Weekly Ramble ~ GO, GO, GO!!!

Hellllllooooooo

I'm going to be very quick for my Weekly Ramble this week as I've my bff descending for a stay at any moment; it's her 30th tomorrow and while I've wrapped all 30 pressies I've not yet hidden them around the place or written any cryptic treasure hunting clues, as has become our 30th tradition lol so I need to get going... 

So to keep this short for me but interesting for you (hopefully) I've decided to theme this Ramble. As I mentioned a few Rambles ago that I've been making changes to my Outdoor Studio so now here's an early look at how it's turned out in my Updated Studio Tour:

And as I said in the video I've been continually falling into the flow of making more art out here, so here's a look at some pages I've made this week:

and a lil work in progress:

...And you may have seen my mess of an indoor space from my facebook post yesterday: 

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!

I'm in the midst of making something new to go in my outdoor studio, though now I've a new project jump into my head today (from nowhere - I love that) I'm eager to clear it all away and get going on the new one! But priorities, first things first...=( ...but still it's nice when your creative spirit is all go-go-go (however much you don't have the time to actual do all the things you want lol - I'm sure you know that feeling!)

Thanks for reading

See you soon

Much love

PS if you are a member of my Art Community and have not yet entered my 4,000 Member giveaway click here: http://journalworkshops.ning.com/forum/topics/4000-member-giveaway to enter

 I'll be picking the winner on Sunday ;)

Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Cindy Richard

Hi guys

This is the first TAT in over a month woooooooooooah!

If you read my last Weekly Ramble then you may know the strangest mixture of events has had a hand in that, but it was also a timely break as this feature needs more artists that want to be featured to continue after this week - so if YOU DO please click the details at the bottom of this post. Be bold. Be brave. Be yourself and share with us what you've got to say!

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what kind of artist you are.
Today I am a textile artist and landscape quilter. I worked in high-tech before turning to art as my Day job. I've been living in Israel for 23 years. Before leaving the US I worked in publishing, supervising the printing of children’s books created by master illustrators. After immigrating to Israel, while working as a technical writer in hi-tech, I sought a creative outlet and started quilting. At first I was attracted by the structured simplicity of traditional designs. It was only later that I branched out to create contemporary designs of my own. Today I prefer creating fabric landscapes using raw-edge appliqué. I particularly like creating handmade quilt art that reflects the people and places of the Holy Land. I am drawn by the beauty of the landscapes and the unique colors of Israeli society. I have built a repertoire of landscapes of the natural wonders here like the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Currently I am working on a series of “moments in time at the Jerusalem marketplace”. One of these pieces is hanging at the Jerusalem Theater.

What is the biggest challenge you personally face as an artist and how do you overcome it?
I think my biggest challenge is finding my voice and getting my name out there. It's really hard to wear an artists hat as well as a business woman's hat. Success is only going to happen if I also learn to market my art and sell my name. That isn't my strong side. It isn't easy to be out there attracting attention to my work. I would much rather be quilting!

Do you think you have achieved a uniquely recognisable style as an artist, or do you find it a struggle to find your own style?
I have been searching for my voice all along. I realized early on that my best work was always based on places I love. So, I basically focus on places that have personal meaning for me. I'm originally a New Yorker, so I am attracted to New York scenes. More important though are the scenes of people and places that surround me in Israel. The natural wonders, like the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee are so amazing. I strive to capture their grandeur. The marketplace in Jerusalem is so colorful and poignant. So these are my most favorite subjects. I think if I can become known as the quilter of Israeli society and landscapes I will be thrilled.

What daunts you most as an artist?
I don't have a background in art. I've worked with color and I can learn technique, but I really wanted to make a leap for craft to art. So, I found a really talented art teacher who knows how to teach and started taking drawing classes. It's the best step I have taken. I have learned quilting with some amazing masters and that's shaped my work as well, but building a foundation has really helped my confidence. Drawing is not something you can learn from a book. You have to see it, feel it and immerse yourself in it. I can now piece and embroider faces, which was a real goal for me. I've overcome this stumbling block enough to move on.

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

I teach private students from my studio at home and sell my designs at my online 

store, cindyrquilts.etsy.com. My work can be found on my website, cindyrquilts.com.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and work with us Cindy, you are seriously talented! You're quilts are beautiful and I am so grateful I get to share a variety of enriching art on here.

*****IN NEED OF ARTISTS*****

Again artists interviews are nothing without the artists lol

Do you want to be featured?

To be featured email me or find all the details here =)

Weekly Ramble ~ Pre-Raphaelite Art Binge

Hi guys

This weeks weekly ramble is gonna be a quickie as I'm busy busy busy atm. I spent a bit a long weekend at a country park and visited this house:

I visit many historic places/house, this one is called Wightwick Manor & the reason I'm showing it is it was sooooooooooo inspiring for me artistically speaking. Most places I love for their beauty anyway but this one was not only full of beautiful arts and crafts features but also chocca with Pre-Raphaelite art.

Postcards of some of the art in there - too much to count!

It sent my head spinning, so perhaps the future will hold some sort of Pre-Raphaelite inspired art or tutorial lol we'll see. While I was away I caught a few mins to do some warm-up art with VERY limited supplies and managed to record it too, though I've so much on atm mo no idea when I'll be posting that lol

Finally I did a giveaway in last weeks ramble, 

the winner gets my new art pins

and iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis:

RENA DECKARD!

