...My (!) Crazy Days

Like usual, I have a million and one projects on the go...but today I've not only got the day to do them (though they cannot possibly be finished in one day) but the mojo is also working, which I'm so thankful for, as I feel she has been lacks so far this year. So not one single minute of today is being wasted, here's what it's looking like:

I go from my messy, messy, juicy messy desk where I am making my latest zine...

into another room where my computer & I are harmoniously video editing the next instalment of 'Art Journal Supplies 101' (well I say next instalment, there's only two - but they're mighty :) )...

via the hallway where every crossing I spend one minute on the floor with stencils & huge sheets of paper, ready to go inside the current journal I am making... 

during which time I usually come up a great idea that 'I just have to do now', but then remembering I have too much to do already & have to prioritise, I write it all down in my ideas journal. This usually takes a while in itself but at least I have the goodies stored...seriously this has happened every time I've picked up a stencil today - I've completed 6 new pages in this journal!...

I then jump on my new bike to try and re-focus (see I am using it!!) and it actually works, though in the beginning I usually end up thinking of another video I want to do...

but all I do is write it down here (on my current videos list) to be elaborated on later, and by the end of the exercising I am focused enough to jump off and go straight back to my desk to do more zine-ing!
(though in case you're wondering; no I'm not sweaty at this point as I only exercise for 10-15 mins at a steady rate - I tried half hour hard core this morning and nobody in the history of the world has ever needed a shower more - so I much prefer these gentle bursts!)

In case you want to see it here is the first half of the Art Journal Supplies 101 series, though I know many of my blogging friends are very advanced art journalers a few of my subscribers on youtube wanted a guided hand, so you may or may not get something out of it, it's your call but I still enjoy seeing what other people used in their journals and what techniques they have to share:

Hope you have a flying mojo today too, if not pop around here and I'll share some of mine - it has given me enough projects to do for the next 5 years so you could probably take some of those with you too lol much love Jennibellie xxx

A Year Older...& a 5K Whoop!

Hi Guys, I write before you a year older and...well probably not much wiser. Turning 28 (scarily close to thirty - which I will not take very well when it occurs lol) attributes some of my absence this week from blogging, yesterday for example, though the day after my birthday I spent nearly all my spare time constructing this birthday present:

This beast, which is a cross trainer and bike is to fit in an already tight bedroom, but alas there is nowhere else for it to go so I'm looking to make all rooms in the house as ergonomic and multi-functional as the art studio; which is not only the smallest space in the house but it also holds the largest amount & is the most used lol. (Btw don't think me getting this means I'm a healthy person, I'm defiantly not lol but since leaving London I am in need of fitting daily exercise back into my life, as I just don't do the same amount that used to come naturally dashing up escalators or running to catch trains). So due to it's size we've decided to called it Grawp, as it's a giant, after Hagrid's little brother from Harry Potter - we decided it couldn't be called Hagrid as it wasn't furry...

& we couldn't call it Madam Maxime as my full sized mannequin jewellery holder got that name a decade ago....long before it was popular to drape your jewellery on things for decoration, I used to go out looking for interesting objects because I like to add drapes & dangles to real life as much as I do to journals :)

Anyway I just wanted to catch up as I haven't done anything much arty things this week except for a few pages in my smash book:

And a video on my homemade smash kit as was requested by subscribers after my last smash book video:

One thing that did make me smile today is my original recycled cereal box journal tutorial today reached over 5,000 views on yt, now I know to some that might not seem so grand but to me it's just *awesome*. Even this week I've still seen new blog posts & videos showing versions of handmade journals people have created using this tutorial and it just makes me really, really happy. So go cereal box journals, go! Whoop! If you have no idea what I'm talking about here is the original tutorial, much love and kisses, Jennibellie xx

Tulkinghorn Page, Austen Love, Rebound Disney & a Knitted Journal

I've been watching re-runs of the fantastic adaptation of Bleak House (by the even more fantastic Andrew Davies) & here is a page because horrid Tulkinghorn, played by the wonderful Charles Dance, reminded me of something I need to do in circumstances that are out of my control.

In my large A3 sized journal due to the urge to get messy with mica

I've never talked about my love for classical novels & period dramas on this blog before, though I may have mentioned I'm a history geek, but it's what I threw myself into as a teenage girl. Still to this day my prized possession is a 30p copy of Pride and Prejudice that I brought at a small antiques shop when I was eleven, on a rather boring family camping holiday, but guess what??? I survived the holiday!!!

Later that year Andrew Davies' version of P&P came out & I, along with all the ladies that were much older than me at the time, swooned at the sight of Colin Firth. Soon I'd read all her novels, novellas & letters (which survived) and since then I've followed Jane Austen's footsteps EVERYWHERE, even to all the places that are not even connected with herself, but where her novels have been filmed (beautiful houses, villages etc). I decided to go to Winchester to study, not because of the university standard but because it's where she lived and is buried (and as she is buried in the Cathedral I graduated in front of her). When I was 22 I brought myself a second (but another vintage) copy of Pride and Prejudice from the small bookshop at her house in Chawton, the first having fallen to into at least 3 pieces, and vow to buy myself a new (to me, but old) copy every 11 years from a special connected place.

Perhaps this is where my love of vintage ephemera comes from? I dunno but I recently found a bunch of old vintage Disney books that are in much need of love - having been subject to kiddies & crayons etc - so I'm transforming them into useable journals, with a variety of papers inside but also with the whole book still preserved in the original reading order.

The binding is a simple spiral bound and it is a easy, practical way to keep something old and precious in a required modern item. This book is available in my shop, but why not give it a go yourself if you have any damaged or unloved old books around?

