Creativity Coach, Whitney Ferre 

is giving away a copy of

Art + Quilt: Design principles and creativity exercises 

on her blog today

Head on over and leave a comment for a chance to win

You can read about her in this recent interview with her

For Your Inspiration: A Rainy Day at the Beach

And the winner is....

The winner of the giveaway is...

SHARON of Wildflower House

Sharon Chapman of Wildflower House

"I like your citra-solv post. I love tutorials and would love to see more in the future. Fingers crossed on the books. Thanks!ALSO LOVE THE SHOES AND WILL GIVE THAT A TRY IF I CAN GET MY DOGGGIE TO GIVE THEM BACK!"

If you get the chance stop by and visit her blog which is full of wonderful artwork.

Thank you so much for all of your comments and suggestions. Overwhelmingly you are interested in tutorials. Looks like I have my work cut out for me. If there is anything specific that you want me to make a tutorial for, please let me know.

On-Line Class: Freeform Screenprinting

I'm teaching one of my favorite on-line classes soon over at QuiltUniversity.com

Freeform Screen Printing

four lessons, one opening each week
beginning September 9th
closes October 29th - giving you extra time to do the lessons

      OUTLINE

• Lesson One
• Preparing your materials and workspace
• The mechanics of printing
• Paper stencil screens
• Lesson Two
• Found materials and other resists
• Finger blending
• Plastic stencil screens
• Bonus - discharge printing
• Lesson Three
• Flour paste screens
• Preparing images for Thermofax screens
• Printing with Thermofax screens
• Printing yardage
• Lesson Four
• Cheap and easy home-made frames
• Glue and paint screens
• Spray paint screens
• Bonus - drawing fluid and filler

I hope to see you there! We'll have a ton of fun - and best of all, you don't have to haul stuff anywhere!

ARTSPARK Giveaway Day 10!

Today it's Melanie Testa's turn
You can click HERE to read an interview I did with Melanie way back when.
Or HERE to read a review of her book.
You could win both if you leave a comment on Melanie's blog!

Last chance!
Hurry to each of these blogs and leave a comment on the giveaway post in order to win!

Wed August 10 Carla Sonhiem http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/
Thurs August 11 Diana Trout  http://dianatrout.typepad.com/blog/ 
Fri August 12 Gloria Hansen http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/ 
Sat August 13 Tracie Lyn Huskamp http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/
Sun August 14 Jane LaFazio http://JaneVille.blogspot.com 
Mon August 15 Jill Berry http://jillberrydesign.com/blog/
Tues August 16 Judy Coates Perez  http://judyperez.blogspot.com
Wed August 17 Kelli Nina Perkins http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/ 
Thurs August 18 Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/
Fri August 19 Melanie Testa http://www.melanietesta.com/mtype/

Artspark Giveaway Day 9!

HOORAY!!!

I've been waiting and waiting, so excited for my turn in the 

ARTSPARK Hot! Hot! Hot! summer giveaway.

This has been wonderful fun for all of us and we hope you're having fun too.

With much gratitude to Interweave Press two fabulous goodies will go to one lucky winner!

A downloadable copy of my DVD workshop

Surface Design Sampler Platter

It's full of fun techniques such as screen printing, foiling, stamp carving, and photo transfer.

 And a copy of

Art + Quilt: Design Principles and Creativity Exercises

If you want to learn a bit about how artists use the elements of basic design (texture, shape, line, color, value, etc.) this is a fantastic book. Design exercises, critique and evaluation techniques - it's all in there.

Here's how to win.

 Leave a comment on this post answering two questions about the past and the future of this blog.

1-Which is your favorite post from this blog.

2-What kind of post would you like to see more of.

I want this blog to be an inspiring and useful place for my readers and would love your input.

You have three days (Aug 20th). 

Please remember to leave an email so I can get in touch with you when you win.

Tutorial: How to Paint Your Shoes

Question?

What can a person do with some acrylic paints, brushes, some nifty new paint markers, and a favorite pair of old but comfy shoes?

Answer!

 Get some STYLE my friend!

