GPP Street Team Crusade #18, Cut your own stencil: A long, long time ago, when I first started experimenting with all kinds of arts and crafts, I cut my own stencils. I haven't been cutting many stencils lately, so I think it's time to get back into it! I usually cut stencils with a scissors or razor knife. I have heat tools with stencil-cutting tips, which I tried for the first time - they worked just fine! I made multiple-layer stencils for my angel drawing, even one for "background" or "shadow" stencil. Here you can see the "used" stencils with paint still on them, and the angel stencilled with acrylics in my art journal.
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A bit of shameless self-promotion here: Check out my handmade items; Retro Fashion Pins and shell angels, seen in these photos.
I took a stab at GPP Street Team's Crusade No. 18, entitled, "Cut It Out" (create your own stamp or stencil). I wanted to get started on my stamps without having to stop at the store. One thing that I have a lot of is fun foam sheets, so I used some to cut my own original foam stamps. Here are a few of the foam stamps I made, a flower and two leaves. They are on another layer of foam, for backing. I made some other stamps,but I can't show them off, since I haven't had a chance to play with them yet! ;)
Although I mainly made the foam stamps to use with acrylic paints, I wondered how they would work with dye ink stamp on gesso. Here I have a gessoed page in my journal, with little bits of text added to it. Because of the smooth gesso, it was like doing potato prints! Also, the foam soaked up a lot of ink, so I could stamp forever without reinking!
If you are reading this you're probably interested in arts/crafts. If so, I'd like you to consider participating in a craft poll here. You don't need to register, the poll is free, and added your opinions/comments is optional. Your participation may help to revitalize the craft industry! Thanks for listening! :)
The best thing about participating in art/craft projects is that it can make a person feel better. I don't mean that arts/crafts can cure illnesses or anything like that, but they can help people forget about their pain or illness for a little while.
Likewise, creating art can help people temporarily forget about their troubles and concerns. Sometimes crafting can clear a troubled mind, almost like meditation. Making art can have a calming effect, allowing the artist to focus on creating rather than focusing on problems.
Participating in arts/crafts can also be a great way to relax and ease out of a stressful day. Make art, relax, feel better - you will be very glad that you did!
Sneaky Lia of "Art Junk Girl" fame tagged everyone reading her blog to list seven things that ROCK, so here's my list:
1) Arts/Crafts - Just love 'em, I could spend all day and night working on all sorts of projects! Art really adds a lot to my life!
2) Lia's Artjunk Blog - Of course, Lia knew I would have her blog on the list, it was and still is my top favorite artsy blog of all time! If you haven't checked it out yet, you don't know what you're missing!
3) Old papers, books and magazines - My favorite stuff to use on my projects! Plus, hunting for those things is so much fun - I never know what "treasures" I'm going to find next!
4) New York Cheesecake Frozen Custard - I love cheesecake, so naturally my favorite flavor of frozen custard at Good Times is New York Cheesecake! That is, it's my favorite flavor so far - I haven't tried all the flavors yet!
5) Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Watercolor Crayons - I bought a 15-color set (actually, a 14-color set - one was missing) from a yard sale, and I think they are great! I think I'd better start saving up for the big set (84 colors)!
6) Summer - The warmth, the sun, the longer daylight, hopefully some extra time to do some fun, relaxing things - like art, maybe!
7) Art/Craft Blogs, Swap & Discussion Groups - So much fun chatting and swapping with like-minded creative individuals - it's great to get to know more and more of you nice, sharing, friendly people!
Okay, there's my list! You read this, I'd sure be interested to see what's on your list! (Am I nosey, or what?)
I don't know what kind of art/craft project I'd like to work on today! After doing a few things that needed to be done and completing a project that will be due soon, I realized I had some time on my hands. The problem is, I love too many arts and crafts! Over the years, I've tried (and enjoyed) so many different techniques and supplies. At the moment, I have quite a few favorites. By the time I run through the favorites list in my head, there probably won't be much time left for working on a project. Hurry up, brain, decide - I want to do art NOW!
Have you ever heard of an art room "chain reaction"? That's what I call it when I clean or organize a section or area of my art room, which in turn causes something else to be moved or reorganized.
