A *signed* book giveaway!

I met Cate Prato when we worked on the current issue of "studios". She's an editor for Cloth Paper Scissors.

She teases me endlessly...but hey...what are friends for?? At least that's her thought........Someday...I'll get even..............

Anyway...Cate has published her first book & I got us a free copy. Pretty cool!!

All you need to do is leave a comment to be entered into the drawing. I'll be back on Wednesday morning to announce the winner. Enter your own comment & pass the word to your friends too.

This is fun!

I LOVE free stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And...sharing is good!

This book is loaded with great photos and a ton of helpful tips & hints to get you going. I've not done the "self portrait" thing yet...but like Cate says...you don't have to show anyone...make it just for you! I like that!

I asked Cate some questions...here's what she had to say...

1. Why the emphasis on self portraits?

Artists have made self-portraits since the beginning of time, but recently two events prompted us to do this book. First, in 2005 Quilting Arts Magazine, for which I’m the features editor, hosted a reader challenge based on an article on creative self-portraits by Yvonne Porcella. It was phenomenally successful. We got hundreds of wonderful art quilts—funny, poignant, thought-provoking. More recently, the rise in blogging in the art community gave birth to the Self-Portrait Challenge (SPC) online, with artists around the world making photographic self-portraits based on a different theme every week. Also phenomenally successful. So, at Cloth Paper Scissors, Quilting Arts’ sister publication, we decided to put our own mixed-media spin on it in a book.

2. What's your favorite exercise to get the creative juices flowing?

Well, probably because I’m a writer, I like the exercise in the book where you take just a few minutes to jot down your life story, then highlight the most important moments and themes and base a self-portrait on that. Conceptually, I like it first because it takes you out of the idea of a "physical" self-portrait and focuses on some of the events that made you who you are. Second, I think when you do an exercise like this where you are forced to think quickly, things pop up that might surprise you. For example, Elin Waterston, who did this exercise for the book, made fabric postcards based on the numbers from her previous addresses and the patterns of her father’s shirts.

3. I know you frequent flea markets. Tell us what you look for.

The triumvirate is buttons, china/glassware, and linens. I love anything with that cornflower/periwinkle blue color and faded cherry red. And Nile green. When I’m at a flea market or yard sale, my eyes just scan for those colors and textures, like a reconnaissance robot on a seek-and-acquire mission.

4. What's your very favorite flea market FIND? Will you actually USE it or hoard it?

Oh, my favorite find is usually the most recent one—or the next one! I have to say one of my favorites is the typewriter I used for my self-portrait in the book. It’s a turquoise Smith-Corona portable I picked up for $5 about a year ago. I had one just like it as a teenager. The flea market where I got it was in a parking lot and we had actually gotten into the car, the kids were strapped in, and that’s when I spied it. I said, I have to look at that; the kids just shook their heads and rolled their eyes. I hopped out and when they said it was five bucks I did a little happy dance inside. When it came time to do my own self-portrait for the book, I said, "I’m going to alter that typewriter."

I like to use things, especially my linens. I get great buys because I buy the imperfect ones with a couple of stains or a small hole, and then I don’t fret about using them and enjoying them. In fact, the only ones I regret are the perfect ones, because I’m afraid to use and "ruin" them.

5. What advice would you give to anyone who feels self-conscious about making a self-portrait?

Buy the book! Seriously, we address that issue in the book from many angles—essays, exercises, tips for getting started. As I said before, nearly all artists do self-portraits of one kind or another. Self-portraits can help your art and your life; they can be just for fun or as part of a healing and growing process. You don’t have to show anyone. It can be just for you.

Thanks for donating the book CATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure some lucky blog friend will be happy to give it a good home!

Congrats to you and.........

CHEERS!! Here's to continued SUCCESS!

wendy