Ready? Find a pair of shoes, preferably leather. My favorite comfy shoes were my first try - they couldn't look any worse so there was nothing to lose eh? My next pair were a great pair of  NAOT's (one of the very few brands that fit me.) I think these were as cheap as they were on Ebay because they were kind of an ugly color. Maybe you'll have the same luck as I did there.

You'll need: shoes, fingernail polish remover, gesso, acrylic paint, spray sealer. Optional - sharpie, paint markers.

Take the shoes and clean them up as much as you can then rub a little nail polish remover all over them . It roughs them up and removes any finishes so the paint will stick to the leather.

Prime the shoes with a layer of gesso then let them dry.

Chose one or several base paint colors and block them in. That just means put the colors where you want them. I used textile paint because those happened to be the paints I have on hand. I did choose opaque paints rather than transparent in order to get better coverage. 

I like using the paint markers next to doodle in some shapes. You could also choose to start out with the sharpie and doodle designs onto your color blocks. On the blue shoes I painted blue first, purple next, used the sharpies, then filled in spots with the paint markers. For the red shoes, I knew I wanted them to be RED, RED, RED so I kept it monochromatic. I was so excited about the paint markers that I played with those first then filled in around them with the sharpies.

Loved what was happening here so I kept going and doodled more with the sharpie. Uh... didn't like it much. Hey - not a problem! Now I know what I want. Paint back over it and decide that for this particular shoe, less is enough!

 

Take the shoe outside, stuff the inside with newspaper, tape off the soles if you'd like to then spray a thin coat of sealer to protect the paint.Wait patiently for the stuff to dry then wear with STYLE!

ARTSPARK Giveaway Day 8!

Kelli Nina Perkins
Just go there now.

You WANT her DVD and the goodies she's offering!





Tomorrow is my turn!
Come back because you'll only have a day or two to leave a comment.

Lyricisms: Follow Your Bliss-ters

"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls."    ~Joseph Campbell

Dance by Lyric Montgomery Kinard
40 x 48

What is your calling?

Finding your calling is a wonderful thing. Sometimes it comes to you in a blast of enlightenment, sometimes it slowly grows on you as you wander aimlessly. Either way you take the seeds of the talent you have been given and you nurture and develop it into something you can use to create a better world. Joseph Campbell said, "One way or another, we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life, and dedicate ourselves to that."

Where is the bliss?

I know what my calling is.... so where's the bliss? It's the peak of summer and I'm tired. I'm keeping the children occupied, trying to keep the house from devolving into complete chaos, struggling to meet deadlines. My art-making feels much the same way. I'm barely slogging through the things that must be done. Aren't I supposed to feel bliss every time I sit down to my sewing machine or pick up a paint brush?

Follow your blisters

I recently read an article by Jefferey Thompson, a professor at the Romney Institute of Public Management. He studies things like "callings" and workplace satisfaction. Some of the most satisfied workers in their professions? Zookeepers. They are passionate about what they do. Are they always blissful? No. They are not paid well, the hours can be difficult caring for sick animals through the night, and the work can be at times - well - unsavory. Professor Thompson learned something very interesting.

"The pain and burdens and sacrifice were not threats to their sense of calling—they were part of it. The work was meaningful because of the trials and burdens. That is an important lesson. We can’t expect deep meaningfulness from our calling unless we are willing to assume its burdens as well."  A number of years after Joseph Campbell coined the phrase "follow your bliss" he quipped, "What I should have said was, 'follow your BLISTERS!'"

Ah. This is the "blister" part of summertime. Motherhood, art-making, zookeeping; they all have their slogging, difficult moments. They are worthwhile callings. The children will have had a good summer. I'll have time soon to develop some of the beginnings of ideas for some new artworks. It's not all bliss but it is my calling. What is yours?

~Lyric

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ARTSPARK Giveaway Day 7!

Hooray! Today the fabulous ARTSPARK artist

Judy Coates Perez

Takes her turn in the giveaway line.

Interweave Press is sponsoring a downloadable copy of Design, Paint & Stitch and Judy's giving away a free spot in her online Color Theory class!

