Tumble Fish Studio: August 2011

Aug 31, 2011

Happy Wednesday!

Finding time . . .
I always have such big plans for blog posts and projects but then I just never get them done. I'm going to slow down designing kits just a wee bit so I have more time to get all the things on my wish list done. There will still be a steady flow of new kits but just not a constant stream for awhile.

Bird Man

copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 9/1/11. All rights reserved.
Digital postcard. Images used from Tumble Fish Studio's 49 Birds, Male Persuasion, And So On, and My Picks kits and my own personal stash.

49 Birds

49 Birds (printable jpg sheet version)

My Picks Prize and Customer Work
A couple of talented ladies have shared their work with me from using the My Picks kit featured in the post below this one. You still have until the 10th to earn a coupon if you've purchased the My Picks kit and want to send me a link to your work.

from Andrea of Art Legacy blog . . .

copyright by Lou Ann Donahue. All rights reserved.

Mail Art
I have never had a chance to really make much Mail Art but it is an area of altered art and mixed media that fascinates and inspires me. This month I'm hosting a Mail Art swap in the forum at Deviant Scrap. It's a new experience for many of the digital artists we have at Deviant Scrap, myself included, and a time to shine for the altered art artists we have too. If you're interested, you can find more information here.

Also, to provide inspiration for those interested in Mail Art, this month's issue of The Deviant Muse includes a mail art tutorial from Nancy Baumiller and some featured work from artists Constance Taylor, Amy Kubisiak Nieman, Tracey Parker, and Fiona Randall. Be sure to pick up your free copy of The Deviant Muse here. You'll see art from all kinds of people you know and lots of inspiration and peeks behind the scenes!

So timely, my artist friend Terry Garrett surprised me with one of the most lovely cool pieces of interactive mail art I've ever received. It was fun to open up, like a present with a good old fashioned letter inside. It's hard to show in a picture but I keep not sharing it waiting to get a better view. This will have to do or I fear it will never get done . . . (text is blurred on purpose)

Places I've been stalking lately . . .

Mark's Scrapbook of Oddities & Treasures blog

What's Up Roc blog (always have loved Roc's work and I've been stalking her Mail Art lately. Roc had work published in the book Good Mail Day)

Lily Lovekin Tails blog

Constance Taylor flickr

Aug 28, 2011

Quickie post and a new prize!

Hello everybody! Isn't it crazy that September is almost here? Time flies!

Forgive my quick post here. I'm busy, busy, busy with lots of irons in the fire (like the rest of you, I'm sure) but didn't want you to miss this new release . . . it kinda got lost in the shoppe "What's New" section this week with so many other designer releases. Things are hoppin' at DeviantScrap!

I have a new kit that I think is now my favorite one. It took me weeks to finish with nearly 100 hours spent restoring, resizing, coloring, altering, and extracting these great images from the public domain in the Library of Congress collection. You could go find the same images and fix them up yourself, but maybe having all the work done for you will make this a "go to" stash of fun images for your work. It's the only one you'll see from me that doesn't come from my own physical collection of antique photos and papers. Both versions of this kit (digital and printable collage sheet) are on sale in my shoppe here.

My Picks

My Picks (printable jpg sheet version)

And here are a few pieces from my fabulous Creative Team using the kits above . . . (images are linked to the artists' sites)

from Amy

copyright by Tracey Parker 2011. All rights reserved.

Now for the prize part . . .
If you happen to purchase this kit and use it to make something, send me a link to your work and I'll send you a coupon for an additional 25% off your next Tumble Fish Studio at DeviantScrap purchase! I must receive your links by Sept 10th. I'll feature your work here on my blog too!

Aug 25, 2011

Kit Winner Announced

Hi my favorite peoples! It's been a long couple of hot days here in SoCal. I think my computer is even melting as it has not been cooperating with me the last few days.

As I waited on computer scans, I whipped up a little piece inspired by two people tonight. I stumbled upon the work of Martin O'Neill here and this piece by Trudi Sissons here. And this is what came out of me. It's a little different for me and I may wake up tomorrow and wonder what the heck I was thinking.

aMUSEment

copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 8/25/2011. All rights reserved.
Digital collage. All images from my own Tumble Fish Studio images at DeviantScrap.com.

Without further ado . . .

Drawing Winner!
I numbered the comments in order leaving out any CT members or double comments and ended up with 17 entries. The winning comment was #6 which belongs to Lou Ann!

Lou Ann, I'll be emailing you a way to get the new kit tomorrow. It'll be released in a few days to the public so you can have an early peek!

Off to work on my computer problems . . . look for another post soon!

