Category: Catch up

Friday In The Studio – A Look At The March Projects

March has been a funny month so far. The beginning of the month was super cold, then the sun came out and we had a brief taste of Spring and then the snow and cold temperatures returned just to keep us on our toes and after another hint of sunshine the rain has returned to make us feel miserable again.

Meanwile in the studio there have been lots of projects on the go.

This card made using WOW embossing powders and glitter along with the fabulous quote stamp went up on the WOW blog a couple of weeks ago.

The theme for the month of March is Sparkles and the quote was the inspiration behind the card. It was a brilliant opportunity to go over the top with glitter, something which normally makes me nervous but it gave me great pleasure this time around. I only wish my photo would have captured how much the die cuts do sparkle, it’s amazing.

The beginning of March I did something a bit different and contributed to a new online magazine called the Creative Planner by submitting a coloring page for their self care challenge. If you’d like to download and use my colouring page or indeed read the whole magazine you’ll find it here. The Creative Planner are on Facebook and Instagram if you want to follow them too.

For a while now I’ve been sewing notebook covers in felt which have been very successful with orders coming in for custom sizes and applique designs on the front. I’ll continue to make these notebook covers which you can find here on my Etsy store at basementsixtyfive along with pen holders also in felt but I’ve also been making covers in canvas which brings other possibilities like being able to paint on it too. This little A6 version was made using canvas from Canvas Corp and I created a blog tutorial showing how to get the design on the canvas fabric.  I have a feeling you’ll be seeing more of this and others in the future. The design is of course my stamped houses which looks just so cool here on the front.

I’m still experimenting with different bullet journal layouts but the one thing I’m sticking with for now is my hand drawn style and the watercolour paints. I know this one is far from perfect but it’s definitely the style I want to continue with. The mini stickers come from Paper Pen and Plan on Etsy   They’re just the perfect size too.

Have a good weekend everyone and I’ll catch up next week.

Jaine x

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New Year New Beginnings 2018

I think I’ve been preparing for 2018 for ages and working so far ahead as we do in the publishing world, by the time Christmas comes around I’m so over it before it’s even started. I love the decorating and getting together with the family but I’m glad when it’s over to be truthful and I’m ready to start the new year all shiny and fresh.

This new year 2018 there’ll be alot to get excited about. I continue to have work published in Craft Stamper magazine which I’m very very happy about and I also continue to work with Canvas Corp brands who I love for their diversity of products from paints and canvas to fabrics and papers.  I’m also working with Paper Pen and Plan who are helping to feed my planner addiction and keep me focussed month by month with their monthly Sweet Treat Boxes.

This year however I’ve added a new team to be working with, WOW Embossing powders.  I’m thrilled to have been asked to join this amazing team of designers and I have to say I’m a little bit nervous about whether I’ll be able to keep up with the talent they have between them.

I’ve owned WOW powders for many years now and love them. They really are the best on the market. You’ll absolutely love the colours and finishes to all their powders and I hope in the coming months I’ll be able to do them justice.

I’ll be back on Friday with my In The Studio feature and show you what I’m working on right now.

All the best for 2018 to all of you and I hope it’s a creative one.

Jaine xx

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Bikes, Mushrooms And Christmas In July

I missed blogging for a couple of weeks and I feel really bad about it. I’ve no idea where the time went except to say I wasn’t slacking off at all. Far from it, this week has been a little bit bonkers in the basement as at one time I’d actually got projects for Halloween, Christmas and New Year on the go all at the same time.  I suppose that’s a result of doing what I do in the industry I do and having to work ahead most of the time.  I also go away on holiday at the end of August so I needed to catch up quite a bit.

Well since I last wrote, the Summer holidays have kicked in and all those annual activities which make living here in Luxembourg a joy began, such as the day the main road through our village was closed to traffic except for bicycles. All 15km of it I think it is. As we live directly on this road we always invite friends over to join us and share our BBQ later on. It’s always a wonderful day and we love it. I do confess to have felt a bit sad though as I couldn’t take part with the others and had to watch them go off on their bikes. Instead Cooper and I took the opportunity to walk down the road and see the valley from a different angle.

The weather changed a bit too and after the intensly hot weather of June and early July the cloud and rain which arrived was very welcome. Strangly enough though it brought with it an abundance of mushrooms in the fields and forests which I do think is a bit early, for here anyway. My morning walks with Cooper have been combined with mushroom foraging and one walk turned up this beauty.

This morning my friend Kate who’s a brilliant forager went with me on a walk and we came back with this lot. Some of it I’m not too sure about but she tells me they’re delicious and if she’s still here to tell me that then it must be true.

This week I received  several packages of happy mail each one exciting for different reasons.

As it’s time for Christmas In July, I received a Special Edition Sweet Treat Box from Paper Pen and Plan with their Christmas goodies in it. It’s packed full of stuff and my Christmas Planner is all ready to go.

I’m going to be using this gorgeous rose gold notebook my sister in law gave me for my birthday. It’s perfect and I have to thank her and my nephew lots and lots for buying it.

My first page is decorated with my Christmas Elf.  I’ll show you how I use it in a later post.

Meanwhile also in the post I received a sketchbook which I’m particularly excited about. It’s from The Brooklyn Art Library as part of The Sketchbook Project.

The idea is you fill a notebook with anything you like, send it back and it’s archived in the huge sketchbook library in Brooklyn and taken on tour around the States. I’ve also taken out the option to have it digitized so my book will be scanned and each page can be viewed online. How cool is that? I’ll post here what I do with it so look out for sketchbook tours.

Well that’s it for this Friday catch up. Have a good weekend and I’ll speak to you soon.

Jaine x

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A July Update And A Look In The Sketchbook

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks here. I went into hospital for a small, quick operation by laparoscopy and came home feeling sore, more than a bit tired and as bloated as a whale but spending time in my pj’s with my feet up had some advantages.  I had lots of time to sketch and catch up with my planners and journals.

As it’s July already I even made a start on my Christmas designs too. You can never be too early!!

Here’s one which needed finishing off.

Just as I arrived home my parcel from PaperPenandPlan was waiting for me. This months box is all about Quotes and the colours are beautiful and soft with mint greens and soft pinks. As the box contains a tube of paint and a brush I’ve ended up watercolouring everything which doesn’t move, including the pages of my Carpe Diem. The paint is very highly pigmented and to be honest it could have done with being watered down a bit more but once I’ve added more to my calendar I’m sure it won’t be so ‘in your face’ so to speak.  I love the ephemera pack which contains some gorgeous die cut fairies.

The box always contains a small kit and this month it’s a tube of watercolour paint, brush and some tags for a bit of fun.  I adore watercolours so couldn’t wait to get my brush wet.  A full tutorial for this tag is on their web site at Paperpenandplan

I didn’t get to show you my pages for the June Traveling Art Journal with Canvas Corp Brands. I think this is my favourite to date.

Have a good weekend all and I’ll catch up again next week.

Jaine x

 

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