Beyond the Kit | BOUND Mini Art Journal

Hey, did you know that March is National Craft Month? If you didn’t, now you do!

Of course, at TCB HQ we’re always looking for and making time to be creative and do something crafty, and last night I created this art journal spread in the little lay-flat album made from our BOUND & Determined kit.

"The Invisible Artist" by Jennifer "Scraps" Vanderbeek

“The Invisible Artist” by Jennifer “Scraps” Vanderbeek

It turns out that the little hardcover, lay-flat album is pretty much perfect for art journaling! Not even something I’d really thought about when I included the instructions in BOUND. (I figured it’d be good as a photo album for instagram prints, since the pages are 3″ square.) But in trying it out last night, I realized three things:

  1. Each page is actually a double layer of cardstock. A lot of art journalers (journalists?) reinforce the pages of a sketch book or journal by gluing 2 or more together so it can stand up to wet media. Since the construction of this mini-album does that already, you’ve all set!
  2. The lay-flat binding allows you to work across both facing pages without having to fight the natural inclination of a book to close up on itself. Sure, you get that with spiral-bound books, too, but the lay-flat album does it without a gap between the pages for seamless creating.
  3. The small size (3″x6″ per spread) is perfect for a quick project being just slightly larger than an index card and way less intimidating than a full-sized blank canvas. The spread above took less than an hour to complete, start to finish. Plus, the small size means you can tuck it into a travel bag with a few chosen supplies and be able to create on the go without a lot of bulk!

A few things I did take into consideration with this layout was that, because it’s a bound book, I didn’t want to add too much bulk. While I did a little collage, I kept things pretty much flat for this layout. I may choose to add thicker elements on future spreads (after all, it’s not the end of the world if a book doesn’t close flat), but flat worked just fine, here.

I snapped some quick cell phone shots while I was working:

Prepping my pages.

Prepping my pages.

I may not have needed to reinforce my pages, but I always like to start with some pattern tissue torn and decoupaged to my surface. The lines from the patterns add a little something to the background (if they show through–they don’t always by the time I’m done) and the torn edges and inevitable wrinkles add texture.

I used to use Mod Podge or Helmar’s Decoupage and Craft Paste for this step, but I recently picked up a jar of Matte Gel Medium and finally see why all the artists love it so much! Not only does the gel medium glide onto the page much easier than traditional decoupage pastes, the surface it leaves behind is far more workable.

And to speed things up, I used my heat gun to dry each layer. If you have more time or are crafting in between other tasks, you can certainly stretch out the project by waiting for it to dry naturally. I’m impatient.

Laying down color.

Laying down color.

I had my tube watercolors still out from the gift canvases so I used Ultramarine Blue to paint over the tissue layer. The thinned paint did a great job of tinting the page all-over, but then I used some of the more concentrated color along the corners and edges to create a vignette effect.

The focal image.

The focal image.

While I suppose I could have (and often would have) flipped through a magazine for an image to add to the spread, this time I sketched out my figure and painted the entire shape with opaque white acrylic paint to create a neutral background for the oil pastels since my background was on the darker side.

"The Invisible Artist" by Jennifer "Scraps" Vanderbeek

Finishing touches.

Again, I could have cut words out of magazines or even gotten out my old Olympus manual typewriter, but I was in the groove, had a couple strips of paper laying around, so I just grabbed a pen to write out my message. See, that’s the thing about art journaling, there are plenty of options and no right or wrong way to go about it, you just get in there as see what works.

The words are applied with more gel medium and then edged in black watercolor crayon (they worked better on this layer than the oil pastels). I also added some metallic Sharpie details to my figure–the dashed lines remind me of how the illustrator of the Casper the Friendly Ghost books I had as a child emphasized that he was there but not there, since he was a ghost and all.

