Gauche Alchemy + Paper Issues = TOTAL AWESOMENESS!

Hallooooo out there!  This is Chrissy to let you in on an awesome collaboration we are participating in!  For the next two weeks, the Paper Issues crew is doing an awesome theme that gets you to think outside of your comfort zone and guess who has eight thumbs and is sponsoring! That’s right! We are!  Here are some awesome projects from a few of the Paper Issues gals (and you’ll probably recognize two of them, our own Gauche Mama, Chrissy and our Newsletter Overlord, Lori!

We also have news of an awesome giveaway on the Paper Issues blog and a 30% off coupon code for our very own sweet shop!  For the Paper Issues giveaway, just head on over to Paper Issues and become a follower as well as “like” their Facebook page.  Here’s the awesomeness you’ll be in the running for:

Now for our awesome little coupon offer.  Just go into the Gauche Alchemy shop anytime between now and the 27th to take advantage of the 30% off coupon.  Upon checkout, use coupon code PAPERISSUES2012 to get 30% off your order!  This excludes the ACME Kit subscriptions though.

Be sure to check out all of the amazing mixed media projects over at Paper Issues and we would love it if you linked up your projects with them as well as within our Flickr group!

Cheers!

Chrissy

Giveaway: 3 Months of ACME Awesome

Hi everyone! Maggi here with the first of many giveaways to happen in September! As you know, Gauche Alchemy turns 3 this month so…

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah baby! Y’all can’t see me right now but I’m dancing around my laptop as I post this. We are celebrating Gauche Alchemy’s birthday all month long with an awesome guest Alchemist, a new kit AND you have a chance to win the birthday gifts! Trust me, this will be the most exciting month EVER!

Since we’re turning 3, the Gauche Mamas have gone nuts and decided to offer this to one lucky winner:

A FREE 3 month ACME kit subscription!

No freakin’ way, did I really just write that? You bet your sweet tushie I did! We want to know about your love for Gauche Alchemy and the winner of this contest will receive a FREE 3 month subscription to our fantastic ACME kit! Our ACME kit is a subscriber exclusive and here’s your chance to experience the awesome creative power for yourself! (Or extend your current sub)

Woo hoo! All this for FREE!

For three months you’ll receive our ACME kit and each kit will contain different items of artistic heaven, ready to get into your greedy little hands to be glued, stapled, painted and slapped on to your latest projects. No two kits are alike!

Here’s what you have to do to win: Show us your love for Gauche Alchemy! Create an altered piece, card, layout, journal page, anything showing how much you love GA! You don’t have to use Gauche Alchemy products to enter, just get to creating and show us what you got. Then leave a comment on this post with a link to your creation by Midnight on Wednesday September 28th.

Now for those of you that are more digitally inclined, you can enter too! Create a Gauche Alchemy blinkie or try your hand at making a banner for our blog or even create a landing page for us to use on our Facebook group or a background for our Twitter page! Link it up in your comment for us to see and you could be the winner!

Since I’m already an Alchemist I can’t win (BOO!) but I love GA and made this:

I cut a strip of Ouchless Cardboard for the background then added some pieces from our ACME kit. I used some Punchinella as a stencil and also stapled some to the cardboard. I painted over part of the cardboard with Distress Crackle paint and decided to add some pieces from our Banana Hammock, Wedding Night and Blue Streak Mixed Media Color Kits.

See? Easy peasy! Remember, whether made with your glue gun or your mouse, create some love for Gauche Alchemy and leave a link to your creation in this post by Midnight on Wednesday September 28th. The winner will be announced on Friday, September 30th so you have almost a whole month to get your creative juices flowing!

Now off with you! Go glue something awesome onto some awesome something! (Then link it up so you get a chance to win this amazing prize!)

Maggi

Gauche Alchemy Puts Out

Hello all my darling Gauche-ites! Maggi here with some more teasers for you! This time I’m teasing up some schwag (read: super awesome happy fun time prizes) that will be up for grabs all during the month of September!

Believe me, you do NOT want to miss out on these nifty giftys. We’ve got kits big and small, new kits, classic Gauche kits, color kits and some AWESOME found objects, straight from the Gauche Mamas clutches. (I’m currently planning my disguise as I want to win me some stuff. )

Alas, I can’t win anything being that I’m underground at Gauche Alchemy Headquarters, *pause for tears of pity* but that works out for YOU because YOU will have TONS of chances to win:

This...

Or maybe this...

Could be something to do with this...

A dash of this...

Some sort of mega gigantic prize like this...

Listen, this isn’t even HALF of what we’re giving away in September. You might even win one of our Alchemists! Okay, that last part was a goof but seriously, we’ve giving away so much stuff starting this Friday, September 2nd that I can’t even think straight.

We’re going to have a contest for you crafty (digital and handy) types, a contest for those of you letting your Gauche flag fly on your blog, something nuts will be going on on our Facebook page and for you lazy folks, we’ll be giving you a chance to win something just for leaving a comment. How sweet are we???

In conclusion, we are awesome. You are awesome. We are giving away awesome somethings that you can use to glue onto some awesome something.

Do.NOT.Miss.Out.

See you in September!

It’s a Contest!

Hello everyone!!!  As most of us (at least here in the US) are looking forward to a holiday weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time to share some Gauche goodness with you all.  Amy and I are so thankful for your loyalty, creativity and shared inspiration.

Let’s start off with the eye candy.  Behold, the Exclusive Acme kit!

Each lot of Acme kits we produce is unique, filled with a special array of Gauche goodies that you are not likely to see anywhere else on our site.  At this time, Acme kits are only available through subscription (6 or 12 months),  but THIS WEEKEND ONLY, you have a chance to get your hands on one of these bad boys for yourself!

  Here’s how:

1.  Leave a comment on this blog post telling us your favorite summer activity.

2.  Become a fan on our Facebook page!  If you already are, then tell your friends about us and have them tell us who sent them! 

{just one more look at the goods}

We will choose a random winner from all the participants on Tuesday.

I should also mention that if you are currently a subscriber to the Acme kits, we will substitute with any Gauche products of equal value!

Have a fantastic weekend!!!

PS:  You will definitely want to come back on (or before) Tuesday, because we have some very exciting news you won’t want to miss!

PPS:  Don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend!

Choose Your Own Adventure, the Contest

Heather here!

You may have noticed that every month here at Gauche Alchemy, we have a theme.  It could be basic or more abstract, but always with a Gauche twist.

For the  month of May, we’ve got some really fun stuff planned for you, as well as a fantastic Guest Designer.  But for the following summer months, we need your help.  This is your chance to tell us what you would like to see here on our blog.  Oh yeah, and to win some cool prizes!!  Woo hoo- free stuff!!!

So, here is the deal.  We would like YOU, our fabulous readers, to choose the theme for June.  Leave a comment with your ideas, and remember that no theme is too naughty, saucy, crazy or silly here in Gaucheland.  So, give it your best shot!  The creator of the winning theme will receive a ribbon variety pack and a color kit of their choice (my favorite– pink parts, is shown here).Also, one random commenter will win our most popular product, a punchinella variety pack.We can’t wait to hear from you!

Oh, the Horror!

As promised, here’s another opportunity to win GA goodies and have loads of fun doing it.  If you haven’t heard, there’s an awesome challenge site called Smeared and Smudged – Alternative, Vintage, and Gothic Art Rubber Stamping.

Each month they pick a horror poster to draw inspiration from. This month it’s Arachnophobia (yikes!). Participants can create anything they want: scrapbook page, altered art, anything – as long as there is at least one stamped image on it somewhere (Smeared & Smudged house rule). At the end of the month,  all participants are placed into the pot at random.org, and a winner is chosen. In order to play along, you need to be a member of S&S, but that’s no biggie – it’s free. 

So head on over there, play along, and maybe win some free Gauche goodies in the bargain!  Here’s what we are offering as a prize – a special orange and black Halloween mixed media color kit (actual items in the kit will vary – this photo is representative of the type of things you’ll find in any color kit).

Better Living Through Scrapbooking

If you haven’t yet heard, Angela has a new challenge blog, Better Living Through Scrapbooking.  Gauche Alchemy is sponsoring October, and I somehow spaced telling you all about it.  I’m just a little ADD.  Sometimes.

But it’s not too late to participate!  Head on over to their blog, take a look around, soak up the inspiration, and get your entries in! There are a bunch of prizes to be had, including a Nature Calls mixed media and scrapbooking kit, with all its buggy goodness and luscious colors!

Better Living Through Scrapbooking is not your average challenge site.  Their tag line is “Challenges to Heal Your Soul and Inspire Your Mind.”  It’s for those of us who desire to go beyond merely documenting the strictly happy times with cutsey titles and smiling pictures.  In Angela’s own words:

Life is awesome.  It’s filled with ups and downs, good decisions and not-so-great decisions, fabulous experiences and the occasional yuckiness.  Each and every moment we experience in life is ours, and we should embrace them for what they are, regardless of whether they’re good or bad.  After all, every experience in life offers us a chance to learn from the outcome.

