this jouer belongs to
e h llo.
ah, nice to meet you. we’re jouer, joo-er.
we translate to ‘play’ in french and the official definition is: recreate yourself, have fun with some fun. that’s what we want to give you. welcome to the first ever edition of jouer and boy it’s a good one, if we do say so ourselves. we’re all about showcasing girls who are going against the herd and pioneering their own creative path, encouraging others to do the same. every now and then, someone comes along who is cool enough to make us put our brew and biscuits down; we call these girls ‘the game changers’. Our job is to make sure these game changers have a platform to toot their own horn. In this edition, we’re focusing on colour and the happiness that radiates from it. We’ve also added a few cheeky do it yourself crafts to get your creative senses tingling. So put the kettle on, grab a penguin and dive in. Yours truly, Jen x
in this issue
03 colour me happy
06
ask the internet
10
in the spotlight: bridie husband
16
a-z girl’s guide to the creative world
22
in the spotlight: adele catchpole
28
an ode to my favourite jacket
33
do it yourself series
44
fun from the fridge
53
special notes
Colour Me Happy. Model: Jade Liddle Creative Direction & Photography: Jennifer Frank
part nostalgia – part homage to my colour loving teens (ps, the stars are stickers: go wild) to explaining my ‘Ultraviolet Purple’ hair phase in my teens, that unfortunately lasted a good three years (and ruined every family photo at Christmas).
Mum and Dad, we’re busy packing to move out of their house a couple of years ago and Mum, god bless her, found the diary I kept when I was 9. There was quite the impassioned entry where I’d become upset because they had forbidden me from painting on my walls. I was caught mid- act; with thick blue paint, I’d found in the garage. Which, by the way, proceeded to drip all the way down the immaculate hallway carpets, my walls and somehow managed to snag the dog too.
Lest we never forget the bright pink lipstick I persistently reapplied for school too. Even if that meant running face-to-face with a cleansing wipe, each time I crossed paths with a teacher. I think about that lipstick from time to time, it was called ‘Pink Pop’ and that title was definitely the understatement of the year. It smelt like an old crayon and had this awful, sticky texture that clung to your lips when you spoke. >>>
Ask her and she’ll tell you, I’ve always had a penchant for colour. Which goes some way 03
I couldn’t leave the house without it and I loved the confidence that came with it, how I didn’t mind landing myself in hot water all for the sake of perfectly pink lips. Or blue walls for that matter.
Make a note of what caught your attention and I guarantee it’ll be the folks proudly wearing colour on the top of that list, rather than the sea of desaturated busy bodies that unmistakably blend into one.
As a wayward teen, I think the relationship you hold with the world is different. You don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed by the things you hold dear. Even if that love is a regrettable clash between purple hair and pink lips.
Look up and around you, above you. Jeez, even on your plate, it’s everywhere.
(And it’s definitely in this magazine). No matter how awkward, and cringe-inducing it is to look back at our pigmented mistakes, colour has this powerful way of guiding us to feel like having fun and twisting the rules a little.
It’s not until we’re in the midst of adulthood that our urge to stand out, slowly folds into thin air. We become trapped in this facade, like a storm swept in and turned our sunny skies dark faster than you can say-
By no means, am I asking you to conduct your next business presentation in a canary yellow suit. Spare a minute to listen to the purple-haired girl in the back. Raising her voice when you spot the blue jumper sitting comfortably next to the grey one you popped in to buy.
‘hey... where’s my green beret gone?’. So try this for me next time you venture outdoors, whether it be for that daily commute you know and love or a run to the shop for some midnight snacks. 05
06
What’s the internets earliest memories of being creative? submit your answers using #jouerasks on twitter!
@fergo55 - my earliest memory is stealing all of my mum’s clothes and shoes to make models on my floor like I’d seen on Art Attack. I used to love watching it on Saturday morning. @kgardener - my earliest memory is drawing henry the eighth in primary school and thinking it was the sickest thing ever.
@millieclintx - my earliest memory is being obsessed with toy story and getting an etch a sketch for my birthday. I used to spend hours trying to create masterpieces on it. @curtistownsend - my mum bought me a simpsons poster and i used to sit there and trace each character with pencils and pretend like I was an amazing drawer. @alexpet1 - omg too many. I remember I used to steal pasta from the food cupboard and have literally thousands of plain pasta necklaces and I persisted on wearing them all daily. I loved them! @simontindale - ART ATTACK. Enough said.
@sallybright - Sending in my crappy drawings to Cbeebies every week hoping I’d be on telly. Tbh I think my mum never bothered sending them off because they were so crap hahaha.
@lozfawcett- transforming cardboard boxes into ice cream trucks, sweet shops, anything at my grandmas on a weekend.
@andystorX- I collected Pokemon cards when I was younger and I turned them all into a framed collage when I collected them all. I still have it, I think it’s sick.
@meganscott - Definitely creating toilet roll disney princesses when I was younger. I had a whole collection.
@laurenteex - There was this level on my PS1 Bob the Builder game and you could create a cake for Wendy. I spent literally half of my life making patterns with icing and candles! Wish I still had it tbh.
@coobjason - Painting parties at Mcdonalds. @fay3hughesxx - My earliest memory is getting magic sand for my birthday. The sand that turns solid when it’s in water? I used to make underwater cities all the time.
@CarlyPounder - My earliest memory of being creative HAS to be when I stole my mam’s makeup and drew a masterpiece on the wall in lipstick. Still don’t think my mam is over it. @CaitlinSmith_ - I had a teeny notebook when I was younger and I used to create little flipbooks out of it. I loved them.
@Cara-Dee-x - OMG. My earliest (probably funniest) memory is when I was feeling inspired after reading George’s Marvellous Medicine, decided to make a potion of myself in the bath with toothpaste, shampoo, lipstick, soap, you name it. It was in it!
our next #jouerasks question is: "what makes you feel happy?" be sure to join in using our hashtag #jouerasks.
in the spotlight photography: bridie husband illustrations and words: jennifer frank
In this issue, we speak to Bridie Husband, recent Northumbria University graduate currently working as a freelance junior designer. Talking about her ideas behind her final collection, inspirations and a little bit of boy george. 10
Tell us a little bit about yourself: Hi! I’m Bridie Husband, 22, I’m from the north east originally but I’m currently living in London! I’m currently working as kind of a freelance Junior designer. What was your inspiration behind your last collection, big? The main influence behind my final collection, BiG, is to explore colour and print in menswear with a nod to 80’s nostalgia. The collection includes oversized silhouettes, soft fabric and bold prints. The motto behind the project was "be passionate, be creative, be individual". What’s your earliest memory of being creative? I’ve always loved painting, being creative and getting messy! There are photos of me probably aged 5 painting and drawing. Both my parents really encouraged me to sew, paint, draw as I was growing up so it’s always been a massive part of my life. >>
Does your textiles background influence your own wardrobe? Being from a fashion student allows you to be bolder with colour choices, fabrics, prints and the way you pair everything together. I am obsessed with yellow, so a lot of my wardrobe is super yellow at the moment. I have a few pieces in my wardrobe i screen printed myself, I think its so satisfying to wear something you’ve made! Who are your fashion icons? I love Boy George! I love that 80’s era. London’s a great place for inspiration, street style wise too! What’s next for you, any new collections we can expect to see soon? I’m currently working on a project for a big company, I can’t say too much *confidentiality* but keep your eyes peeled! You can keep up with Bridie’s antics by following her on her IG: @bridiehusband
16
The A-Z Girl’s Guide to the creative world illustration by yoswadi krutklom text by jennifer frank
A for Art. You’ve probably grown tired of answering the ‘what is art?’ debate to death, in your old Art class. So for now, suffice to say, it’s the simple reason we’re all giving this guide a read. B for Boobs. I’d hedge my bets and say there’s possibly a hint of ‘boobified’ significance in every gallery. Did you know they even have boob-shaped mugs now? Just what you’ve always wanted. C for Creatives. A word that you will most likely grow tired of hearing (probably even in this magazine). The most overused word in the industry. I guess we’ll have to wait until critics come up with a better way to describe us. D for Dilettante. The only people that openly describe themselves as a dilettante are the offspring of the rich and famous, see Made in Chelsea for reference. E for Emerging. The same principles as creatives, both words double- barrel if you’re under the age of 30.
