JoAnnA Pierotti
I have a couple of updates from our ZNE We-Care program. As many of you know, I visited with JoAnnA Pierotti for a few days in January. We had a wonderful time as she showed me around her neck of Northern California, Amador County. I stayed in her gorgeous house, and she was an incredible hostess. The best part of being with JoAnnA was getting to see and experience her beautiful spirit in action. It was so reassuring and wonderful.
Since diagnosis, JoAnnA has had a successful semi-radical mastectomy on her left side. There was some concern over a mass that was detected on her kidneys, but a PET scan indicated that the mass was benign. Miss Mossy will begin her chemo the first week of February. I know you all will join me in wishing her all the best. JoAnnA in particular pointed out to me how touched and overwhelmed she has been with the outpouring of creative well wishes and art that she has received. Thank you to all of you who have sent her good wishes, or extended prayers and good thoughts on her behalf.
I love this picture of her that I took while we were in a cute little shop in Amador City. JoAnnA, you've certainly earned your crown!
Vickie Mackensie
I also wanted to provide a quick update on Vickie Mackensie, of Bmuse. I know that many of you have been thinking of her and likewise extending good wishes and prayers. I have been receiving lovely art which I will deliver to her personally, most likely in the coming couple of weeks. Thank you also to all of you for your generous contributions to her care package funds. With the money we collected, ZNE will be sending her a floral arrangement this week. (We had to wait until she was out of Intensive Care, as they do not allow flowers on that unit.) Also, as many of you know, we were able to provide Andrew, Vickie's boyfriend, with a wonderful care package filled with goodies that he could use while hanging out at her bedside at the hospital.
The other news on this front is that I agreed to adopt a stray cat that Vickie had taken in prior to her aneurism. In fact, because we are local to one another - Vickie had already asked me to adopt this cat, in December. At the time I declined, explaining that, what with the dogs, the kids, the baby, the rat, the hermit crab, the husband (!) - my zoo seemed overflowing as it was.
Well, when Andrew mentioned that the cat still needed a home and that if someone could take it in - it sure would ease his burdeon of trying to keep up Vickie's business and home while she was hospitalized - I did not hesitate this time. Because the cat was a stray, she did not have a name. So, we named her - B-Muse. What else? I am happy to report that the B-Muse the kitty, has taken over our hearts and home completely, and if I ever thought that I was the queen around here - those days are now over!
Here's Her Royal Highness, B-Muse - happy to be inside, on a rainy day. She also loves the purple collar we put on her. Her tags have now arrived as well. B-Muse, has arrived at home, at last.
The very good news, which I alluded to above - is that Vickie is recovering well. She is awake, out of intensive care, mobile, and in fact, she has been given permission to go home! I can not tell you the amount of relief and downright joy many of use feel, to know that she is well on the road to recovery!
Again, thank you to all of your for your immediate response when we first heard of Vickie's aneurism, thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers and concern, and thank you for making this a group that I am so very proud to be associated with.
Those of you would like more detailed updates on Vickie and JoAnnA,
click here to check out my blog.
Stacey Ballard
We have also added another We-Care recipient to our list this month:
Stacey Ballard is an accomplished potter and a mixed media artist. We are proud to have her as a new member of ZNE. Stacey is presently dealing with the advanced stages of a rare liver disease, and she is awaiting a desperately needed liver transplant. Stacey, her family, and her loved ones would all be touched and inspired by any prayers, good wishes, or kind greetings that are extended her way. Stacey's We-Care alert also comes with a special request to all that you consider the importance of organ donation and discuss this very important issue with your family and loved ones as well.
Please click here to be taken to the Pleasanton Craft Mafia website which houses the ZNE We-Care home page.
And, as always if you create art for our recipients, we love to see it. Members may load their We-Care artwork into the gallery you reach by clicking on this line.
Happy Birthday!
Ooh! In January, the following members celebrated birthdays :
Deborah Lockard - January 9
Liz Obear - January 12
Lani Kent - January 14
Rebecca Ronco - January 16
Valerye Zerra - January 17
Missy Balance - January 24
Constanza Berger - January 27
JoAnnA Pierotti - January 30
And in February, the following members also celebrate another year of living the creative life:
Regina Gordon-Pettersson - February 4
Nancy Baumiller - February 6
Kathleen Brink - February 7
Izabella Pierce - February 8
Jennifer Wood - February 18
Joan Craft - February 22
Rosalee Ackerson - February 27
Did YOU have a birthday that we don't know about? Check out the ZNE Birthday Club!
Free for all ZNE Members - if you sign up for the club you will get a special little treat from ZNE around your special time of the year. Click the logo above to sign up for the birthday club!
