The Sketchbook Challenge: The Sketchbook Challenge BEGINS!

Journal page in second hand dictionary.

Think I will combine this with the Strathmore Journal Workshops!

The Sketchbook Challenge: The Sketchbook Challenge BEGINS!

Thanks for the head's up, Violette! I love the first prompt for January!

}W{

Guest Blogging!

Hi everyone! I'm guest blogging for the breath-taking Violette while she is away for 2 weeks! I am pretty thrilled and feeling quite zippy about it! The Twisted Rose Tutorial is up this week, that I shared here earlier, and next week I will have a completely new tutorial to share! Make a date for next Monday on Violette's Freak Flag blog! Thank you Violette! Bon voyage!

Making any zines or ATCs? I think that ATCs are the ideal place to start for someone who feels like they are not one bit crafty. I'm going to be putting together an ATC starter list and kit, inspired by my highschool chum, Liz! She is interested in crafting because I am....that's sweet...and because she can also see how there might be some stress relief involved, and other good things. I'm going to see if Liz and I can meet on Skype to craft together some afternoon, with supplies, that even the non-crafty, will have on hand! I will let you know how that goes! Do you have any friends that do absolutely nothing crafty?

Speaking of zines, the amazing news that I have saved for last, is that I have a very special contributor for my zine, Day Dreams! Volume 1 is about Small Art, and the mystery contributor shares with us her love for the Small! This is huge, people! lol

Before I go, I must share with you this pant-wettingly funny blog I found, how, I don't really know. Hi-lar-i-ous! It's called Remarkably Domestic, and written by Beth, and I just stumbled on it this morning. The Martha Craft Challenge posts caught my eye and one in particular made me, well, just read them and see what happens. Don't take a sip of coffee and then read them, either. Fair warning. A valuable contribution to the crafting world!

If you would like to win a copy of my first zine, you can! Stay tuned for the HOW, coming soon!

>W<

Metta Zine!

My Metta zine about Art Journaling from iHanna in Sweden arrived and I have been taking it with me everywhere, to soak up the charmingness and information!

It is a lovely publication, visually, and so informative and friendly! iHanna shares her own experiences, likes, favourite things and so on. How can you go wrong with that formula!?

Violette shared the link to iHanna with me and of course, I am forever grateful! What a find! So inspiring! I will be talking more about this zine in July, rest assured. It has given me the confidence to work on my own little project!

Do you Art Journal? (Love how it is also a verb!)
>W<

Craft Dinner Looks So Pretty!

For absolutely no other reason than that my new friend, Violette, has set my Creative Juice flowing, I have refreshed the look of Craft Dinner! Isn't it lovely? It really represents me right now and the things that I am currently loving ... representing as an artist ... beautiful colours and designs ... art journaling ... painting ... markering ... napkins ... collage ...

What is getting your Creative Juice going this week?

Happy Birthday Violette! Congratulations Bohemian Bliss Winner!

It gives me so much pleasure to give this away as part of Violette's birthday celebration!!!

Congratulations to Jenny Vanin! You are going to Violette World!!!

And thank you so much to all of you who took part! Let's do it again soon!

Boho Bliss Workshop Giveaway!

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!


Since Tuesday, June 15th, is Violette's actual birthday, we are going to do the giveaway then, noon my time, around 9:00 a.m. Violette's time!!! Can you wait one more day?!?! Alright, see you tomorrow!



Boho Bliss is so colourful, just like Violette, herself! The best part is that you actually learn how to build your art journal from scratch! So your new, mad skills will include book making, painting on fabric, making gratitude beads (!!!), creating a ruffle from a fabric you make...well, there's more, but you can check it out yourself!

Remember, if you commented on both my post and Violette's post from June 1, you are already in!

If you've never entered before, tell me why you would like to take the workshop. Don't forget to tell Violette, too, on her June 8 post!

Have you watched the video yet? In it you will be introduced to some of the techniques that Violette demonstrates in the workshops!

