July 4th, 2008
So, anybody want to play show and tell? I’d love to share some of your summertime work here on Layers Upon Layers! Just send me an email with an image of your favorite summertime creation so far and anything you want to say about it, and I’ll post it here with a link to your site or blog :-) Email cyndi @ b5Media.com (remove the spaces) with the subject line “my favorite mixed media project”!
Tags: Art Communities, Mixed Media By Cyndi -- 1 comment
July 4th, 2008
About Family Crafts
Is it time to start planning your Christmas crafts?
About.com Cross Stitch
When do you do the back stitch on your needlework projects? Vote in the poll and let us know.
Aileen’s Musings
Visit Aileen’s Musings to find out what Firecracker Martinis and Christmas have in common.
Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy is “so” learning the ropes over at Etsy.com with her new jewelry making supplies shop. Is it too much of a hodge podge? How big of a learning curve are we talking about here?!
Polymer Clay @ Craft Gossip
No batteries required - Heather shares a list of low-tech tools for creating with polymer clay.
The Impatient Blogger
A link to three fabulous free projects on the Simply Beads website and some thoughts about inspiring creativity from a professional designer.
Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
There are giant pom poms, a giant aluminum craft project, “Superfly”, and a fun video from the Knitty Gritty peeps.
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Kicking off the summer Craftside brings you a password for 15% of Voyager Press titles through July 8th, a funky woven lamp project, the Making Designer Jewelry with Hardware, Gems. and Beads contest extended, a quick and easy party banner idea and some fun pictures from Swap-o-rama rama.
Tags: Art Communities, Mixed Media By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 4th, 2008
I hope you have a wonderful holiday, filled with family, friends, and grilled food!
By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 4th, 2008
Men’s Homemade Birthday Gift Idea
Make a collage for your favorite sports fan.
Mister Skunk’s Magnificent Creations
Skunk creates toy art from used bicycle parts and trash. On exhibit in Boston until July 18.
One Piece of Paper
Pop-up inspiration for your visual journal.
“A Blast from the Past” Includes Pioneer & Patriotic Quilt Designs
Mary Emma Allen at Quilting and Patchwork names a number of patriotic and pioneer quilt designs and quizzes you on them.
Sewing shirts? Try this easy way of marking buttons
Here’s another tip from Chloe to help you finish off your shirts easily.
Barbara Brabec and Me: Helping Crafters to Be
If you want to craft for profit, you should know about Barbara Brabec and Eileen, whose motto is “The Artful Crafter - Helping Crafters to Be”.
Crocheted Friendship Finger Puppets
Finger puppets are great gifts, and they are wonderful for summer travels. Crochet up a handful or two of these charming little finger puppets for your young friends!
Tags: Art Communities, Mixed Media By Cyndi -- 0 comments
July 3rd, 2008
Unravel the Mystery - it’s Pandora’s Box
The Goddess of Garbage by Carol A. Tanzi, ASID, CID
Her work is creative, imaginary, and forward thinking. Its beginnings were rooted in a new way to approach recycling to help save our environment and natural resources. The name Goddess of Garbage was thought up by one of her staff at a business meeting. The name was perfect because it suited her quirky personality, although she is very serious about her subject matter. She is no bag lady!
Earth Day in Barstow with the Goddess of Garbage
Her creative process is two fold. Sometimes she sees some item at the Design Center and knows she can design a look-a-like from trash. Other times, she sees trash and designs something from that. The GofG usually thinks about a design first and then draws it with notes on a yellow ledger pad. She enjoys different types of music from classical to Jazz or rock based on her mood. Due to her work schedule, she usually works in smaller chunks of time over a period of several days. When she is working, she doesn’t like to be interrupted by people or phone calls. Her anticipation of her finishing the design project grows each working day.
On the Rosie O’Donnell Show
Her training goes back to when she was a child. The GofG was playing with natural materials even then. For instance she designed and made a whole set of cardboard furniture to scale for two small dolls. She then packed them into thrown-away shoeboxes so she could travel on vacations with her parents. She received her BA in Interior Design and took a membership in ASID (American Society of Interior Design). She was the Home furnishings Co-Coordinator for RH Macy’s for 6 1/2 yrs and then opened up her own interior design business. She created her own TV show, Issues and Topics and hosted several shows on recycling. She eventually got into volunteer work and has designed thousands of recycled baskets brimming full of recycled
items for auctions. She doesn’t think of herself as a hobbyist so to speak, in relationship to what she does. The GofG thinks everything has contributed to her current level of artistry. Education, experience and perfecting your
skills are all needed.
