Academe

January

2012-01-30T20:57:00.001-08:00

This month has not allowed me to do much other than finally tackle my Dad's Christmas gift. Since I was going home for my Birthday weekend, it motivated me to finish the darn project!
I had this grand idea to make a paper cut topography map of Lake Powell. An artist on Etsy (Crafterall) makes some amazing pieces using this method, which is what gave me the idea.
I found an adequate image of the area I wanted and traced all the templates in Illustrator. Then I printed them out and used them as guides for each color. I had to pull a few classic ghetto strategies but in the end, it turned out beautifully.

This is a part of the Lake we have been visiting more and more. I think my Dad liked it. :)

And more back ordered Christmas gifts... I wanted to make some small pouch/bag/purses (?) for a few of my friends and never had time to do it, so a month late is okay, right??
One of my friends recently had her purse stolen so hers contained some purse essentials inside.

Obviously it's the color play with zippers that I'm enjoying most.

Real Andrew Wyeth

2012-01-18T23:14:00.000-08:00

We went to the museum while we were in Palm Springs recently and the exhibition on Andrew Wyeth blew me away. It inspired me more than I expected it to. His subject matter isn't something I would have a desire to capture, so I found that interesting, especially how he made some simple settings so beautiful. And his use of technique was the best part. I want so badly to practice painting more now after seeing how crisp and simple some things are.
Great work to look into if you need some inspiration.

More Screening

2012-01-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

Check it, check it!
I made a cool custom Drums T for my awesome BFF for Christmas (and printed one for meself a'course).
Actually, I made him two and he loved them both. I think I may print a few more to sell on Etsy someday.
Maybe.
I'm so glad they worked.

Shiny Deco's

2012-01-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

We usually get together with some friends on New Years Eve and I was asked again this year to help with the decorations. We had a fiesta theme so I decided to put a spin on traditional papel picado. Since NYE celebrations usually involve sparkle, I wanted to use Mylar and thanks to Target holiday clearance, I scored sheets of silver "tissue paper" for a dollar per bag. This decoration cost less than $10 and looked awesome.
There were five or six sheets in a package, so I left them stacked together and cut them in half. Then I accordion folded those rectangles and cut snowflake like designs in the folded edges (don't forget your scalloped/zig zag bottom edge).

Open and gently pull apart. Lay out some string (I used neon yellow from Home Depot) along the top edge of one and fold over. Tape into place. I used packing tape that I would tear into narrow strips. I wanted the flags to be able to slide so I could have flexibility on the design when I hung it up. Repeat as necessary for the length of garland you need. And you're done!
*Note- When you hang, have a stapler handy. They will all slide to the center if you don't anchor them somehow. Once hung, I spaced them how I wanted and then I just stapled them into place with one staple in the center.
Hopefully it's a cool idea that perhaps someone else may find useful. Enjoy!

And keep your scraps! They make really cool looking confetti that we spread all over the table & around the food. Happy New Year!

Book Smart

2012-01-01T15:16:00.001-08:00

Check out these carved book landscapes by Guy Laramee. So fantastic!!

Bike Animation

2011-12-05T19:59:00.001-08:00

Very cool idea.

Survived!

2011-12-01T23:23:00.000-08:00

The GND show was a great success. Whew! And always more work than I anticipate.
I had an ambitious list of new creative endeavors to accomplish before the date which stressed me out a bit. But this is what it is for, to push me over those hurdles that I am intimidated to try (or too lazy to carry out). This time I was determined to silkscreen. Enough of the daisy dreams! So I did it. I may have talked to myself a lot during the process in an encouraging voice, and it obviously worked. I have groovy dishtowels to prove it. In neon pink, no less!
I also wanted to play with enamel paint so I painted some jewelry and vintage keys. You can get the overview on the site here.
Now I've got to post what's left on my Etsy shop at some point. Maybe some fools will think my weird stuff is as cool as I think it is. If not, these are the gifts you'll be getting over the coming year.
Since I have been on this wave of makingmakingmaking, I still have some cool things up my sleeve that weren't finished in time so I'll try and get them posted soon.
Though the holiday season is upon us and I have Christmas cards to make.
Which may utilize my new screen printing skillz. Ohhh!

Currently

2011-11-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

October was a really busy month. I haven't had much time to put toward projects but I did a little. I am using what time I have to put things together for the upcoming GND show at the end of this month. I'll post some of that work then.
In the meantime, what I did do was:
Finish those Chevron pillows I started in, oh, July? I am loving this deep magenta/orchid color right now so I put it on the back.

Played with more geometric shapes. Look at my nonsense.

I saw this watercolor on Etsy and it gave me an idea to paint one of my own.
Turned out alright. Mostly I just had fun painting again. I purposely left all my supplies out to see if I can do a few more things while the motivation lasts.

What I really want to do is make a quilt like this. I think it would be easy (ish). Simple triangles, simple colors and in the end have a modern design. It makes sense in my head. Which means trouble for reals. Bah.

Becoming

2011-10-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

It's a fuzzy pic but a little preview of something I'm working on. Cool, right?
Also, these are some random shots I took one morning on a bike ride recently. Such beautiful clouds! That middle one is what they looked like right above me.
Not bad for an iPhone anyway...

Freak Nature Out

2011-10-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

You all know I love Halloween and amid the busy month we have had, I am still trying to accomplish some projects. One of which was this, that I began last year. Shocker.
Do you recall the vintage makeover I did with these bottle brush trees for Christmas?
Well, it's no surpise I've wanted to twist this technique into Halloween, so here is how I 'hauntified' a batch. It was really easy and they look great all tucked around my bookcases.
Take a bag-o-trees (they are cheapest at Home Depot) and bleach them (these instructions are more specific in the Christmas version, here). Btw: Those little flecks of happy snow clinging on the branches will be gone when you dye. Bwaah-ha-haaaa.

Dip them in yellow, orange and black dye. They only need to sit in there for 2-4 minutes, depending on how strong you concentrate it. I did it pretty concentrated.
Also, I played around with blending the color on the trees so keep that in mind before you start dunking. Most of them were yellow so I could then blend the tops or bottoms in orange or black.

And wowza. You'll have your very own haunted forest of unnatural trees.

If you want, you can play with the glitter after (again, like the Christmas trees).
I did it to a couple of them here and put them in front of this marvy haunted house that I made with some gal pals.

If you feel like trying this, it was super fun and done in around 2 hours. Much cheaper (and cooler, imo) than many of the store bought Haunted Houses. Get these paper mache houses here. It's $20 for three! The other two are smaller and nest inside this one. Those are being saved for a Christmas makeover.
Hopefully this year. :)

Inspired

2011-10-10T22:00:00.001-07:00

I was in Laguna a couple of weeks ago with some friends and among our shopping I snapped a few things I wanted to remember.
This was the floor in a thrift store on PCH. The ENTIRE floor was covered in old magazine images. I know it's not novel, but it befitted the setting.

In another thrift shop, I looked up and saw some string art! Tacky? Sure, but after playing with this, I didn't want to forget the technique here of sectioned color, intentional shapes and the outlined lettering. Hm.....gets me thinking....

And Jonathan Adler never fails to move me. I so love his stores. He always offers great design and this simple pillow of the states makes me think I could try some needlepoint and not get bored. Maybe.

Lately

2011-10-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

Um... Happy October! I've had a few projects in the works, most of which are a bit boring to share and involve more sewing. My mother-in-law has been loaning me her serger off and on, so I keep trying to get some things made in the time I have it.
One was this skirt I made for Elliet. I confess I think she is starting to get a little old for 'skirts made by Mom', but until she protests, I'll keep trying. I bought this fabric probably a year ago. Ugh- so me to get it done that much later. Anyway....what I experimented with was trying to hide as many seams as possible to make it really clean inside. Turns out I hid every inseam! I didn't need the serger afterall.

And onto bigger fish. My friend and I bought this pattern on Etsy and made these in a weekend. It was a great pattern and super easy. I found this great teal fabric remnant for about $20! Not bad for a test run. Project Runway is getting into my head!

More traffic to come here. The holidays are approaching and I want to make some gifts. Plus, Girl Next Door is on this year- so I have to start creating pronto!

