25 August 2016

MY Etsy ONLINE STORE: TheArtOfCreativityCo

I'm so excited to share that my

 Etsy Online Store : TheArtOfCreativityCo

is now OPEN


You can visit TheArtOfCreativityCo here, and purchase beautiful unique handcrafted cards and tags for any occasion, as well as posters and mixed media for the home, office or school.  New products will be continuously added, so don't forget to check back for more goodies



https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheArtOfCreativityCo?ref=pr_shop_more
TheArtOfCreativityCo Online Store is Now Open

As an Opening Special, I would like to offer you a 10% discount on the purchase of TheArtOfCreativityCo items.  Use PROMOBG916 upon checkout to avail of this offer.

Can't find that perfect gift, I've got that covered too. Gift certificates/coupons are available to download.  Send me your friend's name, email address and a short message and I will email the gift certificate/coupon to your friend.


The Art of Creativity Studio
The Art of Creativity Studio Gift Certificates


I look forward to you stopping by and shopping at my Etsy Online Shop:TheArtOfCreativityCo.
Your reviews would be greatly appreciated on my Facebook Page or on My Etsy Online Store.

18 August 2016

IN MY STUDIO


WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY STUDIO?


This is just a quick behind the scenes sneak peak of what I'm currently creating. I've changed course for the time being as I am enjoying paper crafts at the moment and working with my Silhouette Cameo. Presently, I am creating these stunning handmade cards, tags and posters, which will all be for sale on my Etsy online store: TheArtOfCreativityCo, at the end of the month.

I will have a few different themes, such as Birthdays, Weddings, Anniversaries, Wanderlust, Back to School, Halloween and of course Christmas. They will all be packaged in cellophane to protect your purchase. Kraft envelopes will be provided with the cards and twine for the tags. The posters will be printed on A4 and the frame will be for your purchase. 


Packaging in progress

The Art of Creativity Studio
Packaged Wanderlust Tags 
The Art of Creativity Co
Wanderlust Tags

TheArtOfCreativityCo

Back of A6 Card with The Art of Creativity Studio Logo


Baby Bear Card 



This poster of "Mommy Needs her Coffee" describes exactly how I'm currently feeling with all that I  have going on at the moment, however, I'm loving my creative journey and will just drink more COFFEE 😉

11 August 2016

ARE YOU A CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR?

WHAT IS A CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR?


Creative entrepreneurship (as defined by Wiki) "is the practice of setting up a business – or setting yourself up as self-employed - in one of the creative industries. The focus of the creative entrepreneur differs from that of the typical business entrepreneur or, indeed, the social entrepreneur in that s/he is concerned first and foremost with the creation and exploitation of creative or intellectual capital. Essentially, creative entrepreneurs are investors in talent – their own or other people’s.
Caves listed seven basic economic or “bedrock” properties that he believes distinguish creative activities from other sectors of the economy:
(1) Demand is uncertain
(2) Creative workers care about their product
(3) Some creative products require diverse skills
(4) Differentiated products
(5) Vertically differentiated skills
(6) Time is of the essence
(7) Durable products and durable rents"

A Creative Entrepreneur as defined by the British Council is as follows: 
  • "Somebody working in the creative sector who is able to demonstrate business success in the classic terms of business growth (profit, market share, employees) and/or in terms of his or her reputation (creativity, quality and aesthetic) amongst their peers.
  • Somebody working in the creative sector who has developed a successful (in terms of impact and reach) social or not for profit enterprise in this sector.
  • Somebody working in the creative sector who has shown leadership in the industry by championing its development in their country.
  • Somebody working in the creative sector who has developed initiatives (exhibitions, trade fairs, festivals etc.) that develop and grow the market for this sector in their country."
Amazon list a few books for Creative Entrepreneurs which I can personally recommend: 


"This book is for the large audience of artists, crafters, and creative individuals from all walks of life who desire to make a livelihood from their creative work, or who possibly have achieved some success, but don't know how to replicate it or move to another level of accomplishment.

The Creative Entrepreneur takes readers on an inner journey of creative exploration to discover how to make their dreams of creative livelihood real.

 It's a visual, project-oriented, step-by-step approach to business development for anyone who is mystified and possibly frustrated by how to make a business out of their creative work."