Now, don't get me wrong, I like having my art/craft supplies neat and orderly. It's great to be able to find what I need when I need it. It's also wonderful to know what I have and where it is located. The part I don't like is the chain reaction, the turmoil that results from reorganizing. I've found that in order to straighten things out, I have to start out with an even bigger mess. I really hate the bigger mess!
I'm in the middle of an art room chain reaction right now - and it isn't pretty. Let this be a warning to you - it's a big commitment of time and energy! Okay, I've given my warning, now I'd better get back to messing up, (ah, I mean organizing) my art supplies!
There are numerous ways to try to remove your creative blocks. Notice I said "try to" - not every way works for every artist. Here are some "quick fixes" that have worked for me and/or other artist friends:
1. Get some fresh air and a fresh perspective. Go for a walk, exercise, play with the kids, ride a bike.
2. Go window shopping. Window shopping treats your eyes and brain to new color combinations, shapes and patterns. The stores you browse don't have to relate to art/craft, and you don't need to buy (unless you want to)!
3. Read a book, magazine or catalog. For me, this is like window shopping without leaving home. Again, the reading material doesn't have to be art/craft related.
4. Clean/sort your art materials. Who's work area doesn't straightening up now and then? (I'd say clean another area of your living space, but that may be going just a bit too far!)
5. Do some "anything goes" art. Do something that nobody ever has to see: work on a page in a journal or on scrap material, scribble, draw, slap on paint, glue with reckless abandon, create like a child.
In a future post, I'll list some additional ideas for overcoming creativity blocks.
One of my favorite blogs is "Art Junk" by Lia, and today she wrote some things that struck a cord with me. Lia was wondering about why she loves "bits and pieces" and collage so much - she thought it might have something do to with seeing her mother working as a seamstress while she was a child.
Some of the things that Lia describes sound very, very familiar to me, like the part about her mother holding pins in her mouth (my mom used to do that all the time). There was always plentypins on the floor and fabric around our house, as well.
Although there are similarities in our stories, some situations were/are strikingly different. For instance, my mom sewed a lot of our clothes and household items, she sometimes sewed for other family members and occasionally was paid to sew for others. And since my mom sews now for fun and profit (for craft shows), she understands my desire to create for income, enjoyment and expression. Having a mom who supports my creativity makes me very lucky, indeed!
You probably have someone in your life who doesn't "get" art /crafts. They don't understand why you "waste your time" creating a project. If there are very many of these "art doubters" in your life, they can dish out a lot of negativity surrounding you and your art/craft. That's why you need creative friends - for positive reinforcement and to neutralize some of that negative energy!
To find creative friends, you could look in your city or town for groups, guilds or clubs in your areas of interest. If you have trouble finding local groups or want to connect on your own timetable, the Internet is invaluable. You already know about art/craft blogs; you may also want to try Flickr groups for picture-sharing (http://www.flickr.com/), and Yahoo! groups for discussion or swapping (http://groups.yahoo.com/). Also, try searching for art retreats, conventions, classes and consumer shows. Meeting and interacting with like-minded individuals is the most important part of attending a special art/craft event. Often, friendships made at these events will continue afterward through Internet contact. I have many wonderful friends made through conventions; we keep in touch, and our friendships are strong, although we don't see each other often. Here's to making more creative friends!
Welcome!
I love to go blog-surfing, looking at people's arts/crafts blogs. While I was doing this the other day, I was thinking about how many different kinds of creativity I saw. Everyone has their own unique talent. To me, an artist is someone who interprets what he/she sees. Since we all have our own unique vision, we all interpret things in our own special way. "Vision" doesn't only have to mean seeing with our eyes; we also see with our hearts, minds and imaginations. A group of artists can see the same subject, but each one would interpret that subject differently. That is what is so great about arts and crafts!
Hello, and welcome!
As you can tell by the title, this is my first post! I've been a fan of arts and crafts blogs for a while now, and I've read quite a few of them. The more I read, the more I wanted to start a creative blog of my very own. You see, I've had a lot of experience with many arts and crafts, and I feel the need to that with others. I don't know everything about all arts and crafts - I'm always learning and growing and trying new things. If you feel the same way, come back here and check out my blog again! Thanks for coming, leave a message any time, or just stop in and say hi!
So far, I have some of my very favorite arts and crafts blogs on my list (check 'em out!), I'll be adding more as I get organized.
