More Ireland-Inspired Mixed Media Art DIY Fairy Houses

More Ireland-Inspired Mixed Media Art DIY Fairy Houses

After I created the mixed media fairy house and told my newsletter subscribers about it – it was sold within an hour! That definitely had never happened to me before! So I had a slight moment of feeling like those famous people that announce that they put something in their shop and within minutes it’s all sold out. :-)

But I really wanted to make more fairy houses. Mainly, to try out different colour combinations. So, this is what I came up with.

Welcome to my tiny wooden fairy cottages!

fairy-cottages-ursula-markgraf diy mixed media

See more photos of the houses in my etsy-shop.

Twinkleberry Cottage – Fairy house in shades of violet with dark red accents and dark red roof

mixed media fairy house cottage ursula markgraf

mixed media fairy house cottage ursula markgraf

Rose Bud Cottage – a fairy house in turquoise and light pink with a dark-turquoise-grayish roof

mixed media fairy house cottage ursula markgraf

mixed media fairy house cottage ursula markgraf

Red Velvet Cottage – a fairy house in vibrant dark red and super-dark purple with a silver-gray roof

mixed media fairy house cottage ursula markgraf

mixed media fairy house cottage ursula markgraf

Fairy Floss Cottage – a fairy house in shades of pink, reminding me of cotton candy

mixed media fairy house cottage ursula markgraf

mixed media fairy house cottage ursula markgraf

When you look closely at the photos, you can see – I did not just slap some paint at the wooden bases. There are always several layers of paint on the walls, stones and the roof. After making the stones and roof shingles of course.

I do love how the different layers show up and kinda merge together.

Looking at the detail of those walls … it just makes me so happy. I know it probably sounds a bit silly … it’s just fairy houses with paint on it. But the way the colours look a bit distressed and kinda weathered in places – oh, it just gives me such a warm feeling in my tummy!

If you feel the same way and want to give one a new home … check them out in my etsy-shop.

If you would prefer to make your own … then just sign up to my newsletter!

I am planning to create an online workshop for that next year …

Sign up to my newsletter and try my free mixed media workshop!

I still have a few wooden houses left that I’d love to turn into fairy houses.

Which fairy house colour combination should I try next?

And what name would you give it?

 

21 day art studio deep clean checklist (free PDF)

21 day art studio deep clean checklist (free PDF)

Is your creative space in need of a deep clean? Then read on …

What kind of creative are you? Neat and tidy? Chaotic? In between?

Do you have your whole creative space sorted, tidy and clean at all times?

Or do the projects kinda have their own life and take over whatever space they can get?

Well, I definitely belong to the latter. (HELP!)

I can start with a completely lovely clean desk. By the end of a project, it will be covered in paints, supplies, papers, …

And no, it doesn’t matter what size of desk – or room – I have. I’ve worked in a big room with several work surfaces, cupboards, shelves and such … Still, the same happend.

I don’t actually mind by now. I accepted that that is the way it is. The problem is however, everything I don’t see – somehow I forget about. It doesn’t matter if it’s actual art supplies or work-in-progress projects.

I mean, the art supplies I still kinda understand. Also, the joy of finding something cool, that you had totally forgotten about! Hey, I get to experience this „Hey, that is such a cool thing!“ more than once that way!

But the work-in-process pieces?! You would think that if you spend hours working on something you’d surely remember that thing …

Well, it has happened more times than I care to admit that I found projects while tidying, that I had completely forgotten about. I am shocked each time that happens!

deep-clean-checklist-freebie-download-ursula-markgraf-EN

A regular deep clean of my creative space is simply necessary.

So, that means that I have to do a big tidy up of my creative space once in a while, just to dig up forgotten supplies, sort through what I have to work with and un-earth started projects that got lost in there somewhere.

Sounds like it’s a whole galaxy of its own kinda … I guess in a way it is.

Usually, I get that itch for cleaning and tidying in springtime. But I’ve also started deep cleaning my creative space at other times. I do enjoy sorting everything and making it look neat. However, it also can easily get quite overwhelming to me, especially since I have a rather small space at the moment.

Less overwhelming with a 21 day deep clean checklist (FREE PDF)

For me it helps if I have a kinda „guideline“. So I don’t pull out everything, make an even bigger mess and then get a major melt-down in the middle of it, as I have no idea how to put everything back again in a reasonable amount of time.

