Creative Sparks in April

Inspiration Mosaic collected by iHanna in March 2011, click for sources and view big
Inspiration mosaic of favorite photos by others, March 2011, view big.

Tomorrow it is April already. It’s my favorite month with lots of birthdays, spring in the air and fun stuff coming up… This blog will be seven years old, imagine that! That’s pretty darn old old old in blogospher, especially in one blog-place!

Edit: the giveaway is now closed!

A winner have been randomly picked! Congratulations Kate, you’re in the Creative Sparks Class! Thanks for all your lovely questions! Lots to ponder for me. If you didn’t win and want to join Ashley’s class… it’s only $10 for a month of 90 prompts!

In April I’m wishing for lots of sunshine, playful art journaling and creative joy that will sparkle all the way to your home!

Want some creative sparks?

To start the celebration of with a bang Ashley (a.k.a. Spookey) is giving away a space in her sparkling new art journal class to one of my readers! You, it’s you my dear! Spookey is best known from her blog The Paper Phantom (which has been on my link love list for ever) and as one of my co-teachers in last round of 21 Secrets!

In her new cool project, called Creative Sparks, she has created a whole little community for us art journalers to play at, and during April there will be 90 prompts posted! Just leave a comment below and you’re in the giveaway! Class starts tomorrow April 1st, but I will give you 24 hours to comment here to be entered in the draw. Yay, what fun!

I was hoping that you could write me a question about something you want to know about one of my “subjects” (the topics of this blog)?! Any question will be fine, about art journaling, blogging, what ever, though please just comment if you’re interested in participating in the class with me. Yes, I’ve got a space reserved for me and I’m ready to play! Thanks Ashley for this!

Giveaway on my blog today

Don’t forget to comment below for the giveaway! Yay, I ♥ this!

It’s a way of life

At the end of last year I was startled to notice that I hadn’t taken any new class during the whole year (and not gone on holiday either). That is no way to live, girls! Not even if you are poor as can be and can’t attend cool stuff like ArtFest – there are still places to learn if you’re just on the look out. The big problem I think was that I wasn’t consciously thinking about it, and therefor a whole year went by without a class… But no more! This year it’s a priority to learn new things and find experiment more, it’s even on my list!

The year is only three months old
and already I’ve had the chance to jump into things. I’ve attended one evening embroidery workshop, taught my first class in real life (a day of sketchbook creating), took a weekend workshop about dying fabrics and embroidery composition that was so awesome and inspiring (photos coming up soon) plus I’ve attended Darrah Parker’s online photography class that I won at Jamie Ridler’s wonderful blog! That was a great start of the year that was, it got me into photography mood in the middle of the dark winter. Darrah’s class is on again now if you want to take it this spring (last day to sign up is tomorrow), it’s called A Slice of Life!

Anyway, happy April my friends. Let’s play!

56 Responses

  1. Hi Hanna! I’d be so thrilled to win a space in the class! I love art journaling! My question for you is what are your favorite print magazines both to read and to use for collage? I just subscribed to Cloth Paper Scissors, but I’d love to know some international magazines that I could read!

  2. Thanks Moira! I think I’ll collect some questions and answer them in a later post or create whole blog posts if they are big topics… Though I can say right away, my favorite magazine have been Cloth Paper Scissors! I also really enjoy Swedish interior design magazines that I’m given for free from friends – like Sköna hem etc. :-)

  3. Jamen sj?lvklart vill jag det, vara med i klassen :) , sp?nnande!
    Du ?r en inspirerande kvinna s? jag har egentligen en massa fr?gor till dig. Men jag v?ljer en: 7 ?r ?r absolut en imponerande tid att blogga (&p? samma st?lle) – hur har ditt f?rh?llande till bloggandet, de poster du g?r, det arbeten du presenterar osv f?r?ndrats/utvecklats under ?ren? Vad gick du in med f?r tanke, intention, id? fr?n allra f?rsta b?rjan & hur det ser ut nu?
    (jag, det blev tv?, eller 1,5 fr?ga)

  4. Can you see my raised hand?? I would love to attend this class and get some creative sparks glowing where I live.
    I enjoy reading your posts a lot. I don’t have a question right now, but if something pops into my mind I will let you know.

  5. Hi Hanna! I’d love to try an art journaling class. As I’ve commented before, I’ve been journaling in earnest since the beginning of this year, and just “eat up” everything I can find on the subject. As a new blogger, I guess I would ask you how you built up a readership in the early days? That might be a post that other new bloggers would want to read about too!

  6. I would love to take this class. I’m short on free time these days, but art journaling has provided a great stress reliever for me.

  7. Hi Hanna – I have a question – how do you ‘break in’ a new journal? I have some very beautiful but very empty journals that I just can’t seem to bring myself to use? I’m thinking taking part in the course might just give me the incentive to begin, and would love a place!

  8. this sounds like so much fun
    April is my month
    and a pink moon will bloom as well
    I am getting ready for that
    YES! – I would be tickled pink to win your generous give-away
    please count me in…

    xox – eb (short for ebullient)

  9. Hi! My question is about blogging. I have been toying with starting a blog, mostly to document my creating for myself. I am exploring many media to find what I truly want to pursue and I am basically reserved bordering on shy. How do you open up enough to make an interesting blog, yet maintain some privacy? Have a wonderful weekend!

  10. I would love to play, the workshop sounds stunning. I want to know what is the best advice you have ever received in regards to creativity in any form?

  11. i would love the opportunity to win a spot in the Creative Sparks workshop.

  12. Hi Hannah! I’m just getting started in art journaling. I bought my first journal (a Moleskine watercolor) but based on your inspiration, my next journal will be an altered book. I loved the post you made explaining what to look for and how to alter it. :)

    My question…I found a great coffee table book on wildlife at a used book sale…with the sewn signatures and a beautiful cover. The pages are medium weight, but a bit glossy. Do you think if I gesso the pages, will the gesso stick and give me a good surface to work from?

    (And I’d love a chance to win a spot in the class!)

  13. Hands up! Hands up! I wanna join the class too!
    Congrats for your sixth ‘blogday’!
    This is my question for you : Don’t you miss writing in sweedish on your blog? My blog is not even one year old. I started it in french, my mother language, but did not get many visitors since art journaling is not very popular in Europe. So, I decided to swich to english… but feel something is missing.

  14. Thanks for the great giveaway. I personally love your posts showing your art journal pages & your creative process. I also like when you provide links to what inspires you. My question is how do you get out of a creative rut or what do you do to get ideas flowing again?

  15. This is an amazing giveaway! Thanks for hosting it! My question: What is your favorite color to use in your art journals? I know it’s kind of a dumb question, but I really want to know. :)

  16. I am signed up for the class already, but maybe I can still win a spot! I have signed up for the next 21 Secrets too … that was such an amazing class!

  17. aah, 30 days of creative play in April… who could resist an offer like that…?

    and the question? oh, there are so many of them… :)
    is there anything you can’t imagine your art without? like a tool/a colour/favourite type of images, that sort of thing.
    can I ask one more?
    what is your favourite part of creative process?

  18. Hi Hanna!
    This is a grat giveaway! I truely?d love to join.

    My Question: Do you start to draw the figure of a picture first and add some background later or do you begin a piece of artwork with painting a background first? How do you manage to bring a (drawed) figure into a picture? Which steps do you do in which order?

  19. Hi Hanna!
    Thanks for this opportunity to win a spot to play :-)
    My question would be concerning a topic you brushed in this post. You said, a whole year had passed without you taking a class or even noticing you didn’t. Do you have any mechanisms, traditions or the like, to remind you to think about what you actually want your life to be like and what you have to adjust accordingly? You know, like hidden (or not so hidden) reminders that make you more aware that time is passing by and you’re not doing the best you can with your life… Do you know what I mean?
    Sophia

  20. I so want to take this class! My question is when you are feeling uninspired, what materials do you go to for inspiration?

  21. I would love to take class…Thank you
    Patricia G

  22. What a fantastic giveaway! I would love the chance to win this class!
    What have been your favourite projects in the past 7 years?

  23. I’d love to win a spot in the class! My question is: how to find time to make art? Do you reserve a large amount of time, or do you find time in smaller increments?

  24. Hanna, I’d love to win a spot in the class. I’ve been a follower for some time and I especially love your monochromatic pages. My questions are: what got you into Art Journaling in the first place? Do you blog in English, or Swedish? Are you the clothing designer Hanna Andersson (sorry if that’s a dumb question)?

  25. Oops, forgot my question! My question is, what do you like better about the journaling, the art part or the writing part?

  26. Hi Hanna,
    I would love to enter the contest to win a spot in the class. It sounds wonderful! :) Cheers, Pam

  27. I would love to win a spot! Art journaling has opened a whole new area of being creative for me and I’m loving it!

  28. I would like to know how you do your layers on art journal pages. Do you have a particular set-up that you use over and over, with different materials? Thanks for a chance to win a spot in the workshop. Sounds like it would be fun.
    Aloha, Kate

  29. I would love to win. I am new to the art journaling world and looking to learn!

  30. I am just nearing the end of my first sketchbook and this is certainly a practice I want to delve into more deeply and keep drawing, painting, gluing and more. I’d love to win a spot in this class!

  31. Hi Hanna! Thanks for the opportunity to take the art journaling class! I don’t have a specific question, but just looking for ways to get out of my comfort zone and put myself out there!

  32. I would LOVE to win a spot in this class!!! How cool would that be!
    I just got done taking an online class with Alisa Burke and something totally sparked with me! I was so sad when the class ended that I made up my mind that I am treating myself to more online classes. The possibilities are endless!
    I guess one question I have for you is do you work full time? And how did you get started in your blog? 7 years ago is a long time in blog land!
    Take care! Oh and pick me!!! :)

  33. I LOVE the journal in your mosaic…2nd row, 2nd image. It’s SO colorful. How did you make the cover? I am also intrigues by the small journal in the first row, 2nd image. What did you use that one for. It’s a little chunky and I love that!

  34. Hoppas jag inte ?r f?rsent ute nu. Men ja, jag vill g?rna vara med. :o)

    Som nybliven tv?barnsmor funderar jag just nu p? hur jag ska f? in mer skapande i mitt liv. Hur g?r du f?r att vara kreativ varje dag?

  35. I love reading your blog, so many inspirations and good articles. I would like to know how you come up with your blog ideas & posts? I would like to write more on my blog as well, but I’m a very visual person and often feel “blank” when I want to write more.
    Take Care & Have a great day. :)

  36. Hi Hanna
    Here I am, waving madly from Australia. It’s a long way, and very expensive, for me to even consider any sort of decent in person class/retreat such as Artfest. I have plans to take some of Traci Bautista’s online classes.
    Blessings

  37. Hi! I’ve been stalking your blog for quite sometime. I’m sorry I don’t comment more often but your blog is so inspiring! Thank you!

  38. Oooh, me me me! Of course, the immediate questions that pop into mind are those you’ve addressed before- how do you find the time, the inspiration, etc. This is probably because I have no time nor inspiration right now, but that’ll change soon.

    Do you work with an overall idea of the outcome you’d like in your head, or just wing it as you go along?

  39. Hi ya
    I would love to win a spot in the class. Have really been into my journalling this year and have found it to be very helpful. I like that I can just do a few minutes if thats all I have to spare – and sometimes that few minutes is what helps me get through the day. All work and no journalling = no fun.
    Thanks for the opportunity

  40. Yes, yes, classes and learning are so good for creative growth, I’d L-O-V-E a Creative Spark!

  41. I’d love to win a place in this class =)
    I’m wondering: if you could do anything at the moment (if something restricts you because of something, money or anything ignore it) what would you do?

  42. You blog is wonderful. I am sorry I missed the postcard swap this year. Hopefully you will host it again next year. This class sounds very inspiring.

  43. I NEED this workshop. It would be such a treat to win it and get moving creatively. Thanks so much for your wonderful and inspiring blog

  44. oh, Hanna Hanna Hanna!!

    I’m always LATE!!
    Well, not always… But you had to TELL me about the postcard swap, and NOW, I think I’ve missed out on this fab. giveaway!

    it’s my journaling year.
    just saying…

  45. Am I too late?!?!? Like Chris above me, I’m always late, too! So sorry if I am :(
    Great post, love the grid of photos and images at the start of this post! Hope all is well, Happy Spring!
    xoxo
    Kathy

  46. I need a creative spark at the moment – I would love to win a spot in this class. Thanks Hanna and Spookey for the opportunity!

  47. I would love the opportunity to spark up my artistic side. I may be too late. I just wanted to see if there is still an opportunity. I am getting interested in the altered book art.