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