Itching to Stitch.....Our night at CAFAM

Last week I hosted an event at CAFAM, The Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles.  What a blast.  We live streamed, drank beer, snacked and learned some very cool embroidery techniques with the help of www.createforless.com and CLOVER USA.  Createforless donated hoops, floss and needles for everyone and Clover donated heat transfer pencils which I am now officially addicted to!

Over 100 people got their craft on that night!

This couple rocked out Victorian images!

This is where we held our event! 

You must check out www.createforless.com.  Amazing prices on all of the craft supplies you'll ever need!

Check out CloverUSA.com for all of your sewing needs.  

These were my projects for the evening.

Me and a couple of the fabulous people who showed up!

International Mixed Media Postcard Swap.....Guest Post by Shannon Ganshorn

I’m so happy to be a guest for Mark Montano.

He has asked me to talk a little bit about the upcoming International Mixed Media Postcard Swap Version 2.0 and of course I could talk about it for days and days!

There are so many reasons why I love organizing this swap.

First of all, I get to communicate with people from all over the world, and I get to link those people together! Take one participant from the Netherlands, another from Iceland, a third from North Dakota (USA) and you have the beginnings of a very widespread artistic movement! Imagine receiving completely unique original art in the mail from the other side of the world – it’s such a cool experience!

I also love the diversity of art that I see with this swap.

MIXED MEDIA is an art form that encompasses every other art medium – truly every single one! Mixed Media combines two or more different art mediums (media) into each art piece. Here are some examples of some of the combinations that I love:

- Photography and Ink

- Fabric and Watercolours

- Paint and Crayons (I *love* crayons!)

- Pencil Crayons and Ink

- Fabric and Photography

- Collage and Paint

- Scrapbook Style and Paint

- Embroidery and Ink

- Sewing and Origami

- Zentangle and Painting

- Collage and Stencils

Use any or ALL of these combinations, and then add your own! The possibilities truly are endless!!!

Here are some examples of some combinations that I love. Maybe they will inspire you to make some mixed media postcards and participate in the International Mixed Media Postcard Swap Version 2.0!

Here is a piece that I did using a heart-shaped paper doily, napkins for the background, and ink (pen) highlights. Then I used a stamp to put the word dream into the middle. See the whole piece here.

Here is a mixed media piece by artist Sherrill Kahn. She has combined ink, paint and thread onto fabric! Visit Sherrill here.

Artist Marianne Bland describes what she used in her mixed media piece, “Youth”: “Using thread, yarn, snippets from sewing patterns, Nancy Drew, a children’s reader and a thesaurus, I used “youth” circled from the thesaurus as the theme.” Visit Marianne here.

You see, Mixed Media comes in so many different forms and can be made by all skill levels! All you need to do is gather some art/craft supplies and let your creativity go to work!

ARE YOU INSPIRED TO MAKE MIXED MEDIA?

Join us for the International Mixed Media Postcard Swap Version 2.0 – you’ll need to make ten small mixed media pieces and send them all over the world via snail mail. Then you’ll RECEIVE ten small mixed media pieces from different artists all over the world. Is there anything more exciting than to receive someone’s handmade original art right in your mailbox…?!

Click here to read the guidelines for the Swap and to sign up!

THE BASIC IDEA:

- You will make 10 postcards in any mixed media format.

- You will receive 10 mailing address from me for other creative people just like you from around the world!

- You will send each of those ten people one of your handmade postcards.

- Then you will receive a handmade postcard from 10 other people from around the world!

Sound like fun? Then join us!

Shannon Ganshorn is a high school teacher and mixed media. She lives in White Rock, BC, Canada with her husband in her 1950s bungalow. She spends her free time garage sale-ing, gardening, and riding her bike around town.

WHAT A BLAST! Glitter Blast Tuesday is here........

Our bi-monthly contest for KRYLON GLITTER BLAST is here.
It's GLITTER BLAST TUESDAY!
It's time for you to enter (and win) all of the colors of GLITTER BLAST spray paint from KRYLON
AND my NEW book,

THE VISION BOX IDEA BOOK:  Mixed Media Projects for crafting the life of your dreams
 Just a few simple rules to enter.

GOOD LUCK!

And may the glitter be with you....

RULES
1. SHARE this on your FB page (by pressing SHARE)

2.  LIKE and COMMENT on the KRYLON FB page that I sent you!

KRYLON LINK

3.  JOIN my blog.
BLOG LINK (Wait, you're here!)

4.  COMMENT here that you've done it AND what your favorite spray paint project is.

5. Join me on TWITTER if you haven't.
TWITTER LINK

Keep an eye out for the winner.  I'll post it here and on my FB page.  

It helps if you can leave a way for me to contact you, too!

No rest for the creative...........

A few things that caught my eye.  Thought you might enjoy them, too.  Just an FYI, I'm not always sure where the images come from.  Sometimes people (lovely people!) send me images on FB with warm notes that say "I thought you might like this!" Other times I see things on Pinterest or just hopping around the web.  I do try my best to give you the original sources when the ideas are not my own.  Have a wonderful day everyone! 

