Pinterest does seem be paying attention to all the bad press its been getting in the last few weeks.  I wrote the “Pinterest – Love It and Do It Right” post a few days ago to give tips on how to pin an image to avoid copyright infringement as well as to provide a clear link back to the image source.

Copyright issues are at the heart of a big problem with pinning and repinning images. After a photographer, Kristen with DDK Portraits, wrote a blog post on why she was tearfully deleting her Pinterest boards, she received a phone call from Ben Silbermann, the owner of Pinterest. A REAL LIVE PHONE call. Please read the blog post on Kristen’s phone “Date with Ben Silbermann“. It does sound like he genuinely wants to address and correct the problems with Pinterest.  Yea!  DOUBLE YEA! Fingers and toes crossed because I do love Pinterest.

So stay tuned and to quote Bob Dylan with a word change – “the Pinterest, they are a-changin”! (We hope!)

And remember – protect you images always with a watermark, an id with your name or url, or all of these.

Phyllis

Welcome to my studio! I am joining with 11 other artists on a hop through our studios. We are showing you where we spend the majority of our time, creating new art, designs, and other creative endeavors. I invite you to check out each of the fabulous studios of the other artists by clicking on the links below or the forward button.

The artists participating in this hop are:

Aaron Christensen

Barbara Johansen-Newman

Beth Logan

Brenda Pinnick

J. Wecker-Frisch

Karen Embry

Paula Joerling

Phyllis Dobbs

Samantha Walker

Sharon Himes

Shelly Comiskey

Sue Zipkin

My studio is a work in progress and if I ever finish it, I will probably be starting over within a few weeks! I work best with everything completely organized (not that I stay organized) and have created distinct areas in my studio for the way I work. I keep striving for the perfect work flow to fit me and the various techniques that I use. After a recent big upheaval and reorganization of my studio, I think I have found the best arrangement for me, although I’m 100% sure I will continue to tweak it.

I am both and artist and designer.  My art is licensed for various products such as fabrics, garden flags, kitchen textiles and more. I also design quilt and sewing patterns and have a new quilt book debuting in April. In addition I work with textiles and mixed media.  So with working in all 3 of these mediums, I have have tons of “stuff” that I use.  So all of my supplies need to be where I can find them easily in addition to being close at hand.

My drawing/painting table and supplies are located next to a set triple windows so I can catch the natural light. Sometimes it’s hard to keep my focus inside.  I have 2 plastic storage units with drawers to hold paints and painting supplies. They tuck neatly under the left edge of my table when not in use and are easy to pull out when I need them. I’ve been repainting a lot of my studio furnishings and have painted the filing cabinet and the multi-drawer cabinet turquoise. Both are great for holding additional supplies. The cabinet with the small drawers has 30 drawers and is my favorite for storage.

My studio is on the 2nd floor of my home but the view from my windows is like looking from a 5th floor window or a treehouse. Our backyard drops at a steep slant to a bubbly creek at the bottom.  Although I like the winter view, my favorite is the spring and summer with all the green. The fall is also beautiful with the golds, oranges and reds as the leaves turn. Like I said, sometimes its hard to keep my focus inside, especially when there is a woodpecker knocking away.

My fabric cutting table is set up in front of bookshelves filled with all my craft, needlework and quilting books. I love books as well as magazines (stacks of which are at one end of the cutting table). I use an antique chair that was my grandmothers to hold a large roll of batting behind the table making the batting easy to pull out as I need it. My cutting rulers are stored under the table and another plastic drawer unit and a low book shelf unit tucked under the table hold all my cutting tools and supplies.

My sewing area is set up in one end of my studio with an antique pub table painted white and a low white table. I store fabrics in an antique triple armoire that I bought at an auction years ago. To keep all my threads, fibers, buttons and all things related to sewing handy, I use two plastic drawer units stacked together as well as a white bookcase loaded with smaller draw units. I save all sizes of jars to hold buttons, pins, and anything else that needs a home.

This table is my play space. I craft, draw, play with textiles, ribbons and beads, and create mixed media here. For a before and after makeover of the chair, visit my chair makeover post. You can’t see them all but I have lots of storage boxes filled with the supplies I use in this area. You can see a black ribbon storage rack on the wall and part of my 8 ft. cork idea board.  You may wonder what I do with all those red folders on the cabinet behind the table.