Aug 21, 2011

Winner Announced and other stuff

Prize Drawing Winner

I'll jump right to the winner of the drawing for Kate Crane's Art Journaling DVDs. I numbered the comments in order omitting any double entries of which there were 4 leaving 74 entries. The random number generator picked #23 which belongs to Taluula!

Congratulations Taluula! And many thanks to Kate and the publishing company Traplet for sponsoring the prize. I'll email Taluula with the details!

Other Stuff

This is NOT my work . . . had to share some pieces from my Creative Team today . . .

From Amy Kubisiak Nieman of Paper and Gluestix . . . I love to show how digital image kits can be used in cut and paste work. Though I don't have time to work cut and paste often any more, it is where my roots lie . . . you never forget your first love.

copyright by Melissa Ustik 2011.

Here are the new kits . . .
The previews are linked to the shoppe and Etcetera is also available in a printable jpg sheet version (not linked).

Etcetera

And So On . . .

Here's a little piece from me. I'm rusty! It's been almost 3 weeks since I made something.

It's Personal

copyright by Marsha Jorgensen August 2011. All rights reserved.
Everything from my own image kits. Tumble Fish Studio kits used: Etcetera, And So On . . . , Jolie Papiers, and Journal Papers 2.

Would you like to win my NEXT new kit before it's released to the public?
I've got something special planned using images from the public domain - restored, altered, colored, and extracted images. If you'd like to win this kit, just comment this post and sometime in the next few days, you'll get the next new kit before anyone else! Drawing ends at midnight Wednesday, August 24th. Each person will only be entered once and only those with some kind of blog or link to their work will be eligible to win.

Aug 20, 2011

Last day to enter!

It's the last day to enter the drawing for Kate Crane's Art Journaling DVDs! Just comment the post HERE (click on "HERE"). Comments will close at midnight tonight. A random winner will be drawn tomorrow and posted here on my blog along with a whole new prize drawing!

Aug 15, 2011

Good Stuff!

This is really good, so don't forget!
You have until August 20th to comment the post below this one and enter a drawing for Kate Crane's new Art Journaling DVDs. Truly, one of my new most favorite sources of inspiration! Read below to find out more and sneak a peek at Kate's work using Tumble Fish Studio images.

This is very good!
The talented Nancy Baumiller of Crowabout Studio B and I collaborated on a brand new funky mail art kit, available in both jpg collage sheets and a digital version with png images. AND, we both did coordinating Add On kits as well. It's on sale this week! Pix below are all linked to the shoppe.

You're Invited (funky mail art) Kit

You're Invited (funky mail art) printable jpg kit

TFS Add On for You're Invited

Crowabout Studio B's You're Invited Add On Mini

These are beyond good!
Have to share just a few of the pieces my Creative Team made using the kits above. I wanted to share some that wouldn't fit in the shoppe samples sections.

from Tracey aka glitterbug (linked to her blog)

from Amy aka paperandgluestix (linked to her blog)

from Jayne aka peppapig (linked to her blog)

from Maggiebean (linked to her flickr)

And here's an exclusive secret heads up . . . .
Watch for information coming soon about a funky mail art swap at DeviantScrap.com. It will be in the September issue of The Altered Muse!

And this is good and bad . . .
Good because you still have time, bad because today is the last day to sign up for the August ATC swap at DeviantScrap.com. You can sign up for either a digi swap or snail mail swap. Work is due on the 30th and the theme is "The Inner Me". You can find out more here.

And this is good too!
I am so excited to be a part of Seth Apter's The Pulse on his The Altered Page blog. Here is Seth's description of his ongoing project . . .

"Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday."

Aug 9, 2011

Mystery solved . . .

If you visited yesterday, you saw a mysterious number I told you would disappear later today and that you should write the number down somewhere and keep it handy. If you did . . .
you have a coupon code for an additional 25% off any of the items in the Tumble Fish Studio shoppe at Deviant Scrap! That means, for some kits, a savings of 45% including these brand new kits . . . .

Jolie Papier Deux

Jolie Papier

Just look at this amazing piece Trudi of Two Dresses Studio made from these kits . . . .

copyright Trudi Sissons.

How to use the coupon . . .
Just type that mystery number in the space provided for a coupon when you checkout. It's good through this Saturday, August 13 Midnight only. It disappears altogether on the 14th. You can use it on ANY Tumble Fish Studio kits at DeviantScrap.com.

