Happiness, Color, Celebration - These Artist Works Have All of That and a Whole Lot More!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: When you have a moment, please visit Amanda's blog, Persistent Green, to hear more about an exciting project we have been working on! There will be more about it on this blog this weekend!

The works created for this theme will make you rejoice. It will make you lean into your computer screen to breathe in the colors. It will make you hug someone just a little tighter today. It will make you want to dance in the streets. This theme is love, color, Spring and celebration.

These artists created some of the most magnificent pieces. You will want to take them all home, to wear them, hang them and treasure them forever. A BIG thank you to these professional, talented artists. This work is simply fantastic.

Come bask in a bit of color and a whole lot of happiness....





Iris, creator of Iris O'Connor, created these delightful bits of beauty. (I'd also like to welcome Iris back! She was one of the first TST players when I started this and she's been very missed!)

"The houses are cut out of timber now so they are proper little houses with a nice little story to go with it," said Iris. "The houses in the photo need some minor details done to them - like 2 coats of varnish - but they will be available in my shop from early next week."

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38943609
that's a link to one of the Ballinasnoot houses with the story in my Etsy shop :D

My blog:
http://www.irisoconnor.blogspot.com/












Maureen, a talented artist, created this truly stunning piece.

"Happiness is a . . . box (or two) of new markers. Results: 11 x 17 inches of pure joy," said Maureen.

http://aquamaureens.blogspot.com/















Jodi Horgan, creator of Beaded Art to Wear, created this magnificent piece.

"Happiness is SPRING," said Jodi. "I've been thinking a lot about flowers. Beautiful green shoots are starting to poke their heads out of the ground. I created this "flower" ring with silk soutache trim, crystals and beads."

http://www.jodihorgan.etsy.com/














Amanda, creator of Persistent Green, created this mixed media art journal page titled, "Happiness is Here."

"Happiness, for me, is remembering to be grateful for THIS moment--not always leaning into the future, or backwards to the past," said Amanda. "If onlys and someday-whens can destroy finding peace and joy right here, right now. So, happiness is here!"

http://persistentgreen.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PersistentGreen














Natasha, creator of Doodlestar, created this piece.

"I LOVE the way the background in this piece came out. The colors are what's within me - the longing and wish for Spring. But the people fell short LOL. I will be reworking but I had SUCH fun playing."

http://doodlestar.etsy.com/







Has viewing all these colorful treasures made you want to create something new??

Well, the next theme is.........."Flowers for a Friend". Celebrate the beauty and blossoming of flowers and friendship!

Phenomenal Artists Celebrate the Best of Dr. Seuss By Taking You to Their Own Magic Places

Please forgive my delay in getting this up. This week was one of the craziest, overwhelming weeks I've ever had! I didn't even get my piece finished and I know that several other artists didn't get a chance to finish for various reasons so you can expect to see a Mini-monthly soon with more Seuss.

This theme was inspired by the lovely and talented Trina, creator of Woven Chains Jewelry. Thank you Trina for inviting all of these amazing, professional artists to share the incredible magic within them as they celebrate the best of Dr. Seuss.

Now, journey with me and wonders you will see...




Felicia Kramer, creator of Another Bright Idea, created this gorgeous piece titled, “Finding time”.

"I don’t know how many times a day I find myself saying, “I have to find the time to do that.” Sometimes the to-do list seems insurmountable, but I usually do find the time," said Felicia. "So I guess I share Dr. Suess’s “irrepressible belief in what is possible.”

www.etsy.com/shop/anotherbrightidea
http://www.feliciakramer.blogspot.com/

Amanda, creator of Persistent Green, created this unforgettable mixed media art journal page, "Soul Traveler."

"Trina, thanks so much for this theme!" said Amanda. "Honestly, I was really stumped at first, until I decided to start playing with colors and shapes...then the phrase just popped into my head. I love the idea of traveling the roads of the soul, so thanks for helping me reach this destination!"

http://persistentgreen.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PersistentGreen













Trina, creator of Woven Chains Jewelry, created this exceptional piece.

"First, thanks so much for letting me be the one to choose this weeks theme," said Trina. "What a pleasure! I am so totally excited to see what you all have come up with. I decided to "go" somewhere I've never gone with wire work...instead of manipulating rings, I bent wire into a spiral, and then textured it with a hammer (I never realized how satisfying all that pounding would be). Then I embellished the spiral with words that are meaningful to me -- Teach, Live, and Wish -- as well as a Dragonfly. There's just a bit of chainmaille hiding in there, too."

http://wovenchains.etsy.com/













Maureen, a talented artist, created this sensational 11x14 watercolor.