More Designs

2011-09-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, amid some sewing projects I have been working on (and will show soon), I have been doing some design work on the side. This is another guest post coming on the Bake It Pretty blog and thought I would also offer it to anyone who reads here.
These are all gift tags for treats or goodie bags but you can experiment with some of them. The flags can be hung on a string for display, taped around a cake plate for a party, put in your mouth like fangs... whatever. Personally, I like the eyeball. :)
You can download the PDF here.
Enjoy!

Powell via Diana F+

2011-08-25T11:01:00.001-07:00

Here are the results of my Diana F+ camera exploration. I think half of the shots I took were fuzzy or over exposed. I remember figuring that out as I went along and it shows because the later rolls looked the best. I really wanted to leave my camera out all night long one evening and see if I could capture the stars slow arch cross the sky. Next year.

Reduce & See Through

2011-08-23T17:50:00.001-07:00

I've had this in my phone to remember here forever.
French artist Regis Mayot salvages used plastic containers and makes art out of them. I think it's such an interesting transformation!

And further down, David Edgar's 'Plastiquarium' is amazing.

Almost Back

2011-08-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

I am! I promise. One week of summer left, then I have oodles of creative ideas I need to get out.
Until then, I was in CA last weekend and we stopped into the new Jack Spade store, which had such a cool style, I snapped a few images to remember.
It was such a primitive, guy style- most the shelving was bare wood with random nick knacks and my favorite aspect were all these old printed images, postcards or magazine ads, taped inside the shelves with colored masking tape. Very man-ish. Simple, untidy, functional, brilliant.

I also thought this cube art was cool. I am into these eighties geometric prints and graphics right now... don't ask me why. Shapes are hot, right? :)
And look; pegboard has a new style level presented in here.

Seriously. Check out those mugs. There is no way I would ever come across those at a yard sale and say, "Hmmm... maybe in this or that setting these could be cool and kitschy."
Nope. Never would have said it. Luckily they have a place now.

And PS- I found some awesome vintage dresses that I'll share at some point. Some new patterns to copy in my sewing ventures!

Here, There, and Everywhere

2011-08-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

I've been around but just not on here.
The good news is I have been creating but half of my efforts have been of the mothering kind, like making Gryffindor robes and felt ties for the kids, or making stuffed animal party decor for the kids, or making cardboard box forts... for me. But amid these sophisticated projects, I have had a chance to get in some of my own like
* Have my good friend help me make a pattern of a blouse I love and sew a duplicate which actually kind of worked great! Ghetto sewing reigns supreme.
* Buy that striped fabric @ Ikea and attempt my own chevron pillow covers. I'm half way done with that.
* Finally took some rolls of film using my old school lomo Diana F camera. Now to get them developed!
* Made some tea towels. Thought triangles would look cool but they ended up just looking boring so I made the balloon & stitched a cloud. Not too shabby. I'll let you know how they wash.
On the side, I have recently discovered how to navigate the cooler goods on Etsy (thank you, vacations!) and have found some really cool work that has blown me away with inspiration. This poster is one thing I came across and had to share. Hope you enjoy and are having a fun summer!

Mobile #2

2011-07-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

Here is my second attempt at the mobile balloon. I made this one for my new little niece, Penny. My sis-in-law said neutrals were the default colors for the nursery so I was excited to make this in muted tones. I used the Silhouette for cutting the tiny baskets, flags and trims. What time that saved me!
Hopefully she liked it. I know it's not as 'fun' as the previous colorful one, but I am happy with the results.

Tanlines. Not Deadlines.

2011-06-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Alright-
I think I must admit that I don't think it's possible to maintain a weekly project, but I am working on things.
One new toy I am learning is the Silhouette cutting machine that I got for my birthday in January, yes JANUARY. Five months ago and I only just opened the box. It is going to be everything I dreamed. :)
Hope to have pics of some things up here soon. Until then, keep enjoying your summer!

Week 7

2011-06-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well, this was the last week of school so my creative time was shared with my girls doing something that I bought supplies for months ago and haven't yet done. We made rings from old buttons. Groovy, right?
Easy and fun.
Now that summer is here, I'm hoping to take on some bigger fish!
But first, this next week I have something cool to show you.

Week 6

2011-06-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

I went out of town on Thursday for a weekend cycling event (my first century!), so my creative time was cut a tad short.
But I finally put together some logo samples for a friend. That counts, right?
While away, I picked up this cool lamp shade frame that will turn up soon. Stay tuned.

Week 5

2011-05-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

May is always a crazy month so I fell back on an old idea for this week. I saw an embroidery similar to this a long time ago and pulled the old, "I could do that" and yet never did.
I finally did. Thanks, weekly project!
Created the artwork in Illustrator and digitized it for my embroidery machine, then stitched this onto felt and sewed it on the sleeve of a shirt I bought for Luke for this very purpose (weeks ago, of course). I thought it needed a little more something so I added some random orange satin stitching along one of the front pockets. Kind of goes along with the distressed military look going on here.
Despite having the tools to embroider a patch outright, it is not necessary. Keep your eyes open for cool embroideries on old clothing items, even silk screened artwork that you can cut & applique onto things. This extra step can take something as simple as this grey shirt and make it grey-oovy! (sorry- had to)

Week 4

2011-05-23T11:58:00.001-07:00

My first pass card!
This is why I was unable to execute some creativity this week. Poor little one broke her arm but all is well and mending.
Perhaps I'll make up for it this week with two projects? :) We'll see.

Week 3

2011-05-15T10:15:00.001-07:00

I decided that this week I would finish something I started at least two years ago. At least!
How pathetic is that! Wait, I should hold back that criticism of myself because I know I have more projects in that stage lurking within my office.... so, to focus on the positive... I am going to complete one soon!
Once upon a time, I traced the shadow of a beautiful eucalyptus tree in our yard onto this canvas and that is how it has stayed. Empty and wanting. So instead of starting a new project, I decided to bust this baby out. Alas, I was not able to complete it, but I think it still counts that I worked on it. Perhaps this coming week I can finish it.
A flaw in these long project lapses is that I can't really remember anymore what end result I had in mind so I am just playing with colors and layering and hopefully it will turn out worthwhile in the end. So far I kind of like the paint by numbers look.

Week 2

2011-05-09T19:29:00.001-07:00

The project this week was to get my tangled necklaces hanging up on something once and for all. It's not the coolest thing I have seen to do, but it is the most ideal for my space (and how many I have- I didn't realize my granny stash!). I needed a way to see them and reach them easily so I decided I needed a long cork board of some kind. Then I changed that idea to particle board so it would be more sturdy.
Enter Home Depot.
For $5, I bought this perfect width, long panel and a tiny package of tooth hangers.
Wrapped it in grey canvas and stapled it with a staple gun, nailed on that hanger and I was done in 10 minutes.
Beautiful, right? Just kidding. But it's functional.

I had these wood push pins I bought at Container Store forever ago and used them. I ended up hammering them in (with the heel of my boot, no less- how apropos!) as I went depending on where/how I wanted to display everything. Bonus- purge items you don't wear anymore.

Ta-dah! Now I have a visual display for inspiration (i.e. reminder of what I own) and no more tangles.

Week 1 Results

2011-05-02T18:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I did it. I kept my goal for the first week, at least. Hopefully I won't get behind on posting my results. I did end up finishing this on Thursday to give as a baby gift for my friend.
I have wanted to make paper maché hot air balloons and thought a little mobile would be good testing ground.
As seen in the previous post, I used strips of paper on water balloons. They turned out well enough but I already want to make another one with some improvements.

I painted them (masked areas w/ masking tape) + embroidery floss and twine for the ropes + little cardstock flags... the more I tried to incorporate ideas, the more I realized I should just stick with the current medium so I stayed with paper. In retrospect, some glitter would have been really fun.

As always, I share these things in hopes to inspire. I'm happy to give further details if you want to try some yourself. Do ask. :)
And I've already recognized one lesson from my experiment in forced playtime...
By giving myself 'permission' to create, I already feel a sense of peace knowing I will be accomplishing items on my to-make-one-day wish list. I've made that day happen. What took me so long? I've been waiting for circumstances to accommodate me but perhaps it has to be the other way around?
(It's also frightening to think that if I can't make it work, if I do fail, then I will prove to myself that I should never have tried. I typed this in parenthesis to keep this doubt from my conscience. I really do hope I prove myself wrong in that regard!)

Phase One

2011-04-26T15:41:00.001-07:00

So far, it's working! :)
My first project is something that's been in my head for a while.
It's not making eggs, I'll give you that hint. But it is paper maché. I want to have one done by Thursday so results will be up fast.

Let It Begin

2011-04-25T12:50:00.001-07:00

Dear Academe readers,
If there are any! I really am not sure. But if there is anyone out there, I need your help.
I have decided that I need more creativity in my life so I have made a new goal for myself to create something once a week. It may be big or small, but I am going to force myself to make SOMETHING.
I know it may sound silly because why would I need motivation to do something that I love?
It's because I have a problem: I talk myself out of it because I feel like there are other things that I should be doing before doing this for myself OR I question the purpose and ask, "Why? So I want to make that, but then what do I do with it?", like I need some kind of validation before I even begin. See? Excuses. And I am sick of it. I have emotional needs to make messes again and ignore common sense.
So I'm going to do it.
I'm starting this week.
This is where you come in. I think a little feedback/accountability will do me good. So if you see something you like or think it should be a doorstop, comment and tell me. Then I'll remember that my promise to myself is public and I can't make another excuse.
Thanks. Here we go.

Scary Maché

2011-03-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Aren't these awesome?
Made by Sebastian (here is his Flickr group) for a horror experience show. I think they are perfectly executed. Simple, classic and pretty darn spooky. These would make an awesome Halloween decoration.
Or to wear late at night at Walmart.

Found via PumpkinRot

My Hands Hath Wrought

2011-03-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

I gathered a few designs together for a freelance portfolio and thought it would be fun to throw them up here.
I don't know why. Maybe to remember them? My work is usually spread across so many different places that I never see it once it leaves my hands. It's fun to look back.

Union Jack Pillows

2011-02-23T16:19:00.001-08:00

This was one of the crafts that I've been meaning to do for a long time. I finally bought a few colors of fabric paint, got some friends together and we painted Union Jack pillow covers. They were a snap to do - motivating me to try some other designs. I think I got a little carried away with the distressed look but couldn't help myself- it was too fun. I purposely kept the color rough and hollow in areas, but you can apply the paint rather evenly, getting pretty professional results.
I'll post the pic when I get it all sewn up and completed. Maybe I'll get a 'new' looking one painted in the meantime.

More String

2010-12-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

Filled the orders from the Girl Next Door show this past week. I think they turned out pretty well. I really like the green. The pic doesn't justify the size. Each panel is 2' x 2' wide!

Etsy Time

2010-12-09T12:47:00.001-08:00

Just opened an Etsy shop if you're interested in some necklaces.
I haven't really planned on opening one but figured... why not?
Now I'm motivated to share more stuff. Stay tuned.

Honeycomb

2010-12-04T16:25:00.000-08:00

Found this 101 on how to make your own honeycomb spheres which I know is crazy when they are practically free already, but I have still been curious to try it.
Now it is saved here so I will!

Things You'll Need:

8½-by-11-inch card stock
9 sheets of colored tissue paper
Pencil
Scissors
Glue stick

1

Fold the card stock in half horizontally so that its dimensions when folded beome 5 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches. Reopen it. Lay it flat on your work surface.
2

Draw a simple shape on one sheet of tissue paper that would fit within the dimensions of the full sheet of card stock. For example, draw a circle that is 8 inches in diameter.
3

Stack all the layers of tissue paper together and cut out the circle so that you have nine circles of the same size. You can cut the card stock in the same size circle as well, or you can leave it in a rectangle.
4

Glue one circle to the middle of the card stock. Make sure the center fold of the card stock bisects the tissue paper circle exactly. You want the card stock's crease to run through the middle of the circle.
5

Place four dots of glue on top of the tissue circle that is glued to the card stock. Place the dots around the edge at four spots that are equal distances from each other. For example, if the circle was a clock face, place glue at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00.
6

Position a second circle over the first and press down on the glue spots so that it is glued to the first one at those spots. Place glue on the second circle at spots exactly between the glue spots on the first circle. Using our clock face example, you would place glue at 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:30.
7

Place the third circle over the second and press down on the glue spots. Place glue spots on this circle in the same places you glued the first circle, that is, at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00.
8

Place the fourth circle on top and press down. Continue this procedure, alternating glue spots on each circle until you have glued eight layers on the stack. Put your four glue spots on the eighth circle.
9

Cut the ninth circle in half. Place a half-circle on the right side of the tissue stack. The straight edge should line up with the crease in the card stock.
10

Fold the card stock and all the layers along the crease and press down. When you open the card you will have a honeycomb ball.

2010-10-08T08:15:00.001-07:00

Well, Hello there!
Do you recall my earlier post about attempting one of these?
I never did find some cool knit fabric (anyone know of a good online resource?) so I used one of Scott's old cast off shirts to give this a go.
I also stated in said earlier post that some 'ghetto sewing' was in my future. It's all I do. I am a master at ghetto. So pick up your scissors and let's begin.
You can do this with a regular T. The shirt I used here was a polo style.
I used a rotary cutter, ruler and mat. This saves loads of tedious cutting time and keeps your fabric nice and straight but you can do it with regular fabric scissors.
Start by removing the side seams, sleeves and neck trim. Trim close yielding you the biggest piece of fabric you can.

Place those pieces of fabric right sides together and sew the bottom flat edge. Don't have a serger? Neither do I! Find a simple overlocking stitch for knits on your machine. Most have them (T's don't shred much anyway so you could even use a simple knit stitch for stretchy fabric).

Oops- I forgot to even up the shoulders and make them straight (See? Even in ghetto sewing I am a good and wise teacher and include my lame mistakes).

Ruler across the top and swipe! Off with the shoulders and made a straight edge. I didn't go all the way down to the placket. Keep reading to see why.

NOW I have a flat edge on the other end and can sew that together. If you were to lift this up, it should be a 'tube' of continuous fabric with the right sides facing in. Check.
*TIP* I could have cut to the bottom of the placket but I wanted as much length as possible and since we are cutting this into strips anyway, I could get away with this small section of missing fabric. You will see what I mean in a minute....

Now, make sure your 'tube' is completely flat, no folds or wrinkles. One of the seams will remain in tact, the other we will cut through. Lay the seam you are NOT cutting through at the top and begin to cut, one inch apart, from the bottom edge to the top, stopping two inches from the end.

Only that remaining seam will be the spine holding all your strips together.
Now you need to stretch out each loop to encourage the fabric to curl inward. You can do this on the table top but it gets a little tangled after a while so I slid it on my arm, seam on top, and pulled each one down this way.

The strips didn't curl as well where the other seam is. Hence the benefit of using a yard of fabric over a T. But it still works quite well, I say. Maybe after a washing it will help.
Now lay the seam flat and roll it up like a sleeping bag.

Then use a patch from one of your discarded sleeves and sew it around your seam with a quick whip stitch.

Tada! You have enough to double this up around your neck if you want.
I am excited to try some others now. Think of how cool this could look with old concert or vintage t's and even different colored scraps around the spine roll at the end. Are you inspired?! Good. Mission accomplished. Enjoy!

Taped

2010-09-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

Speaking of using some of that swell Japanese masking tape...
I finally whipped up some labels for my peach jam and thought this would be a cool way to update the old school ribbon.
Just lay a nice piece along the lid band and it's all spiffy.

Tweeest

2010-09-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

How wickedly smart is this idea to use cute japanese masking tape to make custom twisty ties!? Ingenious!
She does one at a time in this demo but I think you could do some long rows of it and cut a bunch at once, expediting the effort.
Ooh I'm gonna try this fer sher.

via How About Orange

Candy Sticks

2010-08-26T18:50:00.001-07:00

Yes! I am still alive! The summer is nearly over which means I can breathe life back into my blogs. So here is a little start.
I made some vintage looking candy sticks for easy Halloween decor if you like that sort of thing. Toss them in a black goblet or apothecary jar. Top them with puppet heads (or shrunken human heads). Here's how to make your own:

I used 6 long dowels from the craft store that were just under 1/2" thick and cut them in half, making them about 12" long and sanded the ends a little (Thanks, Dad). Then painted them with craft acrylic paint.
TIP: It's easier to paint dark colors on light vs. the other way around. So I painted all the sticks orange and white.

