Nibblefest...NFAC

The Nibblefest Art Contest, is a monthly themed art contest which runs on eBay from the 20th of each month until the 27th. Each item for bid starts at just .99 cents and the winner is the person who has the most bids from unique ebay bidders. To find the monthly entries, you simply search NFAC anytime between the 20th and 27th.  I have not been a participant lately but I have done these in the past. It's a great way to make new friends, gain some customers, get exposure, and obviously to have fun creating a themed work of art each month. This month the theme is Still-lifes....so if you hurry you can go and bid on a unique piece of art....and for a great price. Or if you would like to participate yourself, then hop on over to the Groups on ebay, search Nibblefest and start creating something Penguins for next month's Nibble.

Spoonflower Has CONTESTS!

For some reason I had forgotten all about Spoonflower, http://www.spoonflower.com/contests/102 , that is until today when I visited to see about printing a doll pattern of mine and Shut Up!....Spoonflower has a weekly fabric design contest. Just what I need, another distraction. But how totally fun is it to design your own fabric. Really, I should be doing about a million other things but prints of monsters and creepy little dolls, and adorably cute ornaments, and geometric designs ......you get the idea...my mind is now Spoonflowering.
Designing fabic today, Project Runway tomorrow,...it could happen.

Illustration Friday

I found a great site a couple weeks ago called Illustration Friday, found at http://illustrationfriday.com/index.php .
From the Illustration Friday website: "Illustration Friday is a weekly creative outlet/participatory art exhibit for illustrators and artists of all skill levels. It was designed to challenge participants creatively. We believe that every person has a little creative bone in their body. Illustration Friday just gives a no-pressure, fun excuse to use it. No clients looking for a particular thing. No one judging the outcome of the work. It's a chance to experiment and explore and play with visual art. So welcome, novices and pros alike."
It's a great way to challenge yourself. This week the word of the week is "Contraption". Artists then create a piece of work inspired by that word and submit it. Sounds fun, right? If you think so, head on over to Illustration Friday. You can also check out previous weeks and words and the entries they inspired.

Good Intentions?

Seriously, where does the time go? I have been horrible at keeping up this blog. It's already October, so I am hoping to actually start to write more often. DD and I have been very busy and often wonder where the time goes. And there have been so many times where we have made something awesome and either one or the other of us has said, Hey we should put this on the blog....yet we haven't. So, my question to anyone still out there....How to you manage your blogs? Do you write daily or weekly? Do you set a time, like every Monday I write on it or is it more free flowing whenever the urge happens? Do you like lots of photos or just a few?  
Personally, I love seeing photos on blogs. And give-aways. And contests. And how to's. And, well just about everything else also. In fact, there have been several blogs that I have ran across and they have arts or crafts contests or even publication deadlines, and I think about entering and then don't. So, I'm going to quit procrastinating and start sharing more of myself here, which you would think would be easy as I can talk forever but I don't really share my true self with many.
To start my new sharing....DD and I have also joined Dr. Oz's Transformation Nation Challenge, and have pledged to live healthier lifestyles. We've lost about 10 pounds each so far, without exercising, and are hopeful about losing more weight, living healthier, and eating better. You can find our other blog at http://dirtygirlsloseit.blogspot.com/ come join us to learn about our transformation odyssey.

$5 Tuesdays

5 Second Movie Review: The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei, which is about......you guessed it ...a lawyer and the experiences he has working a case. Overall, a good movie, rating about 3 stars from me. I wasn't falling asleep nor was I on the edge of my seat, but I was glad to see this on $5 Tuesday with the Regal Entertainment Group. You can check and see if your local theater offers discounted movie days here: http://www.regmovies.com/Regal_Value_Days.aspx

From Coast to Coast

We did it. We packed up and moved all the way across the country, and are now in California. Not really by the coast, but in between the Sierra Nevada mountains and the San Francisco coastline so we are within a couple hours of everything we love doing. We have used the last few months to move, unpack...well unpack almost everything......visit with family, getting to know the new area and of course, we are still creating art. 
Today, I mailed off a lovely handmade postcard that I painted on a recycled food packaging, a recycled cereal box. Turning trash in to art is a great way to help keep the trash out of the landills.
How to: Recycled Material PostCard - It's so easy to do. Simply take a cereal box or other light weight food packaging and cut it down to your preferred size. I like mine, 4 x6 inches, so I can mail them for the standard postcard rate. Then paint, decoupage, collage, cover with fabric, rubber stamp, etc. on one side of your postcard. Let it dry completly. On the reverse side, you may also want to paint, or cover with paper and then write or stamp Post Card at the top of your postcard. Then address your postcard, adhere postage, and write a message. Your postcard is now ready to be mailed! These postcards can be mailed both internationally and domestic, so have fun sending art through the mail.

Wednesday Movie Review: This week we went and watched Red Riding Hood, rated PG-13, starring Amanda Seyfried. I would rate it 2 stars out of 5. Without giving away the story, I can say that this movie is not very scary at all. It attempts more to be a who dunnit...or more a who is it....then anything else. Amanda Seyfried looks stunning in this movie. In fact, so much of the movie is beautiful that it is hard to believe it as a dark version of any fairy tale. If left me wondering, "Where have all the good scary movies gone?"

As we get our ART on, here in California, we look forward to sharing our new artistic adventures with you.