tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21940048502105671002024-03-12T18:22:10.452-06:00Aurora Wings - Fantasy Art of MitziNews, works-in-progress, and musings by Mitzi Sato-WiuffMitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-81839168339796513692018-04-27T22:44:00.000-06:002018-04-27T22:59:13.955-06:00EMG Kickstarter for Coloring Books - 3 Days Left!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Final Weekend of the Kickstarter</span><br />
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The <b><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1624616265/enchanting-fantasy-coloring-books-complete-your-co/description" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign by EMG</a></b> is down to the final 3 days now. Last time I checked (this evening), the Stretch Goal #2 has just been unlocked. This means all supporters who are getting physical copies of coloring books will be getting the two postcards of the cover art included in the package. :D They will be lovely collectibles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Ellen Million Graphics<br />
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Even if you're pledged at just a PDF book level, Ellen is making this reward available as an add-on for $5 USD for US/ $6 USD for international. Postcards will be shipped in a small envelope with a thank you note. (To get add-ons, you simply stay at your current reward level tier, and change the value of your pledge to "add on" however much you need to cover the goodies you want.)<br />
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Stretch Goal #3 has been announced! The PDF copy of Ellen's "Asterix" for every supporter at $2,600 USD.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last Chance for the PDF Coloring Books</span><br />
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Hope you take advantage of this rare opportunity to get EMG's fantasy coloring books in PDF format. Next Kickstarter could be... who knows... a year or two from now.<br />
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Meanwhile, if you want to pre-order a physical copy of Gardens & Goddesses vol. 3, I've opened pre-ordering at my web site. <a href="https://www.aurorawings.com/coloring-book-6.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">G&G vol. 3 pre-order</a><b> </b>Pre-order is accepted through the end of May.</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-58848319184004078312018-04-18T11:18:00.000-06:002018-04-18T13:18:39.545-06:00EMG Kickstarter for Coloring Books Continues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Gardens & Goddesses vol. 3</span></div>
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It's official! Now that the EMG Kickstarter's original goal has been met, the two new titles - one from me, and one from Ellen - are going to print. The files had already been sent to the printer for proof, so this is great news! I'm a bookworm of a traditional kind, so naturally, I much prefer holding a book (coloring book included) in my hand than have a PDF on my computer to print from.</div>
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That said, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not bothered by the ever-increasing shipping cost of everything, especially international packages. So I totally understand all the positive things we can say about PDF files... and the people who ask for them.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">PDF Copies Available Only During the Fundraiser</span></div>
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As long as I have been with EMG (I think since 2010, if my memory serves.), they have always made the PDF versions available only during the Kickstarter, and this is an event that comes around every year or two. My last participation as a solo-title artist was back in 2014. And there was several multi-artist compilation projects that I participated along the way. But the case in point here is DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY! If you don't put in your pledge (Your first book - any title - starts at $9 USD, with each additional title at $6 USD.) by the end of May 1, you will most likely have to wait till their next Kickstarter to get your hands on a PDF version of our coloring books.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Stretch Goal #2 in Sight </span></div>
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The fundraiser reached the original goal well before the end of Day 1. The Stretch Goal #1 was also reached. So one of the out-of-print titles is going back to print and comes back to life in a physical manifestation. Now Ellen has set the Stretch Goal #2.</div>
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She's offering to add these two images - the cover art images from the new coloring books - as glossy postcard-size prints, to be included on all packages that go out with the physical copies of the books shortly after the campaign wraps up. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">New Rewards Available - Originals </span></div>
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Originals from Ellen and myself are now offered as add-on rewards for those supporters who are looking for something special to keep for themselves or to give away as gifts. I have 5 pieces made available for this special occasion, and Ellen has 6 pieces listed.</div>
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As all these works are images included in the new release books, this is a truly unique, collector's opportunity. Hope you consider. But please know that the pledge level starts at $9 USD for a PDF copy of a coloring book, and goes up from there. Every pledge level includes 1 PDF book of your choice, and if you only want PDFs, each add-on of PDF copy is $6 USD each. So if you want my 3 volumes of the Gardens & Goddesses series in PDFs, you pledge $21 USD ($9 + $6 + $6) under "Pledge $20 or more" tier, for example.</div>
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And here's an important point to remember. If you want anything non-PDF as a reward for your pledge, be sure to contact Ellen as soon as you make a pledge (When you click on the fundraiser creator's icon at the upper left of the Kickstarter page, you'll be sent to her profile, where you'll find a 'Contact me' button.), and let her know which physical coloring book(s) or original art you'd like to stake a claim on. Once a valid claim has been made, that item will be marked accordingly so no other supporter can claim it. Some of the coloring books are 'limited quantities' and it could be a while before they get reprinted (As much as I hate to say it, times are tough for publishing in general these days, and especially so for a small business.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">PayPal Option Now Available </span><br />
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You can now pledge support, using PayPal on Ellen's site, if you don't want to use credit card through Kickstarter. The off-Kickstarter pledges will be tallied and posted with periodic updates. <br />
<b><i><a href="https://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/kickstarter.php" target="_blank">Pledge via PayPal</a></i></b></div>
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Hope to see you there among supporters. And if you've already made a pledge, thank you so much! If you have any questions regarding the details of this Kickstarter event, feel free to ask me here as well as on different groups and pages I frequent on Facebook. I'll do my best to answer, and if your question stumps me, I'll get a hold of Ellen to get an answer.</div>
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-6449715235613910322018-04-16T17:40:00.001-06:002018-04-17T12:11:09.972-06:00EMG Kickstart Is LIVE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've been having fun all weekend long at the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/182053685743559/" target="_blank">Kickstarter Launch Party on FB</a></b>, showing off colored pages and playing other games. I just dispatched two more of my prizes to the lucky winners this afternoon, and THAT's always fun.<br />
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My <b><a href="https://aurorawingschallenge.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Aurora Wings Challenge Blog</a></b> also just kicked off with a new challenge theme earlier today. Yes, Ellen and I have been coordinating events together for this venture in hopes that two heads really are better than one. Our new theme is <a href="https://aurorawingschallenge.blogspot.com/2018/04/challenge-66-black-white-with-or.html" target="_blank"><i>Black & White with or without a Splash of Color</i> </a>. It is a fun one whether you are a card maker or a coloring enthusiast. This is a theme that brings the best in the designers on my design teams, so I think people will have lots of fun if they can just give it a try.<br />
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Going back to the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1624616265/enchanting-fantasy-coloring-books-complete-your-co" target="_blank"><b>EMG's Kickstarter</b></a>. We have a window of 2 weeks to get the fund raised to print the two titles - my '<b><a href="https://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/coloringbook.php?id=77" target="_blank"><i>Gardens & Goddesses vol. 3</i></a></b>' and <b><a href="https://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/coloringbook.php?id=78" target="_blank"><i>Ellen's 'Splendrix</i></a></b>'. (Click on the titles to be taken to the info page where you can view preview pages and download a free high-resolution sampler page to color.) And this is the rare opportunity for people to get the <b>PDF copies</b> of the coloring books from EMG. I occasionally hear my international (I mean the people from outside the US.) Etsy customers talk how prohibitive the shipping cost is. I've had way more people just order them anyway, but I totally understand how expensive shipping cost has gotten in recent years.<br />
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At the time of this writing, I know the initial goal has already been met - literally within hours on Day 1. Woot! So now, it's time for the Stretch goal #1. I say '#1' because, judging from how EMG's Kickstarter events had gone before in the past, there will be many goals met along the 2-week campaign. Some of the stretch goals will be reprinting of the out-of-print titles, and others may include additional new titles - not sure on this, since I'm not the decision maker in this campaign, so don't hold your breath! At any rate, as a supporter, your pledge will be helping to bring more coloring books to you. If this sounds like a cause you can get excited about, I invite you to come check out the campaign <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1624616265/enchanting-fantasy-coloring-books-complete-your-co" target="_blank">right here</a>!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">UPDATE </span>(April 17, 2018)<br />
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Before the half day's mark, this fundraiser has met the original goal. And just before the 24 hours mark, the first Stretch Goal has been unlocked. Our big thank-you to our awesome supporters! Now that the initial goal has been met, this project is officially funded, and now this Kickstarter essentially functions like a pre-order for coloring books for all those who are interested.<br />
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And also because the project is funded, Ellen can now start accepting pledges via PayPal, outside the Kickstarter, to be counted toward the total, for those who don't have/don't want to use credit cards. Contact her via comment at the Kickstarter page or click on the circular icon of Ellen to access her profile, where you can find a 'contact me' button to send her a message.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Additional Info for PDF Orders/Pledges</span><br />
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The first pledge tier for this event is set at $9 USD, with the reward specified as 'one PDF coloring book'. Please know that you can pledge different amount from what's listed on tiers. Ellen has set additional PDF coloring book at $6 USD each. So if you want to get all of my Gardens & Goddesses coloring books (3 volumes) in PDFs, simply pledge $21 USD ($9 + $6 + $6 = $21). No need to send her a message to tell her which titles of PDFs you want just yet. You will receive an email (They call it 'survey' on Kickstarter.) once the campaign wraps up, and you will be able to specify your choices of books then. But IF you're wanting to stake a claim on a physical copy of a title that is running low in stock, you need to message her right away.<br />
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-76989632894310498782018-04-14T16:36:00.001-06:002018-04-14T16:36:49.405-06:00More on Gardens & Goddesses vol. 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The EMG Kickstarter Launch Party continues through the weekend at <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/182053685743559/" target="_blank">the FB event page</a></b>. We've been playing games and posting covers and preview of inside pages even. There was a reveal today of all the images that are included in the upcoming Gardens & Goddesses vol. 3 that I'm sharing today.<br />