This spread was all about visibility–do the people around us really see us for the creative beings we are? And if they don’t, is it their own preoccupation blinding them or are we flying under the radar intentionally? That’s where the power comes in: the power to surprise, the power to selectively share those vulnerable parts of ourselves with others (or not), and the power to create without the expectations of others weighing us down with all their shoulds and can’ts and don’ts.

Or maybe it’s own expectations and can’ts that keep us from creating?

In honor of National Craft Month, our own ongoing mission encourage you to create more, and because I had so much fun with the last giveaway, we’re going to have a contest this month. It’ll be announced tomorrow on our Instagram feed (if you’re not down with the IG, it’s okay, we’ll do another contest on another platform another time, or you could use this as a reason to sign up!) so make sure you’re following @thecraftybranch to be able to enter and win!

Wishing you creative days!

Perfection Is Overrated

Especially in DIY.

As I approach 40 I’m either becoming (even more) cynical or just plain realizing how fixated we become on certain ideals. Don’t get me wrong, ideals are fabulous, but life is seldom ideal and we have got to stop exhausting ourselves trying to attain implausible goals. Life’s too short, way too short, to worry about perfection, and a host of other things which, well, would be a digression and I’m trying to stay on topic, here.

In other words: Perfect is the enemy of good.

What does that have to do with The Crafty Branch’s mission to inspire creativity and so forth? Lots!

Growing up I was a passable artist. I could draw and paint and was definitely creative. Every aptitude test they could think of, in middle and high school, was shoved in front of our gifted class and I always scored highest in the art and creativity realms.

But I wasn’t The Artist of our class. Several students were miles ahead of me in that respect, actually took art classes (I opted for band as my elective in 6th grade, and enjoyed it), and identified as Artists. And since I couldn’t be the best at it, or at least better than them, I didn’t pursue it.

I still dabbled (it’s not like I repressed that part of me; that’s actually pretty laughable considering how much a part of me that part truly is), and even sent away for catalogs from art schools during the college hunt. But it wasn’t practical. It wouldn’t pay the bills. And I had never cultivated any sort of self-confidence in my creative talents.

I let perfect get in the way of my goals, talents, and skills I prevented myself from learning for a long time.

But perfect is arbitrary in most cases, supremely subjective, and if it doesn’t stop us from trying outright, it keeps us spinning our wheels trying to improve upon what we’ve already done. Perfectionism surpasses “attention to detail” and becomes a detriment and stumbling block.

That thing I did as a kid, deciding that since I couldn’t be the best, couldn’t be perfect, I just wouldn’t do it? Yeah, I’m not alone.

A lot of people–I’d even say most adults of my generation and definitely the ones that came before it–did something similar. We lost our sense of exploration and wonder at the creative process. We decided (or were told, outright or by society) that it was for kids and maybe the chosen few who were anointed (by deity or demon, depending who’s telling the story) with that elusive creative spark. We started to say “I can’t” and “oh, I’m not good at that sort of thing” and “oh, I’m not creative.” (I cannot tell you how many of my students, back when I taught Cake Decorating, said those exact things to me at the beginning of each session. 90% at least!)

To which I politely and emphatically reply:

Bullshit.

We’re creative creatures.* We have the innate ability to dream and try and plan and strive AND, unlike our pint-size past selves, we have the experience and resources at hand to do something about it.

I tell ya, youth is wasted on the young. Everyone is such a hurry to grow up and Be Somebody. But, hey, that’s why the phrase second childhood exists, and the toys are so much cooler now.

Which is one of the reasons behind the Creative Mischief Kits. I want more people to recapture that innate, childlike creativity, but with tools fit for the grownups we are. I want so much for people to open the box, get excited about the potential the things inside represent, and let down their hair for a little bit. It’s not about being perfect or reaching a level of mastery in a few minutes. It’s also not about faking or hacking your way through life. It’s about fulfilling that innate need we have to create.  It’s about trying, learning, and growing.

In Latin class, one of my favorite thing (all four years), was derivatives. I may have struggled with Latin grammar, but I loved seeing how a single Latin word spun out into different words we use everyday, and how they’re related. In this case, creative and creature both come from the Latin word creare, a form of creo which means “to make grow.”

In a bouquet of roses, not every bud will be perfect. Some will have crinkled petals. A leaf might droop. A thorn might prick you. But an imperfect rose is still a rose. And an imperfect rose still smells amazing.

Even an imperfect rose is still a rose. Don't let perfection stop you from being you.

We’re Giving Away the Store!

It’s a hemi-versary* giveaway and, really, “giving away the store” is only the slightest of exaggerations. After all, we’re giving away over $350 worth of prizes, here!

Hemiversary Giveaway (1)

We’ve pulled favorite tools and supplies from each of the 5 kits we’ve put together over the last 6 months and packaged it all up for one super lucky subscriber. We’re also giving away gift certificates to 4 other lucky winners, along with art and other goodies.

Why? Why not?!

(But seriously, I like giving presents and this is a non-yucky way for me to promote The Crafty Branch, which also needs doing because, you know, I want to be able to continue to do fun stuff like this, and the business has to work for that to happen. Basically it’s a win-win here.)

The Prizes

4 runners up will receive a $15 gift certificate to The Crafty Branch and a small piece of mixed media art from me (art valued at approximately $10). The art is yet to be created, but I’ll bet there will be sneak peaks on our Instagram feed for the curious. And, yes, it’ll probably involved the gelli plate because, dude, that is some serious fun right there!

The grand prize winner will receive all this:

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  • 5 bottles of Americana Acrylic Paint
  • 1 bottle of Extender Medium
  • 3 Prima Chalk Ink Pads
  • Imagine Crafts Metallic Silver Creative Medium
  • Helmar Acid Free Glue 2.23 fl. oz.
  • General’s Carbon Sketch Pencils (2 pack)
  • Ephemera Pack
  • Winter Whimsy Paper Pack (11 pieces)
  • 1 sheet of Bookcloth
  • 15-sheet 5″x7″ Watercolor Artist Pad
  • 15 sheets of square  Stationery Card Stock
  • Set of 4 coloring sheets
  • 2 4″x4″ chipboard squares
  • Waxed Thread
  • The Crafters Workshop Stencils (2 6″x6″, 1 12″x12″)
  • Hot Off The Press Snowfall Stencil
  • 5″x5″ Gelli Plate by Gelli Arts
  • ModPodge Brayer & Squeegee set
  • Imagine Crafts Pallette Knives (3 pack)
  • Dritz Awl
  • Dritz Upholstery Needles (4 pack)
  • 3 sponge daubers
  • Fiskars Dual-Tip Stylus
  • Fiskars Craft Knife
  • Martha Stewart Crafts Texture Combs (2 pack)
  • Niji Waterbrush
  • Royal Paint Brushes (4-pack)
  • Color Wheel
  • Zipper Pouch
  • Canister of Hand Wipes

All in a custom tote bag PLUS a 10″ mixed media canvas by yours truly (art value: $75). The Grand Prize is worth $280–that’s no small haul, my friends!

The Instructions

To enter, first and foremost you need to be subscribed to our newsletter (and if you already are, you just need to confirm that by entering the email address you get the newsletter at in the widget, below). As a newsletter subscriber you get access to the new kits before anyone else AND you get a discount during that secret pre-order week that isn’t offered any where or any way else!

After that, if you’d like a few more chances to win, by all means check out the various social media options below!

Congratulations to our winners!!!!

Our runners up, who will receive a 5″x7″ piece of original art and a $15 gift certificate to The Crafty Branch:

  • Cathy L
  • Sandra S
  • Kristin W
  • Stefanie

And our Grand Prize Winner is…

Heatherrene!!!

