in the midst of a storm . . . a revolution was brewing

  

The weather is changing.  Thank goodness.  Cooler temperatures, I am hoping, are not too far away in our near future.  Hurricane Irene has come and gone and I am grateful that we were not caught in yet another natural disaster here at home.  That being said, my heart goes out to those who are still being challenged by the effects of this storm.  The winds were terrible, ripping branches off the pecan trees in our yard, but we were very fortunate.  It could have easily been much worse.  While cooped up in our home, as the storm raged on outside, I decided that it was a good time to bring out the craft supplies and make a few cards.  Recently, I had gone through the rest of the contents in my great-Grandmother's trunk, in it I found yet more photographs, some of them actual tintypes, and a few old letters.  These small treasures inspired me.  In this age of instant messaging, instant cereal, instant everything, just like analogue film, there is something magical about real mail.  Many of my friends have said that it would be rather exciting to receive something in the post other than bills.  Tell me about it.  So, I am starting a Return to Real Mail Revolution!

 

I used to write letters all the time.  To this day, I still have letters from my childhood best friend that I found when  I went through things I still had stored in my Grandpa's attic.  The envelopes were either decorated with drawings or made as collage pieces.  I remember that it was like Christmas time whenever I'd find a new letter in the mailbox.  And the moment I'd finish reading  the latest news about her life, I'd quickly grab an envelope and some paper because now, it was my turn to create.  It was as if we were playing some type of postal tag game and I think that that's what made it so much fun.  The creativity.  The anticipation.  The arrival!  It verifies the saying, Good things come to those who wait. 

 

 And so, I am getting reacquainted with decoupage glue, paper, scissors, oil pastels, postage stamps, my address book and the wonderful folks at my local post office!  Have a wonderful week friends!

.french inspired jewelry...ooh la la!.

When it comes to purchasing craft books, I've REALLY had to pull the reigns back.  There have been so many new additions to the wonderful array of books out on the market that it's a little overwhelming.  I spend more time flipping through books than I do actually making the craft!  Sound familiar?  So when I do come across one that intrigues me, it goes through a little test before it ever makes it to the checkout:

1. Does this book inspire me visually and creatively?
2. Are the materials needed for the projects available in my area?  (improvising if needed, of course)
3. Are the materials more than I can afford?
4. Are the instructions understandable?
5. Are the creations from these projects practical for my life?  
6. Can I truly see myself creating any of the projects in this book within the next month?
7. Does this book give information about the subject beyond just instructions? ie. history, tips & advice, etc.

Once a book has met the criteria, it makes a cheery trip home with me!  My most recent addition to the craft library is this book by Kaari Meng.  

Her splendid creations are wonderfully displayed beside a mix of illustrations, photos, ribbons, feathers, bits & baubles adding a vintage charm to each page in her book.  

What I found most wonderful about French-Inspired Jewelry, is that the projects are actually quite simple to create.  Kaari has brought these designs together for us, providing the information needed to create them.  Anyone with even minimal jewelry making skill (okay, it'll have to be a little bit more than just knowing how to string beads though) will find that they too can create such pieces as those shown here.  I think the hardest part is going to be finding the materials!  Although, many craft stores have now started carrying vintage-inspired jewelry making supplies.  You may also want to check out some of the specialty bead shops in your area as they usually have a great selection of better quality pieces.  

Check out Kaari Meng at her shop, the French General, as well as on her blog site, and be inspired!!  French-inspired!

.poppy totes.

It is Friday, and just as I said in my previous blog, I come with new projects. . . finished at that!  I had planned on posting this earlier today, however we were having technical difficulties with our internet.  Always seems like something.  Geez.  Anyway, here are two bags to show off.  Poppies seem to be dancing in my head lately (no opium involved).  The above photo shows a simple design on a natural canvas tote, and below, a felt bag I created for my little girl (sorry for the lousy photo quality).   

It was nice being able to rev up the ol' sewing machine.  I'm a little rusty with my sewing abilities, which are limited to begin with.  There will be a few days coming up when I will be free to create more.  Not sure what I'm gonna do, but I'm going to do something!  Maybe even paint something!  Ha!  Like my basement.  [blech!]

Alright folks, I wish you a warmer and spring-like weekend!  Go fly a kite!  

.a charming new project.

Good Afternoon!  Well, I find myself, once again, in the midst of a new project, one that I know I will get addicted to!  I've decided to plunge myself into the craft of soldering charms.  It's something that I have wanted to do for some time, just wasn't brave enough to do it.  Well, I got with my grandfather, a true bona fide ornamental blacksmith, and worked with him in his shop yesterday.  I loved it!  It had been awhile since I've been in his shop.  The walls are dingy from smoke, the floor is covered in fine metal dust.  His work bench full of scrap metal.  There are copper creations propped carefully on the walls, from a new weather vane of an indian and his horse, to a sculpture of Sitting Bull.  I LOVED every bit of it!  It reminded me of times when I'd visit him at his old shop in Hawai'i.  Now that was a shop that made you feel like you stepped into a time warp, bringing you back a 100 years.  The air was filled with a mixture of coal and cherry cavendish tobacco smoke.  My uncle Vince had his bladesmithing shop right next door.  It is such a beautiful thing to have such awesome talent in our family!!

