Projects with My Collage Sheets

Hi guys, someone on fb said it would be nice to see my digital collage sheets in action, so I thought I'd share some projects I've made with them. First a journal page:

Banner from Labelled Banner collage sheet top right

Journal Spot with flower from my Positivity Sheet Set

And here's a full journal page view:

This journal page is one from the 'Bunch of Backgrounds' tutorial. I love how quickly and easily these projects came together; this one firstly because I already had a background started but also because collage sheets (I'm talking any here, not just my own...) instantly add 'art' to a project, effortlessly. 

Here's a super simple way to artify something in a pocket:

Tabbies!! This one is from my Labelled Tab Sheet

And a tag, made so easily with a scrap of cardstock & one of my tabs at the top to 'tag it up' a bit & a journal spot for journaling:

Journal Spot with girl from the Positivity Set

Finally here's my favourite image from my Positivity Digital Collage Sheet Set, my birdie with quote, sat on a cute border strip from the same collection:

 - I added a crown, some buttons (that also came from the same collage sheet set), stamping, a sticker, tiny bit of doodling & I've an *instant* page. Honestly love how easily collage sheets make creating, especially when you're in a 'I'm not sure what I want to create!' mood - you know what I'm talking about, I feel it often when I sit at my desk. Ding! Collage sheets are now my go-to answer =D

Hope this has given you some ideas if you have some collage sheets already or if you are interested in any of my sheets they are available in my shop (or if you like something in the pictures just click on it and it will take you directly to the correct collage sheet listing =) )

Much love, Jennibellie xoxo

Update: 

Here's some additional collage sheet ideas:

Upcycling: a scuffed up glasses case & an ugly day diary that I picked up for nothing (as the pages had ripped out of the cover). I put the two halfs back together and did a makeover v.quickly with collage sheets

They're awesome for anything and everything! Happy creating =)

Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Janet Briggs

Hey guys, happy March already (wow!) hope you're having more sun wherever you are than what I'm having here, if not here's some virtual sunshine for us still stuck in winter with today's TAT =D enjoy Janet's work & interview xoxo

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what kind of artist you are.

I usually find it difficult to talk about myself. I’ll just give you some quick facts. My husband and I have lived in southern California for the past 12 years. Before that we lived and traveled in our RV, mostly around the western half of the United States. I’m 69 years old; I love color and texture and always have. Purple has been my favorite color since I was a little girl but I seldom use it in art. I’m basically a self-taught artist although I've taken many, many online classes. I have a short attention span at times, and will jump from one art project to another. When I work in my art journal I may make one spread and then not return to my journal for months or I might make several spreads all in one day. I’m very sporadic. I would say I’m a mixed media artist…at least that’s the closest I can come to a real definition. I like anything and everything having to do with art.

What is the biggest challenge you personally face as an artist and how do you overcome it?

My biggest challenge is that I don't want my work to be boring...to look like everything else...and sometimes I think I fall into that trap. It's very difficult to be influenced or inspired by someone else's work and then to make it your own in some way. When I see something I want to try, I ask myself "how can I change this to be more like me"...sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don't.

Another challenge would be space. I have a small 10’ x 10’ studio and it’s jam-packed with stuff. Sometimes when I want to do several pieces of art at one time it’s a challenge. I try to work on smaller things but there are times when I itch to work BIG! 

What inhibits you most from being the artist you want to be?

I think my habit of jumping from one thing to the next inhibits my ability to really learn one thing fully and completely. But there are so many things I'm interested in learning. I hope on the day I die that I'm still learning new things. Also I don't understand all the techie things like Photoshop and digital art. I see so many things I'd like to do with my own art in a digital program but I've tried to understand those programs and it's just Greek to me! I've even taken a couple of classes using Photoshop Elements and still didn't "get it"...so I stick to making art on a canvas or on paper.

What do you love most / least enjoyable about your art?

Most people tell me my art makes them feel happy and I love that. If something I create can bring a smile to someone when they're feeling down that's perfect. I hope I inspire others to make art, too. The least enjoyable part is that sometimes I wonder if I really have a "voice" of my own or am I just doing what everyone else is doing. I'm not sure if I have a style of my own. And that goes back to me wanting to try everything, and jumping from one thing to another. At times I think having a certain style would limit me and I don't want that. 