You have until Sunday, at midnight, June 13, 2010, to leave your comment! We will draw the names on Monday and announce it in the afternoon!

The Winner and a New Violette Giveaway!

Congratulations to Edie Dyer! You have WON Journal Bliss the Book & the Workshop!

Thanks to everyone who entered our first giveaway, and especially to Violette, who made it all possible!!!! You are all automatically entered to win the next amazing gift from Violette, Boho Bliss!

Bohemian Bliss Mixed Media Journal Book
Have you ever wanted to own a poofy richly decorated artsy book fitting as treasure in a pirate's treasure chest? Well now you can create your own whimsical and inspirational journal book from scratch in this Mixed Media 5 session class! You'll be making and embellishing your own beads, painting a face on fabric, and creating and binding your own book!

Class 1: Painting faces – learn how to paint a face with acrylics on fabric
Class 2: Create a fabric cover for your book
Class 3: Make ruffles, embellishments and handmade beads
Class 4: Create colourful background papers, get some ideas and tips for collage and journaling
Class 5: Bind your book and add funky embellishments to it.

In this class you'll receive 5 videos and 5 PDF's!

You are already entered to win! Stay tuned for more contest details and once again, thanks to everyone who participated.

Remember you can learn all sorts of free art techniques from Violette on her blog, and at her ning!
Have you made your frog stencil yet?

Violette: The Colour of Inspiration!

 Violette, Peace Princess!

I am so pleased to share this interview with you all! Violette Clark of Surrey, B. C. CANADA (yay!)  is genuine, vulnerable, insightful, intuitive, brave, funny, generous, gifted....I could easily keep going, but first, the interview!  

