Jess Create It

New Year, New Venture

Jessica — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:56:28 +0000

Art Journal Night: Quickie Envelope Journal

Quickie art journal to tuck into your bag and use on the go.

As some of you know, I will no longer be hosting ATC Night at Stampin’ From the Heart after 2011 ends. Instead, I will be offering Journal Night at on the third Thursday of each month, starting in January. **See supplies lists below.**

It’ll very much be an artistic as well as inspirational and introspective process, which I hope we all can share. We’ll be using a variety of materials (some of which I will supply and some of which you will bring to make your artwork more personal). So I encourage you to begin gathering your thoughts, ideas and any images or other pieces you may wish to incorporate into your projects. We’ll get started transforming your journal into a place to express whatever’s on your mind or in your heart.

I have made a bunch of journals over the past year and I am not done yet. For our first session, I will guide you in making a Quickie Envelope Journal that you can tuck into your purse or bag and use to jot down ideas or make sketches or keep findings. We should be able to finish this journal in one session. Then you can decorate it as you wish at home (or make more and give them as gifts). Warning, they are habit-forming. (I’ve already made 4.)

Each month, I will offer a technique for making exciting and inspirational art journals. Hopefully you will be inspired to come up with some of your own ideas at home (or work further on what was started in class) to show us at the next meeting. It will be an adventure as well as a work in progress.

I hope you will join me at Art Journal Night at Stampin’ From the Heart on January 19. Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Cost: $25. Please sign up with the store so I will be sure to have enough materials for everyone.

REQUIRED Supplies:

Please bring these to each session: your favorite scissors for precision cutting, any images, scraps or stamps/ink you might like to use, along with your basic stamping kit, including bone folder, several glue sticks, double-sided tape and any other adhesives you like to use, 1/8-inch hole punch, rubber gloves!!

RECOMMENDED supplies:

Sharpie fine point pens in various colors. I like these because they work on most surfaces. Other people like to use Micron pens. You can try markers, but they don’t work on all surfaces. However they are useful for other things.

Small bottle of Liquitex liquid gesso.

I Gotcher Number ATCs

Jessica — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:10:18 +0000

I found these wonderful old-fashion number stamps recently, made by Cavellini, and I just fell in love. So the first thing I did was try every single one of them– all on one piece of paper. Out of that came these lovely Artist Trading Cards that I hope you’ll enjoy too. Don’t miss out on the last ATC Night of the year. Join me Thursday, Nov. 17, from 6:30-8 p.m. at Stampin’ From the Heart, 11720 Washington Place (at McLaughlin St.), L.A. 310-391-0466 for directions. Cost: $10, all materials supplied. Bring some ATC’s of your own design if you want to trade, but that’s strictly optional. What’s an ATC? See page on this site for the explanation.

Note: This will be my final ATC night after three years. Thanks to everyone who came out for ATC Night, it’s been great fun sharing ideas and seeing your wonderful cards. But I think it’s time for me to go in a new direction artistically. As many of you know, I have been getting into art journaling and I will be offering Journal Night on the third Thursday of the month, starting in January. I hope you’ll give it a try. Details will be coming soon.

Return of “The Birds” Postcards

Jessica — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:57:59 +0000

By popular demand I am repeating (more like reinventing) a postcard offered a while back, featuring Cavellini birds. And before I forget, this last Postcard Night of the year will be on Dec. 2, because the last Friday of November falls during Thanksgiving weekend. I’ve added and subtracted from the last version of the birds, but two things remain the same: the birds, of course, and the glitter. Other than that, it’s a whole new project. So, if you missed the Birds postcards from the past and want a chance to try the Birds postcards of the present, join me at Post Card Night, Fri., Dec. 2, from 6:30-8 p.m., at Stampin’ From the Heart, 11720 Washington Place (at McLaughlin St.), L.A. 310-391-0466 for directions. Cost: $10; all materials supplied.

Cats & Black Make-It/Take-It

Jessica — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:14:26 +0000

I’m not much of a one for Halloween cards, but this is about as close as I get. I found some very neat bird tissue paper and just had to use it with my Cats Inchies. Kind of my weird, some may say warped, sense of humor. The tissue looks kind of orangey, if you have a good imagination, and the cats are black, of course. So, it’s Halloween with a twist. I hope you can join me for Make-It/Take-It at Stampin’ From the Heart, drop in from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, 2011, 11720 Washinton Place, L.A., 310-391-0466 for directions. Cost is $5 per card; materials supplied. You can make one or as many as you like while supplies last.

