Giveaway Updates!

Be sure to stop by Holly's blog to enter to win a signed copy of our book as well as Zorana's blog today to also grab a chance to win!

Deadly White Powder..

Here's my eighth bouquet...with an awesome floral pick my daughter made me in school.

Well, Southern California humidity has taken its tole on my crop...I'm fighting black mold and mildew here on a lot of the plants.. had to cut them back.. code red. We might have a little bouquet vacation until temps heat up and I can get the fungi under control. I'm depressed... but I know roses will be back in a few weeks.

When Liberace Goes Crafting...

...he probably makes stationary like this. I am completely mesmerized by Martha Stewart glitter! It is sooo sparkly.

Something that always grabs my attention is the die cut machine.. The Big Shot, Cricut, blah blah.. I finally bought a second machine. I bought the "eBosser". (Second? Back in the good 'ol days I broke my "Revolution" by jamming thick sheets of metal through it.) So armed with some pretty Sizzix embossing folders, I made some cards. I was so in love  with the raised texture on this particular folder, I painstakingly covered each ridge with glue.. and then the glitter.

Did it take a long time, of course! But, as a  fan of the extremely labor intensive greeting, I had to do it! (It's kind of a thing..)

If you're planning to do something like this, my advice would be to stock up on the glue pens... I experimented with glue stick.. no good.. The pen worked best for me, but these 4 cards used an entire (brand new) pen! Gulp.

And now for the propaganda..

I do  not work for, or am I given supplies to complete any of my posts or classes. Lots of people think I work for Golden.. not true either. All supplies (except for some stencils I received once) are purchased by me using good ol' fashioned USD. I feel good that if I write about something here, you can rest assured (if you care) that I am giving you my honest opinion about said product.

Weekly Recap...

My friend and I picked up a few totally reasonable containers for roses on Tuesday.. plus some frogs and a handy thorn remover thing.. arranging flowers is so much easier when you have the tools! We like this place if you're in the San Diego area.

Three day weekend for us... Mother's day..and every 4 years.... my birthday. Cake for everyone! Before you go enjoy the weekend, don't forget to enter to win a copy of our book!

See you next week!

Julie Learns Online Too...

Remember when I mentioned I was taking fashion illustration courses online? That didn't go over to well for me.. Remember when I said I was taking Illustrator CS6 online classes? Those were much better!

As I sat for hours learning the new software, I couldn't help by think to myself how this type of learning really is excellent. Here I have the ability to watch a lesson.. and to RE-WATCH it over and over, clicking along with my instructor until my own "clicking" moment took place.. And I have to tell you.... some of those moments took a long time.

But what is this for? I initially thought I would use these new fundamentals to spruce up my website, my class handouts, etc.. But there really is no limit! Combined with my Photoshop skills, the possibilities are endless... whatever I see...whatever graphic or pattern I see, I can break it down..and make it my own. Stencils, papers, business cards, stationary, logos... I am thrilled.

I never thought I needed all this.. I would usually sit at Photoshop and crank something out after a few hours.. but now? Minutes. And this is the tip of the iceberg.. I am no way an expert in design.. but the seeds are planted. I learned a valuable lesson during the three classes that I took. I ordered the classes and added up the run times.. Say it was something like 13 hours.. I plotted 13 hours out on my calendar and figured that would be all. Nope. I ended up spending about 3 weeks in the classroom.. and I still go back for reference. Which makes me realize.. and maybe you already knew this... you can't do a new thing one time and be a pro at it. It takes time to learn skills. SKILLS.

So the next time you are planning your day..and if it involves a class or two... plot double..maybe triple the time you think you will need... and absorb everything. Really absorb it. You will be happy you did.

Graphics in this post: Julie Prichard

Illustrator Classes: Laura Coyle via Renee Pearson

Font #1 created by Missy Austin for Lost Type Co-op; edited by Julie Prichard

What Students Say...

I was so happy to receive a note through facebook from Lisa who has taken my "Mucho Metallics" online workshop. Lisa has a different painting style than I do, but she took the techniques and applied them to her repertoire... and the results are OUTSTANDING. Click over and see Lisa's Buddah painting and write up she made regarding the course.

"False Idols", 8x10" Julie Prichard

What's Happening in the Mango Studio?

Another book giveaway! Click on the book to go enter today! Say hi to Stephanie from me while you're there. ;)

"Tricia!" You won my giveaway here.....send me a message to claim your prize.

Enter to Win A Free Book

Will this be your new best friend in the studio?

She's packed full of useful information...if you dabble in acrylics or are a seasoned pro, this is the book for you! She is SPIRAL bound! Hooray!

Did I mention that I shot (or directed) all of the images in the book? You know they are going to be pretty....

