Seth Apter's Blog, page 80

More Thoughts on Blogging...

In March 2013 I wrote a post called Thoughts on Blogging..., musing about the impact of "newer" social media platforms on the experience of blogging. It generated 42 thoughtful and opinionated comments and a very interesting conversation.

Now, just over one year later, I thought it was time to revisit this topic. I have had my blog for nearly 7 years and have put up over 1,200 posts. It has always felt to me that my blog was my true online home but lately I have been putting equal energy into my other online sites: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In doing so I have noticed that while there is some overlap, I seem to connect with a different group of people on each site.

I admit that there are times when the quickness of these other platforms is quite inviting - both as places to post and places to visit. I know that I have not been able to visit blogs nearly as often as I would like to and had been able to in the past. Part of this is due to my limited schedule, part due to the fact that there are more blogs than ever, and part due to the lure of the other social media sites.

It seems that I am not alone. When recently visiting a slew of blogs on my list, I found that many of the bloggers that began around the time I did no longer seem to be active. Some had shut down their blogs, often saying in their final post that they were at a point where they wanted to make art rather than talk about art. Many others hadn't posted in more than a year. And I came across several posts that spoke of declining readership and fewer - if any - comments.

However, life is often like a pendulum, swinging back and forth. I have to say that I also noticed what I hope will become a trend...a return to blogging. I visited many bloggers who haven't posted in many months or years only to find that within the last few months they have begun again. Perhaps after a period of time focused on some of the quick and easy platforms, people are just beginning to come back to the depth and breadth that is the core of blogging.

If you are a devoted blogger/blog reader or want to get back to blogging basics, think about joining me in one or more of the following:


This past Sunday I began a new blog project to be posted every Sunday called The Week Links, where I share a series of links to blog posts that have caught my eye.


Get lost in my Art Blog Directory, with links to 569 creative blogs. And email me if you would like to add yours to the list.


Join in on the 6th annual Buried Treasure online collaboration on June 12th where participating bloggers re-post one or more of their favorite posts that they ever put on their blogs.

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Curious as to what you all are thinking. Are blogs on the decline? Do you have a favorite platform to use and/or visit? Do you use the different sites for different reasons? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

The Week Links: 1

In my travels on the Internet in the past week, I have found so many inspiring and informative blog posts that I decided I needed to an entire post of my own to share them with you. Realizing that this happens every week, I have decided to make this a weekly feature on my blog every Sunday. 

Sit back, grab a cup of (fill in the blank) and be ready to spend some time in blog heaven...
The always amazing Michelle Ward has generously shared a complete step-by-step tutorial for her unique Debris Journals in this post on Somerset Place, the blog for Stampington & Company. I've seen these journals in person and they are spectacular.
Jennifer Coyne Qudeen reviews day 5 of her week-long art retreat with her friend Pam. It may be in the US but she calls it OZ....as in Dorothy and Toto. Take a look at the pictures of their mark making, tags, handmade books, and more. And check out all the other days of this special experience.

File this link under shameless self-promotion. Katie LaClair from the blog Back Home Art has posted an interview that she recently did with me that shares my process, inspirations, and experiences as an artist. Plus there are pictures too! 
Crystal Neubauer from the blog Other People's Flowers has a series of ongoing features in the last few months that have included Found Object Friday, Studio Spotlight, Redemption Stories and Slow Down Sundays. One of my favorite posts among the many series was a post written by Bridgette Guerzon Mills.
Denise from Grrl & Dog shares her art journaling and writes a post that once and for all will make you believe that "normal" is overrated. Her realness and rawness is apparent in every word and every journal page...and is a breath of fresh air to me!
Veronica Funk shares her thoughts on inspiration and shares some wise words about the beauty of being an artist.
Journal artist Kelly Kilmer has put together the definitive guide to inks, acrylics, and empty markers that is useful whether you journal or not. She names names and also includes a list of tips that are very helpful. Bonus -- she also lists links to her other informative posts on pens and markers.

Treasure Time

6th annual Buried Treasure - A Call for Collaborative Participants!
So many blogs...so little time. With so many wonderful art blogs to follow, it is difficult to always find the time to keep up with every new post -- let alone have the time to visit the posts that were put up before you discovered each blog.
So...five years ago I started an annual treasure hunt. Buried Treasure is about digging deep to uncover some hidden gems. The premise is simple. On Thursday, June 12th all participating bloggers will re-post one (or more) of their favorite posts that ever appeared on their blog. As you might already know, I don't like too many rules when it comes to art. So anything goes.
Please leave a comment on this post if you would like to participate. On the 12th, when the project goes live, I will post a list of all participating artists on my blog so that you can be sure to find all the Buried Treasure. Feel free to let your own readers know about this project by spotlighting it in a post on or prior to reveal day. Please (and this is important) email me your link when your post goes up. It will be the only way I will know to add you to the posted list on my blog.
And if you cannot wait until next week, you can click here and here to be taken to the links from 2009, here for the posts from 2010, here for the links to the posts from 2011, here for those from 2012 and here for the links from 2013. These are also always available on my sidebar.
Happy hunting!

Medallion Madness

Watch Over
I admit that I have become a bit obsessed with making Medallions using the A Gilded Life collection from Spellbinders. So far I have primarily used the pendants and bezels from the line but waiting in the wings are the texture plates, relics, and dies that are also part of the collection. Soon!
Today's artwork started with a 4 x 4 inch cradled wood panel which I painted with gesso and acrylic paint.

The gold highlights on the surface were made using a rubber stamp and another obsession of mine: Golden Glitz Delicata Pigment Ink from Imagine Crafts. This is hands down the best metallic ink pad I have ever used.

Once the background was complete, I sorted through my stash and chose a bezel and a pendant from Spellbinders, both in bronze tones. I clipped the ring off the pendant using tin snips.

While the bezel and pendant would form the core of the medallion, I knew that I needed additional elements to anchor the medallion to the surface and add dimension. Out came my sets of Standard Circle dies (small and large) from Spellbinders. These dies nest within each other, thereby allowing you to create loops. 

 I created three loops using both metallic foil and decorative paper, which I altered with solvent and pigment ink

Adhering three of these pieces together gave me the following edged loop.

I then used one of the circle dies to cut one more piece of decorative paper, which was again altered with ink.

I admit to a third obsession and that is found and vintage metal objects. I went through my collection and found a watch face and two watch parts to use to create the medallion.

Experience told me that this series of paneled medallions look better with more design elements, so I chose Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Seven die set and cut another piece of metallic foil.

I always want to take commercial supplies and make them my own by adding my own twist. In this case, I cut off four corners from the Labels die cut and knew that they would make perfect additions to the corners of the wood panel.

Finally, to tie the piece together and connect the elements, I cut inked decorative paper into four arrows using the new Shoot! die set from Spellbinders. As you can see by the arrow on the left, I trimmed the feather end off the arrows.

At this point, the fun part really began as I took all these individual elements and put them together on the panel. Once I had cut all the pieces I had a design plan in mind, so I was able to easily adhere all the pieces.







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Supply List
Spellbinders Paper Art Supplies:
MMM-001 Spellbinders® Artisan X-plorer
GLSB-005 Spellbinders® A Gilded Life Iron Cross Bezel
GL2-005 Spellbinders® A Gilded Life Rose Medallion S4-114 Spellbinders® NestabilitiesTM Standard Circles LargeS4-116 Spellbinders® NestabilitiesTM Standard Circles Small
S4-376 Spellbinders® NestabilitiesTM Labels Twenty-Seven 
IN-015 Spellbinders® ShapeabilitiesTM Shoot! 
F-012 Spellbinders® Precious Metals Premium Craft Foils Assortment 
Preferred Promotional Partners: Imagine Crafts Golden Glitz Delicata Pigment Ink, Imagine Crafts Midnight Blue StazOn Solvent Ink

Cross Promotional Partners: Golden Artists Colors, Inc. Fluid Acrylic Paint

Other: cradled wood panel, gesso, paint brush, decorative paper, vintage watch parts, rubber stamp, adhesive, scissor, tin snips

Instagram Telegram

So many social media sites...so little time. Some recent posts on my Instagram page...

