The Summer of Color 2013!

"Some of the best memories are made in flip flops" - Kellie Elmore

Sing with me! "Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime . . . ." (darling, you sound fabulous) . . . . 

Hellooooo and thank you for the rockin' introduction to our first interactive affair, The Summer of Color 3: Artist's Choice! Wether you're new to the event or you've been waiting a year to begin again, I promise that this will be one to remember. So get ready for six weeks of luscious color prompts, weekly linking opportunities, beautiful giveaways, creative inspirations and an amazingly supportive community that You, the Artist, help to produce. 

What's that you say?
That's right. This year, the SOC is taking a decidedly different turn. This year, You will help determine the colors we'll be playing with by voting for your favorites on a weekly basis.

How will that work?
Easy. Each week, you'll have the chance to vote for one of 12 different color combinations by taking a poll at the end of each post. Simply pick your favorite and, in majority rules fashion, the highest rated one wins. Come back the following Monday to see the results and get started. As always, you'll work in your preferred mediums - creating anything your little heart desires - with color being the only stipulation.

What do you mean by our "preferred mediums"?
There are so many ways to participate in The Summer of Color. You can create anything you want, as long as it's based on the colors of the week. You may choose to develop a body of work using the same materials each week or mix it up and create something new each time. It's entirely up to you.

What kinds of things will we be seeing?
In the years past, we've seen jewelry to journal pages and everything in between. If you're not sure of what you want to do, check out the following links for inspiration:
Altered Books
Art Jewelry
Art Journaling
Assemblage Art
Artist Trading Cards
Bunting Flags
Canvas Art
Collage Art
Digital Art
Greeting Cards
Inchies
Knitting
Makeup Artistry
Moo Cards
Nail Art
Needlepoint
Origami
Photography
Poetry
Postcard Art
Scrapbooking
Sewing
Quilting
Of course, there may be things you're considering that I haven't covered here. The thing is, if you have an art form you love, go for it. If you've always wanted to try something new, perhaps now's the time.

Okay, so how does this work?
In an effort to keep things fresh, this year will be a bit different from the past. Every Monday, I will post the winning color prompt that you have selected here. You will then have until Sunday of the same week to complete your piece based upon that prompt. (This way, we'll all be working on the same colors at the same time). You can share your work through your blog or via Flickr and then copy and paste that direct post (or Flickr feed) here. Mister Linky will be up as of next week. There will also be a (rather stunning ;) giveaway each week for those who participate. The winner will be selected at random using a Random Number Generator from the link list and announced the following week.

Anything else?
Just some business. You are welcome to share your work at any time. However, in order to qualify for the weekly drawing, you must link your post or Flickr feed by Sunday, 10:00 am (Pacific Daylight Time). Also, this is meant to be fun. If you're away or can't participate every week, please don't worry about it. Like any other party, just come when you can. Each week stands on it's own. Lastly, this is an international event. Should your name be selected for a drawing, I will happily mail it to you, no matter where you live.

What about Facebook and Flickr?
There is a Facebook group and Flickr pool especially for our event. In addition to our blogs, we can also post our work and chat amongst ourselves there. You do not have to belong to Facebook or have a Flickr account to play along, but it is a lotta fun should you choose to do so. Again, it's all up to you. . .

So what do we do now?
For this, the Introductory Week, I'd be so grateful if you helped me spread the word about The Summer of Color. Since the whole idea is to foster creativity, community and connection, the more of us who come out to play, the better. And, to thank you for your assistance, I'm going to reward one randomly selected person something pretty exciting. Since our theme this year is Artist's Choice, it seems only fitting that you have a chance at winning something that you choose. With that in mind, please let me know how you've helped to spread the word (either by posting the SOC button on your blog, by mentioning it in a blog post, by letting your Facebook friends know, or discussing it on Instagram, Twitter or whatever other social media you love) in the comments section below (only one comment per person, please) and you will be in the running for . . .

A $50 Gift Certificate to Blick Art!

The winner will be announced Next Monday, June 10th and sent electronically via email. 

Speaking of next Monday, June 10th:

We need to vote on our first color combination! For Week One, your color options are as follows:

Week 1: Artist's Choice . . .
	Hot Pink & Navy Blue
	Citron Green & Turquoise
	Red & White
	Charcoal Grey & Pale Pink
	Lavender & Bright Yellow
	Bright Orange & Cobalt Blue
	Lime Green & Purple
	Light Grey & Salmon
	Tiffany Blue & Red
	Kelly Green & Pink
	Teal & Brown
	Tangerine & Watermelon
pollcode.com free polls

I look forward to hearing about your projects, to seeing what colors you collectively decide upon and, of course, our first, arty week together . . . . 

Until then, I wish you luck with the giveaway, fun with the poll and camaraderie within our arty community. It's gonna be a colorful Summer indeed . . . .

Kristin xo