By the way, Violette's birthday is June 15th! Why not send her some special birthday wishes!

~~~

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for taking the time to interview me......here are my answers:

1. Who are you and what do you do all day? What do you do all night?

My name is Violette, I'm a mixed media artist, teacher and author.  I also teach a variety of classes from art journaling to graffiti purse painting.  My book Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash your Inner Eccentric came out last year.  I've created some online classes based on it.  So what do i do all day?  I make art, brainstorm ideas, work on projects for magazines, plan workshops, sometimes teach in the schools.  I spend a lot of time e-mailing pitches to magazines and blogs and newspapers.  Work on Social Networking, blog almost daily (5 days a week), read art books and business books (mostly at night though).  Oh.......i live in beautiful British Columbia in the quaint little community of White Rock. I live in a purple magic cottage too.  My home is a big inspiration for me.......it was my original canvas. It's a riot of colour!

2. Sign?

I'm a gemini through and through! I was born on June 15th in Casablanca Morocco.

3. What got you started?

Well i've been an artist my entire life but i guess what made me aware that i had some talent was when i was in grade four and i drew a picture of Twiggy - who was a famous skinny super model at the time.  All of my classmates said the drawing was great and it was then i realized that i had found my calling. When my marriage came to an end 14 years ago my world kind of opened up in a colourful way.  I surrounded myself with friends who believed in me (i call them my Bohemian Tribe) and encouraged me to do whatever i wanted to artistically. It's as if i was given permission to colour on the walls.  It was very liberating. So i guess at the age of 41 i virtually came alive artistically and began to embrace colour in a big way!  All kinds of magical things happened after that......one of them being a dream which told me to paint my doors. Afterwards i contacted the TV show Weird Homes and because they loved my painted doors so much they shot a segment on my home.  Things kind of opened up after that! You can see the Weird Homes segment on my youtube channel: creativeboho

4. What keeps you going?

I love encouraging and inspiring women to embrace their creativity. I also love to encourage women to live outside the box a bit.  This keeps me going - knowing that i am making a difference in women's lives is what gives me juice.

5. What stops you?

My vicious inner critic at times stops me or a bad review or a nasty comment.  Sometimes it doesn't matter how many kind e-mails i receive, one bad review can haunt me for days - strange how that happens. I kind of mope around for a bit and then get my act together and get back on track.

6. What's new and exciting?

What's new and exciting?  Well there isn't a lot that is new around - everything seems to have been done before - basically it's just a question of revamping things and putting your own twist or view on it. On the materials/supplies front though there are so many new materials that it's baffling - the selection sometimes is overwhelming. You don't really need a whole lot to begin creating - a permanent black pen, pencil, eraser, acrylic or folkart paints and some watercolours.  I especially like Twinkling H2O's but you can use anything really! Hmmmmmmmmmmm.............i suppose in regards to technology - no other time has it been easier to connect with your favourite artist as it is now.  With the advent of blogs, facebook, twitter etc......you can connect in the blink of an eye.  Technology has made it easier to take classes from teachers who live to far away from you - online classes make that a breeze.  Skype makes it easier to get coaching from creatives too.  I guess rapidly changing technology is the newest thing of all.

7. Best advice?

Do you mean the best advice i've received?  I supposed it's from Joseph Campbell the famous Anthropologist who said "Follow your Bliss".  If you pay attention to what gives you juice that's where your joy resides..........go after that!  The world will be a better place if you do!

8. Favourite colour?

Do i have to pick one?  Right now it's Chartreuse, Orange and Purple :)

9. Favourite crafting tool?

Micron pens and Twinkling H2O's - you probably meant one tool though?

10. This time next year?

This time next year I hope to have several more online classes ready to go and some e-books as well. Hopefully my Etsy store will be generating more interest as well.  I'll probably be thinking of working on another book proposal by then too!  My Creative juju will hopefully continue to increase and I'll be churning out more projects for magazines!

Thanks so much Wendy!

Love,

 

Violette

www.violette.ca, www.freakflag.ca
"Joyful art that feeds the soul!"

My book is released - Journal Bliss: Creative Prompts to Unleash your Inner Eccentric

Violette on: Youtube  Twitter  Facebook

Have you entered to win Journal Bliss, the book and workshop, yet? Check my June 1, 2010 posting for more details!


 

Win Journal Bliss by Violette!

June is Art Journal Month on Craft Dinner and we are starting it off with Craft Dinner's first Grand Giveaway!!! On a scale of 1 to 10 on the Excited Metre, I am at 10!!! If you haven't met talented Canadian, Violette Clark, yet, you will love her! I interviewed Violette earlier in May and will share that interview with you later this week.

Thanks to Violette, we are giving away Violette's On-line Workshop AND her book, Journal Bliss!

***

How to enter:  You have until Midnight June 6, 2010 (Sunday) to 1. leave a comment on this post and 2. on Violette's June 1 post! 3, 4. Follow each of our blogs and Monday morning, June 7, 2010, we will use a random number generator to choose the lucky winner! I will email you!

If you have been wanting to start an art journal, this is a wonderful course and book to start with! If you have been art journaling for ages, you will love Violette's colourful and positive approach!

Good luck!

***

JOURNAL BLISS WORKSHOP:

Learn how to create groovy backgrounds, bodacious borders, fanciful lettering, doodles and faces in this fun four week course with me, Violette! You'll receive a PDF file and video every week.

You'll be able to upload your art on NING and connect with others in the forum. During the once a week live chat you can get your questions answered by me. You'll be encouraged to follow your Bliss by accessing your very own Unique Creative Expression. Playing with paint, lettering and faces has never been so much fun! Let that inner child out to play and silence your Inner Critic.

Week one: Groovy Backgrounds – learn how to create backgrounds using a variety of techniques such as scrap painting, collaging, stenciling, stamping and writing.

Week two: Bodacious Borders – Create fun, exuberant borders to enhance your Journal pages

Week three: Fanciful lettering and Doodling – learn how to add your special twist to your art.

Week four: Making faces and putting it all together – learn how to create easy faces to personalize your journal pages. In week four we'll be also putting all the elements together to create exciting and vibrant pages which help you Unleash your Inner Eccentric!