Monday, December 5, 2011

"The NEW Dynamics of Art Licensing" Business Seminar

If you are a creative individual that is looking for the honest truth about the realities of entering the licensing field or helping your licensing career move forward in this industry, then this is a seminar that you won't want to miss! "The NEW Dynamics of Art Licensing" seminar encompasses extensive knowledge from Brenda Pinnick and Phyllis Dobbs and I. Together we have over 50 cumulative years of experience in art licensing, exhibiting at major trade shows and proven success with numerous licensed products available in the marketplace around the world!

In this seminar we will  share with you how the playing field has drastically changed over the last several years, what you need to do to succeed and the challenges you need to understand before investing your time, energy and money. We will be presenting this in a new and unique way and we truly believe you will be pleased with the wealth of information we can share from our own personal experiences in licensing. 



The topics covered will be an invaluable resource for you and your business. Seats are limited! You will need to sign up early to reserve your space and qualify for the one-time early bird discount! We look forward to having you join us. Just click on the "GO!" link above to learn more. Please feel free to contact me at karen@karenembry.com and I will be more than glad to answer any questions! 


The SKY is the limit!

Monday, November 14, 2011

"THAT IT WILL NEVER COME AGAIN IS WHAT MAKES LIFE SO SWEET"


"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet"... (Emily Dickinson). I can't help but wonder what was on her mind at the time she said this. The fact that we only have one chance to experience each and every unique moment in our lives is certainly food for thought. We should never take a second of our wonderful existence for granted.

When I began designing this project, I thought that this quote would be appropriate for this new piece of cheerful wall art. I always have fun incorporating different mediums together to come up with one unique piece. I 'll be sharing with you step by step directions and some photos so you can create this canvas collage for yourself or as a gift.


Here is the supply list:

Supplies from Cousin Corporation: 

*18 inch chain "Jewelry Basics Collection" - (the chain to hang at the top of canvas) Item #: 3478036
*Thin chain, Item # 34718067
*5 piece Diamond Accent(Turquoise) Item #:34708052
*Crystazzi clear faceted beads, Item #: 3670004
*Crystazzi Pearls - Round 8 mm gold
*Gold Elegance 2 piece Head Pins, Item #:29497-10
*Gold Elegance 16 piece , 6mm jump rings, Item #: 29497-48

Other supplies:
*12" x 12" x 1" gallery wrapped canvas
*1 sheet white foam core board
*Exacto knife
*Floating Medium  by Plaid Enterprises 
*Brush - 1" wide
*Mod Podge - Plaid Enterprises
*Tulle - 2 pieces of tulle and 2 pieces of turquoise tulle. Each piece of tulle should be about 2 inches wide by 5 inches long. 
*Stencil (Plaid Enterprises)
*Stencil Brush
*Folk Art Paints (Plaid Enterprises): Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna & French Vanilla (by Plaid Enterprises)
*2 eye screws with about 1/4" opening (brass or gold color)
*Pinking scissors
*Burlap scraps
*Dried flowers (6)
*Sticks/twigs (from your yard or garden)
*Needle and thread
*Sharpie black "paint" marker
*Thick and tacky glue
*Gold glitter
*White tissue paper
*Light blue/turquoise tissue paper
*Small jewelry pliers - these will be used to open & close the jump rings 





First step is to brush your entire canvas in vertical strokes with one coat of Floating Medium mixed with a small amount of Yellow Ochre paint (it should be somewhat transparent). Let dry.




  Stencil the pattern on your canvas using a stencil brush lightly loaded with Raw Sienna paint.





Using a needle & light beige colored thread, sew one pearl to the center of each stencil design.
Tip: Start the needle from the back of the canvas and push it out to the front, then back to the back (stitching close to the pearl). Repeat. Tie a knot in the thread in the back of the canvas.



    Cut two pieces of foam core board in a wavy pattern (about 3 inches wide by 12 inches long). Tear pieces of white tissue paper and using Mod Podge, cover the wavy pieces of foam core on top and sides. Let dry. 





Brush on a light coat of Yellow Ochre. Let dry. Then in a 50/50 mix of French Vanilla paint and Floating Medium, brush on a transparent layer of paint to the each foam core piece. Let dry.






 Cut several pieces of burlap with pinking scissors. Cutting the burlap with pinking scissors will make it easy to fray the edges. Brush the pieces of burlap with Mod Podge and affix to some open areas on your canvas. Glue on the pieces of foam core to the canvas using Thick and Tacky glue.  Let dry.