Congratulations!

Now I didn't realise that google had yet again made changes and turned our blogger profiles to be Google+, which frankly twists my melon! But I believe I can figure a couple of ways to try and contact you - but if you read this Rena please contact me with details of where you'd like me to send these to =)

And the final finally is because I've been away (with next to no internet) on TAT days, or been ill, etc, etc, etc you may have noticed I've not been posting them for around a month. Weird set of circumstances has dictated that, but if I were doing it I would have no more artists to interview by now...so I shall be getting back to TAT this coming Tuesday but I need artists! Please see this post to find out how to be featured if you are interested: 

TELL ALL TUESDAY

So that's all for now, bit of a weird Ramble (but I guess that's why I started this in the first place!)

See you tuesday

Much love

Weekly Ramble with Giveaway (Closed)

Hey ho!

Well this week I'm rambling from a v.remote lakeside country park, with hotspot wi-fi via my phone making this post possible (or not, well see when I come copy this out of a notepad to try and post it lol).

So I haven't done much creatively the last few days part from getting videos ready for Journal Workshops. Firstly yesterday I posted a very late video that included a portrait tutorial on a recycled page for a previous challenge on 'Two Recycled Items' from June:

Then today I posted this Months Challenge video here:

August Challenge Page

but I won't go on about this too much as I did so in my Monthly Newsletter yesterday and don't want to bore those readers with the same things. In the newsletter I'm doing a giveaway of some new Art Girl Pin Badges I've created and it has just now made me realise how long it's been since I've done a blog giveaway - so I'll give one away here too =) Here are what they look like:

I shall choose a winner in next weeks weekly ramble and the rules are my normal ones ( 1: to be a follower of this blog via the button on the right column, and/or Bloglovin', and 2: leave me a comment on this post so I know you want to be entered).

That's about all for this ramble, I wanna post this while my wi-fis here lol

See you when I get back from the countryside (but I've got my art kit with me so it could be sooner!)

Have a happy week, mwah!

Jennibellie is *alive*

Hey ho, Jennibellie is *alive*

lol I've had a few days off of social media etc and I've had a few 'where have you gone', 'are you ok?' messages which feels lovely to be missed online I must say =) I've been a lil ill but am on the mend now. Creatively me being out of it (literally out of it sometimes unfortunately) has had a knock-on effect on what art I've managed to do, which is a shame because the beginning of the month I felt so ON IT!! But in coming to put this weekly ramble post together I have noticed I have managed a few things. 

(TOP TIP: Through journaling I have found out that if you ever feel really depressed or angry over your lack of productivity then simply write a list of those things you have managed to get done, however big or small & that feeling will always soon evaporate - it's much easier to be hard on ourselves for things we have not managed to get done, than notice all the great shizzle we have!)

One thing I have done this very evening is film the new video for the Monthly Challenge Group, it currently looks like this:

...so no chances of me giving it away then lol, lots of editing to be done on that first!

Another is a v.quick style of journaling I've taken to recently, in my new quickie journal, which considering how I've been feeling suits the situation incredibly:

I have also been designing new products for my shop woooooooooooooooooo

as well as spending some time stocking it up on what I've had out of stock for a while:

makin' some zine packs

but the development stage of making new items takes sooooooooooo long that it's hardly worth me mentioning what they'll be, as it'll be 6 months before they are seen lol gotta love the creation process! As I've previously mentioned too I've been switching my studios (a new updated tour of my outdoor studio is coming!) so I've been trying to make my shop organisation more functional for me - if you have an online shop then you know what I'm talking about, it's easy to drown in things quickly - so the old cart has moved inside from my outdoor studio and is doing a great job being my 'products-in-progress' organiser!

In case no-one has noticed this about me before I highly recommend BOXES, 

for everything,

just go get some boxes lol

go!

they are always in demand around here

And that's about everything for now,

hope you have a fabulousooo weekend

much love

U r an *ARTIST* Video & My 'Regular' Journal Vlog

Hi guys

so some of you may have already seen this video I posted yesterday sneakily here, on the issue so many of us have on claiming the word 'artist' as a description of ourselves:

But I also filmed this vlog while at the Chamber. It is about what could be considered my 'regular' form of journaling. I thought it was about time I shared it, though as I say in the vlog 'seeing as I share all my others', but then I realised I actually have TONS of written style journals that I don't share - goal setting, gratitude journals and many more besides. But then they really are mostly writing so probably v.boring to look at...hope this one isn't though. I also lay down a challenge if you would like to discover the joys of regular journaling for yourself:

Much love & Sweepiebum kisses

My Awol Week

Hi guys

so I've been a bit awol this week.

After posting a Mid Month Bonus prompt in my Monthly Challenge Group I packed up some stuff and took a trip to spend some time in a haunted chamber:

While there I shot a video, which I have posted below just for you early, because you are fabulous ;)

There is a part two to it in the form of a vlog, but they are on two different topics and I still have to edit etc so will probably post tomorrow (when I will 'officially' post this too)

So hope you enjoy, I'm off to do something to cool down, 
Sweeps already had his bath, it is crazy hot here in the UK today, icky sticky!!

Travel Kit & Journal Flip

Hey guys
today I have the remaining travel art video that I have to share.

 In this one I share my biggest ever travel art kit, and then a flip through of my completed holiday journal. 

Hope you enjoy

Have an awesome weekend

Much love