is it just HYPE ?

from The Record, Wednesday September 3 2008

Our HYPE event made it to the paper (pdf version) with only 3 days left before the big show. We have our fingers crossed for more supporters, and even more interest for next year. We aren’t giving up on this, or any other event built to draw attention to independent businesses being artists or musicians.

what silly girls we are.

and what a silly silly picture.

Back to School Crafts

I really like working with salt dough as its something we always have around the house, , and i can totally remember the ingredients with ease. By random chance i happened upon a woman who’s salt dough skills blew me away.

I pretty much took her directions word for word (below) because look how beautiful her dough creations are. She IS a master and i will gladly follow anything she says. But this makes perfect sense after i came across some of the other items she has created

anyways…

What you’ll need:

2 mugs of flour
1 mug of salt
approx 12 fl oz lukewarm water

How to make it:

You mix the ingredients together adding just enough of the water to make a supple but not too sticky dough. Don’t make it too dry or it will crack, but on the other hand too sticky is hard to work with. add a tiny sprinkle of flour if it gets too sticky

Then you knead the mixture for 10 minutes (this is the part i used to skip but i realized looking at her dough and mine… the needing really combines the ingredients, making a really really smooth like clay substance. mine was really crumbly and grainy)

once you have the dough made the process is very similar to actually working with clay. to attach two pieces you need to create a ’slip’ which is basically a watery form of the dough.

Then the whole lot goes into the oven at 150 degrees (Celsius) for a few hours until it makes a ringing sound like pottery when tapped. When it’s cool you can paint it (preferably with acrylic paint) and with a couple of coats of varnish it can last for many, many years.

taken from Bird Ahoy.

Another idea for salt dough can be found at Back-to-School crafts at Kaboose… following the same method to create the dough you can create salt dough buddy pens of your very very own.

reeeaally small picture, but i couldnt find anything better

Starting about an inch or so above the pen’s point, roll the pen in a couple layers of plastic wrap.  Poke the point of the pen into some modeling clay up to where the plastic wrap begins. This will be used as a base for standing your pen up later.

Roll a handful of dough in your hands until it’s pliable and wrap around the pen where its covered in plastic. Mold the salt dough around the pen into a carrot shape - the top part of the pen should be the widest. Note: Rolling both the pen and dough on a sheet of waxed paper is helpful to make this shape.

Lay your character on the waxed paper to add details.

Use smaller pieces of salt dough to create the eyes, nose and mouth for your character.

Use a toothpick to draw on details such as eyelashes, eyebrows, freckles… whatever

We found that adding other non-dough accessories (buttons, sequins, ribbon) don’t stick well. its better to glue them onto your character after he’s dry.

Leave your character on the wax paper to dry but you may want to find a secure way to stand him up. Leaving him (or her) laying down can cause the back to have a “flat spot”.  Also, leave the pen inside as the dough will shrink slightly when drying. and … it’s best to let these sit for a night or two, depending on how thick the characters are.
Once dry, paint details with acrylic craft paint.
Spray surface with two coats of acrylic sealer spray, allowing them to dry between coats.

Other Salt Dough activities…

big decorative beads by rolling pieces of dough into balls. Place a toothpick through the center and bake (with toothpick) Remove it after the beads are done with a few gentle twists.

barbie tea set

get a real job …relating to arts

To me crafting has yet to become a real job. i love it. im addicted to doing it… but in this city its hard to make a living from it and thus gaining the ‘real job’ title. A friend passed this real job listing onto me… for me to apply im sure. but … i like to share things so im passing the option onto to you as well. He who best suits the job will get the job… and i can accept that.

Love this recycled kitchen pot guy. tom.com

Job Posting: Waterloo Regional Arts Council seeks co-ordinator / facilitator

The Waterloo Regional Arts Council is seeking the services of a co-ordinator / facilitator to provide communication, convening and development support for a number of concurrent initiatives that will accelerate cultural development in Waterloo Region.