The GofG’s favorite tool is her glue gun. She just loves it. Her favorite material that she loves to recycle is Styrofoam.
The GofG is inspired by everything, everywhere, including people. There are an abundant of ideas all the time. She has several note books with design projects sketched out ready to be made at a moments notice.
Candelight Splendor project
What inspires the GofG when the going gets tough is knowing she has something very important to share and tell people. She believes in herself.
Her best piece of advise for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry is perseverance, faith and assertion.
Route 66 Not Taken project
Carol’s time is take up with her interior design business. It’s a full time job. The GofG always works hand in hand with Carol.
Being Italian, our favorite comfort foods are Caesar salad, pasta with pesto, and a quality glass of Chianti.
One of our favorite books: Truman by David McCullough
Our favorite colors: white, black and red
Other Hobby: Miniatures
Feng Shui - in a Big Way
Tags: artist profile, Collage, Creativity, Mixed Media, recycled-art, recycling By Cyndi -- 1 comment
July 3rd, 2008
After several days in charming Orvieto, Mike and Dani and I headed off by train for Venice…the land of, well, no land! It was amazing. The moment we exited the train station, we could tell that we weren’t in Kansas anymore, if you know what I mean.
No cars. No bikes. No skateboards. Nothing with wheels. There were ferry boats, taxi boats, garbage boats, police boats, and gelato boats.
Our first order of business was to take a ferry up the Grand Canal to the region where our hotel was located, which was practically at the other end of the canal. What an experience that was! I could stop snapping pictures, even though I knew most of them would be junk with all the movement. But I just had to remember the sights!
Tags: Italy, Mixed Media By Cyndi -- 5 comments
July 3rd, 2008
I’ve only ever gone on one art-related retreat, and it was a fabulous experience. In my case, it was a private affair organized by a few friends. But I have to say that it gave me a taste for more!
Have you ever been on an art retreat? Either one of the biggies or a small private one like mine? Did you enjoy it? What was it like?
Here are a couple links to some well-known retreats in case you’d like to think about a future getaway. Has anyone been to one of these or do you have others you’d like to add to this (very brief) list?
Art Unraveled
Art and Soul
The Art Nest
Tags: art community, art retreats, Mixed Media By Cyndi -- 2 comments
July 2nd, 2008
I have just been honored by Zura Beth of The Creative Clown by being awarded the Arte y Pico award. She tells me that it is “to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and their talents, be it writing or artwork in all medias.”
I’ve got a list as long as your arm of friends and bloggers who inspire me, but I’m going to send this award forward to one special friend who has given me a lot of encouragement and help over the years: Tammy Powley :-)
By Cyndi -- 2 comments
July 2nd, 2008
I have been given copies of Beads & Beyond’s DVDs to giveaway to readers here! B&B is a British jewelry and beading magazine that would like to introduce itself beyond the UK and Australia, so I will have to limit this giveaway to my Canadian and United States readers (sorry!). I will be doing another giveaway of a different DVD from this set on my mixed media arts blog, Jewelry & Beading, so please feel free to enter on both sites!
To enter, simply leave me a comment below, telling me your feelings about working with wood or papier mache, or how much you’d like to be working with them!
The description from the Beads & Beyond website:
Debbie Riehl is an artist who works in many mediums, but here she shows how the simple and easy art of papier-mâché can be cleverly combined with semi-precious stones and freshwater pearls to create highly original and attractive items that can be adapted to many uses.
Seeing a beautiful and delicate piece of work emerge from a solid block of wood like some living thing is a special experience. Adrian Hoe shows that with a few surprisingly simple and inexpensive tools and materials anyone can share this experience and enter the world of woodturning.
Tags: Mixed Media, wood art By Cyndi -- 11 comments
July 2nd, 2008
GREEN BOOKMAKING
Editor: Terry Taylor
Gallery Entry Deadline: September 15, 2008
Lark Books is seeking images to feature in the gallery of an upcoming publication, Green Bookmaking. Scheduled for release in fall 2009, this book will feature attractive, innovative book projects that—in some way—use recycled materials for the cover and/or pages. The use of other recycled materials (stitching, binding, etc) is encouraged, but not required. The use of post-consumer pages is also encouraged, as is the mindful use and consumption of new materials. The book’s focus is on the use of green materials, and projects will cover a wider range of style and function—beautiful, funky, elegant, fun, and provocative.
Download Entry Form Here
Tags: Book Arts, call for submissions, call-for-entries, Mixed Media, recycled-art By Cyndi -- 0 comments
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