"What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade".
-- Gertrude Jekyll
Helllloooo & Happy {almost} Summer!
To celebrate, I'm HOPPING with the Jessica Sporn Design Team where we'll be sharing Summer-inspired projects and offering a GIVEAWAY of Jessica Sporn's newest stencil, "Women Will Heal the World."
Pretty fabulous, right? It's such a unique stencil, I can't wait to share what I did with it. Here's my take on the theme; a DIY canvas tote for all our Summertime Art Journaling needs. . . .
Now, Let's get hopping! Be sure to comment here and on each blog listed below for multiple chances to win Jessica's newest stencil. All comments must be entered by Monday, June 12th, 6:00 pm EST. The winner will be announced the following day, Tuesday June 13th, on Jessica's Blog.
Today I'm playing with the Jessica Sporn Designs Creative Team as we create Valentine-inspired artwork for our Valentine Blog Hop, featuring products from DecoArt Media!
So what did I make? Why something sweet of course! Or, better put, something to put something sweet in. Check out the video below for the whole process.
And if you'd like to try it, please help yourself to the following TEMPLATE:
Leave a comment here and on the blogs below for a chance to win your own "Seven Hearts" Stencil. One lucky winner will be taken from all blog comments and announced on Jessica's blog next Monday morning, February 13th.
And in the spirit of the Season, there are presents to be had as well! That's right, a total of three (3) lucky winners will win one of the goodies below:
(It even has a little clip for hanging your favorite picture or notes!)
How cool is that?! All you have to do is leave a comment here - and everywhere else you hop - to be considered. You have until next Monday (12/12, 9 am EST) to put your hat in the ring, and the winners will be announced on Jessica's blog the following day. Good luck!
So what did I do for the Holiday Hop?
I played around with making my own Gift Wrap using decorative papers and just one stencil. I tend to decorate my home in candy colors for Christmas, and this wrapping paper is no exception. I found that Jessica Sporn's Paisley Flower Repeat was the perfect partner for creating elegant patterns on a variety of old 12 x 12 scrapbook papers I had on hand.
Wanna see more? Here are a few detail shots:
Lime green Christmas wrap with a handmade fabric bow
{To make a smaller bow, cut the width in half and adjust the length to your liking}.
Oranges and pinks with Stickles glitter for an "embossed" look. . . .
Teal with Swarovski Crystals. 'Cause every Christmas deserves a bit of Sparkle.
{Oh, and in case you're wondering. . . . yes, the boxes are all empty! I know, I know. Crazy, right? In the end, they will be for your eyes only}. Thanks for watching, hopping and playing along!
I wish you much love, luck and magic this Season and always.
"Bright reds - scarlet, pillar-box red, crimson or cherry - are very cheerful and youthful.
There is certainly a red for everyone."
- Christian Dior
A Challenge It Was!
Although Last Week's purples n' yellow was indeed a conundrum for many of us (I'm right there with you ;), I'm proud to say that we had a rockin' week regardless. Your pretty, pretty purples came in droves, proving that we can handle whatever palette that's thrown our way! Which, I must admit right now - is a good thing - because if you thought last week's challenge was tough, you ain't seen nothin' yet. . . .
But Before We Go On:
I want to reiterate that each week stands on it's own, so if you're itching to play and have not yet taken the plunge, consider this your official invitation. I promise, you'll be glad that you did! Wanna know more about it? Pop over here for all the event details, over here to join our Facebook group and over here to take a gander at our Flickr pool. Our hashtag for all social media is #TheSummerofColor5.
This Week:
We'll be working on our fourth - of six - weekly color palettes. It's bright, bold, and along with it's counter part, possibly the biggest challenge of our event. Wanna know what it is? Are you positivity sure? Okay then, our color palette for Week Four of The SOC 5 is . . . .
1 Red + 1 Red + 1 Metallic
Metallic you say?! That's right! This week, along with two reds of your choice, you'll also be working with any metallic that you prefer. Metallics can be a challenge to both work with and photograph, but you know what? I believe that it will also be the most fun palette to watch come in. And remember, you can create anything that your little heart desires, as long as your work is based upon the colors above and in the PDF below:
Can be found right here, as well as on my YouTube channel. I have to say, as much as I worried about this one, I ended up learning a lot from the process. I hope you have as much fun watching it as I did creating it!
And The Next Giveaway?
Yes, of course! The goodies for our Reds n' Metallic challenge are . . .
{One Dylusions Ink Spray in Postbox Red, three Lumiere Metallic Acrylics in Metallic Rust, Pewter and Sunset Gold, one Caran D'ache Neopastel, one Caran D'ache Neocolor 1 wax crayon, one Poppin leather-bound notebook in a gorgeous red, two metallic Craft Markers in silver and gold, two large Blick Liquid Watercolors in red and gold, three - yes, three - Tim Holtz Distress Paints in Tarnished Brass, Brushed pewter and Antiqued Bronze, two red rose embellishments, several decorative napkins for collage and a sprinkling of iridescent confetti stars}
And Who Won Last Week?