"Turn Passionate Ideas into Profitable Enterprises

Do you dream of making a living doing what you love but find the process of creating a viable business plan like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole? Jennifer Lee knows what it’s like to make the entrepreneurial leap — and how to do it successfully. The key is using, rather than stifling, imagination and intuition. Lee’s illustrated, colorful worksheets and step-by-step instructions are playful yet practical, transforming drudgery into joy. They’ll enable you to define your vision and nail down plans for funding, marketing, networking, and long-term strategy.


The Right-Brain Business Plan: Jennifer Lee @The Art of Creativity Studio
The Right-Brain Business Plan: Jennifer Lee
Discover how to:
* Develop a financial plan with fun and flair 
* Select your circle of support to get the work done
* Clarify your business values and goals 
* Paint a picture of your business landscape
* Understand your competition and what makes you stand out from the crowd
* Identify your perfect customers and create a marketing plan to reach them
* Map out concrete action steps to bring your Right-Brain Business Plan to life"

Digital Arts explains "How to be a Creative Entrepreneur" because we have all had those light-bulb moments, but very few actually act on them and then when we do take that leap of faith, are not sure how to proceed.  Make no mistake, this certainly is a very challenging road to embark upon for Right-brained Creatives as one has to get that Left-brain to do all those boring admin matters too.  Especially, if you only have a small budget to work from and start off as a one man team.  Having said that though, when it all starts to come together, that sense of accomplishment just makes you want to pat your own back ;-) 

The Atlantic describes it as "The Death of the Artist—and the Birth of the Creative Entrepreneur"
"... in the age of creative entrepreneurship, producing becomes an experience, even the experience. It becomes a lifestyle, something that is packaged as an experience—and an experience, what’s more, after the contemporary fashion: networked, curated, publicized, fetishized, tweeted, catered, and anything but solitary, anything but private."

Creative Entrepreneurs.co believe that "Creative Entrepreneurs are Different. They’re often primarily motivated by a creative idea, not financial reward. The size of the ventures they create has a broader range, many of them smaller than in other sectors. They work differently, with less predictable business cycles and business models based on subjective factors like taste and emotional intelligence." Join Creative Entrepreneurs.co and you will soon learn all you need to know about becoming a Creative Entrepreneur by bringing together all the resources you need to start your Creative business. 

Questions to ask yourself:
  • Are you doing what you Love? 
  • What can you contribute to the Market?
  • Do you trust your gut?(If you don't believe in yourself, how can you expect others to)
  • Are you resourceful? 
  • Can you manage your funds/overheads? (That left-brain stuff)
  • Will you be able to overcome those challenges? (Rome wasn't built in a day)
  • How will you engage with your community? (Social Media, Expo's, Marketing, etc.)
  • Are you able to work longer/flexible hours? (Being self-employed means longer hours, but they are flexible)
The Art of Creativity Studio started in my study and I hope to grow it with other Creative Entrepreneurs who share the same vision as myself. I would love to be able to hire an administrator who can do all the Left-brain stuff, so that I can just be creative all day and everyday ;-) 


how you started your business and what you think defines a Creative Entrepreneur. 

Until next week, go on and Make your Creative Life your "Proper Job" and embrace being a Creative Entrepreneur.

Keep Creating

Shirley
Creative Entrepreneur



PS. For this post I have inserted links to the definitions of a creative entrepreneur
 from various sources and inserted them in Direct Speech

4 August 2016

MIXED MEDIA


MIXED MEDIA ON WOODEN CANVASES


I love working with mixed media as I feel like I have carte blanche to be free and create any piece and change my mind and add elements as the piece develops.  I love working with the different textures to create a 3D effect.  These are a collection of some of my mixed media pieces, which I have created over time.

@The Art of Creativity Studio
African Sunset

African Sunset is a Mixed Media on a wooden canvas. I used various textures to create this piece.  Sand was combined with the texture paste for the bottom right corner. Tissue paper combined with an adhesive for the next layer. I then added hessian with an adhesive. The sun element was created with crackle glaze. Acrylic paint was used to paint the setting and then the Boabab tree and African Elephants were added. The whole painting was then sealed with a varnish to create this African Sunset.  This is a piece which was created at an Itz van Allez Workshop.

Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Cosmos
Cosmos was also created at an Itz van Allez Mixed Media Workshop where I fell in love working with my favourite medium.  The wooden canvases were prepared with a layer of dark paint then a texture paste was applied, followed by the sgraffito technique to design the Cosmos. We blended several layers for the rest of the piece. I donated Cosmos as a Raffle Prize to Reach for a Dream for one of their Annual Gala Evenings.

The Art of Creativity Studio
Vintage Paris
Vintage Paris Mixed Media was created for my daughter's tutor class teacher as an end-of-the-year gift.  I used a wooden canvas and 4 wooden coasters and decoupaged Parisian wrapping paper and serviettes to create this vintage look. 


Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Paris with Love
Paris with Love used several mixed media techniques to create this piece.  The background board was prepared and serviettes were decoupaged on to it.  The 6 coasters were created by using crackle paste,  texture paste, serviettes adhered with an adhesive, stamps, corrugated card and lace.  I loved this piece and have kept it for myself.


Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Nursery Elephants
Nursery Elephants were created for a Baby Shower and the Mom-to-be was creating the Nursery with an Elephant theme using this colour palette.  I created stencils using my Silhouette Cameo and used texture paste to create a lovely 3D effect for the zig zags, flowers, elephants and wording. This was a fun mixed media project to create. 

Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Peacock Feather
Peacock Feather was also created for a Reach for a Dream raffle prize.  The wooden canvas was prepared with the base colour, texture paste applied and the Sgraffito technique was used to create the Peacock Feather.  I then used the colours of a Peacock's feather to create the layers of acrylics.

Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Hearts Tea Coasters
Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Tea Pot Stand
These Tea Coaster and Tea Pot Stands were created using old tea bags.  I dried the tea bags out, removed the tea leaves and cut out the heart shapes/added tea quotes.  Adhered them to the coasters and tea pot stand and then I used Pratliglo, which provided the finished items with a heat and water-resistant finish. These came in handy as gifts for family and friends. 


Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Blue Tea Coasters and Tea Pot Stand
The Blue Coasters and Tea Pot Stand were created using a copied image from a serviette which I liked.  I decoupaged them onto the wooden boards and sealed them with Pratliglo.

Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
2 Fat Ladies Mini Tea Tray and Coaster Set
2 Fat Ladies Mini Tea Tray and Coaster set were also used creating wrapping paper decoupaged onto the coaster and prepared tray and sealed with Pratliglo.

Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Relax @10 Tea Tray 
Relax @10 is an original acrylic on canvas which I decoupaged onto a tray which I had already prepared. Instead of the Pratliglo, I used a Heat Resistant varnish to seal the canvas and protect the canvas.  It is just as effective as the Pratliglo, but I must say that I rather prefer the gloss effect of the Pratliglo.  I use this as my serving tray.  I have made prints from the original to use in other pieces.

Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Jewellery Mini Tray
This Jewellery Mini Tray was created for my beautician as a jewellery holder for her clients whilst she gave them a beautiful manicure. The same techniques have been used as on the mixed media pieces above.

Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Tulip Butterflies
Tulip Butterflies was also created using techniques from above mixed media crafts. This was also a donation for a raffle prize.

Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Trio Vintage Collection

These Vintage Collections and Birdie were created using decoupaged serviettes/crackle paste on the frames and vintage images added.  Texture paste was used with a stencil to create the bird effect.
Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Vintage Collection
Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Birdie



Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Shimmy Trinket Box



Mixed Media on Wooden Canvas @The Art of Creativity Studio
Shimmy Shoes


















These Shimmy Trinket boxes were created using a Shimmy Craft Metal and embossed. This was then applied to the prepared trinket boxes with a marine adhesive. Embellishments were added to give them some extra bling.










I think that I should also mention the suppliers that I avail of as they deserve a mention in one of my blogposts, as I would not be able to create any of my work without them. 

  The Deckle Edge is where I purchase all of my Fine Art supplies. I purchase the bulk of my paper supplies and acrylic canvases from Artes and I avail of MerryPak for packaging and any other supplies that I may require. 
I have discovered a local brand called Dala, which translated from Xhosa means brings into existence or to create and their products certainly allow for that.  They offer all the products that an Artist requires at a very reasonable rate.  I have used amongst others: acrylics, adhesives, decoupage mediums and ephemeral. Another stockist which I like to avail of is Itz van Allez where I purchase my wooden canvases from and have previously attended Art and Crafts Workshops.