Now through May 5th leave one comment please (just ONE please) on this post to enter. US residents only (International peeps...I am so sorry!! Postage rates are more than double the cost of the book for me to ship to your country...but never fear...we've got some International buddies that are sure to host a giveaway in your area soon). One winner will be drawn May 6th and I will personally ship one SIGNED copy of the book to you.

Mark your calendar- Check back on May 6th..and if you see your name here, send me a message to collect your prize.

(PS- do you already have the book? We would be so appreciative if you could kindly leave us a review on Amazon.)

Charles Darwin.

Ahh...the yellow rose is here. I planted one David Austin "Charles Darwin" last year, and the baby plant produced 3-4 blooms. The roses smelled so amazing, I bought two more plants and got them into the ground this season. From the David Austin, catalogue: "Strong and delicious fragrance which varies between a soft, floral tea and almost pure lemon depending on weather conditions." It's true...mine are so citrusy and strong, I could easily eat them all!

Next on my list is to buy another vase (I only have one) and some floral foam so I can make better arrangements. These are all piled into the vase and balanced on each other, so I know I can do better. A lot of my plants are young (1-2 seasons old) and I am pruning and coaxing stronger stems...I can't wait.

Oh. Where's the art? well, I am taking a small break from painting here because I just opened up my last class...and I am immersed in some graphic design courses. I am having a ball learning Illustrator CS6 and will show you some fun once I "graduate". I should be done in a week.  See you soon!

The Final Truth

Class sample from my new workshop, "Eight Great Paintings"  12x12" stretched canvas.

Don't forget the Eight Great Paintings online workshop is brand new and off to a great start! There is a lot of activity in that class these days, and I will be in and out of there all weekend answering questions and providing feedback.

Click here to see the class details and to register...there is also a promo video you can watch to get a sense of my editing and teaching style. Hope to see you!

Have a great weekend..

Third Bouquet...

I'm a little weird about roses. My yard is bursting...so much so that I would say that I am in a little bit of trouble...yes..I know......may have bought too many plants for my small yard. Plants are growing all over each other these days... trouble for sure if some pests move in. Hopefully my prevention will keep them away. Knock wood.

So many of the plants grow multiple buds on the same stem. Why can't they all open at the same time? I won't pick those stems. I feel like all of the buds need a chance to open outside before they are cut. There are a couple of buds in this bouquet, but they should be opening soon... I always feel like I need to have blooms outside too.. a lot of blooms.. so I pick only one bouquet each week. Bare bushes (even though they are only bare a month or so) make me sad. I love to sit outside and stare at the plants. Can't help it.

I took a rose class last winter..and I have to say...that all of the fancy, organic, products they recommended I slather over everything have really paid off. This is the largest crop to date in our house. Yay! Hope things are blooming where you are too. See you soon!

This makes me happy...

This is my bedroom furniture. I bought it when I was about 25 years old and it's been serving it's purpose..... I knew it was past it's prime appearance-wise, but the bedroom always got passed on when other things on the house were needed. We've looked at new furniture, but no matter the price, I couldn't find a set that I wanted to buy. Enter spray paint.

New knobs a la Martha Stewart (Home Deport) and some flat, metallic grey spray paint (also Home Depot) and Viola! Can you believe that's the same furniture? One day of work and about $150 for everything. We also painted two night stands. I am thrilled with how easy this project was...we should have done it years ago.

The first step on the room make-over was a pair of new lamps from Target. As soon as I saw them I knew that they would match my bedspread..... that's when I decided we were going to paint. Finally. I am so happy I don't have new furniture payments! Hooray spray paint!

There is a NEW online workshop TODAY!

Click on the image to play the promo video.

8 Great Paintings is my latest workshop. This workshop teaches students of all levels to make EIGHT fantastic fine art paintings. There are so many techniques covering a wide variety of art! Some things you'l learn: Composition, color selection, color mixing, shading, collage, transfers....you'll learn everything shown in the 8 samples in beautiful HD video footage! My video is professionally edited- this class has a run time of over FIVE HOURS! That's 5 action packed hours too...I edit for content. You won't be watching paint dry for 5 hours. It's all learning!

Students get access to the instructor every day- all questions will be answered within 24 hours of being posted (baring any sort of natural disaster or emergency), UNLIMITED video plays, NO TIME LIMITS! I'm here any time you want to upload pictures of your class lessons for feedback too! It's all included.

There is a beautiful downloadable PDF for you to keep as a reference to class- that's included too!

Please make sure you have a high-speed internet connection and basic computer skills for class. If you can navigate something like facebook, you can navigate the classroom.

Your email address is required. Please enter the email address you would like to use for class in the Paypal box. Registration for my classes is a manual process. You will receive an email regarding your purchase within 24 hours. Please be sure to keep an eye on your spam folder too. If you do not hear from me within 24 hours, please contact me. Thank you!