Lightly dry brush the burlap and edges of the foam core with Golden's Fluid Acrylic in Iridescent Gold.  Let dry.





Pierce the bottom edge of the bottom piece of foam core in four places (spaced about 4 inches apart) with the tip of your exacto knife, making a small hole for the jump ring. Open each jump ring and attach the small chain at each hole.






 Attach the pearl and clear faceted beads to the bottom of the chain (at the points where the chain dips) with a head pin.




 
On the top of the canvas, about 2 inches from the edge, screw in the eye screw (one on each end). Tie two pieces of tulle (one gold and one turquoise on each side) through each eye screw and chain link. This will be the hanger for the collage art canvas.




Using a Sharpie paint marker, letter your words on to the wavy pieces of painted foam core.  Tip:  You can sketch out your letters first with a watercolor pencil to know the placement of the letters/words before writing with the Sharpie. 




Draw or trace the bird pattern on to the foam core board. Cut out with exacto knife.



Paint the bird with Mod Podge and cover with the turquoise tissue paper. 



Glue the eye and wing on to the bird (I used two of the pieces from the 5 piece Diamond Accent (Turquoise) Item #: 34708052). Cover the edges of the bird with glue and then dust with gold glitter. Place the twigs under the bird, place on the canvas and glue in place. Let dry.




Dip the tips of the flowers in tacky glue and then dip into gold glitter. 




Glue the flowers onto the canvas. Let dry. You're finished!






ENJOY!!!



















Monday, November 7, 2011

My new "ETSY SHOP"



So it's finally up and ready !!! I have had an amazing time creating and designing some fun pieces for my new ETSY shop!




http://www.etsy.com/listing/85381009/dream-journal




http://www.etsy.com/listing/85381791/love-journal



The covers of these journals feature my original art designs. I have also embellished them with all sorts of wonderful little treasures that give them a trendy vintage collage look. I have lots of other pieces that are "works in progress" and I will have them available in my Etsy shop very soon...Stay tuned!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

NEW INSPIRATIONAL PROJECT FOR FALL

With the fall season already upon us, I have decided to share a peek at part of a new project I have designed using some products from Cousin Corporation . They will be launching a new blog this month on November 14th and I am helping to promote the new launch. So on that date, please be sure to return here to my blog for full instructions and step by step photos to create this inspirational piece for yourself!







Wednesday, October 26, 2011

HAPPY HALLOWEEN - FROM MY YOUNGEST FAN!

It's so awesome when I receive photos like this! This adorable little girl is Kiersten Bialozynski. It looks as though her parents, Jennifer and Dean, had an interesting time getting her to pose by my garden flag. Thanks so much for sending the pictures! Kiersten is the also granddaughter of a good friend of mine, Aida Rizzo.  Aida and I go way back and have always had the creative spirit in common. She has been collecting my flags for quite sometime now.












OK, it looks as though Kiersten is tired of posing..but still so cute! Trick ot treat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

"GINGER"


These two adorable creatures are what make up the pitter-patter of four big and four tiny feet in our household. The little dachshund (with a BIG attitude) is Jake. The other big girl with the inquisitive face, (sometimes I call her MOOSE), is Ginger.

Ginger came from Beagle Rescue about six and a half years ago. Yes, I know she doesn't resemble a beagle in any way. However, that is okay, as it isn't important what kind of dog she is, we love her for being HER.

In life, I suppose it is easy to take a lot for granted until the possibility of something arises that could change what we expect to be the everyday norm.

Yesterday, my husband and I took Ginger to the vet, as she hasn't been quite herself lately. Ginger was diagnosed with canine diabetes and there is the possibility of some other health issues. She had to stay overnight for treatment and we are hoping to hear good news, but I don't know...

My heart hurts. I am hoping for the best.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

THINK DIFFERENT

What a difference one person can make in our world...

After days of seeing numerous tributes, endless commentaries praising Steve Jobs and his accomplishments, I came across this amazing and interesting quote on thinking different.





"Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Think Different, narrated by Steve Jobs.

              
                  So are you the one who is going to change the world?

Thursday, October 6, 2011

GOT CANDY?





What a wonderful time of year and oh how I love the fall season! Halloween will be here in a little over three weeks. Time to get ready with the tricks and treats and Halloween sweets...



Wikipedia says that "The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays dates back to the Middle Ages. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when poor folk would go door to door on Hallomas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). It originated in Ireland and Britain, although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy. The custom of wearing costumes and masks at Halloween goes back to Celtic traditions of attempting to copy the evil spirits or placate them."