Responsibilities include:
community consultation and other support services
coordinate and facilitate arts, culture and heritage representation/involvement with the Prosperity Council Forum on the Arts
develop community connections, partnerships and connect design plans with general goals and aspirations
communication with art makers, supporters and community at large
relationship mapping, scoping and exploration work
develop relevant parterships, explore funding and revenue generating opportunities

The Co-ordinator / Facilitator will be a creative leader with expertise in:
Cultural strategic planning and community arts development
Managing the creative process, including possible controversy
facilitation of meetings, creative circles and collaborative events
Project management and event planning
Leading meetings and driving an agenda.

And has…
Outstanding communication skills and the ability to nurture relationships.
Ability to work in, and respond to, a dynamic, ever-changing environment.
Project and organizational management experience, with the ability to co-coordinate multiple projects.
Experience working with multiple partners or members on a collaborative project, including members of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and government at the municipal and regional levels.
A mature understanding of and demonstrated interest in arts and culture

Terms of the relationship:

Remuneration: $30,000. The work will be carried out over 8 months and can be begun immediately.

To apply, send your résumé and a covering letter indicating the reasons for your interest in this position and your key qualifications to:

Creative Intersections Hiring Committee
c/o Waterloo Regional Arts Council
P.O. Box 1122 Kitchener N2G 4G1
or by email to wrac@golden.net

The position will posted until a suitable candidate is found.

for further information, contact Martin de Groot, executive director
wrac@golden.net
519 742 7047

and this particular call out is even better… i have always wondered how to hang my art at city hall, and here is the answer (thanks donna)

11. Call for artists: Available Space Art Project, Kitchener-Waterloo

If you are interested and have work available to hang downtown Kitchener, please send an email to availablespaceartproject@yahoo.ca with the following information:

size and number of works
medium
framed or unframed
price
signed or unsigned (I would like to establish a new standard of signed only works; this is per request of the business owners, which I agree with.)

I would also like to make a request for volunteers. If you are interested in spending an hour with ASAP assisting me in October, please leave your telephone number and a note saying you’d like to volunteer.

I have one last request: If you are interested in earning some money doing some window painting in the fall, please also indicate in your reply that you would like to know more. I will send out info related to that project to interested parties only.

Once your work is delivered and hung, I will send out an email detailing your pieces location and the expected duration of exhibition.

Murray Dekeyser
ASAP Coordinator
availablespaceartproject@yahoo.ca

best of LUCK!!

more show tables

love the punch of colour from the blue shelf

and the vintage jewelry/bag racks… wonderful. wonder where she found them?? the sign is worth talking about too…. simple. easy to read. k.i.s.s. right?! …and notice her dots are everywhere… signs, tags… what fun

found in my archives

i used to be awfully organized, or maybe just too excited about the project and the visions it created in my head… to actually NOTE where the lessons/ideas came from. so i feel horrible that i cant find this woman again, especially since she had plans to make an even bigger project. please if you know her site… let me know. otherwise here is the wonderful but anonymous tutorial for a doll quilt from selvages (the printed ends of cotton fabrics, usually quilting sheets) ….I DID IT… i found the creator of this little lady and her quilt!! see Vintage Ric-Rac for more of her wonderful creations (really worth the peek)

Step 1. Cut the selvedged edge off your fabrics leaving 1/4 inch of fabric (this becomes your seam allowance.) Then with right sides together sew two pieces together and press open, showing selvedge.

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Step 2. If you have nice thick selvedge you may be able to join one pair to another pair - giving you four (or more) joined togetherwithout losing all the details.

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Step 3. When you have pieced a few strips together you can begin to foundation piece them. I cut (ripped) a piece of very light cotton to the size I wanted and then simply began sewing the strips on. Sew as close to the very edge as you can but remember that this is the selvedge so it is not going to fray.

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Step 4. Continue on adding your little pairs of selvedge strips ( or bigger ones) until you have the size you require. I used my walking foot for this part.

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Step 5. When you have pieced all your strips , turn over your work and trim the edges, squaring up if you need to.

Step 6. I used cotton batting in this little quilt and I quilted it very simply by running some lines of stitching across the quilt in a “stitch-in-the-ditch style. My finished quilt is almost fat quarter sixe measuring approx 18 x 20 inches. Then of couse a bit of binding and your done !!!

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Craft Table Displays

Since our biggest show is coming up fast (HYPE on KING, Sept 6+7) i thought this post could help out the artists prepare for the show. i found some table setups, but … not all of them are local, or even canadian. we are looking at examples here.. not just the product (although i love all of that too)

love the look of reusing a piece of household furniture. makes your setup unique.. and comfortable. but be sure it suits your style, and its as unique and fun as what you are offering. a plain stack a shelf unit (yes i tried that myself) is NOT exciting.

another artists using a smaller shelf … with cubbies. cute! Prop things up for people to see from a distance. Pretend you are setting up one of those huge toronto window displays, where people have to look from the other side of the glass. much more appealing than stacks

same lady. different show.

since her style is using recycled vintage fabrics its only fitting she use vintage display items. and a full table does look most appealing (as long as its organized) all dolls together. all bibs together. not scattered about.

organize like items into baskets. labels are super great to attract attention too.

organized in baskets, on different levels…

trays to organize items, layer on table to add something colourful… and those manaquin heads!! i love them way too much.

i have no idea where she found them but they are so unique. find something to draw people to your table, besides your wonderful adorable creations :)

layers on the table work well for jewelry and accessories.

hanging items on a fabric covered styrofoam board.

accessories on a folding slatted door. very organized all within the frame of the door. it allows you to use both doors, PLUS you can hide your packing bins or whatnot behind it.

to find  otherdisplay elements … look to nature. large branches, logs, rocks…

this could make a really cool display too, if you can find a way to secure at the ends. both the line and the clips seem to be metal, so no stretching or sagging. woo!

what fun!!

Whatever you choose for display peices, they should match you and your designs. if they are too plain for you try painting with your colours.

another thing you will need is a sign, that is clearly visible to shoppers.

samples of signs @ craft shows:

fabric/paint on a standard canvas, with wooden letters.

i like her simple logo in a fancy picture frame.

looks like this one was professionally printed, but there’s no reason you cant paint or sew your own. here is a tutorial to make your own craft show banner

Glass or Plastic??

i had the choice at lunch today to buy my juice in a plastic bottle, or a glass one. lead me to wonder which really is better for the environment? is one easier to break down than the other?

glass:

Glass is an inert substance and so is not directly harmful to the environment but it is not degradable … but glass is such an easy and very useful material which can be recycled over and over again without any loss to quality. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Recycling-Plastic-And-Glass—Why-It-Makes-A-Difference&id=544286)

Recycling glass is a relatively good energy saver. Using recycled glass to make new glass products requires 40 percent less energy than making it from new materials. It saves energy because crushed glass, called cullet, melts at a lower temperature than the raw materials used to make glass.

recycled cullets (broken down bits of glass) can be turned into new glass bottles. “Recycling glass into new containers has four main environmental benefits - energy saving, lower emissions, reduced landfill and a reduction in quarrying.” (http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Glass.htm)
New glass is made from sand, soda ash, and limestone thus its a common makeup for all glass products (only thing that changes is when manufacturers add colour to the glass)…

plastics:
plastics are a combination of many materials, creating many different types of plastics
“Even if the plastic is sorted by type, unlike glass, aluminum, and steel which can be recycled over and over again, plastic cannot.

There are so many different types of plastics, once shredded mixed plastics and hard to recycle plastics are ground up and added as filler materials.

recycled plastics are not turned into other plastic containers, but items requiring low-grade plastics such as park benches cannot be made into milk jugs again or even into new benches. Also, most recycled plastic are used to produce items, such as polyester and plastic lumber, that are not themselves recyclable.” (http://www.tufts.edu/tuftsrecycles/metal.html)

Recycling Coding	Abbreviation	Name of Polymer	Common Uses of Recycled Product
01	PET / PETE	Polyethylene terephthalate	Polyester fibres, soft drink bottles.
02	HDPE	High density polyethylene	Bottles, plastic carrier bags, recycling bins.
03	PVC / V	Polyvinyl chloride	Pipe, fencing, non-food bottles.
04	LDPE	Low density polyethylene	Plastic bags, containers, dispensing bottles.
05	PP	Polypropylene	Auto parts, industrial fibres.
06	PS	Polystyrene	Coffee cups, toys, video cassettes.
07	OTHER	Other Plastics	Various.

(http://www.environment-green.com/Plastic_Recycling.html)

we are surrounded by plastic. only 3-5% of manufactured plastics are actually reaching recycling plants. Much of the rest goes into landfills, where it takes 200 years to decompose.

Right now we consume the contents of about 70 million water bottles a day. That’s 70 million mostly plastic bottles, 86 % of which end up in landfills (http://www.wcdish.com/time-to-stop-sucking/)

if it bores you to read a page of facts i will break it down … plastic is ‘friendlier’ to produce, but cannot be recycled into new plastic containers because of the other materials added. glass is recyclable indefinitely, and in fact recycling glass uses 40% less energy than if they combined new materials.

i choose glass. for now.

Crochet with Plastic Bags

Found a wonderful + fun tutorial on Crocheting with Plastic bags. And dont worry if you dont know how to crochet…. there is a link to a video that explains the process

up for grabs…

i have a collection of these myself.. so i thought i would pass the offer on to others. share the love you know :)

I have an old turquoise Samsonite suitcase, circa the 60’s. I thought that one of your creative, designer types may love to have it, specially with so many designing clothing. It smells musty of course, but it’s in good shape. Before I post it to freecycle, I thought I’d offer it here. I am in north west Waterloo for pick up.

contact Michelle Reynolds  mreynolds@aromatichealth.ca if interested.

Theatre is art

If you’re still under 20, or know someone who is, this may be for you (or them). The folks at K-W Youth Theatre asked if I’d spread the word.

***************
Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Theatre announces…

AUDITIONS

“Romeo + Juliet”

One of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, “Romeo + Juliet” has become an iconic romantic tragedy, as two young lovers fall victim to family hatred and cruel destiny.

Audition Dates: August 30 & September 9-10, 2008

Location: King Street Theatre Centre, Kitchener. Check out www.kstc.ca for directions.

Requirements: Please prepare one monologue of your choice. It should be no more than two minutes in length. Casting based on audition performance. Ages 13-19.

To book audition or for more information, please visit www.kwyouththeatre.com.

Trash 2 Treasure Junk Swap!!

Moving out this summer? Moving in this September?

Just wish there was a better system for exchanging all the stuff that piles up when students move around?

…Join in on Waterloo’s first Trash2Treasure event!

Trash2Treasure Junk Sale

September 13+14th

10am-3pm

Student Life Center @ University of Waterloo

Donate ANY unwanted goods like appliances, school supplies, furniture, accessories, tools… “be as creative as you like in your donations”

Profits are going to REEP, the Residental Energy Efficiency Project, and unsold items will be donated to Salvation Army and local shelters.

You can drop-off small items at the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group from mon-fri 10-4pm or arrange a pickup every Thursday (

email coordinator@trash2treasure.ca for more info on pickups or to volunteer your time

new look for seven shores trading

a few of you expressed interest when i posted the info about seven shores trading, and like me you had never heard of their shop either….

well…they have stepped it up and taken on a whole new look, and a new location. Sadly they are now in waterloo, but it seems to be just 5 min up the street from their old location. Bigger and Better!! They are now called Seven Shores Urban Market and Cafe and feature a market and cafe along with all the furnishings, art and fashion.

