Gearing up for the Challenges



Slide from my Tenants of Creativity
Gallery on the web site. Digi images
from Deviantscrap.com



As I emerge from my totally amateur status I am discovering some fun new twists in the paper arts world. One of these fun new (to me) twists is the online challenge. Essentially, the web site or blog owner posts a challenge to create a project using a certain theme, product, style, or combination of these and other requirements.

___Advantages of playing along____

Challenges are working well right now for many reasons. I love how they are just one more way to make the world a little smaller by allowing participants from all over the globe and all levels of experience to join in and have fun with the paper art. Some of the other advantages of challenges are:

o ability to surf and blog hop through links to challenges

o promote products

o inspire technique and process experimentation

o most are open to all levels of artists and crafters allowing the joy of creating to be shared

o allow creation of one unique project as opposed to creating time consuming multiples for swaps

o focus the artist’s efforts to a particular theme



Using my favorite products for upcoming challenges

As part of my designer work with Paper Temptress I will be using the PT products to enter some online challenges. Patricia, the amazing Temptress of Paper herself and host of the Paper Temptress Community Blog, has given the designers creative freedom to enter their choice of online challenges. Deciding which challenge to enter is a challenge in itself. Deb Felts has made the selection process easier by publishing a blog called The Daily Dare http://dailydare4u.blogspot.com  where she lists links to all the new blog challenges she can find as they open each day.

While I appreciate focus, I like to create more of the quirky, artsy style projects. In my quest to fiind challenge blogs that would feel comfortable for me and show off the Paper Temptress card stocks in the process—I found these favorites:

1. The Three Muses http://thethreemuseschallenge.blogspot.com/
2. Theme Thursday http://themethursday.wordpress.com/
3. Tag You are It http://tagartchallenge.blogspot.com/
4. Collage Obsession http://collageobsessionchallenge.blogspot.com/
5. Fun with ATCs http://funwithatcs.blogspot.com/
6. Sunday Post Card Art http://sundaypostcardart.wordpress.com/
7. A year in the life of an art journal http://oneyearartjournal.blogspot.com/ (naturally I cannot wait to roll with this one in my journal—wicked grin)

__Show and Tell__
I'll be playing along with the favorites I've listed here and I'd love to hear about your blog experiences too. If you have a a project on a challenge blog any time in July, please post a link to it on the comments or send me an email. Share your favorite challenges and why you like them here too. I'm totally fascinated by the folks I've seen entering one art  piece in 5 or more challenges at the same time. Do tell your secrets for getting all that done.

Artful Tourist Tenants of Creativity



Background from Designer Digitals, image from Deviant Scrap.

 By releasing the cumbersome burden of my old web site I am inspired to create new projects and pages. Today I took an extra hour of my Thursday morning scheduled renewal time (yes, I schedule renewal) to create imagery for my Tenants of Creativity. These nine tenants represent my personal philosophy of creativity. I made an art journal page in May that I've wanted to express digitally for weeks. I'm so refreshed by this process.




The art journal spread that inspired the Tenants of Creativity


Explore your own tenants of creativity the next time you visit your studio space or consider an Artful Tourist workshop to guide you in this process.

Look for individual tenants of creativity to be posted on the Artful Tourist Facebook page in the coming days. You are welcome to tag them or print them for your personal use and inspiration.

Launched Renewed Web Site today------- www.NAChattin.com

This is so exciting for me--I've redesigned my web site to reflect my current focus and priorities. Check it out at http://www.nachattin.com

The journals, the artful spirit, and the recycled projects are now prominently featured on the home page and the site.

Now that the basics are published I will go back in and flush out more of the topics and links. I've been working on this for almost a month and I just couldn't keep it under wraps any longer.

Release and Receive
In my personal life and career, I have been practicing this affirmation for almost two years now. I simplified my studio and my goals. The whole process is cathartic and so nourishing. Last month I realized that my efforts to apply this to my whole life means I must also fine tune and scale down the web site. Before I started this process I'm not even sure I realized how the old site was weighing me down. Ah, the glory of simplicity.

Consulting & Teaching
After three years of "amateur status" I am available again as a professional artist, instructor, and consultant. Check out the HIRE ME page on the site as well as the Artful Spirit section for new programs and ideas that are more aligned with my current life goals. You will see even more information in the weeks to come. Thank you so much for your support and interest over the last ten years with my web site--I'm looking forward to bringing you wonderful new ideas and projects.

The StowAway Book Returns with Paper Temptress

The StowAway book is one of my favorite projects to make and teach. This month I decided to try one with Paper Temptress card stock and the results were fabulous for me. You can check it out in all it's glory here:
StowAway Book on Paper Temptress Blog




The Tim Holtz Tribute StowAway Book Opened


Tips for creating StowAway book:

• Have a theme and color scheme laid out
• Use papers with lots of texture since everything on the project is "touch-able"
• Fiber is your friend :-)
• Include a gift card for a special delivery present
• Use the FREE class tutorial I posted on PT blog



Tim Holtz tribute StowAway closed


Samples of other StowAway Books--One is a Florida theme and the other is Women

Dino Wall Art now on exhibit at Paper Temptress Community Blog

I'm designing for the Paper Temptress and loving the inspiration from all the amazing papers available through this company. I'll be posting one project per month for the community blog along with playing on their new "soon to be released" challenge blog too.

My first submission is called Dino Wall Art and it's a hybrid layout that has been framed to hang on our wall. I used the Silver Lustre text weight papers for printing my design and they make such an incredible difference on printed digital layouts. You have to see it. This paper puts a whole new spin on digitally based paper art.

The whole point of posting my designs to the PT blog is for you to go visit the PT blog so I can't give you lots of detailed pictures here. I will, however, give you a tiny peek to whet your appetite. Look for an additional post next week with more detailed information on the project including resources for the frame.

Even on this tiny sneak peek you can see the cool textures of the papers and ribbons that were all from Paper Temptress.

Be sure and scroll through all the recent posts on the PT blog for some great ideas and inspiraiton. The team members are all inspiring artists. Leave a comment too and tell them I sent you so they'll let me "keep my job" --smile.

Answering the call of the studio



Love Paris in the Springtime card made with double sided papers
from Prima. This was sent to my friend Sharonna who went to me
to Paris in the spring of 1995. Ain't life grand when you're a tourist?


I love my little blog, truly I do. And, I've loved my web site since it started in 2002. These are amazing things in amazing times when I stop to think about it...

But there's a catch--I don't want to spend more time photographing, scanning, posting, proofing, and publishing than I do in the studio.

Since we last met, so to speak, I've been a very busy Artful Tourist. Over 40 projects have left the studio for happy lives in my home, the mailboxes of my beloveds, the birthday, Easter and new baby gifts. It's been sheer joy.

A few highlights include:

• A new Flash! Cards set featuring use of chalks and now available on the web site.
• More samples of double sided print paper cards and recycled cards -- not yet available for viewing except the sneak peak of Paris in spring shown here
• I was selected to design for a way-cool company called Paper Temptress. I will be posting on that blog monthly and linking over here. I've already finished a couple pieces using the amazing papers. I predict you will love using them too.
• A set of ink background cards featuring bold stamps that has the potential to be another Flash! Card tutorial.
• I started my new art journal -- still using the renew this book technique.
• I spent less than $10.00 on art supplies/materials/tools in April 2011.
• I found an awesome digital design resource called Deviant Scrap and I am  positively in love with the designer for Crow About Studio B. Check her out if you love the quirky.
• The Artful Tourist Facebook page is featuring lots of quick art journal tips and links to cool inspiration. Please come join me there--you won't be overwhelmed with posts and I'd love to see you.

I'm sure there's more, but highlights are the key word here. Thanks for checking in and keep in mind that being kind to yourself makes you strong.

Now What's in my journal?

The first artful visual journal of 2011 is complete. I bid it a fond farewell in this video and also post my update for the Art Journal Every Day group on Julie Balzer's blog.

I had to make three version of this video because the first two were really too long to be considered a quick peek inside. I'm going to use some things from the longer one on my web site so it is also posted to You Tube. You can scan the bar at the bottom of the blog post to check out the long version. My advice--skip the long one and go journal--grin.

Art Journal Every Day with Julie Balzer