Last week's winner of the purples n' yellow giveaway goes out to . . .
(please note: all winners will be selected at random via a Random Number Generator.
The photos / proof of each week's winners will be on file and happily sent to anyone who would like to see them.)
Congratulations Karen! Please email your address to Kdvanvalkenburgh@msn.com and I'll send your pretty, pretty purples right off.
And For Our Next Trick!
Please link your Week Four pieces to the widget below. To qualify for the reds n' metallic giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.
Ready? Set? Art!
I can not wait to see what you do with this one! Experiment, have fun and we'll see you back here next Monday, July 6th, for Week Five's rather preppy palette (hint, hint), Giveaway, PDF, Video and Randomly Drawn Winner.
"All the other colors are just colors, but purple seems to have a soul - when you look at it,
it's looking back at you."
- Uniek Swain
And Colorful It Was!
Pinks & orange, Pinks & orange! It was a virtual circus around here full of bold pops of color and whimsical takes on the rather ruckus palette that was on show last week. Isn't it fun to see the variety that's out there, all based upon the same basic color group? I Lovity-love-love what you did with it, and can't wait to see how you attack the next challenge!
But I Digress:
If you're reading this for the first time, please know that you're welcome to join us at any time. Each week stands on it's own, so if you're itching in jump in, do it! If you want to read all about it, pop over here for the event details, over here to join our Facebook group and over here if you want to peruse our Flickr pool. On social media, our hashtag is #TheSummerofColor5.
This Week:
We'll be working on our third - of six - weekly color palettes. It's elegant, rather royal and most likely a challenge (um, at least it was for me). But hey, that's what we're here for, right? So are you ready for it?! Yes? Okay, without further adieu, our palette for Week Three of the SOC5 is. . . .
1 Purple + 1 Purple + 1 Yellow
And remember: you can create anything at all that you'd like, as long as you're using your favorites from the colors above. Oh, and below:
Wanna see what happened when I played with Week Three's purples n' yellow? You do? Okay, here we go. . . .
Oh! And Wanna See The Next Giveaway?
Dugh. Of course you do. Here it is:
{Two leather-bound Poppin mini notebooks, a few pages of vintage children's illustrations, a gorgeous stencil by Balzer Designs, three Caran D'Ache Caran D' Ache Neocolor 1 and 11 (water-soluble and wax pastel) crayons, two Gel Xtreme pastel rollers in purple and yellow, one package of iCraft Deco Foil, two bottles of Liquid Pearls in Hydrangea and Daffodil, two Acryla Gouache paints in Lilac and Red Violet, three sets of washi tape and several iridescent confetti stars}
And Last Week's Winner?
Yes, of course! The winner of last week's pretty, pretty package goes out to none other than. . . .
(please note: all winners will be selected at random via a Random Number Generator.
The photos / proof of each week's winners will be on file and happily sent to anyone who would like to see them.)
Congratulations Michelle! Please email your address to Kdvanvalkenburgh@msn.com and I will happily send your package right out.
Now, on with the show!
Please link your Week Three pieces to the widget below. To qualify for the purples n' yellow giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.
Now Get Arting!
Have so much fun and we'll see you here again next week, Monday the 29th, for Week Four's tricky Palette (there's a surprise in this one!), Giveaway, PDF, Video and Randomly Drawn Winner. Okay? Okay!
"In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love."
- Marc Chagall
Hellllooooo & Welcome . . . .
I can't tell you how happy I am that you're here! And, thanks to the generosity of our lovely host Tam, how excited I am to be able to offer ONE FREE SPOT on Life Book 2015!
What is Life Book? Um, only the most amazing, year-long online course featuring Tamara Laporte & 25 mixed media artists who'll share their tips and tricks with YOU beginning January 1st, 2015.
Wanna know more? Here's what you'll receive when you win:
◙ 10 In depth Mixed Media Art Lessons by Tam of Willowing Arts
◙ 22 In depth Mixed Media Art Lessons by Spectacular Guest Teachers (see below who the 2015 guest teachers are)
◙ 20 (Smaller) Bonus Activities like: extra PDF prompts & step by steps/ artist interviews/ ATC swaps/ give aways/ audio meditations/ writing prompts etc by Tam & Guest Teachers
Speaking of Spectacular Guest Teachers, check out this line up!
Pretty amazing, right?! (I'm incredibly honored to be among them). For more information about all of the teachers, just pop over here. I think you'll agree that this is one opportunity not to be missed . . . .
