If you are thirsty for learning and inspiration, an online workshop is a great place to find both!
Hurry in and take advantage of the Workshop Sale: Just use the code WORKSHOP2021 when you check out and save 20% off online workshops.
Take a look at the variety of workshops I offer here on my website: My Artful Adventure series looks at taking inspiration from master artists. My Beyond the Paper Workshop with Birgit Koopsen and Marsha Valk looks at using different surfaces and substrates in your mixed media artmaking. And my Best of CJS series offers small collections of videos from past years of CJS. Check them all out, and many more, HERE on my website.
A Look Back – I thought it might be nice to look back at Art Journal pages from 2021 to get a feel for the year. Let’s face it 2021 was a tumultuous year as we continue to struggle worldwide, and a lot of those feelings I got out in my art journaling. Ready for some from this past year?
I actually created this spread at the end of 2020 and shared it at the start of 2021. The journaling reads “Is it over yet? Hanging in there by a thread.” I really enjoyed creating the patterned background and I’ve found that building patterns is a nice zen activity for me. I was using my Chicago and Santiago stencils and then added my Mini Motifs rubber stamp which fit perfectly in the stencil design (smile). Last touch was one of my Fan-Fare rubber stamps in magenta. You can read the original post here.
When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid The new dawn blooms as we free it For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it If only we’re brave enough to be it
-Amanda Gorman
I still get shivers thinking about Amanda Gorman’s powerful poem from the US presidential inauguration. I think it inspired so many of us at the start of 2021 when we needed hope for the future and someone reminding us that we can be the light that the world needs. In the spread I kept things simple to focus on her words, I had to add that yellow coat, and then a pattern using my Fairview Fan foam stamp and my Fan-tastic Small rubber stamp set. Here is the original post.
“What if things get even crazier from now on… the ride never stops …bring it on.” Life rarely slows down and as usual I was feeling the pressure this year and also trying to remind myself to just hang on, persist, and maybe even enjoy the challenge. And I was also trying to use up some of my collage material in a constructive way lol so this page has a lot in there including a cut up painting on canvas, my Batik and Lily Wallpaper stencils, and my Mini Motifs and one of my Triangle Love rubber stamps. Here’s the post.
“Strive to create a world you might never live to see!” – Do it Anyway is what I called this page and again an epic adventure in collage as well as using my Row Houses foam stamp and my Mini Motifs rubber stamps along with a variety of media and layering techniques. Check out the post for some of that info.
“Trying hard to… Love.” was one of those blah day art journal pages that wound up being quite fruitful – it helped me figure out my LOVE foam stamp design which evolved to be a single line. Sometimes even if you don’t feel super motivated about anything, puttering around in your art journal can yield positive results. Here is a link to the original post.
I hope you enjoyed this Look Back at some of my art journal pages this year and if you’re interested in revisiting some other posts from the past, check them out: A Look Back is a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)
Here are some of the supplies I used in these pages:
Cyber Week Sale ends TODAY, December 3, for Creative JumpStart 2022. Sign up HERE before 11:59pm ET tonight for $55 and get in on the action! The classroom is open and our new forum will help you get to know the CJS22 community before class officially begins on New Year’s Day. Now is a great time to join Creative JumpStart 2022!
This year our theme is Creating Connections and we’re exploring everything from making connections between your ideas and creating artwork, your materials and what they can do for you, and drawing from your personal connections as inspiration for what you create.
This year for Creative JumpStart 2022 we have 38 different mixed media artist teachers who are guiding us through 38 unique video lessons – some project based and others technique based. Play along each day beginning January 1 or go at your own pace. Sign up for our daily emails for more direction and ways to approach the lessons. Most importantly, Creative JumpStart provides you with a supportive community of artists and students to help you on your artistic journey.
Strolls through my hood get me out of my studio, they help me get unstuck and often I get inspired by what I see and get new ideas to create something. It is part of my philosophy about Artful Adventures in Mixed Media – which is the subject of my book. Here are some photos that I gathered in the last couple weeks.