Located at 8 Regina St. N Unit 5 (between GenX and Absolute) Seven Shores Urban Market and Cafe will provide a 6 Day Local Fresh Market with a Cafe and a healthy menu as well as carrying a small collection of furnishings, art and fashion.  Baked goods, salads, sandwiches and organic fairly traded coffee roasted daily will be offered to eat-in or take-out.  Parking is behind the building off Dupont Street.  Other public parking can be found at the public parking lot at the corner right of Erb and Regina (by Paul Puncher’s).

i can make that!

image originally from d-visionwhat i imagine is a hole drilled into the center of an old china dish to fit a metal pipe with screw ridges on the bottom, and a bolt. to hold the plate on.the top… could the pipe have a hook? or have a small hole drilled through the top, so you can tie this to a treebranch with twine?or a combonation of this…from Pid.sewhere two plates hang at different levels, creating ‘balconies’ for the birdies. although i do love this idea alone. Its a long rubber cord (to prevent slipping from branch) with glass weights on the ends.another garden creation that could potentially be made from recycled materials is this hanging flower pot…from Schatzcould you have someone … skilled in glass, or at least will use the right tool for the job… drill four holes in say an old vase.. or fancy wine glass. i know i have some crystal wine glasses that are just too fancy for me. Cut off the stems of the glasses too… perhaps that same skilled glassworker? me. i would do my best to smash it off. then file it so its not a deadly pointed edge. or leave it… wineglasses hanging in the kitchen window could look really neat, with the sun shining through the crystal decorations all three photos originally found on notcot.org

all about flowers today

all i really have to say is WOW!CalamityKim (where i also found the above tree of flowers) has recycled an old book and other bits to make a fabulous shining rose. Kinda vintage again.. maybe i will make one for my hair, for the Garden of Hedon show. (we are attending as a viewer. not a performer)Original tutorial from craft-tastic Martha Stewart.
        

not recycled, but wonderful idea

while searching for an image of string.. i came across this wonderful idea. the String-Ring.

Tying a string around your finger as a reminder is an ancient belief,

thought to keep an idea from escaping- literally tying the idea to yourself.

… and for only 17.50 really… who cant love this unique idea

A wild event downtown kitchener

..takin it back to the old school, cuz we’re so cool…

okay going further back than just old school. lets say vintage! and we all love us a little vintage.

London Pinups presents: Garden of Hedon Burlesque Show

…A traditional styled evening of burlesque

Saturday July 12th

Princess theatre

122 Fredrick Street, Kitchener

8pm-midnight

tickets $15 in advance; $20 at the door

Purchase tickets at Center in The Square in Kitchener (519.578.1570; toll free 1.800.265.8977 or online)
ALL PROCEEDS GOING TO LONDON PINUPS,

to print and mail their photo products to Canadian Troops.

** if you are interested in winning tickets to London Pinups Garden of Hedon Burlesque show, listen to 91.5 the Beat (Kitchener) the morning of Friday July 11! Best of luck to all!! **

House band:

Tyler Springall and band

Performers:

Ginger St. James
Katie aka Katz Meow
Kissimmi Goodknight
Miranda and Ashley
Angel
Shantell
Shiloh McLeod aka Jaded Angel
Eddie Friest- MC and aka Miss Serenity Lee Jeffries
Miranda and Ashley aka Lila and Bonita
Shiloh
Amelia
Shantell

From London Pinups:

We are here to share vintage and vintage inspired pin-up images. Our main goal is to actually create new photo’s to send to our Canadian troops in Afghanistan as a show of support. This is by no means in support of the war itself, but of those that made the choice to support our country and our people by joining the military forces. This is no small decision and whether we agree with the reason for the war or not, these people need to know that we love them, care about what they are going through and ultimately support them! I’ve already sent off one small package but we need more!