In addition, if you like to celebrate with your fellow members and want to access the birthday calendar and be notified with contact info when a fellow member is celebrating a new year - then you need to join the ZNE Birthday Club Yahoo group! Don't hesitate, join now!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZNEBDay/
Hey - speaking of birthdays, did you know that Fondante Tier of ZNE Membership turns two years old next month, on March 11? It's true! We do. Here's a little ephemera fun gifty for us all:
Wanna create your own library catalog card? Just click on The Life of ZNE, above!
Happy Valentines Day!
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Ooh, look everyone! I created a GORGEOUS e-Card for you! I was able to select an image of artwork created by our wonderfully talented fellow ZNE member, Bella of Velvet and Rust - and click, click - the e-Card was ready to go!
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HAPPY VALENTINES DAY ZNE!
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Create Your Own eCards!
Guess what? You can send some fabulous e-Cards too! Just visit the Indie-O-Rama website and see their e-Card web page. Among other artists, ZNE members who are represented include Kat of Great Musings, myself, and Bella from Velvet Rust. But if you can't find the perfect image among our offerings - then submit some art of your own!
Any member of Indie-O-Rama can submit their original art images to be made into e-Cards. And no worries, there are lots of levels of membership - even a *FREE* Jr. Membership!
So get over there now! Start sending some e-Card valentines to all your friends and family - and have fun!
Cut-it-Up Discount
As promised - we'll have new goodies for you every month!
This month, fellow member Vickie Breslin of Cut It Up fame is offering ZNE Members a 20% discount on all her fabulous goods. Stop by her website, check out her stuff, stock up, and tell her that you too are proud to be a member of ZNE - and get your discount. Enjoy! And be sure and say thanks to Miss Vicky!
But wait... There's more!
Free Auction Templates!
We have a new benefit for members! Free designer auction templates! We'll add a new template every month, and archive all the old templates, so soon enough, you'll have plenty to choose from. We've also provided some basic instructions for using auction templates on eBay, and we have an area for questions so that people can check in if they need more information. To simplify things - the template is available as html text which will need to be cut and pasted from the web page where it is presently hosted. To access the template home page and instructions - click here! Remember, you will need your ZNE Member Universal password to access this benefit (which is different from your personal password).
If you have not yet picked up your universal password - check in on the Supporting Member discussion boards:
CLICK HERE TO LOGIN IN TO THE SUPPORTING MEMBER DISCUSSION BOARDS FOR THE PASSWORD!
HERE is our debut template. We wanted to start out with something simple, light, and pink/peachy for those who have valentine listings. If you want to see what the template looks like in action on eBay, click on the header below (please note that the artwork created by Stacie Rife at the top of the template is actually just a placeholder for your own photo. It is not a part of the actual template. All other graphics are included with the template.):
Remember, these are the links you need:
THE UNIVERSAL PASSWORD!
CLICK HERE FOR THE AUCTION TEMPLATE PAGE.
Have fun with your templates! And remember, if you have questions, suggestions or requests for templates, leave them on the posting section of the template home page. If you are a member and a template designer - we'd love to have you provide a template for our group. You will, of course receive design credit and a link on any template used!
Benefit Overview
Speaking of freebies and other fun stuff - have you uploaded or updated your ZNE art gallery? Joined in on a contest or activity? Is your blog, website, or store on the ZNE Site Ring?
And if you haven't picked 'em up already - don't forget that you have some lovely fairy graphics that you can cut and paste. This month we added Tiffany Jane Marshall's beautiful ATC Backside graphics for you - click here to access the page.
Are YOU taking full advantage of all your wonderful member benefits? If you want a refresher, click on the purple banner above, and review your ZNE Member benefits.
If you have questions about any of them, don't hesitate to let us know!
And if you have a gift, discount, or freebie for your fellow members - let us know and we'll spread the word about your generosity!
What is ZNE's Monthly Style Try?
“Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor”
Oooh! We have exciting news! Based on some wonderful ZNE Member suggestions, we are delighted to announce the debut of ZNE's monthly Style Try Launches!
Style Try is ZNE's salute to the plethora of incredible art styles out there. Our members are creating in so many different mediums an styles, it is absolutely incredible. Some of us may have favorites - preferring the wimsy of retro kitsch over deeply meditative art journaling pieces. Others could never possibly choose between magazine collage and abstract art. How about you? Do you have a preference? Do you know what you love and what doesn't appeal to you? Perhaps, you just haven't had the right opportunity to expand your artistic horizons. Maybe, you've just been waiting for the right time to try a style.
Voila. Style Try!
Each month, ZNE will launch a new style. Click on the banner above to see our Style Try homepage - and scroll to the bottom to see the list of styles we've got slated for the upcoming year. How will we "launch" each style? Wherever, however, and whenever we can!