Little impressions of a house close by, I love this stained glass window – I love the intricate details with squares and triangles.
Original Hardware – I am always amazed how intricate the simplest things were in Victorian times- this little lock make me happy.
A frosted bathroom window – so beautiful!
I had some stuff to do downtown and browsed around my old stamping grounds – I still love this mural – sadly the art supply store next to it is gone …they had to move but closed in the new location during the pandemic. I loved the store- it makes me sad to think that this city with almost 300,000 inhabitants has no art stores.
Maybe you and some of your local artist friends could go in together and create an art supply store…. Your pictures are awesome. Your quality control team…stellar!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so I’m running a Workshop Sale from December 1st through 5th at 11:59pm ET you can save 20% off my online workshops. This sale excludes Creative JumpStart 2022 but wait, that is still on sale so you don’t have to miss out on that either ;)
Artful Adventures with Gustav Klimt will help you achieve Klimt-style glamour and beauty in your art journal and beyond. Learn the art of creating patterns and metallic elements, and discover ways to pull everything together in a successful artwork. Check out the workshop HERE.
Beyond the Paper is a workshop that I co-teach with Birgit Koopsen and Marsha Valk that will take your mixed media creations to new and unexpected surfaces! You’ll enjoy a mix of our unique teaching and artistic styles and will come away with skills and ideas to help you push your craft and understanding of materials too. Sign up HERE.
Artful Adventures with Andy Warhol will introduce you to the artistic tricks of Pop Artist Warhol. Visual repetition, finding beauty in the everyday, and working with pops of color are all covered in this adventure. Find the workshop HERE.
The Best of CJS workshops offer small 10-12 lesson snippets of Creative JumpStarts from the past. We were able to bring some of our favorite videos back from the archives for these little bundles. They are download only workshops but a great taste of previous CJS’s that you may have missed in years past. You can find those HERE.
Time Traveler, another that I co-teach with Birgit Koopsen and Marsha Valk will show you how to draw inspiration from different style eras in history. Learn how to translate the design motifs into your own artwork with a focus on Gelli printing and mini book making. Sign up HERE.
Trace, Transfer, Transform explores several different methods of bringing visual material into your artwork. Work with photos, print outs, and other sources to transform your art journal and artwork into something with strong focal elements and intriguing backgrounds. Learn more HERE.
Hello from my Creative Squad! Today we have a post from Judi Kauffman who is sharing with us some super clever cards that use my Hamilton stencil, my Cardboard and Embroidery rubber stamps and that are absolutely perfect for our theme: Gratitude is my Attitude – This month we are playing along with the November ArtCollab: Showing Gratitude – and specifically giving thanks to those who have helped us along the way in our artistic journey. Who was crucial in helping you become the artist you are today? Let’s give these amazing souls a shout out!
Applause – Cards for People Who Matter!
I’m endlessly grateful to all of the people who have supported me over the years as I grew from a little girl with crayons and fabric scraps into a designer, artist, and teacher with a career spanning over five decades!
Some are long-gone: Mr. Motovich and Miss Weld, public school teachers who, in my book, were unsung heroes. Arnold Singer from Cornell who taught me lithography and reminded me by his actions that teaching and creating one’s own art go hand-in-hand. My parents, my grandparents. I hope I was successful in expressing my gratitude over the years.
To thank those who are still in my life, people who continue to cheer me on and support my creativity, I made pop-up cards that “applaud” when opened.
Change the stamps and stencils and the color palette and this kind of pop-up could congratulate a friend who has a new job, just got chosen as captain of a sports team, survived a round of chemo, or anything else worthy of a round of clapping!
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Each card requires a 14” x 5” strip of cardstock for the 5” x 7” side-fold card base, two 4” x 6” pieces for the hands, and one 9” x 8” piece for the pop-up structure in Kraft Brown or color(s) of choice. I find it easiest to make several cards at a time.