“AnnieMae is excited about the places she might go: toward radiant sunshine? an urban landscape? toward a brick wall which might be obstacle, or opportunity?" said Maureen. "This 11x14 watercolor is a page in the journal Maureen is using for the splendiferous on-line art course she is taking, taught by none other than the magnificent Miss TST herself, aka Natasha."

http://aquamaureens.blogspot.com/





After viewing this incredible, unique TST are you ready to challenge yourself to create something new??

Well, the next theme is.........."Blue Sky". In celebratin of blue skies that will be coming to us soon (please Spring!) this theme requires that you use some blue and maybe a few wisps of white. Imagine you are laying back looking up at the sky...relax, breathe and celebrate warmth and peace within :)

Theme 48: "Oh the Places You'll Go" (Happy Birthday, Dr. Suess!)

How you choose to interpret the theme is completely up to you. It simply needs to be tasteful – no pornography or messages of hate here. When you sit down to create, you cannot think about how people will or will not receive your work. You are required to simply enjoy the act of creating.

This theme was submitted by one of our amazing TST participants, Trina, creator of Woven Chains Jewelry. In honor of Dr. Suess and his March 2nd Birthday, Trina named this week's theme "Oh, the places you'll go."

"One of the reasons I have always loved Dr. Suess is his irrepressible belief in what is possible for each and every person (or Sneetch)," said Trina. "In his very famous words..."And will you succeed, yes you will indeed, 98 and 3/4% guaranteed". So, this week, find a way to visit some place in yourself that you've always wanted to go, then play and create and come back here to share with all of us."



Important Guidelines


The work submitted must be something you have created and/or worked on between the time the theme was revealed and the Thursday unveiling. Please submit your response to Natasha@creativenachos.com no later than end of day Wednesday, March 10th if you would like it to be posted on Thursday, March 11th. OR send me a link to your response to include in the comments section of the post.




With your response please include:

1. Your name - either first name, shop name or both.

2. The name of your piece (if you choose to give it one)

3. Something you'd like to share (process of creation, idea behind piece) if you'd like to share anything. Please limit this to 2-3 sentences

4. The shop and/or blog links you'd like to include

5. Two photos of your piece or of each of the pieces (3x5 or 4x6 and 72dpi or a max of 96dpi - if you need any help with that please don't worry I'd be happy to help!)


Most importantly, enjoy the places you go!

Phenomenal Artists Find Unique Ways to Make You Fall in Love with Orange

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Before we begin I have two important announcements -
1. If you have not had a chance to check out the fun, new e-course that begins on March 10th please do by clicking here.
2. Trina, creator of Woven Chains Jewelry, submitted everything this week including a theme idea however she forgot to attach her image. She sent it along last night and I just loaded it in so please scroll down and take a peek.



Orange can be a challenging color to work with especially if it is something an artist does not use often. However, whether the artists represented here loved orange or not, each one rose to the challenge of using it by creating truly outstanding work. In some cases we are invited to simply enjoy the work while in others, the artists have a question and they'd love to hear from you. In all cases, you are invited to celebrate the lovely pieces these professional artists created.

I commend each and every artist for tackling this theme and creating works that are exceptional.

Please join me as we explore orange and a cirle or two :)





Maureen, a talented artist, created this beautiful piece.

"I didn't stray much from the 'orange blossom' prompt," said Maureen. "Something in me hungers so for flowery growing things. This 9x9 watercolor/wax resist just popped out on Friday and Saturday--the soonest I've ever done a TST after reading the prompt!!"

http://aquamaureens.blogspot.com/

Amanda,creator of Persistent Green, created this gorgeous mixed media collage titled, "Turn Back".

"I'm still working on this one--lots going on these days, so it was nice to take time out just to play with color and my favorite gel medium," said Amanda. "There are circles here, honest! Take a peek at the abstract flowers--they're built on circles."

http://persistentgreen.blogspot.com/
http://persistentgreen.etsy.com/















Felicia Kramer, created by Another Bright Idea, created this colorful, unforgettable Framed Collage titled, “Hello, Let’s Play.”

"I consider this a work in progress; I’m still not satisfied with it, but I haven’t put my finger on why, except that it seems just “too busy” – or maybe it’s all that orange!" said Felicia. "What do you think? I’m sending some detail pix because I’m not sure the dimensional pieces show up that well in the full piece."

www.etsy.com/shop/anotherbrightidea
http://www.feliciakramer.blogspot.com/





















Teri, creator of Giraffelabel, created this stunning piece which has no name yet (not sure if it will make it into the shop), but it would have to be a girl name.