Been there, done that.

What works for me are lists. I have the feeling that there is a structure to the process and as long as I kinda follow it, I’m good.

So I made this 21 Art Studio Deep Clean Checklist. And if you feel this could work for you, too – just download it and give it a go.

I’m not claiming this will work for everyone. People are different. Creatives are different. Some might need other things for them to help with the process. But if you’re similar to me … maybe it will help you, too.

Also, don’t worry if you don’t have an actual art studio. (I don’t have one right now, either.) It works for any creative space – be it in a separate room, or be it the corner of your kitchen, living room or … 

Free PDF download – try it!

Download free 21 day art studio deep clean checklist (PDF)

All you gotta do is download the PDF, print it out and then you can get started right away. Each day has a super short prompt. Once you have accomplished the task you can cross that day out. You can follow the order of the PDF. Or you can simply pick a prompt each day that speaks to you, cross it off when finished and keep going until all days are crossed off.

If you try it, please let me know how it went! I LOVE feedback!

Also, if you have any other tips or tricks how you keep your creative space tidy – let me know!

I’d be thrilled to test out some other ideas and also … others might benefit from it as well!

P.S. And after you done with all the cleaning … why not try a free mixed media workshop in your newly sorted creative space?!

free-affirmation-card-workshop-ursula-markgraf

If you had a wish … what would you want from me?

If you had a wish … what would you want from me?

Lately I am thinking about creating a new freebie for the secret page. But … well, there is a “little” problem. If you do know me a bit you might guess it. I am having WAY TOO MANY ideas what I could create for you. So I was listing them down and trying to decide what I should do. But, as much as I love coming up with gazillion ideas, I hate making decisions. I am THE worst decision maker EVER.

So I figured, hey, I am creating this for YOU! So, why not ask you what you would like?!

"Dream" - mixed media art by Ursula Markgraf

Art print “Dream” available  HERE

So if you had one wish, what would you want me to create for you?

Here are some ideas to get you started. But if nothing from these ideas sounds like “IT” to you, feel free to add your own ideas in the comments. :-)

1. More printable affirmation cards so you have a larger variety to choose from.

2. An online workshop that shows how to create your own affirmation cards using mixed-media techniques. So you end up with custom-made affirmation cards, paint-stained fingers and hours of fun! :-)

3. A free chapter from my upcoming ebook on how to live YOUR life. I am working on the German version right now, so this one would take a bit longer …

4.  A little online mixed-media workshop that get’s you creating. Something else but affirmation cards. ;-)

"Teapot house" - mixed media art by Ursula Markgraf

What would you like? This is your chance to make a wish. :-)

Can not wait to read what you would want!

 

Happy Easter with handlettered Easter eggs

Happy Easter with handlettered Easter eggs

I had so much fun creating these handlettered Easter eggs. Would you like to create your own?

Here’s a mini-tutorial for the handlettered Easter eggs:

First put collage on blown-out eggs. I used old book pages.

Then use some white paint and/ or gesso and create a “background” for your writing.

Then use a nib and waterproof ink to letter your words onto the egg. This was the hardest part! Lettering on the round surface of an egg really isn’t easy!


Faux calligraphy on decoupaged eggs

If you like decorating Easter eggs, but the idea of handlettering them makes you want to give up …

I have tried a different version and you can check out my mixed media Easter eggs here. There is also a step-by-step tutorial available.

Happy Easter – with or without handlettered Easter eggs! ;-)

Please leave a comment and let me know what’s your favourite way to decorate Easter eggs!

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Favourite Christmas cookies – Ginger cinnamon cookies

Favourite Christmas cookies – Ginger cinnamon cookies

I love Christmas and I love Advent and of course I also love … Christmas cookies. :-)
During the last couple days I was baking with my kids and these ginger cinnamon cookies are one of our favorites. And since I was asked for the recipe a couple times already I will be sharing it here and now. Lucky you. ;-)

Ginger Cinnamon Cookies

*gluten-free *refined-sugar free
(If you would love to save and print the pdf of this recipe, please keep scrolling.)

ginger-cinnamon-cookies-ursula-markgrafIngredients:

3/4 cup butter softened
1/2 cup coconut sugar (granulated)
1/2 cup palm sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour mix
1/2 cup chocolate chips – or more ;-)

ginger-cinnamon-cookies-ursula-markgraf_MG_6426

1. Stir together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.

2. In another bowl beat butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy. (If your sugar is in pressed form – “cakes of sugar” – chop or grind finely before adding to the butter.)