I love being able to spend the entire day in my studio happily splopping paint around. The time passes so quickly and I enjoy the peace and quiet of being alone with my art...but I do miss being able to make art with other artists. I have not found other artists in the area where I live so I always create alone. I would like to bounce ideas off someone else and would enjoy seeing how other artists work.

Tell us where can we find out more about you & your art?

You can find out more about me through my blogs… http://jkbees.blogspot.com (my main blog); http://jkbeesartopia.blogspot.com/ more of a scrapbook of my art; and at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkbees/ I don’t do Facebook or Instagram and I've yet to figure out how to do a video!

Thank you for sharing your lovely work Janet, I think your words are so relate-able for nearly every online artist I've ever met, but honestly to me it sounds like you don't need to worry so much about finding your own style - how will that happen if you don't try new things? I think we all feel like we must find our own style straight away, but as you say we are all learning all the time, so how would it be possible to even do that? We have to learn and evolve ourselves, and along with that I think our style with evolve with us naturally - I don't believe it's something any of us can force...it'll come when both we, and it, are ready for the merge.

Would you like to be featured on Tell All Tuesday??

Email me or click the link to find all the details here =)

Much love

Jennibellie

In the Studio

Just a peek at what's been happening in my studio this week (other than the rolled flower tutorial I mean, which obviously took up a lot of my creating time but...) I have done a few things:

New journal pages:

Mandala page from my 'Bunch of Backgrounds' tutorial

The assistant:

'I WILL fit in this space, watch me mold myself in'

'you don't need any slippers, I'm the best foot warmer'

kiss kiss

The Shop:

I've been working really hard on trying to create fab new cute, fun & interesting things for my Etsy shop, here's a sneak peek at some progress:

Not telling you what it's going to be though ;)

so in the meantime I've also made some new colouring-in collage sheets (so they can be customised to match any project you like):

 you can buy in my Etsy shop here.

That's all for now folks, I've LOTS 'in the making-of' stage, including videos, blog tutorials, as well as the fabulous new things etc for the etsy shop so you'll probably be seeing something very soon I dare say, 
much love Jennibellie xoxo

Rolled Paper Flower Video Tutorial

I was going to wait until the weekend to post this, but you know when I've created something I just get too excited and gotta share it with you guys straight away, so here it is:

When I first started being creative again I used to roll paper quite a bit both for artwork and jewellery making, but while playing recently I came up with a simple formula for getting easy-peasy perfect flowers every time, here's the tut:

They really do make SUCH cute rings that I had to make a few out of them, some of which are available in my Etsy stop (but you know me I'll be off onto the next project soon, so only a limited amount are available and for limited time I'm afraid so get going if you want one ;) ):

...and just incase you were wondering what background tutorial it was that I made the flower in the top middle of the below picture with, it can be found here. I used one of the 'B-sides', not even one of the nicer ones, to make it but I have to say I think it turned out my favourite =)

That's all folks, have a great crafty evening love Jennibellie =D xoxo

Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Melissa Angelik

Hello artists happy Tuesday =) I'm a little bit out of sorts at the mo, not sure if it's weather or something else but icky sicky just won't leave me so I'm planning on making myself an enjoyable evening of nothingness...first TAT, then a hot, hot, hot shower, followed immediately by bed clothes (despite the fact that it's not even 9pm lol) and a good novel! TAT included TLC lol hope you're planning your version of luxuriousness once you've finished the enjoying Melissa's lovely work & interview, go on...you deserve it =D

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what kind of artist you are.
I am obsessed with books, and therefore end up making all my art in books. Also, as my lifestyle at the moment is very nomadic, anything else would take up too much room. I like trying out new media, and express whatever I'm feeling in that moment, or whatever I'm thinking through my art. I love mythology, symbolism, music, just so many things! And they all get incorporated into my art.

What is the biggest challenge you personally face as an artist and how do you overcome it?
I think self-doubt and self-destruction are my two greatest obstacles to my art.

What do you love most / least enjoy about your art?
What I love most about my art is that I can do whatever I want. This is a huge reason why I became an art school dropout - I hated having to do art based on someone else's ideals of "right" and "wrong", "good" or "bad".

