So Artful Challenges

So Artful Challenge 2: Georgia O'keeffe inspiration

2012-01-28T07:00:00.003-06:00

One of my all time favorite artists is Georgia O'Keeffee. I first was introduced to her art in University back in the 80's and continue to find her art absolutely amazing and inspiring, and her personal life was fascinating.

So, without further ado: Challenge 2:

Georgia O'Keeffe! Or if you want more concrete ideas:
optional color/theme suggestions: sepia or dark tones, or floral theme/colors - or any colors pulled from the inspiration pics

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_O'Keeffe

Source: http://artblart.wordpress.com/tag/georgia-okeeffe-music-pink-and-blue-no-2/

And the design team has created these gorgeous projects to help inspire you!

Sherry

Alica

Electra

Peggy

Sharon

Thanks for stopping by! We can't wait to see what you create! Be sure to link up!

Mid Challenge Reminder Post

2012-01-20T22:36:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! I have a gorgeous card created by the talented Sharon to share with you on this mid-challenge reminder!

One more week to play along on the current challenge!

So Artful Challenge 1

2012-01-13T23:00:00.010-06:00

Hello! I know it's not the FIRST So Artful Challenge, but it's the first official challenge for the new Design Team and year, so we are starting with 1! This Challenge has, as usual, a few different themes to choose from! Hopefully everyone will find something that inspires them to CREATE!

Optional Color Schemes: turquoise, red, yellow, or blues

From the Bohemian Tarot Deck

From Pinterest (I somehow lost the original pin and can't find source- if you find it let me know, and I will credit!)

And your fabulous designers came up with these to help inspire you!

Electra- stunning use of image and colors

Alica- gorgeous blues

Wendy- fabulous art journal page using both images

Leslie- using the door as sketch/inspiration - love the texture!

Peggy- so cheerful using the colors of blue

Sherry- stunning use of door image

Sharon- beautiful in blue tag

Thanks for stopping by, and we appreciate your sharing your art with us!

Rules: create anything inspired by the images and/or color theme, and link it up!

Mid Challenge Reminder Post

2012-01-06T23:00:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone!

Just a reminder you still have a week left to play along with the challenge Year of the Dragon/New Year!

DT member Wendy made this cute card:

Love the way she used the printable with the cute digi stamp!

and two more fabulous cards from Sharon! Just gorgeous!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

So Artful Challenge: Year of Dragon/New Year

2011-12-30T22:03:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by! We are ringing in the new year just a little early! And we have some fabulous inspiration pieces too from part of our new Design Team!

The inspiration pieces:

I found the angel New Year one on Pinterest
New Years card from Lerfald-Westaby Family Postcard Collection, 1909

Repinned from VINTAGE CARDS/POST CARDS by Paulette Dorn

The one below is actually a downloadable print! Check it out and more subway prints at Eighteen25!

And this one is fabric!

Schumacher Chiang Mai dragon fabric

So you can pull anything for any of these pieces or anything New Years or dragon-themed-whatever you can dream up!

And now for some fabulous samples:

Leslie

Sharon

Electra

I am so lucky to have such talented folks on the team as well as FANTASTIC participants for each challenge! Thanks so much and best wishes for a fantastic NEW YEAR!

Happy Holidays and new Design Team announcements

2011-12-24T09:58:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and also for everyone who celebrates during this season in a different way - Happy Holidays!

I found a couple of bonus images you are welcome to use if you desire- if so, just leave your link in a comment to this post or link up to the CURRENT CHALLENGE! Either way is just fine!

I had this on my computer and no idea where it came from. If anyone knows the source please comment, and I will give the credit appropriately.

This one is found here!

I also wanted to announce the So Artful Design Team! I am so thrilled these fabulous designers are going to be sharing their work with us! I have had so many personal/family issues lately that I haven't been able to be as involved as I would like, but this way you will be able to see some wonderful examples of responses to the prompts and have some feedback by comments too! Thanks to you all for bearing with me!

Welcome to:

Alica, Peggy, Sharon, Sherry, Electra, Leslie, and Wendy!

Wishing each of you a blessings in abundance!

So Artful Challenge: Ceil Chapman

2011-12-16T23:00:00.006-06:00

Hello and welcome to another So Artful Challenge! The theme for this next two-week challenge is Ceil Chapman and/or to use the colors Silver, Pink and Black (or any combination of those). I chose two fantastic vintage ads featuring her designs and a pattern of one of her dresses as well. As usual, feel free to use the images for inspiration in anyway you choose! If that doesn't work for you, just use the color theme instead! Don't forget we have a Design Team Call going on as well.. see this post for more details!

I can't wait to see what you come up with for this challenge!

Design Team Call for So Artful CLOSED

2011-12-07T20:16:00.004-06:00

Hello everyone! Because So Artful encompasses and encourages all types of creations for our challenges, I thought it would be great to get a few talented crafters together to form a design team so that you can have some ideas for inspiration and perhaps learn a new trick or two!

Duties: create any type of project using the theme and/or images chosen and have a clear picture uploaded to the DT blog by Wednesday evenings immediately preceding the Challenge post which goes live late Friday nights. (challenges run biweekly) You would also need to comment on entries- this would be divided up within the team so you won't have to comment on each one.

Any type of crafting is welcome and you aren't limited to any certain type.

No compensation is provided other than the online camaraderie and inspiration! And of course my undying gratitude!

I will have a DT blog where the challenges are posted ahead of time so you can work ahead as your schedule allows, and if something comes up and you need to skip a challenge or two, that is perfectly fine too!

If this sounds like something you would like to do for a commitment from January 6 thru April (with option to stay on longer of course but not required) just send me an email at scrappypug at gmail dot com with So Artful DT in the subject line and a link to your blog and a bit about what kind of projects you create and anything else you care to add. NO Design Team experience is necessary.

****EDIT: CALL IS CLOSED!

Thanks!

So Artful Challenge: Tis the Season

2011-12-02T22:14:00.002-06:00

Welcome to another Challenge at SoArtful! Can you believe we are in DECEMBER already? Crazy I tell you! It's beginng to look a lot like Christmas here, and I thought it would be fun to incorporate some Santa-inspired pieces for your consideration for the next two weeks.

One of my favorite associations with Santa Claus is Coca Cola- growing up I remember seeing the different holiday Coca Cola ads both in print and on TV.

This Santa can be found here at Deck The Holidays.

and This fantastic Santa image came from The Graphic Fairy and can be found right here.

So this Challenge can be interpreted many ways- from Santa, to Christmas, to the colors Red and or Green, Coca Cola, etc. All types of crafts are welcome!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have time to play along with us!

SoArtful Challenge: Sew Pretty

2011-11-18T23:00:00.006-06:00

Hello everyone! Welcome to another So Artful Challenge! This fortnight we have the theme of Sew Pretty! While I haven't sewn in years now, I love all things related to it.. especially fabric! I hope one day to be able to get another machine and start sewing again. I also LOVE how stitching on cards looks, so many possibilities!

This week I spent an insane amount of time looking thru the fabulous site of Free Pretty Things for You and this adorable little seamstress just begged to be inspiration for the challenge! You can follow the link to get the larger size too and be sure to leave her some love!

I also love Imagenes Vintage she has a great selection of vintage sewing related images right here!
This is my favorite but feel free to use any! Be sure to leave her a comment too!

So remember this challenge encourages all sorts of crafts and projects- no limits! Use one or both or neither of the images for your inspiration...anything that has a hint of sewing or seamstress would work too! Or take the colors, shapes, etc. You can even stitch (real or faux) on your project too! You are only limited by your imagination! Thanks so much for stopping by!

So Artful Challenge: Gypsy Spirit

2011-11-04T23:06:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! I am so sorry if anyone tried to enter on the linky and it showed closed yesterday/today. I somehow had the wrong end date! My apologies! Anytime that happens just leave a comment with your link!

The angel inspiration pieces were absolutely gorgeous! Such a wonderful variety of styles and projects! Thank you all for sharing with us! This week we have two pieces along the same theme, but remember, you can take colors, shapes, themes, anything at all from one or both of the pieces! Your imagination is the only limit!

This one is by Gene Pressler.

This one I found on Pinterest and loved the colors...

So let's see what we can come with for this challenge...remember any type of project is more than welcome.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mid Challenge Reminder Post

2011-10-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I slept in and when I woke up I realized I had not posted a reminder post! I have really LOVED the beautiful angel projects posted so far! Just gorgeous and love the variety of styles too. I am still learning how to do anything digitally beyond editing my photos so bear with me! This is one of my favorite verses...

Still time to play along with us for the Calling All Angels challenge! Have a great weekend!

So Artful Challenge: Calling All Angels

2011-10-21T23:28:00.001-05:00

Hello and first off a big thank you for the kind welcome you all have extended to me! I really appreciate it, and secondly, WOW! I have just been totally amazed at the fabulous creations you have shared! I am way out of my league here but love seeing it all!

This fortnight I have two images again to choose from- and for some reason I could not get these two out of my mind all week...despite the fact that Halloween is just around the corner, I keep thinking of angels- so we are going with it.

So remember ANY kind of creation is welcome-enter as many times as you wish and use one or both of the inspiration pictures or just anything ANGEL!

The first I have had in my files for sometime now...if memory serves correctly its from a cemetery in Poland. Not positive though... and the second, again I had it in my files but have lost the credits... if anyone knows what these are please let me know, and I will credit. Thanks everyone- hope your weekend is relaxing and fun!

Mid Challenge Reminder Post

2011-10-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Just popping in for a mid-challenge reminder post and to say you all have really just blown me away with your creations! What a talented bunch!
I fiddled around digitally with the images last weekend but nothing really came of it, so I did the hands-on approach and made a tag. In real life it has lots of texture and depth, in the pics, not so much. Oh well. It was fun to make and that's all that matters!

Don't forget you can use the inspiration pieces as a springboard or literally! All kinds of crafts are welcome.

I will be back next Saturday with the next Challenge! Until then, happy creating!

As The Crow Flies and Harvest Garden and an introduction

2011-10-08T00:00:00.025-05:00

First off, let me say I am thrilled to be able to be a part of the SoArtful tradition! I have been a side-line lurker in the past, but I decided to take the plunge and keep the challenges going! I am so grateful to Jeanette for her instructions and kind welcome!

I have admired the different participant's creations and am in awe of the talent out there! I got into making ATC's last year and enjoy fiddling around with different elements, so I can't wait to play along and learn some new techniques and try new things! I adore vintage themes as well as some of the darker/spookier elements too.

Nothing has really changed here at SoArtful other than (at least until the new year) it will be a two-week challenge, but with two inspiration pieces to choose from. That way if you are pressed for time, you will have two weeks to create something, but if have more time to create, you can use both. So you have the freedom to do one or both! Or make more than one project with one prompt! No rules other than to have fun, and any sort of creation is welcome: digital, mixed media, clay, painting, fabric, fiber, cards, ATC's, chunkies, inchies , twinchies, 4x4's, art journal pages, and whatever else you can think of! Take the inspiration piece literally or as a springboard for another idea. Just be sure to mention us in your post and link to the challenge. If you cannot get the linky frog to cooperate, please feel free to leave your entry in a comment as always!

So, to get on with it now:

As the Crow Flies

The first inspiration piece is from The Graphics Fairy and you can find the original post right here. I love this crow image, and my mind immediately goes to that saying "As the Crow Flies".

Second inspiration piece is just gorgeous with the shades of Autumn and vintagey elements and is from InspyreTash and you can find it here...

Harvest Garden

Please be kind and stop by with a thank you comment at the links above if you use these gorgeous images!

I cannot wait to see what you come up with! You have until 11:30 pm CST October 22 to link your project up. I will be having a mid-challenge reminder as well and hopefully spotlight some of your creations! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Link your creation below.If you have problems just leave a comment with the your link address in the comments.

Saturday is the Day....

2011-10-04T06:13:00.001-05:00

Saturday will be the new beginning of Soartful.

Carla will be taking over the challenge for me. I hope

you like her as much as I do. If you would like to know

more about Carla visit her blog Carla's Corner.

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for

all of your good wishes for me and my family.

I'll still be coming by to learn and be inspired by

all of your amazing talent.

Remember, Saturday is the day that Soartful will be back.

Jeanette

Bathing Beauty

2011-08-27T02:31:00.000-05:00

I live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and

Hurricane Irene is going by off shore. No damage done

to us so far. I will have to do some yard clean up when it is over.

The yard is littered with small branches and twigs.

It is still raining heavily and it is pretty windy.

When looking for images I found a lot of

Mack Sennett bathing beauties. This was my favorite.

I thought it was perfect.

I should go beach combing when this is over. I bet a lot

of goodies washed up on shore.

Enjoy using this photo in your art piece or just let it

inspire you when you create your own

Bathing Beauty.

To all of you in the storm's path, stay safe.

Jeanette

Lady in Waiting

2011-08-20T01:30:00.000-05:00

The days are just flying by. And, I'm wondering if it

is ever going to cool down.

I just loved stopping by your blogs and seeing

all the different Mae West art. I'm always amazed

at how each of you interpret a theme.

This week I have for you a

Lady in Waiting.

I recently read a book that was all about life at court.

I don't think that would be the life for me.

Mary, Princess Eristavi

dressed as a Lady in Waiting of Empress Alexandra of Russia

Wikimedia Commons

The Lady in Waiting was an important member of the royal court and played an active role in participating with court entertainments, such as masques, dance and musical entertainment. The Ladies in Waiting were selected from high ranking and noble families.

You may use this image in your art work.

I hope you enjoy your visit to court this week.

Jeanette

Blonde Bombshells

2011-08-13T01:43:00.000-05:00

Do blondes really have more fun?

I thought it might be fun to explore that question this week

My challenge inspiration for you this week is

Mae West

"Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol. Before Marilyn and before Madonna, there was Mae West, Hollywood's first superstar sex symbol and the original blonde bombshell.

A performer since childhood, she wrote her own comedic material and built up an act made up of open sexuality and clever double entendres."

Browse Biography

You are free to use this photo or something of your own for

this Blonde Bombshells challenge.

Enjoy

Jeanette

Back to the 60s

2011-08-06T02:42:00.000-05:00

Thank you everyone for your beautiful artwork for the

Veiled challenge.

As I was wandering the web I

found this photo that brought back so many fun memories

for me. At this time I was living in LA. The hippies were just

making their presence known.

The beginning of the movement was an interesting

time. I always wanted one of these. I never did get one but drove

a VW bug for years. I still have so much of the music from

that time. Uhm, now where did I put my Janis Joplin album?

I hope this photo and my 60s theme inspires you this week.

This VW bus needs the creative touch.

I'll be around to visit everyone.

Jeanette

Veiled

2011-07-30T01:32:00.001-05:00

Ahhh, another week just flew by. Where does our

time go?

The image that I've chosen for this week

also has inspired the fashion designer Rachel Roy in her

Pre-Fall 2011 Collection.

