The Summer of Color: Week One . . .

"The Mediterranean has the color of mackerel, changeable I mean. You don't always know if it is green or violet, you can't even say it's blue, because the next moment the changing reflection has taken on a tint of rose or grey."

-Vincent Van Gogh

Welcome to Week One of The Summer of Color, 2013!

We've only just begun our time together and there's already an electricity in the air that I find both humbling and contagious. I so appreciate the introductions and excitement taking place on our Facebook page and can hardly wait to see what art and inspiration springs from the weekly color prompts that you choose collectively.

Last Week:

During our introductory week, we discussed all of the ways in which you can participate in The Summer of Color. If you'd like a review of the event, just pop over to last week's post and take a gander. 

This Week:

We'll be working with the first, two-color combination that you choose in last week's poll. 

{Sidebar: our first poll was being ornery and as a result, I had to take it off mid-week and try again. Please know that all votes were counted - by manually adding the two together - and that the winning color prompt reflects the choices of all who voted. Also, unlike originally intended, it seems that we are unable to "hide" the poll results as they come in. Let's take this as a sign, and just go with it. It may even be more exciting because of it. Having said that, from now forward the polls will be closed each Friday. This will allow the voter plenty of time to have their say and the shopper (me ;) plenty of time to put together something fabulous for your weekly giveaways.}

Blah, blah, blah. You want to know what colors we'll be working with! Okay, without further adieu, the winning color prompt for Week One with an impressive total of 26.5% of the votes is . . . .

Citron Green & Turquoise

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

To see examples of the color Turquoise, click here.

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

Now What?

Now you art! Make anything at all that you'd like, as long as it's based upon the colors of the week. You may link your Citron Green & Turquoise creations in the widget below. To qualify for the Citron Green & Turquoise drawing, simply copy and paste your direct post (or Flickr feed) by this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time), June 16th. Only one link per person, please.

Ready, Set, Link!

Oh! And For The First Giveaway . . . 

One winner will be selected at random (from the link list above) to win this gorgeous collection of new and vintage materials (told you it'd be fabulous):

(Several vintage sheets of music, one vintage postcard featuring a little girl on the front and french writing on the back, a few pages of 8 x 8 decorative cardstock, one decorative doily (fab as a stencil, right?), 2 (2 oz) pieces of Polymer Clay, 2 cling stamps, 2 bottles of Stickles Glitter, 2 (adorable) packages of Washi tape, 2 (4 oz) bottles of Artist's Loft Acrylics, several beautiful beads in both turquoise and citron and, naturally, a few iridescent Swarovski crystals)

And Who Won Last Week's giveaway for a $50 Gift Certificate to Blick Art?

For the first week only, the winner was selected by random from the comments section. {Please note, all duplicate and "late" comments were removed to produce an accurate giveaway count.} And the winner is:

Our friend Leslie from Words of Me Project

Congratulations Leslie! Please contact me with your email address and I'll get that gift certificate right out. . . .

And Next Week?

Well, we vote of course! You'll find some of your favorites from last week in addition to new color combinations in the poll below. Remember to get your vote in by this Friday to be counted.

Week 2: Artist's Choice . . .
	Lime Green & Purple
	Lavender & Bright Yellow
	Charcoal Grey & Pale Pink
	Hot Pink & Navy
	Tangerine & Watermelon
	Red & Yellow
	Sage & Sepia
	Aqua & Pale Yellow
	Bright Orange & Teal
	Kelly Green & White
	Cobalt Blue & Gold
	Orange & Hot Pink
pollcode.com free polls

I'm so looking forward to seeing what you do, what colors you vote for next and of course, chatting with you all as our colorful Week One begins . . . .

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color 2013!

"Some of the best memories are made in flip flops" - Kellie Elmore

Sing with me! "Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime . . . ." (darling, you sound fabulous) . . . . 

Hellooooo and thank you for the rockin' introduction to our first interactive affair, The Summer of Color 3: Artist's Choice! Wether you're new to the event or you've been waiting a year to begin again, I promise that this will be one to remember. So get ready for six weeks of luscious color prompts, weekly linking opportunities, beautiful giveaways, creative inspirations and an amazingly supportive community that You, the Artist, help to produce. 

What's that you say?
That's right. This year, the SOC is taking a decidedly different turn. This year, You will help determine the colors we'll be playing with by voting for your favorites on a weekly basis.

How will that work?
Easy. Each week, you'll have the chance to vote for one of 12 different color combinations by taking a poll at the end of each post. Simply pick your favorite and, in majority rules fashion, the highest rated one wins. Come back the following Monday to see the results and get started. 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 you want, as long as it's based on 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 entirely up to you.

What kinds of things will we be seeing?
In the years past, we've seen jewelry to journal 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
Postcard Art
Scrapbooking
Sewing
Quilting
Of course, there may be things you're considering that I haven't covered here. The thing is, if you have an art form you love, go for it. If you've always wanted to try something new, perhaps now's the time.

Okay, so how does this work?
In an effort to keep things fresh, this year will be a bit different from the past. Every Monday, I will post the winning color prompt that you have selected here. You will then have until Sunday of the same week to complete your piece based upon that prompt. (This way, we'll all be working on the same colors at the same time). 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 stunning ;) giveaway each week for those who participate. The winner will be selected at random using a Random Number Generator from the link list and announced the following week.

