Creative Jumpstart, Jan 31, Dana Wakley: Family Portrait Transfers

I don’t have access to a laser printer so I tried an ink jet color transfer of my husband and I... it didn’t work, even a bit! So this journal page includes a transfer I did onto cotton using matte medium. It’s a picture of my brother and I, and our pets, Ginger, Becky, and Kelly. I’ve had a couple of pages in this journey back from my days growing up in Calgary, and it has brought back many happy memories.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 30, Tina Walker: Household textures

In today’s video Tina made molds and then resin pieces she used in mini art journal pages. I don’t have the ingredients to do this (though I’m intrigued and will someday probably get them). For this journey through Creative Jumpstart I’m using the material I have on hand, and making a journal page for each days project. I have paper clay and some pre made molds so I used textures and papers and paper clay molds that I had around the studio to create this page. The words say: If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 29: Iris Fritachi-Cussens: My city speaks to me

My city (Toronto) is on an edge of Lake Ontario. We spend a lot of time along the waterfront. I love reflections in water. This journal page is inspired by today’s video by Iris Fritachi-Cussens, and also a technique I’ve seen variations of online.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 28: Joe Rosella: Decorative Storage Box

In today’s video, Joe showed how he decorated a cigar box for his home. My inspiration for this journal pages comes from that video - though just on a page. I didn’t have any of the things Joe used (embossing powders, gold leaf, cigar box, special paper and machine to cut his pattern... so I collaged a Buddha head onto a piece of painted wood paper, which was applied to gelli print paper. If I was to do a box, it would end up something like this:

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 27: Rachel Grieg: Where I come from

I was born in Calgary Alberta, Canada and lived there until I was about 12. We moved quite a bit - every 4 years or so apparently. I only remember the last two areas we lived in - Sunnyside, then Roxborough. I layered photocopies of these two areas with other bits and pieces that remind me of those years. Everything on this page has meaning to my memories of that time,including the pink, which has always been my favourite color.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 25, Marlene Meijer: Fanciful Home

This was fun!

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 26: Gwen Lafleur: Home Gratitude Journal

Inspired by today’s video, I decided just to do a journal page rather than make a journal. I have a lot of handmade journals waiting to be filled! I don’t usually work in dark colors, so this was way out of my comfort zone. I’m happy with this page and am glad to find another use for my black and grey gesso, but dark is not my happy place!

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 24: Rikka Kovasin: inspiration Dice

Because I’m treating this as an art journal exploration, any of the prompts that create objects get translated into a journal entry. For this prompt I drew some dice and wrote different prompts that I might use to inspire something on an art journal page. There are oh so many more words I could add to other sides, and more dice.... this would actually be quite a neat way to inspire a page!

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 23: Jen Crossley:Tiny House Jewelry

Inspired by today’s video, I created a house which hides in a fairy garden. The quote reads: Garden fairies come at dawn, bless the flowers, then they’re gone.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 22: Carolyn Dube: Sgraffito Sanctuary Journal

For this prompt I used her cover process to make my journal page. I’m not going to turn it into a cover, though I’m loving how soft and flexible the paper is, so I can see that one day I might. And, I finally got a chance to use those oil pastels that are sitting on the shelf! The words Health and Balance are my intention words for the year, chosen for another group.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 21: Rae Missigman: Art you can share

This was art much less controlled than I’m used to! Fun.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 20: Andrea Chebeleu: a home for your ATCs

This was a tough one to translate into an art journal page because Andrea actually created a little book with a pocket to hold ATC’s. I suppose I could have created a pocket n a different size for my Zentangle squares, but I have lots of holders for those. So, I used a gelli plate paper and drew on the template so if I ever decide to make one, here it is..

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 19: John Duval: My Home is my studio

This is a very small corner of my studio. Still much more detail than John Duval’s watercolor, but a lot less than actually exists. This is a very light corner of my studio, and I was reluctant to use the dark colors he did.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 18: Kae Pea: Masterpieces on Tile

Inspired by today’s video, I used a “tile” cut from mat board and framed with gelli print and watercolor test papers. The cat is a stamp and the quote is from a FB post I once saw of a kitten being cuddled. “Tell me again about the day you brought me home and I was all cold and hungry and you became my forever human...”

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 17: Autour de Mwa: My Comfort Zone

Today’s video by Autour de Mwa involved many layers - more than I did, but I’m happy with the way this turned out.... especially after I found a quote that related to comfort zones and really resonated with me.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 16: Marsha Valk: Building blocks of home

Well, I don’t have blocks, and am doing this as a journal spread, so I took inspiration from Marsha’s video and built a block-like home with what I had on hand.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 15: Rowan Sivyer: a place we build together

Behind my door is a folded piece of paper that I have divided into 8 spaces for the 8rooms in my house, backgrounds indicative of that space. On each space I randomly listed some of the things that are meaningful to me about each room. Every room is a collage of memories and choice made by myself and my loved ones. The door is left open, but can be closed and “locked”.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 14: Finnabar: my Castle assemblage

A big part of my “castle” is the garden. I’ve taken pieces from my stash of wood cuts, paper molds, and gelli prints, over stencil bits to create a garden assemblage in my journal.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 13: Julie Fei-Fan Balzer: Home Sweet Home

Julie used Frisket (a repositionalble sort of Mac-tac) and embossing powder, neither of which I have in my studio. To get a similar sort of effect of the clear embossing paper, I used a clear gel pen. I used a negative/positive stencil for the city outline and and a (my) house cut from gel printed paper. I wasn’t sure about dimension, but in the end I love the feeling of the vastness surrounding my central home.