Gloria Swanson

Gloria Swanson shot by Edward Steichen. The 1920′s film star has her gaze locked on the viewer through a veil of lace, which gives it a sultry and feminine vibe, that is simultaneously eerie and exotic.

My daughter lives in the Silverlake District of LA. Susan loves

living in LA. Her and her husband Will really take advantage of

so many wonderful things the city has to offer. This year they

attended several of the Last Remaining Seats classic movie screenings.

The movies are shown in landmark movie theaters in the historic

movie district downtown LA.

One that they saw was Sunset Boulevard with

Gloria Swanson and William Holden.

I hope you enjoy this week's inspiration photo. You may use

the photo in your creation of just let it inspire you.

Jeanette

Lord Byron

2011-07-23T06:19:00.000-05:00

I'm late, I'm late, I'm very late.

I'm so sorry but I had a unexpected delay.

In fact, this is going to be a very short post.

Once described as "mad, bad and dangerous to know".

Lord Byron at age 25 (1813 portrait by Richard Westall).
Byron, the person and the legend, as well as his poetry and the
first vampire prose tale in English fiction, attributed to Byron but
written by his physician, John Polidori from ideas
by Byron, inspired the Brontë characters Heathcliff and Rochester.

You may use this photo in your creation of just use it for inspiration.

Jeanette

Bees

2011-07-16T01:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday. It's time for another Soartful week

and a new challenge.

My garden is buzzing with bees. Which reminded me that we've

never had a challenge using bees.

I found a nice selection of bees for our challenge

this week at Graphics Fairy

Bumble Bee

I also found a Steampunk bee to show as a sample.

Mechanical Insect
Touch of Vaudeville

Enjoy our theme this week by altering a bee or creating a scene that

includes bees. You may use the Graphics Fairy bee in your creations.

I'm not sure if we can use the Mechanical Bee....so to be on the

safe let's not use it.

Jeanette

Summer Scene

2011-07-09T01:18:00.000-05:00

It is hot, hot, hot here and I'm not sure I'd be wanting to

be sitting out in the sun. But, I love this lovely scene in sepia.

OMG! I totally forgot where I got this.

I apologize for not being able to give proper credit.

I can't wait to see your creative magic for our theme this week

Summer Scene. Use this image if you like or maybe not... the choice is yours.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

Jeanette

Early Architecture

2011-07-02T01:44:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another week at Soartful Challenges.

I was looking around for something for this week's challenge

at Graphic's Fairy and I was browsing in Karen's

Architecture category when I came across this.

If this lovely print wasn't enough to catch my eye

what Karen had to say about it was.

This is what Karen wrote:

This is a stupendous (trying to mix up the adjectives here lately!)Architectural print! Isn't this amazing?!! This print is very old, Circa 1739, one of the oldest pieces on my collection. I wish you could feel the paper, it almost feels like fabric! I love everything about this piece, the colors, the perspective, and all the glorious details. Make sure you enlarge it so that you can see the mural on the ceiling. This one is so perfect for collage or mixed media work, or fabulous to print up and frame as it is!

Enjoy your inspiration piece this week. Use it in your artwork or just

let the beauty of it inspire you.

Thanks for joining me again this week.

Jeanette

The Cowboy

2011-06-25T01:56:00.000-05:00

A big thank you to everyone that participated in

The Crystal Ball challenge last week.

If you haven't clicked on one of sidebar images...

be sure that you do. Just click on an image and visit that

person's web site for a close up look.

Thank you everyone for your concern for my husband.

Finally, I think we find out his treatment plan. On Tuesday

I will be in Charleston with him to see the Radiologist.

Maybe all this waiting will finally be over and recovery can begin.

I'll be back to do catch up on Wednesday.

Having a Cowboy for inspiration is a little different.

But, I do love this.

I searched high and low for more information on this artwork.

There is a signature on the painting but I can't make it out.

If anyone knows please let me know so I can give proper credit.

The sites where I found this have nothing to do with art.

http://homebasedbusiness.com/profiles/blogs/cowboy-rules

http://crazyhorseoutfitter.com/blog/?category_name=roping

This painting really needs a story behind it. You can use the image

in your piece or just use for your inspiration.

Enjoy

Jeanette

The Crystal Ball

2011-06-18T03:04:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad to see you all back for another challenge

here at Soartful. Thank you for participating in last weeks

Love, Elizabeth.

We made our trip to Charleston about treatment for my

husbands cancer. There has to be several consultations to decide on

the best treatment for him.

We did find out that he is in an early stage and the tumor is contained.

His prognosis is excellent.

But, I can relate to the women in the picture.....

Original by John William Waterhouse

This painting has an interesting story. It was painted originally with

the skull as shown above. The painting was sold with a castle

and that owner didn't like the skull and had it painted over, below.

with skull removed

The painting came up for auction and at that time it was found to have been

altered. After researching, it was found that it could have the drape removed from over

the skull. The painting is now in its original state.

To read more about this painting and see more Waterhouse art

visit John William Waterhouse.com

You can use either version in your entry to the challenge. It is not

mandatory that you use the photo, it is for your inspiration.

Enjoy, I'll be around to visit.

Jeanette

Love, Elizabeth

2011-06-11T02:59:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a busy week for me.

I will be away on Tues and Weds to Charleston.

I wish it were for fun but we are seeing a new

doctor in regard to some health issues with my husband.

But, I will be back to visit your blogs and see your

beautiful art work.

I found something that I thought was interesting for

my challenge this week.

Love Letters from Taylor look for $ 47K at auction

Apparently you can put a price on love. At least on the love of Elizabeth Taylor, who died in March.
A treasure of more than 60 letters of the legend of love screen auctioned unpublished vintage Hollywood hosted by
RR auction for $ 47, 652 in the week.
The letters in the lot in the year 1949, as Taylor just 17 years old and engaged to William Pawley Jr., the son of a wealthy businessman has been written.

The complete article and Liz's letter can be found at

Information Network 4 All

Your Love, Elizabeth can use the photo above or one of your own.

EnjoyJeanette

Medieval Times

2011-06-04T01:39:00.000-05:00

This week I thought we would travel back in time.

The Medieval Times, a time of great kings and fearless knights.

We can't forget the castles and the queens and princesses.

Edmund Blair Leighton's "The Accolade" (1901)

You can use this photo in your art piece or just take your
inspiration from it. The choice is yours.
This challenge closes on Friday.

I hope you enjoy this week's challenge.
I look forward to seeing your creations.
Jeanette

The Three Bears

2011-05-28T00:41:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday everyone.

Here is something a little different for you this week.

The Three Bears

This image is from June's collection that she shared with me.

I suppose most of you are familiar with June's beautiful collage images.

If not, visit Dezinaworld and take a look.

Thanks for all of the fun Steampunk pieces last week.

Steampunk

2011-05-21T01:56:00.000-05:00

Marie was just fabulous last week. Thank you

for all of the lovely entries.

What is Steampunk?

The Steampunk style has been a part of fantasy and science fiction artwork and literature for a few years now. Some proponents insist on keeping it entirely science-based, while others like to throw in healthy doses of fantasy. The question they all seem to be asking, though, is "what if X ran on steam?" X can be anything from computers to cars to personal jetpacks. Working prototypes of steampunk-esque machines have even been made (and used). It’s an entire subculture, defined by a propensity toward Victorian aesthetics, practicality, and steam-powered anything.

This Steampunk background was a free download from

Be inspyre'd

Just add steam and have some fun creating your

Steampunk art.

Use the background above if you like.

Jeanette

Marie Antoinette

2011-05-14T00:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't know if I was going to post or not this morning.

Blogger has been down so much lately. But, here I am with a new

challenge for you.

In all this time of doing this challenge, we've yet to use

Marie Antoinette for our inspiration.The time has come.

Marie Antoinette

"Let them eat cake"

We are all familiar with her famous quote.

This is kind of interesting....Myth Busted: Marie Antoinette eHow.com

Truth be known, the attribution is doubly erroneous in English, because the word "cake" is a mistranslation. In the original French the alleged quote reads, "Qu'ils mangent de labrioche," which means, literally, "Let them eat rich, expensive, funny-shaped, yellow, eggy buns."

If and when Blogger cooperates, I'll be stopping in to

visit with you and Marie.

I enjoyed my stroll down the Spanish Alley with you last week.

Thanks so much for joining me each week. It is a real

joy for me to come around and see your beautiful artwork.

Jeanette

Spanish Alley

2011-05-07T01:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome. It is another Soartful Saturday.

I didn't think you could make Maude Fealy any more lovely,

but you all certainly did. Wonderful entries everyone.

I don't do much actual traveling these days. I'm pretty much

an armchair traveler. I've always wanted to visit Spain. So let's

take a little trip to Spain this week.

We can stroll beautiful alleyways like this one, see all of the sights and when

we need to rest find a nice place for wine and tapas.

By then it will be siesta time.

Spanish Alley

Enjoy
Jeanette

Maude Fealy

2011-04-30T03:01:00.000-05:00

Beautiful entries for last week's Southern Belle challenge.

This week I have another beautiful woman for your inspiration.

The beautiful stage actress Maude Fealy.

Maude Fealy was an American actress who during the early twentieth century was one of the leading ladies of the American stage. Her youthful beauty made her a popular subject for postcards.

More Maude Fealy postcards can be found here. She was a popular postcard subject. There seems to be 100s of postcards using her image.

Enjoy
Jeanette

Southern Belle

2011-04-23T01:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Soartful challenge.

This image came from June's

Art Freebies

If you haven't visited Art Freebies yet, be sure to stop in.

June has a wonderful assortment of images.

When I saw this image, I immediately thought of

Gone With the Wind.

What comes to your mind? Create it and share with all of

us at Soartful.

If you would like to use this image in your piece, please do.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Jeanette

Frida Kahlo

2011-04-16T01:47:00.000-05:00

For a long time now I've been interested in Frida. On a trip
to Mexico I visited the house in Quanajuato where she lived with
Diego Rivera. Frida had a very colorful life and I was
surprised to find that house painted brown.

Frieda

This week the challenge is to celebrate all things Frida.

Thank you for all of your gorgeous Gothic Arch creations.
What a fabulous treat.

Jeanette

Gothic Arch

2011-04-09T01:53:00.003-05:00

Welcome to another week at Soartful.

Thank you so much for all of the beautiful

April Showers Bring May Flowers art pieces.

This week for your inspiration I found this gorgeous

Gothic Arch.

The title of this painting is

Doorway to the Refectory,

Kirkham Priory, Yorkshire (1804)

by John Sell Cotman

I hope you find inspiration in the beautiful colors, textures,

light and shadows.

Enjoy

Jeanette

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2011-04-02T03:26:00.003-05:00

Beautiful Exotic Thailand pieces everyone.

I enjoyed every one of them. My daughter is just back

from her trip and I will be hearing all about it tomorrow.

I will be sharing all of your beautiful artwork with her.

We are having showers here in South Carolina. You

know that old saying

'April Showers Bring May Flowers'

I'm ready. My flower garden is enjoying the nice

soaking rains that we've been having. The Azaleas and Wisteria

are in full bloom and gorgeous. The Dogwood trees will be next.

I found this fun poster and thought it would be perfect

for the April Showers Bring May Flowers theme

for this week.

You are welcome to use this photo or just let it inspire you

to create your own interpretation of our theme this week.

Enjoy

Jeanette

Exotic Thailand

2011-03-26T02:31:00.005-05:00

Welcome to another Soartful week.

My daughter and her husband are on a marvelous adventure

right now.

They are in exotic Thailand. They have been having such a

good time seeing all of the exotic sights of Thailand. Some of the

things they have been experiencing are riding elephants, seeing beautiful

temples, dining in a rice paddy and riding out a 6.9 earthquake.

Yes, this put a few extra gray hairs on my head. Bless Susan's heart

she emailed me right away that all was fine. It turned out they were

just 50 miles away from the epicenter. They were evacuated from their

hotel while it was checked for damage. There were some cracks in the building

but they were allowed back inside.

There is no real theme to my challenge this week. But,

I found this lovely painting here.

Famous Urban Landscape Paintings: Buddha Thailand Lime Painting/Print Artwork

I couldn't find out much about this lime painting but I did find some

information here.

Lime paint, a mineral based paint made from slaked lime and inorganic stable pigments, originated in ancient Rome in the 7th Century BC when the paint was used to embellish the outside of the home. Greeks and Romans also used lime paint in creating their famous fresco artwork, where they mixed earth colors with the lime plaster. Michelangelo and Raphael also used lime paint in their timeless creations,

I hope you find inspiration in this painting.

Enjoy

Jeanette

Fairies and Butterflies

2011-03-19T00:44:00.004-05:00

Wonderful entries everyone for the Three Young Ladies challenge.

They found themselves in all sorts of interesting situations.

I was looking for this weeks challenge image and ran across

some wonderful fairies by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite.

If you would like to see more of her wonderful fairy art click here.

I love her beautiful fairies.

I chose this one to use for our challenge this week

because I loved the thought of flying away on a butterfly.

You are welcome to use this image or use one of your own.

Find your inner child and fly off to fairyland on a butterfly.

Enjoy

Jeanette

Three Young Ladies

2011-03-12T03:05:00.004-06:00

I really had a good time with all of my different

trips down a country lane. Something fun was waiting around

each bend in the road.

These young women are certainly all decked out in

lots of frills and flowers. Maybe slightly over dressed for me but

definitely carefree and happy on their outing.

Our challenge for this week.....

Where would three young ladies be going dressed to the 9s?

Create a wonderful outing for Three Young Ladies using this

photo or something of your own.

I hope this sparks your creativity.

Jeanette

Country Lane

2011-03-05T01:47:00.002-06:00

Welcome to another Soartful week.

What beautiful entries for Romantic Orientalism.

This week I have for you a peaceful country lane.

Where will this path take you?

Jeanette

Romantic Orientalism

2011-02-26T01:51:00.003-06:00

Here it is Saturday again and time for another

Soartful Challenge.

Where does the time go?

I love what everyone did with the Hat challenge.

My Dover Sampler came yesterday and this beautiful image

had challenge written all over it.

Romantic Orientalism

In the 19th century, more and more artists traveled to the Middle East and North Africa. English painters went to India and Egypt, while French painters explored North Africa, especially Algeria and Morocco. According to Eric Underwood, “the conquest of Algeria during the reign of Louis-Philippe also aroused the interest of the French public and helped to increase the popularity of oriental characters.” The East had a special appeal to artists of the Romantic era, particularly Eugene Delacroix, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Theodore Chasseriau and Eugene Fromentin. Orientalism and exotica begins with Delacroix (1798-1863). More on Romantic Orientalism can be found here.

Les Coquelicots (n.d.)

Leon Comerre

Use this image in your creation or just let it inspire you to

explore Romantic Orientalism.

Jeanette

Hats

2011-02-19T01:41:00.003-06:00

Where does the time go? It seems to be just flying by for me.

Welcome to another week at Soartful Challenges.

I loved all of the entries for the Gothic Cottage Challenge.

This adorable image is compliments of June of Dezinaworld and Art Freebies.

You may remember that June started this challenge. She now has her Spot Prize challenge.

Our theme this week is

Hat

Here is our inspiration image for this week.

What hat makes a fashion statement for you?

I'm really looking forward to another week of seeing your

fabulous and creative art work.

Jeanette

Gothic Cottage

2011-02-12T01:03:00.003-06:00

Welcome to another Soartful week.

And, welcome to Stourwood Cottage.

This charming cottage overlooks the lake in Stourwood Gardens,

Wilshire, England.

Built by Henry Hoare in around 1785 most likely as a summer house, the Gothic Cottage was formerly known as the Watch Cottage, from this point there are fantastic views across the lake. Henry's Grandson added the Gothic semi circular seat and arched porch around 1806, from then on it was renamed The Gothic Cottage. The cottage has very recently undergone extensive restoration and the roof has been newly thatched.

A bit of trivia: Summer 2006 the cottage was decorated by artists into a fairytale cottage in a style of Hansel and Gretel's 'Gingerbread House' for an exhibition at the estate.

This sparks my imagination. How about you?

Have a wonderful week and I'll be around to visit.

Jeanette

Victorian Amusements

2011-02-05T01:02:00.004-06:00

Welcome back to another week at Soartful.

I have another Victorian theme for your this week.

Victorian Amusements

I love these beautiful Carousel horses.

I found this beauty at

Layout Sparks.com

The word carousel comes from the Italian word carosello (meaning "little war"). Carosello was a 12th-century game played by the Arabs and Turks, on horseback, using scented balls tossed from one to another. Anyone missing a catch was readily identified by the perfume they were doused with when the scented ball broke on impact.

You may use this image in your 'Victorian Amusement' piece but it

isn't necessary.

I loved all of the submissions for Victorian Romance.

I didn't want you to miss out on Sarah's tip.

See the beautiful gold doily. Sarah altered a plain white paper doily

by rubbing with gold ink and heat embossing. A wonderful solution

for when a gold doily is just what you need but don't have on hand.

Thanks for joining me at Soartful this week.

Jeanette

I rubbed with gold inI rubbed with gold ink them Heat Embossed.k them Heat Embossed.

I rubbed with gold ink them Heat Embossed.

Victorian Romance

2011-01-28T23:59:00.006-06:00

I love Victorian Valentines. They are filled with

love, beauty and romance. Have you seen these beautiful

Victorian Valentine's in Google Images?

During the late 1800’s, handmade Valentines were elaborately crafted from paper lace, ribbons and delicate die-cut paper. Embellishments like gold and silver gilt and soft pastels along with the traditional pink and red gave each Valentine card a romantic air. Some of the most popular designs included bouquets of flowers, lovely young ladies and charming young children with ringlets of curls. There were also plenty of Valentine cards featuring hearts, cupids and love birds.

The Victorians didn't skimp on the extras on their Valentine cards and by the turn of the century they could purchase manufactured cards that were true marvels. Details might include embossing, scalloped edged, die-cut lace, watercolors, honeycomb detailing or intricately engineered pop-up versions that could be proudly displayed on the mantel.

Victorian ladies sent Valentine cards to their dearest friends and young swains would send them to the girls they admired in hopes of winning their hearts. Married couples always exchanged Valentine greetings, as did family members.

Written by Joanmarie Moccia

Victoria's Jewelry Box

My Soartful challenge for you this week is to celebrate

Valentine's Day with your own creation of love, beauty and romance.

I must apologize because I didn't note where I found this

lovely Victorian image for your inspiration.

Last week for the Edwardian Era the sinking of the Titanic

was a favorite subject.

Sarah

Grannie Annie

Blue Giraffe

Have a wonderful and very creative week.

Jeanette

Edwardian Era

2011-01-22T03:40:00.004-06:00

Oh dear, I'm late getting this post up this morning.

I thought this week we would explore the

Edwardian Era

The Edwardian era corresponds with the reign of King Edward VII, whose short-lived governance (1901-1910) preceded the modern House of Windsor in England. The "Edwardian" style broadly encompasses the years of 1901 through 1919. One author described the Edwardian era in the following vein: "The end of the century brought the dawning of a new age and a new attitude toward life. It was an era when social differences dissipated and the mores, customs, and expectations of the citizenry came together." The Edwardian era was a historical moment of tremendous technological and social change. The wonders of the modern world, which had only sprang into being in the 1880s and 1890's, brought the first rewards of modern industrialization and mass-produced abundance. Americans during the Edwardian age experienced new-found wealth and indulged in cuisine, fashion, entertainment and travel as never before. Perhaps the Edwardian era was best captured in the Titanic, the grand ocean liner which embodied the human progress, opulence, and excesses of the time. The Edwardian era is aptly remembered as the "Gilded Age." excerpt from Eras of Elegance

Ladies who sailed the Titanic in 1912 may well have worn gowns based on similar designs.

Be inspired and create you own interpretation of the

Edwardian Era. You can use this image or not.

Here is something else that inspired me this week.

This Artistic Journal entry was drawn by

Clemencia's young daughter. Clemencia added the red highlights.

Have a good week everyone.

Jeanette

The Artistic Journal

2011-01-15T00:10:00.004-06:00

I was absolutely dazzled by the beautiful creations

for last weeks Vintage Lady challenge.

It always amazes me how you all take something already

beautiful and make it even more beautiful.

I am inspired every week by your marvelous creativity.

My inspiration for this challenge came from an interview

with Lucrecer Braxton at the Empty Easel.

Lucrecer Braxton has kept a written journal since she was ten years old. Six years ago she fell in love with the idea of combining her love of art with her love of writing—and thus began a wonderful journey into the world of creative art journals

A short excerpt from the interview

Lucrecer: Art journals are more visual than written, or traditional, journals. Unlike traditional journals, where words are simply captured on paper, art journals tell a story with pictures.

Written journals are great for mind dumping, but art journals are visual. They are created to be explored. While the words may not always go with the sketches or ephemera on the page, you can tell what that person was thinking about or doing at that particular moment just by looking at the imagery.

Art journals are a place to explore and experiment with different painting techniques or lettering styles. They are like a playground for artists.

The challenge this week is to create

your own art journal pages.

This antique journal is from Dad Can Do Inspiration for the next Generation.

I hope that when you visited Yvonne's blog to see

this image that you clicked to enlarge it. If you didn't

go back and give a click because Yvonne added

fabulous texture. I love it.

Thanks for joining me again this week.

I'll be around to see your Artistic Journals.

Jeanette

Vintage Lady

2011-01-08T00:51:00.006-06:00

My goodness this week just flew by. Thank you

for all of your beautiful entries. It is so nice to see everyone

back after our holiday break.

I found this beautiful

Vintage Lady

at Vintage Feedsacks.

I hope this image inspires you to create something wonderful.

Use this image or just let it spark your imagination.

I love each and every one of the entries for the

Celebrate Challenge. I'd like to talk a bit more about

about this one by Bluegiraffe aka Sherry P.

Sherry says this in her profile

"I'm Sherry P., a grown-up who can't seem to put away her childhood love of crayons."

This is where that love has taken her.

What I found so interesting about this piece is the background.

I was so surprised to find out how she did it. It is

"adapted from a nighttime photo I took in NYC that "didn't turn out." "

Wonderful.

Have wonderful week

Jeanette

Happy New Year....Celebrate

2011-01-01T04:44:00.003-06:00

A new day, a new year and a new challenge.

Happy 2011.

It is so good to be back. I had a wonderful

holiday although it did seem strange not to come

here to Soartful.

I really missed everyone.

For our fist inspiration challenge of the year let's

Celebrate

I found this fun photo at

one of my favorite spots to find vintage images

the Graphics Fairy

Follow the link to see a fun use of this photo.

Just in case you forgot while we were away, you can use this photo

in your creation or not. The decision is yours. But, it is here

to inspire you for our theme Celebrate.

Welcome back and

Happy New Year

Jeanette

Happy Holidays

2010-12-18T02:30:00.004-06:00

It's the happiest time of the year.

It's also the busiest.

So I've decided to take a short challenge break.

I'll see you right here on

Saturday, Jan 1st

for another year of challenges.

Here are my last

Extra Specials of 2010

Yvonne

Paulina

Sarah

Happy Holidays

See you next year

Jeanette

Pink Christmas

2010-12-11T02:30:00.004-06:00

I found this image all over the web when I was looking

for a pretty pink Christmas tree.

It is from the short lived magazine by Martha Stewart called

Blueprint: Design Your Life

A Lifestyle Magazine for Women

I love this look but I don't think I'm brave enough to

use this in my home.

This image is for your inspiration. You are welcome to use it

in your design but it isn't necessary. I'd love to see where a

Pink Christmas takes your creative spirit.

Here are my

EXTRA SPECIALS

from the Angels Challenge

Paulina

Bluegiraffe

Grannie

Happy Holidays

Jeanette

Angels

2010-12-04T02:05:00.007-06:00

The Angels
May angels rest beside your door,
May you hear their voices sing.
May you feel their loving care for you,
May you hear their peace bells ring.
May angels always care for you,
And not let you trip and fall,
May they bear you up on angel's wings,
May they keep you standing tall.
May they whisper wisdom in your ear,
May they touch you when you need,
May they remove from you each trace of fear,
May they keep you from feeling greed.
May they fill you with their presence,
May they show you love untold,
May they always stand beside you
And make you ever bold.
May they teach you what you need to know
About life here and here-after.
May they fill you always with their love
And give you the gift of laughter

Unknown

I found this lovely poem at

All About Angels

These sweet angels were found at

Vintage Catnip

I hope they inspire you to make something beautiful.

Extra Specials from Collage

Junibears

Christine

Electra

Happy Holidays

Jeanette

Collage

2010-11-27T02:40:00.003-06:00

Welcome back to Soartful Challenges.

Thank you for taking time from your busy

Thanksgiving and sharing your art work with us

for our Trompe-l'oeil challenge. The entries

were few but spectacular.

I want to try something a bit different this week.

Collage isn't new but having the choice of images to use is

a bit different here.

This week I'm giving you 3 images to work with

and I would like to see you use at least 2 of these in a

Collage.

Here are the images that I collected at the wonderful

Graphics Fairy

Add any other images for your collage that you would like to use.

But, please use at least two images from this group.

Have fun and enjoy being Soartful this week.

Trompe-l'œil Challenge

2010-11-20T00:15:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to Soartful Challenges

This image is from Dover.

I loved this image but I didn't really know what it was.

I thought it might be a Tromp-l'oeil art piece.

ThenI wasn't sure.

What do you think?

Trompe-l'œil, which can also be spelled without the hyphen in English as trompe l'oeil,^[1] (French for 'deceive the eye', pronounced [tʁɔ̃p lœj]) is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create theoptical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three dimensions. Wikepedia

You can add to the image or use just a part of it. Or just let it

inspire you to create you own artwork that

'deceives the eye'

My Extra Specials for the Thankful challenge

Christina

Grannie Annie

Paulina

I'm thankful for each and everyone of you and the marvelous

talent that you are so willing to share.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Jeanette

Thankful

2010-11-13T01:32:00.006-06:00

Fall is my favorite season of the year and

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

I have so much to be thankful for.

I have been blessed with a wonderful

family, friends and reasonably good health.

This week at Soartful I'd like to celebrate my

favorite holiday.

I have two images to inspire you this week.

This beautiful Thanksgiving postcard

I apologize, I can't remember where I got this lovely image.

and

Plimoth Plantation Living History Museum.

The official site of the first Thanksgiving.

I visited here in the 80s. This was my first visit

to a living history museum.

Thank you everyone for your beautiful Fall Background entries.

The Extra Specials this week are.....

Junibears

Sarah

Grannie Annie

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year;

to the honest man

it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.

~Edward Sandford Martin

Fall Background

2010-11-06T01:13:00.000-05:00

Thank you for the very lovely assortment of Dia de los Muertos art.

This week we have a

Fall Background

for your inspiration.

Here's hoping that this lovely fall background inspires

you to be Soartful this week.

My Extra Specials

from

Dia de los Muertos

Christine

Palma

Linda

I'm sorry for this short post, but I'm a bit under the weather.

Please don't let that stop you from being

Soartful this week.

I'll be around to visit everyone as they enter.

Día de los Muertos

2010-10-30T01:52:00.004-05:00

Thank you for all of the wonderful key art work. It was

fun to see what creative doors that key opened.

This week I'd like to celebrate a custom that has

become very interesting and beautiful to me.

I never knew much about Day of the Dead celebrations until

I started visiting Mexico in the 1970s.

Our Challenge this week is

Dia de los Muertos

Here is your inspiration image.

My Extra Specials from the Key Challenge

Peggy

June

Grannie Annie

Have another Soartful week.

Be creative every day.

Extra Specials for Spider Web Woman

2010-10-25T14:32:00.002-05:00

Here they are. So many wonderful creations for

this challenge. My 3 Extra Special picks for this week are

Nancy

Lynne

Christine

Wonderful aren't they.

Key

2010-10-23T14:17:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that I forgot to post

the Soartful Challenge this morning.

I'm so sorry.

I do have an excuse. I've been very busy setting up

Outlaw Woman Scrapbook Emporium

Wholesale Club

which will be taking orders on Monday.

On with this week's challenge

Key

What do you see opening with this key?

Your heart.

The door to adventure

Unlocking your creative spirit.

I'll be back tomorrow with the

Extra Specials

Spider Web Woman

2010-10-16T01:01:00.007-05:00

I think we need a bit of Halloween. Halloween is every where

and I want it here at Soartful, too.

This Vintage image is from

Divas De'Este

This is a beautiful site to visit.

Spiderweb Woman

Can you see the spider web in the background?

Use this image or just let it inspire you to create something Halloween.

I loved every entry in the 'Stairway to the Stars' challenge.

I had a hard time choosing just 3. But, here they are in no

particular order.

Hazel

Yvonne

Peggy

Have a Soartful week

“The artist is not a different kind of person, but every person is a different kind of artist”

Eric Gill

Stairway to the Stars

2010-10-09T00:15:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it is time for another new challenge

at Soartful. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to all of

our newcomers. It is so good to see newbies mixed

in with my faithful followers.

For your inspiration this week I found this

beautiful desktop background

I love the colors in this.

I call it Stairway to the Stars

Fall is in the Air

Extra Specials

Blue Giraffe

Faye

Grannie Annie

Fall is in the Air

2010-10-02T03:58:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, Fall is in the Air

My favorite season

In 2010, fall begins on September 22nd for countries in the Northern Hemisphere (United States, Canada).

Note: In 2010, Autumn begins on September 23 for countries in Europe.

In 2010, fall begins on March 20th for countries in the Southern Hemisphere (parts of South America, parts of Africa, Australia, and Antarctica).

I found this old magazine cover in my image program. My patio

isn't this pretty but I do have the white wicker chair and I love

to sit there and relax a bit out in the wonderful fall air.

This week we are celebrating Fall. Take this image to use in

your creation or just let the setting inspire you.

