Creative Chick Newsletter-May 2008

It is the month of May and the flowers are blooming, the pollen is covering the cars and we really need some rain! It is Spring  here in South Carolina and I always get a new breath of creative fresh air when the weather is becoming warmer. I am really jazzed about this month, since I am on the road almost every weekend....and I don't get out much. It is great to meet my Internet friends and share my artwork/classes. Speaking of being out and about......

The opening at the Beet Gallery in Charlotte, NC May 2nd was awesome!

My husband thinks we had at least 200 come by the gallery and view my fiber art.

John acting as my agent.

The gallery crawl was huge!! Charlotte's NoDa art group is really popular and they have an awesome selection of galleries and shops to check out. There will be another gallery crawl May 16th from 6-9:30. My work will be up until June 1st.

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May 10th-Southern Highlands Craft Guild Fiber Day

I will be at the Folk Art Center in Asheville for Fiber Day on the 10th. This is a great way to meet a lot of the fiber artists that you read about in magazines and you see their work in books.

Last year they had sheep and other critters to show the public how different fibers are collected to card and spin. This is a great activity for the kiddies too!!! (if you don't have any, borrow a one from a friend and you can use that as an excuse to come and spend money) :)

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Personal Symbols Mini Workshop-Haystack Craft School May 15th-18th

If North Carolina is too far to road trip and you live up North, I will be in Maine teaching a mini workshop. I am soooo excited about this!

This is my first time at Haystack and being asked to teach this workshop is  HUGE honor. To read more about the class I have included the Link Here!

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Online Classes at Creative Chick

If you refuse to drive or fly because of the high soaring gas prices, my online classes will be starting up at the end of May. Go to my website to sign up. You will find all the info on the classes and Paypal links for payment. (Also, this is a great way to spend that "stimulus" money we are getting from Uncle Sam) ;>

I will be teaching my Personal Symbols class this month for all of you that can't make my workshop at Haystack.

Personal Symbols/May 20-June 24th

Cost $60.00/6 weeks
 

Caroline C. Personal Symbol print

Fertile Earth/June 30th-August 4th

Cost $60.00/6 weeks

Una's Fungus-Fertile Earth

Monoprinting on Fabric/July 17th-August 21st

Cost $60.00/6 weeks

Diane Elaine Frottage Rubbing-Monoprinting

A great big thank you to all of my students that have sent me photos to include in my newsletters and websites. I know future students love seeing what is being produced in my classes and I love sharing what you guys have created!! To be included in future newsletters, please send me projects that you have created in my workshop to my email addy sorrell@creativechick.com. (And if I get your name wrong on an example, please send me an email...I try and keep everyone straight)

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Other Online Classes

I also teach online classes at www.Joggles.com and Helping Handmade , if you don't see one on my website that is being offered right now.

At Joggles this session I will be teaching Fear No Color (a short color study workshop), Creative Embroidery-Organic Designs (embroidery/mixed media) and Fiber Collage (intro to art quilting). My Joggles workshops start May 27th.

Helping Handmade is a new website and they don't only offer craft classes for the beginner, but give part of the class fee to help the environment! I am offering a class for anyone interested in learning beginning embroidery. The class is called Intro to Creative Embroidery and we will be working on a large embroidery piece with all of the basic stitches. I am basing the design on the artwork of Joan Miro! So, don't worry if you don't have a drawing background. ;) This workshop begins June 30th and it is a 4 lesson/4 week class.

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Classes at Little House Art Studios

Check out the class listings at Little House Art Studios.

I will be teaching a Funky Felt Pin Class June 14th from 1-4 and a Fiber Collage Class August 16 and 23 or 11 and 18. (these are 2 day classes/10-4)

You can sign up on the website!

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Creative Inspirations Tips Online

I have started a new sideline at www.tipzu.com. Creativity has always been a "hobby" for me. I love reading about the creative process of other artists, writers, dances and creators. I thought I would start this site to pass on creativity tips and articles from other creative beings.

If you would like to contribute to Creative Inspirations, please send me your article/tip with any visuals you have to sorrell@creativechick.com. You will be given full credit and remember to add any websites or blogs to your information, so I can post at the end of the article/tip.

Also, I will be putting together a Free E-book of all of the creative tips, so help me make the book a thick one.

http://creativeinspirations.tipzu.com/

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Remember to sign up the Creative Chick Yahoo group for any announcements that don't make the newsletter.

Please use the group to keep in touch with other classmates, ask questions about a certain class, add a link to your website, post your work in a file for others to see!!

And if you haven't joined the Fiber Art/Mixed Media Ning Group, we are now over 500+ strong! We have members from all over the world and they are posting some awesome artwork!