There will also be a silent auction with items up for bid from 91.5 the beat, Cameo Intimates Lingerie,The Stag Shop, Cherry Delight Apparel and Buttons, Fabricland Western, Sweet Clothing Designs, Princess Twin Cinema, Mustang Drive-in Guelph, Kernels Popcorn, Expozurez Photography win your very own pinup photo shoot!, Uberboblz, Latasia Jewelry and…

London Pinups is donating a complete set of the photo’s for one lucky bidder to win!

see their pages for more info on their work, and peeks at more of the photo works…

What is PINUPS FOR TROOPS
Facebook EVENT
Myspace WEBSITE

NOTE: this event is 18+, there will be partial nakedness!! AND… the theatre only seats 150, so make sure you win those tickets, or purchase them soon from center in the square. London Pinups is still looking for silent auction donations, because you can never have too many, and volunteers to help the event run smoothly. contact donna at londonpinups@gmail.com

It’s Canada Day

so what did we do on canada day? well shop for crafty things online of course!!

My Two Cents Earrings from LaPetiteFleur

Stained Glass Fallin Leaf, from the glass menagerie

Maple leaf necklace, from Bead Arts, (plus the tutorial to make the silver clay leaves yourself)

maple leaf roses

While the tutorial is in another language, this woman does a wonderful job capturing each step through photos

Pewter Maple Leaf Serving Spoons from Canvas to Clay

Raku fired Maple Leaf Dish, from RedCrowArts

self sustaining woodland home

Self-sustaining home built from natural materials, perfectly suited for the english countryside, in which it resides.

this is something i would love to do. This family built their home literally from materials found in the surrounding woods, to save money (who can afford a downpayment and a mortgage on an artists salary??) and protect their family from the hazards of modern day living, chemicals and such. What i love is that he is not a contractor or a builder… just a man with determination and a plan. and he did it all with help of their friends, family and people passing by.

They have partnered with a company called Lammas and are working on a self-sustaining village.

and in this home i would have…

from Coffee Pot People in Portland, Oregon. (they are just so darn crafty there!!)

and this recycled propane tank turned firepit, from Shining Sun Garden Works in BC

this garbage can from recycled magazines found on craftster.

and a tshirt shag rug….

and i am frantically searching for the tutorial i stumbled upon last week, about making a shag rug without using the mesh rug-hooking format. its like a braided rug, that your mom’s mom used to fill the house with… where a braid of fabric is wrapped in a circle and sewn. In this case the mat is entirely recycled.

the basics (in hopes someone knows a proper name for what im looking for or… has seen the tutorial)

1. cut the tshirt into strips, double the desired length of the shag bits
2. cut longer strips from bottom of tee and attatch together forming a chain (like paper chains kids make)
3. use a girth hitch (yes i looked that up) shorter strips onto the longer ‘chain’ you just made…
4. the rug is created by forming your shape from this shag-chain, just as you would if it were braided.

oh it was so awesome…. why didnt i bookmark it. oh because i thought i had a computerize memory, and can remember everything…when in reality its nothing. lesson learned. bookmark cool stuff!

a little bit more… greeting cards

little people greeting cards… they are so adorable and so unexpectedly unique. who would have thought toys would make perfect models. especially since it mimics real scenes… oh i just love it.

Tiny Art By J Mullin… this card is a photograph of her original collage. I love the mix of ink fabric and paper bits. its like a doodle, come to life.

Lunchtime Mates from MPatrizio. this one just speaks for itself. so funny. so cute!

Recycled Jewelry

payphone button cufflinks!! from 19moons

Repurposed leopard print scarf!! from ChiChiDee

handcast resin pendants, from Deanna Burasco

Lichen earrings, from Stir Designs

from Recycled Rings

antique pill bottle necklace, from Marinarios

scrabble tile + paper ring, from Its All About The Print

WOW!! Twig Bracelets of solid sterling silver cast from molds of real twigs, from Stratus Silver