My Extra Special Picks for the

Art of Travel

I must say my quick trip was nothing as glamorous as any

of these lovely travel scenes.

Christine

Gayle

Grannie Annie

Have a Soartful week.

I'll be around to visit with you.

Blogger seems to be blurring everything up. I found this fix in Blogger Help.

"It may be due to scaling by the browser. Open the post in the Edit HTML
mode and examine the URL following src=. If you see something like /s400 in
the URL, delete that part. The picture will now be displayed in then clearly.

I Love Paris ........Extra Special 3

2010-09-29T13:18:00.002-05:00

Click here for current challenge

I almost forgot to post my

Extra Specials for last week.

Here they are.

Gayle

Faye

Anne

Thanks everyone!

The Art of Travel

2010-09-23T12:51:00.002-05:00

Well so much for Blogger Autopost

If you are looking for the I Love Paris challenge

for the week of Sept 18.....click here.

With the aid of Blogger Autopost you are reading this

challenge post while I am in Montana visiting with my mom.

I will be catching up with all of your beautiful

The Art of Travel

entries on Tuesday morning.

I will also be doing the I Love Paris Extra Specials then.

So while I am traveling for real....

You can do some armchair traveling by creating

some beautiful travel art.

Here is your photo to use in your art or to

provide inspiration.

P.S. I am just taking one carry on.

Enjoy

I Love Paris ........

2010-09-18T00:15:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for the marvelous entries to

Isn't She Lovely. I got to see everything from

humorous, creative to just lovely. The different

artwork always amazes me.

Do you remember this beautiful song?

I Love Paris

I love Paris in the springtime

I love Paris in the fall.
I love Paris in the winter

when it drizzles

I love Paris in the summer

when it sizzles.
I love Paris evry moment
ev'ry moment of the year

I love Paris

why
oh why do I love Paris?
Because my love is near!

By Cole Porter for the musical Can Can.

Our theme this week is

"I Love Paris"

I found this beautiful vintage postcard at

The Graphics Fairy.

What a treasure trove of beautiful vintage images.

This beautiful postcard can be used in your piece or just

use it for inspiration.

I've never been to Paris....have you?

I can't wait to visit Paris with you.

Now, for my picks for the

Extra Specials for Isn't She Lovely.

Susan

Lynne

Anne

Isn't She Lovely

2010-09-10T18:33:00.005-05:00

Welcome to a new week of inspiration

here at Soartful challenges.

This week our challenge theme is

Isn't She Lovely

This lovely woman was drawn by Arthur Jule Goodman around the mid to late 1800s.

I found this at the Lucky Palm Free Vintage Art.

This lovely lady caught my eye right away. Please use it in

your art work or use it for your inspiration.

Thanks you all for joining in the Time Challenge.

Your creations were all so beautiful. I had a difficult time

choosing just 3. Here they are in no particular order.

June

Faye

Danit

Please join me again this week at Soartful challenges

Time

2010-09-03T11:55:00.005-05:00

Here it is time for another challenge at Soartful.

This week I've chosen the theme

Time.

Use this image in your art or just use for inspiration

I loved every single Goddess from last week.

It was hard to narrow the choice to just 3.

Here they are in no particular order.

Sarah

Faye

Bitzi

Have a Soartful week everyone.

I'll in to say hello.

Goddess

2010-08-28T01:00:00.004-05:00

Not a very good response to Whimsy and Pigs.

A big thanks to everyone that did submit an entry.

Our next stop is Greek mythology and

Goddess

I found this about Greek Godesses

The Ancient Greek Goddesses make such good archetypal figures because of their exaggerated personalities. They can be viewed as being similar to the modern day super heroes as they have a human form and super human abilities. Despite these super powers and their immortality they are still plagued by the destructive force of negative emotions.

Goddess Guide.com

I found it interesting that Greek Goddess even have parents

in Greek Mythology.

Major Greek Goddess Guide

has a brief description of each of the major goddesses.

Enjoy this inspiration photo

Take it to use in your artwork or just use it for your inspiration.

Thanks for joining me at Soartful.

Whimsy

2010-08-21T02:13:00.004-05:00

Welcome to another week at Soartful Challenges.

This week I have a bit of Whimsy for you

–noun, plural -sies.

capricious humor or disposition; extravagant, fanciful, or excessively playful

expression: a play with lots of whimsy.

an odd or fanciful notion.

anything odd or fanciful; a product of playful or capriciousfancy: a whimsy from

an otherwise thoughtful writer.

This whimsical image for your inspiration this week is from

Dover Publications.

I just loved what you came up with for

Victorian Vignette.

My 3 Extra Special picks this week.

Pike

Yvonne

Anne

Have a wonderful week and I look forward to all

of your whimsical creations.

Victorian Vignette

2010-08-13T23:28:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to another Inspiration Challenge

at Soartful.

You are always free to use all or part of the image provided.

Be inspired by this week's theme

Victorian Vignette

vi·gnette (vn-yt)

1. A decorative design placed at the beginning or end of a book or chapter of a book or along the border of a page.

2. An unbordered picture, often a portrait, that shades off into the surrounding color at the edges.

a. A short, usually descriptive literary sketch.

b. A short scene or incident, as from a movie.

tr.v. vi·gnet·ted, vi·gnet·ting, vi·gnettes

1. To soften the edges of (a picture) in vignette style.

2. To describe in a brief way.

I found this lovely image at Victorian Vignettes

Maritha did some minor altering to the original image.

"This back of a scrap card is so beautiful that it could almost have been the front. It is quite tarnished around the borders, but that kind of adds to its charm rather than ruining it, I think. (I have boldly removed the original contents of the circle and I also manipulated its color a bit to make it easier for you to put your own text or whatever there.) It comes from an 1880's scrapbook."

I can't wait to see how this beautiful card back inspires you.

Proud as a Peacock

Extra Specials

Susan

Mary

Bitzi

Thank you everyone for your wonderful entries.

Proud as a Peacock

2010-08-07T03:45:00.005-05:00

What a gorgeous display of Dragonflies for

our last challenge. I loved every one of them.

I'm really curious to see how this image and theme

will inspire your creative spirit.

I call this challenge

Proud as a Peacock

Image from Dover

EXTRA SPECIALS

from the Dragonfly challenge

Sarah

Pike

Chris

Have a Soartful week everyone.

Dragonfly

2010-07-31T00:02:00.003-05:00

It's Saturday and we all know what happens each Saturday.

Soartful is back with a new inspiration challenge.

This Saturday I'm am also announcing our monthly

random draw winner for one collage

sheet of your choice from

Dezinaworld

Congratulations

Bitzi

Send me an email and I'll tell you

how to collect your beautiful collage sheet.

jeanette_wtrs@yahoo.com

Soartful in the subject line please

This week's theme is

Dragonfly

"Images of dragonflies are common in Art Nouveau, especially in jewelry designs. They also appear in posters by modern artists such as Maeve Harris. They have also been used as a decorative motif on fabrics and home furnishings.

^Wikipedia

^{This week's photo for your inspiration.}

^{You can right click and save and use in your art work or}

^{just let it inspire you.}

Extra Specials

for Luxury

Gayle

Faye

Bitzi

I can't wait to see what you create this week.

Enjoy

Luxury

2010-07-24T01:01:00.005-05:00

It's another Soartful week.

I hope you enjoy visiting here and doing the the challenges.

I know I enjoy having you here.

Don't forget our sponsor for the monthly draw is

Dezinaworld

I have a special fondness for animal prints.

When I saw this image

I knew it had to be used for inspiration for a challenge.

Luxury

something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity.

What do you find to be 'luxurious'?