Do it with a smile, folks! Here is my accomplice, Jess, in crafting cahoots with me.

Next take a long strip of masking tape (I used 1" width) and lay it on a cutting mat. With a ruler and an Xacto, cut the tape in half length wise. Remove one half of the cut tape and wrap it around your stick. This will mask the current color and create a stripe when you paint the second color. In this example, my second color was black.

Once dry, remove the tape to reveal your stripe. Fabulous!
TIP: Experiment with different tape widths. I would cut my length into 3/4" or 1/4" widths to create some of the variety you see here.
ANOTHER TIP: Wrap your tape in alternating directions so you don't end up with all your stripes going one way.

FUN TIP: Note the far right stick with three colors. I did this one last and wish I had done more like it. It was a white stick with two strips of tape close together that I painted orange (like the stick next to it). Then I painted that thin area between the tape with black.
They could have been finished here but they were a little to bright for me so I watered down some brown paint and put a dirty wash on them. Naughty little sticks....now they are perfect. If you click the bottom picture here you can get a closer look.

My Mom had some mica flakes that I tried out on some. Could work with glitter as well. Many options. Do experiment. It was fun!

Neck Lines

2010-06-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

Weeks ago I saw this Armani ad and tore it out because I was interested in this scarf she was wearing. Ever since then I've been looking for a cool knit fabric to try this with.
Then recently I found this website, SAAKO that also makes/sells them. I don't know... I just think they are cool.
Have you seen any others for sale anywhere? I have a feeling we'll see more of these in the coming months.
They don't look too difficult to try.
I see some ghetto sewing in my near future!

White Out

2010-06-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love these images from Shannon May (via Design Sponge). They inspire me to pull out my watercolors again.
I love the faded washes and especially the masked areas of white. This one with the airplane is my favorite. The crisp buildings resting way at the bottom is fab. Look at how the sky darkens.
Oh. If time grew on a tree.....

Erin Berrett

2010-03-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Laura just posted a painting by artist Erin W. Berrett on her blog and I love it. I already have a soft spot for the graphic awesomeness of peppermint candies so this painting of them really caught my attention.
I went to Erin's site and looked at the rest of her work. I love how it's almost a paint-by-number look. Shapes make the image but nothing is blended, it's all clean strokes. Look at the shadows in this one with the ornaments. So modern. And her use of color value is impeccable!

Cariboutiful

2010-02-23T21:58:00.000-08:00

I love Caribou's Album art.
Here are a few to check out.
I think the one with all the glass is a particular fave.

(New album in April- Nice!)

Genuis

2010-02-10T20:11:00.001-08:00

Absolute...
Pure....
Genius.

Look at this idea on how to create beautiful round perforations in your paper artwork. Oh yes. I am this crazy and will try it.

Xact-O-Mazing

2010-02-10T19:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some more amazing paper sculptures.
This artist is Daniel Sean Murphy. The watch in the ad below is entirely composed of paper. See the close up. Crazy!
You can see more detail pics on his blog.

via Twig & Thistle

Heart Me

2010-02-04T09:06:00.001-08:00

Just in time for zee holeeday of luuuv...
I saw these at a little shop while visiting SF last year and thought the idea was cute. As you can see by the price tag, it's a pretty investment to possess a cluster. So I swiped a pic with my phone and decided to try and make my own. Sometime.
Well, that 'sometime' arrived. It's called February. And I decided to just go do it.

I bought half of a yard of good linen and went to work. I liked the look of embroidery, but if you don't have a way to do that, I think a stencil or stamping would look cool also, just like classic Necco candy hearts (even white lettering on pastel linens would be charming!). I went along with traditional phrases and then realized some more satire would have been fun. Um, next year.
It's pretty obvious how the rest of the procedure goes... but in case you try it out, some deets regarding the process:
Cut out a paper heart template for tracing, roughly the size of the desired finished product (factor in a small seam allowance)*. I then cut out the middle of this template so I could see through it to center the placement of the words as I traced each heart.
Once traced, cut them out. I kept the plain fabric for the back layered behind the top and cut each heart out together- it saves you time and effort. Doublemint fun!
Start sewing near the bottom point, go all around, and stop along that same side leaving an opening for the batting. Snip the curves, turn inside out, fill and sew closed. I used my machine for this part because I am lazy. Oh, you didn't know that? Well, I so am. I suppose you could hand sew them closed... but who has enough love for that?
Then... voila! Ahhh... L'Amoré.
And if you're not that fond of Valentines Day, put something mean on there, fill them with rocks, and throw them at people**.
*I know. No accuracy here. Do not forget where you are. I told you I'm a ghetto seamstress.
**Not really. If you feel that way then someone needs a hug.

Typography Banners

2010-01-27T13:32:00.001-08:00

I can't remember how I found this blog but I loved her post about this Christmas decoration her husband did.
He cut out all these reverent Christmas phrases and terms and made long garlands to hang for their holiday decorations this year. As you can see, they aren't perfect letters or uniform in size. I like that about it.

So, using this idea, I created something similar for a baby shower. I bought some pink/white and blue/white striped cotton yarn (looks just like the decorative twine but much cheaper) and taped the letters on using scotch tape. I didn't have a lot of time so could only do a couple of phrases. For the boy (on the blue string) it read 'Little Boy Blue' and 'Snips & Snails'. On the girl: 'Little Miss Muffet' and 'Sugar & Spice'. I made a third strand with twin onesies, shoes and socks.
I really didn't know if it was going to work but I was relieved to find it had the effect I wanted. Next time I do a shower I will add a few more to the stash and soon be able to look like that holiday photo.
Wouldn't these be fun to have on hand for Birthdays and other events?

Gift Idea

2010-01-07T20:58:00.001-08:00

Seriously... sometimes the holiday "should give to" list grows beyond the bounds of my limited mental capacity. Case in point: Teachers.
Dance instructors, soccer coaches, school teachers, teacher assistants... blahbleeblah.... what do you give all these peeps? I don't know. Tell me if you have any tried and true winners.
But I can suggest one idea.
I wanted to give something a little sentimental to the twins Kindergarten teacher as she also taught Elliet and is wonderful. I thought of doing a papercut of a teacher so I searched online until I found a satisfactory image which I traced, printed and cut. It's small- fit into a 6x6" frame from Ikea- and was done in less than an hour.
Thought I'd share the idea in case your stuck on what to give someone. It was easy & personal.

G in da Heeouse

2010-01-07T20:43:00.001-08:00

Here it is.
The first actual Ghouse I have ever made. Sure, some things turned out pretty cool, but I also bet that those of you who do this more often can see gaping flaws, yes? It is fun and I want to try again next year. Perhaps it will be bigger? More modern?
Luckily I had to finish this after frosting all the cookies from earlier that day, so my creative moxy was a bit low which forced me not to over think and just do. But it was also fun to have colored frosting on hand- I was planning on using white only.
And thanks to Bake It Pretty (and failed ambitions of holiday cupcakes for.... what reason? Do I ever have one when I drop coinage at that great site??), I had cute little dears and trees to complete the side yard.
Here is where I need your help and comments. Please chime in if you have any answers. I'd love to know your thoughts....
1) I tried to avoid a big barfing mass of crazy candy colors and kept to a simple palette of Red/White (the green was an impulsive addition). But maybe I'm missing some fun? What other candies or things have you tried that look cool? (I had chocolate Necco's for the roof and ended up going with the graham cereal in the end- did I goof?)
2) Do you ever use frosting colors other than white?
3) Any other cool tips for these miniature culinary time vacuums?

Feliz Navidad!

Bow Softly

2009-12-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

Um.... totally radical. That tutorial I linked to earlier about making bows has now been followed up with an additional post where a girl took that idea and made some with felt. Genius. I love it.
And as cool as these look, I want you to think, people. Think of the rad colors of wool felt out there and how you could make great mustard/olive/greyblue varieties.... think of using monochromatic tones like all greens or oranges...
Time to play!