F for Feminism. A very ballsy, in your face segment of the creative world that we can totally get on board with. Still not sure we’d pay to see that vaginal knitting piece, though. G for Girls, Girls Girls. Because we should showcase female creatives at every given opportunity, big or small, duh. H for Handlers. The undeniable heartthrobs of the creative world. Carefully installing and de-installing billions of pounds worth of fine art with their own bare hands. You had me at ‘I handled Mona Lisa’. I for Installation. The creative world’s latest and greatest obsession, thanks to their overwhelming sense of Instagramability. Extra brownie points if it’s also described as immersive. J for Jouer. Which translates to play in French, which also happens to be the name of this magazine. Bit of shameless self- promotion never hurt anybody. K for Kenophobia. Avoid contemporary galleries like the plague if you suffer from this. L for Lawbook. Which is rightly torn up in the creative world as our imaginations hold no boundaries. Art is what you make it.
M for Merch Girl. The job our inner adult has always longed for. Art gallery shops are filled with overpriced wonderful junk that you have absolutely no purpose for, but obviously need to own. N for Nonsense. Our art terms and dialogue are often difficult to understand to the non-artsy folk of the world. Probably because not one of us actually knows what we’re talking about so we trick you with big, fancy words. O for Openings. Those niche events that take place before the unveiling of a show. Usually lots of rambling and it’s virtually impossible to pay attention to any of the art in question. P for Peen. Just like boobs, the phallic significance of the art world is also present. Not for the faint-hearted and for the love of god, don’t look at Lily Heaume’s Instagram profile. Q for Questions. A process which is very difficult to manoeuvre in the creative world. Seriously, how many people do you think asked the artist what their ‘inspiration was’ before you? R for Rent The Runway. The real ‘MVP’ If you’re staring down a barrel of posh shows and press events and just so happen to not have Karl Lagerfeld on speed dial. It’ll keep you flocked in Gucci and Prada and everyone will be none the wiser.
S for Stimulating. Another descriptive word to describe a piece of art, if all else fails. T for T Magazine. Ever wondered why the biggest creative magazines are just letters? Think: T, W, V, this can’t possibly be a coincidence. Anyway, if you’re a creative and manage to get written up in one of these, you go girl. You’ve made it. U for Uber. How else are you going to get from a show to the afterparty on the other side of town? Bonus points if you manage to squeeze a few dishevelled fashion students in without the driver noticing. V for Vulva. Need I go on? W for Wing it. The best piece of advice you may ever stumble across. The creative world shows no bounds or constraints and you get to do and create whatever your heart desires. It’s just a matter of ‘winging it’. X for X Rated. Along with boobs, penes and vulvas, comes a world of things definitely NSFW. Y for Young Designers. The company that has spawned many successful designers over the years and showcase the best upcoming talent. Manage to brown nose your way in with these guys and you’re onto a winner. Z For? who knows. But hey, maybe this could be your first creative prompt?
Our second in the spotlight artist in the first edition of Jouer, is Adele Catchpole. Adele, is a 22 year old designer maker and freelance illustrator from Middlesbrough. Currently living in Hartlepool after graduating from Cleveland College of Art & Design in 2017. We caught up with Adele to chat all things textiles, Kevin Barnes and that itchy fingers feeling we know too well. 22
Tell us a little bit about yourself Hi there, I’m Adele, a designer, maker and freelance illustrator. I’m interested in all aspects of the creative world and can’t go a day without drawing or designing. I’m currently working as a freelance artist, taking on commission illustrations, embroideries and orders for mainly pet portraits and jewellery. What are your earliest memories of being creative? For as long as I can remember I have been most happy sat drawing or sewing away in a cosy corner somewhere. I love getting an idea, developing it and creating it. I describe it as getting itchy fingers to create something new, and I always have fun with what I do. Who are your fashion icons? My fave fashion icon is Kevin Barnes, creator of of Montreal and his onstage persona, his live shows were a big influence towards my final collection. Along with social media artists such as Juliana Horner, I love anyone who isn’t afraid to be themselves and express it through art.
