"The Sketchbook Challenge" Book Blog Hop giveaway

 

I was thrilled to be asked to participate in Sue Bleiweiss’ new book, The Sketchbook Challenge: Techniques, Prompts and Inspiration for Achieving Your Creative Goals. She’s asked the artists featured in the book (including me!) to help celebrate by giving away stuff from generous sponsors in a Book Blog Hop. More on that later in this post. First, I want to tell you about this great book. 

You may know that I am one of the artist hosts for the 2012 Sketchbook Challenge. (If you don't, run on over to The Sketchbook Challenge blog and join the fun!) I joined up to participate in January 2011, when the whole phenomenon began. Later that year, Sue contacted me and asked if I'd like to be included in her book by the same name.

The Sketchbook Challenge (Potter Craft, $21.99 U.S.; also available as an e-book) is more than a book filled with pretty art work. It is truly inspirational. And it contains solid information about materials and techniques, too. I love the format and the size (7.5" x 9"). There are themes to help motivate you to start – or keep – a sketchbook, tutorials for mixed-media techniques, strategies to take your sketch off the page and into a piece of art, and in-depth profiles of artists who have used The Sketchbook Challenge as a launch pad for their own artwork. This is a great book to curl up with and read cover to cover, or to take with you and read small sections as you have time.

Here’s my sketch, done in February 2011, of my bedroom window, with the bare winter trees outside:

And here is the artwork I created based on that sketch:

It is a small art quilt. You can see that I toned down the colors somewhat to make them more somber and wintery. I love how the stitching makes the glass look wavy. My house was built in 1916, and it has several wonderful windows like this.

 

And now, about the give-away!

In honor of the release of the boo, I am giving away a generous prize from Mistyfuse: A 10-yard 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! Wow, thanks, Mistyfuse!

Leave a comment after this post for a chance to win! I will pick a random winner on Monday, July 9 at 7 a.m. EST. Please note that it may take a while for your comment to appear. I have to moderate/approve all the comments, because I got hit with Japanese porn spammers when I wasn’t doing this! 

We have a winner: RoseOfSharonStudio won the Mistyfuse. Thanks, everyone!

The Sketchbook Challenge Book blog hop is sponsored by:
Mistyfuse
My Creative Classroom
ArtPlantae Today
Gelli Arts
Joggles
Sue Pelland Designs
ProChemical and Dye
The Thread Studio
Blue Twig Studio
ArtistCellar

There are still for more chance to win goodies; make sure you check out the blogs listed below on the dates listed:

July 6: 

Diana Trout –  dianatrout.typepad.com

July 9:
Tracie Lyn Huskamp –  www.thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/
Judi Hurwitt –  www.approachable-art.blogspot.com

July 10:
Jane LaFazio –  http://janeville.blogspot.com/
Kelli Nina Perkins –  http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/

Want the book? It is available for purchase through:

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble.com

ArtPlantae