See the links here

Happy Trees

2009-12-09T13:21:00.001-08:00

Another Academe goal accomplished! Remember my recent post to attempt this? Well, I did it and I so enjoyed it that I am here to testify of it's goodness. I'm also here to share what I did in case you'd like to do it yourself because hey, it's Christmas and that's all in the spirit, yo. This is easily done in a night and if you want to embellish, within 24 hours so if you get crack-a-lackin you can enjoy your efforts this year!
Here's how its done:
1) Pick up a bag of Lemax brand trees at Michaels (right now they are 50% off!) in the model train/village section. They come in a bag of 21 (?) assorted sizes. Dark green with white plastic snow all over them (This comes off in the bleaching process)
2) Fill a sink with hot water deep enough to submerge your trees. Add some bleach (approx 1-2 cups per 3 gallons). Use rubber gloves and place your trees in the water. Swish them around and rotate them while the green fades. The process only takes around 10 minutes. Rinse and remove the trees to a towel.
3) Prepare some Rit dye in preferred colors. I used kelly green, fuscia and royal blue. Place the bowls right next to the sink & prepare a towel for the dyed trees to dry. Place one or two trees in the color, make sure you cover all the areas, remove and rinse immediately. I wanted lighter shades so they only needed to be in the dye about 5-10 seconds, sometimes less. Have fun playing with deeper colors or blends.
PS- The trees will take the dye much faster if they are completely dry rather than dying right after this bleaching process. Keep that in mind or your colors may be darker than what you want.
4) Place rinsed trees on towel to dry. Or send them to Belize for a little sun by the pool.
5) I used a glue gun to embellish with some silver accents. If you want to try glitter, I used the Martha glitter glue- just dabbing the brush end of the applicator on the tip of the branches and then rolled the tree on a paper plate with glitter. Ta Da. All sparkles and happiness!

Hope this inspires you to go make your own. Have fun!

GND Holiday Show

2009-12-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

The Holiday show this year was so great. It was really fun to get it all ready. I have heard some good feedback and think that overall everyone enjoyed some of the new products and new vendors. There are so many talented artists out there...I love being able to share them with others.

Luckily I had a little time to try a few things out in time for the show. Since I just did all that embroidery for Scott, I only had time to try some some simple designs so I made some pillows, dish towels and patches with that. The leather/silver necklaces were what I was most excited to share and they sold well. And then the bottlebrush trees! I had so much fun doing those that I made a bunch, glittered them and sold them also. I loved seeing those get carried away to peoples homes.
You can see more pictures/read more on the official Girl Next Door site here.
Now I am going to try and clean up my disaster of an office!

Girl Next Door Show 2009

2009-11-29T21:19:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the sparse posting yet again... been busy putting on the Holiday show and creating like mad....
Come if you can to see all the splendor...
I'll post some cool peeks at what I've been doing after the event on Thursday.
In the meantime you can check out the new site I've been working on here.

Big Headed

2009-11-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

This is why you have cool brothers because they show you things like this.
Eric Testroete created an enlarged 3D graphic of his head for his Halloween costume. I think it's one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Click here to learn all about it.

Cool Gifting 101

2009-11-10T13:12:00.001-08:00

Um, this is freaking rad.
If you don't think you can make a holiday gift this year, think again! You can at least adorn your prezzie with a cool handmade bow. The link will take you to the directions directly.
So groovy!

Via How About Orange

Schnerenkazoontight

2009-11-10T12:58:00.001-08:00

Okay, you know what? I just can't get over how cool some paper cutting designs are. I recently took a class on Sherenschnitte and my teacher has some amazing work on her blog. These are two examples. I can't get over the thin cloud lines... absolutely beautifulbeautiful. So so cool! It plays my Maxfield Parish heart strings. That pirate ship is magnificent! There is just not enough time in this life to do all I want to do. It takes some great practice to master this and have an eye for the art and I am impressed with hers. If you are as well, check out her site- she offers free downloadable templates to practice cutting your own pieces. How cool is that?

Done!!

2009-10-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

While the twins were in preschool they did a little paper maché project and made "dinosaur eggs". After they forgot about them I greedily kept one for this very purpose - to make into a vintage Halloween bucket. Let's just say that this project has been way overdue. My kids are already in Kindergarten and I finally got this done. Finally. It took me less than an hour to do it (+ the two years I've held on to the spotted thing). Living up to my ghetto ways. I am pathetic.
I tell you this because it's really not that significant of a project but more of an inspiration for me to keep attacking my "want-to-do's" and making them my "I-finally-did-it-high-five-to-me!'s".
Onward Ho:
Step One: Take a hollow paper mache bowl...

Step Two: Cut out eyes and mouth with an exacto knife

Step Three: Paint any color you'd like. I was making a pumpkin so I chose a deep orange (Obvious, I know)

Step Four: Draw some eyes and a mouth (I did mine using Illustrator), print/cut out and tape inside.
Punch holes on either side of the large opening on top and add a wire handle...
Yeah, his eyes are a little large. Looks like he's just as surprised as I am that I finally did this thing...

Step Five: Add embellishments. He looked a little bare so I gave him a glittered triangle nose. This part would be fun if you made a black cat with ears or an owl.... Time to encourage my kids to make more dino eggs (i.e. exercise some child labor) so I can make more old school cools.

Step Six: Fill with candy!

Bottlebrush Trees

2009-10-25T15:58:00.001-07:00

Just in time for Christmas. I think old bottlebrush trees are such a cool vintage-y thing to decorate with for the holidays but they aren't that easy to find. Lately I've been looking for sources to buy some and came across a tutorial on how to make your own here.
Nice! I think this makes a great candidate for the next craft night I organize. Who's in?
These are dyed and have snowy effects, but think of all the options: Pastel colors, vintage beads, mica flakes, glitter, paper garlands.... fun fun.

PS- And Halloween trees? I am so making those...

(This first image is from Vintage By Crystal. She has some cool old spun wool art decorations that I LOVE.)

Small Scale

2009-10-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this blog and read her creative idea to make a tiny mobile out of miniature tourist peeps. Thought it was cool and, hey, maybe you would, too.

Mobiles are fascinating to me. I need to make more of them.

Mask-er-raid

2009-10-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Daaah.... too many things going on!
Many of them Halloween related of course. I've been meaning to post these for a while now. Found them at Michaels and thought they were great! I love the larger face mask- I envision simple painting with wide, dark satin ribbon on each side and hanging on a wall or secured on a stick for a masquerade thing, even wearing one when I hand out candy.... even painted black and alone on a mantel... and best of all, CHEAP. So I kind of raided the stock and bought a good amount.
I've finished the Halloween party invites and am now working on macabre banners, costumes and other such frivolity. I'll try to actually complete something soon and post it here. I still have award ribbons to make. I've got to get off this computer!

Halloween Banner

2009-10-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share how I made banner #2. First of all, high-five cuz I actually went through with something for once. Man, it's been too long since creating and I need to get going.

I had a few friends come over and join me in making this which, I think, is what makes this stuff half the fun. So gather some buddies, share supplies and knock one out.

The chipboard and letters were all from a pack that I picked up at JoAnn's. One of my friends, Sara, brought a simplified banner of letters hung on ribbon from Michaels (from Martha) and added onto that. So work with whatever you want.
The assembly was similar to the banner I did a couple of months ago.
I cut the flags to 4" x 6" and we all covered them differently. I used paper, Jennie used fabric, etc. Using crepe paper again, made different circles or shredded backing for the letters. We glittered the letters and glued them on and then embellished with random things. The flags on each end were covered in paper like the others, then I used large bottle stickers from Martha (via Michaels) on top.
I used three yards of a black trim that I also found at JoAnn's and just hot glued the flags right to it (thanks to Jennie's clear thinking- I was totally overcomplicating it in my mind and think this looks great). Done!
Hope this inspires you to try one.

Modern Mail

2009-10-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

Clever card designs by a.favorite design.
See? I knew tickets were cool.