Workshop Weekend

I spent this past weekend teaching at The Queen's Ink in Savage, Maryland. This shop is run by Patti Euler and I am treated like a king when I am there.


The shop is part of historic Savage Mill, which functioned as a textile mill from 1822 to 1947 and was more recently converted into a complex of shops and artist studios.

The shop itself is filled to the rafters with an incredible selection of art and craft supplies.

On Friday night, I taught a workshop called Majestic Medallions. This class combined painting and assemblage techniques. The basis for the medallions were a series of pendants and bezels from the Spellbinders A Gilded Life collection. Here are just a few close-up shots of some of the incredible creations from the crew.


The shot of the class is blurry, but maybe that is because it was already about 9:30pm when we took the picture!

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On Saturday, I taught a full-day workshop called Cover to Cover. We all created books with pages made from book covers, each of which was layered with texture and color.
Here is the class building their layers.

And here are some of their layers in progress.


In the end, we took some time for show and tell...

...and of course the must-have group shot!


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On Sunday, my last day at The Queen's Ink, I taught 52 Card Pickup -- one of my favorites.

Here are some of the incredible creations in progress.


And the happy class at workshop's end.


Thanks to Patti, the crew at the shop, and all the students. Cannot wait till I head back there in February 2015 to teach again.

Book Shelf: 10 New Books

As much as I love the computer, nothing beats an honest-to-goodness, made-from-paper, actual book when it comes to art. I am guessing that many others share this feeling as the stock of new and soon-to-be-released books is bursting at the seams. Here are just a few of the books I am looking forward to...
 Paint Mojoby Tracy Verdugo

Art Journal Courage

The Adventures in Mixed Mediaby Amy Jones

Art Journal Art Journeyby Nicole Rae

Gelli Plate Printingby Joan Bess

Alternative Art Surfacesby Darlene Olivia-McElroy & Sandra Duran Wilson

Encaustic Revelationby Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

The Art of Whimsical Lettering by Joanne Sharpe
Creative Image Transfer  by Lesley Riley
The Art of Mistakesby Melaine Rothschild

The Power of Art

I create art for so many reasons, as I am sure all the other artists out there do as well. Sometimes those reasons simply relate to creative expression and fun. But at other times, art can be a powerful tool to shine a light on a social issue, challenge the way we see the world, and contribute to change. Today's blog post highlights two art events that accomplish the latter and, ironically, they both take us to Africa.
The Journey is the Inspiration

Dan Eldon was an artist, and activist and an adventurer. He filled his 22 years of life with passion, dedication, and a quest to both record and change the atrocities that he was witness to in Africa. If you do not know the story of his life -- and the ongoing impact that he continues to have on the world nearly 21 years following his death -- take a moment to read more about him here. 
Some of the very many people who have been impacted by Dan are sharing their stories and the artwork he inspired on daneldon.org. This online collaborative journal begins today and continues weekly every Thursday with a new entry. Please head to the blog to be inspired and to see how much change a single person can bring about. And if you have been touched by Dan's story, please click here to see how you can join this collaboration.
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Artists Bring Back

In April, hundreds of Nigerian girls were abducted from their school by a terrorist group who believe that women should not be allowed access to education and who have threatened to sell them into slavery and used them to barter for the release of prisoners. The world has reacted to this atrocity with horror and many people have taken to the Internet (#BringBackOurGirls on Facebook and Twitter) to express their feelings and to do what they feel they can to make their voices heard. 
The art world has also begun to rally to the cause. Jessica Sporn has organized an auction to raise money to benefit girlrising.com, a global campaign for girl's education. I have donated the following work of art which, along with many other pieces, is available to bid on from May 15 to May 17.


