The winner(s) of my first giveaway!!!

(If you entered the contest, please be sure to read this ENTIRE post.)

Using Random.org's "True Random Number Service" the Grand Prize Winning comment number is:

 

Which means the Grand Prize winner is:

Which means CK wins the Grand Prize of a custom silhouette designed and framed in the style of her choice, traditional or floating. (Visit here to see the difference) Congratulations CK!!! 

BUT - here is the special twist...

This giveaway is actually part of a surprise party... A surprise party to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of my blog. And as a party favor to the 13 other guest who came to the party, I'm going to pull a bit of an "Oprah" here and announce that everyone who entered will be getting a custom silhouette!!!

You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. You get a silhouette. (That should add up to 14.)

: )

To claim your prizes please email me at mbrescia(at)cox.net with the single photo that you wish to have silhouetted along with your mailing address. Photos that work best are either profile shots for a traditional silhouette of just the bust, or a full body action shot. If you'd like to send several photos and have me choose which one that works best that is fine, I want to make sure you're getting the best possible piece.

Please have all photos to me by February 28th. Prizes are non-transferable and must conform to the original specifications of no more than 3 subjects. "Party favor" prices will mounted, suitable for framing either traditionally or on velum to be used in a floating frame.

Thanks so much for coming to my "surprise party!!!" I've truly enjoyed blogging this past year and look forward to year #2.

My First Give Away!!! A Custom Silhouette...

I've been really loving working with silhouettes, and I think I've driven my husband a little nuts and if I make another one for our house, of our kids, he is going to cut me off. (Yeah, that was as pathetic pun.)

Here are a few samples of the silhouettes I've done so far:

 

  

 
 

  

Here are the details on what you will win, 1 custom silhouette created from 1 photograph that you provide. Photo can be of more than one subject, but no more than 3. You will then have your choice of how the silhouette will be framed, either as a traditional silhouette, black matte and frame on white paper, or in a floating frame as with the first in this post.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post by 5:00pm (est) on Thursday, February, 11th. Winner will be drawn at random and announced by 9:00 on Thursday the 11th.

Please feel free to pass along the link to this giveaway...

Shadow Boxes

I posted last week about this Jim Henson Stamp collection that I have in my office:

 

It has been the Silhouette on this that has been catching my eye a lot lately and I finally figured out why, it is because of this picture of my brother playing with my son.

 

Baby Bear was completely fascinated with this puppet for weeks. He would beg everyone around him to play with it with him and you'd be stuck for hours. 

I was thrilled to find these frames at AC Moore for $5 on clearance... 

 

I didn't want the "Friends" on the glass, but was hoping I could remove it... sure enough a little work with a razor blade and it was easy to remove. 

 

So using the same method I had when cutting the ballerina silhouettes a couple of weeks ago, I turned the above picture and shadow box into this:

 

I love the shadow that it casts...

 

And since I had 2 of the frames, I cut this one of Bug... I love it, but I have a feeling somewhere I've got a better picture, for now though I'll enjoy this one.

 

Here is how the 2 of them together look.

Linking up to Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors. 

Lost in Translations (or Silhouettes to the rest of the world.)

Ok, so to most people, these are silhouettes, but in design school we worked on something very similar that our profession called "graphic translations" not silhouettes. It turned out to be one of my favorite projects that year and I went on to work with them on my own.

For most of last year I was obsessed with silhouettes, we had them cut of the kids in the spring and they have been a favorite of mine. I just love them.

These are the real deal - hand cut, from live models, not from a photo, not painted, not on the computer. Such a talent!!!

I've taken advantage of these by turning them into Christmas Ornaments this year. The obsession hasn't gone away. In fact it has gotten worse. I'm a woman obsessed.

And I do believe I've found a way to channel that obsession. By feeding it.

My girlfriend Kim has an amazing lovely, amazingly talented daughter. (Well actually, she has 3 of them, so much talent in one family - She and her husband know how to nurture these girls so their abilities shine.) Their oldest girl is who inspired me with this project, she is a dancer.

I took this photo that Kim had of her:

(The girl takes my breath away...)

And I imported that picture into illustrator where I outlined it.

With this I wanted to remain true to the art of hand cut Silhouettes by not piecing it together, I kept a continuous line so that when cut, it would be 1 piece. That involved a bit of trouble shooting but I got it work.

I then took the outlines into a 12x12 illustrator document and sized them to a variety of sizes.

I exported this file as an SVG that I opened in SCAL and cut on my Cricut on black paper. Finally I mounted them on white paper... and forgive my AWFUL picture, I should be ashamed of showing such an amazing project with such an awful picture but I'm impatient like that. I promise better photos soon.

So now I've got a file that I can use cut silhouettes of this amazing dancer at pretty much any size, on any material.

This project has brought me such joy, it is the blend of so many of my passions, design (using illustrator), crafting (using the circut & finishing the pieces), kids and celebrating them...

I'm really hoping this is going to open the door for something new, custom silhouettes.

Linking up to "Make Your Monday" at Twice Remembered and Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors.