Category: News

ART FAIR 2024

If you’re just landing on this web site after visiting me at the KUKI art and craft fair in Kehlen, Luxembourg, hello and welcome.

It’s been a while since I participated in a craft market, two years to be exact and in that time a few things have changed. Most of my artwork these days is digital, prints and patterns for example but occasionally I still like to get out a pencil and paper to produce a quick sketch. I enjoy making cards using a blend of digital illustration, collage and hand painted backgrounds. Some of the cards made for KUKI were made in this way.

The prints made for KUKI started out with a simple hand cut alphabet and shapes, scanned and put into Illustrator where I could manipulate them and add colours. I love that choppy, wobbly look, it gives them a bit of character I think.

I make less books than I used to which is sad I know, I love hand bound books. I’ll still be making a few special ones so they won’t disappear from my life forever.

This time around I’ve been rediscovering the magic of my cutting maching and made a few stickers to put on the table. I’ve had a lot of fun with these, I’m pretty pleased with the results. It’ll be fun to play with lots of new illustrations for stickers in the future. I’ve also discovered some specialist papers for tatoo making and Kraft paper labels so I’m looking forward to playing with those.

This time round I’m sharing the tent with my daughter Sophie who has set herself up as an illustrator too. She’s done really well in designing, printing, packaging and marketing, I think she has a great future ahead and I’m one proud mama.

Have a great weekend

Update: I want to thank everyone who came over to support us, it was very much appreciated xx

Jaine xx

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GOING BACK TO WHERE IT BEGAN

A very happy new year to you all and I truly hope 2023 will bring us all peace and prosperity.

As I look back 2022 was a year of reflection for me. I spent a large part of the year either trying to work out where I was going or longing to create something wonderful but not quite knowing what. I think this must be a result of calling myself a mixed-media artist. I want to use everything all of the time and procrastination is my worst enemy.

At the beginning of last year I challenged myself to create at least one large canvas painting which I’d be proud to hang on a wall as well as to fill a sketchbook with drawings I could use in future paintings. However halfway through the year it became obvious that I had neither the urge or the time to create a daily sketch, or even a weekly one and the canvas project was looking less and less likely too. As time passed it became harder to get back into a creative habit. The sketchbook is half way filled and I hope to fill the other half this year.

I’ve decided to scale things down quite a bit as a result and so the shop has gone. This cuts down on the admin side of things and leaves me free to get back to the thing I love which is making art. I’ve opened an Etsy shop again so I can still sell my creations as well as a few supplies. I do hope you’ll visit me there as I start to fill it over the next few days. It’s called simply BASEMENT STUDIO LUXEMBOURG – to the point.

Etsy is where I started my journey all those years ago so it’s appropriate I should go back to where I began. I’ve learned a lot since those days, gained confidence and a bit more self belief. The next few months will be exciting as I explore the possibility of new ideas so I hope you’ll join me from time to time and we’ll see where this path leads.

Jaine xx

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Moving On

This week has been difficult to work through but I’m forced to accept the changes which will now inevitably happen!

I’ve been a reader of Craft Stamper magazine almost since its beginning. It was unique, full of wonderous mixed media inspiration, unafraid to be different. Imagine my absolute delight at having one of my pieces of art published on its pages as a reader. Discovering that my work was thought of in the same way as some of my crafting heroes gave me the boost to send in more work which paid off when I was taken on as one of the full time contributors. My first article was published in 2012 and from there I went on to write articles for Scrap 365, Sewing World, Beads and Beyond as well as a couple of overseas magazines.

When Trish asked me to join her as Assistant Editor of Craft Stamper it was a dream come true. To be on the team responsible for putting my favourite magazine together was an absolute honour and seeing my name on the inside cover each month made me fill with pride.

So it’s with huge sadness that this week we’ve officially had to put it all to bed with the closing of Craft Stamper. Another victim of the times and no doubt not the last. I’ve made some wonderful friends over the years through the magazine not least Trish who has been an amazing mentor and inspiration to me.

I have to move forward, keep up the momentum and see what comes next.

Jaine x

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January So Far

Despite the on going clear out in the basement, my work table still looks like a bomb has gone off on top of it. It’s littered with projects I’m working on which you’ll get to see soon along with some new craft materials I found last weekend at Expo Creativ in Luxembourg, exciting stuff. I visited Lux Expo with friends taking public transport to get there for a change. Honestly, I have no idea why I don’t do it more often. It’s so cheap and painless and in March it’ll be free too so it’s a bit of a no brainer! We were pleasantly surprised to discover a few new craft stands as well as some familiar faces. We have to continue to support this local event even though it’s tiny in comparison with Frankfurt or Dortmund. It’s still the only event of its kind in the country. Lena keeps telling me I need to have a stand there too, maybe one day!

My A6 bullet journal and cover embellished with materials from the January box from Paper Pen and Plan on Etsy

I’m continuing to use my A6 bullet journal this year, it’s the only one I regularly kept up in 2019. I’m using one called Scribbles That Matter which I found on line and it’s great. I don’t get any bleed through with my pens and I’m mostly using a Micron pen for my doodles. This little one won’t be used with watercolour paints as it’s for carrying around with me and on the go planning so has to be functional and practical. It does come with a nifty pen holder but I’m reusing my hand painted cover so the holder gets lost inside, but I’m sure I can knock something up if I need it.

January kicked off with the first Facebook challenge of the year on the WOW! Facebook page. The new theme is Love, Valentine, Wedding etc so it was a brilliant opportunity to create some hearts. I’m not an obviously, all pink and red hearts sort of person so jumped at the chance to try out some new colour combinations coming up with these two cards. I simply can’t decide which of the purple colours I like best, Royal Crush or Persian Indigo, they’re equally gorgeous. Photography isn’t my strong point and I really wish you could see how wonderful they are. I love that little splash of colour on the top one created by simply dipping a piece of watercolour paper into Distress Oxide inks on my craft mat. It’s a technique I love.

Have a great weekend I hope it’s a crafty one and I’ll speak soon.

Jaine xx

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