Extra Specials for

Whispers

Bitz

Peggy

Gina

Enjoy

Whispers

2010-07-17T02:13:00.004-05:00

Here we are with another Soartful inspiration challenge.

Our theme this week is Whispers

and we are sponsored this month

by Dezinaworld

Our theme image came from June's sister

site Art Freebies

I can't wait to see how you interpret this week's theme

Whispers

Seeing all of your beautiful men really took me

down memory lane.

My Extra Special Picks for the week

Janice

Femmy

Faye

ahhhhhhhh!

I'm hoping you will spend part of your week being

Soartful with us.

Beautiful Men from the Movies

2010-07-09T15:25:00.009-05:00

Welcome to another week at Soartful Challenges.

I loved seeing all of your Enchanted pieces.

I came across this picture of

Rudolph Valentino.

And, it got me thinking about the beautiful

men of the movies from times past, like

Errol Flynn and Robert Taylor. Women swooned

over these movie icons.

This is the gorgeous picture of Rudolph Valentino that inspired

this week's theme. I hope it inspires you.

What beautiful man from the movies makes you swoon?

And, to follow along with the theme of 'men' here

is one of the wonderful collage pages from

Dezinaworld

this month's sponsor.

Extra Specials from Enchanted

Faye

Femmy

Rhonda

Have a Soartful week.

I can't wait to start visiting

and seeing your wonderful artwork.

Enchanted

2010-07-03T01:10:00.006-05:00

It's a new month and a new

winner of the Soartful Monthly Prize.

Congratulations

Paula

send me an email (jeanette_wtrs@yahoo.com) with your

mailing address and I will send your prize from

our June Sponsor Scrolls Work Stamps

For July our sponsor is

Dezinaworld

with the beautiful collage sheets that we all

know and love.

Your inspiration photo this week is titled

Enchanted Castle

from Pringle Hill Studio in the freebies section

This week's

Extra Special Picks

Have a Soartful week.

A Jug of Wine, A loaf of Bread and Thou

2010-06-25T18:50:00.004-05:00

Thank you all for the wonderful creations for

She's Got Style.

It was so much fun to see such a mixture of ideas

for the same image.

This will be our last challenge with our sponsor

Scrolls Work Stamps

I have some wonderful stamps by

Scrolls Work to give away this month.

Next week we'll introduce the winner.

We've all heard the old saying

'A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou.

But did you know that phrase came from

a love poem.

"A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread-and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness-
O, Wilderness were Paradise enow!"

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Persian: رباعیات عمر خیام) is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and of which there are about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám(1048–1131), a Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer. A Persian ruba'i is a two line stanza with two parts (or hemistechs) per line, hence the word "Rubaiyat", (derived from the Arabic root word for 4), meaning "quatrains".

Wikipedia

This is the image that I found to use for your inspiration.

Have fun with this theme. I can't wait to see what you design.

She's Got Style

Extra Specials

June

Gina

CornishMist

Everyone have a Soartful week.

She's Got Style

2010-06-18T23:28:00.000-05:00

She's Got Style is our challenge for this week.

Use this image in your artwork or just use it

to inspire your personal style.

This month we are being sponsored by Scrolls Work Stamps.

Now for our Extra Specials

from I'll Dance at Your Wedding

Peggy

Paula

Gina

Have a Soartful week everyone.

I'll Dance at Your Wedding

2010-06-12T00:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Soartful Challenge.

We've had I am Woman and One for the Guys

Now it's time to dance at their wedding.

I found this fun vintage photo at

Bridezilla

That found it at

Bridal Cheek

and they have a collection

of vintage wedding photos from

Victoriana Magazine

which is where the original photo

came from.

It is such a happy photo.

June is the typical month for weddings.

So let's use this photo to inspire us

in creating a piece following the theme

I'll Dance at Your Wedding.

Our monthly draw is sponsored by

Scrollswork Stamps

They carry a beautiful selection of art stamps

Extra Specials from

One for the Guys

Jay/Artistic Footprints

Danit

Cornishmist

I'll be visiting your blogs to say hello.

Have a Soartful week.

One for the Guys

2010-06-05T00:15:00.001-05:00

Thank you all for your wonderful entries to the

I Am Woman Challenge. It has been a wonderful

week going from blog to blog seeing your interpretation of the

theme and the your use of the image.

Just a reminder that all entries are placed in the

hat and I have a drawing at the end of the month.

This month I have unmounted art stamps

donated by Scrolls Work.

This week I decided that we should have

One for the Guys

This is the image if you choose to use it in your artwork.

Click on image for larger view

This is my piece. It is still a work in progress. It needs

a few finishing touches.

This week's

Extra Specials

Linda

Janice

June

Enjoy your week!

I Am Woman

2010-05-29T00:15:00.000-05:00

It is time again. Time to pick this month's random

winner of the May draw.

And, the winner is

Yvonne

Contact me Yvonne for instructions on how to claim

your prize from May's sponsor

Stamping Dragon Designs

Congratulations Yvonne

Here we are about to start the month of June. For June

our sponsor will be

Scrolls Work

Jacque has graciously donated a nice selection of

unmounted rubber stamps.

Visit Scrolls Work and see all that is available.

To enter the monthly draw all you have to do is submit at

least one entry during the month.

My theme this week is

I Am Woman

I found this lovely print by Leonardo da Vinci

We are all familiar with the Mona Lisa but did you

know that he has some lovely drawings of womens heads.

This one is titled 'Woman's Head'

Use it for inspiration or create you art work from the theme.

Anything goes I just want to see what 'I Am Woman' means to you.

Now for this week's

Extra Specials

Janice

Faye

Gina

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.

So Artful Challenges

So Artful Challenge 2: Georgia O'keeffe inspiration

Mid Challenge Reminder Post

So Artful Challenge 1

Mid Challenge Reminder Post

So Artful Challenge: Year of Dragon/New Year

Happy Holidays and new Design Team announcements

So Artful Challenge: Ceil Chapman

Design Team Call for So Artful CLOSED

So Artful Challenge: Tis the Season

SoArtful Challenge: Sew Pretty

So Artful Challenge: Gypsy Spirit

Mid Challenge Reminder Post

So Artful Challenge: Calling All Angels

Mid Challenge Reminder Post

As The Crow Flies and Harvest Garden and an introduction

Saturday is the Day....

Bathing Beauty

Lady in Waiting

Blonde Bombshells

Back to the 60s

Veiled

Lord Byron

Bees

Summer Scene

Early Architecture

The Cowboy

The Crystal Ball

Love, Elizabeth

Love Letters from Taylor look for $ 47K at auction

Medieval Times

The Three Bears

Steampunk

Marie Antoinette

Spanish Alley

Maude Fealy

Southern Belle

Frida Kahlo

Gothic Arch

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Exotic Thailand

Famous Urban Landscape Paintings: Buddha Thailand Lime Painting/Print Artwork

Fairies and Butterflies

Three Young Ladies

Country Lane

Romantic Orientalism

Hats

Gothic Cottage

Victorian Amusements

Victorian Romance

Edwardian Era

The Artistic Journal

Vintage Lady

Happy New Year....Celebrate

Happy Holidays

Pink Christmas

Angels

Collage

Trompe-l'œil Challenge

Thankful

Fall Background

Día de los Muertos

Extra Specials for Spider Web Woman

Key

Spider Web Woman

Stairway to the Stars

Fall is in the Air

I Love Paris ........Extra Special 3

The Art of Travel

I Love Paris ........

Isn't She Lovely

Time

Goddess

Whimsy

whim·sy

Victorian Vignette

Proud as a Peacock

Dragonfly

Luxury

Whispers