Finally I want to show you this journal, which I've been hinting at when I've shown you a couple of completed pages within, and that I have made with my Grandmother's knitting & a ton of old beads:

I know some of you lovelies have already seen it as it has been uploaded nearly a week now but here is a video I have made of this journal, so you can see it yourselves and how it was made, as I talk about the stitching and give my tips for bookbinding with soft fabrics etc and also the second half is a speed process of creating the first art journal page within it.

Wow what a long post, I'm very sorry I'm not usually this bad, that's what happens when I don't post when I say I will (yesterday in this case) something builds up like a science lab experiment till I'm bubbling over lol. Linking with Paint Party Friday & Studio Sneak Peek, come join some of the most awesome artists in blogland :) Much Love, Jennibellie xx

Recycled Journal Giveaway Winners & A Poorly Pooch

Hello Lovelies, I hope that yesterday you were picking a few chocolates from a big box, after being taken out to a beautiful dinner while your rooms were busy being scented with roses. I myself got just that...or rather just a couple of heart doggy cards from my sponsored pooches lol, oh well may be next Happy Valentines Day :)

Sorry I haven't had time to post this week, my own pooch has been a bit poorly, if truth be told he has been for a while & has been hobbling around on three legs.

Wet pooch, loves jumping through grasses and flowers

We couldn't find anything wrong, the vet couldn't find anything wrong. So yesterday we got him booked for an x-ray and when the poor mite came out all groggy and wobbly, from being knocked out, and looking sorry for himself the whole waiting room in one breathe 'Awwwwwww'ed at him lol. Thankfully nothing broken, but that means muscular so could take months and months to heal and for us to have a properly functional 4-legged dog again. It's so strange to see him on only 3 legs, like he's forgotten he owns a forth :( still better something that'll repair than early arthritis or something else perpetual.

Here is the results of the journal giveaway for the yellow recycled christmas card journal, fingers crossed if you entered.

Hopefully I will get chance to do a proper 'arty' post tomorrow, after I come back from shopping (wahoo!) First time I'd have shopped this year, or for months in fact, but it's only for health & skin care (lush, l'occitane) necessities, I hate clothes shopping :) xxx

A new art space....and one very tired bunny!!

Last night I was sooooooooooo tired I could hardly keep my eyes open past dinner. I had been assembling new shelfing and re-arranging every SINGLE thing in my art room, it was IN-tense.

This picture was taken at the 'nearly-over-worst!' stage, I wish I'd have thought to take one at the worst, as a monument to my achievement lol. It's the multicoloured (really useful storage co) shelves which are the culprit, but small spaces need crafty solutions. But here's how it looks this morning, *awwwww* and *sigh* with relief!
There's still some organisation to do with these drawers below, as there seems to be so many important things without a home and so many drawers with 'just stuff', and it's really difficult to figure out which is which, ya'know?
One things for certain, with such small square-footage of space bare surfaces are highly desired in my room, but I still made sure there was one for my current journals - to hell with practicality, I want to see them babies!!!

As it's Friday I'm going to be linking with two of my fav fab art sites, Paint Party Friday & Studio Sneak Peek & share with you two quick videos I've created this week. First is a quick 1 minute art journal page process & second is a 2 minute art journal flip :)

Oops an edit here as I forgot to mention it's last few days of my giveaway for this recycled journal below and a couple of other journal kits, click here to enter.

Much love & arty blessings, Jennibellie xxx

Journals of Junk and Smash

I made two new books today YAY!

I don't know why (because it's totally not true) but I feel like I've not made any books recently. I know, I know I've shown you lots that I've made recently - the Greetings Card journals and one in the videos below shows a new smashbook I made a couple of days ago, so I guess yes technically I have been making them, but a few months ago I would make like 3-7 a day.

Now my creative time has to be divided with online activities and making videos. Don't get me wrong I love doing all of those things, but it was nice to just take some time & a load of junk and just make some books, without the pressure of having to film it or worry about the outcome.

Except for some tape, these journals are made from completely recycled materials and are available in my Etsy shop. I think what also feels good is putting new stock in my store again, it's got plenty of journals in there but it's been a couple of months now since I made any journals with the intention to sell them, so I guess it made me feel productive too.

I also finished a mini travel art journal, and made a video flip of what it turned out like:

And finally here is my handmade version of a K & Company smash book, which for a long time I tried to avoid because while they are very pretty & cool, they are just the 'old school' style of scrapbooking. It's what I remember doing as an teenager (a teenager who stumbled her way through creativity while oblivious to the actual world of crafting) & what my mum, who is not a crafter at all, used to do with those big ole A3 green scrapbooks and sellotape in all the memorabilia from her hockey team. But I gave in, because they are adorable and as they actually look like journals & not scrapbooks they sing to me, not just call my name, but sing it lol

Hope you are feeling as revved up in your creativity as I am today - I'm just hoping I don't burn it all out tonight :) much love & wishes, Jennibellie xx 

Layered Stencil Portrait

I did the journal page below last week with a layering technique of sprayed stencils & masking fluid.

I recorded the process and created a one minute video of the page start to finish. It's the first of an ongoing series of videos I'm going to be doing, every week or two or may be three I'll record one of my processes and condense it to one minute.

The reason I'm so interested in making them one minute videos is because I love watching artists & art journalers at work but don't always have the time to sit through a ten minute plus video - I can make a page in that time. Also I know if people want to see something slower they'll ask, which is what happened as soon as this one went live, a tutorial for this technique was asked for & will be added to the list of upcoming videos. This time last year I would never have thought I would make a video, as for blogging....forget that. Now it feels like that's all I do lol and don't get me wrong I still find all this online stuff a little scary sometimes but I also LOVE IT! Along with loving what seems a never ending supply of fantastic people to meet :)

Linking with Paint Party Friday & Studio Sneak Peek, come join the group of awesome artists over at these great sites :)