DoverPublications.com has a wonderful array of clip art books with these flowers.  Copy them on sticker paper, cut them out and coat with Minwax Polycrylic for a perfect finish.  ACultivatedNest.com

I like the idea of this very much.  AtticMagazine.com

I know that you think this would be good for a kid's room, but I'm thinking this would be much more fun in my house.  Of course I would use my favorite colors of KRYLON spray paint. SweetSugarMama.com

I can't figure out where I got this image!  It reminds me of the opening of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

What an elegant way to use old wine bottles.  ACultivatedNest.com

Birds with paper crowns covered in glitter.  From Dollar Store Crafts.  I want tons of these all over my house in all different colors.  

Recycled Beauty....Artists that overwhelm

These works by various artists take recycling to an entirely new level.  I hope they inspire you to recycle and to reconsider the things we toss away every day.  Everything has potential.

Derek Gores is an amazing collage artist.  He takes working with magazine pages to a new level.

 Zac Freeman has always been one of my favorite portrait artists.

 I love the way he plays with light and manages to take these bits of things we toss away and create something emotional.

An upclose shot of a Zac Freeman piece

Nick Gentry paints on top of old floppy disks proving anything can be a canvas.  

Yong Ho Ji works with discarded tires.  These pieces have movement and a sculptural quality that almost seems real.

Jane Perkins uses whatever she can find to create these portraits.  Whimsical and beautiful.

I hope you enjoy these works.  If you like recycling paper, check out my book

PULP FICTION: PERFECT PAPER PROJECTS 2nd Edition

SIMPLE KIDS PROJECT

SUMMER is quickly approaching and it's time to get some projects together so that the kiddos don't spend 3 months in front of the television or on a computer!  Did you know that creativity helps kids develop problem solving skills?  Just sayin'
From THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2

These ZIP TIE LINK BRACELETS are a fun, easy project that everyone can enjoy and make their own.  Add beads, use more than one link. Go nuts.

 

YOU’LL NEED

Nylon zip ties in different colors (or black and white)

Scissors

2 jump rings

1 large lobster claw

HERE’S HOW

1.    Make your first link in a size you like.  This will determine the size you cut your other zip ties.

2.    Cut your zip ties to size (ooh, that rhymes)

3.    Slip the end of the zip tie through a finished link and keep it going until you have enough to fit around your wrist.

4.    Add a jump ring to one end.

5.    Add a jump ring with the lobster claw to the other end so you can close it.

 This and over 150 more projects in

THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2

     

I'm thinking YES........

A few inspirational things from around the world and around the web.   Create up a storm you fantastic people!  

I love a hand painted coffee table and this one hits the nail on the head.  Especially because it takes a nondescript table and makes it into something wonderful with very little effort.

You could decoupage large color copied flowers, too.  Just put sticker paper in the copy machine, cut, stick, and add Minxwax Polycrylic to finish it off.

 What a brilliant idea from centsationalgirl.com  Pick colors that match your room and go wild with finds from the thrift store.

Definitely something I want to try in my back yard. I have a wall that is perfect for something like this.

Made from cardboard rings and sequins glued on the ends. Terrific look for little money. 

From TheCurbly.com  Great site for good design and this is a wonderful twist on tin can candle holders.  Just fill with water and freeze before you start your holes.  Next, spray them with Krylon Fusion colors for the best finish. 

I love a scrap paper tree.  Always have.  Done with book pages it might be fun, too.

 These are wood planks made from newspaper.  I think they are genius.  It's made by the Dutch Design Group VIJ5.  Below is the dress made from the planks.  

When the paper is glued together it acts just like wood. Impressive and a wonderful way to recycle.

AND THE WINNERS ARE..................

Are you ready? Drum roll please...... FELICIA KRAMER is our GLITTER BLAST TUESDAY WINNER and CELIA WEBB is our FISKARS FRIDAY WINNER!  Congratulations to you both!  Please send me a personal message (MARKMONTANONYC@AOL.COM) so I can get out your prize packages.  Can I hear a WOOT WOOT!

GLITTER BLAST TUESDAY! The BEST day of the week!

As promised, another
GLITTER BLAST TUESDAY!
It's time for you to enter to win a set of GLITTER BLAST spray paints with an ongoing contest every other Tuesday from here to eternity. Rock on Krylon!

Winners not only get my NEW book,
THE BIG ASS BOOK OF CRAFTS 2,
they'll get all of the colors of glitter blast sent right to their front door.
 Just a few simple rules to enter.

GOOD LUCK!

And may the glitter be with you....

RULES
1. SHARE this on your FB page (by pressing SHARE)

2.  LIKE and COMMENT on the KRYLON FB page that I sent you!

KRYLON LINK

3.  JOIN my blog.
BLOG LINK (Wait, you're here!)

4.  COMMENT here that you've done it AND what your favorite spray paint project is.

5. Join me on TWITTER if you haven't.
TWITTER LINK

Keep an eye out for the winner.  I'll post it here and on my FB page.  

It helps if you can leave a way for me to contact you, too!