Spifalicious

2009-09-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this guys work*- his name is Cheeming Boey. He lives in CA and draws amazing things on foam cups using sharpies. A big step up from the Vans I did last Christmas, eh?
You should really take a few minutes and browse what he's done here.

Here is what he says about his work:
"
drawing on cups is a challenge. unlike a flat canvas, u have to consider compositions from all around. which is what i spend most of my time doing off the top of my head.

i dont do initial drafts on the cup. i do that on paper, but even that is rare, most of the time its a straight shot. part of the fun is not messing up..and that can happen anytime. sometimes, 95% into the work.

how do i mess up? its styrofoam, it charges up easy. lint can stick to it, so can tiny hairs. when it gets caught on my sharpie, and i am not aware of it, a fine point can suddenly become a broad stroke.

if i mess up, i drink out of it.

some cups take a few hours, including what feels like a relatively simple one. some takes months, because i draw something great, and i am afraid of messing it up with the next stroke. so i tend to wait and think for days, or weeks.

i am still constantly refining my strokes. its hard when u get one shot, and u cant undo an error.
but thats also part of why i enjoy it.
i must be some sort of a masochist.

i hope my works can inspire others to think outside the canvas.
its not always what you draw on, its what you draw.

if you look closely, you'll see rom, the cat.
boey
"

*via All About Orange

InterBike

2009-09-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Attended this show last week with my friend, Erica. It's a trade-only show so it's a good way to test/check things out. I don't really know much about kicking tires and getting down to specifics cuz, you know, I'm a girl and all that... which really means I walk through and point at all that's 'pretty'. :) I really enjoy getting a pulse on what's coming out, observing merging trends and taste testing the electrolyte goodies. No Schleck sitings but at least saw some cool stuff.
Urban bikes are picking up momentum and I snapped a few pics of some I liked. These I think were my favorite of the show, Biomega. WOW. Such amazing design! I really, really admire their attention to every sculpted detail. Modern, clean and tasteful.

Cinelli is a given. They have beautiful, classic styles.

This Masi stopped me in the aisle. Look at those wheels.... aaarhhhllll I drooled a little. So purdy. Complete with a white chain.

Puma has joined with, guess who, Biomega, and made some urban styles. Thought the paint colors were cool. If this doesn't reach some trendy kids, I don't know what will.

Cycle Style

2009-09-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Don't know why, but over the weeks I have collected a few images of people on bikes. Ok- mostly guys with great style...on bikes. I think style is something most people can appreciate. Either people have it or they don't. And the latter is okay, but the former is inspiring so I'm sharing some of them with you.

Plus, a little yum factor is a good thing.... :)

Left: Love this guy sporting old school Sperry's.

And the girl with green wheels waiting by cute-guy with green bike. I like the 'story' in this image. The colors they are wearing help- the muted greys and browns with only green in the bikes. Look at him: suitcoat, brown cords and sand desert books? Well done, I say. What happened next? Do you think ever saw her?

Ah, to be strolling through Euro avenues looking as darling as this girl...

Retro Patrio

2009-08-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

I am such a patriotic person that I decided to make this banner and hang it year round in my house.
Not really.
The truth is I have had the materials for this sitting on my desk since summer began and never got it done so I finally did it this week. Now it's all packaged up and stored away for a year. Ha! It's the ghetto way I suppose. It was really fun to do, though- and now I want to make more. For some reason I've been in a banner mode and been saving ideas. I kept getting ideas to do more to this as I was going, like adding a star behind each letter or little flag ribbon between the letters, or even flags.... but guess what? It's freakin' August and that stuff is not for sale anymore. Which is good because I do that- I get going and get more ideas which hinder completion in a timely manner. So I stuck with the plan and finished it. Hopefully it will inspire you to make one of your own.
Here is a rough breakdown of what I did in case you would like to copy cat:
-The beaded garland was something I bought at a little shop in the spring- I bought two boxes and joined them in the center.
-Glued paper to chipboard (or matboard would work) and cut down to rectangles, then forked the ends.
-Used crepe paper and tissue paper that I edged with pinking scissors, crimped/folded into circles and glued onto the flags (For the glitter edge on the white- I glued glitter on the pinked edge first, let it dry and then glued to the board flags).
-Glittered chipboard letters and glued them to the tissue/crepe circles.
-Hole punched the corners of the board, cut wire pieces and bent into ovals that could slide along the beaded strand with the beads (but not slide into each other, keeping them in place) and looped them through the holes and onto the strand.

Now for some Halloween! (After I clear other crap off my desk. i.e. finish more projects. :))

Shroom Dreams

2009-08-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

Yes. Sometimes I wonder if I am smoking something with the ideas I get. I have wanted to make a mushroom pin cushion for months though I don't know why.... I just liked the idea of a substantial, heavy felt mushroom to place my pins in. And then I got the idea to imitate the delicate ruffles beneath the dome with more felt and uh! I had to make one. It would be so cool, me thinks.
Wellllllll....... let's just say that 'Ghetto sewing by Andrea 101' does not always result in what is in my brain. But I do have enough motivation for more rounds. Cooler colors, taller stems... they could be quite sculptural and interesting. At least, you know, in my brain. But hey-where's the fun if I don't show you my crappy work, too! So here's how to make a goofy mushroom pin cushion. :) Let's get started!
~I made the top- cut out a red circle and started sewing progressive curved seams to create the dome (image uno). Then I filled this with sand and sewed the opening closed (um... do this carefully, making sure you have a good, tight hold on that opening you are closing shut because, you know, sand spilling out into the bobbin area of your machine would not a good thing be ((SEE? I told you- GHETTO SEWING BY ANDREA)).
~ After closing the top, I cut a strip of white felt, hand basted each long side and gathered so the ruffles lined up. Then I hot glued this to the bottom (image dos). Then removed the basting thread. After securing it on there, I tried to pull the outer edge of the dome and glue it to the outer edge of the ruffles. I hope that makes sense. Basically, from the side I didn't want you to see a white thing stuck to the bottom. I wanted the top to wrap completely around the edge and only reveal the white bottom if you turn it over. You know, like a real mushroom.
~I sewed a fat stem and filled it with.... lead shot. Genious, right? I just have to say that this was the one phase that had me stuck for some time. I wanted sand in the dome on top... so what would I use in the base that could possibly be heavy and substantial enough to support that? Cue my dad- Mr. handyman himself acquiring shot for a project of his own. Eureka! The answer I needed to launch the ghetto shroom! Well, it made me so happy. Dorky, I know. Okay, okay- back to the task at hand....
So, you know, just get some of that lead shot you have lying around and fill said husky stem (image tres), fold the top edges down and glue that puppy to the top. "From plus to minus... and minus to plus...!!!!"
~Tada! Aww... look at the fat little guy. He's heavy and happy, pleated and dotted. And he's independant enough to stand on his own. Good boy!

Yoga Bag, This Is

2009-08-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

As I was in Utar hanging with family in Joo-leye, my great sis-in-law tells me she wants to make a yoga bag. I brought things to do, see, but when people have something different to try? I'm on board. That sounded way more fun to figure out than my mushroom pin cushion (the next post).
We did a little guess measuring and bought the fabric. Later that week she came over with her yoga mat and we went to work. It's a simple design.... we wrapped the body with one main fabric, added a band of something different along the top. The bottom, shoulder band and pocket are fabric #3. The pocket was a last minute idea as Jess requested it for tossing in keys and sunglasses. After having the mat in there, I would have done it differently... like making it a little gathered or something because it's a bit snug against the mat. But for making it up as we went along... not bad, I say.
I don't really dig yoga (because, you know, it's hard), but I think I'll make one for donuts.

Yulia Gulia

2009-07-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this girls AMAZING paper work, Yulia Brodskaya.
I think this makes quilling quite a grown up pursuit. I really like how she cuts through the soft waves with hard edged text and continues the curve as though it was never interrupted. Can you imagine how hard that would be? I can't even fold a paper fan with consistent pleats.... !

Light and Shadows

2009-07-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

Really like the work by Annie Dover.
She is self taught! I hope to paint like this one day. I like work that is clean like this and has a lot of light and shadow interest. The wall in the restaurant going from blue to green is so great.

Coming Up...