Want to play along?

Here are the current challenges; all have deadlines of 10/31/10.  A new challenge goes up each week, so keep an eye out!

Recycle, Renew, Reuse

About Me

Favorite Color

Here’s Yvonne’s layout for the Recycle, Renew, Reuse challenge.  How frickin’ AWESOME is this?!

I make a conscious effort to be green especially when it comes to crafting….stretching the use of supplies and using “found” objects on my projects. While I love the effect of luscious layers on my layouts, I try to accomplish depth through inking and mixing different textures instead of adding layers of paper on top of each other. Not only do I do my part for the environment, my scrapbooks are lighter and less bulky!

I love this Pink Paislee paper (base). It has some resist design so all I had to do was ink with some distress inks and mist a little with some glimmer mist. The burlap fabric is from the Gauche Alchemy BabyKiddoCutie Papercraft kit. I also used Ouchless cardboard to add a little dimension to my layout! And those pull-off tabs tell you how many drinks I’ve had!

Here’s Merdrey’s – mmmm… those found objects are making me drool.  (Oh yeah, and the food too… *ahem*.)

For this challenge i used Gauche Alchemy’s Ouchless Cardboard and packaging from The Hand Burger restaurant! My friend and i were in awe of the packaging and thought it made the whole eating experience much more interesting! And glitter was used to bring out the Hand Burger logo =)

Check out the toothpick-like labels!

Our lovely, talented Kas is also on the Better Living Through Scrapbooking DT, so be sure to head on over there and check out what she’s done, as well – the ladies over there have been using GA supplies all month – see if you can spot them!

Stay tuned tomorrow for another annoucement about how to win more GA goodness by participating in another challenge we are sponsoring!  This one has a Halloween-based theme.  Boo!

Making time for art… means making time for ourselves

Escape at Twilight by Vanessa Valencia

I have a guilty admission to make.  Even though I am co-creator of Gauche Alchemy and our focus is to inspire people to express themselves creatively, I have a lot of trouble making time for art.

I have my own reasons and challenges that tend to create this situation, but what it comes down to is that I have not been making time for myself to create.  As you may know from reading my last post, I believe that creative expression is a necessary element in a holistic life… so why do I have so much trouble practicing what I preach?

I’m going to sidestep that question because, really, the way it’s asked sounds suspiciously like the snarky tone of my inner judge, and frankly, I’m trying to drown my inner judge in the toilet at the moment.  Instead of saying I should make time for art and creativity (I’m the master of shoulding all over myself – you too?), I’ll say, “I could make more time for art.”

And here’s the question that encourages that response:  What might I do to show love for myself?  (Doesn’t that feel so much better than “Why do I have so much trouble practicing what I preach?”)  And the answer might be, “I could make time for my creative self to play.”

But how?

What do you do when every day seems shorter and shorter?  What can you do when you’ve got so many obligations and interests pulling you every which way?  I don’t know about you, but I am often tempted to all-or-nothing attitudes.  I think, “Well, if I can’t spend [x] amount of time doing what I want to do, then I don’t even want to start.”

So, here’s what I’m trying to wrap my head around these days – small projects.  Partial projects.  Spending 10 minutes if I have it and truly want to use it for creating, rather than waiting until I’ve got a block of a couple of hours and also have the energy to actually do it.  When I feel that urge to create, when I find myself thinking, “I wish I had time for that today…” what’s to stop me from taking TEN MINUTES to do SOMETHING that makes me feel good?

Well, aside from this, I mean:

OMG.  I can’t believe I just showed you that.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is my studio.  I’m lucky enough to have an area to create that is all my own, and… well… *ahem*  pardon me, I need to go put my boot on the face of my inner judge, who’s contemplating climbing out of the toilet for another round.  (Now, if your studio or living space looks this bad, you’ll know you’re not alone.  If it doesn’t, don’t you feel so much better now?)

Okay, so other than the fact that when things get this piled up, I don’t have a surface to work on, what’s my excuse?  I can grab an envelope and a set of Sharpies and make a piece of mail art.  I could do that.  Or, you know, I can still get to my sewing machine and a big-ass pile of paper scraps.  I could do that.

I’m not very good at this whole taking-small-bites-of-things thing.  Not yet.  I’m working on it.  I created this card in 10 minutes as I was waiting on a neighbor/friend with whom I was going to a women’s “goddess group.”  (No, we didn’t chant and dance around a fire naked… hopefully next time… but I digress…)

Here’s the back:

Not bad, eh?  It’s a start… and now I’ve got something to put in that Sharpie-covered envelope, right?

