My First Giveaway!

Hey guys, I think today I'm feeling generous. And I reached 150 followers. And school is about to start...

Anyway, in celebration, I'm giving away this pretty Scrolling Irises Medium Journal from Pepper Pot.

It's hardcover, 6" x 8 1/2" and contains 162 beautifully lined and designed pages (front and back). There's a matching rubber band in the back to wrap around the front, securely keeping it shut. I have one of my own and I love it!

Details:
There are several ways to earn entries, listed below. You must follow the first requirement of entry to be considered. I'll end the giveaway on September 4th (Friday), at noon CST, or 12:00pm CST. I'll use my magic configurator (calculator) to determine the numbers and throw them into the cauldron (Random.org) to select a winner. Later on that evening, I will announce the winner here and contact them shortly for information.

How To Enter:
1) You must leave a comment on this entry. It counts as your first entry, and of course let's me know you read it all and want to win it. :) Say anything you want, and leave your e-mail address. You may space it out to avoid spambots.

Extra Entries, please leave separate comments for EACH:

1) One extra entry if you follow me on Twitter. Please leave a comment with your username.

2) One extra entry if you tweet about this giveaway. You can use this: "Giveaway! A hardcover flower journal from @spektorish on her blog, ends this Friday at noon CST: http://tinyurl.com/ksdv3c" Comment with a link back. Spamming tweets will not help you. :P

3) One extra entry if you blog about this giveaway. Please link back to it.

4) One extra entry if you follow me through Google connect, located in the sidebar to the right.

5) One extra entry if you subscribe to my blog, using the RSS feed.

Note: if you already have done something, like follow me on Twitter or follow me here, it counts as an entry -- just leave a comment to remind me, there's a chance I could miss it! :)

I'm very excited and wish you all luck!!

The End of August.

And so, the month comes to a close. Summer is slowly winding down. And, for me and many others, school (college) is about to begin. I'm excited but not excited, as usual. I'll be happy for the "motivation" of art once again, though it'll be mandated and graded. But, hey, those critiques help an artist grow.

Great news about the Sketchbook Project: mine came in today! It helps that Atlanta, GA is not too far from here, haha.


Isn't it cute? :D I can't wait to start working on it. Actually, it wouldn't really be "working." I dislike it sometimes when my brain translates making art as "working," but sometimes, that's what it really is. Hopefully someday that will transition to just FUN ART TIMES. ;) I can't wait for my Twitter friend Leel to get her book. I'm hoping to track progress on here and the Art House Co-op website; maybe she will do the same.

If you visit my flickr you'll see the art I've been trying to keep up with... managed to fight through my stuffy sinuses to work more on the gas mask painting. Lately Patrick's been getting semi-addicted to Snus, really gross, but they make awesome mini palettes. ^_~

I better go and relax... big day after tomorrow. One good thing about this semester is Printmaking will hopefully supply me with good items to sell on Etsy; I don't think my paintings will do very well. But as always, I'm optimistic.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. And to those who share my fate: enjoy your FINAL summer break weekend.

Fiber For All!

If you're into Twittering as much as I am, then let me ask you: have you seen #fiberforall flying around lately? First off, it's nothing to do with irregularity. ;) It's referring to fiber technology. (And a wicked cool contest, which will be mentioned at the end of this post.)

I'm a very visual person, being a right-brained artist and all, so I'm going to start with a video you may or may not recognize.

Yes, indeed, he loves to blow things up. But he's also mentioning something here that's very important for you to know about: fiber technology, specifically in communications. That includes the internet. And we all know that faster internet is better internet. So, what is it?

When it comes down to it, fiber technology boils down to fiber optics. It allows our lovely interweb communications to transmit over longer distances at a faster rate. Fibers (usually made from glass or plastic) replace the typical metal wires because the fibers enable signals to travel faster with less "loss" (or attenuation) and no interference, which is always a good thing. Nothing irritates me more as an internet addict than when my internet's not working efficiently.

I'm not much into science, so you know this has gotta be good to get the attention of someone like moi. That's what fiber is all about, but why is it worth mentioning? How much better is it than, say, DSL or Cable? Like I said, I'm no computer person, but here is a great, short article to sum up the victor when it comes to the battle: Fiber vs. Cable vs. DSL - What You Need to Know.

As seen in the Michael Bay commercial, Verizon offers Verizon FiOS, or "Fiber Optic Service." Honestly, they should've left out the "i" so it could be interpreted as "Forget Other Services." ;) But anyway, here is another article from the same site that discusses what Verizon offers, and where it is available: http://fiberforall.org/verizon-fios/

But that is the main downside to this whole deal: fiber technology is not available everywhere. As of now, it is limited to some states like California (figures), Delaware, New York, and Oregon (what?). Poor lil' ole Tennesseeans like me can't get to it yet. But fear not, the technology is rapidly growing in its efficiency and availability, as soon as people start to recognize its significance. And, of course, Verizon won't be the sole solicitor of this great technology of the world wide web, for AT&T is jumping on the bandwagon (called AT&T U-verse). The main thing you'll have to worry about when the time comes is which price will fit your budget. Verizon is known to be more expensive, but it's all about their reliability. My phone service with them is rather nice, thank you. Better than T-Mobile, at least. (However, their mascot is hotter than Verizon's.)

