Eye For Color Give-Away

Working with color drives so many of us creative souls! Drawing inspiration from all around, gushing over the plethora of photos, paintings, collage, fiber and bead work across the blogosphere – we launch into our own creations excited by the infinite array of possible color combinations.

With color in mind and in honor of Zoya Gutina who is graciously featuring me in her current newsletter, I am offering a free give-a-way… or two!

To enter to win a signed copy of Eye For Color*, here is what you need to do…
-Tell me what your favorite color combination is (I’m sure you have many, but what is your favorite today, right now?)

And for a chance to win a bead soup from my Bead Soup Collection…

- visit mylovelybeads.com then come back and tell me what my color inspiration was for the necklace in the 6th photo.

I am off to the Art & Soul Retreat in Hampton, VA and will miss all of you over the next few days! Have a lovely, creative, inspiring week and I will catch up with you when I return. By the way take a peek at Curious Girl who has dubbed the 3rd week in May to be color week!

Oh, and the Give Away winners will be chosen at random on May 6 when I return...

Get your Creative Juices Flowing!

Art & Soul Retreat is just around the corner!
April 30 through May 4
Hampton, Virginia

Art & Soul is an artistic haven, full of creative people - both students and teachers, fabulous classes in all kinds of media and a not-to-be-missed Vendor Night. I always take as many classes as I teach and come home full of ideas, inspiration and new friends from all over the world.

Here is a peek at the classes I will be teaching:

Beads on Metal
(Sunday, May 3)

Metalworking and bead weaving come together! Create colorful components with inspirations on the back using metalworking techniques, a bead soup and a sense of whimsy. Then join and embellish to create bracelets, earrings, perhaps a decorative touch on a purse or sweater? Your imagination is the limit!

Eye For Color
(Sunday evening, May 3)

Color surrounds us, influences us and evokes emotions - when we are surrounded by colors we love, we feel energized, creative, peaceful and happy. In this 3 hour crash course on color, you will explore color with a variety of mediums and learn to observe nuances of color, why variations in value and saturation add depth and intrigue and analyze why some color combinations are exciting while others seem flat. You will come away with new color combinations to try in your projects and feel confident enhancing the combinations you already know and love. Whether you are comfortable with your own sense of color or a little intimidated, you will learn techniques that you can apply in your creative projects and in your home and will come away with tools that will help you develop and enhance your own...
EYE FOR COLOR.

Beachcomber
(Monday, May 4)

Bags bulge with treasures after a day at the beach. Transform these shells, sea glass, stones and other finds into extraordinary wearable / visual art with freeform techniques that will inspire you to comb the beaches! Learn how to encase and interconnect shells, sea glass, stones and other pieces to create flowing, organic works of art.

I hope you get the bug, feel spontaneous (like I was for ArtFest!), treat yourself to an amazing few days and come join me!

As an aside, here is a beach fort my kids made on my mom's beach Easter weekend. I gathered sea glass (for my classes!), my mom and husband gathered wood and my sons built...


Easter morning was foggy and dripping. I was up at 4:00 am to write and as day emerged, I couldn't help gazing outside at my mom's incredible view - even in the rain...


Being exhausted and a little dazed, this popped into my head...

Morning mist
Silouette of trees
Damp Earth
Hint of breeze

Waking early
Gazing out
Wondering what
The day is about

Camera in hand
Coffee mug steaming
Should be writing
Instead of dreaming

The day will come soon
So much to do
Happy to sit
And ponder a few

Yes, yes, silly I know! I promise - nothing so trite in my book...

Thanks to all of you who sent wonderful vibes from around the globe - I met my deadline! I finished my manuscript, I consumed lots of chocolate, I am catching up on my sleep, I'm watching lots of soccer games...

...and gearing up for Art & Soul!