2009-05-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

School is almost over and now with GND around the corner, I have to get creative again. :)

I'll try to post some sneak peaks soon...

FOUND!

2009-05-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting some Japanese masking tape for months and finally got some. WOOOOHOOOO!!!!
Go here to get some. I even ordered some of the origami prints. Fabfabfab. I can't wait for the box to arrive.

All In The Deets

2009-05-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Found this artist, Dan Funderburgh, via the latest Readymade issue.
His site has some incredibly detailed work. I found this two-dimensional tool wall to be one of my favorites of his. The intricate carvings on all the pieces are wonderful. And, for some reason, I love the large umbrella with a gun handle. A little St. Peppers or something...?
Plus- anyone who loves to bike probably would approve of the church here made with bike parts. And this wallpaper design?! Beautiful.
Check out his site for more of his work. Make sure you observe the small details and you'll find his tongue-and-cheek used throughout.

Cool Art

2009-04-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Really love the color and work of Matte Stephens. Just look at his living space! The man can decorate.

Paper Cake

2009-04-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

My friends Birthday was last week so I went in with another pal and got her this cute cake plate from Martha.
Alas. I did not have time to bake a cake and thought a paper cake would be fun (and sugar free! Gee-willakers!).
I dug through my stash, found a few sheets that would fit her personality and cut away. Turned out alright. As I completed the top layer I learned some tips that I should have thought through when I started. Oh well.
I wanted to add two big glittery numbers representing her age on the top but ran out of time.
Would be cool if you could find a kit to do just this, no? I think lots of paper cakes could be a very cool thing to display or put little gifts inside.

Beautiful Blooms

2009-04-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

How incredible are these enormous flower displays!? Practically takes my breath away.
Can you imagine walking those steps for some special evening?

The details posted on the site:
"Underneath the glass roof of the Cambon-Capucines pavilion was like a giant pop-up book made of white paper. The grandiose décor was made up of monochrome arrangements of roses, daisies, leaves and petals winding their way up and around the room's 32 impressive columns and draped over the railings of the entry stairway where the models appeared. Not to mention the 84 round tables tables with their tablecloths and paper bouquets. All in all, there were 7000 handmade paper flowers, which took a total of 4800 hours of work to assemble. 4000 m2 of paper were needed to create these ephemeral sculptures all in one color...."

Via Chanel

Tiny Fun

2009-04-17T16:11:00.001-07:00

Interesting and lovely effects using these tiny flag garlands.
I think I want to try.....

First image via Oh Happy Day
Forgot the second....oops

Creative Food

2009-04-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

I have seen this website referred to from a few different sources recently and finally checked them out. Papier Valise has some AMAZING supplies for cool crafting. Attention! They even have some fantastic vintage pharmacy label assortments so I bought a few varieties to do my apothecary jars for Halloween. Woohoo! Be careful- the prices are modest but you will want much and it adds up. :) You can tell I had Halloween on my mind (but it is April, and never too early).
I just ordered a bunch of cool stuff. This gets me excited to focus on projects that I want to do.
Academe has suffered from my lack of personal fun lately. Sorry for not having much on here to share. I have some things awaiting attention, which has been focused on other design/art work for friends and family. So... good, challenging projects, just nothing that would interest anyone here really.
Hoping to get back to 'studies' soon. My spirit is in need of creative exploration!

Tapes N Tapes

2009-03-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Artwork done by iRi5.
These works made using old cassette tapes are awesome.

Found via Craft

LD to the GS

2009-03-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Wow. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted here. My normal 'creative' time has been spent on little design things here and there and some other ventures. But the juices have been flowing again and I'm already doing some work on a few things. In the meantime....
I have been on a mission to get my garage clean. And I mean really clean and organized. I have a new saw, drill press and other tools still in their boxes from Christmas that I haven't been able to use yet because there has been NO room. Too many bikes, a Vespa and Lambretta to navigate around, boxes of stuff, weight equipment.... so we've been gutting. As I was ditching some old Paper Candy signage, I found these watercolors that I did... probably 14 years ago? maybe longer... I can't remember. And I didn't even remember that I had them. They are about 20" tall. I remember just trying to get them done, so I didn't take as much time on the girls and background. I am my own worst critic because I even look at them now and see what I want to improve. But beh- I'm not interested.... so I think I am going to crop off the silly girls and keep the scooters. I tested this idea out in Photoshop so it's included here. What thinketh thou? That would look better, right? They weren't really laying flat so they look a tad warped but you get the idea.
I have a watercolor in the making right now hogging our main table in the family room. The easel is a huge eyesore so I need to get crack-a-lackin' on that.... so much to do!

Vintage Paper Stars

2009-03-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

This is a great step by step on how to make these.
I think you could do some cool ones just like this with patterned paper, glitter and interesting things in the center.
I'm thinking gift toppers...
ornaments....
award ribbons.... (omgoshHalloween.Fantastic!)
What about creating in felt and placing on a pillow?! oooh ooo ooo......

Photo Holder

2009-03-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Cool idea using vintage rubber stamps.

Love Leftovers

2009-03-06T16:54:00.001-08:00

Okay- So Vday is over but I thought these ideas were worth noting for the future. They inspire the following:
-I liked the idea of using cupcake cups as fluted paper backgrounds. This would look great on a heard box (improving upon, of course... putting something in the middle with more oomph)
-The felt heart thing is something I would never make, but the idea/method is simple and gets my mind plotting. Already did some similar things with hair barrettes but cool pins for clothes, eh...has potential in the kid department.
-And das boats. What is it about boats? They are just kind of cool and dreamy and these look, ahem, a bit easier than the last bunch I made. I dig the big doily sail (would be cool in black!), perhaps bigger tissue paper sails... but the hearts are sweet and for some reason, not too cheesy.

Storage Grates

2009-02-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

RAD idea here.
Don't know where I'd put some, but the colored enamel has my mind turning....

Line Love

2009-02-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

I remember being quite young, probably in junior high when I saw a piece of art in one of my Mom's fashion/home magazines. It was simple: a model was posing in a chair placed in the corner of a white room, but the chair was a metal sculpture that looked like a huge scribble or drawing of a chair. This big, metal outline and she was sitting in it. I absolutely LOVED it. I tore it out and kept it for years in a binder I had full of images that inspired me. I have never forgotten that great idea. I don't always see work using metal that blows me away but do keep my eyes out. There is something very mid-century about having a metal wall sculpture. They can be so cool, right? But I'm surprised at how hard they are to find. So WOW!!! Found this guy's site and flipped. His name is Frank Plant and his work is amazing. A-MAY-ZING. Some of the content is a bit political, but still: the execution and style is just incredible. Sometimes I'll confess to people that this is a medium I've wanted to try and usually get funny looks. But this is what I'd love to create with it. Ah!

Fun Frivolity

2009-02-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

Quick post to share the banner I made for Jess's blog. Looks nice and chewy, eh?

2009-02-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to make one of these for a few years. A custom valentines box. I know, weird. I'm not even into those anyway or their bland red execution, but as I was browsing MS.com looking at craft ideas, I found this link and decided to do it, just a wee bit smaller. You can view her video for a better idea on the steps to follow, but here's a short version (and my few alterations).
She suggests using matboard for the box top and bottom, which I used here. First, cut out one heart shape to trace using grade school techniques here: fold a paper in half, cut out a heart 'half' and unfold, resulting in a perfectly symmetrical shape. Trace this onto a piece of the matboard and cut out. Now cut out a second heart from the mat board using the first matboard heart, NOT the template. This will give you a slighly larger heart, which, once walled will fit snugly over your bottom piece. (this is a tip not noted in her tutorial) Then use posterboard cut into 1" strips and hot glue around each matboard heart. I won't go into detail- but her video demonstrates this part well. Voila! The first picture you see is my box top and bottom and all the glue goop that is flapping around. No matter. Let's hide some mess by making the top and bottom panels. Martha suggests using posterboard for this, but I feel it's too flimsy, esp. since you'll be using the edge for pulling the box open so I used more matboard. It was a little tricky to cut with pinking shears but easy to trim down and reshape. Cut those and glue on with your glue gun. Done- see picture #2. Now what? That's what I asked myself. I liked my little box but now had no idea what to do to it. So many options- paint it? fabric? paper? do I stamp it? glue things on it? Try tons of things- could be way fun to see. The box itself doesn't take long to make- about 20 minutes or so. For this one I used velvet paper, cut again in 1" strips and glued them to the side of the outer box. I then coated the upper edge and lower visible edge with a pale pink, chunky glitter. After that I busted out some first grade whoop-art and did some tissue texture! Used a pink-edged circle punch from Martha and punched out a lot of tissue circles, then wrapped one around the end of a pencil, dipped it in glue and placed it on. Yeah- kind of tedious and more work than it was probably worth, but look at how frilly and obnoxious! Perfect for the possibly frilly contents inside... if you know what I mean. Topped the tissue with a little vintage foil cupid and it's done! Fill with candy, naughty little things, what have you....