What is your heart’s greatest desire for your life as an artist?
I'm not sure what I desire most as an artist, I think if I could actually build a following and have people collect prints and interesting branded items, that would be really cool. I just hope people are inspired by what I do.

Tell us where can we find out more about you & your art?
My tumblr and newly started deviant art blogs would be the best places to look: http://melissa-angelik.tumblr.com/ and http://melissa-angelik.deviantart.com/

Thanks so much for sharing Melissa, I have to say I am so happy you are an art school dropout because that is one of the discussions we often have on TAT; worries by some of us that we are not 'good enough' artists because we were never trained, but what you say is so true. Art by nature is the most subjective thing, so whichever way you look at it (haha) it is impossible to do work to please others; there is just too many people and too many different opinions on what constitutes good art. Therefore all we can really do is work to please ourselves, and why would we need to be trained for that, when what we will be shown is how not to do it our way? Hmm so pleased you took part in TAT Melissa and helped me see this perspective =D

“Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” 

Andy Warhol

Would you like to be featured on Tell All Tuesday??

Email me or click the link to find all the details here =)

Much love

Jennibellie

A Cutie-Pie Takes Over

So there I was sat, or rather lying, on my bed for a great movie night last night and reeeeally getting into The Bourne Trilogy (which is one of those films, or rather sets of films, I have always meant to watch, but never got around to) when out of nowhere I just had to bolt myself up and grab a pencil and paper. Thankfully I had my faces journal on my bedside table, so I didn't need to disturb anyone too much (including myself, as I am rather lazy so if I didn't have the necessities right there I might not have acted on this impulse) and within and in five minutes I said hello to Cutie Pie:

I know she isn't ever going to be considered a masterpiece but I remember reading something by J. K. Rowling that mentioned how she would suddenly stop in the middle of washing the pots to write down an idea before it disappeared, and she did so so often that her family were used to seeing her suddenly bolt out the door. I guess I am getting that way with creativity, but when I look at Cutie Pie I'm glad...yes, she interrupted a perfectly good film, but then so does needing the loo, which I ALWAYS do right at the good bits, and she took no extra time than going to the loo to do AND I still managed to stay right up date with the film, as I listened while I scribbled.

I love her, I know she's only a quick sketch & I do thousands of them but I really do love her & what she represents: our creative muses ability to surprise us with nice things if we are only willing to say yes, rather than no...and a reminder to always keep a piece of paper and pencil handy ;)

Now I may go give her some colour, a journal page or may be even her very own journal, who knows, that's my muses business ;)

Jennibellie's 200th post (yay!) over and out =D 

It's My Birthday...

we're gonna party like it's my birthday... 

or rather just a little art journal party, it's the first year I've ever managed to do a journal page on my birthday so thought I'd share the process via picture evolution. So I started off with this found object printed page from my Bunch of Backgrounds technique video:

At the top I wrote 'at 28' on one side and 'at 30/by 30' on the other, as I'm turning 29 this year I thought it was quite a milestone, last year of my twenties and I just wanted to reflect on what that means.

In my twenties I've lived in quite a few places, worked in LOADS of different industries, had many different lifestyles, had quite a few boyfriends, had juxtaposing friends & interests, collected quite a varied folder of qualifications and not all of it ever really felt like me. At 28 I felt like me and I had a lot less going on...which is probably why I could create & share so much online. I just wrote out everything to keep, throw out or improve upon before I turn thirty. Then I created frames using new washi tapes that I treated myself too as a birthday treat ;) 

I then painted in the frames, I picked this background as I wanted this to be easy, a quick treat before I head to bed, so I just painted some very carefree easy-peasy faces

Then I embellished them with little pictures, border strips, stickers & stuff that meant something to me (ie the embellie on the top left of the frame on 'at 28' page is the key, the embellie on the top left of the frame on 'at 30' page is a keyhole...yep I put in a sticker metaphor, coz I'm cool like that!! lol)

and now we're done & it's nearly 2am so I'm off to bed, I've only a chilled day planned tomorrow/today/whatever heck the day my birthday is, just the cinema and a meal, then next weekend is party weekend, and the weekend after that is an art party weekend wahoo!! Think I'm more excited about the art party if I'm honest, in fact I know I am because I'm getting boring in my increasing old age...and in fact to prove that this week I brought new clothes for the first time in forever and the whole thing was for knitwear jumpers and cardigans lol 'move out Granny I need your slippers' (no seriously, I need new slippers; they'll be next on the shopping list! lol)

