BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR this week!

It's a tradition around here to have an EARLY Black Friday Sale!

I've got things marked WAY down all week long- in fact these are some of the lowest prices I've offered in a while so get em' cheap while you can!

You guy, my customers are so wonderful for supporting what I create and this holiday season I wanted to show my gratitude by offering some free stuff for those of you who shop with me!

Purchase $30 or more in the shop and receive a free exclusive 15 page digital download full of colorful paper and tags to use for your holiday crafting.

Purchase $100 or more in the shop and receive the free digital download AND a free class of you choice! *Please use the notes section at checkout to include your free class choice.

Online class are marked WAY down all week long!

In addition to my current library of available online classes, I am announcing my new line up of classes for the new year!

DREAM BUILDER

$30 SALE $20

Back in 2009, I quit my day job to pursue art full time. I spent over 15 years working towards my dream of being a full time artist. If there is one thing I have learned from my own journey, it's that when you make time and space in your life to pursue your dreams, big things can happen! In this little class I will be sharing my experiences, practical tips and tricks for going after your creative dreams. If you are looking for inspiration to grow as an artist, launch a dream or find motivation to go after something big, this is the class for you!

REGISTER FOR CLASS HERE

DREAM BUILDER: 1 CREATIVE CONSULTING SESSION

$125 SALE $100

In addition to the Dream Builder class I am also offering limited spots for 1 hour creative consulting sessions to go along with this class. These sessions are for those of you who need inspiration to move forward, advice, ideas and practical guidance for your creative goals. More details are in the shop HERE

WATERCOLOR WASH

$15 SALE $10

Watercolors are one of my favorite materials to use and in this class we are getting messy, colorful and expressive using washes of watercolors. We will be playing with layers, washes, messy techniques and finding all kinds of creative ways to use those colorful surfaces.

REGISTER FOR CLASS HERE

RESIST IT

$15 SALE $10

In this class we are going to dive into all kinds resist techniques! From a wax resist to using vaseline, soap, glue, paint, masking fluid and more I will be sharing some really creative ways to use everyday materials to create resists on a paper, canvas and fabric. 

REGISTER FOR CLASS HERE

ACRYLIC BLOOMS

$15 SALE $10

Flowers and acrylic paint make the perfect pair! In this class I will be sharing all kinds of really simple techniques for transforming your favorite flowers into expressive, beautiful and colorful acrylic paintings.

REGISTER FOR CLASS HERE

YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY ENTIRE OFFERING OF CLASSES HERE

I am making room for new pottery designs so all pottery is marked down this week!

You can view everything HERE

Coloring page downloads and coloring bundles are marked down! You can see my entire offering HERE

All of my rubber stamp are also marked down, you can view the entire collection HERE

happy weekend!

in the studio with janet crosby

Janet is a glass beadmaker and fuser and occasional mosaic-er. She specializes in creating wearable art with fire -- her propane-oxygen torch. Janet grew up and lives in the great Pacific Northwest. Other loves in no particular order: dogs, cats, knitting, watercolor, photography, glass, and everything ocean.

I love seeing how other artists set up their creative space. Can you tell us a little bit your studio?

My studio started out in a barn. My engineer husband built me a space to melt glass in our barn in 2003. I shared this space with wasps, spiders, and the occasional raccoon. It was definitely a no-frills studio, but it was also wonderful and I loved it. I made thousands of beads there over the years. 

I live in a definite 'four season climate' though, and optimal studio times in my uninsulated space were limited. I tried to create most of my work in the thin bands of time during the spring and fall to avoid the scorching temperatures of summer and the sub-zero freezing temperatures of winter. Also, I am older now and less tolerant of these wild swings in temperature.

For years, my husband has wanted to build me an indoor studio. It was me who resisted. Why repeat something that I already had? Would I earn enough with my art to justify it? And my number one concern - would it be safe?

This studio is all that and more. I have the requisite fire extinguisher, propane and CO2 detectors, and a 4-step shut off and disconnect for my propane-oxygen torch. I have a powerful ventilation system that is also an air-temp exchanger so that the incoming fresh air is heated by the outgoing exhaust air. Safe and an energy saver!

What inspires you? What motivates you to create?

Color and the play of light motivate me the most. It is why I feel that I am spread out all over the place -- glass, knitting (yarn!), painting, and photography. Color draws me in and inspires me to explore. I am always looking for new ways to blend various art forms too; glass bead embellishment on a knitted hat or hand-painted notes in the packages I send my customers.

Glass was one of my earliest loves, and still grabs me. I love transparent and semi-transparent glass the best, to see the full effect of the light shining through it. I also love that glass never fades and is basically a moment once molten, now frozen in time.

How do you organize your creative schedule? 

Loosely! ha. I try to set a schedule, but it never seems to happen as I intend. Like most artists, I would love to stay all day in my studio, making stuff. The To Do list for adding new items for sale, keeping track of inventory, and arranging sales on my Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/JanetCrosbyArt/) take up more hours than creating does. 

I strive to balance creating with everything else, but sometimes I just have to go take the dogs for a walk to let ideas percolate and plans solidify.

What is a typical day like for you?

I get up early, get the family out the door, eat breakfast, get beads and glass out of the kiln, then take the dogs for a long hike. Mornings are reserved for writing emails and blog posts, then ... if all works out, I head to the studio in the afternoon.

I like to ship orders the same day if at all possible, so that also happens in the morning. For orders that miss mail call, I try to get them packaged up for shipping out the next morning.

