Spark and Inspire Giveaway!

Spark and Inspire
Photo courtesy of Robin Norgren
Remember the 101010 Project I particpated in earlier this year? It was great fun, and I gained a lot of great knowledge and insight from the ladies I had the pleasure of collaborating with. Well, guess what! That project did not stop with the first round! Creator Robin Norgren coordinated several more rounds of the project and now she's pulled the whole she-bang together into one jammed packed inspiration and resource book. Read more about it here.

And guess what again? You can win a PDF copy of the book right here from me! In the book you'll find the insight of 40 creative business owners who share their successes, their struggles and their advice. Just leave a comment on this post by midnight November 3, leaving me a way to reach you, and I'll pick the lucky number first thing Sunday morning. Can't wait to win? Click here to purchase the book now!

And don't forget to get your name in the hat for my regular monthly Free Bling giveaway here!

Furry Face of the Week: Lady Girl

Lady Girl, American Bulldog/American Staffordshire Pitt mix

I was really surprised to see this girl is still at the shelter when I went in for my weekly photo shoot Friday morning. How can anyone possibly resist this face? It goes back to what Tucker was talking about. You walk down the run and every dog in there is jumping up and down frantically trying to get your attention, good or bad. Kinda like kids, you know? Kids just want your attention, and whether they get it by being good or bad, they still get it, right? Dogs are the same way. But I tell ya, get this girl outside and she's a dream. So remember, next time you are looking for a new furry friend, please consider a visit to your local animal shelter! And if you are in the North Florida area, Lady Girl here would love to meet you!

New Artist Book: The Librarian

I have a good friend on campus who is a librarian. Recently, our library was clearing out a bunch of old books, so, knowing I often destroy and recreate old books, she called me to come over and take a peek. What a bounty! So I made the first book out of this bounty for her.

The Librarian - Before
Original 1951 book
This is what I started with. It's a collection of Shakespeare Surveys, 38 whopping volumes worth, written in 1951. I thumbed through them, and even for an English major, it was pretty boring stuff! Out came the text block.

The Librarian - Front Cover
Front cover
From there, I got out the spray paint and stencils and went to town creating the exterior cover and the signature covers. I used a basic pamphelt stitch to sew in three signatures. I used basic Utrecht drawing paper for the spray painting and then used Canson mixed media paper for the actual text blocks.
The Librarian - Inside Front Cover
Inside front cover
The Librarian - Signature Cover
Between first and second signatures
The Librarian - Signature Cover
Between second and third signatures
The Librarian - Inside Back Cover
Inside back cover
After gluing on the outside cover and folding it over into the inside, I covered the inside covers with old writing paper and added the pink washi tape for a little extra bit of Kelly bling.
 
The Librarian - Back Cover
Back cover
I didn't do this all in one session, mind you. With everything else happening in my little world, this was completed over the span of about three weeks.
  The Librarian - Spine

Now that I have the pattern down, 37 more volumes to go! As I work through the rest of the stack, I'll probably vary the stitch pattern up a bit, adding in some long stitch or other variations on long stitch and pamphlet stitch. I definitely have more than enough to keep me busy!

October Free Bling

October 2012 bling

Time for my monthly Free Bling Friday giveaway! Random.org picked comment number 26 as the winner of my September Free Bling, so congratulations to Emily from Connecticut!

How about a fun little bottle cap pendant for October?  My girls and I make these for our local arts market.  This one features a pretty blue paper under glass and comes complete with a silvertone ball chain.  To be eligible to win, simply visit either of my Etsy shops (here for jewelry and here for photography) and leave a comment in the comment box below with the link to your favorite piece, your location, and a way to reach you by midnight November 1. Want more entries? Tweet, blog or Facebook this giveaway and leave another comment with the link. The next winner will be drawn via random.org Friday, November 2.

Don't want to miss a single Free Bling Friday? Click here to sign up for free weekly email updates or subscribe in the reader of your choice over there in the right column. And be sure to like my Facebook page for specials. Thanks for stopping in! Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents only.

Playing with Stencils and Spray Paint...

stencils

I've been playing with spray paint and stencils, one of my favorite things to do! I use stencils like the ones above with random spray paint (nothing fancy, I get it at Lowe's!) and layer color and patterns. This page has just become one of the signature covers for the handmade artist book I just finished sewing up tonight. Too dark to take good pictures! I'll photograph it soon!

signature cover

Furry Face of the Week: Tucker and Tips on Adoption

Tucker, American Bulldog Mix

Meet Tucker! Tucker is actually a long timer at the shelter, and today I wanted to share some information about why that might be, and hopefully educate you on what it's like to be an adoptable shelter dog.  So, I'll let Tucker do the talking....

"Hi! I'm Tucker! I'm an American Bulldog mix, and I am full of energy. Let me tell you a little about what happens on the run. They do take awesome care of us here at ACPS, but even with that great treatment, we don't want to be here! We want to be in a forever home with you! So when you're walking down the run checking us all out, we kinda look a little crazy, don't we? Yeah, we know that, but we can't help it! We are so excited to see you and so hopeful that you might pick us to be your new furry friend that we are jumping up and down with excitement saying "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!" Now me, well, let me tell you. I can jump. I mean I can really jump high. So when you walk by my kennel, I'll be jumping so high that you might think, "Oh my, that dog has way too much energy for me..." Please don't think that! Just give me a chance! Once you get me outside where I can run around, I settle down and just love to play! I love to chase tennis balls and bring them back to you to throw for me again. And I can almost catch them in mid air! I'm getting there! So the next time you are walking through the kennel run, please remember that the reason we are looking so crazy and are barking so loudly is that we are so happy to see you!"

Tucker

Thanks Tucker! I'll add to your story a bit. Tucker makes a great point here. It's so important not to judge shelter dogs by how they act in their kennel. It's so important to get them out of that run and interact with them outside and or in a meet and greet room. That's where you can start to see the true personality of a dog. There are so many wonderful dogs in shelters everywhere. Give them a chance to love you!  Are you in the Northeast Florida area?  Visit Animal Care & Protective Services at 2020 Forest Street in Jacksonville.  Your new best friend will be waiting for you.