I made two charms.  I wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be when I came into his shop.  I lacked assembled projects, partly due to the fact that Nashville lacks the supplies that I needed.  Thank God for the internet!  I took a photo I had taken and shrank it down to an inch.  I cut the glass just a little too big.  You can see the mistakes in this one.  Plus I think I needed more solder.  Hey!  I'm still learning.  Don't judge me.  Ha!  Practice will make perfect.  Despite the mistakes, I truly had fun making them.  I've got a ton of ideas in my head.  It's all going to be a matter of time before I get brave enough to open up shop.  Ha!  We'll see.  For now, I'm just having fun!  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

.a time for cardmaking.

One thing I have added to the "New Year's Resolution" list for 2009 is this:  send more handwritten letters and cards.  In the "instant age" we live in, when letters and cards can be sent e-lectronically, we seldom find ourselves going to the mailbox expecting anything more than the usual collection of bills and junk mail.  Now, if you're like me, when you happen to come across an envelope, hand addressed to you, from someone you may not have seen in awhile, well it's like Christmas all over!  I say it's truly time for more cardmaking!

I am, I must admit, a paper junkie.  My rule of thumb: buy 3 of the same paper at a time.  If you really like it, get more.  Ha!  Unfortunately, my collection has grown and very little has been done with them.  Alex says I have enough paper to cover every wall in our home 3 times over.  He's probably right.  SO. . . I have disciplined myself to work only with the papers that I have purchased over the years.  For right now anyways.  *tee hee*  

In my stash, I found some bright "distressed" papers that I absolutely LOVE!!  I ended up making a card that looks a little more "springy" than I was planning originally, but that's okay.  I thought it was still rather cute!  

With the holidays coming up, I guess I better get crackin' if I intend to mail any handmade cards.  Can you believe that Thanksgiving is already next week Thursday?!  And, they're already playing Christmas music at Walmart!!  Will I have time to make some of the handmade gifts I wanted to give out this year?!  Agh!!  Time sure does fly when you're having fun. . . 

.sunday & home alone::part deux.

"tweet! tweet!" I'm back! Well today wasn't AS productive as I was hoping it would be, but I did manage to actually make something! Ha! Oh how I delight in the small victories! Just a little square card I plan to mail out to a friend. I manage to pull out some patterned papers that I had stashed away with many more stacks of patterned paper. I had originally planned on doing a mixed-media piece on canvas. Needless to say, that was a lot of time wasted. However! It has got me rolling more ideas in my head, and perhaps next time I'll actually be able to create it and be brave enough to show it to you all! Ha! We'll just have to see.
Once again I pulled out my ever favorite white Souffle pen and doodled my little heart away. I wished that there had been more natural light so these shots wouldn't look as crappy. But alas, that vibrant sun that accompanied me most of the day had to say his slow farewell, thus leaving me with the over head kitchen light to shine upon my work for the day. But you get the picture. So for those of you who continue to carry my name to the Creativity Muse in hopes that she may bestow upon me an idea that will come to fruition, she may be listening. I'll get there. Slowly, but surely.

.distress inks.

In an attempt to make all my Tim Holtz Distress Inks colors visible, I took each ink pad and dragged it across cardstock paper.  I really liked the way the colors looked together, so I grabbed my camera (of course!) and shot a picture of it.  Now for those of you who are into the weathered, antiqued, distressed look, and want to be able to apply it to your crafts (especially paper crafts/scrapbooking) Tim Holtz is the guy you need to look to for awesome products.  Working with Ranger, he has come up with his own line of distressed ink products.  His first, and probably most popular, is the Distress Ink collection.    

There are a couple of reasons why I love these ink pads as opposed to other dye-ink pads.  First, you can use these directly on your photos.  Given some practice, you can antique any photo and be completely amazed at how authentic they will look!  (I personally would not use original photos, but rather photocopies or photos printed onto photo paper)  These inks are acid free, fade resistant, and will pretty much work on anything!  They're fun to work with and the results are truly awesome!!  To see some projects done using these inks, as well as other products that are part of the Distress Ink line, visit Tim Holtz's website and blog for a plethora of inspiration and ideas.  

.a lesson from the teapot.

One of my most favorite quotes of all time came from the mouth of the great artist, Pablo Picasso.  "Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."  And although I have claimed this quote for myself, I don't think I truly understood the message behind the words, well at least until now.