Creative Jumpstart Jan 12: Mystele Kirkeeng: Assemblage home

I loved today’s video and the wonderful assemblages that Mystele ended up with - every one! I took inspiration from one of her pieces and this evolved in quite a different way than I expected but I love it! I used a new to me die cut package of stars and dug into my gelli pate papers in the colors throughout my home. Everything has been edged with Metalic Lustre, Iced Espresso to give a bit of gilded aged feel, since I don’t have beeswax.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 11: Mary Beth Shaw: Stenciled Home decor

Humm, tried to find a way with this prompt, but something I could do in my art journal.... I found some matboard coasters and primed them with grey or black gesso, then when dry, stencilled using FOLKART colorshift acrylics. I really like the Colorshift on black, and when I get to Ikea,I’ll look for the cork placemats and make a couple for the new kitchen table that is coming later this week!

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 10: Gina Lee Kim: Home is where you find the light

It was fun to play with watercolors, and I’m quite happy with how this turned out, especially after I added the cats.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 09: Jenny and Aaron Holiday: The Family Flag

This would be my flag, at least for this portion of my life. The heart is for my husband, family, friends, and home. The Zentangle symbol is for the creativity and community this practice has brought into my life. The yoga figure is for mental and physical wellness.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 08: Linda Brun: Home is Collage

We all find our homes, or our paths, in our own way.... “...he couldn’t see where he was going but he kept on trying and eventually found what he was looking for.”

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 07: Birgit Koopsen: King of the Castle

In today’s video, Birgit used a laser photocopy to collage onto her work. I don’t have access to a laser printer so tried with my ink printer - it worked, sort of... not nearly as clearly. My quote is by Adrian Michael: She’s the kind of Queen that knows her crown isn’t on her head but in her soul. I wish I had stamped the words rather than using a sharpie, but I guess only by trying we learn, right?

Creative Jumpstart Jan 06: Sandra Evertson

Wood burning for the home. I have a “Hot Tool”, but haven’t used it for much. Because I’m using Creative Jumpstart as a journaling exercise, I wanted to incorporate wood burning into a journal page rather than adding another object lying about the house. I have a book of paper thin wood pages so I stamped my own homemade stamp of a cat face and burned that. It worked quite well! I also burned a couple of wood tags I found at a dollar store - also worked well. And, I used a stamp designed by Cherryl Moote on my journal page and burned that - again, worked well! I painted and used a stencil for the background to tie it all together.

Creative Jumpstart Jan 05: Danielle Donaldson

Danielle’s video showed her watercolor painting a snail with his shell as a castle.... Well, I don’t know much about watercolor, but I happen to have some sample sheets of 200+ Daniel Smith Watercolor sample dots to play with. I think s/he looks more like a shoe than a snail, but I’m fairly happy with the way this turned out. Thanks to Danielle, I might just play a bit more with watercolor, and maybe take some lessons!

Creative Jumpstart Jan 04:Tania Ahmed

Tania’s theme is Home is a State of Mind. I really didn’t know where I was going with this but just followed the steps she took in her video, using my own colors and inspirations... and wow, I’m really, really happy with the way this turned out! Wonderful process and inspiration Tania!

Creative Jumpstart Jan 03: Andrea Gomoll

Andrea Gomoll talked about home as a feeling. I don’t draw faces (yet, maybe someday), so I used a stamp.

Creative Jumpstart Jan 02: Nathalie Kalback

Nathalie’s video for the day was about creating our own stamp of our home. She ironed a black and white photocopy onto the stamp to be cut out, but my photocopier wasn’t cooperating, so after unsuccessfully trying carbon and graphite transfer paper, I ended up drawing my house... only I forgot to revers it! Oh well, I love the stamp! I drew and tangled (I’m a Zentangle teacher), a shadow castle and garden surrounding my modest home. It doesn’t show in the photo, but the castle and garden have lots of glitter! Pretty cool idea Nathalie!

Creative Jumpstart Jan 01: James Luke Burke - Queens of my Castle

The first day of the new year, and first day of Creative Jumpstart. Today’s videos was by James Luke Burke.I loved the idea of overlapping some pieces that could then be journaled on the back. My choice was the queens (and King) of my home - the cats, past and present. I will probably always have at least one cat in my home. They RULE! I started with a page from an old book of “Everyday Things” - a page about cats. The big black guy (Zorro), is my King, or more accurately, my rascally Prince. Watching him are the Princess, Trisket, and the Matriarch, Merlin. In the background are memories (some hidden behind the pages) of other felines that have graced my life.