What are your most beloved items of clothing you own? My sparkly silver and rainbow pineapple earrings which I created myself, a silk paisley shirt which my mum gave to me, a vintage sweater with bold printed sleeves and my velvet doc martens which I bought recently and now live in. What can we expect from you in the future? I am now working towards expanding my collection, with more garments and fabric samples to add to my portfolio and use in photoshoots I have lined up for 2018. I’m currently re-working a lot of vintage jeans and sweaters with fabric paints and embroidery patches, as-well designing, dying, printing, embellishing and constructing new one off pieces. Expect more colour, more print and more glitter! You can keep up with Adele’s work by following her creative instagram at:
@aeledasurfacedesign.
Adele also commissions cool illustrations and sells funky clothing over at:
www.depop.com/adelecatchpole
poem by jennifer frank garment by adele catchpole
An ode to my favourite jacket Ever since I was a little girl, I loved to dress up and play, And you, you’ve got sequins in those veins, I’m instantly drawn, To such shiny things. I shed my skin, to replace it with yours, A masterful mask. I trace my fingers along your layers, Upon your embroidery glows, In the shapes of dainty florals and leaves, When touched by sunlight, each one grows.
28
Before I found you, My world was black and white, You taught me the colours of the world, Stitched away at my insecurities. Who do I want to be today? Bold and fearless, with you. I see the faces I am destined to pass, Fasten their first impressions, Eyes watching our patterns shift, With every subtle movement, I am the master of disguise.
Together we cast a spell, An illusion of colour, With you on my shoulders, I am safe and secure. Layers upon layers Of an intricate design, Complex and diverse, A kaleidoscope of armour. The world feels grey without you, I never want to take you off, Without you, I’m like a flower, Except my petals have fallen off. But now, our time has passed,Your colours fade and disappear, Our love was worn and worn again. You don’t fit like you used to, You struggle with the cold, There’s an occupied space in my wardrobe, I skim past you without a cause.
Yet, sometimes a crack of light finds you, I spot a hint of glitter in the air, Reminding me that you once were here.
And you were once my favourite wear.
what you waitin’ for? as our true lord and saviour gwen stefani once asked: what are you waiting for? this section of the magazine was probably our favourite to create. we’ve rounded up a bunch of simple, fun artsy tutorials for you to have a nosy at. easy enough we bet your could do them whilst simultaneously balling your eyes out to love actually. we get you might think crafting was for afterschool club or how you’d spend your time at your grandparents at the weekend. but, crafts are cool here - deal with it. so come on, what you waitin’ for? 33
Turn those magnolia plates into strong eights.
cop that crocker y.
How you make these plates (or mugs, bowls, whatever you fancy) is a fun and simple process. Lay out your paint choices, grab enough cotton swabs and let loose.
Let the crockery dry and spray with a coat of mod podge afterwards, so that you have a food safe surface to make sure those insta- grammable donuts on pretty plates don’t go to waste!
what you need: - basic plates - cotton swabs - craft paints - mod podge
(or your wardrobe... at least)
spice up your life.
what you need: - a funky garment that needs a spruce - iron on transfers - hot iron
here’s how you do it: There’s a variety of different ways you can achieve this look, depending on the type of transfers you’re looking for. Most of them can be found on sites like eBay or Amazon for super cheap. These glitter hearts, we found on Amazon for £4 by searching for heart transfers. They are fabric and glittery too, Win Win. The easiest method is to opt for the iron on transfers with the stick and peel backing so that you only need to apply heat for the transfers to be securely moulded.
When applying heat, be sure to lay a seperate piece of fabric down so that the garment doesn’t burn. Guidelines suggest having your iron turned to full heat, so that the glue can properly fuse. Leave the iron on top of the transfer for ten seconds, then lift up the fabric and make sure the transfer is secure and voila. On to the next one. When washing we recommend that you turn the garment inside out so the transfers do not rub against the machine or get caught on other garments. Happy crafting!
