You probably suspect...

...that I've been lollygagging artistically over the past few months, but that is not remotely the case.

January was filled with Creative Jumpstart 2020 and when I say filled, I mean FILLED.  If you'd like to kick-start your creative year, I'd highly recommend it.  Organised by Natalie Kalbach, it includes video lessons by 31 well-known creatives.  Best part?  You can download them and keep them on file to refer to them later, as long as you do so before November 15/20.  It's not too late to get in on the fun, so I encourage you to hop over there and DO IT!

I had a ton of fun with the videos, and very much enjoyed each of them for the unique slant on creating. 

Here are some of the lessons I did manage to finish without too much in the way of error or outright fails.  The starter video by Natalie herself was a dead loss due to a major disagreement between some cardboard, a rubber stamp and yours truly, so it's on the back burner to try again.  Keep prompting me if you don't see it in the next month or so!!

I loved making this mini book from Tina Walker's video - it was a unique way to create the background and the book form itself.  

The above journal spread was the result of Marieke Blokland's video, and it's one of my best self portraits, don't you think?  Those of you who know me are aware of my cookie hound character.

If I'd bet on a lesson that I'd hate, the jewelry drawing one by Jane LaFazio would have won hands down.  WRONG!  It was a blast to do, and reminded me that actual drawing could be fun.

The return to colour theory by Andrea Gomoll (do these look like landscapes to you?) was a great exercise.

Painting emotions by Iris Fritschi-Cussens was another fun one.  I'm not much for painting faces at all, so this journal spread was a big stretch...and back to the drawing board.  ;-)

I'll share some more of these next week, and in the meantime, I'd love to hear how you're expanding your creative vision (post a link in your comment if you like!). 

A huge thanks...

goes out to fellow artists for feeding my creative frenzy.

This past week I put out an APB looking for metal buttons and old costume jewellery.  And boy, did I get results!

I was gifted pounds of gorgeous metal buttons,

dozens of pieces of earring and pins, 

chains galore (including a hand-crafted one!),

buckles,

antique keys (I LOVE keys)

coins,

some wonderfully mandalic circular metal pieces (?),

 beads,

 more beautiful jewellery including cultured pearls,

and another bag full of lovely filigreed plastic buttons.

How could I help but spend a couple of hours making more flowers?  It was all just impossible to resist!

Thank you Eileen and Laura for feeding my addiction...there will be many lost hours coming up in the studio!

Then I was rooting through my art pen case, and found this lovely silver tree of life earring, stashed in there, no doubt, by Alice on her recent visit.  Wow - thank you!

And while I'm on the topic of generosity, I want to give a shout out to the wonderful community 'Creating and Sharing Mixed Media Art' over at Google+.  I've been involved in a tag swap there for some months and invariably I'm bowled over not only by the tags I've received, but the add-ons of ephemera gifted with them.  You're a fabulous bunch of peeps!  

Thank you to all my artist friends - you feed my frenzy and fill my soul!