I travel a lot with my business and accumulate a lot of paper for each trip – hotel and airline reservations, badge and show information, and classes plus a multitude of other papers related to a trip. I used to have a horrible time keeping up with the papers for each trip, having to rush around at the last minute searching through stacks of  papers or files. So I came up with the “Red Folder Method of Keeping Travel Records Straight”. I taped red folders on the front of this cabinet and annotate each folder with a post it note for the trip. Then I put all my papers for that trip in the folder as I receive them. I keep the trips in order and move the information up after a trip. It works for me and has been a big help with my travel organization.

This area is the brain of my studio – the computers where I put it all together digitally. A shelf unit holds the printers and scanners close for easy access and so I don’t have to reach too far. All my papers for printing are stacked on a shelf unit under my desk. The desks with the computers plus the crafting work desk above form a large U shape area that works fabulously for me.

And, what studio is complete without a studio cat (or dog). I adopted Kitty Kat when he was about 6 months old and since he answered to Kitty, I kept that as his name. I should have named him Lucky because he lives a life of relaxation and luxury and thinks he’s boss of the house. He loved my old CRT monitors in the top picture, but didn’t like it much when I went to flat screens. He loves helping me put together things, such as this Ikea drawer unit – maybe its the supervising part he loves. But resting in a chair close by while I work is his favorite activity. I think he’s wishing for a hammock.

Thanks for visiting and please hop forward to visit the other artists studios!

Phyllis

We’ve been so happy with the response that we’ve received for our exciting new seminar The New Dynamics of Art Licensing (see my prior post)!  And, because we’ve also have had several creative’s asking if were were having it at other locations, we’ve decided to offer this seminar during the Atlanta Gift Market on January 12, 2012 (Thursday afternoon 2:30- 4:30 pm, the location to be announced later but close to the gift market).

The New Dynamics of Art Licensing is being presented by Karen Embry, Brenda Pinnick and myself, 3 artists with over 50 combine experience with art and design licensing.

For more information on all the topics we will be discussing, please download The New Dynamics of Art Licensing brochure.  We are also having a portfolio review/consult in Atlanta.

We hope you will join us and get the up-to-date information on how to license your art, designs and products.

Phyllis

One of the best things about traveling to trade shows and events is meeting people who I’ve talked with via social media and forums.  At the Surtex show last year, I met Cindy Ann Ganaden in person. She is a fellow artist and author of the BluPenny blog. She publishes a Sketchbook Story series in which she interviews artists on their inspiration, how they use it to create sketches and finalize into art.  The art is then licensed for various products.
Cindy Ann just interviewed me and posted the interview for the Sketchbook Story in which I show my inspiration and results. I used my cat for inspiration to create an art collection which was then turned into a fabric collection for Quilting Treasures. Everyone has different techniques and ways they use to create their art.  I hope you will check out mine.

The apron shown in the interview can be downloaded – free half apron pattern.

I’m off to Houston for Quilt Market.  Please check back as I will post pictures of Market next week.

Phyllis

I upgraded to the new iPhone 4S and wanted to create my own case! Since I’m headed to the International Quilt Market in Houston this week, I wanted something “quilty”.  So I used patachwork quilt art that I created to design my iPhone case. While I was at it, I created several more quilt iPhone cases along with several other items including the mug below for my Zazzle store. The bottom iphone case shown in black comes in several color choices of background colors.

I bought the top case.  It was the first one I designed and I ordered it immediately afterwards so I will get it in time for Quilt Market. I can’t wait to get it so that my iphone is not “naked” any more and is protected with bright colors. I will be creating more quilt inspired products so please check back.

I hope you have a bright and cheery color filled day!

Phyllis

“Chick Power”, a whimsy art collection of chick and roosters was created to bring smiles! I painted this series of  four chicks and two roosters with humorous word sayings to go with their activities of having a good time. Painted in bright colors, the series features “Kick up your Heels”, “Wine a Little”, “Live It Up”, and “Queen of the Hunt” for the chicks. For the roosters there are “Strut Your Stuff” and “Play a Little” (How many of you have seen a golfing rooster?).

These whimsy chick and rooster images are now available on over 80 products in my Zazzle store and can be fully customized. Below are samples of the products available from my “Chick Power” collection.

Kick Up Your Heels Tee Shirt - Many sizes and styles of tee shirts for men and women are available.

Wine A Little Shopping Bag - Select from several styles and sizes of tote bags

Play A Little (Golfing Rooster) Travel Mug - Both travel mugs and assorted regular mugs are available.

Live It Up Greeting or Note Card - A full line of stationery products include cards, invitations, envelopes, letterhead and coordinating postage stamps.

Strut Your Stuff Chick Magnet Mouse Pad - Choose a whimsy mouse pad to brighten your day at the computer.

Available products include stationary (cards, invitations, etc), aprons, mouse pads, tee shirts, shopping bags, mugs, aprons and much more.