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<br />I'm the co-host with Ellen, so I'll be popping in and out throughout and commenting on everyone's posts. After being stuck with a few ridiculously gusty, cold days, we are finally treated to a beautiful clear sky with gentle breezes, so I'm squeezing in some backyard gardening in my day, but I'll check in as I take mini-breaks.<br /><br />To join in any of the 'open' games, you just come to the event page and either post your response or pics of the colored page (or two) in the appropriate spots. All games will select winners by random number, so everyone has a chance to win. We won't be judging the colored works based on quality or anything. We're all about fun with coloring. Hope you can join now through Monday, the 16th.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1J3K6HfuJoA/WtJ-uyczhQI/AAAAAAAAIWc/dEteltwh-tkl2U2QbDkLRzKobsg8O-GPQCLcBGAs/s1600/KickstarterAd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="1200" height="220" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1J3K6HfuJoA/WtJ-uyczhQI/AAAAAAAAIWc/dEteltwh-tkl2U2QbDkLRzKobsg8O-GPQCLcBGAs/s400/KickstarterAd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />And here's a little bit more about the Kickstarter itself, which will begin on Monday the 16th. We're trying to raise funds to bring these two titles as the main goal. Splendrix by Ellen Million, and Gardens & Goddesses vol. 3 by yours truly. If we meet the first goal, there will be stretch goals added with detailed descriptions. Ellen is planning to bring a few of the out-of-print titles of popular coloring books from the EMG library. All coloring books titles by EMG will be available in physical copies as well PDF format (no limit on PDF coloring books, while some titles are extremely limited in physical copies). When the Kickstarter goes live, you'll be able to read all the details. Ellen has run multiple successful Kickstarters to bring many titles of coloring books. So I expect this time around will be no exception in terms of the fun and excitement this will generate. Start browsing <b><a href="https://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/coloringbooks.php" target="_blank">EMG coloring books</a></b> right here at their web site today!</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-79226642626254576572018-04-11T17:10:00.001-06:002018-04-11T20:19:55.781-06:00Gardens & Goddesses vol 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I can't believe that this is my first post in almost 2 years! Time flies...</div>
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I couldn't help but notice that my previous post was about a coloring book, and the post before that was about a Kickstarter fundraiser by EMG. Well, we've come a full circle. My post today is about a new Kickstarter by EMG.<br />
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I am happy to say that this upcoming Kickstarter is for the Gardens & Goddesses vol. 3 - yes, finally! The first and the second volumes proved to be very successful over the years. And I've had many inquiries in the past few years about G & G vol. 3. Considering that the second volume came out in 2014, and there are artists who just pumps out one volume after another, this is a long time coming, indeed.<br />
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Tomorrow, and the extended weekend that follows, I will be co-hosting the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/182053685743559/" target="_blank">Kickstarter Launch Party on FB</a></b> with Ellen as kind of a before-party to the actual fundraiser event. It should be fun with the unveiling of the covers (I got to help on that this time!) plus games and prizes all week long. Everyone is invited to just stop by whenever they want and check out what's going on for a chance to win pages from the new coloring book.<br />
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Of course, the main reason I'm mentioning this FB party and the fundraiser that will follow (from April 16 through May 1) is that THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET PDF VERSIONS OF THE COLORING BOOKS!! Yes, Ellen only makes the PDF versions of the coloring books available during the Kickstarter for new coloring books. All of EMG's fantasy coloring books for grown-ups, including mine, will be offered to the people who pledge support during the Kickstarter event.<br />
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Ellen has told me that the support level starts from under $10 USD all the way up to a few hundred dollars for those with deep wallets and penchant for supporting art events, with reward tiers starting with a single coloring page download all the way up to all the physical copies, PDF copies, and maybe some original artworks by us (Things have a way of getting added as the fundraiser goes on...). She makes it very friendly and accessible for most anyone, that's for sure.</div>
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While I'm writing up this post, I will also mention that she has a FB group called <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/coloristasofellenmilliongraphics/" target="_blank">Coloristas of Ellen Million Graphics</a> </b>and I highly recommend this group to anyone who enjoys coloring beautiful line art images, but especially if you're from outside the US or your budget is limited (or both). She routinely makes coloring pages from different titles available for members to color. But please know that she's not just doing a giveaway for the sake of giving things away. It's more like, 'You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'. She asks that you kindly share the photos of your finished coloring (or work-in-progress, if you like) in various social media you use, with proper credits mentioned before you request another file to color. Sounds perfectly fair, doesn't it?<br />
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You request an image in a comment at the group, they'll PM you the image.<br />
You post your finished coloring, and then you can request another, and so on.</td></tr>
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Ellen also has a <b><a href="https://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/coloringbook.php?id=77" target="_blank">high-resolution PREVIEW PAGE download</a></b> already available at the EMG web site. This offer is separate from what is on offer at the Coloristas group on FB, so you're free to just enjoy coloring. You are, of course, invited to show your coloring of this page at the group as well. And of course, any members coloring any of my images are welcome to post at the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/StampsByAuroraWings/" target="_blank">Stamps by AuroraWings</a></b> group as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ntBWH9m9_Rs/Ws6ShA11ZQI/AAAAAAAAIVw/x5SviYo37NEPuKlNi9-26OvYAvlu3jpNgCLcBGAs/s1600/GandGvol3_FreeSamplerImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="618" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ntBWH9m9_Rs/Ws6ShA11ZQI/AAAAAAAAIVw/x5SviYo37NEPuKlNi9-26OvYAvlu3jpNgCLcBGAs/s400/GandGvol3_FreeSamplerImage.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a preview of a preview, so go get your hi-res download at the link above.</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, I am currently out of Gardens & Goddesses vol. 1 and 2 at <b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/AuroraWings" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a></b>. More will be coming and the listings for those titles will become active once I have some in stock and ready to ship. I always tuck in some extra goodies and a hand-written note with all prints and coloring books orders.<br />
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Anyhow, that's it for the first post in nearly 2 years today. I have to get back to work. I have digi new release showcase to get ready for tomorrow, and some garden work to do before things get out of control. (Can't believe it's 80 degrees right now! Everything is coming up green - well, mostly weeds...)<br />
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-84964030930221188252016-05-02T16:45:00.000-06:002016-05-26T19:17:15.233-06:00Coloring Book Giveaway on Facebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While spring cleaning my work area's random stash - papers and envelopes casually stacked as high as the laws of physics allow - I came across an old "printer's test" copy of the <b>Gardens & Goddesses</b> coloring book in an envelope. There's nothing wrong with this copy of the book in terms of the most important part of the book, the inside pages. The cover, however, is flimsy. This was from back when the previous printing company decided to cut down on cost of both the production and shipping by using a lighter weight paper for the cover. They tested using the same paper stock as the inside pages. Well, both my publisher and myself, upon inspection, decided that we didn't like the new cover stock. In the end, my publisher decided to work with a completely different printing company, which gave us a better cover stock and printing quality than ever. Interesting how things work out sometimes.<br />
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Since I no longer sell this particular edition of my coloring book, I'm giving it away to the lucky winner on Facebook at the Stamps by AuroraWings group. I am throwing in a mini-poster print (8.5 x 11 inches) of <i>Enchanted Visions </i>and a couple of extra goodies in the package when I send out the coloring book.<br />
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The deadline to enter is 11:59 pm EDT US on Saturday, May 7, 2016 (That's 3:59 am GMT on Sunday, May 8.). The winner will be randomly selected from all entrants and will be contacted for the postal address. Please see entry details at the original post found on the group wall at <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/StampsByAuroraWings" target="_blank">Stamps by AuroraWings Facebook group</a></b>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>The disclaimer - <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;">This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. By entering, entrants agree to a complete release of Facebook.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;">Edit: Helen S. of Ohio was the lucky winner of the random drawing.<br /></span></span></div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-9922447007576228902016-04-16T16:01:00.000-06:002016-04-17T00:39:46.841-06:00New Kickstarter by EMG<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ellen Million Graphics</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is an artist-owned small business and a publisher of coloring books for grownups. Ellen has been at it since way before the current coloring book boom took hold as THE hottest creative hobby. As some of you may already know, all of my coloring books are published by EMG. It's an artists-friendly, totally legit company you would be proud to be a supporter of. Take it from one of the artists represented - ME! There are so many shady publishing companies and self-proclaimed "artists" jumping onto the coloring book bandwagon by ripping off copyrighted artwork of numerous fantasy artists out there (myself included). There are also coloring books that are nothing but compilation of lines traced from photos grabbed online. EMG's coloring books are fantasy art (no doodly pattern stuff), originally conceived and executed by fantasy artists, printed with permission and royalties paid out regularly. Sure, the books cost a little more, but you know, that's what it takes when you are bringing original, creative visions by working artists, instead of ripping off people and getting the images for free and selling cheap books to customers who don't know any better (or don't care...).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">EMG is running a Kickstarter campaign to bring new titles of coloring books again. I have several images included in the compilation, multi-artists collaborative coloring book titles this time (No solo titles this time. Sorry, peeps!). With the fundraiser comes the precious opportunity to get PDF versions of my coloring books. Neither EMG or myself offer PDF versions of the coloring books outside of the fundraiser. So if you are either, 1.) totally opposed to paying high shipping cost, or 2.) prefer PDF so you can print over and over ... or 3.) live outside of the US where shipping would be totally ridiculous, then take advantage of the offer and pledge support today!! (I'll be honest, I'd rather not ship coloring books too far, either.)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Click <b><i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1624616265/more-fantasy-coloring-books-for-so-called-grown-up" target="_blank">HERE</a></i></b> to go to the fundraiser page!</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />You'll be supporting many fantasy artists when you pledge your support. There are so many different support levels available from just $9 USD to $250 USD or more. The perks that come with each tier are different. The higher the amount pledged, the more goodies you'll get.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0Hbt8oP1_Y/VxMsnkmeNYI/AAAAAAAAG3Q/IyVXcMehercA9ztjnp1FpSPwiNkSCoG1wCLcB/s1600/LadyOfTheSea_blogpreview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0Hbt8oP1_Y/VxMsnkmeNYI/AAAAAAAAG3Q/IyVXcMehercA9ztjnp1FpSPwiNkSCoG1wCLcB/s320/LadyOfTheSea_blogpreview.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lady of the Sea" with detailed background for the new multi-artists 'mermaid' book.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XpvNfAhP25c/VxMs4iMAacI/AAAAAAAAG3U/uVH1k60F8UsMBbzATCARDRCEORU5gneQQCLcB/s1600/MermaidAndHerBaby_blogpreview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XpvNfAhP25c/VxMs4iMAacI/AAAAAAAAG3U/uVH1k60F8UsMBbzATCARDRCEORU5gneQQCLcB/s320/MermaidAndHerBaby_blogpreview.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mermaid & Her Baby" with stylized background for the multi-artists 'mermaid' book.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, you can order my coloring books (I'll sign it out to whomever you specify.) at my Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/AuroraWings?section_id=12556075" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I routinely enclose extra goody or two in my packages, normally ship within 24 hours of confirmed payment, and you'll get tracking.</span></span></div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-75274707917302769232016-03-19T10:48:00.000-06:002016-03-19T11:55:33.679-06:00Do Something Positive<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's a change of pace from the previous post of my ranting about art theft (Why is it that you get so much more response to gripes and rants on social media in general...? Well, I have a pretty good idea why, but I'm always amazed at the spike in attention that these types of posts receive.). Today, I get to talk about doing something good with my art, in my humble attempt at contributing for a good cause.</div>