However it all began, it's a tradition that I look forward to every year!


 


So it's the perfect time to buy your candy for your Halloween guests and DECORATE your home to welcome your visitors!

This year you can currently find two of my new designs on flags for your garden at Lowe's Home & Garden centers.

Please let me know if you decorate with one of my new flags and send me a photo. I would love to post a photo of you with my flag on this blog. If you (or your children) would like to be in the photo with the flag and you are dressed in your Halloween costume, that would be even better! Pet photos that include your animal dressed for Halloween are welcome too!

Thanks so much and Happy Haunting!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

"The Creative Connection Event"


As I look back now, I could not be happier that I made the decision to attend the amazing Creative Connection Event. It was a unique conference that provided a community of like-minded women entrepreneurs sharing and having a harmonious connection in the creative industry. The meeting of all of these creative souls in one venue is energizing for the creative spirit and opens the door to so many new possibilities.



It took place in St. Paul, Minnesota at Crowne Plaza Hotel and the weather was fantastic. I had a refreshing view of the Wabasha Bridge over the Mississippi River. It was so cool to see the riverboats and vivid landscapes in the surrounding areas.






The Creative Connection Event included a variety of workshops, networking opportunites, business panels, book signings and a wonderful hand-made marketplace. It was a unique experience to connect with so many women passionate about their creative lives and businesses. I opted for the “Weekender Badge” which gave me complete access to the programs and events for the entire three days of the conference. Day passes were also available for those that wanted to only attend on specific days or just visit the marketplace.





The first day of the conference was an inspiring day filled with invaluable information on how social media can help women entrepreneurs and was sponsored by the women of BlogHer. BlogHer is a community and media company created in partnership with women in social media. Lisa Stone, Elisa Camahort Page and Jory Des Jardins founded BlogHer in 2005 in response to the question, “Where are all
the women bloggers?”










The co-founders of this CREATIVE CONNECTION EVENT conference,  established in 2010, are Jo Packham and Nancy Soriano. I had the opportunity to meet Jo at this year's event. Jo is an accomplished and remarkable woman.  She is a successful entrepreneur with her own publishing company, Chapelle, Ltd. and she currently partners with Stampington & Company to produce two magazines:
 WHERE WOMEN CREATE — Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women

http://www.stampington.com/wherewomencreate/
 and 
WHERE WOMEN COOK — The Heart and Soul of Cooking.
http://www.stampington.com/wherewomencook/





















Jo has authored more than 40 arts and crafts titles, including her newest books:  “The book of inspiration – IN THE STUDIO AND BEHIND THE SCENES” and  "Where Women Cook: CELEBRATE!"
 

 

One of the most delightful aspects of the WWC Event was the author’s book signing and cocktail party. There was a treasure trove of celebrated authors all in one venue!  

  



I first walked into the reception area and this where I met Christina Ferrare. She is the author of numerous books that include the New York Times bestsellers: “Okay, So I Don’t Have a Headache”, “Cristina Ferrare’s Family Entertainment”, “Cristina Ferrare Style” and "Realistically Ever After”. Cristina's fifth book, a cookbook entitled “Christina Ferarre’s BIG BOWL OF LOVE” was available at the book signing as well as the most current recent issue of “Where Women Cook” Magazine.





Christina also has her own entertaining new cooking show featured on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network:
http://www.oprah.com/own-cristinas-big-bowl-of-love/cristinas-big-bowl-of-love.html
Christina has a marvelous sense of humor, is truly genuine and sincere. She was a guest speaker at the welcome dinner and shared her captivating life story and steps to success.
         
                             More artists at the signing....






There were a wide variety of interesting classes and panels offered. I took a couple of Traci Bautista's classes and enjoyed her use of color and expression. It's always fun learning new techniques and have an excuse to create, just for the sake of creating. 




 

















                
                 Expressions of Collage, Paint & Paper....





 I must admit that I believe my favorite class was a project taught by Shea Fragoso. I stepped out of the box working on this project, as it was the first time I had used a soldering iron. I LOVE the finished product!

OH SO PRETTY NECKLACE!!!!








Of course the conference wouldn't have been the same without having my good friends Brenda and Phyllis there to make things so much more fun and interesting!






I could go on and on about every detail of this creative trip, but truly the icing on the cake at the end of the Creative Connection was the "Cupcake Farewell". Oodles of cupcakes and plenty of tables covered with beautifully decorated cakes!

What a SWEET way to finish the festivities...