Each month:
**ZNE will host a live chat with an artist who has expertise in the particiular style.
**ZNE will open a special link page that will feature links to members whose art, stock, or style incorporates or demonstrates the particular style. We will provide a link to this special page on the home pages of ZNE for the entire month, and archive it as well so that it is easily availabe to the public, year round.
Start submitting your links to our Style Try link pages NOW! Click here for our submission page.
**ZNE will host a minimum of one DIY style art workshops focusing on projects related to the particular style.
**ZNE will post a minimum of one featured member interviews with artists who are prominent in the particular style.
**ZNE will post prominent links to all eBay listings with the Style Try term in them. (In example, the March Style is Country Prim and Whimsy, and the eBay Style Try term for listing titles is: ZNE Prim.
**During the month prior to each style debut - we will open a forum on the Supporting Member Discussion Boards - where members can gather and talk specifically about the particular style, discuss their own launch ideas, share expertise, and as questions. Once it is opened, each style's discussion board will remain open, year round!
**Also during the month prior to each style debut - ZNE will open a specific photo album in the Projects and Contests gallery. All members are encouraged to upload up to 4 images of their art, art supplies, or other creations - related to that particular style. As with the discussion boards, the albums will stay up year round.
**Each style will have its own home page, which will house links to all the Style Try activities for that month. That way, you can find information on the worshops, live chats, links to the Link lists, listings, galleries, discussion boards, all in one place!
It's just one great big month long art party - every single month!
**Oh! AND one more thing! What would a party be without presents? Well, don't worry - we have those too! Every month, we'll have a new drawing for one or more fabulous prizes that are related to that month's "Style."
ARE YOU READY? Get your party clothes on.
It's almost time to STYLE TRY!
The PRIM Launch - Coming in MARCH!
~Without further adieu ~
INTRODUCING THE COUNTRY PRIM AND WHIMSY WONDERLAND STYLE LAUNCH!
~ Coming March 1, 2007 ~
The Prim Style Launch will take place during the entire month of March - so it is time for us to get ready!
This month, you can add up to 4 images of your own country / prim / and whimsy style creations to the Prim Style Try Gallery, in the Contests and Projects gallery. Click on the box below left, to get there! AND, let's start talking prim now - so if you have questions, suggestions, ideas or expertise - pop in to the discussion forum on the Supporting Member discussion boards. You can get there directly by clicking on the link below right.
 
What else do we have in store for you during the PRIM and Whimsy Launch?
We've got two (count 'em!) workshops planned and you can read more about them in the ZNE Workshop section of this newsletter. Both will go live on March 1st!
We also have a wonderful live chat with the incredible ZNE member, Missy Balance, which is scheduled for the latter part of March, and again, two featured member interviews with prim whimsy superstars Nicol Sayre and Nancy Malay, which will both debut on March 1, 2007!
Click here or on the Prim Wonderland Banner at the top of this section, to access the Prim Home Page! There you will find all the links you need, more information about all the fun we have planned for our Prim Launch, and even a fun freebie for kids from Flying Fur Studios!
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO START GETTING READY FOR THE ZNE PRIM LAUNCH?
Submit your links, here!
Upload up to 4 of your Prim/Country/Whimsy creations, here!
Start discussing all things Prim - here!
And get ready for March! Remember, we'll be heavily promoting the Prim Launch all over the ZNE Website and with banner ads on other sites as well. If you list on eBay - add ZNE PRIM to your prim style listings.
And link back to us! The more we cross promote our launches, the better it will be for us all!
(PS - Many thanks go to ZNE artists Kristin Peterson and Renee Thompson, respectively - for allowing ZNE to use their incredible artwork in the Style Try and Prim Wonderland banners - respectively.)
Submit Your Listings!
Some of you may be wondering what is going on with the ZNE Store. As the months have gone by, I have realized that I am able to better manage this group as a whole if I commit my time to group projects, activities, and promotions. By and large this makes the group more valuable for everyone, and frankly -more fun for me! The ZNE Store will not go away however, it will just be dedicated to member provided listings.
This month The ZNE Store is undergoing a transformation of sorts, and next month we will be up and running fully, with a much easier product submission format. We'll update you at that time, and encourage you all to utilize this benefit of membership. Remember, we do not take any commission fees, and all ZNE members are entitled to a certain number of completely free listings as well as th eoption to purchase more at a nominal cost.
More details forthcoming in the March 2007 issue of The ZNE Scene!
The Perfect Valentine!
Speaking of stores - if you are like many of us here at ZNE, you loathe to get out of your jammies. Why waste the gas or head downtown to pick out Valentines Day goodies for your artist friends, when we have the perfect gift, right here at ZNE! Give your artsy friends a coveted Valentine:
We've Got Workshops for you!