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Really, nothing is more empowering than running a fundraiser where I can offer my art as a small incentive to donate to a worthy cause. The power to create something from nothing is always at our disposal as artists, but the power to create so you can give to a cause is really special. It took a comment from my own child pointing this out for me to stop what I was doing ( = feeling busy and almost overwhelmed handling the donations and dispatching images via email) and let it sink in.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nvs8zQCGjek/Vu12Inr8FMI/AAAAAAAAG1s/zgSAUy3Vcbgq5t0jifoSWeMPGaAdVciYg/s1600/SlowLorisFundraiserCover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nvs8zQCGjek/Vu12Inr8FMI/AAAAAAAAG1s/zgSAUy3Vcbgq5t0jifoSWeMPGaAdVciYg/s400/SlowLorisFundraiserCover.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.youcaring.com/slow-loris-rescue-at-internationalanimalrescue-org-538745" target="_blank">Fundraiser for Slow Loris Rescue (March 18 ~ April 3)</a></b></div>
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I seem to be constantly heaping more 'stuff to do' onto my plate and getting ever more behind, but it's also true that when you do more (and get it out of the way), there's more flowing in, whether it's money, work, or opportunities. It's all energy after all. I admit, it was a little overwhelming to add this fundraiser, plus the celebration event on Facebook, to an already-packed month. But I tend to go with what my gut tells me and this was a special cause that I felt compelled to add to my schedule after messaging back and forth with one of the members of my FB group, Laine Kammeraad. She was instrumental in pointing me to info and helping me select the rescue to support with our fundraiser.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Slow Loris Sprite" digi. This is a gift with donation of any amount.</td></tr>
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With two challenge blogs and a showcase blog, staying on top of everything can be a little challenging for one person with more than a slight tendency for disorganization. Still, I try by having a wall calendar and a large appointment book and having everything written down. That seems to be working to help me stay on top of things. "Staying on top" simply means that I meet the deadlines - most of the time, barely. Sometimes I wonder if I'm taking on too much and giving myself grey hair and too much grief and stress. But you know what they say about idle hands and idle minds...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Slow Loris in Leaves" digi. Additional gift with donation of $10 USD or more.</td></tr>
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So imagine my delight when so many of my designers at AuroraWings was able to help me out on such a short notice. I consider one week to be extremely short for creative ventures of any kind, don't you? Well, that was all I managed to give. I honestly thought I'd be lucky to get one complete project and maybe one or two coloring on the Slow Loris Sprite to use on the fundraiser graphics and the showcase for the launch yesterday. But by Thursday night's deadline, I had 11 fantastic samples from all three teams (and 1 additional sample, later). I really am amazed how these designers found time and motivation to do it on such a short notice. I think it's love for the animals. And their kind and generous hearts. Giving takes energy, although it's something that we all can do in quite a few ways. And it's my observation that those who give more, receive more, and in turn, they'll give even more. The whole flow and exchange of energy is pretty magical and so positive. Love it!<br />
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Please support the fabulous AW designers by visiting this <b><a href="http://www.aurorawingsshowcase.blogspot.com/2016/03/slow-loris-fundraiser-special-showcase.html" target="_blank">awesome showcase</a></b> we just had to kick off the fundraiser.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gRS1jJnh-5s/Vu17pLLMeSI/AAAAAAAAG18/zWaDIw5VzCAgOi1kbpvrQES9XU3MUvHfg/s1600/SamplesCollage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gRS1jJnh-5s/Vu17pLLMeSI/AAAAAAAAG18/zWaDIw5VzCAgOi1kbpvrQES9XU3MUvHfg/s400/SamplesCollage1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample collage 1 (clockwise from top left : Debbie Pamment, Sara Pyper, Debra Shaw, Jan Thompson, Gloria Palmer-Steiger, Julie Reed)</td></tr>
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I am looking forward to seeing the projects and colorings made by the donors who received the images. We already have 2 entries into the color & craft contest at our FB group at the time of writing. Each card, each coloring done, and each post on social media and blog will start another round of ripples of energy to spread the word. Fundraisers like this one that involve and encourage creativity on organizers as well as donors, I think, are really fantastic for that reason. Monetary donations are most appreciated and helpful, but the additional creative efforts contribute so much, too, in terms of introducing more people to these animals, and increasing awareness of the need for their conservation. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GH8ffXAdsQc/Vu1998_3K4I/AAAAAAAAG2I/LbpcobVB0fEjtCZykCiNFMxAeOGqBXYcg/s1600/SampleCollage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GH8ffXAdsQc/Vu1998_3K4I/AAAAAAAAG2I/LbpcobVB0fEjtCZykCiNFMxAeOGqBXYcg/s400/SampleCollage2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample collage 2 (clockwise from top left: RoRa, Donna Mundinger, Silvia Sencaka, Marion Lones, Cristena Bagne, Karola Geiger)</td></tr>
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I guess the warm fuzzy feeling an event like this gives me is the sense of community coming together. I do my small part of contributing the images and organizing the fundraiser, but the donors and other supporters are actively involved and playing vital parts that contribute to the growth of a movement. In the end, a simple seed of an idea becomes a much bigger entity, like a healthy, fast-growing tree. It is a thrill to see it all unfold - by the numbers growing on the total amount raised, by the pictures of entries posted into the contest, and all the buzz!! Thank you, my AW designers, for helping make it a success!!<br />
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My latest update reported a fundraiser total of $452 USD, which is 90.4% of our original goal. If this keeps up, I'll have to add a reward for topping the goal. Wouldn't that be great?</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-48208332593464935052016-02-13T09:14:00.005-07:002016-02-14T00:49:01.653-07:00How Adult Coloring Became Dirty Words<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you're reading this, thinking that I'll be talking about or posting images of pornographic line art from coloring books meant for adults, stop right here. This post won't be about that. You'll see what I mean by the title pretty quickly if you decide to continue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KarDKnUvP2I/Vr0Cpemgg2I/AAAAAAAAGrM/D1WJYEYyMxU/s1600/GandG1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KarDKnUvP2I/Vr0Cpemgg2I/AAAAAAAAGrM/D1WJYEYyMxU/s320/GandG1.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gardens & Goddesses, my first book from 2012 from Ellen Million Graphics. <br />
It was a long time dream of mine that finally came true.</td></tr>
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I have been selling coloring books of my detailed fantasy art since 2012, way before this adult coloring craze became so big in the past year or two. But adult coloring books are nothing new. They have been around for a long time, despite being a quiet, small niche in the publishing industry, and have been somewhat limited to mandalas, Art Nouveau and Celtic designs. These days, the market is full of beautiful books (lots of Zentangle and other doodly designs as well as fantasy artists' work) as more and more people - both professional artists who make their living with their art AND those who just see an opportunity to make quick bucks with coloring books of varying quality - are jumping in and publishing books.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9wZ7_pl0jhw/Vr0FkzQQ5OI/AAAAAAAAGrw/BYkDD0Yv80Y/s1600/PansyColored.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9wZ7_pl0jhw/Vr0FkzQQ5OI/AAAAAAAAGrw/BYkDD0Yv80Y/s1600/PansyColored.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A page from Gardens & Goddesses book that I colored with Prismacolor pencils.</td></tr>
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When you're in the field of visual art, much like fields in design and technology, you run into thieves. Many of us (not all, but many) do our part by registering our images and designs with US Copyright Office, but that doesn't mean thieves will stop, fearing legal action. All too often, they'll rip your designs off and make money and be gone just as quickly as they appeared. Art thievery is not limited to actual theft of a physical, original painting from someone's collection for the purpose of selling on the black market to the highest bidder. All too often, artists like me experience a theft of a different kind: theft by hand-copying nearly line by line to the point the image is easily recognizable as one of yours (or blatant mechanical copying) appearing in a book being sold on Amazon.com for profit; theft by someone using the image without permission on products that are sold on print-on-demand places like Zazzle or CafePress; and theft even by small businesses or companies that go into licensing agreement to legally use your art on their products, but fail to pay royalties as spelled out in the contracts. I have also seen theft of another kind where an individual would digitally manipulate the original artist's watermark and slap on theirs and claim authorship. Ridiculous, but it has happened to me, and I have seen this happen to many of my artist friends. There seems to be no limit to how low they stoop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CxI1btZkVXo/Vr0DK44xBqI/AAAAAAAAGrQ/nwdVE3nY4Q4/s1600/GandG2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CxI1btZkVXo/Vr0DK44xBqI/AAAAAAAAGrQ/nwdVE3nY4Q4/s320/GandG2.png" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gardens and Goddsses vol. 2, published in 2014, also from Ellen Million Graphics.</td></tr>
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Back to the topic of why "adult coloring" became dirty words for me. It has everything to do with the various types of theft I mentioned above. With the explosive growth of the popularity of adult coloring, came a huge crop of Facebook groups and Pinterest boards that cater to this topic and the enthusiasts. And they are hell bent on the idea of making line art available for FREE. There are a lot of images available for free with consent of the original artists, especially on places like deviantART. But the problem is, all too often, the individuals involved in administering these groups or boards have total disregard for copyright laws, or for that matter, the rights of the artists who created the images. We've all heard of people saying, "If it's on the Internet, it's free, isn't it? I think what they imply by this statement is "If it's not free already, it should be." <br />
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I've encountered Pinterest boards that were collections of artists' line art with no watermark, meaning, whoever purchased the files posted them on their boards (or bought coloring books and scanned the pages and posted them). "I bought them. It's mine now, so I can post them on my board. What's wrong with that?" They'd say. These people fail to understand that images they obtain - via download from their legitimate purchase, freely distributed as promo by the original artist/copyright owner, or something they find on the Internet that they happen to like - are not free for them to do whatever they choose. The least of which is to make it available for downloading, illegally distributing without consent or knowledge of the copyright holder/original artist, who stand to lose because of this seemingly 'harmless' action, often called 'sharing' by the offenders.<br />