So, tell me – how do you make time for art?  What ideas do you have for the rest of us?  What are you working on letting go, either in attitude or in a too-full schedule so that you have that time to love yourself through making time for what you love?  I really want to know! Please, oh please… ohpleaseohpleaseohplease leave me some comments, faithful readers.  I can use all the pointers I can get! 

Oh, and since you’ve read this far, I think you deserve a reward.  Go here for some awesome FREE downloadable images from Stampington – they are especially cool.

Also, did you know that Bombshell Stamps, our wonderful sister-partner, has FOUR new stamp sets available for pre-order?  They’re even on sale!  Check ‘em out! (Here’s a sneaky little hint – we’ll be releasing a new limited edition themed kit within the next week or so, and one of these stamp sets coordinates with it rather nicely!)

Gauche Alchemy Kit Subscriptions are Here!

Happy Monday everyone! Maggi here with an EXCITING announcement!  *happy dance*

Ever think to yourself, “I just cannot get enough Gauche Alchemy! I need more vintage-y craft-y awesome-y ephemera-y supplies and materials….more more MORE! My projects beg for the mixed media goodness that is Gauche. I want it NOW!”

Well hang on to your knee socks Veruca Salt because you demand and we provide! Please to enjoy, for the first time anywhere…*drum roll*…the ACME Mixed Media Paper Craft Kit Subscription!

“But Maggi, is this possible?! You mean there’s a subscription to Gauche Alchemy’s amazing ACME kit?!” That’s right my friend, now YOU have the opportunity to subscribe to our most popular kit. Not just that but our ACME kits will now only be available through subscription. *amazed, awe inspired gasp* You have a choice of a 6 or 12 month subscription, each and every kit you receive will be busting at the seams with rich, creamy Gauche Alchemy perfection. And the best part is, you don’t even have to leave your WIP (Work In Progress) because each kit will be shipped to you automatically!

Just like snowflakes, no two kits and no two months will ever be the same! These pictures are merely representations of what you can expect to receive during your subscription term. Here’s how it works:

Visit the Gauche Alchemy store, choose between the 6 month or 12 month subscription, simply add to your cart and check out. This will pay for your first month. We will then set up a PayPal subscription for the rest of your subscription term. The subsequent charges will appear on the 15th of the month and the kit will be mailed on the next business day. You may cancel at anytime, just notify us before the 10th of the month.

Anddddd all this can be yours for the low low price of only $30.00 a month! PLUS shipping is FREE to the US and Canada! (International customers only pay a flat shipping rate of $8.00!) Who loves you baby? Gauche Alchemy, that’s who! But wait, there’s more!!!

If you choose the 12 month Subscription, you’ll receive an extra $5.00 worth of Gauche Alchemy product (could be a color kit or random bag of awesomeness) added to your kit every month for FREE!

And did I forget to mention the extra 10% store discount that our subscribers receive? That’s right, for the length of your sub term, you’ll receive a personalized (non transferable) code that entitles you to 10% off anything else in our store that you have shipped with your kit!

So let’s sum up:

1. 6 or 12 month subscription – always ships FREE to the US and Canada (Only $8.00 for all other countries)  -Check
2. 12 month subscribers will always receive an extra $5 worth of GA product in their kits -Check
3. 6 and 12 month subscribers receive an additional 10% store discount for the length of their term -Check
4. Gauche Alchemy is awesome -Check and double check!

So there you have it! This just made your Monday, didn’t it?! So head on over to the Gauche Alchemy store and sign up for your 6 month or 12 month ACME Mixed Media Paper Craft Kit subscription today!!!

Now go subscribe and then go glue something awesome onto some awesome something!
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Want to know what else is brewing at Gauche Alchemy?

Go shopping for your own Gauche goodies in our rockin’ Store!
E-mail us anytime: gauchealchemy@cox.net
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Drool over Gauche creations and add your own in our Flickr Group!

Review: Pasticcio Quartz art zine

Hello ladies and gents! Amy here, and I have the honor and delightful pleasure of reviewing the latest copy of Sarah Fishburn and Angela Cartwright‘s art zine Pasticcio Quartz.  The latest edition is Issue 9, Spring 2010.

Would you like to WIN a copy of Issue 9?  We we’ll be choosing a winner Thursday morning, so please comment on this post for your chance to thumb through this lovely lovely – compliments of Sarah and Angela.

