I had to show today. This will be the last Design work for the time being from TreL.no.  I am taking a "siesta" from design team work for a while because of health issues. But I am hoping I can get some painting and meditation done. And hopefully I am able to share more of my journey in life with you all.

I have kinda become a reclusive after I got sick. It is not easy to find my voice I guess. Not that I am not just as social and happy to share things. But when ones health issues takes so much "space" it is truly about prioritizing.

I started scrapbooking when I was working, healthy, and so on... that is not the case now ;) so I just need to sort out what my needs are.... Thank's to Marshall Rosenberg's books on Non Violent Communication and Eckhart Tolle's books on being present.. I feel I am where I am supposed to/have to be. I am working on acceptance for what is. Finding the answers and solutions, instead of being gripped by my painbody. So right now I just need to find my bearings  again. But I bet I will be creative the next months.. but it will be when the energy and time is right ♥

Though it feels really empty without my regular blogposts at TreL.no. The wonderful beautiful and inspiring  owner Linda. Has said: take your time Linn, health and family first. And I can when I have the chance do some design work. If that is not a wonderful person..... well she is. I adore her and she is also my Muse ♥♥♥

So I will update probably with more canvas and art stuff, but I really do not know what will come. So will see. Right now I am just playing a lot in my Silhouette Studio Program. Making designs, working on my skills. Also I am painting on canvas when I have time to spare or I am so inspired I just HAVE to paint something hihi!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, I wish you all the best in every way ♥

Art Journal and Gold flakes I like!

I forgot to share this with you! I am working on my studio/craftspace. So my head is not prioritising like I usually do lol! Also with my ME being more active than last year at this time. I need a lot of downtime... so usually now my room would have been done in a week. I am on week five!!!

So I have to have some fun while I slowly start reshaping how I use my room. Here is what I made for the wonderful TreL.no shop. Linda who is the owner, gives me such awesome designer products. She knows what I like and when she asked me, what I thought of using Gold Flakes. I was like: did she read my mind? I have been wanting to use gold flakes since last Christmas. But had not gotten to it yet. My main plan is gold leafing and vellum. But I need my space to be pretty clean before I start with what I am planning lol! Also I have to get my Silhouette Cameo in place first. Got some ideas!! Happy!! 😄

Well enough babbling 😉 here is some pictures of the process making the Art Journal.... I love the sea beads (? I think they are called that?) I use them when making jewelry so why not use them in Art Journaling too?

Here they have gotten a layer of gold flakes on them. I looved that look, and will for sure make it again!

Look at all that yumminess! Here I am adding gold flakes on top of a layer of Molding Paste. I used a tree stencil and added a rough layer of Molding Paste. When it was dry I added glue for Gold Flakes and then the flakes.

Her I have used several layers of paint and more Gold Flakes. I love to work in layers with color. The background was pretty textured from the paste, something I think is a nice touch. I could of course add the flakes when the background was finished. But I wanted some of the paint to rub of on the shiny trees to. To give even more play in the gold finish.

This spread is about my relationship with nature and especially trees. I love them deeply and they give me such calm when I am around them. I am very active in trying to take care of the planet as much as I can. Get my carbon footprint as low as possible. Of course this will come through in my Art Journal.

The text says: Plant some trees it's nature's Gold ♥ Had to have some more gold flakes on the GOLD word lol. This page is so shiny wohoo!

Also I had some more gold on these sweetest hearts from Wycinanka, they are so adorable. So they are kinda like small lovely seeds falling from the trees 🌟

Well that was all for now. Gotta get back to getting my studio up and running. It is amazing how much I have saved the last ten years. But hey I se gold in everything, may it be an old Pickle jar, cans and so on... so it takes time to sort out what to keep and not. There is so much ideas connected to every thing I have in my room. Also I hate to waste or just chuck something out, that is usable lol!

Wish me luck everyone, hope to be finished before my birthday in nine days.. but it does not look good so far hihihihi!

Best wishes to you all dear ones ♥ Linn

I made a mess but I fixed it - Mixed Media Card DT TreL.no

Hi everyone :)

I have made this mixed media card a while ago. I filmed the process also. So you can see me having some issues and a lot of solving problems lol! But that is the beauty with being creative. We can figure it out, be open for seeing solutions ♥ 

Here is a detailed picture of the card: 

If you would like to see my process of making the card here you go. Just a little note, the sound is pretty low. I have to practice on getting the sound right. But hope you will understand what I am saying :P Also I say the word amazing kinda often lol! I will work on using other words in my next video 

I was happy in the end with the card. I loved the embedded look of the canvas pieces. I will for sure try this again, also embed other things too in a background. 

I hope you liked the finished card and that you all have a good day ♥

Best wishes from Linn