If you want to learn more, check out places like FiberforAll.org and even look into articles placed around the web. Wikipedia was a good start for me, since I'm clueless about science and math. Google, as always, is the best option.

I highly suggest looking into this first at FiberforAll.org, and follow them on Twitter @FiberforAll, because it so happens that they're doing a fantastic giveaway to bloggers and Tweeps alike in celebration of illumination. Prizes include an HP Mini 10.1-Inch Netbook and a Sony Bravia 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV (services, as usual, are not included). You don't want to miss out! They've extended the deadline to Labor Day, so go visit for more details! http://fiberforall.org/fios-triple-play-bundle/

Say it with me now, loud and clear: FIBER FOR ALL!

-Laura

Handmade Portraits: Mimi Kirchner

An 8 minute video on Mimi Kirchner and her journey of finding her call in life: doll-making. Wonderful!

Perfection.

I wonder to myself, "What is perfection?"

Clearly there are definitions, and ideas of obtaining perfection. But there is also the eternal proverb, "Nothing is perfect."

Perfection (primarily) defined is: the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as in some art. Well, isn't that kind of... boring? When one has supposedly reached the perfection of an art, with nothing new to be obtained, how does one stay motivated to persevere?

Lucilio Vanini once stated the paradox that "the greatest perfection is imperfection." The argument continues to address how being perfect leaves no room for improvement and so would lack "true perfection," which depends on progress.

I think perfection is a kind of science. It's like science. Perfection is true based on the facts. Take a red ball, for instance. If a child wants to play with just a red, round object that bounces, then that red ball is perfect; it is perfection for that child's idea of playtime. But if another kid wants the same red, round object to float, then the toy is imperfect because it lacks that desired characteristic. (But it's not necessarily a bad toy, is it?)

As with science, there are theories, thus there are theories of perfection (i.e. in relationships/friendships, of an art, etc.). But perfection, in its own being, is not a fact. It is a theory to everyone else when it is fact in the eye of the beholder. If a person holds something to be perfect, describing why it is, then it is.. in his or her eyes only.

To me, perfection can be a negative thing. If someone thinks they're perfect, then they're narcissistic. In a very general sense, if a person thinks one part of a whole is perfection, then what does that make the other parts? Flawed? If someone's art is called perfection, would that be calling others of the same field imperfect? I've never heard someone be called a "perfect" visual artist; that's.. too defining of the term "art," too limiting. That would insult me, honestly. Art is about growth, and as stated earlier, "ultimate perfection impedes progress."

Relationships (of friends, love, etc.) aren't truly perfect: they are supposed to be real, and human, and continuously help both parties to grow. True companionship is accepting the bad along with admiring the good. Perfection of a true art is beautiful progress that knows no bounds.

We humans will never be perfect, we can only idealize things as such. Why try to force ourselves to be so? Why worry about it? Instead, embrace the imperfections for what they are: sincere.. natural.. human... and perfect.

Fabric Giveaway

FlairforFabric is doing a Friday Twitter Giveaway, don't miss out!

Winner gets 1 Forest in Fuchsia FQ and 1 coordinating FQ of his/her pick. Just follow FF on Twitter here, RT the contest, and good luck!

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As far as my art goes... well.. it's going. And only 10 more days until the semester starts, oh no!

Steppie's FB Giveaway!

Love pandas? Love free stuff? Love Facebook? (Don't deny it, you know you do.)

Well, here's the perfect opportunity combining all three things. Steppie from Etsy is giving away some neat prizes on her Facebook. Just become a fan of her Designs page, and comment on this video.

There are additional entries to be had, of course. Just skim through the details on the right to find out how to get them.

But hurry, it ends late this evening!

Good luck!

~Laura

My Craft Corner - Contest!

Hey guys. I just recently joined a website, My Craft Corner. I think it's a neat place for crafters to unite: talk, make friends, exchange ideas, etc. Etsy users would especially gain something from it!

But also, MCC is currently running a contest. First entry is simply signing up! How easy is that? I probably sign up for something new every day, more so when it's free! :) However, there are ways to earn more entries, explained here.

The prize, you ask? The Cricut Expression by Provo Craft.

Even I'm not 100% sure what all it can do, or necessarily what all I would use it for, but it certainly looks exciting. (And expensive, hah!)

So don't miss out on this exciting event, and go make some craft buddies while you're at it! :) You can also follow MCC on Twitter for daily updates. Good luck!

Choo-choo.

School is a-coming. I'm rather excited to try out new things in classes such as Printmaking Relief and 35MM Photography. I'm especially excited to use their materials! I've never processed photos before, and I've only done printmaking once with linoleum (didn't turn out how I wanted, haha).

I'm also looking forward to joining this awesome little project: The Sketchbook Project. You pay a minimal fee, and they'll send you a moleskin sketchbook that you doodle and draw (and whatever!) inside, then send it back. It'll travel around their current exhibits, and possible new ones in the future! HOW COOL IS THAT? Give it a look-see!

I'm coming up with some ideas to create little things for Etsy. Hopefully, soon, I'll have the courage to try it... and get over the listing fees. ^_^; Anyone got something to share? ;)

I'm starting to enjoy Twitter. Interacting with fellow artists and crafters. My tweet buddy @leeleykeel says she'll join me in the Sketchbook project, motivating each other and so on. Who else is in?!

Ah the end of summer, beginning of fall! I welcome thee!