Lofty Love

2009-02-09T23:06:00.000-08:00

I don't really get into Valentines Day much but wanted to do something with these cool vintage valentines I found. This is what I decided to do. I nearly made a garland of some kind but have wanted to try making a mobile for a while, so the valentines were my 'guinea pig'. It ended up being easier than I thought and now I want to try some more cool varieties. When will I do this? Who even knows?!
Here is all I did:
I used 3-4 long pieces of 20 gauge wire, the longest was used on the top (and that bend in the center was an accident when I was tying the string, so be careful). I cut the remaining others in half. I used pliers and looped each end closed. Then I used a cotton red/pink striped yarn to tie everything on. This worked well because it wouldn't slip or move easily. I hole punched each card and continued to tie them on, adjusting balance as I went. Had the thing done within about 30 minutes. Now it floats above our kitchen counter and rains love and happiness down. Okay, not really that last part but it's at least festive and we can enjoy it for ONE WEEK. Sheesh. This is why I need to start things earlier. But think of all the cool things you could do! Paper cut out letters, mod shapes.... I'm excited to play.

Skirts, be gone!

2009-02-09T23:01:00.000-08:00

See... this is how I do things. I get an idea and I acquire. I have found that I really enjoy the sourcing and gathering of materials... finding the time to execute is an entirely different story.
Case in point; the girls Christmas gifts. I already posted some dance skirts that I wanted to make them. Well, when I bought the fabric, I kept getting inspired and ended up with about five different versions to make. Long story short, I finished them. Done. The fabric piles on my desk are gone and I have moved on to more things. Whew. They turned out really cute, esp. the big pink tutu's. If I had a surger these would have gone so much faster. I formulated a plan as I painstakingly hemmed the yellow/blush pink one. If I had 3 other friends who wanted one, we could all share the cost and share the machine. Anyone?..... :-)

Styro Clouds

2009-01-30T14:17:00.001-08:00

Amazing, AMAZING work by an artist named Tara Donovan using recycled materials. Check out all her work here.

Wonder Wall

2009-01-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

I
LOVE
this company.
They came up with a soft wall design like this a few years ago using Tyvek (think FedEx envelopes) and I nearly... yes, nearly dumped over 1k of my own preciously saved money on one. I found the design and idea so brilliant. A large collapsing wall that could store easily, yet open wide and long to create fun space for parties or play areas. Kind of like a folding table- always good to have on hand (at least that's how I justified it to myself). Well, apparently it's a good thing I waited because now they made them much more economical, around $250 a section. So awesome. Think if they were in some groovy colors!
If I ever do trade shows again, this is definitely the way to go.

More Christmas Gifties

2009-01-15T20:07:00.001-08:00

So I finally got around to taking pics of the girls gifts. I have been watching them during Dance class and wondering how much variety there could be in the dance world of fashion (Easy now, sans major fringe and many-a-sequin). Most of what I find for young girls is pink and black. After hunting a little I have found some leotards in other cool colors which inspired me to have fun with some dance skirts. Plus, most of them are boring and way over priced. This is the first of a few I decided to make. They took more time then I thought (um, french seams anyone? yeah...) and made me realize that unless I invest in a Serger, the overpriced skirts were looking pretty good. But, hey- it's a handmade Christmas and the girls have really enjoyed them. Check and check.
(I included a pic of them all sparkly in the sun so you could see the shimmery dots because, frankly, "Fish like shiny things and don't we all".
-If anyone can tell me what that is from, I'll be more than impressed! Well, excluding Julia because we still giggle about it)

Render Wonder

2009-01-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

Look at all these posts lately. So many ideas are in my brain right now. Is it the new year anxiousness to produce some creative goods? I feel like accomplishing. I am trying to get on top of my studio/office space and finish so many things waiting for my attention. Whatever the reason, I am determined to have no idea slip through the cracks.
This is a cool dish towel but I want to remember this idea for artwork. I want to choose a location that has a meaning to me, create the outline drawing and use flat, opaque acrylic in the sky. I've wanted to do this on wood...must do must do.

Cool Threads

2009-01-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

This is such a cool line of "paint by number" fabric by Erin Michael for Moda. You can see all the patterns here.
I am mentally scrambling for a reason to justify buying it. What could I make?
Ugh. This is the last thing I need... more fabric. So send me any ideas.

Word Art

2009-01-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

If you had a cool thing to say, I think this is a groovy way to do it. Sometimes I see art like this and get tired of the phrases before I leave the store, but every now and then one passes the "interesting" qualifications. :-) The cloud one is romantic, right? Is that because I love to look at clouds?
I am going to copy the colorful one and only change the last word. You'll have to wait and see what I do, but after seeing this, I am excited for the idea and have materials to purchase!

Red + Blue

2009-01-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

I love the faded dreamy tone to this.

A Fun Herring

2009-01-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

I am not much of a quilter. The patterns are usually to crafty and the process bores me. All that repetitive cutting and sewing, hoping things line up and in my case, never do. It's like nightmares of math class all over again so I sew other things less restrictive (and easier to hide my shortcomings. At least fabric forgives...Math doesn't!). But this summer I spotted a small sample of a chevron/herringbone quilt and was inspired to make one. You see, I have a small fabric purchasing problem. I may not be much of a quilter, but I love fabric prints almost as much as cool paper and have so many fat quarters of cool fabric saved up for.... something. My random projects do not use up much of my stash. But this can! Thanks to Anna Marie Horner's great image of her new line here. I want to make that big quilt with bright vintage colors... and how hard can that be? Tracy.... HELP. :-)
And if I master it, I want to make that dress next. Or at least a skirt. Perhaps small and doll size to keep me interested....

Christmas Gifting #1

2009-01-04T22:03:00.001-08:00

So this was my idea for Scott.
I wanted to cover a pair of classic white Vans with cool bike drawings. But as I started, I began to get more ideas and realized there were a few directions I could go... Do I draw all bikes or do I scribble cool doodles like an old school folder? Or do I draw things that represent other things we love together? a Vespa? The Golden Gate Bridge? Blah blah blah...so I wanted his input before I went further. This what was in the box and he says he likes them just like this. I still want to add more. I even bought some cool colored pens to add some spots of flava-flave. Maybe on Luke's. That was also my gift to Luke but his shoes were the wrong size so I didn't get to draw on them yet. Anyway, cycling kicks for Scott. Watch out for me and my Sharpies!

Dream Snaps

2008-12-14T22:21:00.001-08:00

I have loved this look of old photographs forever and apparently it can be done with this camera. Where has this been all my life? Now I really really want one.

Read about them here

Handy Holiday Preps

2008-12-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

So I am very eager to cheat and reveal some of my holiday projects but I can't! As my Dad always says, Tis the season for no questions. But if you ask me without la familia around I will happily divulge. Plus the Christmas card is more fun this year so I am looking forward to sending those out soon.
I will probably post some pics up of the girls gifty within a few days since, you know, they won't read this. I thought of an awesome idea for Scott and Luke (finally) but alas, they are similar in execution so you'll have to wait. And if I can finish the huge watercolor I started for Scott, then it's a bonus (there is one reveal).
Anyway, just wanted to send an update that AcadeMe is not forgotten. Only slower until the 26th! Then I'll load it up with updates. Stay tuned.....
In the meantime, anyone else making gifts? I would love more ideas...

Wide Open

2008-12-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Liked these clouds painted by Michael Stack.