Art and Craft News

The Magical Cheshire Cat - FREE Template to Colour and Paint

The Magical Cheshire Cat - FREE Template to Colour and Paint

I've had a few requests to draw my Cheshire Cat so others could use him for colouring and using as a template in their own books, so here he is. I hope this helps you have a go at painting your own cat. Have fun!
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Free Printable Calendar for 2018

A free something for you to use all year long... a Month to a Page Calendar for 2018. I hope you find it useful :) 

I've printed mine on A3 sheets of paper for use as a desktop calendar. I find its great to have big squares of space to write notes, journal and photo-a-day prompts, books I've read plus a space for art created, being grateful, a to-do list, goals to aim for and a divine doodle space.

Printing it on A4 will enable it to fit in the pocket of the large Dylusions Dyary or Creative Journal. Folding it in half will allow it to fit inside the small Dyary and Creative Journals!

I'm happy to print it and post it out to you if you wish. Only AU$5 Australia wide (AU$10 worldwide). This cost will cover paper, ink and postage. I'm able to print any size up to A3 (29.7cm x 42cm).

Download your FREE 2018 calendar here ... 1.97mb in size

To print out, download the pdf or the jpegs below. Press "print" and choose the settings "fit to paper". It should print on whatever size paper your printer uses. Alternatively, take the pdf to Officeworks or your local printer and they might be able to bind it as well.

Booklet image of the Free downloadable printable useable 2018 Calendar by Jenny

free printable for january 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for february 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for march 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for april 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for may 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for june 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for july 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for august 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for september 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for october 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for november 2018 from Art by Jenny free printable for december 2018 from Art by Jenny

Thanks for visiting Art by Jenny :) Sing out if you have questions or need help.

Happy Creative Year!
:)
Jenny

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New Arty Treasures from Dylusions by Dyan Reaveley - January 2018

Did you hear the news? Dyan Reaveley has got Ranger to release some of her brand new products early, before even being announced at the trade show later this month! Awesome :)

This means we can get crafty sooner with the new larger-than-life Dyary, fab new stickers and hilarious diecuts!

Below are all the newbies due to arrive next month (Feb 2018). Click this link to view all new Dylusions treasures or click each picture for details and to buy in advance...

The new Large Dylusions Dyary is 9x12 above, is the same size as the large Creative Journals. Perfect for use as a planner, memory keeper, to-do list, art journal, scrapbook, or even a business diary! Who needs to use a boring office timekeeper with plain blue lines and thin paper when you can have this on your desk to use every day?

The large Dyary has mixed media paper, strong sturdy cover (with space in the spine for a pen), large pocket in the front and elastic closure. Just like the small Dyary but bigger!

Speaking of the small (5x8) Dyary, it is having a makeover with fresh new artwork inside (see above). Both books are perpetual diaries with a week to an opening. No dates are added, just the days of the week, giving you the flexibility to use and plan for any day of the year at any time (in any order!).

Dylusions Clips

Above: Dylusions Clips ... miniature artworks inside epoxy resin discs attached to useful attachers. Perfect as paperclips, bookmarks, journal markers or to pin to the corkboard!

Above are the two sheets of clear silicon stamps inside the new Dylusions stamp set... curly lines, useful letters, fab spot and arrows, am and pm, 4 reminder prompts (memories, don't forget, important, remember) and more!

Dylusions by Dyan Reaveley Archival Ink Pads

To compliment the first set of mini Archival ink pads are these two sets... each 1"x1" stamp pad has a lid that stays closed and they click clack together into a mini tower. Archival ink dries permanent so it can be stamped then coloured with watercolours.

The colours in these sets are Pure Sunshine (yellow), Funky Fuchsia (dark pink), Polished Jade (blue green), Vibrant Turquoise and Squeezed Orange, Postbox Red, London Blue, Cut Grass (green). Each colour matches the Ink Sprays and Acrylic Paints.

Dylusions Die-Cut Dy Cuts, people paper dolls

Use the inks to colour these fabulous paper dolls! Mix and match the heads and bodies to create your own characters. All Dy Cuts (die cut shapes) are printed on high quality mixed media paper.

Dylusions Dy Cuts (die cut shapes) with a Laughing Cat

This colourful set of Dy Cuts is ready to add fun to any page! My favourites are the laughing cat, the tail-less mermaid (bottom left, could be trapeze artist too) and the survivor woman (she always looks fab in any colour).

Dyan Reaveley Stickers

As you may know, I love stickers! This new booklet from Dyan is no exception. Its filled with numbers, colours, dolls, arrows and colourful stickers for planners, diaries and calendars! A good mix of clear and white stickers to suit any purpose.

permanent clear adhesive in a triangular shape glue stick

To stick everything down on your page, you need a reliable, non yellowing, quick drying permanent adhesive. I've gone through so many different brands and types and when Dyan introduced this little guy, I was over the moon.

Its little so its portable and doesn't dry out in the tube. Some larger glues (tapes included) can dry out before you even get to use them! The Dylusions Glue Stick by Ranger adheres paper and other porous surfaces (card, tissue, fabric to paper).

new accessory bag or pencil case by Dyan Reaveley

To store and carry all these new treasures and attach to your Dyary is this gorgeous fabric pencil case (aka accessory bag). Dyan says its a beautiful feeling strong thick fabric with a zipper enclosure... with a wide elastic band to sling around the Dyary front cover so you can carry everything easily, everywhere you go!

I'll get better photos after they arrive inStore. But don't let blurry photos fool you, the quality of every single Dylusions and Ranger product is excellent. You won't be disappointed!

On the 16th January 2018 will be more announcements from Tim Holtz and Dyan Reaveley (and hundreds of other brands/designers as its the week of the USA Trade Show). It happens every year... and its always super exciting!

Amazing new products are shown off (samples only most of the time, as they're not actually all made yet!), we discover that we need it all, then we have to wait as they get manufactured and sent to all the shops around the world (including mine).

If you see anything you'd like, ask me anytime and I'll find a way to get it for you.

Thanks for reading! Have a happy creative day!
:)
Jenny

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Making Christmas Bright with Tim Holtz Crazy Cats

Making Christmas Bright with Tim Holtz Crazy Cats

For Christmas 2017 I created a unique card using a variety of Tim Holtz treasures including Idea-Ology Tiny Metal Bells, Typed Tokens and Star Fasteners.

The star of this card is Tim's Crazy Cat from his stamps and die collections. I couldn't resist sharing him with you all so I've shrunk the card down to use for my little Christmas Thank You cards.

Finished Christmas Cards for 2017

They're nothing like how I started out in my mind, but that's ok because hardly anything does that! lol :) Each and every one is different (except for the printed variety)... 

List of treasures...
- Tim Holtz Stamp Platform
- Sizzix Sidekick
- Tim Holtz Crazy Cats Stamps
- Tim Holtz Tiny Things set 2 (stamps)
- Tim Holtz Carved Christmas set 2 (stamps)
- Tim Holtz Halftone and Rings (background stamps)
- Tim Holtz Sparkles and Christmas (background stamps)
- Tim Holtz Thinlets, Home for the Holidays (dies)
- Dylusions Christmas Borders (stamps)
- IndigoBlu Ink Splats (stamps)
- IndigoBlu Rugged Edge (stamps)
- Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers
- Gansai Tambi watercolour paints (link to all watercolour paints)
- Stickles Star Dust (glitter glue)
- Tim Holtz Tidings Design Tape (link to all washi tape)
- Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Findings (Tiny Metal Bells, Star Fasteners, Jingle Bells and Typed Tokens)
- Distress Ink Pads (Antique Linen (regular and oxides), Pumice Stone, Black Soot, Bundled Sage)
- Archival Ink Pads (I used Red Geranium, Fern Green, Jet Black)
- Glossy Accents
- Waterbrush
- Tim Holtz Snips
By the way, here's a link to everything by Tim ... use the drop down menu to choose different collections and types of treasure. The search bar works too :)

How this card was made...

I used a scrap (dummy) card to line up everything on the stamp platform, especially with the Christmas wording, holly and big star. Each step was printed multiple times before moving along to the next step. If you're making 10 cards, then stamp each step 10 times before moving along to the next stamp.

Using the stamp platform made it so much faster and once in place, I didn't need to worry about getting the position in the same place each time. The magnets I had as guides rather than used to hold down the card. Once I had the stamp in place it was so easy - lift the lid, swap piece of card, add ink to the stamp, close the lid, repeat :)

stamping the background with the Tim Holtz Stamp Platform

Step 1 - The background was created in this order...

I didn't actually create it in this order... I was all over the place! If I do them again, the following order is what I recommend. 

stamping the background elementsThe images were stamped directly onto the unfolded card base with a piece of paper covering the back so I got a nice clean edge along the centre fold.

1 ... Tim's Halftones background stamp was used for the top and bottom edges of the card (and speckles in the middle). It was printed three times.

First with Distress Inks in Antique Linen Oxide over the whole stamp. Next with Pumice Stone only on the short edges of the stamp (top and bottom of the card). Thirdly, flip the stamp around (180) and print again using Antique Linen (regular).

2 ... Change the background stamp to the words from Sparkles and Christmas stamp set. This is inked with Black Soot Distress Ink only on the last 4-5 lines of text, and lined up so the actual sentiment, Merry Christmas, was 2 lines up from the base.

3 ... Next are the IndigoBlu Rugged Edge border stamps. They're printed using the platform at the same time, inked with Bundled Sage Distress Ink. The honeycomb border is along the bottom, just above the Merry Christmas wording while the ink splats are on both sides.

4 ... The holly across the top is from Dyan Reaveley's Christmas Borders stamp set. It is stamped with the green Archival ink.

6 ... The baubles are also from Dyan's Christmas Borders stamp set. I cut up the strip of decorations and placed 4 them on the stamp platform lined up with the holly. They're stamped using the dark red Archival ink.

7 ... The star of wonder stamp was inked with both Antique Linen Oxide and Pumice Stone at the same time... ink the whole image with Antique Linen and just the star's points with Pumice Stone.

8 ... The music and gramophone (from Tiny Things set 2) were stamped with Black Soot Distress Ink.

cutting out the Crazy Cats using the Sidekick and Sizzix die template

Step 2 ... Crazy Cat

I stamped out the Crazy Cat in black Archival ink on white card. Each cat was then cut out using the coordinating die template through the groovy little Sidekick.

closeup of the Tim Holtz Crazy cat inside the Sizzix die templateThis cat is just small enough to fit through the Sidekick :) It didn't take me long to cut out over 50 cats! A few times I was off the mark, but most of the time they came out perfectly lined up, including the tiny whiskers.

I do like my Cuttlebug but the Sidekick made this process so much easier and faster - I didn't have to spend time juggling which plates, pads and shims to use. For some reason I need to do this every time I use my bug, obviously its a user problem as the bug itself always works beautifully (once I get the plates in the right order! lol). The Sidekick cuts perfectly for every piece too... on one roll - the pieces pop out without extra leverage required.

The only thing is it only cuts one sheet of card at a time but its so fast it doesn't matter :)

I only ended up colouring one cat (pictured below). I used the Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers in pale blue and grey (Lagoon and Driftwood)... I decided the card had enough eclectic elements and more colour on a cat wasn't needed. So I gave him a shiny star for a collar instead :)

colouring cats and baubles

Step 3 ... Baubles

For the big red bauble near the cat's front paw, I stamped out dozens of Dylusions baubles (from Christmas Borders set) on a single sheet of white card using the dark red Archival ink. These are coloured with Jane Davenport Mixed Media Mermaid Markers in red (Lobster) with shading in dark brown (Reef). The stars and stripes were coloured with metallic markers in gold and silver. Once dry, they were all handcut with scissors.

closeup photo of the baubles

I love colouring ... I used Mermaid Markers for all the holly, berries and baubles. The holly was coloured using Seaweed and Kelp (light and dark green) with red (Lobster) for the berries. Once dry, I added red Enamel Accents to a couple of cards, then changed it to red Stickles (glitter glue).

The hanging baubles were coloured using Lobster with Reef (as before, all red with the brown for shading) and Lagoon with Squid Ink (all light blue with the dark blue for shading). Once dry, they were detailed with the gold and silver metallic markers, highlighted with Star Dust Stickles (glitter glue) and a dash of Glossy Accents.

adding miniature baubles christmas ornaments and decorations

Smaller baubles are all made using the ball of wool die template from Crazy Cats. After cutting out the cats, I used the scraps and placed the wool die everywhere it would fit... amazingly enough, hardly any paper was thrown away!

These small baubles were painted using a variety of colours of Gansai Tambi watercolours with Mermaid Markers. I used gold with copper, silver with hint of purple, red (Lobster MM) with a darker red, blue (Lagoon MM) with indigo. Once dry, they were painted with Iridescent medium and then left to dry again. Star Dust Stickles was added after they were glued in place on the cards.

Painting Christmas Trees using Mermaid Markers

Step 4 ... Tree branches

These branches were made using the little tree die from 'Home for the Holidays' (the Sizzix die set with the groovy car carrying the Christmas tree on its roof).

closeup of trees from Home for the Holidays Sizzix die setUsing the Sidekick, I cut out dozens of little tree branches out of watercolour card.

Each branch was handcoloured one at a time using 3 Mermaid Markers. First Bali Blue (pale blue-green all over), then Seaweed (bright green splashed around the centre and some tips), and Kelp (dark green on the bases, sometimes up the centre).

The colours blended together beautifully creating even more hues of green. Love it.

Adding washi tape

Step 5 ... Putting all together

Washi tape is along the bottom of the card ... green glitter and black/white phrases stuck over and under the stamped wording of Merry Christmas.

the finished cardI used Glossy Accents to glue everything on the page because I know it will stay put. Its a fantastic strong glue that doesn't go yellow with age. Its also fantastic as a 3-dimensional varnish to make clear enamel dots :)

My other favourite that is non-yellowing, Jewel-It, is a fantastic glue too but Glossy dries faster. You could use any adhesive, glue stick, matte medium, tape ... whatever is closest at hand!

So I don't use too much glue, I use my finger to dab the glue from my craft sheet onto the leaves and finer pieces (rather than straight from the bottle or with a brush). This ensure it doesn't leak out the edges oozing glue everywhere.

I placed the cat first, only gluing the body and head in place, leaving the paws and tail loose so I could move bells and baubles around and under them. Once happy with placement, they got stuck down.

Step 6 ... Adding Sparkle Everywhere

adding trinkets and Idea-Ology embellishmentsShimmery golds, silvers and glitter glue was added to all the baubles. Its amazing the difference a bit o sparkle does to a card.

Star brad fasteners were attached to some of the stars and baubles. Mirrored stars were glued here and there. Some cards even had some tiny metal bells, jingly baubles and other Idea-Ology trinkets added to the tree.

Thanks so much for reading this far... I realise its a bit long! lol :) Its been a wonderful crafty creative time in my studio. Loved every moment!

Hope it made you smile and maybe even inspired to have a go yourself. Sing out if you need a hand, I'm here to help anytime.

Happy Creative Day!
:)
Jenny

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Awesome news, beautiful art and a bit of retail therapy!

Awesome news, beautiful art and a bit of retail therapy!

pic of the Stephanie Barnard White Sidekick by Sizzix showing accesoriesHello :) Thanks for popping over to the shop blog. I have awesome news...

The brand new Tim Holtz Sidekick and Stephanie Barnard's White Sidekick (with pink plates) are both in stock. The Sizzix White Sidekick with Aqua Plates will hopefully be arriving instore in a couple of weeks (from 29th Nov 2017).

This means whichever colour you choose, your new best friend will be delivered to you before Christmas! Yay :)

Each Sidekick has a variety of accessories, 2 cutting plates and 1 embossing mat.

The Sizzix Sidekick Machine is exactly what you’ve have been looking for ... a portable, affordable and adorable crafting system designed for the detailed wafer thin Thinlits and Framelits. The Sidekick will cut a single sheet of lightweight-to-cardstock paper, and is ideal for scrapbooking, cardmaking, home décor and party, event and wedding planning.

Click here to see the Sidekicks

If you've the original Red Sidekick from many moons ago, you've not been neglected. Sizzix are making extra cutting plates so you can use all the new Thinlits and Framelits with your trusty vintage machine. They'll be available in the new year.

Also, the Sizzlets and other vintage dies will still work with the new Sidekicks too. You'll need to keep the clear cutting plates/pads that are with the Red Sidekick for them to work. At the time of writing this blog post, you could still get the clear plates and they're in 2 lengths, 4.875" and 13" long.

Alot has arrived over the past few weeks including the gorgeous new colours from Jane Davenport. They are amazing! Everything is of an exceptionally high quality. Its no wonder Jane looks so happy in all her videos :) Shimmering Mermaid Markers, Sparkly GlitzSea Pens and the beautiful Mermaid Inkredible Pen are just a few that have arrived instore with more on their way. Alot of the new mixed media line are still in production so may not be here by Christmas - but there's always another day! We'll get it all eventually :)

Click here for treasures by Jane Davenport

Adelaide's Christmas Pageant was the other day, a sure reminder that time is flying super fast and Christmas will be upon us in a blink of an eye. Thankfully making gifts and cards doesn't have to be time consuming.

I've put together a collection of essentials under one category so you spend less time shopping and more time creating. Here you will find Strathmore blank cards that are prefolded, ready to add beautiful colours, inspiring stamps, Tim Holtz Idea-Ology findings and stickers with meaningful sayings.

Pictured right are tags made using the beautiful set of Sizzix clear stamps and Thinlit dies, Christmas is Here by Katelyn Lizardi.

Click here for Christmas Essentials

Can't decide on what to give to your loved ones? Of course they need art and craft supplies! lol :) But which ones to choose can get tricky as we all have different favourites. Why not send a gift voucher? Click here for more information.
Any reason is a good reason to celebrate with art - weddings, engagements, Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, Unbirthdays, saying Thank You, Thinking of You, With Sympathy, Get Well Soon, anything at all :)

Art Journal Group...

In October, I had the priviledge to work in an art journal belonging to our wonderful leader Louise. With a theme of "Trees", I had to come up with something that was worthy of this incredible book. So I decided upon a flowering Red Gum. But of course they're tall and strong and huge ... this book is a wide landscape. When searching for pics of trees I came across bonsai trees, why didn't I think of that before? So a Bonsai Red Gum was what I create for Louise. Click here to see my page "Trees for Louise".

my art journal page created with Tim Holtz stickers, wildflower dies and craft surfaces

I used quite a few different craft supplies from Tim Holtz for this page including Idea-Ology Clippings Stickers, Wildflower Thinlits, Idea-Ology Substrate Sheets and a few stencils. It was such an enjoyable piece to create and Louise loves it too! Its always a bonus when your art is loved :D

I said so often, I love this world of art, especially the FB Art Group! Everyone is so friendly, encouraging, helpful, inspirational and creative. We have regular art swaps, share techniques and inspire each other to be creative every day. The AAJS blog is well worth spending a bit of time wandering around, checking out all the beautiful artwork.

There should be a menu to the right where you'll find the an archive (contents of all posts) in a monthly format. This will help you wander around without losing your way. Just above that are links to everyone's personal blogs - with even more art to feast your eyes upon! Click here to visit the art group blog.

ATC Swaps...

Artist Trading Cards made by Jenny using Dylusions stamps with a link to my craft blogArtist Trading Cards (miniature artworks 2.5" x 3.5" in size, created for fun and to share) are such fabulous things to make and swap with friends.

With a theme of "Creatures of the Sea" I couldn't resist using the Dylusions "Under the Sea" stamp set, just so I could colour these little crabs and their friends in again.

More pics and a quick how-to is at my craft blog, A Life Less Ordinary. I hope it makes you smile :)

On that note, I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your day. May it be filled with happiness, love, laughter and time for art!

Happy Creative Day!
:)
Jenny

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