Evenings I relax by painting, doodling, or knitting. Then wrap up with a good book to close out the day.

What are you working on right now?

My comfort zone is making beads, and I push myself trying new color combinations and new types of glass (e.g. silvered glass and the many reactions that you can get in the flame). I am learning new techniques with metals - soldering, enameling, and forming. Trying out new ideas I have for fused glass pieces.  I am also working on improving my watercolor techniques and projects that I can enhance or create using watercolor. I am always looking for ways to mesh different types of art.

My goal for the future is to collaborate with others and create various ways of fundraising money for animals with art. Lots of ideas in my head, now to put them to action. :)

Want to see more of Janet?

Site/shop/blog: https://www.janetcrosby.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanetCrosbyArtworks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aboutvetmed/

All photos by Janet Crosby and Creative Life Spokane.

updates from the studio

We've entered into the busy season over here and today I've got a few studio of updates!

Today I have a small batch of NEW messy shoulder bags over in the shop HERE and I will have more pouches and purses in the coming weeks. They are all hand painted which means each bag is one of a kind and very time consuming to make which also means I am only able to release them in small batches but I will do my best to keep them coming!

Andy and I have been hard at work on a collaborative project...A NEW COLORING BOOK! We've been working really hard in this one and I am so proud of it! We are hoping to have to available in the next couple of weeks.

And MARK YOUR CALENDARS because I am prepping the shop for my biggest sale of the year. It's a tradition around here to have my black Friday sale a week early so those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving can celebrate instead stressing about shopping. On Monday I will announce sale prices, deals, new classes and products so stay tuned!

tips for working in layers

Working in layers when I paint is a really big part of my creative process! There is something really interesting and dynamic about color, pattern, marks, text and images that are layered on top of each other. I've always loved that layers enable you to tell a story, create the sense mystery (what is beneath all those layers?) and play with color. Today I thought I would share some of my favorite tips and tricks for working in layers.

If you are working with lots of color, I always recommend starting with 2 or 3 colors and then letting things dry before adding more. I always hit my surface with a hair dryer so it will dry fast and I can keep going.

As you get comfortable with using 2-3 colors, try adding even more! Don't be afraid to layer lots of color but remember letting colors and layers dry in between is the best way to keep things from getting muddy.

For me, it is really important for me create surfaces that have a lot of vibrant colors that pop. As my layers dry, I like try to lighten and brighten things up by adding vibrant or contrasting colors for my last layer.

Don't be afraid to use a variety of supplies to add those layers! I love using paint brushes but I also like using all kinds of other supplies like a brayer, old credit cards for swiping paint, even my hands!

If you are painting over the top of a colorful and messy page, keep in mind you want to select colors that won't blend or get lost. For example, I tend to select black or white to go over the top of darker/brighter colors because I am able to really create a lot of contrast.

Keep in mind those black and white layers of paint make a great surface for a layer of drawing!

Don't be afraid to add expressive and messy marks, doodles, stamps, stencils and drawings in between all those layers of paint. I even love taking it a step further and painting over parts and pieces of those details.

Give yourself a number of layers to build- for example start with two or three layers. Try practicing this amount of layers and then work your way up to adding more. This process can help you figure out how many layers work for you and when it feels right to stop.

a peek inside my doodle diary

If you are like me, you may not have a lot of time every day to spend on drawing or painting. While art is my job, there are days when I just don't feel like working on anything complicated or time involved. This is where what I like to call my "doodle diary" comes in! I like to keep a tiny Moleskin journal (3.5" x 5.5") that I only use for fast, simple doodles. Sometimes I use a pen, sometimes watercolors or ink. Because the the surface is so small, I am able to fill the pages quickly but still get my creative fix! Here is a little peek into my doodle diary.

Want to start you own doodle diary? Here are a few tips.

Using a small journal or sketchbook will make the entire process less intimidating. While I love creating on large surfaces, a small surface is great when you have limited time or energy.

Don't feel pressure to spend a lot of time on those doodles. Take 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of your surface) and quickly fill it up.

Doodles don't have to be anything complicated- dots, dashes, squiggles and shapes are all simple but end up looking really dynamic when you repeat them on a surface.

The colors that you select will make all the difference in simple doodles, so try picking colors that bright, vibrant, that have contrast or even have personal meaning to you.

a free coloring page for you!

Hi friends! Today I've got a free coloring page for you. Happy coloring!

Download the page HERE

lets collaborate!

Hey friends! I have all kinds of stuff going on over here and lots of growth and changes on the way! And today I have a quick announcement and some possible opportunities for you. 

Here on the blog I am looking to collaborate, share student work, highlight artists stories and studios. Below are a handful of opportunities to get featured or get involved!

*Have you taken my classes and created work inspired by those classes? I want to share your work! Send photos of your art and your information to me at alisaburkesubmissions@gmail.com

*Do you have an inspiring creative space? Send me a sample photo and a little information about yourself to alisaburkesubmissions@gmail.com for an opportunity to be featured!

*Do you have a small business that you are proud of? Or maybe you have a creative journey that you want to share. Send me a little information about your story at alisaburkesubmissions@gmail.com for the opportunity to be featured in my "The Art of Chasing a Dream" series.

*Do you have ideas for DIY projects, art tutorials or kids projects? I am currently seeking guest bloggers (paid opportunities). Send me an email at alisaburkesubmissions@gmail.com for more information!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Good quality photos (bright, well lit, inspiring imagery, colorful) are a really important part of the blog so please send photos that represent your work in the best possible way!