Monday, June 25, 2012

The Summer of Color: Week Three!



Welcome to Week Three of The Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations!

Can you believe it? We're already halfway through our colorful Summer fling! I'm immensely impressed and continually amazed by all of the camaraderie, support and stunning artwork featured here, in our Flickr pool and on our Facebook page, and I want to thank you for sharing your art and heart with us all.

So, did anyone have a little Mint Chocolate Chip in the name of research? By the beauty and variety we saw this week (and isn't that the best bit: to see what everyone does with the same color prompt?), I for one can not wait to see what's created with our next "Flavor" of the week. . . .

Baseball Nut!
As of today, you may link your work inspired by the flavor Baseball Nut (you can see the picture and description of it here). To do so, please copy the direct link from your blog or Flickr page and paste it into the widget below. You will have the entire week - until Sunday July 1st (Pacific Standard Time) - to do so. Those who link their Baseball Nut creations below will also be in the pool to win this delicious giveaway:

A large stack (about a dozen double-sided pages) of vintage sheet music from Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics, 2 large vintage ledger pages from 1926, a Strathmore book of 9 x 12 cold press watercolor paper, 2 vintage (and beautifully rusted ;) metal stars, one vintage photograph from 1922, 3 Martha Stewart acrylic paints in Habanero, Acorn and Porcelain Doll, 2 4 x 4 canvas panels, a Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic pen, 4 Kraft Glassine Pockets (Tim Holtz), Stickles glitter in Diamond and Pink and finally, a sprinkling of taupe and iridescent Swarovski crystals.

Ready to Link?
Okay, show us your Baseball Nuts now: 


Oh! And What About Last Week's Winner?
The Random Number Generator did it's thing and the winner of our Mint Chocolate Chip goodie bag is . . .


Congratulations! Please send me your address and I'll happily mail it to you.

Ready for Week Four?
Your next color prompt - from Monday July 2nd to Sunday July 8th - is the pretty, pretty:

Strawberry Lemonade Punch

"A blend of strawberry and lemon flavored sherbets that will make your lips smack with delight."
- Baskin Robbins

It's gonna be sweet . . . .

Happy creating,
Kristin xo

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Week Three: Baseball Nut!

"M"
8 x 8 Canvas Flag

It's week three of The Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations and our third prompt is to create something inspired by the colors found within the "Flavor," Baseball Nut. . . .

"Baseball Nut" is a new one to most of us - including me - and although I'm unfamiliar with the taste (can you believe I actually gave the ice cream cones away after photographing them - what was I thinking - I should have at least sampled them all first ;) I loved playing with the neutral colors of vanilla and cashew along with that bold pop of raspberry.

Once again, I used canvas material as my base and a mix of Caran D'ache watercolor crayons, acrylics and metallic and gel pens as accents. As a matter of fact, I used the same glittery gel pen here (Sakura Gelly Roll; a new favorite of mine) that I'm offering in this week's giveaway above.

Ready for more? Me too. Oooooh, look! The next color is so pretty . . . .

Ice Cream Kisses,
Kristin xo

Monday, June 18, 2012

The Summer of Color: Week Two!


Welcome to Week Two of The Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations!

And um, yeah . . .  . What a week it was . . . with 113 links at the time of the draw, a frenzy of activity on our Flickr and Facebook pages and some unexpected play on Pinterest, it looks like we're well on our way to a crazy, fun-filled and decidedly delicious Summer.

And did you see all the amazing work created with Rainbow Sherbet in mind? Everything from journal pages to canvases, ATC's, art boxes, origami, digital art, photography, baby booties, quilted blankets, tea towels, altered florals and, believe it or not, fingernail art was represented. I'm so impressed by all the kindness and creativity here and want to thank you for sharing your time, talents and energy . . .

Now On With Week Two!
As of today, you may link your work inspired by the Flavor Mint Chocolate Chip. To do so, simply copy the direct link from your blog or Flickr page and paste it into the widget below. You will have the entire week - until Sunday June 24th (Pacific Standard Time) - to do so. Those who link their Mint Chocolate Chip creations below will also have a chance to win this fabulous giveaway:

3 pages of clip art from TJ Designs Alice in Wonderland collection, an 8 x 10 pad of Strathmore Drawing Paper, a pack of Strathmore Acrylic Artist Trading Cards, 3 decorative tags from Basic Grey, 3 tubes of Stickles glitter in Star Dust, Waterfall and Green, Craft Smart craft paint in Chocolate Brown and Mint Green, a set of Martha Stewart glitter and glue tinsel, 2 Sakura Gelly Roll pens (from the "Ice Cream Smooth" collection) a sprinkling of clear, pale blue and iridescent Swarovski crystals and - can you believe this? - a pack of Mint Chocolate Chip gum.

Ready, Set, Go!
Link your Mint Chocolate Chip now:



And Who Won Last Week's Giveaway?
So glad you asked! The Random Number Generator did it's magic and the winner of our Rainbow Sherbet prize package is . . . .


Congratulations! Please email your address to KDvanvalkenburghatmsndotcom and I'll mail it right off.

So, What About Week Three?
Your next color prompt - from Monday June 25th to Sunday July 1st - is:

Baseball Nut!

"A smooth, vanilla flavored ice cream swirled with a black raspberry ribbon and loaded with cashews"
-Baskin Robbins


I can't wait to see what you do with this one . . . .

Thank you & have fun!
Kristin xo

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Week Two: Mint Chocolate Chip!

"U"
8 x 8 Canvas Flag

It's week Two of The Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations and our second prompt is to create anything we'd like using the "Flavor" of the week, Mint Chocolate Chip . . . .

This little girl was created in the same manner as the week before, with a piece of primed canvas material, watercolor and acrylic paints and this time, a sparkling bow encrusted with fine glitter and pale blue Swarovski crystals.

Hungry for more? Check out the next delicious inspiration found directly above . . . .

Ice Cream Kisses,
Kristin xo

Monday, June 11, 2012

The Summer of Color: Week One!



Welcome to Week One of The Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations!

I'd like to begin by thanking each of you for the excitement and enthusiasm expressed during our introductory week: from the love pouring in here, on our Facebook page and in our Flickr group, it looks like we're in for an amazing Summer of creativity, community and connection. I for one, can not wait . . .

Last week:
We talked about how this whole thing works, but to recap, The Summer of Color is a six-week long party where we will focus on and create art based upon the luscious colors of our favorite ice cream flavors. We'll explore various color combinations working in our preferred mediums and share what we produce here. There will be weekly linking opportunities, subsequent blog hops, and a weekly giveaway open to all those who participate.

What we will do:
As of today, we can link our work based upon the first color prompt, Rainbow Sherbet. To do so, simply copy the direct link from your blog or Flickr page and paste it into the widget below. You will have the entire week - until Sunday, June 17th (noon, Pacific Standard Time) - to do so. Those who link their Rainbow Sherbet creations below will also have the opportunity to win this delicious giveaway:

A 12 x 12 piece of glittered magenta cardstock, 3 pages of clip art from TJ Designs Storybook collection, a set of 10 Strathmore Artist Trading Cards, 2 sets of Loew Cornell (Bristle and White Nylon) paint brushes, 3 craft paints from JoAnn Craft Essentials, 3 spools of Offray ribbon, 3 Sakura Gelly Roll metallic pens (from the "Ice Cream Smooth" collection ;), 4 tubes of Stickles glitter (in Star Dust, Cotton Candy, Yellow and Orange Peel) and a sprinkling of orange, pink, clear and iridescent Swarovski crystals.

Are you ready?
Okay, go ahead and link your Rainbow Sherbet now:




{As a reminder: from this week on, the giveaway winners will be selected at random via Random Number Generator directly from the link list. Because of this, I ask that there be only one link per artist, please}.

Oh! And what about that gorgeous Ice Cream Spoon?
As a thank you for helping me spread the word about the event, I have (okay, my cute kid has ;) dipped her fingers into a bowl filled with your names and . . . 

The winner is . . . 

Congratulations! Please send your address to KDvanvalkenburghatmsndotcom and I will mail it off right away.

An itty bit of business:
It's important to me that I visit all of you (in a timely fashion) each week. I am so looking forward to playing along and taking a peek at each of your creations however, due to our large numbers (yay!), the only way I can manage that is by leaving my impersonal but sincere mark of an "xo" on your blogs and Flickr pages. This way, I can visit you all and still play the role of Mommy. I do hope you'll understand.

And what is next week's Flavor?
Your next color prompt - from Monday June 18 - Sunday June 24th - is . . . 

Mint Chocolate Chip!

Icy mint green sprinkled with specks of dark chocolate

Thank you, have fun and good luck, 
Kristin xo

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Week One: Rainbow Sherbet!

"S"
8 x 8 Canvas Flag

It's Week One of The Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations and our first prompt is to create something - anything really - using the colors found within Rainbow Sherbet . . . .

For my part, I've decided to paint a series of six canvas flags which will be bound together at the conclusion of the event to create a banner (or "bunting" which I recently learned from the lovely Missy K) suitable for hanging.

This little one was first sketched in pencil (on a gessoed piece of canvas fabric) before being enhanced with acrylics, Caran D'ache watercolor crayons and glittering (Sakura) gel pens. The white polka dots sparkle too, thanks to some iridescent Stickles glitter laid on top. A handmade fabric flower with a vintage button center and some white pom-pom trim complete the look.

Now on to Week Two and another delicious "flavor" to inspire us . . . .

Ice Cream Kisses,
Kristin xo

Monday, June 4, 2012

The Summer of Color 2012!


"Everyone likes pie. But people like pie a la mode even better. 
In the pie of life, arts is the ice cream."
- Peter Krause


I scream, You scream, We all scream . . . for The Summer of Color . . . .

Ready or not, here we come - 6 weeks of color prompts, beautiful giveaways, creative connections & a rockin' community - make room for The Summer of Color 2: Ice Cream Inspirations!


What's that you say?
Beginning today - and every Monday throughout the event - we will focus on and create art based upon the luscious colors of our favorite ice cream flavors. We'll explore various color combinations working in our preferred mediums and share what we produce here. There will be weekly linking opportunities, subsequent blog hops, and a weekly giveaway open to all those who participate. 

What kinda art will we do?
There are so many ways to participate in The Summer of Color. You can create anything you want, as long as it's based upon the "flavor" 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?
Last year we saw jewelry to journal pages and everything in between. If you're not sure what you want to do, check out the following links for inspiration:
Of course, there may be things you're considering that I haven't mentioned here. The thing is, if you have an art form you love, go for it. If you've always wanted to try something new, now's the time. We will learn and explore together. 

What will you be doing?
I'll be creating right alongside you, working in the same color combinations as you are. I've decided to make a decorative banner (like the one shown in the picture above) using canvas material, and will be painting a new triangle or "point" each week. If all goes according to plan, I'll have a completed banner to hang by the end of the event.

Tell me more about the colors?
We will create new art each week based upon the ice cream "flavor" I announce here. In other words, we'll all be working on the same colors in the same week. Unlike last year where we focused on one specific color, this year, we will be working with color combinations. The color prompts are for inspiration only: you can vary the hues, play with textures or throw another color in the mix should you desire. For example, if the prompt is "Rocky Road," you can use all or some of the colors depicted. You can play with the textures represented or keep it smooth. And if you feel like your piece wouldn't be complete without a pink polka dot, then I for one am not gonna stop you . . . 

So how does this work?
Thanks for asking. Every Monday, I will provide a color prompt here. You will then have a week to complete your piece based upon that prompt. 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 giveaway each week for those who participate. This year, the winners will be selected at random (using a Random Number Generator) from the link list. The winner will be announced the following week.

Anything else I should know?
A little. You are welcome to share your work at anytime. However, in order to qualify for the weekly drawing, you must link your post or Flickr feed by 12:00 noon Pacific Standard Time on Sunday. Also, this is meant to be fun. No pressure. If you are away or can't participate every single week, don't worry about it. But you can always check in to see what others have created in your absence. Having said that, only those who participate may enter that week's drawing. 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 page and Flickr pool created especially for the event. In addition to our blogs, we can also post our work and do a little chit-chatting there. You do not have to belong to Facebook or have a Flickr account to play along, but if you want to totally immerse yourself into The Summer of Color, I highly recommend you check it out. The Facebook page in particular is a lotta fun.

Did you do this by yourself?
Hardly. Please allow me to thank a few people who make all this possible. Thank you to Trisha Trixie for putting together our Facebook page and helping me run the group, thank you to Michelle Wildman and The Fair Blogmother for all of our pretty Summer of Color buttons, banners and badges and thank you to Daniele Valois for being my sounding board and photography consultant (now that sounds fancy, doesn't it?) in the weeks leading up to the event. Oh, and on personal note, a big thanks goes out to my Dad who reads every single post, every single comment and who even held all of the ice cream cones as I was photographing them in 100 degree weather . . . .

On with the show!
Let's start this off right with a tiny token of my affection. For this, the opening week, I would be more than grateful if you'd help spread the word about The Summer of Color. Since the whole idea is to foster creativity, community and connection, the more people who come out to play, the better. And for helping me spread the word, I'd like to offer one randomly selected person this hand stamped vintage spoon from Kerrie Hunziker-Balma of the Wooden Hive:

"My Ice Cream Spoon"
{Special note:When I bought this spoon for you, I told Kerrie what it was for, and she kindly offered a 10% discount in her her Etsy shop to anyone who is interested. 
Use code ICECREAM10 to redeem yours}

This week only, the winner will be selected from the comments section and announced here next Monday.

Speaking of Next Monday June 11th:
Are you ready for your first color prompt? The color combination we will be working with for Week One is . . .

Rainbow Sherbet!

Bold oranges, pinks, yellows and a touch of white

You may link your work inspired by Rainbow Sherbet as of next Monday, June 11th. The Rainbow Sherbet giveaway (and you know it will be fabulous ;) will be shown at that time as well. The post will go up midnight, PST. 


So get those taste buds going and paintbrushes moving . . . our Sweet Summer has just begun!

Kristin xo

Sunday, June 3, 2012

We Interrupt this Regular Blogging Schedule . . .

"Growth"
12 x 12 Canvas Panel


. . . For a little something called The Summer of Color . . . .

But before we go, I wanted to share something pretty spectacular that I just received in the mail!

Do you remember Amy's event, All TOgether Now? Well, I was a lucky winner of this gorgeous canvas from Malinda of Adornments by Malinda J:


I admired it when I first saw it and am thrilled to have been the one randomly selected (thank you Number Generator!) to take it home. Thank you Malinda, I will cherish it!

And for those of you paying attention to the title, this will be the last regular post until the conclusion of The Summer of Color. I wish you a Summer full of love, laughter and ice cream. . . . 

Until Tomorrow,
Kristin xo