In 144 pages, we are introduced to 9 or so bloggers—some of whom we’ve already had the honor of running into online and others, we’ve yet to discover. Some of whom are famous in the blogosphere, and others who—after a year or so online—are finally coming into their own. We discover artists of all genre: painters, mixed media, sculpters, jewelers, bakers, quilters, collagists, writers, photographers, and even crafters. Some blog for the pure pleasure of sharing their little worlds with the universe, others blog as a way to build an audience for their e-stores—to show a personal side to their handcrafted goods, and others blog to find purpose, but all blog because they believe blogging makes the world a better place.

While the magazine has a cohesive look and feel, each blogger is allowed the freedom to write their stories in their own words—in their natural voices. And through these stories we learn how they discovered blogging, why they began their own blogs, what lessons they’ve learned through blogging, and why they take the time each day (or week or month) to continue blogging and conversing with other bloggers through post comments and social networking sites like twitter or facebook.

Each feature story is followed up with a partial post from the blogger’s personal blog and plenty of eye candy—photos of their creations, their lives, their personas. And sprinkled within those features are one or two Q&A sections dealing with some aspect of blogging, like why an artist chose to hold a certain challenge or contest and how that affected both the blogger and her readers.

Finally, there’s a two-page spread on banners the editors like, a form letter-like segment on blogging etiquette and taking great blog photos, and a two to three page spread on blogging tools.

And while there is no outside advertising, there are approximately eight to ten pages of Somerset Studio® advertisements—which mostly go unnoticed because they blend so well with the rest of the magazine.

If there is one thing this magazine is lacking, however, it would be “how-to” articles on blogging; because of as of right now, the magazine is all fluff and no meat. And for $15 per issue, I’d like a little meat.

Look, I love the title and I really like the features on the bloggers; especially all the eye candy! But what is so wrong with expanding on the title’s concept and adding four to six pages of real meat—even if it means eliminating just one blogger’s feature in each issue?

I’m not suggesting turning this beautiful, heartfelt magazine into a hyped-out “how you can make money selling your art online” piece of crap. But I am suggesting that each issue contain one or two well-thought articles on how to create “visually inspiring online journals”—and written by everyday bloggers, not experts who tend to write dry and without personal experience.

Articles like how to find your authentic voice; how to use proper grammar without going back to English class; how to select photos that match your post’s content; how to tell a story from the heart; why it’s important to seek permission when using other people’s likeness, artwork, or writing on a blog; when is sharing too much (i.e. jeopardizes your family’s safety); what to do when a reader’s comment is hurtful; how to take better photographs at night, in the house, outside, of people, of items, etc.

That one flaw aside, I have to say that I really enjoy the magazine. With each issue I find myself inspired to continue to search for my own “true” and “authentic” artistic voice. And I enjoy getting to know the reasons behind why people blog, how an open and free forum has changed lives, and essentially, what makes them tick as artists, as mothers, as wives, as women.

If you’re ready to get to know the real people behind their blogs, if you love being visually stimulated, and if can’t wait to discover new blogs to add to your blogroll, then I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Artful Blogging today.

At first, I wasn’t thrilled to be reading a type of biography (as they’ve never held my interest before) but as I delve into the book, I found the stories that unfolded interesting. Each story told of an artist who was introduced to the studio at a time in her (or his) life when change was desperately needed. And through collage, they intuitively created pieces that helped them deal with their own feelings and behaviors—and in the process, discovered healing and personal growth.

The main thing I took away from this book, aside from the therapeutic powers of collage, is that artists need community. They need to belong to something more than home and family and work; they need “a third place”—a community of like-minded individuals where they can converse, nurture creativity, revitalize imagination, and grow as artists and human beings; a place where others understand their creative side.

While not a formula book, the stories that unfold share many insights into the beauty of creating collages that heal the soul. In 176 pages and twelve chapters you’ll discover that collage:

• is accidental and surprising,
• is subjective and evocative,
• is meditative and a stress reliever,
• teaches you about yourself,
• allows you to practice using your imagination,
• can help heal the past and bring dreams to fruition,
• “taps into unconscious thoughts, feelings, and patterns”,
• can put you in touch with feelings and thoughts you didn’t know existed,
• can “reveal things over time that may not be evident at first”,
• can bring new perspective to the unbalanced parts of your life,
• loosens you up and allows you to break out of your shell or self-imposed prison, and
• with interpretation helps you find your authentic self.

You’ll also learn the technique used at Sonoma that allows participants to get the full therapeutic benefits of creating collages—that engages active imagination. A process that involves intuitively selecting images and arranging them in a collage, then stepping back and observing the final creation, and finally, naming each image and finding the connection between each image to discover the story the completed collage has to tell.

Finally, you’ll receive nine studio clips and a gallery of collages sprinkled throughout the book. The studio clips are designed to help you begin your own path to redemption as you discover fun and easy ways to create collages that speak to the soul. And the artwork showcased is stunning; definitely not your ordinary cut and paste collages!

If you’re ready to believe in the healing powers of art therapy, then I encourage you to pick up a copy of Living Into Art and allow the stories to minister to your soul—then grab a few magazines, a pair of scissors, and some Mod Podge® and get creating!

Polymer Clay and Mixed Media: together at last

That is, until today.

As I was cleaning off a shelf, I ran across the book and began flipping through it. Just like the first time I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I was mesmerized by the complexity of her pieces and so desperately wanted to start creating some of the projects—unfortunately, I still don’t own a single polymer clay material.

That being said, I found the instructions easy to follow. Each project starts with a materials list, followed by a clay recipe, then an introductory paragraph, and finally a numbered, step-by-step tutorial—complete with step-by-step photographs and a scan of the sketch that inspired the creation. And when I mean a step-by-step tutorial, I mean step-by-step! Depending on the complexity of the piece, projects range from 12 to 31 steps, and each step has a detailed explanation of what needs to be done; not just a few short sentences.

In 160 pages you’ll discover:

• The basics of using polymer clay,
• The best way to store unused polymer clay,
• Why conditioning the clay is vital to a successful project,
• How to blend and mix colors,
• How to attach objects using liquid clay,
• How to wire beads to create various effects and/or looks,
• The fun of using surface treatments like embossing powder and foils,
• A near-full proof method of baking polymer clay,
• How to age pieces with patina, and
• When sealing your pieces with a high gloss is a good idea and when it isn’t.

You’ll also have fun with 18 detailed projects, like:

1. Thistle pin
2. Grapevine mirror
3. Holly berry cluster gift tag
4. Glass-centered flower beads
5. Leaf and flower designs
6. Peek-a-boo panda wrist cuff
7. Flying bird focal bead
8. Porcupine mini sculpture
9. Gecko sculpture
10. Sea turtle sculpture
11. Tide pool vessel
12. Ocean Sunset wall piece
13. Ammonite fossil pin
14. Thor’s dragon-serpent picture frame
15. Petroglyph pebbles
16. Aztec head focal bead
17. Embellished transfer mini flower vase
18. Face heart pendant

And the best part is that you can take all the techniques you learn in this book and create your own polymer clay/mixed media creations! All it takes is a little imagination, a few tools, and loads of polymer clay.

If you’re ready to give polymer clay a try, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Polymer Clay and Mixed Media: together at last, today!