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Most artists like me cannot afford a legal team dedicated solely to the patrolling of the Internet for copyright violations and infringements like Disney and other big shots have at their disposal. We largely depend on our knowledgeable and more informed fans who recognize a rip-off or a theft situation when they see it. Thank goodness for these people for reporting cases to the artists. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d6fvJdS_Iko/Vr0DnEH0FZI/AAAAAAAAGrY/G88ZmBKJjsE/s1600/MG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d6fvJdS_Iko/Vr0DnEH0FZI/AAAAAAAAGrY/G88ZmBKJjsE/s320/MG.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midnight Gardens, published in 2014 from Ellen Million Graphics, featuring darker and macabre themes.</td></tr>
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No matter how many cases I encounter, my response is the same. I get the heavy, heart-sinking feeling that makes me feel sad and angry. It also depletes my mojo. Having to deal with it also takes away a lot of my time that could be better spent doing what I love most - making art. Although there is nothing we can do to prevent from these thefts from occurring, there is at least, the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). This law releases companies like Facebook and Pinterest from any wrongdoing if a individual user violates someone's copyright by posting content without permission or otherwise breaking laws (freely distributing, or making profit off of, etc.) on their sites. What the law does is that it advises these big companies to take appropriate action in a timely manner when a formal complaint is filed. I would say that I have filed the largest number of cases with Pinterest, and fewer with Facebook, DeviantART, and Etsy (Etsy in particular doesn't make it as easy for the rights holder to file as many other places, though...). A few with Google (for Blogger). What we do is file a claim of violation by filling out a form they have ready. They usually ask if you are the copyright owner or a representative, ask to put where legitimately presented image can be found, along with the offending link(s), and your contact info, plus your digital 'signature'. In most cases in my own experience, action has been within hours. I have not had a case that did not go in my favor. So these organizations take this seriously enough to respect the rights of the artists or the right holder of the intellectual property, as they say. <br />
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What makes me sad is that there are artists who have totally given up on their rights and sit and do nothing when their art is stolen or illegally distributed for free by unscrupulous public. Whenever I come across a violation (= seeing someone's art being used without permission or inappropriately), I contact the artist as soon as I can and make them aware of the situation. There are artists who feel the same way as I do and take immediate action and file complaint cases, but there are artists who feel so helpless and decide to do nothing and tell me so in their reply. It breaks my heart when I see the latter reaction. It is YOUR art. It is YOUR intellectual property. It is YOUR livelihood. It pays for YOUR family's food, mortgage, car payment, health care, children's education ... How could you just sit there and do nothing to protect all that?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nEqMOlfGMeI/Vr0FNq_PCvI/AAAAAAAAGrs/2E0KuDifeMQ/s1600/GardeniaColored.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nEqMOlfGMeI/Vr0FNq_PCvI/AAAAAAAAGrs/2E0KuDifeMQ/s320/GardeniaColored.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A page from the Gardens & Goddesses book that I colored with Prismacolor pencils.<br />
This book was subsequently given away to the winner of a giveaway on my Facebook page.</td></tr>
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It is true that dealing with theft cases is a never ending chore, much like plucking weeds out of your garden week after week, month after month, year after year. You solve one case, and another one pops up. But to say that it's no use because there will always be people who will steal from you is bogus. I don't want a fellow artist to ever feel that helpless. "Silence is acquiescence" to those thieves and ignorant public. In cases of illegal free distribution of images via blog posts and Pinterest boards, it not only violates the rights of the artists, but it also makes a complete mockery of the paying customers, who see and appreciate the value of your time, talent, and creativity that went into the work, and are willing to pay for it. <br />
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Another thing that is hindering the artists who make living by making art, dare I say it, is the hobby artists who make their drawings available for free. I don't know if they are offering their art because they think they're not professional artists, they are just in it for popularity, or they fail to see the value of their work. I don't think there are no other field where more work is offered for free than in the field of visual art. And I think it probably has a lot to do with the society's attitude as a whole. Think about it. When politicians (including your state and local representatives or members of the school board) have to cut funding in our public school systems, where do they cut it first? Arts. Music programs, dance programs, theater programs, and visual art programs are the ones that get cut. Why? Because these are leisurely pursuits not worthy of our serious attention or government funding (taxpayers' money). It's all frivolous and does not contribute to the growth and development of the might of a country. Being an artist is not a REAL job. Because it's not a real job, you shouldn't have to pay for art. I think that's the message that our society is sending to our adults and children. And I think this is the reason why people continue to feel it's perfectly OK to freely distribute images they find on the web and they can continue on with their new-found hobby of adult coloring. It's beyond me why they would bark at paying a few dollars for a quality image when they won't even think twice to get a $5 cup of coffee every day at Starbucks. Or why they would think illegally downloading images is OK when they wouldn't dare walking out of a craft store with a set of colored pencils or markers with a "five-finger discount".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nTg-VF4m88k/Vr0GxQvhFKI/AAAAAAAAGsA/pgZzPAEWJ4A/s1600/OrchidiaColored.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nTg-VF4m88k/Vr0GxQvhFKI/AAAAAAAAGsA/pgZzPAEWJ4A/s1600/OrchidiaColored.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another page from Gardens & Goddesses colored with Prismacolor pencils.</td></tr>
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All this and the cold winter have contributed to my less-than-average motivation in recent months, starting right after the 2015 holiday season. With the warmer temperature returning and new projects on the horizon, I am focused less on the unpleasant aspects of art business and more on the positive. It does require what feels like a constant, conscious effort to shift my attention and keep it there, but I continue to receive lovely letters from colorists out there who are really enjoying my books and line images. Some even say they help them keep their minds off the difficulty life constantly throws at us. It always warms my heart and gives me encouragement to continue what I do whenever I receive a message or an email where someone shares with me that they found a precious gift in the images they color - be it a sheer joy of coloring, a moment of tranquility, or a discovery of the forgotten inner child. I am forever grateful for the kind and generous people that I come into contact in my daily dealings. It is them who make dealing with the calous and uncaring attitude of many less depressing, and lift my spirit, so I can continue to draw something beautiful, whimsical, and joyful.</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-70196600803784510912015-11-24T11:40:00.000-07:002015-11-24T11:41:12.772-07:00Holiday Sprites<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've got quite a few Sprites piled up as uncolored lines on my desk. Some are digital line art, while others are unfinished ACEOs... (boy, I hate the sound of that!). Some of these babies are 2 years old! ^^; With the publication of the Christmas Sprites coloring book from <a href="http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/coloringbooks.php" target="_blank">Ellen Million Graphics</a> and these babies becoming available as cross stitch charts from <a href="http://www.lenalawsonneedlearts.com/category-s/1876.htm" target="_blank">Lena Lawson Needle Arts</a>, I need to get these babies all colored up. But since there is no way to add more hours into our day, once you get behind with something, it just gets harder and harder... or so it seems to me. Yikes!<br />
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I did manage to color this new one, "Christmas Lights Sprite", which was not in the book. I had a pencil scribble version all ready when I was working on the coloring book images, but this one was one of the two that didn't make the deadline. So this baby was released like a regular digi.<br />
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"Christmas Lights Sprite" So many color possibilities. I went with a traditional 'Santa's Little Helper" look in red and white, but this baby is cute in blue & white, green/teal & white, green & red and many other color combos. :D Digi of the line art is available at my shop at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/254936840/digital-stamp-christmas-lights-sprite" target="_blank">this link</a>. On sale for $2.45, which is 30% off the regular price, through Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YREO-yL7TMI/VlSsaXmZNII/AAAAAAAAGiw/lzkC4T4a9MI/s1600/HollySprite_coloredCA_Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YREO-yL7TMI/VlSsaXmZNII/AAAAAAAAGiw/lzkC4T4a9MI/s400/HollySprite_coloredCA_Blog.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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"Holly Sprite" This one's lines were digitally redrawn for the new coloring book. Many of my Sprites are original ACEOs to begin with, with measurements of 2.5" x 3.5". Even with high resolution scans, lines are not crisp. Normally, I like the look of slightly messy lines as it more closely resembles the lines made with traditional rubber stamps, but when you're talking about coloring book pages printed in black ink only on white pages, files need tweaking. Some of these guys needed so much tweaking that redrawing made more sense all together. For the holly leaves, I went with a variegated look, which I think is just so pretty, that's been frost kissed to have that red tinge. Such a classic Christmas foliage, I had to go with red and white for this baby's coat! :D This baby is included in the "Christmas Sprites" coloring book, and she is also available as a line art digi at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/171111638/digital-stamp-christmas-holly-sprite-in" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZaXAXpD00dA/VlSurAgQ53I/AAAAAAAAGi8/X1jOitObxN8/s1600/ChristmasSpriteCB_cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZaXAXpD00dA/VlSurAgQ53I/AAAAAAAAGi8/X1jOitObxN8/s400/ChristmasSpriteCB_cover.png" width="258" /></a></div>
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The coloring book is now ready for immediate shipping (usually same day, if your order is made before 2 pm ET US). You can purchase a copy at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/257016331/aurora-wings-sprites-half-size-mini" target="_blank">this link</a>. I only have a very limited quantity of these, as I received more pre-orders than I originally anticipated, and I don't think I can get more in before the holiday deadline with the postal service. Don't wait till last minute if you've been looking at this one. ^_^<br />
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-58012382683064631962015-10-26T12:42:00.001-06:002015-11-01T14:50:38.279-07:00Christmas Sprites Mini Coloring Book Pre-Order<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I write this, the second volume of the Sprites coloring book, "Christmas Sprites", is getting ready at the printer. How exciting is this?! I am taking pre-orders of this title now until the shipment of books arrives at my house and list them at my Etsy shop The pre-order is being taken at my Storenvy shop. I've decided to run the pre-order campaign there, rather than doing it on my website via PayPal button or on Etsy to keep all records in one place and avoid any confusion that will come with people putting pre-order item along with regular items in their shopping cart at Etsy (As far as I know, there is no way to separate shipping or keep track of orders for partial shipment of order within their interface, so things can potentially get quite messy, I fear...).<br />