NOW, to the business at hand! How do you win that ONE FREE SPOT from here? Well, as the host of The Summer of Color, I thought it would be fun to talk color.
So, here goes: simply leave a comment below & tell us your favorite color combination to play with. That's it! You have until next Saturday, September 27th (10:00 PM Pacific Standard Time) to do so. One winner will be chosen at random and announced here the following day.
Of course you have many more chances to win by following the blog hop. Here's where we are now:
"Contained exhilaration is not nearly as exciting as its release. . . . accept challenge!
What excitement do you have to share with the world?"
- Lorii Myers
It's here! It's here! The day has finally come when I can share the secret I've been teasing you about for a while now. I'm absolutely over-the-moon, tickled pink, ecstatic to announce my participation in Life Book 2015! That's right, I'm honored to report that I will be among the 25 teachers that will share their mixed media techniques, tips and tricks with YOU in a year-long online course that begins January 1st, 2015.
Not familiar with Life Book? Oh darlin', you want to know about this!
Life Book is themed around around self-development and healing; you'll be creating several loose mixed media art journal pages per month which by the end of the year you will bind into a gorgeous journal (a Life Book!) that you'll be able to keep and treasure the rest of your life.
How do you get the lessons? Via weekly videos, PDF's and engaging bonus activities. As a matter of fact, you'll get new materials every Monday for the entire year when you sign up. It will look something like this:
◙ 10 In depth Mixed Media Art Lessons by our lovely host Tam of Willowing Arts.
◙ 22 In depth Mixed Media Art Lessons by Spectacular Guest Teachers (see below who the 2015 guest teachers are)
◙ 20 (Smaller) Bonus Activities like: extra PDF prompts & step by steps/ artist interviews/ ATC swaps/ give aways/ audio meditations/ writing prompts etc by Tam & Guest Teachers
Fabulous, right?! And to celebrate the new event & teacher lineup, Tam is offering several (as in 28!) FREE SPACES on the year-long course!
Wanna know more? The blog hop begins today starting with our lovely host Tam. Pop over there
for your chance to win one of 3 spaces she is giving away. Then be sure to follow the blog hop if you want more chances to win a spot as each teacher can give away 1 space on Life Book 2015!
Here is the blog hop schedule. Be sure to play along daily and then come back here on September 21st for your chance to win a FREE SPACE from me! Here we go . . . .
Can you see me dancing? I look fabulous, by the way, as I jump up and down clapping my hands in frenzied excitement. . . .
Okay, so it may not be the prettiest thing to see, but the excitement is genuine as I. Am. Thrilled to be participating in Jessica Sporn's Test Drive for one of her newest Stencil Girl products; Frames!
It felt like my birthday when I received the elegant 9 x 12 stencil in the mail, and I've been playing with it like a toddler with a new toy ever since. But I digress. Wanna see what I did with it? Okay then, here goes:
Journaling with Frames
My first play date with the stencil was with my journal. I used the oval frame in the set as a central element on the left of the spread and then used a piece of another (turned upside down) to represent a necklace on the right. Wait, here's a better shot of the oval:
Gel pen, molding paste, silver leaf and Stickles glitter
I began by placing the stencil on the page and simply colored in the exposed areas with an iridescent gel pen. I then off set it a bit and pushed molding paste through the same stencil. Before it dried completely, I applied silver leaf to the surface and then waited (impatiently) for it to finish drying. I loved the raised look it gave me and decided to finish it off with a few smudges of silver Stickles glitter.
Frames Banner
But I wasn't done there. I really wanted to do something that showed the variety of the stencil, so I decided to take some 4 x 6 pieces of painted cardboard I had in my stash and create a banner of sorts using all of the frames in the set. Since I'm a Mother Goose fan, some of those vintage images made their way to the party as well. Here's a close up of each piece of the puzzle, all of which were created with a mixture of molding paste and black fluid acrylic paint:
A portion of the rectangle frame (shown in the green piece above) was masked off to create a "door" and another stencil in the set was used to create a "roof".
Each were highlighted with iridescent Stickles glitter for movement and depth.
Rounded Rectangle Frame
Oval Frame
(this is the same stencil used in the journal above)
Square Frame
Rectangle Frame
And there you have it! I loved my play date with Jessica's Frames and look forward to using the beautiful stencil set again and again. Thank you Jessica for your support and generosity!
Oh but wait! You can win one too! Here's the deal:
Now go see what the other artists did with the Frames stencil! But before you do, be sure to leave a comment here because Jessica is giving away a Frames stencil to one lucky winner, and EVERY comment in the test drive will be eligible to win. The more times you comment, the more chances you have to win!
Comment by Midnight, EST 10/13/2013
So go check them out! Here are all of the artists participating in this week's Stencil Test Drive: