The Summer of Color: Week Four . . .

"Pink isn't just a color, it's an attitude!"

- Miley Cyrus

Welcome to Week Four of The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop! I absolutely loved lurking around your blogs and our Facebook page and reading your thoughts about last week's Lavender & Grey palette. Although it provoked strong reactions (of the love-it-or-leave-it variety) you happily took on the challenge and gave it your all. As a result, I found that there was a lot of experimentation last week, with a variety of new techniques being tried on and tested out. And the outcome? Nothing less than spectacular. You impress me, you do! Thank you for sharing your beautiful work and spirit with us all. . . .

This Week:

We'll be working on our fourth - of six - color palettes. Your prompt will include two main colors along with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of a third. As always, feel free to create anything your little heart desires, as long as it's based upon the colors of the week. And remember, you're welcome to join in at any time. If you've just found us, welcome. I promise you're gonna like it here.

And That Social Media Thing Again?

Oh yes. Please make sure to link your work to the widget below in order to be in the running for the weekly giveaway. The winner is selected from this list so in order to be considered, we must first link here. Other than that, we have a lotta fun in our Facebook group and we can see a lotta art in one place over in our Flickr pool. We even have a hashtag for the SOC4 so that we can all find each other out there. Please use #TheSummerOfColorFour for all of your social media.

And This Week's Palette?

I have a feeling you're gonna love this one. It's fun, bright, and perfect for Summer. Ready? 

Pink & Apple Green

with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of Dark Green

To see examples of the color Pink, click here.

To see examples of the color Apple Green, click here.

To see examples of the combination of the two, click here.

Yes, I Do Love It! 

Right?! Okay, you may link your Pink & Apple Green (with that Smudge, Splash or Pop of Dark Green) to the widget below. To qualify for Pink & Apple Green drawing, please just copy and paste your direct blog link or direct Pinterest, Facebook or Flickr feed by this Sunday, (10:00 am Pacific Standard Time) July 6. Only one link per person, please.

Here We Go:

And The Pink & Apple Green Giveaway?

Um, there's Montana Paint Cans in there! Can you believe it? Pretty cool if you ask me:

A set of Recollections Sticker Frames in pink and green, a set a tiny alpa stamps (perfect for on the go!) by Studio G, a set of pink lucite alpha embellishments by Recollections, a set of beautifully glittered adhesive chipboard letters by Recollections, two spools (5 yards each) of jute ribbon in both pink and green chevron, three cans (400 ml) of Montana Gold Acrylic Spray Paint in Shock Pink Light, Green Apple and Shock Green Dark, a set of 6 Montana Level Caps in order to customize your spray width and, last but not least, a sprinkling of both pink and iridescent Swarovski crystals. 

And Last Week's Winner?

I think she's gonna be happy. Congratulations go out to our first International winner this year:

Laugh An at DrawingPaintingMiss

Congratulations! Please email your address to KDvanvalkenburgh@msn.com and I'll happily send your Lavender & Grey goodies right out. 

And Now, On With The Show!

I can only imagine what you'll get up to this week. . . . 

To the Love of Pink,

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color: Week Three . . .

"When hope is fleeting, stop for a moment and visualize, in a sky of silver, the crescent of a lavender moon. Imagine it - delicate, slim, precise, like a paper-thin slice from a cabochon jewel. It may not be very useful, but it is beautiful. And sometimes it is enough."

- Vera Nazarian

Can you believe that we're already on our third prompt for The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop?! The last two weeks have just flown by in a frenzy of community, creativity and color. I love seeing all the friendships being forged on our Facebook page and Flickr pool and am thrilled with all of your excitement and enthusiasm. Thank you for sharing your work with us, for being so supportive of one another and for continuing to help spread the word about the pretty rockin' party we've got going on. . . .

This Week:

We'll be working on our third - of six - color palettes. Your prompt will include two main colors along with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of a third. As always, feel free to create anything at all, as long as your work is based upon the colors of the week. And if you've just found us, please join in! Each week stands on it's own, so you can come out and play anytime. 

A Bit About Social Media:

As many of us have commented, it's really busy around here! Between Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest and this blog, there's so many ways to share our work, that it can sometimes become confusing. So to reiterate, you will always start here. Each Monday there will be a new color prompt announced on this blog, along with information about the weekly giveaway and the notification of the previous week's winner. You can then pop over for some chit-chat in our Facebook page or (pretty please) pop your photos into our Flickr pool. Our Flickr pool was started from the beginning of the SOC, and at this point (I'm thrilled to report), we have over a thousand colorful creations to drool over. But - and here's the important bit - please, please, please make sure that you link your work to the widget on this blog in order to qualify for the weekly drawing. The winner is generated from the link list, so in order to win, we must link. Oh! And one more thing. We have a hashtag for the event that will help us find each other out there. Please use #TheSummerOfColorFour for all your social media. 

Whew! Okay, On With the Show:

The elegant, somewhat monochromatic color palette for Week Three of the SOC is:

Lavender & Grey

with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of Plum

To see examples of the color Lavender, click here.

To see examples of the color Grey, click here.

To see examples of the combination of the two, click here.

Oh Yes! That's Super Pretty.

(I totally agree). You may link your Lavender & Grey artwork (with that Smudge, Splash or Pop of Plum) to the widget below. To qualify for the Lavender & Grey drawing, please just copy and paste your direct blog link or direct Flickr, Pinterest or Facebook feed (or whatever else that can link ;) by this Sunday, (10:00 am Pacific Standard Time) June 29th. Only one link per person, please.

Ready? Okay, Link!

Oooooh! What's in the Picture?

Your Lavender & Grey giveaway:

A set of four Craft Smart White Taklon brushes, 2 pieces of felt in both lavender and grey, gorgeous glitter card stock and foil paper in lavender and grey, a General's Kneaded Eraser, Sculpey oven-bake clay in Spring Lilac and Silver, a set of ATC Glitter Mix in Violet, a gorgeous 6 x 6 stencil feather stencil by Balzer Designs (I so want this!), three large Liquitex Basics acrylic paints in Neutral Gray, Brilliant Purple and Deep Violet, a set of Luggage Tags in lavender leather (can't you just picture these with a piece of your art in them?) and, naturally, a sprinkling of Swarovski crystals in both iridescent purple and clear.

Now, Spill it. Who Won Last Week?

Last week's winner of the lovely Coral & Teal giveaway is none other than . . .

Denise of Coffeeberry Cottage

Way to go Denise! Please email me your address and I'll get your new supplies right out!

Now What?

Now you play! I can't wait to see what you all think of and do with this pretty, pretty palette. . . .

Colorful Kisses,

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color: Week Two . . .

"Sunset is still my favorite color, and rainbow is second."

- Mattie Stepanek

Welllllll now, I don't know about you, but I think we've got something pretty special here with The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop! 

Isn't it ever so much fun? The creativity and connection you've fostered in our first week alone is nothing less than spectacular. Thank you for your kindness, genuine support of one another and for sharing your colorful work with us here, on our Facebook page (which, as I'm sure you've already noticed, is where a lot of the real action takes place) and in our Flickr pool. Your work is beautiful, incredibly varied and an inspiration to see. As far as I'm concerned, we're off to a colorful summer indeed! 

This Week:

We'll be working with our second - of six - color palettes. Your prompt will include two main colors with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of a third. As always, feel free to create anything your little heart desires, as long as it's based upon the colors of the week. And if you've just found us, please do jump in. Each week stands on it's own so feel free to come and go as your schedule permits.

Okay, Okay. So the Colors?

Oh yes, that! The color palette for Week Two of the SOC is. . . .

Coral & Teal 

with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of Bright White

To see examples of the color Coral, click here.

To see examples of the color Teal, click here.

To see examples of the combination of the two, click here.

Now What?

Now you create! You may link your Coral & Teal artwork (with that Smudge, Splash or Pop of Bright White) to the widget below. To qualify for the Coral & Teal drawing, simply copy and paste your direct blog link or direct Flickr, Pinterest or Facebook feed by this Sunday (10:00 am Pacific Standard Time), June 22nd. Only one link per person, please. 

Ready. Set. Link!

Now What's Up for Grabs This Week?

Um, you're gonna like this one:

Iridescent beads in both Teal and Coral, A package of 4 Loew Cornell white nylon brushes, Heidi Swapp Color Shine sprays in Coral and Teal, 2 yards of Recollections burlap ribbon, 1 yard of Recollections fabric ribbon, a set of General's drawing pencils in HB, 3B, 5B and 6B, Tim Holtz idea-ology Fractured Dolls, 3 large Liquitex (8-15 mm) Paint Markers (and let me tell you, I sooooo want these! They're brand new on the market and you'll be one of the first to try them) in Cadmium Red, Cobalt and Titanium White and, naturally, a sprinkling of large iridescent Swarovski crystals.

But, But. . . . Who Won Last Week's Giveaway?

Oh, yes! The winner of Last Week's giveaway including all those lovely Aqua & Yellow goodies is:

Gina Sismilich of Bellefrogworks

Congratulations Gina! Please email me your address and I'll get your goods right out.

Now, Get Your Art On!

I can't wait to see what this week brings us . . . .

Coral Kisses, 

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color: Week One . . .

"And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings"

- Meister Eckhart

Welcome, welcome, welcome to Week One of The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop! 

I must say, if our opening week is any indication of how this Summer will go, then we're in for quite an artistic adventure. I'm honored by your enthusiasm, thrilled with number of new players joining in this year, and tremendously grateful for your help in spreading the word about our colorful community. . . .

Last Week:

During our Introductory Week we discussed all the ways you can participate in The Summer of Color. If you'd like a review of the event, just pop over here and take a peep. 

This Week:

The real fun begins! We'll be working with our first - of six - color palettes. Your prompt will include two main colors along with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of a third. As indicated last week, your goal will be to create anything you'd like using the combination of the 2 main colors and 1 accent color I assign. And whether you smudge, splash or have a pop of that third color on your piece is up to you. As always, you can create anything at all that you'd like, with color being the only stipulation. 

Okay, Okay, Bring On the Color!

You got it. Without further adieu, our first color prompt for the SOC 4 is . . . . 

Aqua Blue & Yellow

With a Smudge, Splash or Pop of Hot Pink

To see examples of the color Aqua Blue, click here.

To see examples of the color Yellow, click here.

To see examples of the combination of the two, click here.

Oh, YES! That's Fabulous!

I know, right?! (I've been lurking around our Facebook group for a reason ;) SO, let's get arting!

You may link your Aqua Blue & Yellow (with that Smudge, Splash or Pop of Hot Pink) creations to the widget below. To qualify for the Aqua Blue & Yellow drawing, simply copy and paste your direct link or Flickr feed by this Sunday (10:00 am Pacific Daylight Time), June 15th. Only one link per person, please. 

Ready? Okay, Link!

Oh But Wait. What About the First Giveaway?

Yes, of course! Here we go:

Adhesive backed acrylic gems (1 x 12 in) in aqua, a set of 24 Cards in an Instant from Me & My Big Ideas, large bottles of Martha Stewart fine glitter in Turquoise and Lemon Drop, Fimo soft modeling clay in #39 and #10, two spools of Lily Cotton yarn in Sky Blue and Sunshine, one Speedball Speedy-Cut rubber block (to carve your own stamps!), a few decorative napkins for collage and three large Amsterdam Acrylic tubes (4.1 oz) in Nickel Titan Yellow, Turquoise Green and Quinacridone Rose. And, as with all SOC giveaways (because I'm obsessed), there's a smattering of Swarovski crystals thrown in just for fun.

And Who Won Last Week's Giveaway?

Yes, that. The winner of last week's giveaway (taken from the comments section after having deleted any duplicates) including those Montana Paint Pens and an art mug, goes to none other than . . . .

Juniper Goods from Sacramento, CA

Congratulations! Please email me your address and I'll get your new toys right out.

I Think That's It.

Okay, then. GO! I can hardly wait to see what you come up with. . . . 

Colorful Kisses,

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color 2014!

"Just Play. Have fun. Enjoy the game." - Michael Jordan

And. Play. We. Will.

Hellooooooooo and welcome to The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop! Whether you're an SOC veteran or if you're joining in for the first time, I promise this will be a summer event to remember. So get your party supplies out and your creativity caps on: it's gonna be a colorful ride. . . .

What. What?

That's right: we're gonna have a party. Think of it as a blog block party featuring six weeks of luscious color prompts, weekly linking opportunities, beautiful giveaways, creative inspirations and an amazing artistic community. (It's the kind of thing we arty people dream of).  

Oh, Fun! How does it work?

So glad you asked. From next Monday on, there will be a color palette announced here on this blog. As you may have guessed from the name, this year, our color prompts will have a little twist. Or perhaps I should say a little smudge, splash or pop: 

That's right, in addition to a two-color combination that I know you'll love, there will also be a third color thrown in for fun. Your goal will be to create whatever you'd like using the combination of 2 main colors and 1 accent color that I assign. And whether you smudge, splash or have a pop of that third color on your piece is up to you. 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. The sky's the limit. 

Ok! But what kinds of things will we be seeing?

Oh my. There's so much. In years past, we've seen jewelry to journals 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

Postcards

Project Life

Scrapbooking

Sewing

Quilting

Did I miss anything? Surprise me! The thing is, if you have an art form you love, play with it. If there's something new that you've always wanted to try, perhaps now's the time. 

I've got it. Now, how does it all go down? 

Good question. Every Monday from next week on, I will provide a color prompt here on this blog. You will then have until Sunday of the same 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 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 the following week.  

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, 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.

Who can participate?

Anyone who has a blog, Facebook or Flickr account 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.

Um, what about the cost?

Silly you! There is no cost. Just a lotta fun.

What about social media?

Oh yes, glad you mentioned that. There is a Facebook group and a Flickr pool created especially for our event. I've also created a hashtag that you can use for all other social media outlets. Just tag #TheSummerofColorFour to keep us all on the same page. And if you're as addicted to Instagram as I am, you can check out my page for colorful quotes, giveaway hints and basically all things related to the SOC. 

So what do I do now?

For this, the introductory week, I'd be so grateful if you'd help us 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 guess what? This year I've created a little You Tube video that can be shared! Check it out:

I know, right? (Gets me excited every time I see it)! I know some of you have already started to share the news, but I want to thank you formally for doing so. Soooooo, 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 will be in the running for our first (of seven) giveaways:

Eeeeee! My favorite new obsession: Montana Paint Pens! 

Up for grabs: a complete starter set in extra fine as well as three other colors in the line (Shock Brown, Shock Pink Light and Shock Lilac) so that you don't miss a thing. Also included is an art mug of mine, based upon the following painting, so you have something cute and quirky to put them in.

The winner will be announced here next Monday, June 9th.

Speaking of next Monday, June 9th:

We'll see you here for our first color prompt! Until then, I wish you luck with the giveaway, fun deciding on your projects and camaraderie within our colorful community. It's gonna be a hot summer indeed . . . .

Kristin xo