Cinnamon Pink

Make an Art Journal with Used Grocery Bags from Judy Wise

Image from the blog of Judy Wise

You must check out this tutorial, from Judy Wise, on How to Make a Journal from Used Grocery Bags. (Scroll down the blog post to see the step-by-step instructions.)

I love the yummy texture and distressed look of these pages.

 

Art Journal Page In-Progress

Here is one of my recent Art Journal pages. I still may add another quote in the middle of the page. The quiet & serene quote, in the upper-left hand corner, actually refers to the walls in my home which are all painted an ivory white. Having white walls in my home provides me with a very calming and soothing environment.

However, when people visit my home, they are taken aback by the lack of color on my walls. I have to admit that the walls in my last home were also painted white.

How do you create a soothing environment in your own home?

Use Creative Rituals to Jumpstart Your Art Making Sessions

On a daily basis, use creative rituals to open the door to artistic inspiration. Before you begin working on your serious art projects, try setting the stage with one of these rituals.

• Create a quick collage. I like to make a fast collage before I work on my bigger art pieces. I usually use a small format such as an index card, artist trading card or a section of my daily planner. One of my Quick Collages is shown above.
• Light a candle to indicate that this is your sacred time to make art.
• In the book, Artist’s Block Cured, co-author Linda Krall suggests that artists do a Brain Dump. Krall says that artists’ brains are typically filled with many negative thoughts such as self-doubt, judgment and fear – as well as creative and imaginative ideas. She suggests taking a blank sheet of paper - and to start dumping out whatever words come to mind as fast as you can. Get it all out and then start making Art.
• Put your wood manikin to work instead of using it as a decoration. These accurately proportioned figures easily adjust to assume most human positions. So let your manikins strike a pose and begin drawing. Over the next few days, do a series of manikin sketches.
• Take a long, relaxing walk. You may want to carry a small notebook and pen in your pocket to jot down those innovative insights that will certainly pop up as your mind calms down during the walk.
• Clear your work table. If you’re like me, your work table is probably cluttered with bottles of paint, pens, embellishments, etc. Because of this clutter, many times I painted on a board of wood propped on my lap. Now, I take the time to clear my table, giving myself a clean area to create. Try it – and watch your creativity soar to new heights.
• Set the stage with music that invigorates your heart and soul to jumpstart your art making sessions. What type of music? Classic, Rock……..I personally love the Blues.
• Start your art sessions with a cup of tea, coffee or cocoa.
• Do a fast sketch of an object in your Studio, e.g., tubes of paint, paint brushes, Taboret, book shelves, chair or a nearby window.
• Set the stage the night before by laying out the art supplies that you will use for your next creative session.
  

©Darlene Maciuba-Koppel

I'm Published in Art Journaling Magazine - Autumn 2012

I'm thrilled to announce that one of my Art Journal pages is published in the Autumn 2012, ART Journaling (by Somerset Studio) magazine.

The published page is from my Design Art Journal and features my Cinnamon Pink Girls. An image of the page is pictured below.

The magazine will be available on newsstands October 1st. The issue is jam-packed with inspiration, helpful journaling tips - and colorful art. You must check it out - and start playing in your own Art Journal now!

Update: It looks like my ISP problems may have finally been resolved. So far, I haven't lost connection with the Internet today. YAY!

Building Your Brand with Content Marketing from Copyblogger

Image from Copyblogger site

Well, my ISP problems are continuing. I connect with the Internet for about ten minutes and then I'm knocked off. An ISP technician will be making his fourth visit tomorrow. Hopefully, I can complete this short post before I get knocked off the Web again.

Via Copyblogger, I came across this intriguing post - How an Unknown Street Artist Used Content Marketing to Build a Global Brand written by Kelton Reid.

Are you creating compelling content? Read the article for some great content marketing tips. And make sure you check out the rest of the Copyblogger site for more quality posts.

 

Using Pinterest as a Tool in Your Art

 

For the past few days, I've been losing my Internet connection (about 50 times a day) so I wasn't able to post. Yesterday, the cable guy finally came and said that there was a problem with the outside wires which he fixed BUT that I should call the ISP if I continue to experience problems. It is the BUT that concerns me. I'll see how the day goes.

Today, I came across two interesting articles on how to use Pinterest. The first, 200+ Pinterest Boards for Designers to Follow, was written by Joshua Johnson for the design shack site. Now, I'm not a designer but I think these boards would be of interest to artists.

The second article, Pinterest: A Tool, Not a Time Waster was written by Rose Clearfield (Random Creative).  

Clearfield suggests the following productive ways to use Pinterest - Blog Posts & Articles, Brainstorming, Bookmarking, Group Collaboration, Sharing Your Posts & Products, Promoting the Work of Others, Research for Your Own Products, Networking and Searching for Inspiration.

She also provides links to other informative articles on Pinterest. How do you use Pinterest as a tool in your daily artistic life?

 

 

12 Most Striking Tendencies of Creative People from 12 MOST

Image from 12 MOST site

Here is a fun and informative read for today: 12 Most Striking Tendencies of Creative People from 12 MOST (Savvy Smartitude for Busy Professionals in Easy-to-Digest List Posts that Mean Business).

This post was written by Kim Phillips*. To read this article in its entirety, visit 12 MOST.

Lots of juicy, informative Lists on this site - Check them out!

*Kim Phillips is the founder of Lucid Marketing and author of the "Lucid at Random" blog.  With over 30 years of experience in corporate advertising for a major financial institution, sales and marketing, Kim provides clients with marketing communication strategies, branding, content management and creative services.  She is a teacher and speaker, and she finds time for musings and the occasional rant on her personal blog.  You can connect with Kim on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

How Simplicity Can Help Creativity: from Zen Habits

Leo Babauta, creator and writer of Zen Habits, offers us an inspiring post on How Simplicity Can Help Creativity, Briefly.

Here's a little background on his site in Leo's own words:

"Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what’s important - create something amazing - and find happiness."

"The site also happens to be one of the Top 25 Blogs and Top 50 Websites in the world with about 250,000 readers."

Take some time to tool around his inspiring site. New viewers should start here: The Beginner’s Guide to Zen Habits: A Guided Tour. 

 Read a few of his posts and you're bound to get your weekend off to a positive beginning.

 

Transfer Artist Paper & Lazertran Transfers: Experiments

At last Tuesday's TAG Art Jouraling Session , we experimented with Lesley Riley's Transfer Artist Paper (TAP) - and Lazertran Transfer Paper. Stephanee Howell gave us a demo on TAP. And Julie Armstrong did the Lazertran demo.

Here's my TAP image. Original photo is courtesy of Stephanee Howell. Stephanee has done extensive experiments with TAP on different substrates. And she says that the best images will be achieved when transfering onto fabric. TAP works with inkjet printers.

 

This is my Lazertran image. Original photo is courtesy of Eric Mein.  Lazertran decals can be applied to wood, paper, stones, glass, metal, candles, walls, clay and more. You can purchase Lazertran sheets that are specifically for inkjet printers.

 

Stephanee generously provided us with images that were printed on silk fabric. Lazertran Silk Transfer Sheets were used to produce this image. It is designed for use with laser printers or photocopiers that use toners. I chose her Trees image.

We had a wonderful session that included: image transfer experimentation, shared mixed-media art techniques and Art Journal pages.

 

 

MOYO Free Online Magazine - Dedicated to Surface Pattern Design.

 

Image from Do What You Love site
 

Via the Piddix newsletter, I found out about the free, online magazine MOYO which is dedicated to surface pattern design. This magazine is brought to you from the Do What You Love site.

MOYO is packed with Interviews, Design Briefs, Colour Challenges, Art Reviews, Student Showcases, Design Tips, Inspiration, Trends and More. The publishers say that it is the world’s first online magazine dedicated to surface pattern design.

 This free resource will be published quarterly, and you can download the inaugural issue here. If you ever wanted to learn more about surface pattern design, this is magazine to read. Check it out!

Free E-Course: The Holiday Rush Etsy Marketing Formula from Handmadeology

Image from Handmadeology site

Timothy Adam, editor of Handmadeology, is currently offering a free 5-day e-course: The Holiday Rush Etsy Marketing Formula. 

Here's some additional information about the e-course from Timothy: "This e-course will help you learn how to get the most traffic to your Etsy Shop this Holiday season."

"If you are ready to learn how to decrease the amount of time you spend promoting your Etsy items on social media sites - and at the same time maximize your results - then this is the e-course for you."

You will also receive a 5-day Pinterest Bonus E-course. Check it out and sign up today. I did!

Celebrate the Day: Mixed Media Party Cake Original

 

I enjoy creating mixed-media art using various pieces of decorative paper scraps, fabric and ribbon. Here is my newest art work in my series of ARTFUL PAPER SCRAPS: a Luscious Party Cake.

I gave this art piece a motivational twist by encouraging every one to Celebrate the Day.

You can find this art work in my Etsy Shop.

Creativity Cards via Innovation Tools

 

Image from Innovation Tools site

Via Innovation Tools, I found these Eye Wire Creativity Cards in a PDF format. Cut out these cards and paste them on index cards. Then use them when you need a creative jolt. 

 Choose a card - Do the exercise - and Apply the new creative solution to your next mixed-media art project. Include a few extra, blank index cards so that you can record your own ideas for Creativity Cards

 Although Innovation Tools is targeted toward business executives, there are many informative articles on the site that may help you jumpstart new ideas for your art projects.

For example, I enjoyed reading the article, What Artists can Teach Creative Thinkers written by Danielle Feliciano. Check it out!

How's Your Creative Attitude Doing?

In his book, How To Be More Creative, David D. Edwards believes that a “Creative attitude allows you to establish a mental environment in which your creativity can flourish.”  Conditions which foster, and inhibit, creativity include: 

Encourages  Creativity	Inhibits Creativity
Positive Mind-Set	Doubts
Willing Suspension of Judgment	Judgmental Attitudes
Sensitivity and Awareness	Tight Control
Openness to Experience	Pressure
Flexibility	Anxiety
Sense of Psychological Safety	Excessive Motivation
Absence of Evaluation and Criticism
Quiet, Relaxing Times

Each day, try to eliminate the creativity inhibitors in your life. Instead, encourage a creative attitude by working on the the creativity builders on the left side of the chart.  

 

How to Make Drawing a Part Of Your Life from Studentz

Image from How to Make Drawing a Part Of Your Life Lens

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I'm always working on my drawing skills. I came across this great Squidoo lens on How to Make Drawing a Part Of Your Life (Daily Creativity by Keeping a Sketchbook). The lens was created by Studentz (Fern).

There's lots to look at on this lens. Make sure that you scroll down to the end of the page to see it all.

Then make sure that you follow Fern's advice:  "Keep your sketchbook - and pencils/pens - nearby with the blank page ready for your next drawing. If you spend a lot of time at the computer, keep the sketchbook within reach."

Fern also has a blog called Crafter-Holic. Check it out. And then don't forget to Draw Today!

 

12 Mini Trends to Run with Now from Trend Watching

Image from Trend Watching site

Trend Watching just issued a report on 12 Mini Trends to Run with Now which focuses on consumer and business trends that could yield you some profitable innovations.

The holidays are not that far away for Indie vendors. Check out these trends and see what they can do for your small business.

Free Collage Sheets & Images Directory from Squidoo

 

Image from Digital Collage Sheets
 

I hope you are enjoying your Holiday today.

If you're looking for free collage images, I found a site that may keep you busy: Free Collage Sheets And Images Directory from Squidoo. This lens was created by Betsi Goutal.

I noticed that some of the free sites have not been updated but you can still download their free images.

I love the Letter & Addressed Envelope images above (Free Collage Sheet #4) from Digital Collage Sheets. I have purchased images from this vendor and their images are beautiful and of high quality.

 

 

 

I'm Published in Somerset Holidays & Celebrations Magazine 2012

 

I'm delighted to report that my Holiday Heart Ornament is published in the Somerset Holidays & Celebrations magazine (Volume 6, 2012).

 

I am thrilled to be a part of this beautiful magazine. The editor, Jennifer Jackson Taylor, and her staff really outdid themselves with this current issue. 

Every page is a treasure trove of new ideas, creativity and tempting projects. The magazine hits the newstands today, September 1. 

Treat yourself and get the magazine today - You will be glad that you did.