***Cutie Pie Winners and New Video***

YAY! It's the 15th, that means it's announcing the winners of the Cutie Pie giveaway time. Woohoo...I've been waiting for this all week =)

So here goes the three winners:

Winner no.1 of 

Prize 1: The Cutie Pie Embellishment Bundle

is comment number...

which was actually:

Ashley Troop9 May 2013 05:34

I just discovered you through youtube and am excited to see what you have cooking next!

congratulations Ashley =)

Winner no.2 of 

Prize 2: One Pack of the Cutie Pie Handcuts

is comment number...

which was actually:

Angella Dee8 May 2013 19:07

O Jenny, your new goodies are mouth-wateringly gorgeous!!! What a lovely give-away. You are so generous. Hope I win something this time :-)

congratulations Angella (you did you did lol) =)

Winner no.3 of 

Prize 3: One Pack of the Cutie Pie Journal Spots and Stickers:

is comment number...

which was actually:

me-bear8 May 2013 20:29

I would love to join your give away party. You are such a great artist. I'm happy to see cutie pie didn't just stay in your sketchbook. She deserves her own collection. Fab work!

Xx Monica

congratulations Monica =)

YAY! Congrats again to you three (can you please drop an email through to jennibellie@yahoo.co.uk & let me know the address you would like me to send your prizes to if you read this before I contact you). 

Thank you to everyone else that entered, remember though if you want them my Cutie Pies are still available at Paperclayjunkie for the time being, and I do have something extra for you too...a new video...

It's a one minute art journal page process, something I haven't done in a while but something I still want to throw in every now and then among my more instructional journaling videos, because I think the two hold very different purposes. 

...see, this is how I like to take my inspiration - in a short, sweet shot! 

Relax ~ and ~ Enjoy

much love

Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Carol Porter

Hey guys how is everyone?? Firstly though this is an interview post I just want to say wow! I'm so pleased so many of you are interested in my Cutie Pie Embellies yay!! thank you to those that have entered the giveaway, if you haven't I'm picking a winner (or rather 3) tomorrow so chop chop! 

So the weather in England has backtracked again by about 4 months so while I listen to the rain hitting my windows I'm gonna snuggle up with TAT, then I may read some zines for my arty tuesday evening treat while I pick a Revenge-slash-Grimm-slash-Arrow-slash-Warehouse 13 show to watch yay =D yes I'm fully aware I am such a nerd lol I don't care, I love it =)

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

My name is Carol Porter and I’m a Jane of all trades and truly a master of none of them, but I enjoy the process and the way I feel when I am in my own bubble of creativity. I’m teaching myself how to paint and draw. I enjoy sewing, polymer clay, photography, making greeting cards, working in my art journal, and the list could go on. There is so much out there that I want to try, sometimes I feel like I have some form of art ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder). I stalk YouTube videos and blogs that have anything related to the type of media I'm interested in working in. It helps to feed my frenzy. 

You will notice that in my paintings/drawings that I'm more drawn towards facial expressions or body language. A lot of my faces are not smiling though they're not necessarily sad either. You can tell a lot about a person in the expression of their eyes or how their lips are set. Also, the same goes for in the way a person stands, how they hold their hands, how they plant their feet, how they tilt their head. I find it very interesting. I'm still learning how to paint/draw faces and bodies but I'm getting better.

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

I would say my biggest challenge is me. Sometimes the self-doubt can be like a suit of armor, nothing can penetrate it and it’s almost impossible to complete a project, which can be extremely frustration. In those moments, all of a sudden I don’t know how to draw a straight line or do something I've always done without thinking about it. I have to remind myself to stop right there, put the pen/brush/crayon/scissors/whatever down and come back in an hour or another day. That break is so important to remember to take. It gives me a chance to step back and see the project more clearly, rethink it, or ditch it all together (by ditch, I mean stop working on it). I rarely throw projects away, so at another point in time it may get reworked into something else. It's important for me to remember that not every attempt is going to be successful, but that EVERY attempt is sharping my skills and that I need to relax and enjoy the moment. 

What do you find easiest / hardest in your art? 

This is funny. Easy is knowing how to use all of my materials, however mixing my “skills” along with the materials to create that “master piece” is the hardest. Some materials and skills don’t play together well, so it’s a lot of trial and error. I end up with a lot of happy accidents. 

The absolute hardest part is letting someone else see my work (da da dah dum!) 

What is your greatest personal achievement either in your art, or because of it? 

My greatest personal achievement is that despite how loud my inner voice is shouting “don’t show anyone!!” I've dared to believe that I AM AN ARTIST! I've been bold enough to upload videos of me creating art and being even bolder, I've opened an Etsy shop. I don’t know where my art journey is taking me but I intend to enjoy the ride. I've met so many wonderful and talented artists that inspire me on a daily basis, it’s been incredible. 

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

I would love for you to visit my YouTube channel, please feel free to leave me a comment, or you can visit me at my Etsy shop. You can also follow me on pinterest to see what some of my interest are: Carol Porter. I’m considering doing a blog but I’m not sure yet. (babysteps) 

Thank you so much for sharing Carol/Jane of all trades =D I absolutely adore the orb you've shared in the first picture - that to me looks AWESOMELY masterful! And I would really suggest starting that blog, I have never met a blogger yet that has regretted starting one. I was *so* fearful of starting Jennibellie Studio, now I look back I've no idea why...the techy stuff I think probably just overwhelmed me - as it still does, but I don't regret a second, I now love Jennibellie Studio with all my heart...my little arty extension of myself. They are a place for others to see in side our head a little bit further & a place to feel connected with others. Stick it on your weekend to-do list, you won't regret it!

Do you wanna share??

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

Much love

Jennibellie

PS ONLY ONE DAY LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Full Studio Tour

'Finnnnnnally' whoop! Video tour of my space is here. 

It's not what I'd create if life gave me unlimited funds and floor space, and I don't feel it 'represents' me very well as I'm v.much into crisp & beautiful interior design, BUT on the other hand it does represent me, so, so much! It makes the best of what I can have through what I do have, it's a compact entity that generates a multitude creativity from within it's hub and it's comfortable, something which all my spaces have to be above (or rather incorporated through) interior design.

Sometimes I wish it were a huge big open plan attic space, with a roof terrace filled with comfy cushions and potted plants - I mainly wish this when I'm trying to work on 50 projects at once, and run out of room to put all the things that are dripping with paint. But mostly I wish it were nothing but exactly what it is. My creativity lives, breathes and expands here, for now at least; and that means when I'm here I really am home. 

Cutie Pie Embellishments & Giveaway

I'm VERY excited today because I finally get to show you something I've been working on & itching to show you for months and have a **GIVEAWAY** - double yay!

So let me introduce you to my new Cutie Pie Embellishments which after much, much, much hard work finally are in the shop yay! I've been working on them since this post in fact, but if you're a regular reader you may recognize them as being born out of this post:

where I had a Cutie sketch attack while watching the Bourne Triology...coz you know Matt Damon does that to me (...not really...well may be).

...since then I've been painting, editing & adapting them, and during my downtime trawling through suppliers to get *exactly* what I wanted. I only have the embellishments in stock at the mo, anything else will just have to be a future surprise because ever since I re-opened my etsy shop I have been working for it to contain some really nice items, because if people are going to spend their money with me I want it to on special things that make you *squeak* when you receive the envelope - or digi file - lol. And I've also been itching to do a giveaway for AGES (ever since my last one in fact) and so it seemed nice to combine the two. So currently I have made:

Cutie Pie Hand-Cuts:

Blurb: Hand-cuts: my artisan take on die-cuts. 
My original watercolour paintings turned professionally into prints that are then individually and lovingly cut out by my own hand (...so chuffed with myself when I came up with the name 'Hand-cuts'!).

&

Cutie Pie Journal Spots & Stickers

Blurb: Journaling spots and stickers created from my original girlie & animal Cutie-Pie watercolour paintings. Professionally printed then cut by hand; they are craft supplies, but with a handmade artsy edge.

so now I've let you know what they are 

in the giveaway are 3 prizes;

Prize 1: Cutie Pie Embellishment Bundle:

Contains both the Hand-Cuts and Journal Spots & Stickers

Prize 2: One Pack of the Cutie Pie Handcuts:

Prize 3: One Pack of the Cutie Pie Journal Spots and Stickers:

So to enter it's just my regular simple rules of:

1) be a follower of this blog by clicking the 'join' button over there -------->

(though Google Reader is dying soon so if you want to keep up with my posts you can follow me on Bloglovin as well) 

2) leave me one comment on this post telling me you want to enter...

(though previous giveaways have given insights to explain I have approval filters on so don't send it through 50 times thinking it's disappeared - if you post it, I'll get it. Nor do I go in for all the 'like on here, there and everywhere and get an extra 50,000 entries', I keep it simple & fair for all so ONE comment only please. Finally if you leave a comment as 'anonymous' you MUST leave me your name and email in that comment - I may have many magical talents but guessing a random anonymous persons email address is beyond anyone's magical wand capabilities!)

That's it! I'll announce the winners in one week, on the 15th May. First name outta the hat will get prize 1, second name prize 2 etc. Simples. Oh and if you wana make sure you get a set of Cutie Pies in the meantime but are a winner of what you buy I'll just refund the purchase (and the p&p) via paypal once you've been picked. All countries welcome to enter.

Good luck to everyone & remember to come back on the 15th =)

much love

PS

I said I'd post when the Jennibellie's Journals zines are in stock, I did a post on facebook but forgot on here so 'the Jennibellie's Journals zines are in stock' lol better late than never...

Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Pixie Allen

Hi guys, it finnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnally feels like we're heading into summer here YIPPIE! I'm so happy I wanna share the love and will be doing so online tomorrow may be....in a giveaway...may be...I guess you'll just have to come back and see ;) for now though we have the happy goodies in the form of TAAAAAAAT (yep I'm THAT happpppppppppy I gotta draw lotsa words ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!) lol enjoy the fabulous work and mindful words of Pixie;

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

I’m Pixie (yes it’s my real name) I’m an artist, I’m a seeker of the light, and general love giver... I am a mom of two little boys and wife of one hubster who’s pretty awesome in himself. I run a plumbing and heating company during the day... who am I kidding its a 24/7 company lol! But I use my spare spare time to art, create, write and just free my creative muse. I love to create using all the colours on the spectrum, Im not shy of colour, it makes me happy, the brighter the better. I don’t box myself in when it comes to the type of artist I am, I tend to create what needs to come out of me so one day that could be an art journal page learning techniques another day it could be an energy piece, the next a fantasy piece, so it depends on my mood, my muse and what I am free to create. 

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

I guess the biggest challenge is to remain true to who you are. It’s so easy to sit on YouTube and watch how everyone else creates but then you go and do the same, it’s easy to loose yourself as an artist especially if you are just starting out. I say its great to watch other process for a while but there comes a point where its time for you to shine your beacon down on the world and let them see just how fabulous you are. To over come the risk, always art in your style, style is what makes you....you, so to speak, there’s not really much point in copying someone else’s style because it isn’t authentic to you and that what everyone wants to see right!?! 

What is your heart’s greatest desire for your life as an artist? 

To be free to create the things that make my soul sing. I love art and creating, but I don’t stick to the rules, I make sure it’s always fun and the music is on in the studio so I can groove along to it lol. I hope that people look at my art and just love the colours, the use of colours and say wow that rocks. 

What do you most wish your art to achieve? 

I would like to achieve my own gallery show locally, then clearly world domination lol but seriously I would love my own gallery show, even a shared show, this would be one of my biggest desires for my art. 

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

It’s natural that at some point that you’re going to hit a wall, I just flow with it, I journal alot, a written journal, I find that helps get out any issues, a bit like morning pages, it gets out the negative before starting the day. It helps and it works, thats not to say that sometimes it will be a long hiatus between arting but I think sitting with it is the most important thing, listen to your gut and do what its asking you to do I always find that going against it just causes more road blocks lol. Sooner or later the muse will return, I guess its just having faith that it will come back.

