How to Start a Blog! Part One!

I saw a comment today from Cindy O. asking how I do so well at blogging!  I want to say thanks so much Cindy...I appreciate your confidence in me, though I don't really know what I'm doing~ to be honest, I'm just figuring it out as I go along! 

So, I know it can feel challenging, too time consuming, overwhelming to make a nice working blog; we come to a part where we get stuck, there's no one to help us, and we lose interest...I've been there.  It took me a long, long time to actually committ to the blog...to posting on a regular basis.  Then I wondered how 'out there' I should really put myself, you know, how far to go with the things I would talk about.  There are a number of things to take into consideration when you're first starting out like, name of blog, which company to go with, how to save photos for the web, making banners, tweeking photos, and then ....wondering how it all works and if yours will ever look half as good as some of the other great eye candy out there!!! 

Well, it's like anything else in life, you just have to start...at the beginning.  Pick out a blog company. I was tired of paying for a website that I could not use, and was pretty irritated with the whole experience.  I didn't really understand what a blog was or what it could do for me...how these things are useful, yada yada...I never did get that til just now...like, today.  (More on that in a minute.)

So, picked blogger, and set up an account.  Decided on a name that the http will go to, you can always change the title of your blog later to whatever you want.  Once you are set up, just start to explore the buttons.  Another great trick is using the help button.  Click on this and put in a minimal description of what you want, it will provide a lot of solutions and prevent a lot of frustration. 

So, I took blogger, cause I liked the looks of it and it is free.  Love the free part!  As an artist, especially mixed media, we can end up spending and spending and spending...never coming close to a real return on the investment.  So, it's nice to try and cut corners everywhere you can.  I spent soooooooooo much money on my old website, was terribly disappointed with having no personal control over the site, and never getting the job done through the company's people...  So, I decided to cut my losses and find something free, over which I would have complete control.  Voila, this.  (There are a lot of others that are free I believe, but my tutorials will only concern blogger, since that's the only one I'm familiar with.)

So:  1. Get yourself an account

2. Don't fret over what you're gonna say, etc.  You can start several blogs if you like to discuss a myriad of other topics through the one account.  Just focus on your innitial message, why you really wanted to start the blog in the first place...for our purposes here, it's art.

3. Now come up with a name for your blog

OK.  You are off and running!!! How exciting!  And here's another tip:  Nobody knows you're even there yet...so you don't have to worry so much about how it looks etc., in the beginning. You can take your time and see how you feel about committing to a blog on a regular basis.  See what you have to say, and show, and how you feel about sharing it.  Look at other people's blogs for inspiration.  Just start with one blog you like, and check out the blogs that that blog follows.  You can continue into oblivion with this...once you get on that person's page, check the ones they follow, and on and on.  There are a lot of great blogs out there, I had no idea unitl today when I was picking out the ones I want to follow.  And...there is a wealth of information on them about things to do to your site, art projects to get into, and more.

Ok.  More in the next tutorial!!!  Let me know if you have questions, I'd be glad to help!

Cynthia

Halloween is Coming!

So, it's getting to be that time...I can still see the leaves outside my window, but I know the clock is ticking, and one morning soon I will awake to the bare bones of tree skeletons!  But that's ok.  It just makes way several months later for the enjoyment of a new and lovely spring. 

So too should we remember to slough off all the 'dead skin' of this past years problems and hinderances...get down to the bare bones of who we are, what we truly care about, and build a finer spring to come.

Hope you are all geared up for Halloween!  Take care, and check back soon...I'm finishing projects, so hope to have lots to show in the near future!

What's Happening???

Well, what's happening here? I've been working on some more of those fantastically fun fabric papers again! Made some more that I really like...

Will be making several small art quilt pieces, so I should have some of those for sale before Christmas!

See you later, Cynthia

Freaky Friday!!!!

Just kidding!  Hope it's not freaky!  I've been cleaning up the studio again this morning.  I started an online class by Danita...making an art quilt.  So....have been digging all manner of papers, fabrics, mediums and things out of all kinds of places...and as of this morning the place looked like a bomb went off!  But I am happy to say as of 1pm it's, looking much, much better.  Now if I could only get the rest of the house done!!!

