Hey there, Carolyn here, taking over the TB&CO blog again to tell you about the March/April Book club that just got rolling over at the Art Journal Emporium. We’ve got another great book selection for you for this term.
Susan is your host and she chose Mixed Media Techniques for Art Journaling: A Workbook of Collage, Transfers and More by Kristy Conlin
I’m really excited to dive into this book (discussions are posted every Friday). If you’re not already a member of the Art Journal Emporium this may be just the thing to convince you to give it a try. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments section below. Hope to see you in the Book Club!!
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[Posted by Carolyn Albro]
Greetings friends! It’s Monday which means it’s time to take a look at some of the goodness showing up in the Art Journal Emporium Gallery.
Let’s start this week’s highlights with Zeneva’s wonderfully, quirky page made from the Color Prompt Challenge and Itinerary quote.
Credits: AJC Itinerary No. 6; Tangie Baxter's Spinning DayDreams, Mint To Be, Sweet Harmony, Bountiful; Rebecca McMeen's Illy, Lyne, Retro Mal and The Nifty Pixel's Pick Your Destiny Alpha.
Liz is up next with this bit of goodness. I love the collage effect of her page.
Liz’s credits: AJC Itinerary No. 8 and the March 2016 Grab Bag.
Anne Lou’s Frida tribute is filled with rich, vibrant colors and wonderful blending. I love the quote too.
Anne Lou’s credits: Inspired by the Art Journal Caravan Itinerary No. 8.
Jenny is our last highlight of the week using the March Grab Bag. I love the choice of elements and placement on her page. Everything works wonderful together. I could see this framed and hanging on a wall.
Jenny’s credits: Art Journal Caravan Itinerary No. 9; March Grab Bag; Font is Tangie Baxter's Bread and Butter .
I so hope you enjoyed today’s selections! A big thank you to Zeneva, Liz, Anne Lou and Jenny for sharing their wonderful creations with everyone. Please leave them some love!
Tangie Baxter & CO’s Art Journal Caravan is back for 2016 please check it out and join us. The Art Journal Caravan is where I discovered and fell in love with art journaling using all digital supplies and eventually branched out to mixed media.
Don’t forget Monthly Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and priced on a sliding scale. Act fast for the best deal. For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
Thanks so much for looking - see you soon with more outstanding AJE Gems.
[posted by Susan Mccarley]
The theme for this month's Grab Bag is “Envelop” and includes gorgeous butterflies, vintage envelopes plus an assortment of stunning ephemera from Tangie Baxter.
An impish art doll named Mara, various dresses, and more terrific ephemera from Rebecca McMeen plus harmonizing papers are also included to complete this brilliant package.
The pieces of this collection can be used in both digital and mixed media formats. TB&CO Grab Bag #19 {March 2016} is only available for a limited time and is priced on a sliding scale, so act fast for the best deal! For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
Following are some examples of the creative things you can do with the bits and pieces included in the TB&CO Grab Bag #19 {March 2016}. By the way I only used bits and pieces from this month’s grab bag, nothing else.
I hope you enjoy these examples and are inspired to acquire the monthly Grab Bag to design your own unique art.
By the way - over in the AJE, you can participate in monthly challenges. There are two winners every month. Just upload your digital or mixed-media entry by the end of the month.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[posted by Jan Nicholas]
Greetings fellow art lovers! It’s Monday, and that means it’s time to take a peek at this week’s gorgeous Art Journal Emporium Gallery Gems!
Let’s begin with this dreamy page created by Robyn L for the Art Journal Emporium February Challenge. Every time I look at it, I can feel the warmth of the sun and the sweet, soft breeze.
Robyn’s credits: Tangie Baxter & CO’s February Grab Bag, now available as separate kits: Tangie Bundle No.18, Rebecca Bundle No. 18
Next we have this amazing black and white piece created by Marilyn Curttright for the Art Journal Caravan Itinerary No. 7. The sad, almost desperate eyes seem to jump off the page.
Her credits: Tangie Baxter's Dreamspilling, Dream Maker, Collage Sheet from Itinerary #7 included in the Art Journal Emporium, and Rebecca McMeen’s Illy
And finally, also in response to The AJC Itinerary No. 7, we have some excellent advice beautifully presented by rarou47. I just love all of her wonderfully grungy layers!
Credits: Tangie Baxter & CO kits
I hope you enjoyed today’s selections! Thanks to Robyn, Marilyn and rarou47 for sharing their delectable creations! Please leave them some love!
Tangie Baxter & CO’s Art Journal Caravan is back for 2016, and if you haven’t participated, you should check it out! I got my start in Art Journalling via the Art Journal Caravan and have never looked back!
Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and are priced on a sliding scale, so act fast for the best deal! For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
Thanks for looking - see you next time with some more sparkling gems!
[posted by Glenda Mulac]
There’s still time for you to participate in the monthly challenge over at the Art Journal Emporium. All you have to do is use one of the ideas below, create and upload your digital or mixed media entry by February 29, 2016. If you participate in the monthly challenge you could be one of two winners chosen at random – each prize is a $5.00 coupon to Tangie Baxter & Co. Woo Hoo!
February’s challenge is to use at least one of the following ideas:
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Use the Following Quote:
“Whoever Loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.”– Vincent Van Gogh
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Your extra Day! What will you do with your Leap Year day this year?
Create an art journal page (or project) with your ideas.
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Figment
Create a scene or art journal page with a "figment" of your imagination. It could be something fun like (Tangie's) "whale with wings" that came in the grab bag or it could be something you want to work on in your life. Are you dealing with something that you know is a "figment" in your mind that you are trying to overcome? Make this page as deeply profound or as your courage calls you to do, or as lighthearted as your imagination can dream up.
Simple isn’t it?
To give you an idea of what you could do, here is my “Figment.”
All elements were included in the February Grab Bag, now available as separate kits:
Tangie Bundle No.18, Rebecca Bundle No. 18
Get those creative juices flowing, you could win a super prize! Come and join the fun!
Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and are priced on a sliding scale, so act fast for the best deal! For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[posted by Jan Nicholas]
Did you know that included in your Art Journal Emporium membership you receive Tangie Baxter's Collage Workshop for that month BEFORE it's released in the TB & CO store? In addtion to the digital downloads there is a video tutorial and sample projects!
Here's a project our crew member Anne shared with Emporium members. Enjoy!
This month’s collage began with a map. I work at the Census Bureau, and recently, we had to clean out our mapping library. Before discarding books and maps, we were allowed to choose ones we would like to keep. As a geographer, I have always been fond of maps, so I collected several atlases and wall maps. For my journal page collage this month, I began with a map of the United States which I glued into my journal.
Looking at the map, I began to think of the many places I have lived and visited in this beautiful country. I have been to every state except North Dakota, and have lived in five states. When I was 12, I was lucky enough to go on a half year cross country trip with my parents by trailer. So, for my collage, I marked the places that I have lived with stars and drew the route we took on that cross country trip. I also used some of the collage elements to highlight areas, and the hearts mark some of my favorite places.
To round out the composition, I added the wonderful hands and Rebecca’s figure cut from the collage sheets. I used flowers to add some further color and interest, not minding that I covered up Texas :) I apologize to those of you living in the south. There are some really lovely places in the American South. But, my heart belongs to New England, and particular to the West Coast.
When I added “Figment of My Imagination” it made me ponder the nature of memories. The time I spent traveling across the county with my parents as my teachers was the best experience within an already wonderful childhood. I have probably glorified it in my mind. How much of it was real and how much a figment? I guess it doesn’t really matter, I will always treasure the memories of that year - they shaped the adult and the geographer I became.
[posted by Anne]
The Collage Workshop materials need to be downloaded before the end of each month so there's only a few days left to join the AJE and get this month's workshop.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[posted by Joy]
Today we are meeting one of our fabulous European artists! Her name is Diane Birch. She contributes some great artwork in the Art Journal Emporium. Here is more information in her own words:
My name is Diane but I am also known as Di the Spy (from an old joke about a Welsh village ... not really all that funny now)
I live in Central France now that I've retired. I used to live near Liverpool in England until last year.
I started out completely digital learning as I went along until I discovered the Art Journal Caravan in 2011. My skills improved enormously with the help of Tangie's video tutorials and inspiration from the prompts.
Since I've had more time, I have started using mixed media in my art as well. I lacked confidence in my artistic abilities so had always been reluctant to invest in the materials needed to get started with mixed media. At least with digital you can use other people's images and you get rid of mistakes as you go along.
I am so glad I made the move to mixed media! It has brought back the wonderful feeling of creativity I remember from when I was a child. I used to spend hours drawing and painting (mainly horses and dogs) and although the art critic within was growing in me, somehow it didn't matter quite so much.
My favourite art supply is probably.... everything! As I've been learning about different media, I've been excited by one thing after another. My current fave is rubber stamp carving. It's so tactile!
I don't have a favourite colour palette. I try to change the colour schemes so that my journal is varied.
I love every part of the Art Journal Emporium. I can never wait for new things to be posted on Fridays (Saturday for me because of the time difference). I am always inspired to create new things from the prompts and I'm learning about different artists too. I also adore looking at other members work. People are so clever and art is so personal. I am always grateful when people share so much.
Here's a sampling of of Diane's Artwork:
To find out more about the Art Journal Emporium or the Art Journal Caravan, visit http://shoptangiebaxter.com.
[posted by Jen]
“If you build it, he will come.” Field of Dreams
Most of us remember it as: “If you build it, they will come.” And this is the answer to where ideas come from. They come from beginning.
I’ve shared a couple of times about how happy and honored I am to be on the Creative Team for Tangie Baxter’s Art Journal Emporium. I contribute a monthly tutorial on mobile art - creating art using a smartphone or tablet. Here the creations for this month’s tutorial, Wild Motion and Ultimate Distortion. But, I have to be honest, most of the time I have no idea what I’m going to create or write about next.
This month, I actually started writing the tutorial before these pieces were created. The ideas for each next step came from the pictures themselves. I even tossed out some ideas along the way. Which means I started without any ideas at all, but had so many ideas along the way that I actually ended up with more ideas than I needed.
So where do ideas come from? They come from beginning. I don’t mean this in any kind of mystical or abstract vague way. I mean this in the most practical of ways. Strike out. Snap a picture. Make a mark. Glue something down. Tear, staple, scribble, doodle - start anywhere with anything you have at your fingertips. Then, add the next thing. And the next thing. Destroy the first thing. Subtract something. Cover over the bits you don’t like and keep going. In the beginning it may feel like you’re pushing a big rock up a mountain, but, eventually, the artwork itself will take over. Thank goodness! Otherwise I would probably never make anything.
Before I started creating on my own, I would look at a piece of art or a journal page created by another artist and I would think to myself, “How did they come up with that?” I thought they knew exactly what they wanted to create before they started and that they also knew every step to take along the way to get there.
What I’ve learned is that there are very few, if any, artists who create that way. This is one of the myths of creation: that you have to know exactly what you want to make and how to make it before you’re allowed to begin. In fact the opposite is true for me. I have to begin before I can know what I want to make.
Yes, there are formulas, workflows, and patterns that I’ve discovered, developed and learned along the way. But, anything you learn from someone else will eventually have to become yours. Your bag of techniques and your comfort with different materials will expand over time. And it helps to have a community to play with.
But, the beauty of it, at least for me, is knowing that I don’t have to know what I’m doing. Even if I have no idea how to begin, all I have to do is begin and the ideas will come. Trust. And begin.
So happy beginnings to you! I hope to see you in the Art Journal Emporium.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[posted by Kirsten]
Hello, Katrina here again to share with you one of my cut and paste journal pages using one of the February collage sheets.
This month’s theme FIGMENT could not be more perfect for me as I am known in my family and among my friends for having a rather vivid imagination! A trait I am very proud of too!
The main reason I journal is to play with my imagination in my own little world, where anything is possible. So when you give me 3 rather handsome seahorses all in a line, what else could I see but 3 very dapper seahorses all in a line!! So the journal page was born!
To begin with I needed a background. Now if you are anything like me and love to play with paints and inks, you will have, shall we say 1 or 2 or possibly even 3 different products to use. The number of things I have is much higher than that but we will quickly skip over that!!! So this year I am trying to actually use these products rather than just looking lovingly at them. With this in mind I dug out some bottles of inks I had and used them to build up my background.
To build up my background I -
- laid down some inks onto the page using some cut and dry sponge, I used Yellows and blues and blended them into each other.
- Using several different stencils I added more coloured ink, keeping to the same colour palette as I had used in the background.
- I kept adding colour and pattern until I was happy.
Now it was time to add my dapper seahorses! I printed out the collage sheet and cut out the seahorses.
- Before I glued the seahorses down, I stamped a couple of times using a circle stamp, I didn’t re-ink my stamp the second time and so just got a ghost impression just above the middle seahorse.
- I then glued my seahorses onto the page and used my crayons to blend them into the background.
- I liked the way the stamped circles looked so I used a homemade stencil ( I had cut circles using my circle dies from some plastic packaging in different sizes ) to draw through with my crayons to add some more of the circles above the seahorses heads.
Now to dress the seahorses up! I am lucky to be the proud owner of a Silhouette Cameo, an electronic cutting machine. Every project I do on it amazes me and this one was no exception. These shapes are so small the chain on the fob watches are almost as thin as a human hair! Amazing!
You could of course use die cuts or other images from digital kits you have at home. Or you could simply draw them on, as I did their monocles.
So there you have it, the finished page. I have dressed up my dapper seahorses and added the word magic from the same collage sheet.
I then used die cut letters for the lettering and highlighted them using a white pencil.
I hope you enjoyed my project today and will have some fun yourself with this month’s collage sheets and your imagination, you never know where you will end up!
The Collage Workshop is included in the Art Journal Emporium and then available for sale in the TB&CO Shop the following month.
Previous Collage Sheet Workshops can be found here: Collage Sheets by Tangie.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[posted by Katrina Rollings]
Good day fellow art lovers! Glenda here to share some real beauties I’ve discovered in the Art Journal Emporium this week...
Let’s start with this stunning piece created by Jeanet for the AJE Art Journal Caravan Itinerary No. 5. Jeanet has artfully combined her own drawing with goods from February’s Grab Bag - lovely!
Credits: TB & CO’s February Grab Bag (Tangie Bundle No. 18, Rebecca Bundle No.18)
Our next delightful gem is a vibrant piece created by Annalies de Zeeuw. The bright, rich colors and clearly determined bird seem to shout “Believe” - and we do!
Credits include: TB & CO’s February Grab Bag (Tangie Bundle No. 18, Rebecca Bundle No.18)
And echoing how so many of us have been feeling lately, here is a charming piece by Rosie Funnel. Her absolutely enchanting “head above water” page is a response to the AJE February Challenge.
Credits: TB & CO’s February Grab Bag (Tangie Bundle No. 18, Rebecca Bundle No.18) and Tangie Baxter’s font TangieAJFaskingriddles.
I hope you have enjoyed today’s Gallery Gems... Special thanks go out to Jeanet, Annalies and Rosie for sharing their beautiful work with us! Please be sure to leave them some love!
Check out this year’s Art Journal Caravan. It’s back - Yay! - and better than ever! See you there!
Art Journal Emporium information.
Art Journal Caravan information.
Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and are priced on a sliding scale, so act fast for the best deal! For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
[posted by Glenda Mulac]