Put a little Chick Power in your day!

Phyllis

I arrived in NY to very gloomy skies but fortunately, it did not rain THAT day.  I flew in for Surtex (Surface and Textile Design Show) and had only a few hours on my first day for my play time so I was especially glad that it didn’t rain. So as soon as I checked in my hotel and left my luggage, I took off to some of my favorite places (most rhyme with shopping).

I saw an article in a magazine recently about an art show on Park Avenue that consisted of rose sculptures in the grassy areas between lanes.  I put seeing the exhibit at the top of my to-do list.  The exhibit started further up Park Avenue than I anticipated so I only walked a few blocks of it, since I had already walked a bunch getting there. It was pretty special to see – giant roses at each cross street intersection.  It was especially colorful with the cloudiness, although I know it would have enjoyed it equally with sunshine! The details were great and each sculpture also had a bug of some kind on it which added both realism and whimsy.

One of the many things I love about NY is all the restaurant choices.  I met friends for dinner after my play time.  With a combination of greats –  friends, friends and  wine, it was a wonderful evening. I highly recommend this restuarant – “44 & X”, located on 8th Avenue in the Hell’s Kitchen area.  The food was delicious!

Well, back to unpacking and more pictures to follow with information about Surtex.

Bye for now,

Phyllis

What is “inspiration”?  As a noun, it is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. The Thesaurus lists similiar words: example, muse, motivation, encouragement, influence, stimulus and catalyst.

Artists, designers, and anyone creating something derive inspiration from numerous sources. We use it to influence what we create with our own interpretation – it sparks a creative impulse that goes through a thought process in our minds and souls to create something unique.  I especially like the word “catalyst” because what we see that inspires us is just the beginning.  Our end result is totally different and uniquely ours. It doesn’t matter what we create and it doesn’t have to be a “Mona Lisa”, its ours!

I’m participating in a blog hop “Be Inspired”, the wonderful idea of Brenda Pinnick. Check out the artists listed below to see their inspirations. The purpose of the hop is to illustrate how to create using inspiration instead of copying someone elses work.

My inspiration is based on something I saw in my brother Nick and sister-in-law Lyn’s kitchen.  Lyn loves black spotted cows and has collected many different ones.  While I was visiting a few years ago, I saw this cow catching a Frisbee.

It triggered a new idea for me and I painted a collection of animal ballerinas, starting with a black spotted cow ballerina and added a frog and cat.

It was then licensed for a fabric collection with Cranston Printworks in both this aqua color and in a pink color collection.

Be original in what you create based on inspiration. Don’t copy (verb meaning to imitate or reproduce rather than creating something original). And when you create something original, you are protected by the copyright laws, rather than being a copyright infringer from copying what someone else has created.

Please check out these artists’ blog for their wonderful inspirations.

Joanne Sharpe

Beth Parker

Sue Zipkin

Brenda Pinnick

Aaron Christensen

Sharyn Sowell

Chris Chun

Vickie Singleton

Monica Lee

Molly Smith

Shelly Kennedy

Jen Goode

Jane Maday

Robin Pickens

And please – be inspired to be original!

Phyllis

Anything you create is protected by the copyright laws.  It doesn’t matter if its art, a design, written work, a craft design or a photograph. Its yours if you are the original creator and the creation does not contain someone else’s copyrighted works. You can write a poem, draw a flower, take a picture of your cat or whatever you choose to create – its yours from the moment of creation.

There are so many nuances of the law that at times it seem confusing and can result in myths. Some of these myths result in our creations being used illegally.

I have formed a new group on LinkedIn – Copyrights – Artist’s Rights to actively help educate and spread awareness of the copyright laws. I would love to have all of you who work with copyrighted materials, whether you create something or are a manufacturer, attorney or agent, join this group.

Have a beautiful, creative day!

Phyllis

When I was on a work-cation at the beach a few weeks ago with my husband who was vacationing, my talented friend Brenda Pinnick visited (see my prior blog post on one of the craft projects resulting from our craft brainstorming). After we talked crafts, bought some craft supplies and then crafted a while, Brenda asked if she could paint something on one of my walls. Of course, I said yes immediately (Brenda is a well known artist and an expert at painting murals).

Brenda selected a wall, made a quick sketch and started painting. A gorgeous mermaid emerged from her paint brush. I have always loved mermaids as they are so romantic and whimsical, so I was more than thrilled to have one on my wall, especially since it was painted by a wonderful friend.

Here’s a closeup of her face,  isn’t she beautiful!

Now, is there such a thing as a MerMAN?

Phyllis