Diamond ATCs

Jessica — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:05:50 +0000

For some reason I am attracted to anything in the shape of a diamond, including rubber stamps. These stamps inspired me to do a diamond Artist Trading Card. But before stamping, I dragged out the Gesso to lighten up the decorative background paper. I like the effect, because whatever is printed on the paper is there, but it’s not really There, if you know what I mean. Gesso is what artists use to prepare a surface for paint, and I mainly use it on paper that is porous and wants to absorb whatever color medium I am using. Anyway, it makes a nice surface for the diamond collage, which will be enhanced with birds. What a surprise!! I hope you can join me for ATC Night, from 6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, at Stampin’ From the Heart, 11720 Washington Place, L.A., 310-391-0466 for directions. Cost is $10 to make two cards. Materials supplied. Trading is optional, but if you wish to exchange cards please bring about 8-10 of your own design. What’s an ATC? See page on this blog for the details. Hope to see you there.

Shadow Ink Post Cards

Jessica — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:51:06 +0000

This month I dug out my shadow inks (they were covered in dust, I have to admit) and used them in the background of my design. I love the effect when I over-stamp the shadow block with script. It’s a great way of giving dimension to an otherwise flat card. And I have been so eager to use my Inka Gold paste-ink-stuff, which comes in many wonderful colors, as a border on the main panel. This color medium is so unusual and lovely–it acts like a paste, but it dries instantly and shines like real gold (or other metallic). I just want to put it on everything. Luckily, the cat can run faster than me. I hope you can join me for Post Card Night, from 6:30-8 p.m., Fri. Oct. 28, 2011, at Stampin’ From the Heart, 11720 Washington Place, L.A., 310-391-0466 for directions. Cost $10 to make two cards; all materials supplied. You might want to bring your own precision scissors. See you there.

Paris Side-by-Side ATCs

Jessica — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 22:15:56 +0000

I make a lot of art from the many treasures I stash in the (overflowing) scrap basket that permanently resides on my craft table. And the idea for this month’s Artist Trading Card is no exception. I believe the original was an unfinished postcard that I cut down to ATC size. And then I thought–diptych! That’s a piece of art that consists of two parts but works together as one. In this case, I took a few liberties and the left and right sides were created separately but still somehow go together, I think. Anyway, you can do it whichever way you like at ATC Night, 6:30-8 p.m., Thurs. Sept. 15, at Stampin’ From the Heart, 11720 Washington Place, L.A., 310-391-0466 for directions. Cost is $10 and you get to make two cards. Materials supplied by instructor, Jessica Hollowell. What’s an ATC? Click on the Page by that name on this blog to find out. If you want to go home with cards made by others, please bring around 8-10 cards of your own design to trade, including one for me and one for Karen’s book at the store. Trading is optional.

That’s the Ticket Post Cards

Jessica — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 22:03:58 +0000

I pulled out my watercolor pencils recently and remembered how much fun they are to play with. But what to color? I also love those Invoke Arts tickets, with inspirational messages and lots of spaces for different colors. Put those two things together with a piece of torn tissue paper and a deckle-edge scissors and I have a bright, cheery postcard that anyone would be pleased to receive in the mail. Better hurry, I just heard the Post Office is in danger of going under. Yikes! Anyway, before that happens, please join me at Postcard Night, on a new night this month only: 6:30-8 p.m., Fri. Sept. 30, 2011, at Stampin’ From the Heart, 11720 Washington Place, L.A., 310-391-0466 for directions. Cost is $10 and you get to make two cards. Materials supplied by instructor, Jessica Hollowell. Hope to see you there.

Grab Bag Postcards

Jessica — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 22:39:39 +0000

Grab Bag post card, "Celebration"

Well, I apparently was not done playing with all the goodies in the grab bag that I got at Linda’s yard sale recently. Because today, I made two post cards that I just love mostly since they feature the pretty piece of bird paper that was included in the bag. And I seem to have gotten a little carried away because I pulled out the glitter!!!!! to spice up the birds a bit. By the way, the dried flowers and leaves in the bottom left corners are from a packet included in the grab bag, too. And I still have lots left. It really doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Grab Bag post card, "Destiny"

Art Journal Class

Jessica — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:13:08 +0000

Becoming Brave Art Journal

I am interested in having another Art Journal Class at my home, perhaps in September or October (or both), as the summer has managed to slip past me. My idea is to do a journal called Becoming Brave (based on articles I saw in a two magazines recently). I don’t know about you, but my doubts and fears sometimes paralyze me and render me unable to move forward with what I want to do. So I thought it might be fun to explore that a little through the Art Journal process. We will build a very basic journal, paint some pages and then decorate at least a few of them to get started. If you are interested, please let me know.

To be held at my home, in late December from 1-4:30 p.m. Cost $35.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

What fears do I have that are holding me back?

What I would like to be able to do if I didn’t have this fear?

If I could pick an animal guide to inspire me, what would it be?

Now I’ve begun collecting some images (from magazines, photos or anything really) that I might want to use in my journal. And I’ll be experimenting with journal bindings to find the easiest one. I’m very excited, because usually I can’t think of anything to write about in my journals, I just like making them. It seems that Becoming Brave is a topic that gets my pen flowing because I already have 3 journal entries written, but (ha ha) I don’t have a journal yet. Go figure.