2. For the 14” x 5” strip, cut several 5” wide pieces from 12” x 12” cardstock, brush on Red and Teal Metallic paint, varying the directions of the strokes. Cut into shorter sections, overlap and glue together. Cut a 14” long piece for each card base. Hold onto scraps to decorate the inside short ends of the cards (the pop-up is shorter than the card so the hands won’t show when the card is closed).
3. Brush Red and Metallic Teal paint onto the front of the pop-ups, varying the directions of the strokes. Paint the back of the rounded section of the pop-ups with Lime Green and touches of Metallic Teal. (The back of this part of the pop-up is visible when the card is open and standing.)
4. Brush Metallic Teal paint onto the hands.
5. Using a permanent ink pad and acrylic paint in Black, stamp and stencil patterns onto the hands and the pop-ups. Also, stamp and stencil patterns onto the outside of the card bases. I used Nathalie’s Hamilton stencil and her Cardboard and Embroidery rubber stamps.
6. Adhere a pop-up inside each card base, add 5” wide scraps at the ends. Glue the hands to the pop-up as shown so they appear to “applaud” when the card is opened and closed!
7. Options: *Hold the card closed for mailing by adding a ribbon, cord, or paper “belly band” *Paint a red heart onto a small square of painted cardstock and tuck it into the closure. *Hide a message in a mini manila envelope and position it in one of the hands or at the side of the card base.
Keep going…….. *Change the stamps and stencils *Use more than three colors! *Pick a different color palette to suit the recipient and occasion (instead of expressing gratitude, this kind of pop-up could congratulate a friend who has a new job, just got chosen as captain of a sports team, survived a round of chemo, or anything else worthy of a round of hand clapping! *Add hand-written greetings, old photos and other collage elements.
Hands down this is one of the coolest card ideas we’ve seen in a long time! Thank you Judi!
Creative JumpStart 2022 is on sale TODAY! Sign up now for just $45 and enjoy some serious Cyber Monday savings on the ultimate Online Mixed Media Workshop – Creative JumpStart 2022!
We have an incredible lineup this year of super talented artist teachers (familiar faces for CJS and some new ones too), 38 inspiring video lessons, and a NEW classroom forum to help you kick off 2022 feeling connected, motivated, and ready to create!
This Cyber Monday deal is just today, so don’t delay – you must sign up by 11:59pm ET today, November 29 to get the deal. Sign up HERE.
Check out our promo video:
What is CJS22 all about? Our theme this year is Creating Connections and our 38 artist teachers are exploring how we connect with artmaking, our materials, our surroundings, and the people in our lives through some unique video lessons. Here is that lineup of Creative JumpStart 2022 artist teachers who are ready to guide you:
What kinds of lessons can I expect? A variety of Mixed Media topics from art journaling to collage, from mini book making to stitchery, from watercolor to gelli printing, and MORE are covered in Creative JumpStart 2022. Get ready to JumpStart YOUR Creativity with 38 unique lessons.
When does class start?Creative JumpStart 2022 officially begins January 1, 2022 with the first lesson but you may access the classroom as soon as you sign up. There you will find the Forum where you can begin to meet the other students, supply lists to help you prepare, and maybe even some bonus content as we move through December ;)
What about that exclusive CJS22foam stamp? We are pleased to be offering another CJS exclusive foam stamp design this year – LOVE. It can be found here and is limited edition so it will only be available through 2022. Pick one up today and let’s start spreading the CJS LOVE!!!
You can learn more about Creative JumpStart 2022 right here on the website and if you are ready to jump into a daily habit of creativity in 2022 – sign up TODAY for just $45. See you in the classroom!
I’ve got some exciting Foam Stamp News! I’ve designed a Limited Edition Foam Stamp for Creative JumpStart 2022 called LOVE. Our theme for CJS22 is Creating Connections and what better connection is there than love?
LOVE is of course perfect for cards. I mean, what more need I say? Ok, I did add a little bit more like my Love Knots rubber stamp, but really if you just want to get to the point, LOVE is all you need.
