sketchbooks, coffee & an AWESOME giveaway!!

You've heard of the Sketchbook Challenge, right? If you haven't, you're missing a really great time. The project is in its second year and the concept is simple - gather a group of artists and look inside their sketchbooks. After all, sketchbooks are playgrounds for artists and a real look at what goes inside their head.

Sue Bleiweiss is the organizer behind the project and now she's taken one giant fabulous step forward. Behold the Sketchbook Challenge BOOK!

I was super happy (like the jump up and down kind) when Sue sent me an email and asked me to be part of the book. She offered me, along with twenty other artists, a list of themes to choose from with the request that we dwell on them a bit in our sketchbooks and then translate the page into a piece of artwork.

I chose Simple Pleasures and I'm sure you will be quite shocked that I produced this:

Coffee anyone? (My love for it runs deep and I'm not at all sorry.) The way I keep a sketchbook is very different. In fact, you'll get an up close and personal view of that in the next issue of Quilting Arts, they invited me to write the Off the Page feature they are running in each issue. (Totally geeked about that!)

So I approached my contribution for the book from the angle of making a small dedicated art journal and creating another piece off that. Here is the art quilt I made from the journal up above:

I had a total blast creating these pieces for the book and obviously everyone else did too. The artwork and range of styles is truly astounding. I got a copy of the book a couple of weeks ago and have been slowly working my way through it and loving all of it. Plus - and this might be a weird thing that only I would put in the plus column - its a quirky size. Its smaller then the the standard size book, which makes it great for hauling around.

And because Sue knows how to throw a party, she's organized a wicked blog hop to celebrate the book. Today is my day to give away something of awesomeness and I'm proud to be the host for an 8" x 10" Gelliarts Gel Plate:

Just leave a comment here (about anything, just give a shout out) and you'll get in the drawing. I'll announce the winner on July 3 so don't wait - get commenting.

And don't miss out on the rest of the blog tour. There are two artists giving away stuff on each date and its really good stuff. Here's the full list:

June 26

Jill Berry

From Joggles - $25 gift certificate to Joggles.com

Sue Bleiweiss

Prize:  From Mistyfuse Three 10yd packages of Mistyfuse: a white, black and ultraviolet and a  BIG Goddess Sheet.

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June 27

 

Violette

From Mistyfuse - A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.

Kathyanne White

From ArtPlantae Today - The book Making Handmade Books: 100+ Bindings, Structures & Forms by Alisa Golden

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June 28

Kathy Sperino

From Sue Pelland Designs - A Leaves Galore Grande size template, a Quilter's Chalk Line and the pattern of their choice from her website with free shipping (Continental USA) to the winner.

Leslie Tucker Jenison

From Mistyfuse -  A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.

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June 29

Jamie Fingal

Prize: From Mistyfuse - A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.

me! :) 

From Gelli Arts - an 8” x 10” Gel Printing Plate

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July 2

Jackie Bowcutt - From The Thread Studio apackage of machine embroidery threads:

Lyric Kinard

From Mistyfuse - A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.  Total retail value: $48!

and

From ProChemical and Dye  - A $25 gift certificate to ProChemical and Dye

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July 3

JaneDavies

From Gelli Arts - an 8” x 10” Gel Printing Plate

Kim Rae Nugent

From Mistyfuse - A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.  Total retail value: $48!

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July 5

Carla Sonheim

From Joggles - a $25 gift certificate to Joggles.com

Carol Sloan 

From Mistyfuse -  10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.

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July 6

Susan Brubaker Knapp

From Mistyfuse - A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.

Diana Trout

From The Artist Cellar - A complete set of Artist CellarStencils - that’s 28 stencils total!

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July 9

Tracie Lyn Huskamp

From Mistyfuse - A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet.

Judi Hurwitt  

From The Thread Studio apackage of Flaked Gilding Leaf:

and

From Blue Twig Studio:  A pad of Borden & Riley BristolPlate

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July 10

Jane LaFazio

From The Artist Cellar  A complete set of Artist CellarStencils - that’s 28 stencils total!

and

From ArtPlantae Today - The book Botany for Artists and one package of Plant NotesBookmarks

Kelli Nina Perkins

From Mistyfuse - A 10yd combination package of Mistyfuse that includes 6 yards of White and 2 yards each of Black and Ultraviolet and a Goddess Sheet

and

From ProChemical and Dye - A $25 gift certificate to ProChemical and Dye

Incredible list, right?? Have fun!!