Are you ready to take the second floor this time? If you have no clue what I am talking about- read all about it here 
The Second Floor Challenge
So today is our fourth Second Floor Challenge: Circles
Click here to see what Julie did
Whatever that means to you or however it inspires you. The prompt is simply meant to get you started. The level of challenge you aim for is entirely internal and up to you.
Circles…I love circles…Circles are a big part of my creating ….I use them often…hand drawn, cut out of paper, made with markers. Circles are just such an amazing form to tie elements on a layout or project together. And so I decided I would this time just start with circles, instead of adding them later to my work and see where those circles would lead me to.
I started out on some water-color paper, drawing circles and adding some Derwent Inktense Blocks to it. Then I grabbed my Derwent ArtBars and added some more colors to the circles- simply just playing.
I liked the outcome but what to do with it?
So I decided to take those circles to the 2nd Floor. I chose a paper- a Pink Paislee Mistable Paper – which I would usually transform, as this is what they are made for. Those papers are giving you permission to play with water based paint media on top to change the color of the background to your liking and reveal through a resist some nice patterns on the paper. But I decided to let the background be as it is….and added the circles.
I added some marker circles and then I decided to actually go also a different design route. I wanted to place the photo in a for me unusual way – so I placed it in the right corner and I also wanted the circles to be part of the focal point even thought I kind of clustered them. So I formed my visual triangle, that leads the eye including the circles as a part forming the triangle.
(photo credit: helene larsson)
I really love this – although it is a bit different from what I usually do
What I learned from this challenge:
- Circles are a great starting point to warm up and then do something new with them.
- I like hand cut circles more than perfect cirlces…I think it just fits better with my style
- It is fine to leave a paper that is made for changing the color as it is
- Breaking habits on where to place stuff is fun – it lead me to something I really like
- I like how the Derwent ArtBars and Derwent Inktense Blocks work together
- playing with watercolor paper and including that into my projects is a new passion of mine- there is just something about this paper that makes me think “you deserve to be used more often because you are beautiful!”
- This challenge also lead me to thinking how much I love what I do – how happy it makes me to teach and see students be inspired and that inspires me….the circle closes…..
If you’d like to show off your response to this Second Floor challenge, leave a link!
have a wonderful day
hugs
Nat
Comments (16)
lenna young andrews
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Nathalie, I’m not sure if my earlier comment went through . . . but wanted to say thanks so much for visiting my blog to see what I did through the circle challenge hosted by you & julie. It was my first Second Floor challenge and I enjoyed. Love your colorful circles!!
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nathalie-kalbach
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Thank you Lenna- we love seeing what you all also do with the challenge – it is so inspiring. The next one is going up on tuesday :) Huge hugs and have a wonderful weekend!Nat
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lenna young andrews
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I really love your bright circles, Nathalie. thanks so much for visiting my blog and seeing what I have done for this challenge! I really appreciate You & Julie hosting & inspiring. Lenna
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Clare
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Love the circle you have created using inktense blocks and fab finished page too. x
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msmathey
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Your handcut circles are fabulous and I love the doodling around them!!
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Yvonne
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Das sieht genial aus!
LG Yvonne
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Alice
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really beautiful! i like how your circles look 3-D!
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Dolores
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Love the different take you did with your circles. About midway through your pictures I thought they would make neat flowers but love them clustered as circles also.
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Lisa Flaherty
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Gorgeous, Nat! I love all those in(k)tense colors and the way you clustered the hand cut circles. Perhaps this is not your usual style, BUT I think it is completely YOU! A fave, fo’ sho’!
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misty
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I love the way you used those circles! This looks fantastic!
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jjsobey
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I does look different for you – but I like it! I kinda want to play with watercolour paper now.
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Martha Richardson
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Oh man…I haven’t had the chance to start #3 and now #4…I {heart} circles…always have…going to be fun. Of course this may not happen for awhile…
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MiaKL
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What a lovely challange, this I will hop on to. And look at the other challanges as well.
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Jessica
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so nice and colorful, love it
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Louisa Dubois
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Beautiful Nathalie and I love your layout!
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Sue Clarke
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I really like this LO and it is different from your usual, but funny enough, it reminds me of something Julie would make. :-)
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