You can read my interview with Judy HERE or just hop right over to her blog to leave a comment for a chance to win.

Here is the whole amazing ARTSPARK HOT! HOT! HOT! giveaway schedule. Remember that you can head back to the previous giveaways, find the right post to comment on, and check back on the 19th to see if you've won.

Wed August 10 Carla Sonhiem http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/
Thurs August 11 Diana Trout  http://dianatrout.typepad.com/blog/ 
Fri August 12 Gloria Hansen http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/ 
Sat August 13 Tracie Lyn Huskamp http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/
Sun August 14 Jane LaFazio http://JaneVille.blogspot.com 
Mon August 15 Jill Berry http://jillberrydesign.com/blog/
Tues August 16 Judy Coates Perez  http://judyperez.blogspot.com
Wed August 17 Kelli Nina Perkins http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/ 
Thurs August 18 Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/
Fri August 19 Melanie Testa http://www.melanietesta.com/mtype/

(It's almost my turn! I'm SOOOO excited!)

Tutorial: Citra-Solv Photocopy Transfer

The work I do as a mother involves a lot of delayed gratification. When I escape to the studio and put on my artist's hat it can be nice to see some instant results. Solvent photocopy transfer is one of my favorites. You need only a photocopy, fabric,  Citra-Solve®, and a few seconds of elbow grease - and VIOLA!

Citra-Solv transfer by Lyric Montgomery Kinard

The good people who produce this environmentally friendly cleaning product have included an ARTISTS' PAGE on their website. I'm honored to have been included among other textile artists I admire such as Jane Davila and Jane Dunnewold.

I encourage you to take a peek over there - lots of interesting things being done. It makes me think that I have some experimenting to do. Dissolving pages from National Geographic magazine? Hmmm. Wonder how I can do that on fabric.

Want to join me in a little playtime? Here are the instructions for moving the ink from a photocopy onto paper or fabric. Wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area. The stuff is much more pleasant than the paint stripper I used to use but it IS still a solvent.

dragonfly transfered onto rice paper
adhered to book cover with gel medium

Materials:

• Citra-Solve®  (find where to buy it here)
• Cotton ball
• Metal spoon
• Non-porous smooth surface
• Masking tape
• Fabric or paper of your choice
• Photocopy

Directions:

1. Find a copyright free black and white image. I love to use vintage family photos.

2. Make a photocopy of the photo, sizing it no larger than 5" x 7".

3. Cut away the background if it detracts from or competes with your image. (You can alter the image digitally too - see the Tutorial link above for PSE help.)

4. Draw in any lines that need emphasis or add in some fun scribbles. Maybe Grandma always wanted a tiara or your puppy looks great in polka dots! You can digitally manipulate the photo as well.

5. Make a final photocopy. (Note: Inkjet prints DO NOT work with this method. Laser printers might.)

6. Tightly tape a piece of fabric or paper to your glass or non-porous surface.

7. Tape the photocopy face-down on your paper or fabric. Don't let the tape cover the image.

8. Barely dampen the cotton with Citra-Solve® and squeeze it out. Rub it on the paper just until you see the ink show through. It should be barely damp - too juicy and your image will bleed and blur.

9. With the back of the metal spoon, rub, rub, rub hard and like crazy in all directions. You are moving the ink from the paper to the fabric.

10. Pick up one corner of the paper and peek. Look for spots that haven't transferred yet then put the paper back down and rub some more in that spot.

11. Toss the paper in the trash and let the solvent evaporate.

12. Feel free to play around with the image. Color it in with colored pencils, ink, paint or whatever you have on hand. Be creative! Have fun!

The only tricky part is finding a photocopier that works. If you are using Citra-Solve® (the other orange solvents I've tried have not worked) and you are rubbing and nothing is happening it is most likely the copy that is at fault. I test any copy I make right at the copy center. Dampen a cotton ball with the Citra-Solve® and stick it in a little zip-loc bag in your pocket. Make one photocopy then place it face down on another piece of paper on the counter, dampen with the Citra-Solve® then rub it a bit with the scissor handles on the counter, the back of your thumbnail, whatever you have there. If it's going to work it will work right away. If not, no amount of rubbing will work. Find another copy center. Don't leave the bag in your pocket too long. The solvent will eventually dissolve through the bag although it won't really hurt your clothes. (Ask me how I know!)

If you'd like to see it instead of just read about it I demonstrate the technique along with a lot of other fun techniques in the Quilting Arts DVD Workshop "Surface Design Sampler Platter."

Here is a link to the first of several Tutorials on how to Photoshop your images.

ARTSPARK Giveaway Day 6!

Jill Berry Is one of the most amazing artists I know! I can't wait to introduce you to her some time soon here on this blog.

In the meantime head over to her blog and leave a comment for a chance to win some beautiful stuff.

ARTSPARK Giveaway Day 5!

Today it's Jane LaFazio's turn. Interweave Press is sponsoring a copy of Jane's absolutely wonderful DVD "From Art Journaling to Art."

And as if that wasn't enough... she's sweetening the pot with a couple of other delicious goodies. 

I must admit that it's usually at about this point that I wish I could enter all the giveaways myself. I WANT THIS DVD!!! Guess I'll just have to go buy one.

If you want to get to know Jane a little better you can read this Artists Spotlight.

Here is the whole amazing ARTSPARK HOT! HOT! HOT! giveaway schedule. Remember that you can head back to the previous giveaways, find the right post to comment on, and check back on the 19th to see if you've won.

Wed August 10 Carla Sonhiem http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/
Thurs August 11 Diana Trout  http://dianatrout.typepad.com/blog/ 
Fri August 12 Gloria Hansen http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/ 
Sat August 13 Tracie Lyn Huskamp http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/
Sun August 14 Jane LaFazio http://JaneVille.blogspot.com 
Mon August 15 Jill Berry http://jillberrydesign.com/blog/
Tues August 16 Judy Coates Perez  http://judyperez.blogspot.com
Wed August 17 Kelli Nina Perkins http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/ 
Thurs August 18 Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/
Fri August 19 Melanie Testa http://www.melanietesta.com/mtype/

ARTSPARK Giveaway Day 3&4!

Yesterday Gloria Hansen offered her amazingly wonderful book
Digital Essentials. You can leave a comment on her blog 
any time between now and next Friday when a winner will be drawn.

If you need to work with digital images in any way - resizing, posting to a website - you NEED this book! Gloria is a quilter extraordinaire - and the most generous computer guru I know.

In fact, don't wait for the drawing - just go buy it here (where you can also read a free chapter.)




Tracie Lyn Huskamp takes her turn TODAY. She's giving away a copy of 
Nature Inspired, one of the loveliest mixed media journaling books I have the pleasure to own.
Again - leave a comment on Tracie's blog (find the specific post about her giveaway) between now and August 19th.

Wed August 10 Carla Sonhiem http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/
Thurs August 11 Diana Trout  http://dianatrout.typepad.com/blog/ 
Fri August 12 Gloria Hansen http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/ 
Sat August 13 Tracie Lyn Huskamp http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/
Sun August 14 Jane LaFazio http://JaneVille.blogspot.com 
Mon August 15 Jill Berry http://jillberrydesign.com/blog/
Tues August 16 Judy Coates Perez  http://judyperez.blogspot.com
Wed August 17 Kelli Nina Perkins http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/ 
Thurs August 18 Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/
Fri August 19 Melanie Testa http://www.melanietesta.com/mtype/

If you're just joining the blog hop it's not too late! You can head back to the previous giveaways, find the right post to comment on, and check back on the 19th to see if you've won. OH!!! Remember to leave your email so we can let you know if you win!

Faces on Friday

Eureka! The top row, left - looks like my husband!!!!

So I'm getting to the point where if I take more than 60 seconds to

do the drawing and use an eraser - I can do it!

ARTSPARK Giveaway Day 2!

Head over to Diana Trout's blog today for a chance to win a copy of her fabulous DVD workshop

PLAYFUL PAPER BACKGROUNDS

http://dianatrout.typepad.com/blog/

Way back when I posted an Artists Spotlight on Diana

You can read it here