Happy, happy 2009!

I'm still so surprised that "my" little site, that I started thinking up this time last year, has evolved into this space. Many, many inspiring, gracious Guest Designers, awesome sponsors, and the addition of the "TAIF Girls", has really crafted this blog into something that I certainly couldn't have done on my own. And that's mainly thanks to the readers and participators! So. Thank you. :D

As I've been talking to the rest of the TAIF ladies, it's been decided that we really want to start having The Art is Found "grow up", in a sense. We're moving in new, more art driven expanses in the new year. Unusual, insanely talented Guest Designers, crazier prompts.

And don't get your curls in an uproar, all the prompts are easily interpreted into scrapbooking still, but we want to see you all step out of your box and just try something new.

We LOVE seeing prompts intrepreted in unique ways and we also love seeing the beautiful, scrapbooky artness too. (yes, those are technical terms.). Anyways. I'm way excited to announce our first prompt and Guest Designer of 2009! The prompt is:

Mobiles

Y'know, the cute little hangy things you hang over cribs? Well. Dude. I want you to make a mobile. It could be artsy and bizarre. I don't care if you decided to string butterflies over your window. Or you could make something with the word "mobile", like journalling on a layout or whatever.

Our Guest Designer, this time 'round, is the awesome Jeff Stephens! Jeff is the awesomely talented husband of Jek, one of my favorite flickrers. Here's what Jeff has to say about his mobile--


Mobile, Alabama never been there. Never got a degree in art, but after earning one in Economics I made art instead of pie charts. The fine art gallery scene didn’t seem to want me so after a bit I figured sticking to one medium for the sake of being easily identified was silly. I started out as a printmaker, but when the technical rigor of etching and engraving didn’t thrill anymore I moved into paper cut silhouettes, mechanical gizmos, cartoons, and stuffed toys. The paper silhouettes led to mobiles of black shadows. They recreate the kick I got as a kid watching this 60s far-out iridescent fish mobile that hung in front of a window in my parent’s house. Backlit by the window, silhouettes of lazy fish would ease past the window and the house was under water. The mobile photographed here hangs in our bedroom window now, and I watch chairs cross sky in morning light. I’ve had time to make a few mobiles, but there’s a mess of drawings waiting to be cut from thin veneer plywood. Most of the objects get a coat of jet black. In dim light they make a nice illusion of depth. The moon in this mobile is gold leafed and gives a bright, reflective flash as it turns. Mobiles give simple objects a lively kinetic punch. Hell, maybe I’ll make one out of pie charts.

His project--

I love the winged chair, so great. Thanks for Guesting, Jeff!

Now onto what the rest of us made!

Gentle Mandiii-

Magical Rhi-Rhi-



Debee




Uhhh. Kara- Haha.

Dani-


As always, feel free to interpret the prompt however you see fit. A painting, a series of polaroid pictures, art journal, blog post.... Don't forget to share!

The winner of the SFAC Kit is Kinzie Lynn!!! Email me your address at karahaupt[@]gmail.com.

Have a blessed week!

xoxo.
kara.

"The woods are lovely dark and deep...

...But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep."
- Robert Frost

Hey kids, it's Dani checking in for this latest prompt! This one is.... absolute perfection. Honestly, every time I get around to working on the upcoming prompts I think its the best one yet. Then the next one rolls around and I'm saying it again. But honestly, this one is tremendously inspiring! So you probably want to know what it is right?
Well, this latest prompt is "woods". The woods. the great outdoors. large looming trees. dark and quiet. peaceful and wild. Or just plain wood. woodgrain. tree rings and other wood related patterns.... you see where I'm going here.

Let this prompt take you wherever you want, that's the beauty of it! You may start out with one "woods" related thought and end up creating something so far from where you began. And that's ok, just let the prompt inspire! I mean, the blog is called "The Art is Found" so go find it!

We have an amazing guest for this prompt, the adorable kim smith!

"The Art Is Found- that is the perfect name for what I do. Kara is fantastic, and of course found this out before me, so I am honoured to be able to participate! I'm Kim, and I live in England. My whole life inspires me- I feel this giant swell in my heart when I see things in my life that translate into my journals or photography or art work. Taking things from my life and surroundings and making that into something visual, maybe even just bringing some attention to it, is my favourite thing to do!


So, for the prompt- 'Woods', my mind automatically jumped to the trees that I drive through everyday to school. I'm lucky to live in quite a rural area and I pass these big open fields and lately they are misty and white in the mornings and dark and eerie at night. I love them- and they were my main inspiration for the few little projects I did.


This page is about my 'happy place' the place I go to, to calm down or rest or just take a moment- I imagine myself in a wooded area, a forest, and having the time to just listen to the sound of silence with a dear companion. The title reads 'so silent, and strong. But beautiful.' Because I long to be like the strong silhouettes of winter trees against a clear sky.



And this little painting was a spur-of-the-moment 'I need to get this down' kind of thing. Telling myself to stop stressing and stop worrying. It is my motto for this December.

Thank you all you artisfound girls! And I can't wait to see what you all make! Kxo!"

Mandi has two delicious projects made with woodgrain contact paper:

little trees for a closet door...

Dani (hehe, me) decided to do something different than her usual and made a crochet neckwarmer with a woodsy theme:


(used some yummy martha stewart woodgrain ribbon!)

The other girls will be sharing their projects later, so keep checking back!

