Eco dye adventures and experiments in Covid times!

Ice dyeing

I've found a new passion - ice dyeing!

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.