Anything else?
Just some business. You are welcome to share your work at any time. However, in order to qualify for the weekly drawing, you must link your post or Flickr feed 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. Like any other party, just come when you can. Each week stands on it's own. 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 group and Flickr pool especially for our event. In addition to our blogs, we can also post our work and chat amongst ourselves there. You do not have to belong to Facebook or have a Flickr account to play along, but it is a lotta fun should you choose to do so. Again, it's all up to you. . .

So what do we do now?
For this, the Introductory Week, I'd be so grateful if you helped me 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, to thank you for your assistance, I'm going to reward one randomly selected person something pretty exciting. Since our theme this year is Artist's Choice, it seems only fitting that you have a chance at winning something that you choose. With that in mind, please let me know how you've helped to spread the word (either by posting the SOC button on your blog, by mentioning it in a blog post, by letting your Facebook friends know, or discussing it on Instagram, Twitter or whatever other social media you love) in the comments section below (only one comment per person, please) and you will be in the running for . . .

A $50 Gift Certificate to Blick Art!

The winner will be announced Next Monday, June 10th and sent electronically via email. 

Speaking of next Monday, June 10th:

We need to vote on our first color combination! For Week One, your color options are as follows:

Week 1: Artist's Choice . . .
	Hot Pink & Navy Blue
	Citron Green & Turquoise
	Red & White
	Charcoal Grey & Pale Pink
	Lavender & Bright Yellow
	Bright Orange & Cobalt Blue
	Lime Green & Purple
	Light Grey & Salmon
	Tiffany Blue & Red
	Kelly Green & Pink
	Teal & Brown
	Tangerine & Watermelon
pollcode.com free polls

I look forward to hearing about your projects, to seeing what colors you collectively decide upon and, of course, our first, arty week together . . . . 

Until then, I wish you luck with the giveaway, fun with the poll and camaraderie within our arty community. It's gonna be a colorful Summer indeed . . . .

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color 3: One Week To Go . . .

(Web Source)

"Color is a power which directly influences the soul."

- Wassily Kandinsky

I can hardly believe that The Summer of Color 3 is just one tiny little week away . . . . 

I'm anxious to reconnect with past players and old friends, excited to meet new artists who decide to take the plunge and, naturally, so looking forward to seeing all the art & inspiration that springs from the weekly color prompts and beautiful (kind, supportive and loving) Flickr and Facebook communities. 

And, it must be said, there are some exciting changes taking place this year. What kind of changes you ask? (Well now, you know you have to wait for that). But not to worry, tune in one tiny little week from today for our Introductory Week where all questions and curiosities will be answered. . . .

Until then, how about a little color question to ponder? We've already taken our Color Personality Quiz and have been inspired by this explosion of color by artist Holton Rower, but I wonder: 

What are your favorite colors? And what in the world do they mean? You can look to the color wheel above or, for a more in depth exploration of The Psychology of Color, (double) click here for an amazing chart kindly sent to us by our friend and artist Kristin Dudish.

So really, what are the colors that make your heart beat a little faster? I promise you want me to know . . . .

To the love of color,

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color 3: Artist's Choice. . .

 

(Web Source)

"Love was a feeling completely bound up with color, 

like thousands of rainbows superimposed one top of one another." 

- Paulo Coelho

Two. Weeks. From. Today. The Summer of Color 3 is just around the corner . . . .

Curious? Check out the Flickr Pool, Facebook Group and Event Page for more.

Ever tired it? Tune in Monday, June 3rd for every little detail.

Tired of waiting? (Me too). How about this explosion of color from artist Holton Rower to keep us inspired:

To Love and Rainbows,

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color 3: Artist's Choice . . .

(Web source) 

"The world is a carousel of color." -- Anon

We're just three little weeks away from The Summer of Color 3: Artist's Choice! 

Just three little weeks away from creativity & connection with over 100 weekly participants. Just three little weeks away from 6 weeks of vibrant, luscious color prompts. Just three little weeks away from fabulous, drool-worthy giveaways. Just three little weeks away from colorful conversations with new friends and old. Just three little weeks away from  . . . . well . . . . I'm not telling. But don't worry, you'll only have to wait just three little weeks more . . . .

Itching to get started? How about a quick personality quiz to tide us over:

What Color Are You?

Come on, tell me. I'd love to know . . . .

Colorful Kisses,
Kristin xo

I'm The Lucky One . . .

A text I received from Kendra's "Tummy Mommy" this morning

Without this beautiful woman, I would not be able to celebrate today. So full of love and gratitude on this day and always.

Here's to a Happy, Beautiful, Magical Mother's Day . . .

Love & Kisses,
Kristin xo

The Summer of Color 3: Artist's Choice . . .

"Color is fun, color is just plain gorgeous, a gourmet meal for the eye, the window of the soul." 

- Rachel Wolf

Are you ready for the hottest color event of the Summer? Six weeks of creating, connection & fun during the lazy days of Summer are just four little weeks away. 

Wanna know more? Read all about The Summer of Color here. To see all the luscious artwork created in the last two events, head over here. To join The Summer of Color Facebook Group, pop over here.

Let the colorful countdown begin. . . .

Eeeeeee, 

Kristin xo