3. Add egg and vanilla to butter mixture.

4. Add flour mix to butter mix and stir together.

5. Add chocolate chips and stir until well incorporated.

6. Chill about 1 hour.

7. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll dough to 1/4inch thickness. Cut out cookies.

8. Bake 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned.

ginger-cinnamon-cookies-ursula-markgraf_MG_6433

Tips and alternative suggestions:

-sugar:
In this recipe I use a mixture out of granulated coconut sugar and pressed palm sugar (sugar cakes). As the palm sugar is pressed I simply use a knife to cut it into small pieces – kinda like cutting up chocolate – and measure it then. Once I mix it together with the butter I mix it really long – so it starts “blending” a little. It does not dissolve completely though. But my kids totally love the tiny caramelized sugar blobs in the cookies, so it does not really matter. :-)
You can also make the cookies just using granulated palm sugar or brown sugar.

ginger-cinnamon-cookies-ursula-markgraf_MG_6431

-vanilla extract:
We make our own vanilla extract out of used vanilla pods. Kinda like recycling. ;-) You can also simply scratch out a vanilla pod or use vanilla sugar.

-gluten-free flour mix:
We mix our own blend: 600g rice flour, 250g potato flour, 150g tapioca starch, 2 tsp carob gum, 4 tsp psyllium husk

-chocolate-chips:
I try to use chocolate that has no refined sugar added to it (and no milk for that matter). Here in Germany that is not easy. I do order online or buy raw chocolate. But for baking I sometimes also buy really dark chocolate that has only very little sugar added to it and I prefer the ones that use raw cane sugar. I do not usually like eating really dark chocolate but in the already sweet cookies it does blend in nicely. As those chocolates come in bars I just chop them up in small pieces. Done.

ginger-cinnamon-cookies-ursula-markgraf_MG_6453

I hope you will have alot of fun baking. And in order to make it even easier – here is the recipe in pdf-form (letter-size), so you can just download and print. If you prefer A4-size, download HERE.

Ginger cinnamon cookie recipe by Ursula Markgraf

Just right-click, choose save-as, save – print – done. :-)

Happy baking! And what are your favourite Christmas cookies?

 

Summer Postcard-Swap

Summer Postcard-Swap

Do you love to receive postcards? Yes, I am talking about the „real“ ones. With stamps. ;-) Then this blogpost is for you. Read on. :-)

Letters/ Briefe - Ursula Markgraf Since I started selling my own postcard collection I have been thinking alot about if and where postcards still have a place in our life. When I was a child I wrote lots of letters and postcards. And I received quite a few as well. Of course I got a bunch when it was my birthday. But I also got them on regular days. Back then we did not have email and no telephone. So if I wanted to talk so someone that did not live in the same town – like my grandparents, friend I had made during vacations or a pen-pal in Australia – I had to write them. There simply was no other way.

Today of course that has changed alot. When I want to talk to my best friend in Berlin then I call her. And if I need to tell my friend in the US something, then I write an email. Then there are also things like facebook … When I receive letters, then they usually contain invoices. :-(

Kinda sad, isn’t it?
Cause I do love to receive letters. Alot. When I receive a thick letter or an unexpected postcard – isn’t that fun?
Of course today letters and postcards do not contain the same stuff as they used to when I was a child. When you wanna tell someone something you write a quick email or talk on the phone. So there is no need to write that in a letter or postcard. But still, letters and postcards still have a place in our life. They should at least. As little pieces of joy, little glimpses of hope, tiny presents or inspirations. Just to show someone „Hey, I have been thinking of you“

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had more of those little joys in our everyday life? That is why I hereby announce the first summer postcard swap.

Summer postcards swap 2014 at www.UrsulaMarkgraf.com/postcards/summer-postcard-swap Come on over and join! :-)

Totalls easy – AND FREE ;-) – works like this: If you wanna participate just send me an email until the 30.06.14 to this address

ursula@UrsulaMarkgraf.com

Subject: postcard swap

Inside that email tell me if you would like to have a German or an English swap partner. (Important!)