Have a look and consider making a bid. Prove that a single person can make a difference.

StencilGirl Guest Designer

I am thrilled to be today's guest designer on StencilGirl Talk, the blog from StencilGirl Products. I am showcasing a piece I created using my 3 original stencil designs.

Along with many other supplies and products, this piece highlights a series of newly released dies from Spellbinders and an amazing new texture spray from Imagine Crafts.

Head over to my post on the blog to see many more pictures and to follow the tutorial that will show you step-by-step how this piece was made.
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Sending out thanks to StencilGirl Products who are offering my Unfinished stencil at a discounted price today only.

Bullseye

Bullseye
The project started with one large bronze Iron Cross of bezels from the A Gilded Life line from Spellbinders. It is one of my favorite pieces from the collection because of its graphic composition. I clipped off the attached loop with tin snips. 
Using the matching Iron Cross bezel die, I cut a circle in red card stock, which I thought would be a beautiful color to contrast with the bronze.
I used adhesive to secure the circle and it sat inside the bezel perfectly.
I always like to blend found objects and other hardware with these bezels and I selected some pieces that I knew would fill the bezel and add dimension. My stash included a rusty metal washer, a small red disk (with a metal brad added to the center hole), and a rubber washer that I found. A distressed vintage button completed the grouping. 
First step was to adhere the rubber washer to the back of the button.
This gave it more height when it was glued inside the bezel.
I continued stacking my found objects, first by adding the red disk...
...and then by adding the metal washer.
Already the piece was looking layered and dimensional.
I wanted to continue added more layers and began by die cutting three sizes of circles using Spellbinders Standard Circles Small and Large die sets. I used black and red card stock and Spellbinders Precious Metals Craft Foil.
I then used die #3 from Spellbinders Labels Thirty-Four to cut a different shape for some contrast from a piece of black card stock.
Next step was to add a few of the die cuts to the base of the bezel.
Gluing the remaining two circles together...
...and adhering them to the base of the bezel completed the focus of the piece.
You can see the dimensional layers from this angle better.
I painted a 4" x 4" cradled wood panel with gesso, acrylic paint and irResistible texture spray from Imagine Crafts.
The bezel stack was then glued to the center of the panel.
The design was too spare for me, so I cut a loop from gold foil using two dies from Spellbinders Standard Circles Small and Large die sets, taping them together so the loop would come out even.
The loop was then glued to the panel.
To complete the design, I cut 4 pieces of red card stock into the shape of arrows using one of the dies from Spellbinders Shoot! die set. I snipped off the feather detail at each end...
...and added them to the corners of the panel.
The final touch was a splatter of both white and black gesso to connect and ground all the different elements.

Available in my Etsy Shop
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Supply List
Spellbinders Paper Art Supplies:
MMM-001 Spellbinders® Artisan X-plorer
GLLB-005 Spellbinders® A Gilded Life Iron Cross Bezel
GLD-005 Spellbinders® A Gilded Life Iron Cross Die SetS4-114 Spellbinders® NestabilitiesTM Standard Circles LargeS4-116 Spellbinders® NestabilitiesTM Standard Circles Small
S4-416 Spellbinders® NestabilitiesTM Labels Thirty-Four 
IN-015 Spellbinders® ShapeabilitiesTM Shoot! 
F-012 Spellbinders® Precious Metals Premium Craft Foils Assortment 
Preferred Promotional Partners: Imagine Crafts  irResistible Texture Spray 
Other: cradled wood panel, acrylic paint, gesso, paint brush, card stock, found and purchased metal embellishments, adhesive, scissor, tin snips