The Fine Print

The contest opens at noon on Tuesday, February 16, 2016, and runs through noon on Wednesday, February 24, 2016. All times EST. Must be a US or Canadian resident to win. Other fiddly bits can be found in the GiveawayTools.com widget up there.

Good luck, and please share this with your friends! Because friends that art together never part! Or something like that.

*Hemi-versary is my solution to the error of saying things like a “six month anniversary,” what with the anni- of anniversary meaning year and all. Plus, it’s just kinda fun to say!

Introducing our February Kit: Print Your HeART Out!

Print Your HeART Out is all about monoprinting with the awesomeness that is the Gelli Plate. As usual, the kit comes with everything you’ll need to get started with pulling prints from your very own 5″ plate including papers, paints, brushes, a brayer, a couple of stencils, and texture tools.

thecraftybranch_creativemischief_printyourheartout_kitcontents-1

With the Print Your HeART Out creative mischief kit you’ll be able to dive right into making prints with the included gelli plate.

The best thing about gelli printing, as far as I’m concerned, is that there’s no one right way to do it. It’s all about getting in there and trying out new things, getting your fingers all covered with ink or paint and seeing what happens.

You can plan your composition on the gelli plate or you can just layer print over print and see where it takes you–like a painted collage! And then you can use the prints you make in cards, scrapbooks, art journals, collage or anything else you can think of. By printing on different materials (fabric, wax paper, etc.) you can get loads of different effects and put those surfaces to all sorts of use.

Can you tell I’ve been having fun experimenting with my gelli plate? It might just be my new favorite thing!

Also available are copies of the book Gelli Prining by Suzanne McNeill. Now I always include instructions, tips, and examples in the kits themselves, but if you want even more inspiration and ideas, this book will give you just that–it’s a great companion to Print Your HeART Out (which is why I laid in a small supply of them).

This deluxe Creative Mischief Kit features products from Plaid, Martha Stewart, Gelli Arts, The Crafters Workshop, Deco Art, and Royal Brush and will be available to order on Tuesday, February 2, 2016.

 

Sometimes the Best Reaction to Loss is Inspiration

Like a lot of people, I woke up yesterday to the news that the world had lost a creative, talented, innovator.

David Bowie (1947-2016) died two days after his 69th birthday. On his last birthday he released a new album, even though he’d been battling cancer for the last 18 months. That right there is dedication to one’s craft. And, just like the rest of his career, this last album was a new path he forged, working with a jazz combo.

Tributes to Bowie’s life and work were all over yesterday. Space Oddity, Under Pressure, and anything from Labyrinth topped my friends’ mentions of him on Facebook, while I’m still partial to Peace on Earth (the counterpoint he wrote for the performance of Little Drummer Boy with Bing Crosby).

Regardless of our individual favorites, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Bowie would be proud if he were to influence any of us to keep working, keep innovating, and to keep trying new things.

In a bit of synchronicity, last week I finished reading Van Gogh: A Power Seething by Julian Bell. Unlike Boiwe, van Gogh didn’t set out to be an artist (he actually didn’t set out to be much of anything, at first, then he made several attempts to the clergy before finally trying out drawing). Of course, we know him as an artistic wonder, but that was only the last little bit of his life. In one of his letters to his brother, Theo, he wrote this about his emerging painting style.

Art as Shorthand

He wrote that at age 29 [which doesn’t seem like that late to find a career, to us, but keep in mind he died 8 years later, at 37, and the average life expectancy of men in the Netherlands when he was born was only 36.4(1)]. I found that particular line just so inspirational I did a post about it on my personal blog where it sparked creative prompts involving all five senses; you may be interested in reading it. (The Senses Project | Inspired by… Van Gogh).

I sign newsletters and design team posts with “wishing you creative days,” and it’s something I really mean. I hope you find a way to be creative each and every day, and that you never give up looking for opportunities to innovate and create.

(1) An Economic and Social History of the Netherlands, 1800-1920, Michael Wintle