New Jenni Bowlin…lovely!

The new Jenni Bowlin is really fun and versatile. Combine it with Jenni's new stamps, ink pads from Ranger, and daubers from Ranger, you have mega creative fun.

Another one in progress…

I think I need to finish some of these in-progress pages, eh?

Layouts with Tim Holtz’s new Winter CHA releases…

I had the honor and privilege of creating some layouts with products from Tim Holtz's Winter CHA release. I tell ya, you are going to love. love, love his new stuff. It's inventive and inspiring! These layouts use his:

• new embossed kraft paper…seriously divine.
• Adirondack Color Wash inks.
• Distress inks (here's a tip–when I want a colored journlaing strip, I rub a Distress ink pad on a sheet of cardstock & let the ink dry…then cut into strips & journal)
• New adhesive plastic letters
• New glassine kraft paper
• Bits of the new tissue tape
• Bits of the new metal embellishments & buttons

A page in progress….

Got turned on to those Stabilo Marks All pencils in a class by Misty Mawn…love drawing with them and then wetting the lines!

February Class at The Creative Quest

Hand-carved Word Stamps for Art Journaling and Mixed Media

Saturday, February 19^th, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

$35

Call the store directly to sign up…623.847.2215.

Take your personal journaling to new heights by using hand-carved word stamps. Hand-carving a stamp out of an eraser is easy, and you’ll find that you use your collection of words over and over again!

In class we’ll discuss and carve our words. You’ll create a collection of words that are meaningful to you. Then we’ll incorporate our words into our journals and other mixed-media art. Come and have fun experimenting and playing!

Please bring:

• All your usual art journaling and mixed-media supplies (gesso, acrylic paint, brushes, pen for journaling, regular pencil, ephemera, etc.).
• Permanent black ink pad, like a Ranger Archival pad.
• If you’d like to work in your journal, please bring it. I will have watercolor paper for you to use, too. You are always welcome to bring other substrates, as well (canvas, wood panels…whatever interests you!).
• Tool for making hand-carved stamps. I have the Speedball Carving Kit (retails for around $14). I prefer the two smallest v-shaped cutting nibs, but if you buy the kit, it comes with several types. I will provide the erasers for carving.
• A list of words that are meaningful to you.

Creative Therapy…your OLW

Over at Creative Therapy (where the guest is the awesome Katie Kendrick!!), we're making art that highlights our "One Little Word" for 2011.

My word is "confidence"…not confidence as in self-esteem (because I'm comfortable in my skin), but confidence to try something different. I want to confidently branch out and try new things. I want to grow with confidence and with a smile on my face. I've got plenty of artistic insecurity, trust me…and sometimes I'm my own biggest critic and obstacle (geez, aren't we all? Why do we do that to ourselves?). Some things I don't even try because I've told myself I can't do that. This year I'm banishing that type of thinking.

The bottom line is making art saves me. Making art is a compulsion I have. I must do it. I'm happy when I do it. And I'm even happy when I'm making crappy art…lol. The process, not the end product, has so much value.

Here's to a confident 2011!

This & that…..

• I'm still in the midst of CHA creation madness…finishing up Tim Holtz's awesome new stuff today (oh my, you will die, the new stuff is so cool). This a.m. a box of new & awesome Jenni Bowlin Studio arrived on my doorstep…so that's up next. Did my Maya Road minis a week or so ago…their products are always cutting edge and unique.

• I have a long history with back problems, and this week my back decided to act up (grrr). Hopefully I'm not killing my kidneys with all the ibuprofen I'm taking. Luckily this flare up isn't as bad as others I have had. Small blessings…I'll take it!

• I'm the featured artist over at "Inspired By." You must go take a look at Jill's card…it's awesome!!

• I am SO, so excited about the teaching opportunities I have lined up for this year. Teaching is a passion of mine…I truly love it!

• The new issue of Stampington's Art Journaling is out…and it is a FABULOUS issue (and I'm not saying that because I'm in it!). It's literally overflowing with inspiration…a must have.

I love texture…

There's just something about grungy, textural layers that makes me swoon!

The pics above are from an unfinished page…will share when it's done.

Buried under….

I'm buried under with assignments…the weeks before CHA are always stressful! My journal has lots of half-started pages, lots of experiments…today I'm sharing a simple page.

What creative projects have you been working in for the new year?

I’m teaching this month at Masterful Scrapbook Design…

Have you checked out Debbie Hodge's Masterful Scrapbook Design?

You really should. For $10 a month you get incredible content…amazing PDF "seminars" that teach all kinds of concepts, gallery examples, live chats with teachers, articles on scrapbooking topics, and more. You can get a peek of January's seminar by clicking here. Really, it's a screaming deal for the content. I'm always amazed by Debbie…anything she does is top notch!

This month the focus is on Journaling, and I'm lucky to be one of the teachers (along with Lain Ehmann, Paula Gilarde, and Karen Grunberg). Debbie delves into the subject head-first, and talks about different forms of journaling (conversational, list, first person, story-telling, etc) as well as many different methods to get journaling down onto your page.

Here are some of my pages that Debbie discusses in the seminar…

I promise you'll love it. And if you don't, Debbie offers a money-back guarantee!