39
Stick it to me. Because every good craft magazine we’ve ever owned in our lives has definitely involved stickers at some point. This isn’t so much a diy, but a good little way to get you thinking creatively. Just what are you going to do with these stickers we’ve ever so kindly gifted you? Maybe, stick some stickers to your head and have an impromptu photoshoot like us? Or sabotage your ex boyfriend’s car with a bunch of Jouer stickers? Feel free. We won’t judge. Be sure to tag us in your sticker filled adventures, we’d love to see what you do with them.
fun from the fridge styling and photography: jennifer frank model: cora jay
If you haven’t already guessed by now, we’re trying to emphasise that getting a little bit creative every now and then is pretty damn easy. So we decided to create this fun little section illustrating how you can create natural fabric dyes from a few simple things you probably have nestled away in your kitchen. Or pantry, if you’re posh. You’ll need a bunch of spinach, carrots and blueberries for these tutorials. Along with a decent saucepan, a mordant (if you want 44
to make the colour a lil’ bit extra) and some materials to dye. We recommend natural cotton because it absorbs natural dyes pretty easy. FYI: about 10 cups of prepared dye is enough to color a small tee, so make do as you go along. Oh, there’s also a fun photo shoot to go with it so you’re not bored to death by our fruit n veg talk, because we’re nice like that.
green queen. Green dye can be achieved from a whole bunch of natural ingredients such as grass, artichokes and spinach. Since we don’t want you looking stir crazy in front of your neighbours pulling grass, we’ll stick to the spinach for this tutorial. To create the spinach dye, you boil the leaves in a non-reactive pan, the more leaves you put in, the stronger the colour. Allow the leaves to do their thang and simmer on medium heat for
about an hour - the perfect time to watch an episode of gossip girls on netflix. Strain the spinach when that time is up, saving the dye water in the pan. turn off the heat, and let water come to room temperature and voila! Pop the dyes in a container (we like to put ours in fancy mason jars) and you’re good to go.
only the good dye young. Have you decided that fruit detox was no longer hitting the spot? Got a bunch of blueberries left over looking sad and lonely? Fear not. here’s how you can make blue fabric dye from them. Put 1/4 of salt in 4 cups of water. add the fabric you’re wanting to turn blue. if the water does not cover the fabric, continue adding water and salt in this ratio until your fabric is fully submerged.
Put those baby blues in the water and bring it to the boil, then add your fabric. Simmer gently for at least 30-40 minutes, it takes a lot less longer for fruit. take the saucepan off the heat and put it aside to cool with the water and fabric still in it. Once the water is cooler than this magazine, you can take your fabrics out and hang them to dry. Hey presto!
orange you glad you tried this? Sorry if we fooled you, but you actually need carrots instead of oranges to make natural orange dye. What a conspiracy, eh?
a saucepan and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat. Let the carrots simmer away for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat.
It takes more time to get color out of veggies as the dye tends to be subtle so this is a patient one, rome wasn’t built in a day you know.
Allow the liquid to sit until it is cool enough to handle, then strain out the carrot bits and return the liquid to the pan.
Use about 1 cup of sliced carrots to 2 cups of water. Put the carrots and water in
Lower the fabric into the dye and press it down with a spoon so all of the fabric is covered. Bring the liquid to a boil again. >>
Then turn down the heat and let the dye bath simmer for about an hour, stirring every now and then when you pop back in the kitchen for a coffee.
Name a better way to start the day than with a snazzy new orange t-shirt you can tell all your work colleagues you made purely from carrots.
After you’ve done that, turn off the heat and let the fabric soak for 12 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
I bet you’d be the talk of the office.
Remove the fabric from the dye the next day, rinse it thoroughly in cold water until the water runs clear, then hang it to dry or toss it in the dryer.
Now for the boring parts, congrats if you’ve made it this far, we don’t expect you to read this. It’s like when you find yourself delayed on a train, you’ve ran out of Spotify skips and suddenly you’re reading the little descriptions on the back of your water bottle thinking ‘who the hell writes these?’ These are the thank you notes for everyone who contribued in one way or another to the creation of this first edition. I’d like to thank my two in the spotlight artists, adele and bridie, for being a part of my magazine. My models, Jade, Cora, Alice and Zhiyin for making me look like I know what I’m doing with a camera. My boyfriend, for providing me with wine and cheese toasties whenever Adobe illustrator almost pushed me over the edge. Most importantly, you. To whoever you may be, thank you for taking the time to give my magazine a read. Whether you hated it or loved it, I spent a lot of time making sure this was perfect. If you have any thoughts you’d like to share with me, or even if you just want to have a nosy at who was behind this magazine. You can catch me on instagram at: @jenniferleighf bye for now, stay creative x 53
If you’re down with the kids and know your tech, here’s a barcode you can scan to keep a digital copy of us forever.
magazine by jennifer frank