The Summer of Color, 2015!

"Darling, it wouldn't be a party without you."

- Anon

Have. You. Heard?

Eeeeeeeeeeeeep! It's here! It's here! And from all you've been saying, it looks like The SOC 5 is gonna be another exciting Summer of creativity, connection & fun! So whether you're joining us for the first time or you've been here from the beginning, I promise that this - the anniversary of our fifth color-splashed year - is one not to be missed! 

But. Wait. You Don't Know About The Summer of Color?

Oh, sorry. (I forget about that). Think of The Summer of Color as a big, international blog party featuring six weeks of color prompts, weekly linking opportunities, fabulous giveaways, creative inspirations and an amazing artistic community. Oh, and it's totally free. And awesome. Just saying. 

So You Said It's Been 5 Years?

Um, yeah. Crazy, right? And to celebrate, this year we're taking the best, most popular aspects of the last 5 years and mushing them altogether. In other words, only the very best bits will make this year's cut. That includes the most popular opening-week giveaway, the most popular color palettes (or versions therein) and the most popular way of approaching the challenges by giving you the final say on what hues you'll choose. Oh! And we're adding a couple of new things as well, including a weekly PDF that you can print out and use to organize your weekly palettes. 

Nicccceeee! So How Does This Thing Work? 

Easy-peasy. From next Monday on, there will be a color palette announced here on this blog. You will then have until Sunday morning of the same week to complete your piece based upon that prompt. You can share your work through your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest, Instagram or really, anything that can be linked here to this blog (so that we can all see your beautiful work). A linking device will be up as of next week. There will also be a rather fabulous giveaway each week for those who participate. The winner will be selected at random (via a Random Number Generator) from the link list and announced here the following week.  

But You Haven't Told Us About The Theme, "Color by Number."

Ohhhhhhh, right! Well now, I bet you want to know about that! Okay, here goes: for The SOC 5: Color by Number, you will be prompted to choose a combination of colors that you prefer, based upon a generic color palette that I will provide. Each week the palette will be 2 of one color + 1 of another. For example, if the color prompt for the week is say, Yellow and Orange, then you will be prompted to choose your favorite 2 Yellows + 1 Orange. So while some may be using butter yellow, goldenrod and neon orange, others may be using mustard, citron and perhaps tangerine. Either way, we will all be working with the same basic palette, but our choices within that palette will be as varied as we are.

And 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 that you want, as long as it's based upon 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 totally up to you. 

What Kinds Of Things Will We See?

Oh, there's so much! But if you'd like an idea of what types of projects we've seen in the past, check these links out:

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

Postcards

Project Life

Scrapbooking

Sewing

Quilting 

Did I miss anything? Surprise me! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I've Got It! Now, Is There A Time Limit?

Kinda. You're welcome to share your work at any time, however in order to qualify for the weekly drawing, you must link your pretty little things to this blog by Sunday morning, 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. Each week stands on its own, so like any other party, just come when you can.

Can Anyone Participate?

But of course! Anyone who has a blog, Facebook, Flickr or any other account that can be linked here can play along. You may even want to include the kiddies. Also, 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. Cool? Cool. 

And What About Social Media?

Oh yes, that. You may want to follow this blog (so as not to miss a thing), and there is also both a Facebook group and Flickr pool created especially for our event. I've also identified a hashtag that we can use for all other social media outlets. Just tag #TheSummerofColor5 to keep us all on the same page.  

So, What Do We Do This Week?

For this, our introductory week, the task is simple. Please just help me spread the word. Since the whole idea of our event is to foster creativity, community and connection, the more of us who come out to play, the better. Anddddddd to thank you for your efforts, I'm offering one lucky person the most popular of our opening giveaways. Are you ready for it? 

A $50 Gift Certificate to Blick Art Materials! 

I know, right? (Makes me all jelly inside). Now, I know some of you have already started to share the news, but I want to thank you formally for doing so. So, please let me know how you've helped spread the word (either by posting the SOC button on your blog, mentioning it in a blog post, by letting your Facebook friends know or discussing it on Instagram, Twitter, You Tube or whatever social media that you love) in the comment section below (only one comment per person, please) and you'll be in the running! The winner will be announced here next Monday, June 8th.

Oh! And Because I Created A Different Video Last Year:

You can use either one of those too. Wanna see that one again? K, here it is:

Speaking of Next Monday, June 8th:

You'll want to come back here for our first week's color prompt, our first colorful giveaway, our first new PDF, the announcement of our Blick gift card winner and, well, something else that's new. Something that I hope you'll agree makes this year the most exciting and interactive ever. Wanna hint? How 'bout two: One, I'm playing along with you this year and two, well, you'll wanna watch this space. . . .

Ready? Okay!

To Love, Color & The Love of Color,

Kristin xo