Seth Apter's Blog, page 33

The Week Links: 121

Join me every Sunday when I share some of my favorite links I discovered in the previous week. Earlier posts in the series can be found here.

And here is Week 121...

1. Love the whimsey, colors and layers in the work of Juliette Crane


2. The work of Carla Sonheim always makes me smile.


3. Monumental nobodies by Matthew Quick, first seen on Yellowtrace. 


4. I am always amazed by the figural work from Tina Berning


5. Fascinated by the faces of Cuban artist Hector Frank


6. If walls could talk... art from Dan Paul Becker


7. Flashback link 2015: Tools of the Trade

Make it Your Own: 9

One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching how every participant creates artwork that is truly their own. At the end of every workshop, no two pieces are the same.


I also find it exciting when I come across artwork online that incorporates my product lines. Seeing how different people use these items in such creative ways is always inspiring. I love the wide variety of styles and unique choices. Click each link below for more details on each and click here to see other posts in this series.

Debi Adams (Impression Obsession Screen Print Stamp; StencilGirl Inside Out Stencil; Spellbinders Coffee Ring Die Set, Drip Drop Die Set)(See a full tutorial for this piece here)
Lorraine Aquilina (Spellbinders Robo Ring Die Set, Gridiron Embossing Folder)
Linda Lucas (Spellbinders Drip Drop Die Set
Patty Szymkowicz (Impression Obsession Bar Code Stamp)
Sam Butler (Spellbinders Robo Ring Die Set, Splatter Proof Die Set, Drip Drop Die Set; StencilGirl Urban Insiders Circle Stencil, Discovery Stencil)
Barbarayaya (Spellbinders Maze Embossing Folder, Triplex Die)
Darcy Wilkinson (Spellbinders Robo Bar Die Set, Robo Square Die Set, Drip Drop Die Set; StencilGirl Explore Stencil)(See a full tutorial for this piece here)

Balancing Act

In the current, September/October issue of Cloth Paper Scissors, my column The Creative Pulse focuses on the issue of balance.


Some excerpts:

Our first order of balance is to make sure that we find some time to keep our creative spirit and practices active and alive... Give yourself permission to make the commitment, no matter how limited the time. This small bit of balance can have a big impact.


If you are a person who has made the decision to shift your creative focus from play to work, the balancing act gets more complicated... The first step to finding balance is understanding all the aspects that need to be balanced. Create a plan that outlines your priorities and goals. Refer back to this plan often and update it as necessary. Allow enough time to deal with all of the components. Be especially aware of the need to focus on those parts of your business that you do not inherently like to do. And don't lose track of the reasons behind your choice to create a business...


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What are some ways you have found to create a better balance between creativity and everything else that life requires?

The Week Links: 120

Join me every Sunday when I share some of my favorite links I discovered in the previous week. Earlier posts in the series can be found here.

And here is Week 120...

1. Loving these sketchbook pages from Jean Anne Zoss.


2. C.K. Wilde gives the phrase "made of money" completely new meaning.


3. Cannot get enough of the quirky collages from Muhammed Ali Uzen.


4. Check out this space from Karen Michel.

5. Layer love from JC Spock.


6. Oh the details from Martice Smith.


7. Flash back link 2011: Making Waves my assemblage series, shared in a post from Eric Adama.

Make it Your Own: 8

One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching how every participant creates artwork that is truly their own. At the end of every workshop, no two pieces are the same.


I also find it exciting when I come across artwork online that incorporates my product lines. Seeing how different people use these items in such creative ways is always inspiring. I love the wide variety of styles and unique choices. Click each link below for more details on each and click here to see other posts in this series.

Claudia Neubacher (Spellbinders Robo Ring Die Set, Turnarounds 4 Stamp Set)
Brenda Brown (Paper Artsy Eclectic 02 Stamp Set)
Bernice Hopper (Spellbinders Icicle Stripes Die, Ring Around Die Set, Drip Drop Die Set, Splatter Proof Die Set; StencilGirl Numbers Stencil)
Tracy Evans (Spellbinders Drip Drop Die Set)
Janet Joehlin (Impression Obsession Solar System Stamp Set; StencilGirl Make it Count Stencil, Techno Insiders Circle Stencil)
Brenda Brown (Spellbinders 3-Ring Binder; Impression Obsession Password III Stamp Set; PaperArtsy Eclectica 01 Stamp Set; StencilGirl Unfinished Stencil, Urban Square Stencil, Past Present Future Stencil)
(and click here to see how 4 other artists decorated this same binder)
Nikki Acton (PaperArtsy Limited Edition Paint Set; Impression Obsession Password III Stamp Set; StencilGirl Urban Circle Stencil)

I'm On Make it Artsy

Make it Artsy - a new all-art television show premiered last week on PBS. If you missed it - or your local PBS affiliate does not carry the show - you can watch the first episode online here until 10/17.