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That is it for this month's chatter. Please forward this newsletter to all of your fiber friends....share the love!!

I hope you jump on that creative wave and surf it until you drop! Cowabunga!!!!

Have a marvelous May!!!

Susan and Whoopi Doodle the studio poodle

I have taken on a new project and have started a free tip website called Creative Inspirations . I have always been interested in all books that talk about Creativity and Creative Coaches like Eric Masiel. If you have a creative tip you would like to share with my readers please email me at sorrell@creativechick.com. You will get full credit, so include your first name and where you live.

The whole purpose for this site is to help others when they have been boxed in and don't know how to start a project and need that creative spark. I know I have need prompts in helping me in my artwork and I am always getting asked "how did you do that?" or "where did you get the idea for that piece?". This is my solution is to creative a place to post creative ideas and hopefully get readers to participate too.

 I hope you will join me!!!

cheers

susan

http://creativeinspirations.tipzu.com/

Welcome to the April Newsletter from Creative Chick Studios

Happy Spring Chicken!!

Hello to all of my creative friends out there in art land!! I hope everyone is getting ready for some warm fresh weather and thawing out from the Winter months. (Except all of my students who are "down under", who are approaching Winter.) I am working on the yard at the studio and have been raking leaves and planting shrubs and flowers. Now if I can get the squirrels to stop digging in my planters and killing my flowers!! I hope with the longer and warmer days, I will get a new breath of creative air to start on some new pieces.

Classes for the Spring/Summer

Here are the listings for my classes that I will be running until August. I will probably add some more as the months go by, but I wanted to give you some idea of when the classes are going to be scheduled.

Creative Chick Studios Online Classes

My classes are going to start in May after I come home from my teaching gig at Haystack in Maine. To read up on the descriptions on the classes follow this link to the class page.

Personal Symbols-Fiber Art

Student Example by Jane LaFazio

May 20th-24th

6 weeks/6 Lessons

$60.00 US

To sign up click here!

Fertile Earth-Mixed Media/Embroidery

Student Example by Caroline Commins

June 30- August 4th

6 weeks/6 Lessons

$60.00 US

This is my newest class I ran on Joggles this past Winter 2008 Session!!

To sign up click here!

Monoprinting on Fabric

Student Example by Connie Jenkins

July 17th-August 21

6 weeks/6 Lessons

$60.00 US

To sign up click here!

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My friend and web designer, Mary Francis Main, has started a cool new website to learn new art skills and help out the environment too!

Beginners Embroidery

I will be teaching a Beginner Embroidery class on Helping Handmade starting June 30th. The class will be 4 lessons/4weeks. Cost is 40.00US. This is for anyone that wants to try their hand at basic embroidery skills. We will be making an image inspired by Spanish artist, Joan Miro! This class will make drawing with thread really easy for anyone that has had no art experience and wants to try out some creative thread play.

Click here to read about the class and sign up.

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I haven't set up my dates yet for my Joggles classes, but I will be teaching Organic Design, Fear No Color (new class) and Imaginative Embroidery (new class). These classes will start in May and I will post the dates on my blog and my Yahoo list, Creative Chick Studios.

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The classes at the Little House Art Studios are going to be on vacation until this summer. I am working on new online classes and have some out of town teaching dates and shows. I know I will be teaching another Fiber Collage art quilt class in August. I will firm up the dates in the next couple of months. (I am thinking of the 16th and 23rd) Plus I am working on getting the yard in shape and finish painting the rest of the inside. To keep up with the goings on at the Little House, visit the website www.littlehouseartstudios.com

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Just a reminder that I will be in Maine at Haystack School for Arts and Crafts, May 15-18.

I will be teaching a mini Personal Symbols class through the Maine Crafts Association.

There are a few more spots open for anyone interested in hanging out with me in the woods....Hopefully the Blair Witch won't be sneaking around out in the forest! And if she is, she better bring her own art stash or a good bottle of wine!

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My show at the Beet gallery is scheduled for May 2nd- May 31st. The reception is May 2nd from 6:30-9ish during the NoDa (North Davidson) First Fridays Art Stroll in Charlotte,NC. Click on the Beet logo for directions.

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Fiber Day at Folk Art Center-Asheville, NC

I will be participating in Fiber Day, May 10th at the Southern Highlands Craft Guilds Fiber Day. If you live close, this is a great way to meet a lot of cool fiber artists. I participated last year and was honored to be included in this group of talented artists. The hours are 10-4 and we will be in the auditorium of the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Come out and meet my mother!! She loves coming to these shows with me and doing some shopping.