"Make your own damned mess" Giveaway

Here's the deal, I want you to be inspired. I want you to make a mess. BUT it has to be your own damned mess. No copying off of your neighbours work. Got it? Ok.

Over the years I've managed to build up a pretty nice collection of photos for use in my mess making. For the next month or so I'm giving away a high res sheet of grubby kidlet inchies made from my collection.

Here's the deal...

#1. Don't sell or give the file/sheet/images.

You can make as much stuff as you want from these. You can make as many copies as you like. You can sell or give or trade your finished artwork. Just don't distribute the images. You can direct others here to get their own, but don't distribute it, in any way, for free or for sale, in part or whole, in print or digitally, till death do you part.

I'm not one of those nice 'white' witches, and I am not above jinxing, hexing or cursing anyone who does not follow this very simple rule.

#2. Comment below on why it's wrong to steal, or the consequences of intellectual theft. Or, even better, why it's important to MAKE YOUR OWN DAMNED MESS. You get the idea.

And that's it! Everyone who leaves message will get the file... though I do reserve the right to refuse someone I think is a sneaky bastard.

Make sure I can contact you via email through your profile and you will be sent the full high-res jpg of the above. Email me at info (at) knickertwists (dot) com if you can not be contacted through your profile. I cross my black little heart that you won't be added to any sort of list, and I won't send you chain letters.

***Please note: I will send a 200dpi file at 1.5K which is absolutely suitable for printing. You can request a 300dpi file which is rather large at 3.5K.

The WIP is still IP

The 'work in progress' I showed yesterday isn't done but I've filled in a few of the compartments with happy things like old pencil crayons, buttons and birthday candle stubs.

I still have two compartments sitting empty. I'm waiting for the pixies to pinch me and give me a nudge to let me know what else they collect ;)

Today's WIP

Freshly papered, painted... today's project is just waiting for some proper lovin'

What are you working on today?

Frrr...rrr.rrr...eeez..zing

We've had a good and proper Canadian winter this year with a crap load of snow. I took these during the morning rush and the chilly walk down to the school bus. My darling husband was very kind and cleared a path down our hill so that the kid and I didn't have to walk on the road.

My favourite find this morning...

I'm sure inside there's a cozy place where the pixies are huddled in a warm pile, snuggled close together.

I can't wait for spring.

Sketchy

I came across an old sketch book tonight. I've become addicted to carrying one around with me. I feel naked without one... just like when you forget to put on a watch.

Do you keep a sketch book? I take one with me almost everywhere. I usually have two or three small books for doodling at any one time because I'm so scattered that I always misplace at least one of them.

My sketch books aren't really all that sketchy. They are mostly filled with word associations, lists and written ideas with a few quick scribbles here and there. If I didn't put them on paper I'd totally forget 3/4 of the things that run through my head :)

I really am curious how many of you keep a sketch book or journal type thing...

Here we go again.

Today has been a bit of a bummer. I've came across a couple of items, from different people, that are exact rip offs of my stuff. I'm not going to lie... it's getting to me. It's especially disheartening because one of those sellers is from very nearby, and I've actually purchased from them :(

I want to show off my artsty fartsy things. I want to share my work so that others might be encouraged to make stuff too. However, when I see two vendors in one day passing off items that are replicas of what I make, it's frustrating to say the least. I don't even want to think about what I'd find if I actually searched.

You know what the funniest thing about this whole thing is? Someone mentioned paper theatres a couple of months ago and felt I should have acknowledged that when I posted the Faerie Theatre. I didn't copy anything, or swipe an original idea, paper theatres have been around for hundreds years, but she felt that her post should have been mentioned. Truthfully I had forgotten all about it, I had been influenced by a load of historical and fanciful fantasy things that I had seen in the past few months, but I had no issues acknowledging her original post. Somewhere in the mess in the middle of my brain I'm sure it had become part of the inspiration.

The thing is, it's one thing to be inspired by something that you see and to make your own version. Hell, if it's just for you, go ahead and make a carbon copy. But, it's whole other ball game when you start selling or passing off other people's ideas without changing a damned thing.

I don't make a heck of a lot of money from the things I make. Mostly I'm happy if I can make enough to buy supplies, and sometimes even that doesn't happen. When I see other people trying to make money off of the things that were born in my head, it's really upsetting.

*sigh*

Listen, if you're going to sell stuff, just play nice would ya? Use my projects as a springboard for your own creativity. I know you can do it! You are pretty damned fabulous after all.

Two Wee Books

I've spent the morning finishing up two wee books. One book is a sort of pink colour study, the other is about the night sky. Here's a gander...

I'm really glad I made a load of extra pages for the night sky book because I think I'll be making a few more of them.

Before I make any more books though, I think I need to tackle this lovely mess... and yes, that is a box of Popsicle sticks on my desk :)