Weekend reading with your Cuppa Joe

Yesterday, on twitter, I read a tweet on my timeline.. and read the content on it and it infuriated me - just like it did thousands of others..So I re-tweeted it ..

Read for yourself if what Urban Outfitters is doing by ripping off this indie designer's idea .  

So anyway, I went to bed , still thinking about how big corps do this every so often , and how the whole issue would unfold . 

I woke up this morning and hello ! To my surprise I read this tweet on my timeline : 

woah ! I read the article in bed , just as soon as I could rub my eyes and read it clearly . Yes, I am an I-phone  junkie ! 

Yay ! Hallelujah !! I did a little victory dance as best as I could - while in bed - trying not to wake my husband . 

I am genuinely happy for the designer truche as the power of social media pressure got to Urban Outfitters. 

Do they not have their own designers or are they running out of steam that they now have to blatantly steal ideas from other designers? No, they haven't apologized for anything. They simply took the design off their shelves . 

Will they address the issue ? Who knows ? Maybe they will ..wishful thinking ? I think so. 

So, silence is golden ?? I don't think so . This kind of silence with no apology is hurting their brand .After committing a mistake, the first step to set it right is to apologize, in my mind. Will someone tell Urban Outfitters that for me ? Surely, they have a PR guy reading all the negative publicity thats going around. 

For the record , I love the designs in truche's shop . Something good did come out of this ugly episode. I know there was overwhelming support - what did people do pre- social media days ?!  And I hope the negative publicity for Urban Outfitters has translated into tons of sales for truche.

Another one of my recommended reads is from Pikaland - Illustration and Innovation .

Interestingly, this one also addresses the issue of being a copycat ! Honestly, guys, that was not the theme I was going for  ! It just happens to be trending topic this week :) 

I like to save the best for last !

From the very innovative and intelligent mind of Isa Noisette -  Using Branding to reflect what you believe in . 

Just in case you aren't familiar with Isa, she's this superwoman who runs 2 businesses , takes care of 2 kids under the age of 3 , blogs often , guest posts often...the list could go on. Her blog - The Academy - is awesome.and she puts out really fantastic information out there. So, hop on over and give her some love. 

Have a wonderful weekend ..and don't forget to enter my giveaway here ! 

Giveaway Time!

Off late I found myself in a creative rut . Nothing could shake it off. Its one of those times that calls for drastic measures and taking a step back and letting it go . I knew it would come back to me - just not sure how .

It did . And, boy, am I glad it did. Like any mother, I take tons of pictures of my kids . I ended up taking some really beautiful shots.  They were inspiration enough. I found myself working on silhouettes of my kids. It is such a beautiful way of capturing images and so artistic.  I have always loved silhouettes. But, I like color in them .

Have you figured out what has been the result of this ? Yes, colorful silhouettes have been the outcome. I am rather liking the look . No, I am loving the look !!! Super - duper excited !!

I have a few in the shop , and I am working on a few more. But , I want more ideas to work with. I need a third perspective. I need another impetus to this creative experiment.  So thats why I am turning to you for help .

You can see some of the newest silhouettes below that will be making their way to the shop .

So, what do you think ? Yay, nay ?

If you think yay  , then have I got a treat for you ... I would like to add more to my colorful silhouette collection . Do you see where I am going with this ?

W h a t    d o    I    n e e d    f r o m    y o u ?

Photographs , of course ! Kids, spouses, You, you with your spouse , you with your kids, friends, pets , trees - whatever you would like . I am hoping to add more sparkle to the new collection with these images. So give me something that tingles my creative soul . Give me something shiny, baby ! I want to be in a position where I don't want to go to bed until I finish drawing and deliver the magic that your silhouette deserves.

When I clicked these pictures, I wasn't thinking of creating silhouettes .. But if I did..these are few things I would keep in mind ..

1)  take pictures at eye level . Experiment with close ups or full length .

2)  take pictures with interesting poses or props - something fun for kids/ babies..(I am really itching to draw a superhero , ballerina!! ) Capture them in their most natural moment and element and at play. It brings out the best in them . Or if the kids are really good at posing, you won't have any issues !

Interesting outfits for kids is always fun as I like to color up the outfits too . So , this might be a good chance to get your kids to pose in dress ups. I am not going to hold back on color palettes . I will work with the colors in the photographs ,  and experiment with the look of the silhouette. So, if you are up for colorful silhouette experimentation , this is for you .