Starting at the 1.7.14 I will send each participant a swap partner. You then will swap your snail mail address via email with your partner and send off your postcard until the 30th of July, 2014.
You can send whichever card you like – handmade, a card of your favourite place or city, a card with a quote or saying – anything you would like to receive you can send. :-) Also it would be lovely if you would write a lovely message on the backside of the card. Just something that you would love to read when you receive a card.  :-)

So, are you up for swapping?

Where do you hide your treasures?

Where do you hide your treasures?

Do you remember when you were a child there were always treasures to be hidden?
The beautiful rocks you found on a walk. The old necklace your mom gave you. The old photograph that your grandad gave you. A cutout photo from the newspaper. Sticks, leaves, sometimes bugs or snails. ;-) And of course the buttons out of your grandma’s button box.

And where to put all those treasure? Of course into your (secret) treasure bag.

treasure-bag-ursula-markgraf_MG_8404

And today? Do you still have treasures?

treasure-bag-ursula-markgraf_MG_8462

As part of my little virtual online-shop opening party I will gift one of these handmade treasure bags to the first 9 people that order buttons. To be used for buttons or other treasures. ;-) 

treasure-bag-ursula-markgraf_MG_8408

 And handmade by yours truly! Which means hand-dyed, hand-sewn and hand-printed! :-)

What would you put into your treasure bag?

 

More Inspiration via email for you?


 

Ready to party?

Ready to party?

I’m getting ready to put up some whimsy fun pennant banners and have a little virtual shop opening party for my handmade button shop.

And would like to celebrate with you!

There will be a welcome gift in the shop and a little extra-treat for the first buyers. Wanna know more?
Hop on my mailing list ASAP and get a proper invite! :-)

(And you get some goodies for hopping on as well. Just in case you did not know.)

What are you waiting for? :-)

 
More Inspiration via email for you?


 P.S. Did I mention a the welcome goodie for everyone? ;-)

 

Wooly – and spooky ;-) – for your head

Wooly – and spooky ;-) – for your head

I thought I might not even be able to show you these hats anymore. After all, who wants to look at wooly hats in spring?!

But when I look outside my window a wooly hat would actually be really nice to have. At least when you plan to go outside. You can of course also just cuddle up on the sofa with a cup of hot tea and … knit! ;-)

ursula-markgraf-wooly-hat-2013-01-26-muetze01

This was my first knitted hat – ever! Was so proud! And it wasn’t as hard as I had thought it would be – so I made a second one. :-)

The earflaps are fastened to the hat with buttons – so if you like you can take them off. Of course I used handmade buttons. And they glow in the dark! FUN!

ursula-markgraf-wooly-hat-2013-01-26-muetze02

Unfortunately after I was done with the two hats I instantly got another “order”. Mini-man (or my son) requested one in his favorite color green. With sheep buttons. :-) Looks like I have to buy some green wool.

sheep-button-schaf-knopf-ursula-markgraf_MG_6921

If you would like to make your own earflap hat you can download the pattern for free on ravelry.

So, download the pattern and happy knitting! 

Or do you have a favourite hat pattern already? If yes, please share in the comments! I love to hear from you!

Inspirational loveletters for you?


Do you want to see my tiny gingerbread house?

Do you want to see my tiny gingerbread house?

After such a long post yesterday I thought I give you a little break today. ;-) So today there is not much to read – I just wanted to show off the tiny gingerbread house I made.

For years I wanted to make a gingerbread house myself but with two small kids it just always ended up being of the store bought variety. The one that you buy in pieces and put together. Which was okay. But this year – with a little trick – I got my gingerbread house. :-)

(See the tiny bird on the pile of wood logs?)

The trick? I just made it VERY small! *lol*

Very. Seriously. It is basically made out of cookie sized gingerbread. And as we make cookies all the time with the kids this was actually a really fun project.

Here you can see HOW small the gingerbread house is. The spoon is a tea spoon.  

 I had made a few blank ones as well that the kids decorated. It was so much fun! 

What fun baking projects have you done this Advent? Share away in the comments!

And check back tomorrow for another “tiny” Christmas goody in the Crafty Christmas series. No I will not tell you just yet what it is …. ;-)

 
More Inspiration via email for you?