It looks gorgeous outside today, I have the windows open, and it always makes the sweetest, freshest smell in my studio.  I need to try and make it into the great outdoors today! Have been cooped up in my studio for days, making fabric papers.

The papers are for the art quilt class.  I've had a lot of fun doing this, and it has kept me quite busy the last several days.  Below are some photos, the papers are just backgrounds, and are not actually done yet either...just to give an idea as to what fun I've been up to!

Take care and have a great weekend!  Cynthia

They all actually look better in person.  The photos came out a little wonky!

This is my favorite, I call it Chickie Paper, cause there's a little chick to the bottom left.  This might be the one I use for this particular project.

Planning on maybe adding a color wash or antique wash over this eventually.

Self Portrait!

I just love her. It's a self portrait that is done with prompts from Jenny Doh's class, "Crafting My Best Life," on CRESCENDOh. I talked all about CRESCENDOh in an earlier post, http://creativelab.crescendoh.com/. It's an online format for mixed media type art classes. I just signed up a week ago, and am almost caught up with the project, just from sheer love and excitement!!!

I must say as well, that I have never, ever done a piece with meaning in absolutely every tiny part of it before...until now. It's pretty incredible, and something that hadn't occurred to me previously. But I realized how much thought our teacher had put into hers, and it was truly inspirational.

Some details: The background is a lovely green wash that gets brighter as it ascends. This is to convey a sense of sunshine in the great outdoors...mainly the green grass, weeds, dirt, and rocks of my youth. This is where I'm most comfortable, this is what reminds me of the goodness of life, of being a little girl, and playing with simple toys...like grass, weeds, dirt and rocks.

The pencil is because I think I knew I was pretty good at writing from a fairly young age, and that I love love loved books/stories! The paint brush is because I've always been somewhat crafty...I used to do ceramics when I was pretty little. I enjoyed it a whole big lot!

The hair is in pony tails like I used to wear, with these cool pom pom rubber bands, represented by the do dads in her/my hair.

The jewel on the forehead is to represent my third eye...it's to say I have always been a spiritual person. "Cherish" is there to remind me that we should all be cherished as children, as adults, as human beings.

There's more to it, but I'll leave it here for now.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Cynthia

Tuesday...

Hey there! Well, after a month of "A Post a Day!," I'm relieving myself of the everyday duty.  It has been fun, and has helped me to get on track.  And now that I am on track, I still plan to post in here at least 4 times a week, perhaps more, perhaps a little less...but will make the most of those posts, however many there are. 

I had a wonderful day on Sunday, at the Stockley Gardens Art and Craft show in Norfolk, Va.  There were many tallented artists, and just a gorgeous day to be out and about.  Also, my friend Denise Baldwin was there, showing her goodies, and I encourage you to check out her blog, she does great work!  http://oddimagination.blogspot.com/

Today found me very busy catching up with the class prompts for "Crafting My Best Life," which I keep talking about here in the blog.  It's been a wonderful journey, and I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!  It's all about figuring out exactly who you are, what you value, and your mission in life.  Who's not been wondering about some or all of that their whole life long????

Enjoy!  Cyn

Saturday! Making Dolls...

Hi there!  I've been working on some dolls today...with success I must say.  One is close to complete...I'll try to post it tomorrow or the next day.  There's another, larger one that's perhaps half or a little more than half done.  The body is sewn together, but since they are prototypes, I have no idea exactly what I'm doing to them, or how they're bound to turn out.  I'm just winging it!  But am really liking the one doll quite a bit; her head is attached! and she is mainly blue...blue canvas body, blue scarf...quite a cutie.  There's one head I've started...the bodies and heads are separate...and she's gonna be a geisha with crazy awesome hair.  I can't wait to post them!!! 

Also came up with a great idea for a purse today...and found the perfect fabric with which to carry out said idea right here in my stash.  It's some really pretty vintage fabric...I have a plain purse that I bought forever ago, just for the purpose...it's been waiting for it's time to shine!  Waiting for that cool fabric I just bought back in August.  Am planning on using some art quilting techniques on it too...some things I already know, and some I'm hoping to learn in my class with Danita.

Well, I'm off to Stockley Gardens art show and several other things tomorrow.  Am hoping for nice weather and to see lots of great art!

Take Care, Cynthia