3)  Grown up kids - listen up !! I am looking to create silhouettes of families 'in' a 'story'- by that I hope to create a silhouette which can tell a story about you . I also would love to see couples on boats , or with architectural landmarks in the background ( Hey, I gotta feed something to the architect screaming inside me !) . Maybe get a couple of pictures of recent graduates jumping up ... have I given you enough to work with ?
Maybe try different permutations and combinations of all of the above .. why not ?

4)  email the pictures ( 2 per submission , no more than 1 MB each ) to doodlekreations@gmail.com

5)  I'd appreciate the support if you spread the word !!

W h a t ' s    i n    i t    f o r    y o u   ?

This is the juicy part . You didn't think this was a giveaway for me, did you ?

I will pick 5 images- yes FIVE winners - to draw up and the each of the winners will get an 8 x 10 print FREE !!! Does that sound enticing ? I sure hope so...

This trade in /giveaway closes next Friday - June 4th , AEST . (That's Australian Eastern Standard time )

So, are you in ? Come , lets create some magic together !

Interesting Reads for this weekend

Here's my round up for this week . Enjoy !

On the following blogs :

PapernStich    -   How to Become and Instant Success in Your Niche

Noisette Marketing  - Knowledge is Power

This is an awesome thing not to share . For all you illustrators stuck in a rut, here are some ideas to get rolling with !

What to Draw via Pikaland 

Pikaland - What to draw : a list

I'll see you next week with more goodness from around the blogosphere !

The beauty of Autumn

I've said it before and I'll say it again . Autumn / Fall is my favorite season of the year. Enough said..

Project 26 - accomplished !

Can you believe it , I have been blogging for a over a year now ? I didn't realize it, until I was reading some of my old posts , that I completed a year of blogging in March .. so this is dawning on me a bit late !

You can do it ! via helendardik

Alright I admit , I was pathetic last year keeping up with my blog . I even wrote an apology to my blog ! Yep, I was that bad.

This year, I made a resolution to blog often - Project 26 - approximately 2 posts a month  for 2011. A modest goal . But, I had to take baby steps. I am proud to say that I have already accomplished that goal . This is my 27th post for this year. Not bad , huh ? For someone who was aiming for 26 posts in all of 2011 , this is not bad - if I may say so myself.

For that I have to thank you ! All those who read my posts and comment . I love comments. Who doesn't ?!
5 reasons why I love comments  and why I am still blogging after a sad display last year :

- Its always nice to hear what others think or add to what I have had to say. I mean it . It adds so much more value to the post. Its nice to know that there is someone out there who has something meaningful to say about it.

- It  keeps me inspired to keep at it  ! It keeps me motivated to keep writing . It makes me want to keep this blog fresh and interesting.

- It has been such an instrumental tool in forming relationships . Don't you agree, my friends ? :)

- It has helped me to discover new blogs . Wow, there is a ton of talented and exceptionally unique blogs out   there. I don't think I would have discovered them, if it weren't for the comments section . Thank you for letting me discover your blogs !

-Most of all, its reassuring that someone actually reads it and I'm not out there all by myself ! Now, that would be kinda lonely, wouldn't it ? Thanks for keeping me company :)

Now , what should my next goal be ....?

Happy Mother's Day !

I've finally won the battle against my allergies and asthma. I wasn't completely down and out. But it was enough to wear me out during the day and the end of the day. I honestly couldn't bring myself to blog , draw , communicate , breathe .. yeah, the last one kind of was the most difficult !

Anyway, now that I'm feeling better, Happy Mother's Day everyone !

via OMHG

My husband made me breakfast and now he's making dinner for me. Kids were very behaved. The weather was gorgeous today . I managed to squeeze in a workout . Life is good for this mom :)

On that note, I'd like to share a few interesting posts with you . In the spirit of Mother's Day , some of the posts are related to moms and running a business , of course :)

On OMHG -    The Fine Art of Mothering & Business  &   A Manifesto for Motherhood

On The Mogul Mom -     Blogging your Brand

On The Merriweather Council   - 5 Things That Make a Big Difference to Your Shop

Happy Reading and Happy Mother's Day  !