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 :)

Important TST Update

If you haven't had a chance to weight in on the Imagine post below please take a peek. It's a fun one!

MOVE OVER

It appears that this Thursday I will be unable to be around to play BOOO!! But I will return on Friday as will the TST. So if you are currently making a piece for tomorrow you get 1 more day YAY!!!!!

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. I will see you, the TST and the new theme on Friday, March 12th.

Happy Crafting Everyone!!

Imagine Being ...

in a Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus

Or would you rather be in Cirque du Soleil ?

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.

An Online Course - Oh the Stories You’ll Tell: A Celebration of You and Your Work Begins March 10th, 2010

How many times have you thought of sharing a story but stopped yourself? How often have you felt you had nothing to say? How many times have you started to write a product description you were passionate about because you knew the product you created was sensational but chose to play it down or try to “fit in” with everyone else’s lingo?

We don’t celebrate ourselves or the things we do nearly as much as we should and - as artists, writers and crafters making a presence online – it is especially important to do so. Getting your authentic voice out there and being truly proud of it takes courage. It helps to have someone cheering you on and providing the advice and encouragement you may need while working to make your dreams come true. Let me be that personal cheerleader.

“Oh the Stories You’ll Tell” is a 4 week workshop designed to recharge your storytelling and celebrate the true magic in all you do. We will tell stories in all sorts of ways from writing and art journaling to baking and photography. As we explore new and unusual ways to tell our tales, our vision of who we are and what we do will broaden allowing us to find unique ways to represent ourselves and our work in person and online.

Within this limited enrollment class, you will find fun exercises, inspiring prompts and funny videos. In addition, you will interact with members of the group and receive personal attention from Natasha. This course has been designed so that many of the activities will fit within the framework of daily life. In fact, the hope is that it allows all of us to be more present and fulfilled in our day to day lives. In the end, you will have a journal filled with memories of your storytelling journey that you can refer to anytime you feel as though you are losing your way.

If there is one thing I have learned as a writer and artist, it’s that we need to shake up routines, find new ways of looking at things, and find an inspiring and supportive community where we can share our ideas. The Thursday Sweet Treat was founded on the belief artists and writers need a place to dream, support one another and share the work they love to create. This course builds upon this philosophy.

No two stories or the ways in which we tell those stories are alike. We bring a distinctive perspective to all that we do; sometimes we just need to remember that and rejoice.

I hope you will join me on this journey. In the end, we will not only have found a way to stay true to our voice but we will celebrate it in ways that will enhance our personal and professional life.

When you sign up for the workshop, you will receive a link within 24 hours to a private site where we will be working together. I wanted to make this course affordable for all so the cost is $25. It begins on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010.


About Natasha

Natasha has been writing since the day her mom put a journal in her hand at age four. She received her MFA in writing from the New School in New York City before spending time as Marketing and Development Director for a nonprofit and later, freelance writer creating promotional materials for small businesses. Natasha assisted in creating original curriculum pieces for a private school in Manhattan before being invited to teach writing and editing workshops for some of the students. She has taught writing and photojournalism workshops for teenagers and written for publications such as Family Circle, Latina, Lifetips and MediaBistro.

If you have any thoughts, concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at natasha@creativenachos.com. I'm looking forward to having a blast with YOU!

Imagine Singing and Dancing

So when it comes to singing and dancing, would you rather ...

be caught singing into a hairbrush while looking at yourself in the bathroom mirror


OR

wildly dancing around the livingroom in your underwear?