Dream and Hearts!

The DutchArtJournal group of which I'm a member has monthly themes in which everybody can participate. The winner gets the spot on the homepage for a month!
"Dream" is the theme for February, this is my page!
Stamps are by Dyan Reaveley, aren't the just awesome?

And this page is just for fun!
Loved the quote I found on the internet and the images are by Tumble Fish Studio which I totally adore!

Perfume + spread!

Earlier this week I showed my Lipstick page, and while looking in my journal, I found it kind of silly looking all by itself. 

So, I decided to make another page next to it, about my favorite perfume! 

This is the result, I just love these stamps by Dyan Reaveley, Further around the Edge, the leaves are just gorgeous and so much fun to color with spray ink!

And when you see the 2 next to each other it looks like this! Totally happy with the out come!

Thanks for stopping by again!

Resolutions!!

Even though it's already January 3rd, I've made a New Years resolution!
I'm going to try to post at least once a week here.... I know, it's gonna be pretty hard I think, but.... let's just give it a try!

The first day of the year started of so gloomy that I decided I had to make something bright and colorful, so I choose pink!
See for yourself!

Canal Houses

First of all, a very happy New Year to all of you! Hope you have a good one!!

My year started fine, made 2 journal pages already!
This one is for the Art Journal Challenge at the Craft Barn, all about Buildings!
Loved this idea, and I still had my stamps of the Dutch Canal Houses which contain a little picket fence and a bicycle too, so that came in very handy!

Hope you like it!

She Art

Especially for my mom!! (hi mom, love you lots!)
I know I've stayed away from posting here way too long, sorry about that!
Live keeps me busy, either with work or just living and of course crafting!

So this is what I've been doing lately!
Totally in love with She Art, kind of "discovered" by Christy Tomlinson. She's so very good at this, and gives workshops too!
Haven't taken those, but want to, so I'm saving up to follow an online class!

 These two I saw on her blog, loved the idea of the dresses on a clothing line and tried to make them myself! Think it's not so bad at all!

 This is a small canvas board, also She Art, played with paint/creditcard stamps, and paper to make the She!

And these last two are also on canvas boards! Love playing around with paint, stamps, stencils and quotes or just a thought of myself.

Okay mom, happy now??

Thanks for stopping by again, and I'll try not to stay away so long!

Fly with Me

Inspired by an article in the latest Somerset Studio, "With one Stamp" I took my new stamp (which I adore!) by Suzi Blu and stamped it on watercolorpaper.

After that I used some of the ideas Kristin Robinson used in her piece, and made it my own. Glued the canvas on cardboard and now it's hanging in my craftroom, and I love it!!

Collecting Art as an Investment

When it comes to collecting art, art lovers have many reasons for pursuing the hobby. Art is beautiful, it incites emotion, it can have deep sentimental value to a person and it also allows an individual to express who they are with the pieces they keep in their home.
If you love art, and love the adventure of collecting pieces, why not turn your hobby into a lucrative side project? Putting your money into a high interest savings
account certainly makes a great deal of financial sense but collecting art can be an additional investment for the long term.
The following are just a few tips that can help you to get the most out of investing in artwork.　


Image Source: http://www.artmarketblog.com/2008/06/05/investing-in-art-market-businesses-artmarketblogcom/

Know What to Look For: When shopping for art to be used as an investment, it’s incredibly important that you have a good idea of what to look for. For example, the most beautiful piece of art in the world will be useless as an investment if it doesn’t meet a variety of criteria.

For one, the art needs to limited, as in there should only be a few prints/copies/etc of the piece available. Next, the artist should be considered an “up and coming” artist. In other words, he or she should be on the cusp of popularity, as you can usually ensure a massive increase in worth on pieces from such artists. By knowing what to look for, you can drastically increase your chances of making a worthwhile investment.

Avoid Personal Preference: One of the most important things you can do when looking for art to use as an investment is to leave your personal preference at the door. Remember that investing in art is about more than choosing that which appeals to you, as this characteristic simply isn’t going to add to your ability to turn an investment on art. Rather than focusing on personal preference, take into consideration elements of the artwork that make it worth investing in.

Avoid Entering into Large Investments: If you find a piece of art that is already highly sought-after, chances are you’re going to end up paying a great deal of money for it. This is never a good idea, as your chances of turning a profit on such a piece of art are quite low.

That said, you should strive to purchase art that is relatively inexpensive when you buy it, as you’ll have a much better chance of turning it into a large profit over the course of a decade or more.

Shop Around: Become a regular art exhibit visitor and keep up with what’s happening in your local art scene. You can build up a large network of artists, collectors and investors this way. Sign up to receive newsletters, join various social media networks and stay abreast of what’s happening now in the art world.

This way you’ll always be up-to-date with the who, what and where of the art landscape, increasing your chances of acquiring valuable pieces that you can turn in to a long term investment.