Enter Your Class Email Address

The 8 Great Paintings Online Workshop Costs $68

All video content is available for you when your registration is complete. Instant Gratification- learn at your own pace!

Thankful Every Day..

12x12" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

We have been praying for those effected by the tragedy in Boston..and we are thankful that as I write this, the problem seems to be coming to an end for the people there.

I've had one hell of a marathon editing and preparation session for my new online workshop that debuts this Sunday. Will you be around to paint with me then? I'll post the workshop registration and details here on Sunday. Subscribe to my newsletter to get your news from The Land of Lost Luggage delivered right to your inbox.

I'm also on Facebook..would love to connect with you there too. Be sure to "like" a post of mine here and there so that my updates continue to show in your feed.

See you Sunday... it's going to be a fun and creative day!

Book Giveaway! Book Giveaway!

Tune in to Seth's blog, "The Altered Page" today to read his review of our new book...and to enter to win an autographed copy!

My 3rd Annual "Summer Of Giveaways" will be kicking off in June...mark your calendars and be sure to sign up for my newsletter...

Edit 05.05.13: the Summer of GIveaways has been cancelled.

...And don't forget to stop back here next Sunday! I'm feverishly uploading and compressing and writing a NEW online workshop....that is HUGE.

See you then....

PS- I am on Facebook daily here.

The Truth Is....

I have not been using my camera for fun time. It makes me sad to see the number of photographs taken this year drop to an all time low compared to years past. I'm forcing myself to set up studio lighting on my weekly rose bouquets to practice.

Last week I decided that I wanted the flowers on a gray background, and this week I think I like the bright white better. So the white stays (the same background, different camera settings)... but my transmitters stopped working. Sigh... always something...

For those of you keeping score at home, this one was actually taken with on-camera flash.. bounced off a white panel that Kate was holding high on the left..and another panel on the lower right to soften the shadow caused by the flash.. if the transmitters were working, I could have positioned the flash further away from the camera...much easier. I'll pick some up before next bouquet. Hope to see you then!

The Red Letter X

Friday. Butterfly.

Fading Memory; Mixed Media on Canvas 16x20"  Original for Sale $475 + Shipping if applicable.

Hey- where have you been? I've been on self-imposed work "lockdown" all week. This happens to me every time... I think of a new class, shoot the class, and then announce the date that the class will be ready... not taking into account anything else on my calendar. Next thing you know, you're stuck on the computer for HOURS editing HOURS of footage so that you can release the class on time.. Well.. The lockdown paid off, we will open on the 21st. 

I feel like I've had a lot of growth with my editing platforms (written, audio and video) and I think you're really going to notice a nice difference with the new workshop. Stop back by on the 21st to see me...will ya?

New Online Mega Workshop Opens April 21st.

The feedback from our book has been really fantastic...I am so happy. Don't forget you can download it today or have a copy shipped to you. See the book here. (Fading Memory (shown above) is featured on page 62.)

What I'm talking About....

My backyard is about to explode. 35 plants this year..some are first season...some are entering their 4th season... All the secret lotions, potions and hard work are paying off. I can't wait!

This year I got crazy and recorded and calculated when the blooms should be here... alternating plants and their prune times so that I should not be without blooms for the most part. Will see if my plans pay off....

The Draw.

San Jacinto mountains at sunset.

My family and I just returned from a stay in Indian Wells, CA. I've visited there a few times before and I have to say, it is one of my most favorite places to travel to. The art community is alive and thriving in the desert...it's magical. Yes...magical. I can't explain it. You have to go there to see for yourself.

Have I been here before? I mean in another life? Crap photo taken at night..but I couldn't pass up that color.

Chris and I had a book signing out there last night... and low and behold, when I walked in to see Chris's show (which was fantastic...of course), there is another neighboring show. Christina Lange had a glorious display of photography from none other than the Salton Sea! I've mentioned the Salton Sea before on the blog here...my friends know I am mysteriously mesmerized and attracted to that place... I can't explain the draw.. and as I spoke to Christina at length regarding the attraction mystery, she said that I was not alone...many people she speaks to also have that draw..  so what is it? I don't know.. But it's one of those places that I feel I want to go to every day... It's true. What do you do there? I just stare into the nothingness...and I don't know why. Christina has published a book on the Sea....you can see it here.

Indian Wells Golf Resort

So the draw.. what is it? Does it happen to you? I get this feeling..the feeling like I have been there before and that I need to be there more in 3 places... The neighborhood where I live (I also grew up here...my parents and childhood home are within walking distance), Manhattan and the desert. I'm curious to know your thoughts...