To see our main workshop page, click on the image below:
Atrwork above by Ms. Delaise
We've got a couple of workshops in Northern CA in February, an update on the ZNE ACEO K.I.S. workshop, and all the info and links that you need to learn more. Check it out!
Coming in March
Look at our workshop schedule for March!
In conjunction with our Prim Launch, we have two wonderful DIY style step-by-step online workshops that will go live on March 1rst. We are thrilled to have ZNE Members Denise Davis of Sassafras Hill Primitives and Jo Ellen Dismukes of Lacey Jane Primatives provide workshops on Primitive Tags and Wool Scrap Chicks, respectively. Don't miss these fun workshops - and be sure and upload your creations into your gallery or as one of your 4 prim pics in the Prim Style Launch gallery!
And, along with the Altered Everything and Everything Altered Workshop regularly scheduled for the forth Sunday of the month, those of you in Northern California should also mark your calendars for the third Saturday of the month - debuting in March of 2007, Chel will begin teaching and Altered Art Artist Trading Card workshop in Oakland, CA - and a free ATC Trading session will follow for anyone interested!
And, we now have a Member Workshop Calendar!
ZNE Member Taught Workshops
Artwork Copyright Shin Young, 2005
We have finally opened our Member Taught Workshop calendar! If you are a member of ZNE and you are teaching an art related workshop online, or anywhere out there in the "real" worls - we want to let people know about it! Click on the mermaid above to access the calendar and submit classes of your own. We'll promote the calendar on the website and we'll randomely choose an upcoming class each month to feature in The ZNE Scene - so get your calendar listings submitted.
Click on the mermaid above to submit a class of your own!
Show Your Love!
And what would ZNE be, without CONTESTS? Well, we've got plenty of them for you! So read all about 'em, and get ready to win!
First off, as promised - we are debuting the fabulous ZNE Show Your Love contest this month! Click on the banner below to read all about it, and start getting those entries in! Remember, the winner will win a minimum of $100 worth of goodies and gift certificates next Valentines Day!
ZNE Theme Week
Be sure and get ready for another theme week! Remember, every first Sunday!
This month the theme is - what else - LOVE - so get your "lovely" listings ready to go! We'll list on Sunday February 4, and you can find all the rules by clicking on the banner below.
and remember to pass your thanks on to Emma Fashokun for coordinating this fun monthly activity. This month she even set up a fun poll for us. Who do you love? Check out the theme week rules above, and let us know who sets your heart a-fire!
Emma by Emma!
PS - Are you a past theme week winner? We have been terribly neglect in getting your winning jpg (as seen in the theme week banner above) to you. We are going to make a good faith assumption that no one will fraudulently present themselves as theme week winners, and we are inviting past winners to simply save the "Theme Week Winner" image above, and use it on their auction templates, About Me Pages, websites - wherever they please! The banner was created by the incredible Avalon Rose Design - and if you are theme week winner - feel free to use it!
Guess the Artist
Guess the ZNE Artist!
Ok folks, time to put your indentify-the-artist thinking caps on. I've purchased art from this ZNE Member before, and I can attest to how whimsical and fun it is! Do you know who created this fun little piece?
(The artwork above is copyright protected by the original artist. Please don't copy or duplicate!)
Email your guess to Chel, and the first person with the right answer will recieve a $10 gift certificate to spend in *JoAnnABananna*'s fun eBay shop!
And, congratulations go to ZNEer Cinda Rae Olivero who correctly identified the artist who created the lovely charm above - Allison Strine! Cinda wins a $10.00 gift certificate to B-Muse to spend as she pleases!
And More Winners...
Speaking of congratulations, ZNEer just_jonesin - who correctly identified that picture below as having been posted in the ZNE Supporting Member Discussion Board, in the Trouvaille et Part! Forum.
She will also be receiving a $10.00 gift certificate gift certificate to B-Muse to spend as she pleases!
And, CInda Rae Oliverio wins ANOTHER $10.00 gift certificate gift certificate to B-Muse for being the first to identify the ZNE Member in the picture at left -as being - herself!
So little time, so much news!
Well, those of you who have read this far will be pleased to know that we are wrapping up this issue of The ZNE Scene! As always, there is even MORE news, but it will just have to wait until the March Issue. In the meantime, know that we have exciting updates on Ephemera Hera, Cercles D'Ame, The ZNE Zaftig Project - AND that congratulations go out, once again to Gwen LeBlanc, and also to Anita Richardson ~ Who? What? When? How and Why?
You'll just have to wait for the March issue of The ZNE Scene!
Until then, Happy Valentines Day beloved ZNE friends and family members! Have a great February!
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