Tuesday, January 31, 2012

SOUL CHALLENGE - TIME TO VOTE

Huge Thanks to all of you who submitted your beautiful art work for the SOUL Challenge and great big thanks again to Black Pumpkin for jumping in enthusiastically with the gift of her beautiful calendar.

  We're on the honor system here...so Please vote only twice! (That could be once for yourself and once for your next favorite)!

The poll will stay open until Friday, February 3rd between 8-10pm.

Our word for February will be revealed tomorrow! 

 

  • 1. Marcia Beckett
  • 2. Timeless Rituals
  • 3. Share the Creative Journey w/soul
  • 4. Alicia Araya
  • 5. Catharine
  • 6. gloria
  • 7. denthe
  • 8. Soulful Molly
  • 9. Michelle Mathey - POMI
  • 10. ildi
  • 11. Melisa
  • 12. Fordie Fresh
  • 13. Apni Avani
  • 14. Jenelle Van de Mortel
  • 15. Michelle V. Alkerton
  • 16. Ellie @ The Sheep Lady
  • 17. ArtByRae- Points of Light
  • 18. Jenn @ Just Add Water, Silly
  • 19. annie!
  • 20. Stephanie Corder
  • 21. peggy gatto
  • 22. cathy
  • 23. Nora Clemens
  • 24. denni

ADD YOUR LINK TODAY!

Go here to add your link for the SOUL Challenge.

Today is the last day to participate in the SOUL challenge. I'll have the poll up and running late this evening and voting will run for three days...until Friday, February 3rd...before I go to bed. :) (Roughly 10pm EST)  Rotsa Ruck...but no matter whether you win by votes...you're ALL winners - every one of you and your art is simply wonderful!!!

The February 'word' will be posted tomorrow!

Thanks for participating!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

DON'T FORGET TO REMEMBER!

If you haven't joined the others who have entered the SOUL Challenge yet...here is where you want to go to do it!

I'll be adding a poll to the site (on the 31st) where you can vote for your favorite art! The winner will receive one of Black Pumpkin's gorgeous calendars!

Later alligator...

annie!



Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Free Workshop Via Amy

I saw this on my facebook feed today... free newsletter workshop from Amy.  "Mixed Media art journalling workshop STEVe's ARTFIRe. We'll rock the newsletter format with video downloads. Sign up if you are delicious and like free stuff.

Amy is a sweetheart with a generous spirit.  Her online group is all free and she provides many live workshops and tutorials. 



Also if you haven't checked out Strathmore's free workshops, you're in for a treat!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Show and Tell Saturday #18

Hello!  Welcome to Show and Tell Saturday.

First, you can link up your newest artwork below.




Second,  have you submitted your link for our monthly challenge? The theme is SOUL.  Any kind of artwork fitting this theme can be linked.  Go to THIS POST to link up. 

Third, we are still looking for submissions for the theme gallery for a new magazine that will be debuting this Spring.  The magazine was started by one of our members!  Find out all the details here.

Finally, you are also invited to submit a link to my Just Journals linky party which is on my own personal blog.

If you would like to share any news or calls for art on Artists in Blogland, just shoot me an email and I will make a post about it.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

SOUL CHALLENGE - FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS AWESOME PRIZE

Hope you're working on your SOUL Challenge piece because Black Pumpkin of Timeless Rituals has very generously offered to give one of her fabulous calendars as the prize for this month's SOUL Challenge. (Insert big smile here). 


I'm not surprised though - because she offers lots of charming digital freebies on her website and has an ETSY shop if you want to purchase something wonderful. 


Again, I say, generous. I know you'll be thrilled to win her 2012 Doodle Calendar! 


Thank you so much for your gift Black Pumpkin!!! 

Get busy girls!


Monday, January 16, 2012

CREATIVELY FEATURED - SARAH SEQUINS





Thanks to each of you who answered the call to be interviewed in Creatively Featured.  
Sarah responded first - and quickly and delightfully answered some interview questions...and you are in for a treat!


Creatively Featured:

Sarah of Saturday Sequins



Tell us about blogging and how it’s worked for you.
    I started blogging in June of 2011. It's helped me to share my work and to reveal the girl behind the sequins -- someone who gets way too excited over new beading books, has a goofy sense of humor and collects Halloween socks.
It's also a great way to meet people. I get to know other artists in more depth than I would through other forms of social media, especially when we have discussions about the creative process or how to help each other's businesses thrive. This is one of my favorite aspects of blogging. 

How did you discover your favorite art medium?
    I've always been drawn to shiny, sparkly things, and when I realized that my eyes were bigger than my wallet, I decided to save money by making my own jewelry. What started as an inexpensive way to get more sparkle in my life turned into an obsession that hasn't faded!

What inspires or influences you artistically?
    The things that really inspire me are color and detail. I love using bold colors and pairing them with more neutral colors like black, white, brown and silver so they're not overwhelming. I also love making my work intricate – I'm always happy when I find another frill I can add to a piece, as long as it's in keeping with the overall design. 

How do you go about the design process? Do you work to a design or theme or just go with the flow…or something else entirely?
    I've found that the less I plan, the more fun I have. I'll start out with a color scheme in mind, or maybe a basic shape, but the process is very playful and improvisational. I let the materials tell me what to do, and sometimes, that even means abandoning whatever vague idea I started out with. In the end, I'm always surprised by what I've made, and I like that feeling. 

Is/was there a significant turning point or defining moment in your style of work?
    My work started to get where I wanted it to be in the summer of 2007. I stopped wishing I could do certain things and just dove into them – something I recommend to all artists. I started working with metals and making my own clasps and chains, and my pieces became more sculptural. 

Which aspect of your art do you enjoy most?
    The play and experimentation, definitely. Sometimes I think of myself as a jewelry scientist – I combine elements and see how they react together. I try to expand my skill set with every piece I make, and if I finish a project with a nice little list of things I tried to do – even if they don't work out – I consider it a success. 

Can you tell us a little about your methods and/or techniques?
    I don't just use traditional jewelry making techniques in my work – I add sewing, painting, collage, weaving, whatever a piece calls for. I also tend to mix different jewelry making techniques. Maybe I'll add some chain maille to my bead embroidery or wire wrapping to my soldered projects. Along the way, I learn all sorts of little tricks for combining techniques, so the process gets a little smoother.

How do you see your future work and style developing?
    I see bigger pieces and more intricate beadwork in my future. I also see more use of repurposed items – old buttons, colored electrical wire, and game pieces. I'm a huge fan of creative reuse centers, and I've made a commitment to be a regular customer. 

How do you manage your time?
    I'll be honest and admit that time management isn't my strong point. I'll get excited about a new project, sit down to work for “just a few minutes,” and before I know it, it's time to go to bed! When I remember to use it, though, my kitchen timer is my best friend. It keeps me from working too much, and I don't mind having to clean my studio if it's only for 20 minutes at a time. 

What have you done this past year?
    One of the most important things I did in 2011 was recover from a shoulder injury that kept me from creating art of any kind for almost a year. It was a long, difficult process, but it gave me a new appreciation for the things I love to do, and it taught me so much about injuries and finding the right treatment. 

    Since then, I've started my Saturday Sequins blog, added all sorts of features like Tutorial Tuesday and Featured Friday, applied to teach at the Bead and Button Show (maybe next year!) and entered my very first jewelry making contest. Not bad for someone who couldn't lift a teacup by herself at this time last year!
 
What are your artistic highlights?
    In late 2011 I finally learned bead embroidery, and I've been taking it in all sorts of fun directions since then. I even found a way to combine beadwork and one of my other passions, abstract painting. 2011 was also the year I decided to take myself seriously as an artist – to stop wondering if I really was one and just be one. 

What artistic plans do you have for the coming year?
    I'd love to launch my Etsy store – finally. I'd also like to see some of my work published in magazines. For jewelry artists, that's a stepping stone to a lot of great things! Including more money to buy beads. 

Do you have any ambitions or goals you’d like to see fulfilled in the future?
    I want to start teaching. Not just a basic jewelry class, but the kind of class where the students and I experiment and learn together and it becomes a life-changing experience for all of us. Ambitious, I know! But it's an image that won't leave my brain. 



 Thank you Sarah! May all your ambitions come true!


Saturday, January 14, 2012

Soul Challenge Linky

Are you ready for our first monthly challenge??   We already announced that the theme is SOUL.  I have made an example, which is the first one linked.  Your art can be any media, any size, as long as it has the theme of SOUL.  Submit your link by January 31.  After that date, we will post all of the entries, along with a poll for you to vote for your favorite.  The one with the most votes will be the winner and that person will receive a special prize.  The prize is BlackPumpkin's doodled calendar!   So go ahead and link your artworks!


Link Here:

Every other Saturday!

I've decided to start doing the Show and Tell Saturday every other Saturday.. lighten the load of things I  do each week.  I asked about it last week and I don't think anyone had any serious problems with it being every other week.    Plus, we now have the soul challenge.. and the links post for that will be coming up soon.  Enjoy your weekend!

Friday, January 13, 2012

I FORGOT!!!

I've been doing the 'Creatively Featured' Interviews in the middle of the month and totally forgot about recruiting someone for the month of January!!! 

If anyone would like to be "IT" for this month...or in future...Pretty Please email me to let me know.

bohemiannie@gmail.com

thanks!,

Create Your Life,

annie!

Friday, January 6, 2012

P.S.

P.S.  Check out the new design for the blog heading!  Isn't it cool??

Show and Tell Saturday #17: LINK TIME!

So did you have a good holiday break?  I hope so!  It's been unseasonably warm here today for January.

I'm thinking about doing Show and Tell Saturday every other Saturday.  Would that mess anybody up?  That could give you 2 weeks to come up with a good project to show us.  What do you think?

We had 34 wonderful entries last time for our Show and Tell Saturday!  yay!
Did you catch these wonderful artworks?
Dos Fishes
Michelle

Terri


Now it's time to show us your artwork!  Link here below.




Grab a button for your page:



Wednesday, January 4, 2012

JANUARY CHALLENGE!!!

It's here! 

You've decided!!

Not only will we have a monthly challenge...starting NOW...

75% of those that voted decided that we will also use a poll to choose a winner! 

And the winner will receive a prize - as decided by 61% of our voting membership! 


Thank you all for casting your vote in the poll...and much thanks to you Marcia for setting it up.

I haven't 'nailed down' the prize for January yet...but the theme for the month is...

SOUL

Feel free to interpret the word SOUL in your art in any way you choose...any medium...no rules.

Submit a link to your specific blog post...with pictures, (at least one of the whole work and one detail shot)  by Midnight EST(New York time)January 31st, and you'll then have a week to cast your vote for your favorite. 


More details coming soon!!!


annie!