Creative Jump Start #25

Yikes... the weather has

just begun to get better and I'm already behind in my chores. With spring comes a whole bunch of added activities and work. Clean up the lawn and garden, spring house cleaning, get the grill ready for the bar-b-ques, and go out walking to take off these extra winter pounds (ugh!) Are you busy with spring projects, or are you into fall?

In trying to get acclimated to

my spring schedule, I'm not getting as much crafting completed. I did a page in my partly finished Creative Jump Start journal...

This started out as

semi-copy of what Donna Downey was doing here on her Inspiration Wednesday video. I say semi-copy because I didn't have the ceramic stucco nor the fluorescent paint that she was using. I did get the inspiration though! Although I stopped way short of what she ended up creating, I liked the look and thought that was as far as I was going to take it.

I really love all

this texture from the pattern I crinkled up and laid down with gel medium, and the stenciled molding paste. I added just a smidgen of stamping with my new Prima clear stamp (both stencil and stamp from Anna Dabrowska's line).

This is page 25 from

the Creative Jump Start lessons... I'm just jumping around (no pun intended) with no particular order in mind with the last of these pages. Whatever I feel like doing next is how I'll go with the end of this journal. 

I'm linking up at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Everyday

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #15

I'm sorry friends,

for not being very talkative lately. While I'm content to stay at home a good deal of the winter, I find that it does seem to make me pretty dull. We are planning a little trip to Disney World soon, so that Florida sunshine just may be the remedy. Until then, I hope you'll forgive my brief posts.

Here is my CJS #15 page...

This Jump Start was

the most exciting and promising of all of them as far as I was concerned. When I saw this technique I absolutely freaked out because I imagined all sorts of possibilities with fabric and clay... plus... the Penmaker had just bought a can of this stuff. YES... I didn't need to rush out and buy more supplies! ... AND... when we owned our mail order craft business, we use to sell gobs and gobs of Krylon, so I knew it was a great product! Alas... imagine my disappointment when I realized the images for transfer had to be printed in toner not ink. I can't tell you how downhearted I was last night after trying and failing to get a transfer... all my dreams of making fabric pieces printed with my designs just flew out the window. Oh well... on to the next technique! It's not like there is nothing to create, right?

I did lots of

Distress Inking once again with Chipped Sapphire, Mowed Grass, Shaded Lilac and Dusty Concord. These colors were made to match this piece of fabric that has been tucked away in my stash for eons. I did a bit of rough machine stitching and gluing to finish off my project. A happy place after all!!!

I'm linking up at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #14

Since my Creative

Jump Starts #12 and #13 didn't turn out so great, I'm moving on ahead to show you my #14. 

When I make a card

I don't like I just tear it apart and start over. When I do a journal page I don't like I gesso over it and begin again. Such is the case here. If you look close you'll see some faint stamped flower images at the bottom that weren't at all to my liking, but now I'm really loving all these the Distress Inks. I used Mustard Seed, Squeezed Lemonade, Weathered Wood and Faded Jeans.

I did some embossing

on this center arrow (CW Chevron Arrows stencil) with Whispers Clear Glitter Embossing Powder. 

This is the CW stencil,

Mini Burst... love this one... especially highlighted with the Mustard Seed.

Am linking up at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #11

Jump Start #11 is

all about one of our sponsors... the established leader in flower embellishments... Prima Marketing. 

I started buying Prima 

flowers when I first began card making, then I branched out into their paper collections, trinkets and other lovely embellishments. Recently I bought their mixed media album and resist covers. What will they come up with next?

Since we're talking

Prima, I started this page with a sheet of their beautiful Fairy Belle "Aquarelle".

I brushed on a

bit of gesso around the edges, then sponged on some Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Dabbed on a little Titanium White acrylic paint using a piece of bubble wrap here and there for more texture.

With a toilet tissue

roll, I added some circles with Vintage Photo Distress Stain, then stamped on a crackle pattern with Coffee Archival Ink.

Now I began adding

layers of paper... a piece of Flights of Fancy "Tiptoe" and the flip side of "Aquarelle".

I added some of

those fabulous Prima flowers along with a few from I Am Roses, a Prima metal trinket bird and one of their art tiles.

The Prima crocheted

flower was in one of the first packages I had bought and was hoarding. A perfect fit for this page!

Complete!

Love that Prima!!!

I'm linking up at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #10

Creative Jump start

Summit 2013 ended last Thursday, and here I am on #10 in my journal. I went through the videos each day, printed out the lesson numbers and photos of the Jump Starters, but I was waiting to do the actual techniques when I had time to work on each one. So here is page ten...

Gel medium resist

technique with our leader Nathalie Kalbach.

I loved this bird

in the middle of the stencil. I outlined it with my Zig Painty silver oil based paint marker then sat him on a branch.

Thank you all for your

kind comments about my Press journal I posted here, here and here. I appreciate you taking time to let me know what you think. I know how busy everyone is, and for you to write a comment is just so encouraging. Thank you, friends... love you all!

I'm linking up at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Question: Do any of you have a Cinch Bindery Tool and what do you think of it?

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #9

Who doesn't like

stencils? Seriously, they can be used on any project and with many different techniques. Jump Starter Karen Ellis showed us three ways...

She used her

Crafters Workshop Karen's House stencil... one I haven't purchased yet... to show her three ways with a Gelli Plate, molding paste and paper piecing.   

I created my background

starting with a coat of gesso and topping it with Cerulean Blue, Titanium White and Grey acrylics, blending with my finger and spritzing with a bit of water. I layered on: 1. Cerulean Blue using the CW Chunky Chevron stencil and a foam brush; 2. Molding paste and CW Tile Texture; 3. Jet Black Archival ink and CW Art Is; 4. Meadow Green Glimmer Mist and CW Harlequin. Splattered on Butterscotch Color Wash.

I'm link up at:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Hope you have a fun and relaxing weekend.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #6

You may have

noticed that my Jump Start pages aren't in order. I like to switch things up a bit, especially if I don't have the product on hand that the girls are using. Like #6. Nat's techniques were with foam stamps, and I don't own any. So, I just sat that day aside until I determined that I wouldn't be getting any new stamps soon. Then I went ahead and created a page without them...

This background is

done in Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists... Meadow Green, English Ivy and Patina. Did the ghosting technique using my new 12" Crafter's Workshop Paradise stencil.

I used three

different stamps with both Jet Black and Aquamarine Archival ink and applied some soft gel medium in various spots using that same CW stencil. When the soft gel was dry, I lightly sponged Vintage Photo Distress ink over it for just a hint of color.

I love the subtile

texture the soft gel medium gives the page.

I layered on

a little My Mind's Eye Portobello Road paper from a 6x6 pad along with Stella & Rose trims. Hummm... I think that aqua trim is upside down... but that just adds to the grungy look... right? I finished up with tiny wooden clothes clips and Idea-ology Salvage Stickers.

I'm linking up at:

Anything But A Card - Tie It Up

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #8

If you're taking

advantage of Nathalie Kalbach's Creative Jump Start Summit 2013, you are familiar with the sponsor spots that show up every few days. Sad to say, I haven't purchased any product from Jump Starter #8, Darkroom Door. Their rubber stamps look amazing! Here's the page I created for them...

I blended three

acrylics for the background... Red Ochre, Grey and Titanium White spritzed with a little water.

Once I got started,

I couldn't stop piling on the layers. I pulled out my whole stack of stencils and began... first with the Titanium White acrylic, a brush and Studio Calico's Bubbles. Second, soft gel medium and Crafter's Workshop Punchinella. 

Next, CW Chevron

 Arrows spraying with Lindy's Stamp Gang  Rudolph's Nose Red Starburst... CW Ledger stencil, a sponge brush and cheap black craft paint. Added some drops of Black Marble Dylusions ink and finished off with Jet Black Archival ink and one of the Stampers Anonymous Bitty Grunge stamps.

Grabbing my box of

scraps, I cut a few banners and glued all the pieces together.

Lots of texture...

and as Donna Downey says... Happy Place!!!

I'm linking up to:

Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #5

On January 4th, 

Sharon Laakkonen gave us some ideas for using tags as embellishments. I tried one here... stenciled with paint, misted with Glitz Spritz and stamped with one of Donna Downey's from Unity 

(the tag that is)...

The whole idea of

my journal is to create a page using at least one of the tips our Jump Starters are giving us. 

The background here 

is Aqua Green, Cerulean Blue and Titanium White acrylics blended together. I dabbed on some gesso using the Crafter's Workshop Ledger stencil then a bit of gel medium with CW Tile Texture. It was all misted with Lindy's Stamp Gang Scintillating Silver Glitz Spritz.

The paper is from

an old Prima collection called Annalee and the roses were fussy cut from the Avondale sheet. The doilies are French Lace.

I hope you're having

a pleasant Monday... always hard getting started again after the weekend!

I am linking up to:
Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #3 And #4

I thought I may

need to double up on showing you my projects to get them all in. Here is what I created for lovely Heidi Swapp's mask/stencil tips and for USArtQuest...

You would think

that a woman that has been crafting since she was in her teens could cut out a heart mask at first try. I won't tell you how many are in my trash can at the moment. I did (finally) manage to make one to fit the page and do Heidi's masking and stenciling technique.

I ran into another

snag with not having any 12x12 stencils. I had to move my smaller one twice and didn't get quite enough spray in the center. I've since ordered several new larger stencils... good excuse to buy!

Inks;

Spray - Lindy's Stamp Gang Cotton Candy Pink Starburst

Distress - Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar

Archival - Jet Black

Stencils;

Studio Calico Bubbles, homemade heart mask 

Stamps;

Unity Insightful Meadows

Misc;

Faber-Castell black S Pitt pen

Now USArtQuest...

No set techniques...

so I just played around with inks. I don't own any USArtQuest product... so I need to check out what's available.

Inks;

Distress - Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord, Picked Raspberry

Archival - Jet Black

Sprays;

 Glimmer Mist - Marshmallow

Lindy's Stamp Gang - Scintillating Silver

Goosebumps - Clear Texture

Stencils;

Crafter's Workshop - Tile Texture, Punchinella, Dandelions

Misc;

Golden Matte Soft Gel, Prima flowers, cardstock flourish, feather, Prima paper scraps

I wish you could

see this shimmer and texture... the combination of the gel medium, Goosebumps and Scintillating Silver are magnificent... then you have the distress inks reacting to the gel medium and "bleeding" into it to create a fabulous blend of colors and textures and beneath that the subtile ghosting of the Dandelions stencil. LOVE it!!!

Sometime soon  

I want to show you a mini album and an altered Starbuck's bag.

I'm linking up to:
Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start #2

I know, I know...

why am I showing you #2 when Creative Jump Start is on #13. I have to confess, I am slightly behind in showing you journal pages because of all the other projects I'm creating. Nevertheless... I'm keeping up with the creating process and the photographing... something new!

Here is #2's Jump Starter, my favorite gal, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer...

A fun time with

inks and paint... I put it all on this page using lots of stencils.

Inks; 

Distress - 

Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Black Soot

Spray - 

Color Wash - Butterscotch, Sunset Orange

Lindy's Stamp Gang - Golden Sleigh Bells Starburst

Paint;

Acrylic - Liquitex Titanium White

Stencils;

Crafter's Workshop -

Tile Texture, Punchinella, Chicken Wire, Chevron Arrows

Tags;

Manila - #5, #8

Misc;

American Crafts Doll Fabric Thickers, Alphabet stamps, black cardstock scraps

One of Julie's tips

was to put duct tape around your stencils to avoid ink/paint going where you don't want it to. As you can see here... I didn't follow her directions (shame on me). I will be buying duct tape very soon!

I'm linking up to:
Balzer Designs - Art Journal Every Day

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda

Creative Jump Start Summit 2013 Begins

Oh what a busy, busy week!

As soon as the new year began, so did Creative Jump Start, kicking my creativity into high gear. I just cannot leave my studio (which is what I am now calling my little craft room, which was once upon a time our daughter Carrie's bedroom). I can't say enough good things about CJS... it just seems to inspire me to try all manner of new techniques. CJS Summit 2012 started me off last year in a new direction of crafting with mixed media and art journaling. 

Here is my 2012 journal...

My first ever art journal...

 my granddaughter Katie painted the covers and tied fibers around it. That was how I started.

I filled it up. There are 

a lot of pages I don't care for... but that's all part of the growing process, right?

Here is the one I started

for this years Summit 2013... I chose a larger size journal so I don't have to squeeze everything in on a page (hopefully). I haven't done anything on the cover yet... so here is my first page...

As you can see, I added

another of Zorana's free printable little birds... I thought she went well with my color scheme.

Organizer/coordinator, Nat

Kalbach started things off with two videos to get us going and we've been sailing ever since... Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Heidi Swapp, Sharon Laakkonen and Louise Nelson have followed with more fantastic tips and techniques... you have to get in on this, ladies! and it's FREE!

I promise I will get

around for a visit soon... can't seem to get it all done! Along with all the projects and cleaning up after the holidays, I decided to clean out the studio (I'm a glutton for punishment). I went through all of my supplies, organizing and getting rid of what I knew I wouldn't use anymore because it wasn't my style (funny how that changes). Now granddaughter Katie will have some new things to play with and I'll have a bit more room. CHA is just around the corner which means a ton of new product being released soon... I REALLY need more room!

Have you seen the sneak peek of Graphic 45's French Country?

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda