Holiday Blog Hop - Create Your Own Gift Wrap - And Video!

{Gift Wrap Created w/ Decorative Papers & 1 Stencil}

"Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year."

- Victor Borge

Helllllloooooo & Happy Holidays!

I hope this finds you safe, warm and feeling incredibly loved. 

Speaking of which - love that is - I can't wait to share with you the latest from the Jessica Sporn Designs Creative Team: a Holiday Blog Hop using her ever-so-lovely Stamps & Stencils. . . .

Not only are we hopping along with Jessica Sporn herself, but also with the following Design Team Elves, er, Artists:

Sherry Canino

Karen Gaunt

Denise Alloca

And in the spirit of the Season, there are presents to be had as well! That's right, a total of three (3) lucky winners will win one of the goodies below:

Giveaway #1 Blessings: Rubber (Moon) Art Stamp

Giveaway #2 Smoochy Ornament handmade by Jessica Sporn

Giveaway #3 Gorgeous Wall Hanging by Denise Alloca

(It even has a little clip for hanging your favorite picture or notes!) 

How cool is that?! All you have to do is leave a comment here - and everywhere else you hop - to be considered. You have until next Monday (12/12, 9 am EST) to put your hat in the ring, and the winners will be announced on Jessica's blog the following day. Good luck!

So what did I do for the Holiday Hop?

I played around with making my own Gift Wrap using decorative papers and just one stencil. I tend to decorate my home in candy colors for Christmas, and this wrapping paper is no exception. I found that Jessica Sporn's Paisley Flower Repeat was the perfect partner for creating elegant patterns on a variety of old 12 x 12 scrapbook papers I had on hand.

Wanna see more? Here are a few detail shots:

Lime green Christmas wrap with a handmade fabric bow

{To make a smaller bow, cut the width in half and adjust the length to your liking}.

Oranges and pinks with Stickles glitter for an "embossed" look. . . .

Teal with Swarovski Crystals. 'Cause every Christmas deserves a bit of Sparkle. 

{Oh, and in case you're wondering. . . . yes, the boxes are all empty! I know, I know. Crazy, right? In the end, they will be for your eyes only}. Thanks for watching, hopping and playing along! 

I wish you much love, luck and magic this Season and always.

Kristin xo

Journal Play

"You Are What You Eat"

8 x 12 Moleskine Journal

Images from Retro Cafe Art

A new Moleskine + A few hours to play . . .

Thanks for looking!

Kristin xo

So What Do We Call This?

"A Single Star"

8 x 10 Altered Cardboard

Texture created with a doll comb and wet Gesso

(Bird's nest from Lisa's Altered Art and vintage girl / head from The Graphic's Fairy.)

Scrapbooking? Mixed Media? I dunno. What I do know is that I miss printing (and actually using) pictures of Kendra since I stopped scrapping, and I've been looking for a way to incorporate more of her (even if it's just her body in this case ;) into my work. 

My friend's recently published piece in Somerset Memories in which she used a photo as as the main element in her art, inspired me to try the same. . . here is what I came up with . . .

So: what do we call this?

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color - ORANGE

"Orange You Glad to See Me?"

8 x 10 Watercolor Journal Page

{This collage was inspired by the sections of an orange and a familiar joke. It was created using personal pictures (that's Kendra with the lollipop ;), vintage text, a portion of a soda can and images from Lisa's Altered Art}

The Color Purple

As we head into our last two weeks of The Summer of Color, I must say that I'm endlessly impressed by the work you've been creating and sharing with us here. Your Purple pieces were majestic, fun, feminine, whimsical and downright beautiful. I'm amazed at the outpouring of support you've given to one another and want to thank you for sharing your links with us here, your pictures on our Flickr group (we're nearing 350 contributions!) and for the creative community you've fostered on our Facebook page. It's been quite a ride . . .

So Who Won Purple Week?

The Purple giveaway (pictured in the post below) was won by:

YOU

Please Email me your address and I'll get your Purple goods right out . . .

And Now - Welcome to Orange Week! 

(Monday August 1st - Sunday August 7th)

We saved one of the boldest hues for last and I for one can not wait to see what you come up with. Should you choose to accept it, your Bonus! challenge is to in some way incorporate (or be inspired by) your favorite quote or poem. As always, please (A) link your blog or Flickr feed in the Widget below so that others can find you (B) leave one comment in the comment section at the end of this post if you created an Orange piece and (C) leave an additional comment if you completed the Bonus! challenge.

Here's What We've Got This Week . . .

{A vintage (1952) "Elsie's Cook Book" for your collage collection, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Spiced Marmalade, Prismacolor Premier broad marker in Orange, Prismacolor Premier fine line marker #005, Liquitex soft body acrylic in Cadmium Orange, a yard of rich orange satin ribbon and a sprinkling of iridescent and orange Swarovski crystals}

Good Luck!

And What Will We Do Next?

Our last challenge - Monday August 8 - Sunday August 14th - is rather simple: we're gonna have a good ole fashioned Show and Tell. Wether you joined every challenge or not, in order to participate next week, please share with us the body of work you created throughout The Summer of Color. Now, how you do that is up to you. If you created a series of journal pages as I have for example, you may want to make a journal cover and show us the pieces within it. If you created a series of canvas work, perhaps you can give us a gallery showing of how they look on the wall. Or if you've made a variety of items, you may just want to share pictures of your work. Wether it's a slideshow or a compilation of shots, the choice is yours. It will be the final adieu to our Summer of creativity and connection together. . . 

Will There be a Giveaway in the Last Week?

Yep. Although there will be no Bonus! challenge in our last week together, we will link our posts or Flickr feeds and there will be a beautiful, sparkling, colorful giveaway . . . see you then . . .

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color - PURPLE

"The Dreamers of Dreams"

8 x 10 Journal Page

{This page was inspired by my Dad (a huge Summer of Color fan ;) who suggested that the color Purple reminded him of the moon. Serendipitously, I found a poem by Arthur William O'Shaughnessy that went perfectly with the theme. The portion I used here reads, "We are the music-makers / And we are the dreamers of dreams / Wandering by lone sea-breakers / And sitting by desolate streams; / World-losers and world-forsakers / On whom the pale moon gleams: / Yet we are the movers and shakers / Of the world forever it seems."}

Oh, Red . . . 

What amazing pieces you've inspired! Your work was bright, bold and full of beauty. I loved watching our Flickr pool pop with color as your art was added throughout the week, and so appreciate the love and dedication that you put into it. Thank you for your kind comments to one another, for the supportive community you've created on Facebook and for sharing your links with us here as we head into our final Summer of Color weeks together . . . 

Believe it or Not . . .

This week marks our second-to-last color prompt. We will be working with Purple this week and our final color (announced at the bottom of this post) next. If you haven't yet joined us and would like to, please know that you are more than welcome anytime. We would be honored to have you. 

So how many weeks are left in The Summer of Color?

A total of three. After we complete our final two weeks of color prompts, we will have a wrap-up week in which we share what we have done during our time together. For those who are thinking ahead, this means that you can either create something to house or showcase the body of work you've made over the Summer, or you can simply share pictures of your work as a whole. More on that later, but know that there will be linking opportunities and another giveaway in our last week as well . . .

And now . . . The Red Week Winner is . . .

YOU

Please Email me your address and I'll get those Red hot goodies right out.

Ready for the Color Purple?

Our color prompt this week (Monday July 25th to Sunday July 31st) is the mystical, magical, regal color of Purple. Should you choose to accept it, your Bonus! challenge is to in some way incorporate a little shimmer and shine in your work. This includes but is not limited to the use of fine glitter, glass glitter, sparkly embellishments, crystals, metallic objects or anything else that would stop a deer in it's tracks . . . As before, please (A) link your blog or Flickr feed to the widget below so that others can find you (B) leave one comment if you created a Purple piece and (C) leave two comments if you completed the Bonus! challenge. 

Oooh, show us the Purple Giveaway. . .

(A vintage child's dictionary page featuring the color Purple, two vintage postcards (both written on and one stamped on the back), 8 yards of Darlee 20 Gauge copper wire, Liquitex Soft Body acrylic paint in Brilliant Purple, Stickles glitter in Lavender, a set of ten Loew Cornell white nylon brushes and a sprinkling of iridescent purple and clear Swarovski crystals)

And what is next week's color prompt?

ORANGE

(Monday August 1st to Sunday August 7th)

"Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow"

-Kandinsky

I hope there's a Bonus! challenge. . .

Well, you're in luck. Should you decide to take it on, the Bonus! challenge for the color Orange is to in some way incorporate your favorite quote or poem. You can either include the text directly into your work or you can let it serve as your inspiration.  

Thank you and Have Fun! 

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color - RED

"Strolling with Hubert"

8 x 10 Journal Page

{This was inspired by schoolwork Kendra recently brought home that featured the word red. Her writing serves as the base for this mixed-media painting & collage. Also featured are several sources of sparkle: from Stickles red to iridescent glitter to Swarovski crystals and even a decorative piece (the belt) from the top of an old flip flop}  

Who knew Brown could be so pretty?

Like many of you, I wasn't sure how I was going to tackle the color. But try we did and I'm now among those who found that I really loved working with Brown. It is neutral, rich and varied in it's applications - and I was so inspired by your use of it. Thank you for sharing your art here, on our Facebook page and in our Flickr group.  We had an amazing turnout last week and I know it's going to continue as we hit the ground running on our next - highly anticipated - color . . .

But first, who won Brown week?

Our Brown giveaway (featured in the post below) was won by . . .

YOU

Please Email me your address and I'll get your vintage Browns right out . . .

And now: welcome to RED week!

This week ( Monday July 18th to Sunday July 24th) our challenge is to work with the color Red. Should you decide to take it on, your Bonus! challenge is to somehow incorporate wings into your work. As before, please (A) link your blog or Flickr feed in the widget below so that others can find you (B) leave one comment (in the comment section at the end of the post) if you completed a Red piece and (C) leave two comments if you completed the Bonus! challenge. 

And the giveaway?

{Canson 5.5 x 8.5 tablet of drawing paper, Liquitex acrylic ink in Naphthol Crimson, Golden Acrylics in Pyrrole Red (1 oz), Recollections Tinsel Glitter in Cherry, A vintage Old Maid playing card (Little Miss Muffet), a few red paint chips and a vintage Golden Dictionary page featuring the word "red." Lastly, you'll find a sprinkling of red and iridescent Swarovski crystals}

And what is next week's color?

PURPLE

(Monday July 25 - Sunday July 31st)

"But, luckily, he kept his wits and his Purple crayon."

- from Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955)

Will there be a bonus challenge with Purple?

Um. Hum. And let's be honest: this one's really for me ;) Should you like to give it a go, your Bonus! challenge for Purple week is to bring on the sparkle and shine . . . You may use anything that would stop a deer in it's tracks . . . fine glitter, chunky glitter, glass glitter, crystals, beads, shiny discarded embellishments (like the flip flop above ;), glass holiday ornaments . . . I could go on . . . you get the picture . . . 

Have fun!

Kristin xo