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

You can find me in all the usual places, mainly on facebook, my blog is down as I have some huge plans for that but right now you can find me here: Facebook Page : Twitter Page : Youtube 

Thanks so much Pixie, your last answer reminds me of a friend who says 'meh! it happens' with a dismissive shrug to practically everything that you think is totally end-of-the-world-crappy-balls (...short of someone dying that is) and I LOVE THAT! It happens, end of. Been feeling in that place lately and while part of me is going 'but you have no big project you're working on & that feels total weird-balls' the rest of me is totally 'who cares I got this shiny new paint, oooooooh *slosh* arrrrrrrrrrrrrrh *splat*' lol so I'm totally loving my mini downtime, I'm still doing art...so why do I feel I have to label it with a 'big project' sticker? That's total screwed-up-balls*!

Remember to *nudge* *nudge* come back *wink* *wink* tomorrow....

Do you??

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

Much love

Jennibellie

* not sure what all the balls is about, the sun has made me giddy!

Have you ever...

had a burning question for me?

I've spent the day answering your qu's and I've jiggled about my blog so I now have an 'About Me and FAQs' page YAY!

I decided the best way to tackle the amount of questions I get posed via email, youtube, facebook, twitter, flickr, you name it, is to dedicate a place where I can answer those that crop up time and again (and just for the nosey few that wanna read em all too ;) ). 

I love getting mail, and I love connecting with you all, so please don't stop. It's just the amount of questions coming at me has now gotten to a point where I feel all I'm doing online is answering queries, and I'm beginning to sink! I'm only one person. So hopefully this will help me out some by answering those that all have the same questions of art supplies, video making and online pursuits. Or if nothing else you'll see some cute (& scary - top right!) pics of Sweepie lol

I've also created a special place for my blog tutorials, which I'll hopefully be doing more of in the future, whoop!

So that's it for now, Jennibellie is over and out and Jenny's going to take over with a chillaxing evening, go check out my new pages and if you can think of any other glaringly obvious regularly asked questions for me leave em in the comments of this blogpost, it'll be an ongoing evolutionary exercise =)

much love & happy weekend

Shoestring Studio Spruce-Up Ideas w Video Goodness

Woohoo! Now I feel like a real Jennibellie-again...because I have a new video. I've felt a little out of my own loop/on a back foot since I've come back online and this is the reason. Now I have a video. Now I feel complete ;)

This vid is a run-up to my next which will be a full studio tour (yes, I know long time coming...been badgered about it for yeaaaaars! lol) but here I wanted to show some super simple ideas for sprucing up your studio, on the cheap (often free) and very quick, before I do. Here it is, enjoy:

Much love

Comic Strip Page

So you know I've been kinda slow on the journal pages recently, as I said in My Journal Pattern post a while ago, sometimes I do nothing but art journal, other times I do anything but art journal. And this is one of those latter times. And that's okay. My muse isn't much fussed about looking at, or producing, art journal pages but instead looking outside the box of art journaling; which is fine, awesome in fact. It gets me to see what else is around me that can inspire and develop into something.

'Drained' says (and shows, from it's lack of inspiration/interest) it all!

Recently I've been really into reading zines, especially perzines, and given my artistic nature I definitely prefer those that are created with an artistic flare of their own; which has lead me to read a few comic based zines. What I love most about these comic perzines is that they can take the mundane of days and turn them into something relate-able, clever and fun. So taking inspiration from some of my favourite zinesters* last night I created a comic strip, picking something mundane from my day and choosing very simple sketches, so that I didn't find the process too arduous (which would be a sure sign I'd never make one again lol)

A jiffy later here's the finished result, 

about how Sweepie's just like a real boy, and will eat anything....just as long as it's off of your plate.

And so you can read it easier:

So super simple but it did give me a feeling of accomplishment lol. This is in my written journal & I'll definitely be doing more of these in there to log my day. My bff is always drawing our time together like this, and I used to do little 'bits' like this in my teenage journals (which looked like a cross between zines with their doodles and copy & paste elements & Smash Books with their across-class-notes and ticket stubs with journaling) can't believe it hasn't occurred to me to do it as another form of journaling before now. I highly recommend this for when you don't feel like getting out all your pens/paints/crayons/etc/etc/etc and doing the full art journal shindig.

Happy creating, much love

* (I know I've blogged about zines before but I'm aware I may be still be speaking a different language to some of my readers here, so 1) Zine, a form of self publication on any desired topic 2) Per-zine, short for personal-zine, can be a diary or poetry etc 3) Zinester, someone who makes/trades/reads zines. K? Good. Great. lol)