I will admit that I’m not the most well-versed reader on the zine scene… but I can say that most zines I’ve managed to get ahold of are self-published black-and-white versions.  Delightful as they are, it’s a breath of fresh air to get a slick, colorful paperback booklette, especially when the contents are so yummy and luscious that you just have to pore over every single page (52 of them, to be precise).

Let me walk you through this issue, bit by bit…

The zine features equal parts artwork and articles.  I can tell you that my blog feedreader is bursting even fuller at the seams since scanning through this latest issue, which focuses on ADORNMENT.  Embellishments galore – and who doesn’t love that?  Among the varied offerings: digital art, mixed media, collage, oil and acrylic painting, pen and ink drawings on plywood, jewelry, metalsmithing, fabric and stitching – and of course, contributions from the editors themselves.  Each page is full color and boasts a plethora of eye candy – yes, even the articles are printed on backgrounds that invite careful scrutiny.

Among the featured artists:

DJ Pettitt

Lynden St. Victor

Amanda Blake (her contribution makes my heart hurt – that’s how bad I want to hang it on my wall!)

Joe Carrion

Paul Murray

Diana Frey

Cecilia Swatton

Tawnya Romig-Foster

Tim Mitoma

Roxanne Stout

Colin Gerety (Sarah’s hubby!)

Megan Gray (her contribution also makes my heart hurt… *sigh* pitterpatter pitterpatter)

Stephanie Lee

Connie Freedman (Angela’s ac studio9 partner)

Krista Silvia Raak

Pearl Red Moon

Patricia Ayres

Nina Bagley

Riki Schumacher (gasp!)

In addition to the amazing artwork, you will find a multitude of quotes – from this year’s Oscar contenders to quotes about adornments – articles about calligraphy, steampunk, charms, buttons, and book reviews.  (I have to say, I happened across a book review by Sarah on Amazon.com, and her [very accurate] review tipped me over into knowing I *had* to have the book – it’s a good one – Re-Bound: Creating Handmade Books from Recycled and Repurposed Materials.  I’m glad I trusted her judgement on that one!)

We are also treated to a couple of kick-ass tutorials (one by a favorite artist of mine, Judy Wise) and an article by the one and only Suzi Blu.  There’s a full page of awesome links to the most awesome stuff, and a couple of profiles about artists whose artwork lives on though they have passed – both of whom I was not acquainted with before, and both well worth knowing.

The best thing about an art zine is knowing that it is the vision of unique artists just like us.  As much as we adore the mags with wide publication and big budgets (and they are ALL OVER the Somerset/Stampinton pubs, as well – Angela even has her own paper line with them), there’s nothing like holding a bit of personal love from a couple of talented women in our very own community.  If you’re inclined to agree, get your hiney on over to this link and pick up a few back issues while waiting for the release of Pasticcio Quartz 10!  Issue 10 will be available in the Fall – be sure to sign up for their e-mail announcement if you don’t want to miss it.

Let me tell you a little bit about Angela and Sarah.  Nicole introduced us to Sarah Fishburn last Wednesday.

Sarah has been one of my favorite producers of eye candy for the past few years, and hers is the site to which I generally point people when asked, “What’s mixed media art?”  Her work has been widely published in a whole buncha books, and she and Angela have written a couple of books together: In This House and In This Garden.  (I hear this is only the beginning for this series!)  Imagine my delight to discover that she is as sweet and accessible as any fan could hope!

And now let’s talk about Angela.  Angela is an artist, author, photographer, mom of two, clothing and jewelry designer, and former actress of some fame.  (She was Brigitta in the 1964 film version of The Sound of Music, was on Make Room for Daddy for its 7-season run, and played Penny Robinson on Lost in Space.  I hadn’t realized!)

Although I somehow didn’t make the connection between Angela and Brigitta, what I *do* know Angela for is her fabulous book Mixed Emulsions: Altered Art Techniques for Photographic Imagery.  She also conceived the concept for and contributed to the book Transparent Art, all about using transparencies to amazing effect.  (You can also see Sarah’s work in this volume published by Somerset.)

I’ve learned that any project with which these two are associated indicates a project I’m likely to enjoy.  Here are some more publications entirely worthy of your perusal – you’ll see more of their delicious work and meet other fabulous artists along the way:

True Colors: a Palette of Collaborative Art Journals

Alphabetica: an A-Z Creativity Guide for Collage and Book Artists

Altered Books, Collaborative Journals, and Other Adventures in Bookmaking

Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap

The Savvy Crafter’s Guide to Success: Turn Your Crafts into a Career