Hi lovely readers! Gracie here from Willowing – hello! :)
For our Artist Spotlight (a new feature we are running on the blog!) this month we are featuring Mahe Zehra Husain with a bit of an interview and she’s also giving away a copy of the BRAND NEW book ‘Around the World with 80 Artists’ which is due for release July 2017! :)
Mahe has brought together artists from around the world to create a book, ‘Around the World with 80 Artists‘, that includes everything from coloring pages to cut and create projects to mixed media tutorials and, as soon as the book is published, Mahe is giving us a copy to giveaway!
Here’s more on the book from Mahe:
‘Support an arts and crafts book by 80 artists from 22 countries and help unite the world through the love of creativity. The amazing projects in this creative book range from coloring pages to cut and create projects, mixed media tutorials to scrapbooking and more! We’ll have you hooked… creating something new everyday. 20% of the proceeds from this project go to The Malala Fund that focuses on providing an education for girls all over the world. That’s a win-win! I came up with this project idea to demonstrate how artists and creatives from so many different countries can come together and create something beautiful. I wanted to celebrate our common love of creativity!’
Find out how you can help the campaign by clicking here: Around the World with 80 Artists Campaign). More about the book here: Around the World with 80 Artists.
*GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED * GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCED:
Thank you to everyone for joining in the giveaway and for your comments! The randomly drawn winner is:
Lisa Oden
who said:
Congratulations Lisa! :)
Read all about Mahe Zehra Husain and the book ‘Around the World with 80 Artists‘ in the interview below.
1. Mahe, you are the ‘brains’ behind the book, tell us a bit about yourself and your background.
Well, I am a mathematician by profession. I have one masters degree in pure mathematics and one in Operations Research. I have always been fond of numbers and in love with colors. This love for creating and playing with color has really lent balance to my otherwise numbers driven life. I have always felt more productive when I took both my profession and my love of creating together – hand in hand.
Many people stress that folks either have a dominant left brain or a right brain, my belief is that we were given both for a reason. The way to find balance and happiness in life is to take both parts and exercise them and use them. I think creativity can be found within us all. We just have to give ourselves permission to play.
After my masters I started a career in software. I have been running a software and digital media company for a few years now. But I have also started my own online creative academy – The Creative Art Academy – where I offer fun e-books and short online courses. All of these resources are developed for all sorts of creatives, artists and crafters. My biggest goal is to encourage adults to let the child in them come out and play.
2. Tell us a bit about the book and how the concept was born.
This book is a project very close to my heart! When I started interacting with artists and creatives online one thing was abundantly clear, we are a very supportive and loving community. We may speak different languages and have varied beliefs, but we are all kind and very open to sharing ideas.
I had created a collaborative e-book before focused on green crafting. It was called The Green Crafts Lifestyle. The book did very well on Amazon Kindle and we made it all the way to World No. 2 on Amazon. After that experience I decided to do a book that would bring artists from different geographies together in one book. The whole idea was to highlight our common love of creating. In this day and age when most people fight over the smallest differences I wanted to bring artists together to celebrate our common love – that of creating.
3. Who’s the book for?
The book is for everyone. We have everything from coloring pages to cut and create projects to mixed media tutorials and much much more. There is something in this book for everyone.
4. 20% of the proceeds from your book will go to The Malala Fund. Can you tell us why you’ve chosen The Malala Fund and what they do?
We chose The Malala Fund because this fund focuses on giving education to girls in developing countries. Girls have such enormous potential and most of them don’t even get a high school education. The way to a more tolerant and peaceful world is through education and that’s why we wanted to support the Malala Fund.
5. What’s your favourite thing about this project?
The variety! There is so much in this book – from watercolor tutorials to art journalling, from coloring to cutting and pasting. I feel like this is the perfect activity book for adults. It also has a very unique flavor since we have asked artists to share some pictures of their home towns, favorite recipes, poems and more. So not only is this is an arts and crafts book it is also a virtual trip around the world. I LOVE that.
6. Tell us a bit about the Indiegogo campaign you are launching for the book.
The artists have all graciously provided the projects for free. We need money for the production – layout and design – and the printing of the book. We also have to pay for shipping this book to customers all over the world. Of course 20% of the proceeds go to the Malala Fund too. I’m launching this as a crowd funding campaign because I feel that there are so many creatives all over the world who would like to own a book as unique as this. I am sure we will have support pouring in from all over the globe.
7. You say on your website that the book has ‘many new artists and creative folk (80 in total) who have all come together to work on one project with love and creativity flowing in from many different countries of the world‘. Can you tell us some more about who these artists are?
Well we have a lot of artists from many different countries. Like I said there are 80 of us and we come from 22 different countries! France, USA, India, Pakistan, Germany, Australia, Italy, England and many many more. We have several artists who are designer members of The Craft and Hobby Association. Several teach online classes too! So the quality of the projects in this book is just incredible.
More about ‘Around the World with 80 Artists‘:
Around the World with 80 Artists is an arts and crafts book like nothing you’ve seen before!
This book was brought to life by 80 artists from 22 countries. Each of these artists contributed a project to make this book uniquely special. You will find 80 step by step craft projects for the beginner to intermediate to the advanced crafter and artist, but most of all you’ll be able to see that creativity is something that holds this earth together and brings us all closer together. We want to celebrate our common love of creativity with this book and want to share with you incredible arts and crafts projects that make their way to you from 22 different countries.
We need your help!
To bring this unique book to the world we need your support! You can pledge your support to get a printed copy of this book full of beautiful step by step pictures and instructions to complete each project. The book will be printed in full color on beautiful paper (we hope) and will make it’s way to you before July this year. This book will make awesome presents for all the creatives on your list as well!
This book contains…
The book will contain over 250 pages full of artsy and crafty goodness. Some of the things you will be able to find in this book are:
- Cut and Create projects
- Coloring Pages
- Mixed Media Projects
- Lettering Tutorials
- How to Watercolor
- Playing with Inks
- Origami
- Card Making
- Scrapbook Layouts
- Jewelry Making
- Drawing Tutorials
- Zentangle
- Mandalas
- Mini Book Projects
- Paper Crafting and much more!
The projects will range from coloring pages to mixed media to scrapbooking, card making, cut and create and much more! The best thing? This book is for EVERYONE! It has been designed to help unlock your right brain and add creativity to your life.
Around the World with 80 Artists will have you creating using paper, glue, colored pencils, paint and more. Remember how much fun this was when we did it as kids? Let’s find that magic again!
Each project is unique and you will find something to suit every mood. This is also a great book if you’re looking to get acquainted with many different arts and crafts.
How will this book make a difference?
20% of the proceeds from this project will go to The Malala Fund to help girls gain an education all over the world. Girls who might otherwise not get their chance at a basic human right. Let’s support creativity and education! Find out more at www.malala.org.
Through this book you will be introduced to many various art techniques, many countries of the world and many creative folk who love to use their right brain. The range and depth of arts and crafts projects is something that has surprised all of us! We’re astounded at the variety of things that are in this book and quite frankly I can’t wait to play with my copy too!
To make this book a reality please consider pledging your support to this campaign. We have awesome rewards and would love for you to be a part of the awesome group that brings this book to life.
Find out more and join in here: Around the World with 80 Artists
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