Well hey there, Craftonians! ✨
This week on Joleen’s Happy Time Craft Cast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Kim Pepper, a mixed media artist, creative entrepreneur, and fellow junk journal lover.
Kim combines faith, creativity, mixed media, and art journaling to help people connect with their creativity in a meaningful and personal way.
🎨 When Creativity Meets Faith
Kim shared how she discovered that her faith and creativity didn't have to live in separate boxes.
For her, art journaling became a way to process emotions, explore ideas, and express things that aren't always easy to put into words.
Sometimes you don't need to explain everything.
Sometimes you just need color, texture, paper, and a place to put it all. ✨
🌈 Start With What Inspires You
One of my favorite things Kim shared was how she approaches her art journals.
Rather than following a strict formula, she often starts with color and mood.
Some days feel black and white. Some days feel bright. Some days feel green.
That feeling becomes the starting point for the page.
I love this because you don't have to know exactly what you're making before you begin. Simply follow what catches your eye and see where it takes you.
✂️ Make It Your Own
Kim encourages creatives to collect the papers, fabrics, textures, and little treasures that naturally speak to them.
When you put those things together, your personal style and color palette often begin to reveal themselves.
You don't have to copy someone else's style. Learn a technique, borrow a formula, and then make it your own.
And don't be afraid to experiment!
🧵 Adding Texture
For mixed media lovers, Kim also shared some of her favorite ways to attach fabric, yarn, and other textured elements.
She uses supplies such as Mod Podge, matte medium, gel medium, glue sticks, and Fabric-Tac, depending on the project.
Her biggest advice?
Don't be afraid to try different things and see what works.
💕 When a Page Doesn't Turn Out
What happens when your page doesn't look the way you imagined?
Kim's answer is simple: keep going.
Add another layer. Walk away and come back later. Look at the page from a distance. Take a photo and see what you notice.
And sometimes, you simply turn the page.
Because you're probably the only person who knows what the page was supposed to look like anyway. 😉
✨ Done Is Better Than Perfect
Kim truly lives by the idea that done is better than perfect.
Her art journaling practice has helped her process difficult seasons of life without always needing to put those feelings into words.
Color, imagery, texture, and layers can become their own language.
And that's one of the beautiful things about creativity—you don't have to explain everything.
You just have to give yourself permission to create. 💛
📖 Turning a Journal Into a Memory Keeper
Kim also shared her wonderful junk journal calendar, which combines planning with creativity and memory keeping.
She fills it with artwork, stickers, prayers, everyday moments, and little pieces of life.
It's more than a calendar—it's a creative record of where she is and what matters to her.
And I absolutely love that idea!
🌟 Creativity Is for Everyone
One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation is that creativity isn't reserved for people who call themselves artists.
You don't have to draw perfectly.
You don't need expensive supplies.
You don't need a degree.
You simply need permission to make something.
Creativity is available to everyone. ✨
💖 Why You'll Love This Episode
If you've ever wanted to:
✨ Try junk or art journaling
✨ Combine faith and creativity
✨ Experiment with mixed media
✨ Add texture to your pages
✨ Let go of perfectionism
✨ Find your own creative style
✨ Create meaningful pages from everyday life
Then this conversation with Kim Pepper is for you!
It's full of encouragement, practical ideas, and reminders that the creative process is about so much more than the finished page.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop worrying about getting it right...
and just start creating. 💕
Until next time, Craftonians—keep experimenting, keep creating, and keep doing all the things that make you all kinds of happy!
With love and laughter,
Joleen ✨
PS: 🎥 Watch the full episode below:
Guest Bio
Kim Pepper is a mixed media artist, creative entrepreneur, and passionate junk journaler who combines creativity and faith to help women create lives filled with purpose, clarity, peace, joy, and self-expression. With a background in DIY home décor and more than a decade of experience creating online, Kim now teaches art journaling and faith-based creativity through courses, memberships, and special events like Faithfest and Artistic Advent.
Follow Kim
Episode Chapters with Timestamps
[00:00 – 13:09] – Welcome & Joleen’s Five Happy Things
[13:10 – 19:08] – Meet Kim Pepper & Faith-Based Creativity
[19:09 – 24:39] – Art Journaling, Color & Creative Practice
[24:40 – 31:54] – Mixed Media Techniques & Embracing Imperfection
[31:54 – 38:26] – Junk Journaling, Texture & Creative Expression
[38:27 – 46:09] – Kim’s Creative Journey & Junk Journal Calenda
[46:10 – 53:43] – Rapid-Fire Questions & What Brings Kim Joy
[53:44 – 54:21] – Next Week’s Guest & Closing
[54:22 – End] – Retreats, Workshops & Farewell
Quotes from the Episode
“Done is better than perfect.” — Kim Pepper
“You’ve got to do what speaks to you.” — Kim Pepper
“Maybe you just haven’t gone enough. Maybe you need to do some more layers.” — Kim Pepper
“Don’t quit.” — Kim Pepper
“Nobody is judging you.” — Kim Pepper
“Anybody can do it.” — Kim Pepper
“Creativity doesn’t require perfect conditions—it just requires a willingness to begin.” — Joleen Emery
“I think sometimes shifting the perspective of why we do this is really important.” — Joleen Emery
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Joleen Emery
Resources and Links
🎨 Find Kim Pepper
Visit KimPepper.com to explore Kim’s creative work, courses, membership, and resources.
Kim also mentioned:
✨ Online art classes and courses
💙 Membership community
🎄 Artistic Advent — an art-journaling experience centered around the Christmas story
🌸 Faithfest — a collaborative faith and creativity even
📖 Book Mentioned: Mixed Media Girls by Suzie Blue
Joleen recommends this older mixed-media resource for inspiration, particularly for creating expressive faces, experimenting with color, texture, and mixed-media techniques.
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