New Giveaway for one of you! CONTEST

Starting today you can enter to win one of the completed Artistry of Poland ornaments that I designed.
To enter please Pick one of the two versions shown you prefer left or right image, with your comment, and email address so I can notify you if you should win. Winner will be drawn from at random from slips of paper place in bowl. Only entries with email addresses will be entered in drawing.

Contest ends Sept 1 st . Winner will be drawn Sept 2nd. Tell your friend! Good Luck! ~Susan~

News from the Artistry Of Poland

Yea! the final piece has been created, the finishes have selected and now are in the process of being completed! In honor of this momentous occasion I have decided to share my success with one of you! I will giving away one of the final ornaments to one lucky winner! Here's what you need to do to enter:

I have posted several pictures of all the finishes I was given to choose from let's see what you all think!

First Pick which version you like best then leave a comment with your email address so I may contact you if you are the winner. The contest will start today and end September 1st!



Good luck! ~Susan~

Progress Report

It's been over a month already since I last stopped in! I can't believe how time is slipping by so quickly.
I received a new picture of the Victorian Santa piece a few weeks ago, Mirek's new version of my piece is still a little too robust, so more tweaking is needed. Hopefully I will hear something soon.
In the meantime I have been experiencing a sort of manic creative spell. I find myself in my studio early and only coming out for the occasional snack or ice water break. My studio is a disaster, snips of crepe paper, clay ,wire and paint occupy every surface including my sewing machine! I am confident I am NOT the only one who does this. At least I hope not. YIKES!
My husband will only peek into my space at this point, he being very organized, orderly and a total neat nick views my creative space as more of a environmental assault on his well developed sense of order and cleanliness scale. He just shakes his head and wanders away.......
He has also been working away on the darling little antique dressing table we found several months ago. One of the drawers needed a bit of my help as a bit of the wood detail was missing. I just love paper clay!
I will post pictures as soon as he is done. His space , of course, is well ordered, clean, organized everything has a place and can usually be found in its place immediately upon completion of its task. I tread carefully through this space, because I only have to appear for a moment and my mere presence can cause something to fall to the floor, or paint to leap onto my clothes. I usually just shake my head in amazement and retreat back to my chaotic haven .
I have lots of pieces waiting to be finished so I am off for now! Will be posting pictures in day or two !
From one procrastinator to another "get off the computer and go play in the clay!!" ~Susan

HUH??

On Saturday Sue, from the Artistry of Poland, sent photos of the artist Mirek's rendition of the Victorian Santa. Imagine my surprise when I received these pictures shown in white. These were his sculpted version of my piece.
HUH?? The only thing I could see that looked like mine was the hood! I'm thinking Holy Cow did he even look at my Victorian Santa or did he not like it and decide to do his own version instead. I, having no experience with this type of process was at a loss to say the least! I didn't want to be critical , it is obvious that he is a talented artist in his own right, but sniff , it didn't even closely resemble my piece.
I finally decided to print out a copy of his work and sketch my changes over it. Thinking to myself that he should save that one for another Santa in the series and start over on mine completely.
Sue, just contacted me, she sent him the wrong picture! She was wondering why his Santa looked like a Andy Warhol version of mine! lol ! Yay! I was really feeling intimidated by his version!
What a relief!! She has sent him the correct pictures now and should be on track for the August completion date. Hopefully will be done by next week. ~Susan~

The process begins

Here is a email from one of the owners of Artistry Of Poland explaining the process for recreating the Victorian Santa I entered into the Design Like a Star contest. I can't wait to see Mirek's clay model! This is so exciting ! This success is largely do to the efforts of Suzanne Urban encouraging the members of our group American Holiday Artists to seek out these opportunities, something I would never have done on my own. Thank You Suzanne!

Hi Susan,

Sue Myal here. I am half of Artistry of Poland located in sunny Tucson. Sue Sprunk (business partner) is in the San Francisco area--and leaving Sunday for 3 weeks in China.

So I guess it will be me that guides you through the ornament production. First of all we LOVE your design and it has inspired us to continue with a collection of Santa Heads. Who knows where that will take us.

Now to work. Your design as been emailed to our workshop in Krakow Poland.Our sculptor (his name is Mirek) will take your entry and carve it in clay. I should have a carving photo in about 2-3 weeks.
This first step is very important as once you approve the clay model there will be no mold changes accepted. Be sure it is exactly what you want at this point. Mirek then makes a plaster mold and then the foundry makes the final metal mold. Several pieces will be blown to test your paint colors. If you have PMS colors available it always helps as the workshop has a PMS book for color comparison. Color changes are usually not a problem. The important thing is that the finished product is what YOU want.
I am anticipating the shipment of your ornament leaving Poland August 20th-arriving here in Tucson about the first of September. I will then send your 10 free ornaments to you via UPS ground.

I can't wait to see the finished piece!! ~Susan~

Connie Porcher of Celebrate 365

http://www.celebrate365.com/

To my shock and amazement, Connie Porcher, publisher of Celebrate 365 magazine , notified me today that I won the Design Like A Star contest! I am still in shock and a tad bit nervous . I have never had anything I have created reproduced, so this will be a completely new experience for me.

I want to thank you, Connie, for the opportunity !! Please visit the Celebrate 365 online to learn more about her wonderful magazine. Celebrate365 has provides its readers with up-to-the-minute ornament news as well as carefully researched articles of interest to ornament collectors.

A premiere magazine for the year-round ornament collector featuring : Artistry of Poland, Christopher Radko, Bethany Lowe and many other designers and manufacturers. ~Susan~