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(10/18/11 4:01am)
Stumbling around on sites like Craftgawker and Tumblr provides a slew of great ideas for any artists’ next project. This is how I get my inspiration, and also how I find awesome tutorials that in no possible way I could have ever come up with on my own.
(10/14/11 4:01am)
It’s October, which means winter in Arizona isn’t too far off. The seasons change here in what feels like a split second and before we can even begin to get used to the 100-something-degree weather, we’re all breaking out our jackets and setting up the holiday decorations. Before I get too ahead of myself, the point of all this is that soon our plants are going to die. Part of what’s nice about Arizona is being able to walk outside your door and snip a few flowers down for a table centerpiece. But if the oncoming weather is going to take this opportunity away, then there are only a few solutions. The first is obviously buying fake plants for the house. As a crafter though, this isn’t exactly the ideal. So for me, I make my flowers
The easiest way in my opinion is using tissue paper. This is because it is one of the easiest materials to fold and contort in any way. Use a sheet of tissue paper that is about 8 ½ x 11. This size is small enough that there shouldn’t be any extra material left over, but large enough that it makes a decent size flower.
To make your flower, take the tissue paper in the middle and start to crumple. Think of a typical shape of a flower (a tulip perhaps?) and model it after that. The shape can be as crumpled or messy as you want. Make a few of these flowers. Once your done, you can super glue them to pipe cleaners, or skewers for a stem. When I have made these types of flowers, I typically put them in a glass vase (usually a vase I made out of a bottle of some kind). I think this looks the best because then everything has the handmade feel.
You can also try making flowers out of other materials such a tin foil and other metals. Construction paper can also work although it is harder to use to make a flower shape.
If you have any questions or comments, e-mail me at fbreisbl@asu.edu.
(10/11/11 4:01am)
It’s a fact you can never have too many skills as an artist. There is always room to learn more techniques, concepts, and methods of art. Living in the greater Phoenix area, you have many means of learning such techniques, from other artists and crafters, friends, and local art centers. This week, I want to highlight Mesa Arts Center in downtown Mesa as a mecca for artists to trek to for art classes.
(10/07/11 4:01am)
One of my most recent discoveries has shown me that you can never have too much wine. Now, I’m not talking about for drinking or for cooking, but for the pure sake of using the cork once the bottle is empty. I have quite a collection of corks now from friends and family members and lately I have been using them to make stamps.
(10/04/11 4:01am)
This weekend, I think it’s safe to say I made one of the coolest things I’ve ever made thus far in my life. If you’re a crafter like myself or just an avid internet fiend, you may have seen this Crayola-inspired work of art around, so obviously I cannot take the credit for the design (although I will admit, I did do something very similar at one point in time).
(09/30/11 4:01am)
One time, my friend’s boyfriend took me shooting. I had never held a gun before in my life, let alone shot one, so the kickback each time always took me by surprise. But being the craft-addict that I am, it didn’t even faze me that I was on my first shooting trip. No, instead what I was doing was crouching down on the ground and collecting the bullet casings, hoping I could do something cool with them. I left that day with literally boxes of bullet casings, and to this day I still have extra casings.
(09/27/11 4:01am)
Living in Arizona with such a strong Mexican cultural influence, it’s hard not to be drawn to things relating to the culture. I’ve always been fascinated by the holiday Día de los Muertos (with it being almost October and Halloween coming up, despite the holiday being in early November, it seems fitting) and when I stumbled upon VivaGailBeads’ Etsy shop, I knew I had to share the spook of their jewelry with you all, my wonderful readers.
(09/23/11 4:01am)
With the first exams and projects beginning to creep up on us, chaos is starting to consume our lives. And what fills our lives typically manifests itself in other forms, such as the cleanliness of our rooms (or lack thereof) or perhaps our desks. I’m currently staring at my desk right now and it has pens, pencils, and paintbrushes strewn in every which way, stacks of paper crammed under my lap top (which makes typing very hard actually), and trash all over the place. It’s kind of a mess, and let’s be honest, if my desk is a mess, there’s no way anything else is getting done.
Organizing can be hard and annoying, but luckily, you can make a craft out of anything. My most recent annoyance in my room was how unorganized my pens, pencils, etc. were and how I could never find anything. However, there is an easy way to remedy this, and it starts with eating canned food.
Buy some canned peaches, veggies, beans, whatever you want, eat the contents, and then clean out the can. My suggestion is to get multiple cans if you have a lot of utensils that need storing. Next grab a hot glue gun (if you have it, although I do strongly advise you to use a glue gun for this because I think using other glue would be kind of difficult), and various ribbons that you like. I bought a bunch of cheap rolls of ribbon at Michaels, but you can use virtually anything you want. Next, cut your ribbon into smaller and easier-to-handle strips. What you’re going to do is glue your ribbon around the can ...it’s that simple. And you continue to do this until you feel that you’re done. For me, I loaded my cans up with ribbon only on the ribbed part of the can and left the smooth area free, but it’s up to you.
Now you’re ready for organizing! Thankfully at least some of that clutter is gone from your desk and now you can go back to studying!
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future crafts feel free to e-mail me at fbreisbl@asu.edu.
(09/20/11 4:01am)
I’ve always wanted to make my own stamps, but from what I’ve read, you actually have to know what you’re doing. As I get busier and busier this semester, I tend to search for an easy way out. Luckily, the easy way can still be a “crafty way.”