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There are 12 Sprites in all, 6 of which are brand new <b><i>coloring book exclusives</i></b> drawn for this publication. They are all Christmas themed and adorable. The previously released Sprites (in digi format) have been redrawn by me for a cleaner, crispier print in coloring book (Most home printers print with CMYK inks, which can handle hundreds of thousands of shades of grey between true black and white, but commercially printed coloring books are done in black ink, which has its peculiarities.). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qVBuNb6k3zg/Vi5rr21_zWI/AAAAAAAAGZU/DDxcJ-ipzrM/s1600/ChristmasSpritesColoringBookAd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qVBuNb6k3zg/Vi5rr21_zWI/AAAAAAAAGZU/DDxcJ-ipzrM/s400/ChristmasSpritesColoringBookAd.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the image to view larger.</td></tr>
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Here is the list of all Sprites that are included in this 'mini' coloring book (approx. 5.5" x 8.5", roughly half the size of my other fantasy coloring books).<br />
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1. Christmas Cactus Sprite<br />
2. Christmas Tree Sprite<br />
3. Poinsettia Sprite<br />
4. Mistletoe Sprite<br />
5. Little Santa (cover)<br />
6. Holly Sprite<br />
7. Holiday Wreath Sprite<br />
8. Amaryllis Sprite<br />
9. Candle Angel Sprite<br />
10. Gingerbread Man Sprite<br />
11. Stocking Sprite<br />
12. Candy Cane Sprite<br />
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This will make a wonderful gift for all those who are young at heart. These Sprites are simple and accessible for children, and whimsical and fun for the adults who enjoy coloring. The smaller size of the mini coloring books also make it easy to carry around in your bags with a set of colored pencils for coloring on the go! Rated "Pretty Easy" by EMG's coloring book difficulty level rating system. <br />
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You can pre-order these books at <b><a href="http://aurorawings.storenvy.com/products/14964369-preorder-christmas-sprites-mini-coloring-book" target="_blank">this link</a></b>. This pre-order is for a physical paper copy of a book. Digital version in PDF format is NOT planned at this time.</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-75936150619059839532015-09-21T12:36:00.001-06:002015-09-21T12:36:42.488-06:00Red Hibiscus - Commissioned ACEO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had this little beauty finished during the first week of September, but decided to wait until my client overseas confirmed me that she received it safely. It's always a little nerve-racking to ship anything overseas. Things get lost in the mail quite often - even for domestic mail. I am usually the optimistic type, but when it's something like an original art, in other words, something that cannot be replaced even with insurance, yes, I feel nervous. ^^;<br /><br />I just got the word on both Facebook and on Etsy review that my client in France has received the original ACEO safe and sound. When I checked the tracking information on this transaction, it did show that it was delivered in record time - just one week! (Whaaat? I have domestic mail that takes longer to reach me! All the time!) I have received a package from the UK in 5 days, which still holds the record for the fastest postal transit in my personal record. (Oh, the power of Her Majesty's image on the Royal Mail postage stamps.)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FLl9e62ac_A/VgBMwEAfU0I/AAAAAAAAGXA/hZtaiAVJZkA/s1600/RedHibiscusACEO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FLl9e62ac_A/VgBMwEAfU0I/AAAAAAAAGXA/hZtaiAVJZkA/s400/RedHibiscusACEO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />I haven't done a commission ACEO in a really long time, and I needed a new prescription for contact lenses for just as long. LOL There's the reason I was avoiding it! Seriously, between the high pollen count from weeds in bloom this time of the year making my eyes itchy and watery AND my lenses getting old, the tiny dimension of ACEO at just 2.5" x 3.5" is torture. (Yes, because I'm old. There, I said it.) I still LOVE to pack in tiny details and give my pieces tiny highlights despite my weak eyes. It's always a little jarring to get my head wrapped around the tiny scale, but the challenge ACEO art presents makes it fun also. <br />
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You may see me doing some more of these now that my eyes are enjoying a fresh pair of contacts. Ahhhhh.... *happy happy*<br /></div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-59894088011075685942015-08-28T19:17:00.000-06:002015-08-28T19:17:14.136-06:00Coloring Book Giveaway!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's time for a giveaway! Everyone loves giveaways. I have only won once in one of these things, but it's certainly fun to enter, but for me, it's far more fun to host these giveaways. It's always fun to hear, "Oh, I never win anything! This is awesome!" from the winners when I get in touch with them.<br /><br />One grand prize -- one coloring book shipped anywhere in the world to the lucky winner<br />
Five digi prizes -- a brand new Sprite digi to be given to additional lucky winners BEFORE public release<br />
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Interested??? Please read on!<br />
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Please go to the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FantasyArtofMitzi" target="_blank">Fantasy Art of Mitzi Facebook page</a></b> and see the pinned post of the original contest announcement at the top of the wall. The entry instructions are spelled out. The deadline is Monday, Aug. 31 at 11:59 pm EDT (3:59 am GMT, Tues. Sept. 1). The grand winner and the five digi winners will be announced on the same FB page on Sept. 1 after the random drawing takes place.<br /><br />I've got lots going on this weekend... Here's a coupon code for anyone who's shopping for digis at my <b><a href="http://www.aurorawings.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a></b>. You can get 20% OFF on your digi purchase of just $5 USD or more!!! This is a pretty good deal. :D<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6klqxCcqAwM/VeEGCfnj56I/AAAAAAAAGRI/AUoS9KioZ4Q/s1600/AugENDofMonth_Ad_2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6klqxCcqAwM/VeEGCfnj56I/AAAAAAAAGRI/AUoS9KioZ4Q/s400/AugENDofMonth_Ad_2015.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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And here's a sneak peek... Actually, a collage of three sneak peek snippets from earlier this week all put together. Interested? This lovely mermaid is an exclusive digi only available at the <b>Coloring for Clean Water</b> fundraiser taking place tomorrow. Check out more info at their event page on Facebook <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/591789404292810/" target="_blank">right here</a></b>. You can get this digi with your donation to the cause, and participate in the coloring contest to win prizes. There are prizes from different sponsors given away during the fundraiser event, too! Be sure to check it out!<br />
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I have to get back to work (original ACEOs, more digis to ink, more files to clean, store listings...). The life of a self-representing artist is never dull. XD</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-19479545760301783472015-08-11T10:06:00.000-06:002015-08-11T11:18:57.921-06:00Preview of the New Coloring Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just saw this in an e-mail newsletter from <b>Ellen Million Graphics*</b> (the publisher of my coloring books and other coloring books for grown-ups). Eek! It's a preview of all the pages that are in the new half-size Sprites coloring book, vol. 1.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9yKy0uDDoBc/VcoWlwF8mwI/AAAAAAAAGOc/PqncqKOsGcA/s1600/gardensprites-allpages-preview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9yKy0uDDoBc/VcoWlwF8mwI/AAAAAAAAGOc/PqncqKOsGcA/s400/gardensprites-allpages-preview.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image courtesy of Ellen Million Graphics</td></tr>
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The Sprites coloring books will be in a smaller format (easy to fit into your bag and carry anywhere and whip it out and color whenever you have time to kill). And fewer pages than the full-size cousins (so that the books will be able to actually close and don't look as if exploding LOL). Same paper stock and one-sided printing as the other books. This book is rated "Pretty Easy" so it is suitable for children and adults who love these little flower babies.<br />
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You can order this coloring book right now at Ellen Million Graphics at this <b><a href="http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/coloringbooks.php" target="_blank">link</a></b>. <br />
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I will be listing this coloring book at the <b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/AuroraWings" target="_blank">AuroraWings Etsy shop</a></b> once I have stock at the house and be able to process your orders right away.<br />
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The book will probably become available on Amazon here shortly as well since Ellen sells all her coloring books there as well.<br />
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* Ellen Million Graphics has been publishing coloring books for grown-ups way before 'adult coloring' became the big trend it is today. The current trend still has a major focus on mandalas and repetitive doodle-like designs mass produced by large publishing houses, but Ellen's books are created in a totally different way. She is a fantasy artist herself, and her business has always focused on products that bring other fantasy artists together and promote their work. She used to publish a monthly e-zine called EMG-Zine with articles, tutorials, fiction, poems, and artwork contributed by fellow fantasy artists. Ellen also is the tireless host of Sketch Fest, a monthly event, where anyone can give prompts for participating artists to select and work on. Ellen Million Graphics' coloring books are books of fantasy themes by fantasy artists. You'll still find princesses and mermaids, but the lines are more complex and geared toward teen & grown-ups. Some are single-artist titles like my books, and many others are multi-artist collaboration compilations (I contribute line art for these, too.). Whatever books you choose, you can feel good about supporting the creative efforts of individual artists, each one of them is a micro-business of their own.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Visit <b><a href="http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/" target="_blank">Ellen Million Graphics' website</a></b></li>
<li>Browse <b><a href="http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/coloringbooks.php" target="_blank">the full selection of coloring books for grown-ups</a></b></li>
<li>Check out the <b><a href="http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/sketchfest/" target="_blank">Sketch Fest</a> - </b><span style="font-size: x-small;">a great place to find & purchase affordable originals by your favorite fantasy artists</span></li>
<li>Like the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellen-Million-Graphics/150242701678979" target="_blank">Facebook Page of EMG</a></b> to stay in the know</li>
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-63566547329830137172015-08-08T10:03:00.000-06:002015-08-09T08:44:36.474-06:00Ice Cream Sundae Sprite<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With new coloring books of my Sprites on the way, I just finished my 63rd, "Ice Cream Sundae Sprite". Originally, the Sprites were flower babies, but then some came along that were veggies and mushrooms. Then came the cupcake and ladybug. So now, I'm in an expansion mood.<br />
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It's so easy to get behind on the coloring of my digital stamp images. I'd like to have them ready when the line art digis come out, but more often than not, I don't get around to doing the color version. I like having the partially colored preview/sample image on my listings, so in a time crunch, I literally only paint parts of the image to make the preview. I don't want to get in a habit of that as it restricts what else I can do with an image, like licensing for other products from tubes to cross stitch charts. <br />
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I'm happy to be able to show this fully colored version for a change this time. ^_^<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05eK_zSKt6M/VcYlJJU1xEI/AAAAAAAAGOE/R35043oiY_E/s1600/IceCreamSundaeSprite_colored_v2_4web.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-05eK_zSKt6M/VcYlJJU1xEI/AAAAAAAAGOE/R35043oiY_E/s400/IceCreamSundaeSprite_colored_v2_4web.png" width="321" /></a></div>
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For a Sprite, this one is loaded with details. When you just look at <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/243194213/digital-stamp-ice-cream-sundae-sprite" target="_blank">the digi version</a>, it looks simple enough, but when you really stop and think about it, this one has a lot of different textures in it, making for a nice challenge if you want to really tackle it hard core. lol Whipped cream (as white stuff is always tricky), syrup, shiny fruits, then glass bowl. Glass is intimidating for a lot of people. It's actually kind of fun to really look at something and try to reproduce it. In my work, especially with the digis, it's so easy to relax and go on an auto-pilot mode doodling manga/anime style all the time. It was nice to actually push for a little bit of realism with the colored version of this new Sprite. I'm pretty happy with the way the bottom of the image came out with the swirls of chocolate syrup and melty ice cream showing through a clear glass bowl. All in all, this was a fun one, though I was up past 1:30 on Thursday night working (But it's partly because I took a lunch break and watched an episode of Ink Master, which turned into a stretch of binge-watching of multiple episodes... Got to get better at time management!). <br />
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I really need to get the Green Man inked. I also have another exotic plant Sprite sketched out (Black Bat Orchid aka Bat Flower) and waiting to become Sprite #64. All the while, cleaning up more files for the coloring books and catching up on coloring all the inked-but-not-finished stash that need to be sent to my cross stitch chart manufacturer. Busy is good, right? :D</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-46980646083073175862015-08-05T16:39:00.000-06:002015-08-05T16:39:44.133-06:00Garden Sprites Coloring Book in the Works<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thanks to the wonderful response my coloring books have been receiving, I was able to get a new coloring book project rolling with my publisher. I have received many requests for coloring books of my Sprites, so I'm thrilled to share with you that they are in the works!<br /><br />I have drawn over 60 Sprites to date. These books will be a half size (approximately 5.5 x 8 inches) and will have fewer pages than my full-size coloring books. The Sprites were originally produced as ACEOs, which are, by definition, 2.5 x 3.5 inches. The digis of them have been offered at 5 x 7 inches to make coloring easier and to give the digi users a little more flexibility in size for crafting with them. The coloring books will be similar in digi size. I've been busy redrawing some of my earlier Sprites on my digital tablet for the fist volume of the book. I could really see the development of the style over 60+ Sprites! :D<br /><br />The books will contain 12 Sprites each. The editor decided that this was a good number for a smaller format book (Too many pages and the book will not quite close right...). She and I picked out the first set of Sprites to go into the upcoming release. We've decided on categorizing them and presenting them in non-chronological and non-alphabetical order. So you will get a nice mix of my Sprites from back when they first debuted in the summer of 2013 on original ACEOs to more recent digi releases. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uqa3YOat5QI/VcKKaPA6F5I/AAAAAAAAGMM/7auno4n41A8/s1600/SpritesColoringBookCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uqa3YOat5QI/VcKKaPA6F5I/AAAAAAAAGMM/7auno4n41A8/s400/SpritesColoringBookCover.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover image courtesy of Ellen Million Graphics</td></tr>
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I spent last week working on the digital redrawing of the line art of many of the early Sprites. The files have now been sent to the publisher and we now wait for the proof from the printer to come in before the final green light. The project is moving at a faster pace than what I originally anticipated (sometime in 2016), which is great! I can't wait to give the preview of this book. ^_^<br /><br />Speaking of previews, there will be yet another Sprite joining the ever-growing family this Friday (Aug. 7, 2015) at the <a href="http://www.aurorawingsshowcase.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">AuroraWings Showcase Blog</a>. My designers and I are working on a gallery presentation of an adorable new Sprite. Here's a tiny sneak peek (There's so much more to this one, but I'm only going to show you a little bit here. Hehe.)</div>
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-12932935104615156432015-07-09T12:54:00.000-06:002015-07-09T12:54:18.847-06:00Fundraiser for Numbats<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently I came across a Facebook post by Project Numbat Incorporated about their fundraiser to raise money for 25 radio-collars for the conservation study to be carried out by the Perth Zoo in Australia. Their fundraiser page at MyCause.com was urging people to donate for the cause or run our own campaign to raise money to help their effort. Well, I've been a fan of numbats for a while ever since I was introduced to their cuteness by my fellow Enchanged Visions and Sketch Fest artist, Jenny Heidewald. So, I thought of a way to run my own little campaign, and <b><a href="https://www.mycause.com.au/page/106429/color-for-a-cause" target="_blank">Color for a Cause</a></b> was born. :D (I also thought about Color for Collars, Craft for Numbats, etc.)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0JUHHa47vSM/VZ7Ajork3uI/AAAAAAAAGIc/QHu9xsPLkKk/s1600/NumbatSpecialEventAd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0JUHHa47vSM/VZ7Ajork3uI/AAAAAAAAGIc/QHu9xsPLkKk/s400/NumbatSpecialEventAd.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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All funds raised by my campaign will be directed to <b><a href="https://www.mycause.com.au/charity/7321/ProjectNumbatIncorporated" target="_blank">the one by Project Numbat</a> </b>(Check out this link for all the details of their effort, and scroll to the bottom of the page to see my little contributing campaign. ^_^ ). I am giving away this never-before-released "Numbat Fairy" digi (300 dpi, 5" x 6", 12.7 x 15.2 cm, black & white JPG file) to everyone who donates through my campaign. Any amount you can give is greatly appreciated!! After I get a notice from the campaign site, I send out the digi as an e-mail attachment. I am in the US, so depending on what time it is when you make a donation, there may be a time lag before you'll hear from me, but I'll be sure to get to your donation in 24 hours or less.<br /><br />There's a second part to my fundraiser. I am hosting a special event contest at the Stamps by AuroraWings Facebook group for my generous donors to show off their projects made with "Numbat Fairy" for a chance to win one of the two prizes to be awarded - the Artist's Choice Award and a random winner. Both will receive their choice of $30 USD worth of digis OR one (1) coloring book with international postage covered. The contest album is already set up to accept your entries <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.465605466942481&type=1" target="_blank">right here</a></b>. <br /><br />I have a fundraiser page with PayPal donation button set up at the <b><a href="http://www.aurorawings.com/color-for-a-cause.html" target="_blank">AuroraWings.com</a></b> site for those of you who may not have a credit card. Donations received through the AW site will be added to <b><a href="https://www.mycause.com.au/page/106429/color-for-a-cause" target="_blank">my campaign</a></b> periodically and donation total will be updated.<br /><br />This fundraiser will run through August 15, 2015. The Color & Craft Contest will be open for entries through August 29, 2015. Thank you for your support of the numbats~!!<br /></div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-4460007294570601022015-07-04T10:39:00.001-06:002015-07-04T16:06:21.575-06:00Happy Fourth of July!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source - http://wallpaperest.com/captain-america-4th-of-july-wallpaper-401932</td></tr>
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Found this awesome wallpaper this morning, and couldn't resist, as I'm a fan of Captain America (both the character and the actor who plays him, Chris Evans). Anyhow, Independence Day is known to be the day with the highest number of accidents and injuries, so, wishing my peeps a SAFE and Happy Fourth of July! :D Hope we all get to enjoy time with family and friends for a spectacular weekend.<br />
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Wanted to talk about my Sprites' cross stitch charts that are available from <b><a href="http://www.lenalawsonneedlearts.com/category-s/1876.htm" target="_blank">Lena Lawson Needle Arts</a></b> today. I am licensed with this company for the Sprites Collection and some of the whimsical animal images - all small size. I have been with two other cross stitch companies previously for my larger fantasy illustrations. Suffice to say that cross stitch charts have never been a big chunk of my art business in the past. So this time around, I went into the agreement rather tentatively to see how the Sprites will perform in this type of product line.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-9o5OM0tv4/VZgKBIKK0ZI/AAAAAAAAGG8/lLn8EyvlIKI/s320/HydrangeaSprite_CrossStitch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="309" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lenalawsonneedlearts.com/product-p/msw-06-chart-ek.htm">http://www.lenalawsonneedlearts.com/product-p/msw-06-chart-ek.htm</a></td></tr>
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I have to say I'm very pleased with the way these little ones are doing as cross stitch charts. ^_^ We have been adding steadily to the lineup, and now we are up to 22, including whimsy animals.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2RLY0I7PYc/VZgKU8YGOBI/AAAAAAAAGHE/53gYW4K6P8I/s1600/BallerinaBunny_CrossStitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2RLY0I7PYc/VZgKU8YGOBI/AAAAAAAAGHE/53gYW4K6P8I/s320/BallerinaBunny_CrossStitch.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lenalawsonneedlearts.com/product-p/msw-17-chart-ech.htm">http://www.lenalawsonneedlearts.com/product-p/msw-17-chart-ech.htm</a></td></tr>
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They are not the huge, intimidating size as projects, which may very well be the secret to their popularity. It could also be that the marketing effort by this company is much better than previous companies I dealt with. Also, I've had samples sent to me by mail, so I can tell you with confidence that these are really nice, high quality, full color charts. Printing is done with standard industry resolution (no cutting corners there), and the result is clearly printed, easy-to-read, beautiful charts. Kudos to Lena Lawson Needle Arts! I'm very happy to be represented among the artists whose lines she carries.<br />
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If you enjoy my Sprites and cute little fluffy animals, and you also enjoy making things by hand, you might enjoy cross stitching these characters. ^_^ <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.lenalawsonneedlearts.com/category-s/1876.htm" target="_blank">Lena Lawson Needle Arts</a></b><br />
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-64436167650556439232015-06-26T13:33:00.001-06:002015-06-28T07:41:06.648-06:00My First Attempt at Doll Making<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Had no idea what I was getting myself into. lol I've been wanting to make some kind of dolls for some time now. I think something in me was craving for 3D art after doing a lot of 2D stuff. I started buying books on doll making on Amazon and started making a project in paper clay earlier this month, but it involves waiting the clay to dry before moving onto the next phase of the project, so I ended up starting on a cloth mermaid doll, with the intention of working on both in alternating phases. What happened was that my clay doll head being left on the drying rack and my focusing on the cloth doll. ^^; I'll eventually finish the clay one. I promise.<br />
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I took some pics along the way since it was slow-going. Well, it's my first attempt, so I wasn't expecting it to go fast by any means. ^_^ I've made dresses before, so I knew how the sewing machine worked. And I have lots of patience, so I figured I could try my hands at this. :D<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-85BRv1D2w3c/VY2aR3IwdJI/AAAAAAAAGFE/yG8S-frKsmU/s1600/ClothDoll_WIP1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-85BRv1D2w3c/VY2aR3IwdJI/AAAAAAAAGFE/yG8S-frKsmU/s400/ClothDoll_WIP1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The books I was using for instruction are by Jan Horrox - "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Making-Cloth-Dolls-Horrox/dp/1844484580" target="_blank">Introduction to Making Cloth Dolls</a>" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1844487652" target="_blank">Making Fantasy Cloth Dolls</a>". The books include patterns at the end which are actual size for the projects demonstrated with text and photos in the books. The body parts are also interchangeable between projects and books, so you can try different types of heads, hands and feet, and body. I wanted to make a mermaid - also figured this would be one less limb to deal with as my family quickly pointed out - so I based the tail on Jan's mermaid from the fantasy book and used the body from a fairy from the intro book. <br />
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She recommended Pimatex, so I ordered a yard from an eBay seller. The cloth needed to be dyed some shade of skin color, and the dye mentioned in the book had to be shipped from the UK, so I looked up Rit's web site, found formula for a custom shade, which required 3 bottles of different colors. The Rit dye turned out to be available widely at stores, but never the complete line in one location... So I ended up buying their "Camel" (shade of brown/tan) and eyeballed it with a scrap of Pimatex. First test turned out too dark, so I went easy on the whole yard of fabric. Amazingly, I got lucky and got what I wanted. :D<br />
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Head was harder than I thought. :( My sewing machine is old ... like over 20 years, and I only have a very limited assortment of 'feet'. So the process probably was harder than it could have been, but managed to sew up something that looked like a head. Ears were fun. And of course, drawing in the face was a fun part although my black Pigma, which shouldn't have reacted to water, actually ran a little bit when I was cleaning the purple 'disappearing ink' lines with a bit of water. *Note to self: wait for it to air dry and disappear next time.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_RcN-ejLpls/VY2c0koltZI/AAAAAAAAGFM/AlYZC8snMzU/s1600/DollParts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_RcN-ejLpls/VY2c0koltZI/AAAAAAAAGFM/AlYZC8snMzU/s400/DollParts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then came the body and limbs. The hands were tedious, trying to make all these tiny curves with a sewing machine. Also difficult was sewing in curved lines - I was always just slightly 'off' one way or the other. No two limbs are exactly alike, in my case, which I guess is actually also the case in nature. ^^; At least, the hands with webbed fingers did not require my to turn the fingers one by one, which looks like a total pain in the rear...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zwm37NPFIDc/VY2duTa4nBI/AAAAAAAAGFU/82O8uRrGipg/s1600/ClothDoll_wip3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zwm37NPFIDc/VY2duTa4nBI/AAAAAAAAGFU/82O8uRrGipg/s400/ClothDoll_wip3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I did my mermaid's bust differently than the book, by the way. I wanted her to actually have breasts, so I altered the instruction on one of the fairies that wore a bustier. Instead of using print fabric, I just used the skin color to make the cups. The tail was fun to make. Actually, the whole thing seemed less daunting once the hands and arms were done.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOi8f8K7evk/VY2eYK87prI/AAAAAAAAGFc/RO9NR87qWW8/s1600/MermaidBodyWIP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOi8f8K7evk/VY2eYK87prI/AAAAAAAAGFc/RO9NR87qWW8/s320/MermaidBodyWIP.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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Gave her a bra top, then beads and sequins all over. I like this kind of work. Tedious yet simple, so mind is free to wander off... ahem, ponder on all important things. lol<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YVcZH4vN5Rc/VY2e0TzoyOI/AAAAAAAAGFk/ezPxCaCUexA/s1600/BodyPartsWIP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YVcZH4vN5Rc/VY2e0TzoyOI/AAAAAAAAGFk/ezPxCaCUexA/s400/BodyPartsWIP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Did some more painting with acrylics on her shoulders and along the spine.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HA7oFdvrGHY/VY2fA05QdTI/AAAAAAAAGFs/Og1_vjVRLk8/s1600/HeadWithPaintJob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HA7oFdvrGHY/VY2fA05QdTI/AAAAAAAAGFs/Og1_vjVRLk8/s400/HeadWithPaintJob.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Gave her pearl earrings. :) The plastic bag behind her head is the dyed Tibetan lamb's wool I purchase from another seller on eBay. It said "remnants" on the listing, but I got a lot of this stuff for as little as I paid. I'll be going back to this seller for more hair in my future project, no doubt.<br />
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Anyhow, I made a mistake of attaching the tail to the body before attaching the arms to the body like the book instructed. Getting disorganized by combining parts from two different dolls in two different books... Nothing major. Just a lot of things that get in the way of the thread when you're trying to attach the head to the neck between the limbs (BTW, I think I will shorten her arms' pattern in my future dolls... they're disproportionately long for my taste.) and all the beads and sequins on the tail. ^^;<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4qVlcvGsLs/VY2foghAUeI/AAAAAAAAGF0/jeRRY0GhmA0/s1600/HairProcessing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4qVlcvGsLs/VY2foghAUeI/AAAAAAAAGF0/jeRRY0GhmA0/s400/HairProcessing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The hair was a bit of a mystery to me at first. In the books, Jan used yarns, strips of cloths, etc. And she also used lamb's wool, but attached the sheet straight onto the head. I wanted to try the method shown by the lady I bought the hair from (She makes beautifully intricate polymer dolls and keeps a detailed blog with lots of pics. Totally inspiring!). She cuts the locks in small segments and glues them in one small section at a time. First, I had to check if this was feasible with cloth head. So I did a test attachment on a scrap of Pimatex. It worked really well. So I started out at the nape of the head, gluing the segment of hair one small bit at a time. The Fabri-Tac glue is reasonably easy to work with. It has a consistency, for a lack of better word, of nasal mucus, quite a bit stickier, of course, but if you get a little on your finger, you can just roll the glue into a little ball and pling! lol<br />
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The mermaid's hair took me hours. And the lamb's wool kept shedding even from just handling the remnant sheets. This was, by far, the messiest stage of this project. In the end, my mermaid ended up with more of a Troll look (Remember these pudgy guys?) than what I originally envisioned for her, I like her wild fluffy hair just as much. ^_^<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nu1OtS9_-8c/VY2r8RTb2zI/AAAAAAAAGGc/Hi_jhvI5SfM/s1600/TrollDolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nu1OtS9_-8c/VY2r8RTb2zI/AAAAAAAAGGc/Hi_jhvI5SfM/s320/TrollDolls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source <a href="http://kleberly.com/309685-troll-doll.html">http://kleberly.com/309685-troll-doll.html</a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2_mlw6q4oFA/VY2mf4w4sTI/AAAAAAAAGGE/nP7xwEVUEH0/s1600/Adriana_portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2_mlw6q4oFA/VY2mf4w4sTI/AAAAAAAAGGE/nP7xwEVUEH0/s400/Adriana_portrait.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
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I hope to take her to the park or a botanical garden one of these days and do a nice photo shoot. This pic was taken mid day on a super hot day. We're in the Wisteria vines for the dappled sun.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NpY12z6wIBs/VY2m2I_oYnI/AAAAAAAAGGM/o6qDb7Ggh3g/s1600/Adriana_inWisteria2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NpY12z6wIBs/VY2m2I_oYnI/AAAAAAAAGGM/o6qDb7Ggh3g/s400/Adriana_inWisteria2.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
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I don't live near a beach, so sea and sand are not easy to access for a photo shoot. This mermaid will have to live in the trees for a while. I decided to name her Adriana.<br />
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Here's the thing. With this many parts and processes involved, there's bound to be mistakes and mishaps. Sure enough, once everything settled, although I thought I was being very careful when attaching the body to the tail, she doesn't quite sit straight. T_T She kind of requires a wedge to support from both sides at the hips in order to be securely seated (Most likely her butt is not flat enough!). I thought about what to do, and an idea came to me when I was watering my garden this morning. I'm going to make her a swing so she can be properly balanced and also be displayed. :D Thinking I'll make her swing out of some natural fiber, crochet an open half-pod like swing and decorate it with shells and cheese cloth. Sounds like a plan to me.<br />
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I already have a few doll ideas for the near future. This was a lot of fun for me, so hopefully, I get better at it with each attempt, and learn even more about doll making. ^_^<br />
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-31036584345732645132015-06-03T16:55:00.003-06:002015-06-03T16:55:52.526-06:00Christmas in July<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I can't believe this is already the 3rd annual "Christmas in July" shopping spree giveaway! *wow* Since I opened my Etsy shop in late November of 2012, every summer, I've offered this $50 shopping spree giveaway. I write the username of the customers who place an order on small strips of paper and place them in a jar every day during the campaign period. It's always fun to be the bearer of the good news to one surprised customer at the end of the giveaway.<br /><br />The first "Christmas in July" happened back in 2013. I was just beginning to add digital stamp listings at the time, so the big win went to a customer who was collecting my art as prints. The second year (last year) in 2014, I don't remember who the winner was (mainly because I was so busy with my digi business... and I had yet to become accustomed to the routine of it all), but I remember how full the same glass vase I used in 2013 was. So many names were in there! I was having to push down to keep them all in there.<br /><br />This summer, I'm expanding this special event - one winner at AW Etsy shop and another winner at the digi shop at AW site - to have two winners who will win $50 shopping spree each. It'll be a lot of fun, and I'm sure it will be two full vases. ^_^</div>
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If you're a fan of my art, coloring book enthusiast, or digi enthusiast, any and all order through July 26 will earn an entry into the random drawing automatically. You can multiply your entries simply by leaving reviews/feedback on your Etsy purchases during the same period. Since I don't have the feedback feature at the AW site shop, entry there will be based specifically by orders.<br /><br />Oh, and... AW Etsy now accepts Etsy Gift Cards and a bunch of other payment methods, including PayPal. Now it's easier than ever to give a gift of AuroraWings digis to your favorite crafter!!</div>
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<br /><br /><b> <a href="http://www.aurorawings.etsy.com/">www.AuroraWings.Etsy.com</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.aurorawings.com/digital-stamps-shop.html" target="_blank">www.AuroraWings.com</a></b><br />
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-3235169466137694562015-05-29T12:36:00.000-06:002015-05-29T12:36:41.768-06:00Take a Peek<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been a hectic month! And it's already at the end. Started out strong, then got sick with flu, then was swamped with special events (award ceremonies, extra concerts, Baccalaureate, and graduation) for Jr., and then trying to schedule and host a special celebration event on Facebook for the digi business. *pants* That was a pretty full month! </div>
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Still playing catch-up with my drawing, while taking care of the garden - Spring is always busy as weeding and planting take a lot of time from my schedule. Until the plants and yard are all set and can be on an auto-pilot mode, things are hectic. I don't like working in a piece meal fashion with a couple hours here, run some errands, then go back for another hour, etc. My preference is getting a drawing done in one big stretch and be done with it. This approach works wonderfully when you're single or living by yourself, but as soon as you have a family and there are other people around (be it in an office situation or during summer or long vacation so kids are home), productivity generally goes down, and it's simply impossible to get it done this way.<br />
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I like the saying, "When there's a will, there's a way". I find much truth in that. These days, I just have to get it done with the attitude of "whatever it takes". ^^; Not getting set in ways helps. Being flexible (in mind and body) is healthy. Sometimes I doodle while I'm watching TV with family, and good ideas flow. (Although there are times I just have to be at the desk to get things done.) Sometimes I think about the next Sprites or fantasy art ideas while working in the garden - multi-task! I'm more of a single-track mind and generally suck at multi-tasking (can't even comfortably drink water and drive, so wouldn't dream of talking on the phone and driving ). <br />
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Some of the recent sketches. The girl with pigtails with a bunch of kitties has already been made into a digi last week. Now deciding on which one to ink next for the next new release. ^_^<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Can I Keep Them"(aka "Lori, the Cat Lady in Training") was a gift-with-purchase digi.<br />
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I'm trying to add a designer to my AuroraWings Showcase Design Team. Hoping to find a fantastic new member by the middle of next month, but this is yet another task that's been added onto my plate. Oh, and I have two FB contests ending on Sunday to finish up the month with a bang. :D<br />