Episode 2 airs Thursday 10/6 and the theme of the show is Assemblage. I am thrilled to be one of the guests sharing a tutorial on mixed media fabric wrapping. 

Host Julie Fei-Fan Balzer made the whole process fun and entertaining.

I take you step-by-step through the process of using found objects, bit and pieces of fabric, thread, wire, and beads to create these wraps.

 Laurie Mika and Roxanne Coble are also guesting on the same episode. I met Roxanne at the studio in Ohio on the day of taping.

You can watch the entire episode beginning Thursday 10/6 on the Make it Artsy website.

Creativation Interview

Every year in January, the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) holds their annual trade show. Manufacturers, retailers, designers and other industry professional come together for buying, selling, education and networking.  Since I have been attending, the show has always been held in Anaheim, CA. This coming year though, changes are in store.
In 2017, the show will be held in Phoenix, AZ, has been redesigned and even has a new name: Creativation.

I will be attending the show and releasing & demoing new products there with Spellbinders, Impression Obsession, and PaperArtsy.



I am a Designer Member and will be meeting with many other designers, both formally and informally throughout the show.

I will be teaching a workshop, designed especially for Creativation and titled Mixed Media to the Max

I will be walking the show floor and scoping out all the trends. That way I can bring you my annual trend report so you can stay on top of this too. You can read my post on this from 2016 here.

So why am I talking about this January 2017 event in September 2016? Other than the fact that my preparations have already begun, I wanted to share with you an interview with the folks at CHA which has been published on their blog as part of their Meet the Faculty series. Learn a little bit more about me and my connection to CHA there.

Now is the Time

Happy to have artwork and a tutorial featured in the latest issue of Bella Crafts.

Bella Crafts is a free, online eMagazine that showcases projects from crafters and artists. There are tutorials, interviews, business articles, and more. The folks at Bella Craft Publishing offer quite a range of publications and their website is always worth a visit.
Now is the Time
Head on over to pages 60-61 to see this piece in more detail and learn the steps and ingredients that went into it's creation.

The Week Links: 119

Join me every Sunday when I share some of my favorite links I discovered in the previous week. Earlier posts in the series can be found here.

And here is Week 119...


1. What an inspiring image on the Be Artist Be Art site.

2. What a cool scrapbook layout from Louise Nelson.

3. 1,400 year old Ginko tree sheds a spectacular ocean of golden leaves.

4. Love the texture in this encaustic piece by Nancy Donaldson.

5. Instagram love: Colleen Attara


6. Always mesmerized by the work (and words) of Orly Avineri. Always.

7. Flashback Link 2009: Such a fan of Barron Storey's art journals and remember well his exhibition 7 years ago at The Society of Illustrators in NYC.

Make it Your Own: 7

One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching how every participant creates artwork that is truly their own. At the end of every workshop, no two pieces are the same.


I also find it exciting when I come across artwork online that incorporates my product lines. Seeing how different people use these items in such creative ways is always inspiring. I love the wide variety of styles and unique choices. Click each link below for more details on each and click here to see other posts in this series.

Debi Adams (StencilGirl Now is The Time Stencil, Inside Out Stencil; Impression Obsession Screen Print Stamp; Spellbinders Robo Ring Die Set)
Linda Lucas (Spellbinders Spatter Stamp)
Deborah Wainwright (PaperArtsy Limited Edition Paint Set, Eclectica 01 stamps, Eclectica 02 stamps; StencilGirl Urban Insiders Circle Stencil)
Amanda Southern (Spellbinders Pathways Die, Word Circles 2 Stamp & Die Set)
Lisa Rasmussen (Spellbinders Drip Drop Die Set)
Leandra Franich (StencilGirl Urban Outsider Stencil, Techno Square Insider Stencil)
Jenny Marples (Spellbinders Robo Ring Die Set, Turnarounds 2 Stamp Set; Impression Obsession Solar System Stamp Set)