Nighty night, sleep tight

Jennibellie xoxo

Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Marcia Beckett

Hello beautiful, you're looking lovely today (yes I can see you...in your paint-stained pajama bottoms, that look exactly like mine =D tee hee). I've been so tired the last couple of days that I haven't managed to even doodle so much as a scribble, so I'm very happy TAT's here because I need some motivation, I need some inspiration, I need some drive to make me customize my pajamas with another stylish stain & even more than that, with some pride. Paint-stained pajamas are too good to wear when just looking at the tv, when fussing the pup or answering some emails. Paint stained pajamas need some respect, they need some artsy time in the form of an artist interview and then some arting love...so I, or more specifically Marcia, is going to help with part one, then part two's on you (and me too!) to go fulfill our artistic potential for today...even if its just that scribble =)

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what kind of artist you are.

Hi! Thanks, Jenny for interviewing me for your blog. I am a 33 year old mixed media artist living in Madison, WI and an elementary art teacher for students in grades K-6 at a gifted and talented school. The children are really, really smart but are just like other kids in the sense that they love to get their fingers messy in art class! I am married with one sweet 3 year old daughter, who keeps me very busy. I run a challenge and sharing blog called Artists in Blogland and I also write articles for a mixed media art magazine called Featuring. For my own personal art, I love to make mixed media collages, paint with watercolors and acrylics and work in my art journals. 

What is the biggest challenge you personally face as an artist and how do you overcome it?

It's hard to pick the biggest challenge, but since I work full-time teaching I have limited time to make my own art. Weekends and summers are the best times for me to focus on artmaking. Also, like many people connected constantly to the internet, I face "information overload"! On one hand, it is so fun to see what everyone else is doing with their art and to connect with other people. On the other hand, it can be dangerous when you look at what everyone else is doing and start playing the comparison game. I find it very hard not to constantly compare myself to others. Also, it is hard to not be heavily influenced by other people's art and to not consciously (or subconsciously) start creating art that resembles other art you have seen. I have not been good at overcoming these challenges. I would love advice! Internet provides a lot of inspiration, but it can also hinder your progression as an artist.

What do you love most / least enjoyable about your art?

The thing I love most about making art is that it is time I can spend just for myself doing something I love. I love to collect and choose ephemera for particular collages and I love to play with the interactions between colors. Most aspects of artmaking are very enjoyable for me. I suppose the clean up and constant messiness in my basement are unenjoyable! 

Do you ever lose your mojo, and if so, how do you get it back?

For the past few years, I have not had any problems getting motivated to spend time in my art studio. It is a constant urge I have! There was a period of a couple years after college where I did not make any art for myself. Now I have made it a habit. I read art blogs, books and magazines and watch tutorials on Youtube while I am making art. I do this not for the goal of necessarily replicating the techniques, but they all provide fuel for that motivation to create art. If you are stuck, I highly recommend just reading a few pages from an art book and before you can finish you will probably be ready to move on to making your own art. If you need more direct instruction to go further, take an art class. There are many good ones online. During the summers, I have taken local art classes to learn more techniques and to focus on a particular medium. Or, participate in a challenge in an online group (like Artists in Blogland.)

Tell us where can we find out more about you & your art?

Blog for: Art Teaching , Blog for: Art Journaling & Mixed Media, 

Etsy, Twitter, Flickr

Thank you for sharing Marcia =) I love that you do art during the day with your class and then still have such a love for it you want to do it at home, that is something really special! I like your advice for starting-jumping your mojo too, I never have the computer on in my studio when I'm at my art desk because I have my back to the screen so youtube videos wouldn't be too much use while creating (plus I'd get distracted and keep turning round if I could only hear and not see lol) but I think I may try the book option...so I'm off to go pick one now, riffle through some colourful pages then get my painting (....my pajamas) =D 

Would you like to be featured on Tell All Tuesday??

Email me or click the link to find all the details here =)

Much love

Jennibellie