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-19987526613586640072015-05-07T15:09:00.004-06:002015-05-07T15:20:10.825-06:00Lady Oscar Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm so excited to be able to talk about what I previously referred to as "the Italian Project" (<a href="http://www.aurorawings.blogspot.com/2015/03/something-new.html" target="_blank">blog post March 10, 2015</a>). Call me superstitious, but I've had an exciting fantasy book project by major publisher go down the drain after all images had been submitted by all contributing artists, and ever since that happened, I've kind of developed the cynical, "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude (You know, for someone who tries to be a subscriber of the Law of Abundance/Attraction, this is really not what it's all about. lol). So I'm extra psyched that this once came into being. <br />
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This Italian-language publication by award-winning journalist, Valeria Arnaldi, is called "Lady Oscar". For those of you who are not familiar with the Japanese manga, and its anime adaptation that came later, it was originally called Berusaiyu no Bara (ベルサイユのばら) in Japanese, or The Rose of Versailles in English, by a famous mangaka Riyoko Ikeda, and the manga started in1972 with anime adaptation starting in 1979. *Read the Wiki for more info <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rose_of_Versailles" target="_blank">right here</a> for plot and other info. It really was ahead of its time in so many ways, and was enormously popular in Japan and beyond. Her book is an analytical look at this manga/anime - the main character of Oscar in particular - from history to social impact, and includes some artwork from various artists from around the world. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ws4y5nFLu1Q/VUvSY7QaL8I/AAAAAAAAF7w/cter_no0yng/s1600/LadyOscarbookcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ws4y5nFLu1Q/VUvSY7QaL8I/AAAAAAAAF7w/cter_no0yng/s320/LadyOscarbookcover.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The fans of the anime series will recognize the cover art immediately as the vignette from the beginning of the opening theme.</span></div>
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I was fortunate to receive an e-mail from Valeria ealier this year about using my Marie Antoinette illustrations. Imagine my delight as I read her e-mail. After all, both the manga series and the anime series were one of my favorites from childhood. I definitely had a doodle phase where every hair looked like Oscar's and every rose looked like Ikeda-sensei's. lol It's amazing for me to see my childhood joy of drawing come full circle after so many years and to let me come across a fantastic tribute opportunity such as this one! It's all the more amazing that art is my living now despite years of discouragement and derailment from friends and relatives about becoming a 'starving artist' (Somehow in their minds, these two words were inseparable and can only co-exist within this phrase. Just horrible... ^^; )<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NujRoywdSss/VUvT1iBBNVI/AAAAAAAAF8A/jWArMyGLdNg/s1600/MarieAntoinette_forPromo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NujRoywdSss/VUvT1iBBNVI/AAAAAAAAF8A/jWArMyGLdNg/s320/MarieAntoinette_forPromo.png" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">One of my Marie illustrations. This one obviously pokes fun at the "Let them eat cake" quote that historians say was wrongly attributed to her. But oh, how fun to play with it anyway!</span></div>
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I can't wait to see the book in the mail. Valeria is kindly mailing all included artists a copy of her book, and I'm so excited! :D I don't speak or read Italian, but I'm sure I'll enjoy looking through the book. So cool!<br />
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On another front, one of my favorite local shops downtown contacted me about carrying my coloring books yesterday. We'll be figuring out the details in coming weeks, and I'm so happy about this, too. There are lots of book stores and gift shops, but this one is really special. I've been shopping there since before I got married to my husband even! The place is stuffed full of all the cool, beautiful, awesome, wonderful things in gifts, music, art, books, etc. Our most recent purchase from there was a beautiful Medicine Buddha statuette. I feel I'm getting to work with people and companies that I love and enjoy working with more and more these days. I think we all have the tendency of making mistakes when we first start out in art, or in any field for that matter, by jumping onto the first offers that come along. I've had my share of regrettably bad decisions over the years, but learned from these to better sniff out what I really like from those I don't care much about. One thing that has become much easier to do is the act of saying 'no' to things I don't like or wish to be a part of, and it's great.</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-29549258939924125842015-04-25T19:08:00.000-06:002015-04-25T19:08:03.253-06:00Peony Pyrography Project Finished<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was finally able to take some pictures of this wood burn project (7.5 x 9.5 inches) this afternoon when we had a nice break from the rain. The sky cleared up, the sun came out, and I was able to make use of nice indirect sunlight. ^_^<br />
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Since the humidity was high all day due to rain showers since last night, I haven't had a chance to put clear matte acrylic coats on this wood yet, but the burning and tinting are done. It's a nice little feng shui decoration for the wall as peony signifies beauty and love. And this is an image of a "pair" of blooms. <br />
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Here's a close-up of the shading and coloring. I mix my own colors out of paint that come out of tubes. The paint was thinned a lot with water, very much like how I normally paint with watercolor on paper. But I liked the way the basswood just drinks it all up very quickly. It's probably a good idea for me to let the wood dry out completely by leaving this alone for a few days. Western Colorado is usually very arid with less than 10% humidity for average, but because of the showers, the humidity is much higher at the moment.<br />
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This wood piece had pretty routed edges, and I just couldn't resist expanding the image past the surface area onto the edge - but only on the right side of the image. ^_^<br /><br />I had so much fun with this project. I like working with wood, and I most definitely like the smell of burning wood. I also love drawing, so I feel it's only natural that I enjoy wood burning so much. :D </div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-21274366111206367542015-04-23T19:05:00.000-06:002015-04-24T18:53:59.389-06:00Peony Pyrography Project Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WIP 4 - burning complete</td></tr>
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This project went faster than I expected. :D I'm finished with the wood burning of this 7.5 x 9.5 inch panel. Between going to the store and running other errands after writing today's earlier post, I was able to finish shading the petals of the flower #2 (on the right) and shade the leaves as well.<br />
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I mulled over different options for the shading of the leaves, and finally decided to do crosshatching. I will be giving the flowers transparent tint tomorrow, so hopefully, the leaves will be dark enough for now.<br />
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The leaves kind of 'wrap' over the edge to the right. It was tricky to burn these lines since the surface is curved. ^^; Something different and fun.<br />
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I'm done for the day. I'll get my watercolor out tomorrow and give transparent color - hoping for red and pink - to the blooms. ^_^ And once that's done, I'll take better pics during daylight hours in a brighter room.<br />
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UPDATE (April 24, 2015) - Finished giving the two blooms tints of watercolor. I like the way it came out. This is just a quick snapshot in poor light as it is past 6:30 pm and sun is way low in the western sky. I'll take a better pic during the mid day in indirect sunlight (That is... if we don't get hit by a storm tomorrow. ^^; *fingers crossed* ) This is only my second wood burn project and the first one that I colored. I think it's fun to add color, although I love the look of burned lines on wood the way it is very much. I've worked some more on the colors after I took this photo, so the final image is going to be a little different. ^_^ As an Asian, I grew up looking at drawings of peonies and chrysanthemums. So this piece feels a little nostalgic - strangely enough, considering I just finished it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZytOr-oUIZo/VTrkPSNtyyI/AAAAAAAAF4s/ly5p1zfoCKQ/s1600/PeonyPyrography_WIP5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZytOr-oUIZo/VTrkPSNtyyI/AAAAAAAAF4s/ly5p1zfoCKQ/s1600/PeonyPyrography_WIP5.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WIP 5 - with watercolor tint on the blooms</td></tr>
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Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2194004850210567100.post-70070448051481540892015-04-23T11:21:00.000-06:002015-04-23T11:21:02.605-06:00Peony Wood Burn Project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I went supply shopping the other day after finishing the rooster project, I needed to get me a can of clear matte acrylic finish to put on my first project. I also went looking for additional points for my Versa Tool since I really wanted the flow point in a smaller size. The one that came with my Versa Tool is nice, but a little too thick for my drawing style. ^^; The local shop had an assorted pack of 5 additional points, and luckily for me, one of which was the 'mini flow point'. *score* Even though I ended up with four extra points that I didn't have immediate need for (or duplicates), it was still a good deal. I was able to finish the rooster project and wood burn my signature and year on the back with the new mini flow point. *happy*<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BpbuKG7pmS0/VTkmZ1RvTPI/AAAAAAAAF3o/3cwlJUaihv4/s1600/PeonyWoodBurn_trace.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BpbuKG7pmS0/VTkmZ1RvTPI/AAAAAAAAF3o/3cwlJUaihv4/s1600/PeonyWoodBurn_trace.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now I'm working on the second wood burn project. This time, it's a nice rectangle piece of basswood with beveled edges. Main burning surface measuring 7.5 x 9.5 inches (I'm guessing that the back side measurement would be 8 x 10.). I originally sketched out a design on a piece of scrap paper. Realized it was a tad too big for the project piece, so I scanned the image and reduced the size by 10%. Then really needed a carbon paper - the good old-fashioned carbon paper that used to be used copies of receipts and whatnot. I had to do a shopping search online and found out they sold it at nearby Office Max. Off I went. I was looking in the regular office supply zone where they sell different kinds of paper. Finally I had to ask for help of a store associate. ^^; He took me to the far wall past computers and printers where they actually had typewriters in stock! I couldn't help but blurt out, "Oh, wow! Didn't know you guys still sold these things. Now it makes perfect sense that you'd carry carbon paper right here.". The guy told me they sell almost one a day! Who knew?<br />
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With the carbon paper in place, I was able to trace my sketch onto the piece of wood without making a huge mess with graphite. No smudging, and it didn't require excessive pencil pressure, either. *nice*<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59-qF4gdIdg/VTkoDiqf3DI/AAAAAAAAF30/2O5tTA9y_1U/s1600/PeonyPyrography_WIP1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59-qF4gdIdg/VTkoDiqf3DI/AAAAAAAAF30/2O5tTA9y_1U/s1600/PeonyPyrography_WIP1.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was getting kind of late, but I went ahead and used my new 'mini flow point' to do the outline. This baby is so smooth. It was fun to burn the outline. :D The tiny details in the center of the flowers were burned with a 'mini universal tip'.<br />
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Replaced the tip to the regular universal tip to do the shading of the petals with stippling technique. ^_^ I'm liking the way this is turning out so far. :D After I write up this post (thus have a break), I'll get back to the flower to the right, and off to do the leaves. Haven't decided how I'll shade the leaves yet, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to think about it as I work on the second flower's shading. Will be back with more WIP shots either later today or tomorrow.<br /><br />Oh, and while I was shopping for the can of clear acrylic and a set of burner points, I did pick up a wooden trinket box. :D It was ridiculously inexpensive, but I saw potential in the shape. Yes, lots of potential! :D</div>
Mitzi Sato-Wiuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077055576279541401noreply@blogger.com1