Remember, most of my kits come in either a png digital kit or in a printable jpg kit and almost all work out to less than $1.00 per sheet! (papers only kits do not come in collage sheet form)

But that's not all folks . . . .
Now, if you're not into the discount on images, never fear! I got you back here for yet another reason entirely! Keep reading . . . . You may have just seen her work in the new fall edition of Somerset's Artful Blogging, among many other publications she's been featured in. You may know her from flickr. You may know her from her blog. You may have taken a class from her or participate in her now famous Calendar Challenge. However you're familiar with her, you know she's one of the most talented journal and mixed media collage artists around. I am so very lucky that the hugely talented Kate Crane has taken a liking to my images over the last year and a half or so. What a thrill to see her work her magic with them!

If you haven't been to her blog, you need to make side trip over there . . . but don't forget to come back for the good part at the end of this post! You can get to Kate through the linked picture below . . . but come back . . . don't forget.

And here's some work of Kate's that uses Tumble Fish images . . .

all art work copyright by Kate Crane.

So, now that you've had a taste of Kate's talent I'm sure you'll agree you would probably love to own a set of her new Art Journaling DVD's that feature images from Tumble Fish Studio and another good friend, Nancy Baumiller of Crowabout among other designers. If you click on the pictures just above, you can see a snippet from the DVD's that just happens to use some of my images. Her calm lyrical voice will lure you into a relaxed beautiful approach to journaling, an approach that can be applied to all types of collage and mixed media work that takes you from the very start to a satisfying end. Truly this is THE best "How To" I've ever seen.

Would you like a set of Kate's DVDs? If you comment this post by August 20th, you'll be entered into a random drawing to win this beautiful DVD set. That's it, just post a comment!

A mysterious post . . .

For my blog friends only . . .

Do you trust me? If you do, write this number down and keep it handy. Write it on a post it note and stick to your forehead, write it on your hand but don't wash it off, jot it down on a steamy mirror and keep the hot water runnin', tattoo it on your ankle if you like, but keep it handy. Tomorrow, Wednesday August 10 about 6 pm the number will disappear from my blog but you'll know why you need it and be so glad you kept it. C'mon, trust me!

Aug 6, 2011

Hello Peoples!

Life . . .
It's been a whirlwind the last week to get back into work and up and running again after a couple of unplanned weeks mostly away. It's always hard to get back where you were, isn't it?

Life has settled down again . . . there's never a dull moment, and like the rest of you, have countless fires to douse as you try to "get on with it". I often imagine, when I'm feeling stressed or sorry for myslef, that everyone else gets to go through their days care free with not a thing to do but make art, visit friends, eat, nap, and watch movies. But I know that is not the case. I think. By the way, Mom-in-law is doing much better and is recovering well and looking forward to retirement!

Working . . .
On with it . . . been working double time to get new kits made to get caught up on my business plan. Think I'm almost there. A few days ago, I added two new kits: Vive la France and 15 Dresses and have the next several kits done to spread out over the next few weeks. Hoping that means this week I can make some art, correspond, and take it a little easier.

She Had Paris

copyright by Marsha Jorgensen, August 2011. All rights reserved.
Digital collage. Digital kits used all from Tumble Fish Studio: 15 Dresses, Vive la France, Divas, Matched Set, and Dance-A-Thon.

(She Had Paris) Parts
I don't usually show my "naked" parts that I use in my image kits and work, but these are the parts and pieces I used to make She Had Paris (above). Everything I sell in my image kits comes from my own collection of antique papers and pictures like these shown below before being restored and altered.

Owl King

copyright by Marsha Jorgensen August 2011. All rights reserved.
Digital collage. Digital kits used all from Tumble Fish Studio: Vive la France, Cartes De Jeu, Male Persuasion, and City Skies.

15 Dresses

Vive la France

Slideshow
The very talented Tracey Parker of Glitterbug Studios, who I am so lucky to have on my Creative Team, made a lovely little slideshow to feature some of the work of my team last week. Thank you Tracey!

ATC Swap
I'm hosting another ATC swap in the forum at DeviantScrap.com. The theme this month is the "Inner Me". Anyone is welcome to join in and you can use images from wherever you like. You can sign up for a digital swap or a hard copy snail mail swap. I'd love to have you join us! You can find it here.

My ATC for August is digital. It's really a new version of an older piece, Small Me. I'm revealing my inner psyche and struggle with feeling adequate (as a human) I guess.

Not Big

copyright by Marsha Jorgensen, July 2011. All rights reserved.
Digital ATC. Digital kits used all from Tumble Fish Studio except the black and white border which was made using pieces from Crowabout Studio B. Tumble Fish Studio kits used: Girl Whimsy, Journal Words, Matched Set, Divas, and Hats Crowns and Wings.

I feel a prize coming on!
Later this week look for a very special prize drawing and feature on one of my favorite artists around!

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