During a conversation I had with a dear friend of mine, who happens to be a brilliant floral designer and artist, we came about the subject of "the fear of facing the blank canvas."  I told him that although I was driven to be "creative" I was frustrated by the fact that I couldn't produce anything, or rather that it took FOREVER to come up with an idea.  With his calm, soft rumble for a voice, he said, "You know, it's the times when I approach a canvas and say to myself that I'm just going to experiment and have no expectations.  And you know, when I approach any project with that frame of mind, my best pieces are created."  

I took in what he said and realized that that is exactly what that quote was conveying.  Children have no fear when the crayons and paper are laid out in front of them.  All they see is color and an opportunity to let their imagination spill out.  When the art and craft supplies are brought out, there is usually excitement in the air, as the kids clap their little hands together and shout out their joy for this chance to create.  You see their minds working as groups of circles and lines are formed, colored brushstrokes overlapping.  I don't believe any of them are concerned whether or not their art piece is going to be sold or put up to hang in an art gallery.  They, very simply, create.  Not a worry.  Not a care.  

So I took this frame of mind with me when I was invited to accompany my best friend Joani to a pottery party with some other ladies, most of whom I had never met before.  The place we went to was a little studio called  Brushfire Pottery in Green Hills.  The walls are lined with shelves full of different unfinished pottery pieces to paint.  With a small studio fee, you buy the piece you want to paint and once you've done that, you leave it with them to finish with a clear glaze and firing.  After a week, it is ready to pick up.  Well, I found exactly what I wanted to paint as soon as I got there.  A teapot.  Go figure.  I knew what I wanted, and with it being Autumn, I wanted my colors to reflect that.  I grabbed my colors and went to town,  practically oblivious to the fact that there were other people there.  I brushed on my colors, starting first from the top and working my way to the base.  Then I saw an opportunity to use a loofah to dab brown speckles onto my piece.  FINALLY!!  I was filled with confidence and excitement!  I was determined that I was going to have fun!  I didn't try to analyze the outcome of my teapot, or give a care as to what the others thought.  I think the fact that with glazes, since you don't see the results right away, this was probably a good thing.  It meant that I had to have faith that whatever I created was still going to look awesome.  And it does.  I love my little teapot!!

I learned a valuable lesson that night.  Every child is an artist.  We are still that child within.  Sure, not everyone is a Picasso, a Monet, or DaVinci.  But we all can create, all it takes is forgetting all your cares.  Don't worry about anything.  Simply grab your colors and go to town with them!!  You'll be surprised AND delighted at the outcome.  I know I did!  ;o)

.j'aime les plumes de souffle [souffle pens].

Sometimes the best time to work on a creative project is in the wee hours of the morning.  Well that is what happened with me at about 3 o'clock.  I woke up and just had some difficulties falling back asleep so I thought, Hey!  Why not make a card?  So I did.  A card for a friend using greetings from across the globe.  I chose to use my favorite colored paper:  dark chocolate brown, as well as one of my favorite writing utencils:  a white Souffle pen made by Sakura of America,  a company well known for their writing and drawing products.

What I love most about this particular pen is that it is TRULY opaque.  I have tried MANY white pens on dark paper to no avail.  I wanted something that was going to give the equivalent result of white-out on paper.  This pen does just that, plus it has a slightly raised, embossed look.  It is truly amazing!

These pens are available in a set of 10 different colors or in a double pack of just a single color.  You can usually find them at most local craft and scrapbooking retailers, as well as at the actual Sakura website.

.not done.

In an attempt to do some cleaning today, I came across my knitting bag, tucked behind the door of my computer room. In it, I found several skeins of yarn that were bought at JoAnns, well over a year ago, all with the intent of being made into a baby's blanket for Aislin's arrival. Well, needless to say, that didn't happen. I find this to be a common problem with several of my art & craft projects. Alot of them, still, not done. Tons of scrapbook albums with no finished pages to decorate it's insides. Paintings left incomplete. Knitting projects barely started. It's frustrating knowing you have tons of materials ranging anywhere from yarn to ribbon to patterned papers to paints and canvas, all awaiting for that fateful day when they get to be transformed into a vision I once had in my head. But with such a busy life, how. . . HOW do I even get started?! Where do I even begin?! My little girl is almost a year old and this blanket is still not done! Agh!!

I need to take it a day at a time. I need to remember that creativity is a process. Discipline is key. I need to make a point to make time to do something creative EVERYDAY, whether it's finishing up a scrapbook layout or knitting a tiny hat, taking a photograph. . . anything just to keep myself motivated and inspired. So, this bag full of barely used yarn will be a reminder to me that it's time to snap out of this funk that I've been in and get busy makin' stuff! I know I will feel better for it!