"So I went with the circle part, and the orange part ended up smaller that I expected. But, there is some orange in there...including the button that I couldn't resist. This shape is totally new for me, and I'm not totally sure how i feel about it...what do you think of the circular bag?"

http://www.giraffelabel.etsy.com/














Bird, creator of CrowTarotTours, created this fabulous piece.

"Orange ball of furr declaring a powerful point-of-blossoming - what could be better than this?" said Bird.

http://www.crowtarottours.com/ - In Progress
Talismans by CrowTarot - http://www.crowtarot.etsy.com/
Twitter: @CrowTarotTours









Trina, creator of Woven Chains Jewelry, created this sensational piece.

"When I hear "orange blossoms" I think of weddings, so I designed a wedding pendant for a bride," said Trina.

http://wovenchains.etsy.com/














Natasha, creator of DoodleStar, created this piece.

"I started to create this awhile ago and then abandoned it. I came back to play with the flowers - the circles that were originally bubbles turned into a flower and orange played a smaller role than I anticipated. I'm still not satisfied with it. All I know is that it has something to do with pleasant surprises."

http://doodlestar.etsy.com/




After viewing this inspiring, challenging TST are you ready to challenge yourself to create something new??

Well, the next theme was submitted by Trina. The theme is.........."Happy Birthday Dr. Suess". In honor of Dr. Suess and his March 2nd Birthday, this weeks theme is "Oh, the places you'll go."

"One of the reasons I have always loved Dr. Suess is his irrepressible belief in what is possible for each and every person (or Sneetch)," said Trina. "In his very famous words..."And will you succeed, yes you will indeed, 98 and 3/4% guaranteed". So, this week, find a way to visit some place in yourself that you've always wanted to go, then play and create and come back here to share with all of us."

Thank you for this theme, Trina! I'm looking forward to playing :)

If you have an idea for a theme that you'd love to share, please email me at Natasha@creativenachos.com.

Sensationl Artists Harness a Little Bit of Sunshine and Brighten the World

Many of these artists began this theme thinking that yellow would present a fairly serious challenge. What happened was that yellow somehow allowed them to open up and play in unexpected ways. The feeling that comes through in each and every work is celebration - celebration for the way yellow caused a new work to flourish, an old work to find that missing piece and all works to hum with life. These talented, inspiring artists will inspire you to take a challenge, stare it down and ultimately make something more beautiful than you ever imagined.

But don't take my word for it, please sit back, relax and bask in a little bit of sunshine that's guaranteed to brighten your entire day!



Jodi, creator of Jodi Horgan - Beaded Art to Wear, created this stunning piece.

“I purchased this beautiful cabochon from Lisa Peters (LisaPetersArt.etsy.com) awhile ago,” said Jodi. “I loved it because it reminds me of sunflowers which are my favorite. However, I find the color yellow a real challenge to incorporate into my work. However, I love purple and it complemented the yellow perfectly. The cuff is covered in purple leather and lined in lavender ultrasuede.”

http://www.jodihorgan.etsy.com/

Erica Voges, creator of Acrylic and Steel, created this unforgettable piece titled, "Remembering Spring".

“I am not sure what was so appealing about this challenge, maybe it was just a longing to paint since I have spent so much time doing other things lately,” said Erica. “I don't use bright warm colors often so it was fun to use yellow, and I love contrast so I thought using a complimentary color scheme would be a fun way to bring in the "other" and give the painting a little oomph.”

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AcrylicAndSteel
http://www.acrylicandsteel.blogspot.com/

Maureen, a talented artist, created this beautiful piece.

"AnnieMae made her first TST appearance in a Halloween costume a couple weeks ago,” said Maureen. “She's back today, with arms wide open to the light, her sturdy body warmed by the sun's embrace."

http://aquamaureens.blogspot.com/















Althea, creator of Salvaged Expression, created this gorgeous piece.

“The yellow in this hat decided to be its own piece of flair,” said Althea. “I'm almost disappointed since this weeks piece doesn't reflect the many permutations the idea went through before it became a lightning struck hat. The hat did give me a little gift though, while making it I ended up having tons of other ideas that I hope I'll get to work up soon!”

http://www.salvagedexpression.etsy.com/
















Amanda, created this stellar 8x10 mixed media painting titled, "The Storm," soon to be offered as a print.

“Something that really helps me when I'm feeling low is to remember that even when a storm is crashing around me, the sun still shines--above the turmoil,” said Amanda. “Hang in there, and look for that light!”

http://persistentgreen.etsy.com/
http://persistentgreen.blogspot.com/

Teri, creator of Giraffelabel, created this awesome LINNIE diaper clutch.

“Well, I went with something comfortable this week,” said Teri. “But, I couldn't resist this fabric for this theme...it is perfect - greys and black with that pop of yellow! I've used it before on items in my shop, but never in this shape...and I couldn't resist adding the buttons. I love it!”

http://www.giraffelabel.etsy.com/

Kris, creator of Lisianblue, created these fabulous pieces.

http://lisianblue.artfire.com/

"Nichole's Lily"
This was one of my 1st soft pastel drawings, 1996, my daughter Nichole was 12, it is her poem. This is the 1st time they have been made into 1 image. The (of) is my addition.




"Yellow" a short story about yellow.
"YELLOW"
　
Yellow?
I don’t have yellow.
I don’t wear yellow (it makes me look rather ghoulish)
Yellow??? Agh I don’t have much of yellow anything.
A few beads.
I love sunny lemony yellow kitchens ,
and yes,
I will fight you over that last piece of succulent Lemon Meringue pie.
Yellow?
Yellow?
Y e l l o w?
The color of my brilliant New Mexico sun that I eagerly drink in sitting at the bus stop on a cold winter day.
Yellow, the color of buttercups that grew beside of the house, where the bright fluttering wings of amazing Monarch butterflies danced in the fragrant nectar, my dad protected the flowers as my daughter learned a little about the grandmother she would never meet. My little one always came in with a handful of the sunny lemon cups bobbling on thin green stems. He wasn’t protecting them from her.
I loved them too.
The fairies and I played among them for so many years.
Yellow?
The color of Peace roses surrounded by pink.
Offered in a gesture of peace, an apology after a loud fight in my teens placed lovingly in her small bud vase given to her by her mother.
Yellow?
My mother’s collection of myriads of beautiful flowers that made our yard, and life a little brighter.
Oh Yeah, I have little lemony yellow squiggles.
Giggle.




"Sunbear"
Was created after frustration led to buying a new Dremel (Tues afternoon) to replace the cheaper rotary tool that made the tiny drill bits make bigger holes. Playing, drilling holes in bunches of glass, I remember the squiggles I bought months ago! NOW, I can do the squiggles. The sun, the sky, it's all about my beautiful New Mexico sky, among other ideas. Need to finish up a few butterflies, but I'm pleased with all the creations. :-)



















Felicia Kramer, creator of Another Bright Idea, created this digital collage print, “Paint your own Sunshine”.

“With the dreary, crazy weather most of us have been having for weeks we might as well paint our own sunshine!” said Felicia.

www.etsy.com/shop/anotherbrightidea
http://www.feliciakramer.blogspot.com/












Trina, creator of Woven Chains Jewelry and Special Guest Rose, created this simply phenomenal pieces.

http://wovenchains.etsy.com/

“When I started this challenge, I thought yellow was going to be hard, but everything just flowed... However, I want to let my super, wonderful, talented Rose go first this week, because her sculpture of a giraffe snacking on a tree at a watering hole is so much more amazing than anything I made this week,” said Trina. “She did this entirely on her own -- I don't sculpt, and I don't work with clay!”




“My major goal for 2010 is to get more organized, One of the smaller challenges is to finish projects that I started (some of them years ago). So, for this theme, I found a yellow needle case that I had started, finished up the stitching and put it all together with some fantastic buttons and ribbon. A practical piece of sunshine to use everyday.”



“Brandie-new, I made a pendant using some sun-shiny rings with ruby beads and fresh water pearls. I'm still trying to decide if it needs beads hanging from each of the teardrop shapes. I'd love to hear what you think!”














Bird, creator of CrowTarot Tours, created these radiant pieces.

“A couple of entries saluting our Sun,” said Bird.

http://www.crowtarottours.com/ - In Progress!
Talismans by CrowTarot - http://www.crowtarot.etsy.com/
Twitter: @CrowTarotTours

Natasha, creator of Doodlestar, created these three pieces.

"I was surprised at how much fun I had with yellow," Natasha said.

This is going to be a print and a journal cover which will be in my shop today.

http://www.doodlestar.etsy.com/

I fell in love with this material and created a journal filled with fun prompts for little girls.

This is a crayon that I loved making. I think I'm going to sell this with one of my journals...doesn't it look like such fun to color with?




After viewing this bright, creative TST are you feeling the urge to challenge yourself to create something new and different??

Well, the next theme is theme is.........."Those Tropical Colors Just Made Me...". Inspired by Felicia Kramer's "I'd Rather Be in Hawaii" week and all the stellar artists she is featuring, I want to celebrate that feeling, that thought, the beauty that takes place when we think of places like Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, etc. The only requirement is that you use two colors - green and pink. You can use tons of others and any material your heart desires but those two colors need to make an appearance.