Brenda Pinnick -news, ideas, events and more...

What does it take?

What does it take to get on HSN? I've been asked that a lot lately so I thought I would share a list of the first things that come to mind...

Believe in yourself enough to make the commitment to do your VERY BEST WORK. ever. 

Get feedback from and listen to your stakeholders. ( manufacturers, HSN buyers & anyone else who is on the team )

Research your consumer and know your market. Define their likes, wants and needs.

Identify your unique selling propostion ( USP ). What sets you apart from the others? Practice saying it out loud. Don't be shy about your achievements, your talents, your dream, your uniqueness. 

Look honestly at your work and don't be afraid to let go of the mediocre. ( Get honest feedback if you're not sure, we ALL have "off" days, trust me, not every single thing you do can be exactly right! ) 

Be commited to excellence in all aspects including your presentation. Practice in front of a mirror - many times. If you meet with the buyers, they will be judging how you present yourself to them as an indication of how you'll do on air. Be enthusiastic but not over zealous. THANK them for their time, regardless of the outcome. If it wasn't right for them this time, you may have another opportunity in the future! ( Like me )

Look at and learn from your successful competitors. ( Thank you, Anna G. )

If you are able, hire some help when it comes to crunch time. There is no glory in "doing it all", only exhaustion and possilby, some not-so-perfect work.

Say "Thank You" to everyone from the big wigs to the people who clean the restrooms. Everyone appreciates acknowlement for their work, just like you and I.

When you've done all this, you can't help but be ready. It will come naturally, without effort, from your heart. Your enthusiasm will overide your nervousness, I promise! 

 

So, here's the ugly...anyone want to come over and help clean up ??? This is my table on one side of the studio as I was preparing for my segments on March 6th.

And here's the pretty...on the other side, as I'm finishing up my samples. ( no staff...just me, in my basement, late at night, after designing products, making art and taking care of business all day. Did I mention hiring help? LOL )

If you have aspirations of getting your product designs on air, I hope this little tutorial has helped you decide if it's right for you. When you get your first feedback on the HSN site and it goes like this,

"The paper is so vibrant and the colors are so current. The purples and aquas and greens are fantastic. Really good quality paper, stickers etc. I may buy another set so I don't run out. Those Alphabet rub ons are amazing too."

well, it makes all those late night crafting sessions worth every bit of lost sleep!

Happy planning...

 

 

 

What are friends for?

Friends build you up, they support you, they shine a light on your good qualities while looking past your not so good ones. They know that by building you up it doesn't take anything away from them.

Meet my good friend, Samantha Walker... She invited me to a special feature on her blog today, highlighting my brand new kits going on air on HSN on Tuesday at 2 am and Noon. Samantha also designs fabrics, scrapbook kits, stamps - just like I do. Go take a look on her blog at her wonderful designs, she's a terrific designer and an wonderful person besides! 

Her fabric lines are with Riley Blake, her paper collections, Creative Imaginations, her diecuts, Spellbinders. 

 

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NEW WORK!

Poppies # 2

This is a recently finished painting I did from my ongoing series of poppies. It's 24" x 48" , acrylic on canvas. You can read more about it on ColorCafe, my other blog which is all about highlighting artists & designers and how they use color in their work. Sometimes I show my own work but mostly it's about shining the light on others. If you or someone you know would like to be featured, I'd love to hear from you or them.

Thanks for visiting!

Henry Glass Jolly Holiday Party- Day 4!

It's been really fun learning about the HG designers. We run into each other at Quilt Market and that's about it for getting to know each other. It's interesting, also, to see the variety of syles in the Henry Glass line up. They certainly do a good job of keeping the offerings diverse.

Today's featured Designers are:

Annie Downs of Hatched and Patched

Annie's style is so much fun! AND, she's got a new book out called A CHRISTMAS STORY. It has some really fun patterns in it and here is a link to get a glimpse of the cutest Christmas quilt! She uses color so well to tell her whimsical story! Click here for here blog and click here to see the quilt! I love the warm, cozy feeling of her quilt, accomplished not only through "hand of the artist" designs but also due to the coloration. Nice work, Annie!!

 

and next, Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup ( LOVE that name!)

The Quilt Soup store is a great place to shop for patterns and all kinds of things. I'm still drooling over this pattern (Barbara, I hope you don't mind me showing it here) 

It's playful, eyecatching and just plain fun! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Barbara Jones

Be sure to visit each day's featured Designer to learn more about them, see their work and enter to win a free prize. Each Designer has a Christmas Holiday word. Your job is to collect all the words, then post them to the Henry Glass Blog at the end of the hop. You might be the lucky winner of the fabric giveaway from Henry Glass! 

Final day!

For those of you who have been participating in my daily card making, giveaway week, today it your last chance to make sure you've posted on EACH DAY, on BOTH BLOGS in order to be eligible to win the 

.............

From Faber-Castell-  Red, Yellow, Green and Blue Mixed Media Samplers, Red/Yellow & Blue/Green Gelatos, Red/Yellow & Blue/Green Writing Sets. In other words, THE WHOLE ENCILLADA! What a terrific prize from the genius minds of the Faber Castell team! 

And from me, a place to put all that amazing product to work - The winner will receive a full admission into my upcoming webinar workshop series, beginning in January, 2012! I've decided to finally, after being asked over and over, to create on-line workshops for my BRENDA PINNICK COLOR U, so 2012 is the beginning of my on-line teaching program! If you are the winner, you will be mailed a certificate with your admission information. 

The first workshop series is a combination of color exploration and learning done in mixed media format, using a variety of both art and craft materials. The series will be done in 8 sessions, available for viewing at your convenience! These lessons are both fun and educational and you will NEVER LOOK AT COLOR IN THE SAME WAY AGAIN - I promise! With my fine art and design education and years of professional experience, I am ready to share techniques and knowledge you can't get just anywhere AND, I make it FUN! Yes, you could buy tons of books, spend hours reading and practicing and, even take college level classes to gain the knowledge I'm ready to share, but wouldn't you rather enjoy learning while having fun creating? 

If you didn't win and would like to know more about this exciting series debut, please join my mailing list and everything you need to know will be in your in-box soon! ( dear hubby...Christmas gift idea...)

Thank you for joining us over the last week and tomorrow morning, before noon est., the grand prize winner will be announced. So- if you haven't already done so, go back into each day's post, on both blogs and leave your comments, answering the question posed for that day.

See you tomorrow!

Day 6 card and giveaway with Faber Castell Design Memory Craft!

Welcome to day 6 of my 7 day card crafting / giveaway week!

Thank you for all the thoughtful comments, it's so interesting the different points of view on the floor color choices. Each suggestion could totally work in that space - I've decided on a clean, clear apple green for my floor. Green is energetic while grounding. It also invokes creative thinking and is easy to look at for long periods of time, (think of a beautiful, rolling pasture or forest). Green is considered a neutral and it is wonderful as a stand alone hue to combined with a variety of other hues...perfect for my studio! 

WINNERS -Friday's winner is Cori and yesterday's winner is Kimberlee, as chosen by random number generator. Congrats, Kimberlee and Cori, please send me an email with your mailing address! [email protected]

Today's prize- Day 6 Red Ink & Aquarelles Set, Red PITT artist Pen Set, Red/Yellow Gelatos, AND, from me, you will win a set of fabric fat quarters ( 4 ) from my last collection, Couleur Vie. Even if you don't sew, these fat quarters are great for all types of crafting including scrapbooking, card crafting and more.

Tomorrow is the grand prize and it's pretty darn wonderful!!! ****** In order to be eligible to win, you must have commented on every single day, on both blogs -here and on http://designmemorycraft.typepad.com/ 

so if you haven't already done so, go leave your comments on each day's post and you might be the LUCKY WINNER!

Today's card-

Once again, I used my Piccadilly Circus stamps and Faber Castell BigBrush Markers to create this purse card.The circle is made from a piece of diecut chipboard and metallic paper, cut from my new dies for jewelry making, found here, on the Sizzix website or in various retail outlets. If you would like this pattern, just join my mailing list today and it's yours for free! I'll email it to you personally.

Thank you for your continued visits and I so look forward to the big day tomorrow!! See you then!

Thank you Cori for pointing out that I left out my daily question! (never post before morning coffee)

Today's question- Do you feel you understand color theory and all it's complexities? If no is your answer, would you be interested in taking an on-line class to learn more about color? 

Day 5 card and giveaway with Faber Castell Design Memory Craft!

Happy Halloween! Since only one person played along on Friday-(must be everyone's busy making their costumes and cupcakes)I'm going to open Friday's giveaway to carry over onto today's contest. I will only do the giveaway is there are 10 or more people commenting so please invite your friends, personal and facebook! 

Here is today's card

 

For this card, I used my Piccadilly Circus stamp set, which is my give-away for today.

For the coloration, I used a combination of Faber Castell Big Brush markers and of course, Gelatos, both wet and dry. I simply stamped the images onto a piece of charcoal paper while overlapping the medallians. I eyeballed a pumpkin shape and cut it out free form. Embellishments include a spray painted ( Tulip ) doily and some vines and leaves drawn in with my Big Brush Green pen. How simple is that?! 

Today's give-away is awesome! From FC- Complete Assortment of Metallic PITT artist pens and Gelatos plus Stamps by Brenda Pinnick   

 

( For purchase on HSN )

 

Today's question is - If you were redoing a new studio space and wanted to paint the floor, what color would you choose? ( Three walls are glass windows and one wall is red brick ).

Answer today's question on both Faber Castell's blog and here on mine in order to qualify for the drawing. Also, scroll down to Day 4 and answer that question as well. Remember, I need 10 posts in order to validate the giveaway.

Day 3 card and giveaway with Faber Castell Design Memory Craft!

Welcome to day 3 of my card crafting series and give-away! 

Yesterday's winner is...conniemelancon! Congrats, Connie! You've won your choice of two prints from my Etsy store! You'll need to send me your addy - [email protected] then I'll get them sent to you.

OK, let's show the card already...

We talked about color combinations earlier and here's one I'm all over lately. This combo is relaxing with the turquoise but refreshing with the greens. A small bit of yellow adds some happy, which we all love!

For this card, I used my Sizzix products, available on HSN.com or from various craft supply stores across the country or the web. The base is cut from my Decorative Edge Stationery Die, using Strathmore's Bristol board, one of my Favorite surfaces to work on. The embossing was then done using one of my Sizzix Embossing Folders, the Birds and Flowers set, also on HSN.com, a terrific value kit including 10 folders!

For the coloration, I used Faber Castell's Big Brush Markers and watercolor pencils. I love the mix of strong saturated hues with softer tints of the same hue. The pencils are great for subtle blending - I used a little bit of water to create soft transitions in the coloring. Even though the markers are India ink, while they are still wet, you can use water to dissolve them and move them around, using a small paintbrush.

Okay, now for day 3 prizes: From Faber Castell, Yellow, Green & Blue sets of Art GRIP color pencils and from yours truly, one of my embossing folder two-packs, available on Sizzix.com

And finally, today's question, inspired by Carla's comment about her husband- Do you and your husband or significant other or best friend tend to like the same general family of hues? 

Leave your comments here and on Faber Castell Design Memory Craft Blog to be eligible to win!

Oh, and please tell your friends about my 7 day giveaway! 

Day two card and giveaway with Faber Castell DMC!

Here we are on day two of our 7 day giveaway/card making week.

Business first!! Yesterday's winner is Nelly! shoot me an email Nelly so I can get your mailing info. [email protected]

Here's today's card made with one of my stamps from the Piccadilly Square Collection and Gelatos, plus spray textile paint from Tulip.

Step outs below... 

 

In step one, you'll see I used watercolor paper, a paper doilly and the Tulip brand textile paint in a spray bottle to create a stenciled textural design. 

Next, I cut the paper into 2" strips, lined them up side by side and stamped using my Piccadilly Square Stamp and a black Gelato. I stamped randomly, turning the stamp sideways for some and upright for others. Notice I overlapped the design onto different pieces. When the Gelato was dry enough, I then cut the strips into 2" squares. Taking a light blue Gelato, I accented the edges just a bit to create "pop".

Finally, I choose which of the squares I wanted to use then glued them onto a 5x5 card base, choosing a hue which would compliment but not compete with the design.

Final step- I used a square of fabric from my Couleur Vie collection with Henry Glass and Fiskars pinking shears to add on final touch. I glued it onto the back side of the card so you can still see it when the card is open. I generally like to add my sentiments on the inside to allow the outside become a mini art piece - nice for displaying. I also sign the back personally, proving it's handmade! ; )

Today's prize is - Choose two prints from my Etsy store!

Now answer today's question: Go take a look in your closet and report back- do the colors in your closet vary greatly or do they lean towards one particular hue or palette?

Answer the question here and then go to Design Memory Craft blog and post your response there also. In the end, there will be a grand prize which you can win only if you comment on each day's question, on both blogs.

 

Day One- Giveaway

Today is DAY ONE of my 7 day give-away and I hope you play along and win!

Today, I'm giving away this hip and cool owl. It's handmade by me, using my last fabric line with Henry Glass, named Couleur Vie. AND, as an added bonus, you will also receive a Design Memory Craft Mixed Media Sampler and a Mix & Match Writing Set! 

 

Use this owl as your studio mascot, or to welcome trick-or-treaters. He would also look quite handsome sitting on your table or resting quietly, posed in your favorite reading spot.He's soft, he's stylish and has a built in inquisitive look on his face, surely he's contemplating 

just what it is you're doing and waiting to see if he can help. He will ship to you tomorrow via USPS.

And from Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft, these two sets

 

All you have to do is answer the first question - What is your favorite color combination and why? 

I'm going to be posting a new card everyday for the next seven days, posting it here and also on the Design Memory Craft blog. AND - I am giving away goodies each day! You must leave a comment here on this blog then go to the link for Faber-Castell's blog and also leave a comment answering the questions posed on that day. This is open to anyone over 18 years old and who resides in the U.S. TO WIN, YOU MUST LEAVE A COMMENT on BOTH BLOGS.

At the very end, in one week, there will be a grand prize from Faber Castell and me! You must post everyday, on both blogs to be eligible to win the big prize! yaaaaay!! 

Here is day one's question; What is your favorite color combination and how does it make you feel?

Can't wait to read your answers! 

While you're here, please join my mailing list! I only send out mailings about 4 times a year so no worries about one more thing in the in box every week! 

questions? contact me at [email protected]

your unique style

It's something many of us struggle with as artists. Maybe you're like me - I'm one of those people who is blessed/cursed with being able to work in many styles. There are days when I want only to do abstract paintings and then there are days which I long to go outside and paint plein-air. And because I'm also a graphic/ product designer, some days, it's typography and package design I'm fixated on. I guess this has served me well, I'm able to meet the needs of plenty of different types of manufacturers from crafting to gift and homegoods, while satisfying my own creative needs as well, which is very, very important to do in order to grow and expand as an artist.

What I've realized in this past year is that my unique vision comes in the form of color. No matter what art I'm working on, for me, color is the message. The palettes that I use are what bind all my efforts together. Whether it's pattern, icons, type, graphic and even jewelry making, color is the most important component to my work. Now I know that. Finally. Gheesh. It's like Dorothy and her ruby slippers, it was there all along. I spent way too long trying to decide my "style". MY STYLE IS COLOR. 

 

I read posts  and see images on facebook of many emerging artists, from Etsy and elsewhere, who are basically trying to be someone else in their work. A recent success story of an Etsy artist being discovered by a big gift manufacturer has spurred all kinds of wannabes within that community. This artist has tons of "followers", almost in a bizarre way. The artist doesn't have the years of experience that many of my artist friends have. Nor does this artist have years of business experience. But, because her art hit a note by being at the right time and in the right place with the right message, people want to know her secrets and are willing to pay big, big money. It's an odd phenomenon, really. I wonder just how long it will last? It has a lot of people scratching their heads... including me. I hope they really are getting their money's worth, not a bunch of hype and wishful thinking. Making a living as an artist is HARD WORK. When I meet someone new and tell them what I do, the inevitable "oh how fun!" response comes out of their mouth even before I've finished my sentence. Yes, when you have a big hit, when the money comes (actually, it's more like if the money comes ) there is that feeling of being so blessed to be able to do what you love. I am grateful for this - many people get in their cars and go to a job they hate every day of the work week. sad. But, they know that there is a paycheck waiting for them on the other end. Oh, and benefits like paid vacation, medical, dental, 401Ks. It's awesome to be an artist but don't let anyone tell you it's easy. It isn't.

If you're a new artist, the best advice I can give you is to make A LOT OF ART. A. L.O.T. - fill your basement with mistakes, as I have. Don't worry about being trendy, don't copy others, just be your own true self while learning technique. Look at many different models of success, not just one. Enjoy the process, even though sometimes growth is painful. Learn from it. I've been making art since I could hold a crayon. I've never even considered being something other than an artist. But guess what? I still learn every day and yes, I throw away more work than you will ever know! You've got to let the ugly out in order to get to the beautiful...just let it out.