(09/16/11 4:01am)
One of my favorite blogs right now that is saved to the top of my bookmarks is RunwayDIY. RunwayDIY features craft ideas that are inspired by the fashion fads of today and yesterday. Rather than going out and buying great fashion items like jewelry, clothes, bags, and other accessories, they give great and easy how-to instructions to follow, allowing you to make a one of a kind fashionable craft. The blog was set up with the intention to provide step-by-step tutorials on how to make runway fashions and to show how affordable and easy most of the items are to make.
This site has inspired much of my crafting lately. I have either made or obtained the materials to make the bowtie necklace, tie dye skirt, bullet necklace, paint-splatted pants, and studded oxford shoes among other crafts.
Beside these items that I particularly like, there are other great tutorials featured on the website. All of the designs use some sort of trend that is occurring or once occurred in our society’s fashion like neon colors, studs, sequins, chains, floral print, vests, tassels, and much more.
If you’re a fashionista or just like to be trendy from time to time, check out RunwayDIY’s website and get to crafting! I really think there’s something for everyone on this site.
And if that’s not enough, follow them on Twitter or Facebook and check out their separate tumblr blog!
Feel free to e-mail me with your questions, comments, or any suggestions of crafts blogs to profile at fbreisbl@asu.edu.
(09/13/11 4:01am)
This past Friday, I attended an event at The Foundry in downtown Phoenix on 1st Street called RAW. As my friend Mary explained in her all-encompassing post, RAW is an independent organization that showcases various artists from all creative fields. This specific event was nothing short of creativity;I had the privilege of hearing amazing bands, sifting through the displays of truly great art, watching tribal dances, and experiencing a fashion show, all while in cocktail attire. I can honestly say this event was everything I hoped it to be and more.
(09/09/11 1:39pm)
Sometimes, I think people try to go to greater lengths than they need to for crafting. I know it can be kind of time consuming and pricey to buy new materials every time you want to make something, but there are easier ways. You can take a class and maybe learn a new technique, as well has having your materials all ready for you. But, one of my favorite things to do that my mom and I actually do quite often is go to a pottery painting place like As You Wish, and just paint. All of the materials from the pottery to the paint and brushes are provided for you. All you have to do is come with some sort of a semblance of an idea of what you want and get to it.
(09/09/11 4:01am)
When I make something, I always try to use materials that may not typically be used in a project. On the one hand, it’s a good way to re-use, recycle, and “go green” and all that, but it also can make for some pretty original projects and designs that no one else has.
(09/06/11 4:01am)
Sometimes after too much wear and tear, our favorite pair of shoes can no longer be our favorite. They’re too worn and the color we once loved has faded dramatically, so it seems almost pointless to wear a pair of shoes that aren’t as cool-looking as when they were first purchased. But there is a way to revitalize and reinvent your favorite pair of shoes that you once you loved, creating a pair of shoes that could very well be better than the originals.
(09/02/11 4:01am)
One of my favorite places to drive to in the greater Tempe area is downtown Mesa, or what I like to call the artist Mecca. This area is home to so many creative havens, including the Mesa Arts Center, a typewriter store, an old bookstore, and my personal favorite, Mystic Paper, an antique scrapbook store.
(08/30/11 4:01am)
If you’ve been keeping up with this blog, you’ll know that I spend a good deal of time on the Internet. Mainly I just look at blogs, searching for ideas, inspiration, and of course, new craft ideas. I happened to stumble upon Antigirl, a blog and brand created by Tiphanie Brooke. Antigirl features Brooke’s body of work, including her latest project titled “hearts” which involves mixed media panels, installation pieces and murals. Brooke also posts her daily, smaller scale craft projects, one of which caught my eye. The project I’m talking about is a wooden pendant, created using small pieces of wood and scraps of paper. I decided to take this idea and put my own spin on it, creating the perfect wooden pendant.
(08/26/11 4:01am)
A reoccurring trend in modern art is the idea of minimalism. Pieces that are considered to be minimalist are typically pieces in which the design is stripped down to the work’s bare essentials, highlighting only the piece’s fundamental features. The features that are usually showcased are lines, angles and shapes. Lines and angles in these paintings are very thick and pronounced, standing out from the rest of the painting or piece of art. If there are shapes in the piece, they are colored differently, allowing them to captivate the eyes of the audience. This minimalist attitude in art also seems to be important when considering the current fashion of clothes, furniture, and wall art.
(08/23/11 4:01am)
As it is a new school year, I’m sure, just like me, most have you have either moved into the dorms, a new apartment, house, condo, etc. I think moving in somewhere new is the worst, especially in this Arizona heat. Sweat drips from areas you didn’t even think possible and you’re more tired than you’ve ever been. But once you get your second wind, it’s time to do what you do after you move-in somewhere new: decorate!
(08/19/11 4:01am)
Welcome back, Devils! If you’re anything like me, you’re a little bit sad right now to have to wave goodbye to the summer of a lifetime and go back to sitting in a classroom. But at the very least, we still have the memories, pictures, and crafts to make it last.
(05/03/11 12:37pm)
I always love going to First Friday. There’s always so much to see and so much to do...especially in terms of crafts. The next time you attend First Friday there are a few crafty must-stop destinations that need to be on your list.