This prompt is sponsored by Scrap for a Cure, check out this perfect mini kit, so much fun stuff:

So now that I've tempted you with this yummy prize, go hug a tree and get creating!
Don't forget to link us up to your projects!

*********

the winner of the the sequins prompt is....
heather!
email kara at karahaupt [at] gmail.com with your addy and info! congrats!

Happy Monday!

Do you "SEEquin" what I "SEEquin"?

Hello hello! Kimmie here! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are a little late this week with the challenge...forgive us...tis the season right?:)

But we are not disappointing.

Topic:

SEQUINS (how awesome is this for Christmas?)

Designer:

The Rad Elsie Flannigan

E L S I E C A K E

hello! i am elsie flannigan. i live and work in Springfield, Missouri. i spend most of my time painting and making outrageous little crafts. i enjoy reindeer, MGMT, dinosaur toys, hot chocolate, big bows in my hair, charlie kaufman films and pretty much any accessory that begins with the word "faux".

i have an etsy store called elsiecake and i am opening an art boutique in February called Red Velvet Art .

You can find me at my blog and at the Red Velvet Girls blog .

It's an honor to be a part of this!!

Lovelove!

Her inspiration:

Her delicious project:

I was inspired by all of the pretty holiday sequin dresses and hair pieces! I made this little mermaid painting and i added some extra cuteness with green and aqua sequins! I hope you enjoy it!

XO. elsiecake

AWEsome Ashers:

Killer Kara:
Koolness Kim:

Mirror Love(I thought this was a great project for my children...and a good way to get
my ornaments to match everything! )

Mysterious Mandi:Deep Dani:
Delicious Debee:
Really Real Rhi shall be here soon with her project.

This week's prompt is brought to you by the letter D as in The Dozens Kit Club...
Look how lovely...
The winner of the Christmas Kit from the "texture" prompt is "merryheart2"...Congrats missy! Email Kara your address.

Hey! and don't forget to link your projects in the comments so we can check them all out! I know you guys are gonna rock the sequins!

Are you "feeling" me?

Hey guys...KB here...long time no type...I am super excited to be back to the challenges and even more excited about our prompt and guest designer this time.

We are trying to step outside the box here at TAIF and our prompt is:

TEXTURE

They are so many ways to interpret this prompt...so take a picture and use a texture over it, use texture in your home decor, scrapbooking, or how our guest designer did by taking photos of the interesting textures around you. Have fun!!

And without further ado...I would like to introduce Will Vastine. I ran across his work via flickr and immediately loved his eye for detail and interest in photography. We are honored to have him. Welcome Will!

Hello friends, I'm a photographer based out of the Southwest Missouri area, and I am really excited to be the guest designer for TAIF this week! Not only am I the first guy to be featured, but I think I am the first only photography based artist to be involved! I got really excited when Kimberly contacted me about taking part in this because its something that I have never had the pleasure of doing before and it really helped me push myself to look at the world around me in new and creative ways. I was asked to play around with the prompt "texture" and it gave me a unique challenge... take a three dimensional concept and some how convey it in the two dimensional world of photography. With other forms of art such as scrapping, painting, sculpture, you can easily create depth and texture by adding different materials and elements, but it's sometimes harder to convey that in a photo. So I started looking around my world, and began to see an incredible amount of beautiful examples of texture in some very simple places. The sides of buildings, the ground that I walked on, nature, weather-worn paint... it just kept going and going. So I decided to shoot some very simple photos, straight on and pretty geometric, so that I could allow the texture to be the main focus of the photos. I hope that as you look at my photos, you are inspired to look at the world around you and observe the simple beauty that it provides. I bet if you just took some time and walked around your house or neighborhood, you'd find something new that will completely inspire you. Have fun creating!

You can find Will's websites here:

blog: willvastine.blogspot.com

flickr: flickr.com/photos/emergentphoto

Kimberly's take:
"I have always been inspired by Ansel Adams photography even before I became a photographer...they always have a variety of textures. This was my attempt at that style of photography. I loved the texture in my couch with the landscaping and the second photo is the actual fabric."


Dani's take:Kara's---


Check back throughout the week for everyone's creations.


Our sponsor is Smarty Pants Art, the winner gets the Christmas kit, and the Christmas mini-kit goes to the runner-up.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5051967

http://www.smartypantsart.blogspot.com/

How cute is this RAK?
Have a great time with textures and don't forget to link your work...we love to see it!

Hello Hello :)

Hello. It's me, Debee. Welcome back everyone for yet another fabulous serving of art. Get your game on. Literally. And play it! The prompt is going to be "playing cards". Freestyle or just do your thing- layout, mini, altered, painting, polaroid photographs, cards, random project. Playing cards can be interpreted how ever you'd like. Vintage cards, new cards, UNO cards, whatever!

And now I'd like to introduce you to this prompts fabulous artist: Elise Blaha

My name is Elise Blaha. I collect paper, clutches and coffee mugs. I wish very much that I had an at home photo printer. I love to read and bake cookies. When I grow up I am going to be a letterpresser. I am obsessed with rainbow order and quite recently decided the tape runner might be better than the gluestick. I had a hard time figuring out how to use playing cards and finally just stopped focusing on the cards and instead focused on the message I wanted to convey.

Here's Elise's take on the playing cards prompt:



Mandi used the cards from the game "A Question of Scruples."



Rhi <3



dani


Ashley made little people icons out of cards:

The rest of the gang will upload their art soon! So come back, link us up to your art and play!