LOVE will be a limited edition release – only available through December 2022 so supplies are limited and when 2023 rolls around they will all be gone… so don’t miss out.
How would you like a little LOVE?
Foam stamps are so versatile – they rock when you need to churn out some quick cards or maybe do a repeating pattern for some giftwrap or a cool background… I especially love layering up two colors to get a nice offset print look.
They’re also excellent with fabric paints and even on the wall if you’re really ambitious. And we can’t forget the possibilities of just letting loose and working in an art journal. Who doesn’t LOVE that?
And get ready to use LOVE in Creative JumpStart 2022 Creating Connections edition too! CJS22 goes on sale on Monday, November 29th at 8am and I promise you – Cyber Monday will not disappoint ;)
Hello from my Creative Squad! Today we have a post from Jordan Hill who is sharing with us a couple of lovely cards using my Triangle Love and #keepyouposted rubber stamps, with our very appropriate November theme in mind: Gratitude is my Attitude – This month we are playing along with the November ArtCollab: Showing Gratitude – and specifically giving thanks to those who have helped us along the way in our artistic journey. Who was crucial in helping you become the artist you are today? Let’s give these amazing souls a shout out!
Hey everyone! I’m excited to be back with a new project for the month of November. The first thing that came to mind when I heard this month’s theme of “Gratitude is my Attitude” was greeting cards! They are a great way to show you’re thinking of someone, and making that card handmade always adds a little extra touch.
I started out my greeting cards by cutting down a piece of white card stock to 4.25″x8.5″. I chose this size because it allowed me to cut two cards from an 8.5″x11″ sheet of card stock with next to no leftover (only the 2.5″ strip at the end). Once my card stock had been cut to size, I folded the pieces in half to create two square cards.
Next, I selected a few scraps of paper and using Nathalie’s Empire Triangle stamp, I created a repeating pattern across them. For the lighter piece I used black ink and for the darker piece I used a silver pigment ink. These triangle stamps fit together nicely to create patterns!
I then cut down my stamped papers into smaller square shapes. For this particular card, I chose a 3″x3″ square. Next, I selected a separate paper scrap to create a mat around that square. A trick I learned back in my scrapbooking days is that if you are having a hard time using up your pretty papers, you can cut out a square from the middle of your mat and save the scrap for another project!
Place your glue around the inside edge of your mat. I used Aleene’s tacky glue for my cards, but any sort of liquid glue, double sided tape, or adhesive runner would work for this! Then, place your patterned paper square into the center of the mat.
Next, I prepared my card bases for assembly by using some Distress Ink in the color Pumice Stone and a Tim Holtz Blending Tool to buff around the edges of my card. I selected this color because I felt the gray fit with my style and the other colors that I was using more than some of the browns I have in my collection.
Then, using Nathalie’s #keepyouposted Cling Rubber Stamp Set and a black ink pad, I stamped some words onto a scrap of file folder and cut them out. I stamped a few extra so that I’ll have them prepared for making cards in the future!
Now it’s time to assemble! Glue your matted patterned paper onto your card base, and add the words to it. Experiment with the location of the words until you get a placement you’re happy with, and you have a quick and easy card to send to your friends or family to express your gratitude for them!
I did a simple variation of this card by cutting my patterned paper down to a larger size (I chose 3.75″x3.75″) and gluing it directly to my prepared card base. I then used a couple of different elements from some of my collage sheets to add a figure before gluing down my words. This adds a little more interest to your card while still keeping it very simple.
I hope you enjoy these tips and tricks to make some simple greeting cards and that you have fun making some of your own!
Thank you Jordan, with the Thanksgiving holiday this week in the US, it is the perfect time to create some one-of-a-kind cards to thank those who are important to us :)
Give it a try: you can find all my Rubber Stamps in my Online Shop and in addition to paper scraps and collage elements here are some of the supplies Jordan used:
Maybe you and some of your local artist friends could go in together and create an art supply store…. Your pictures are awesome. Your quality control team…stellar!
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