Craftside

What you need in your "Traveling Mail Art Kit" from the new book Good Mail Day

Do you love art, school and office supplies? Well, today's inside peek is all about putting together a "Mail Art Kit" that was so fun and reminiscent of getting fresh school supplies I had a blast doing it!

Good Mail Day:
A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art
By
Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler

"What is a good mail day?" A good mail day is a day when, instead of just bills, catalogs, and advertisements, your postal carrier delivers artful, beautiful, personal mail from friends and acquaintances all over the world. Mail art is a collaborative art form with a long and fascinating history populated by famous artists as well as everyday practitioners.

The term "mail art" refers to pieces of art sent through the mail rather than displayed or sold in traditional venues. Mail artists often use inexpensive and recycled materials including postcards, collage, rubber stamps, and photocopied images. Mail art is a truly international activity and a fun way to connect with people in every corner of the globe. Readers will learn to create decorated and illustrated envelopes, faux postage and artistamps, find penpals, make a mail art kit, and much more!

Jennie Hinchcliff has been an active part of international mail art circles and communities for over a decade, has curated San Francisco mail art shows, and produces the quarterly mail art zine Red Letter Day. She teaches book arts and bookbinding at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Carolee Gilligan Wheeler teaches popular classes on bookbinding at the San Francisco Center for the Book.

Click on the images to read how to put together a mail art to-go kit and all the things that you might want to have with you.

Here is what I came up with:

First:

The container for my supplies:

I had a Creative Options Craft Notebook that was made for just such a purpose. Up until this point I hadn't filled it with goodies because I really wasn't crafting on the go beyond knitting or cross stitch, but now I will be!

Following the lists in Good Mail Day I packed this great little craft travel organizer full.

All the little zip pockets and elastic sections were so fun to fill as I went down the list.

Good Mail Day comes with an envelope template (and stickers) but I happen to have this Judikins one that fits great in my Traveling Mail Art Kit with a tiny cutting mat.

Now on to my first piece of mail art.

I needed to ship some books to a friend and always wanting to recycle envelopes I had a bubble pack envelope that was a great size but was covered in all the old address and shipping info to me so I needed to cover it up. I cut basic rectangles that were the same size as the ones I needed to cover out of sticker paper.

 

Then I went to town stamping and embellishing. I can't wait to hear how the receiver likes it!

Today's question:

What's the best piece of mail art you have received?

As a thanks for answering you will be entered to win a free book!

Good Design: Deconstructing Form, Function, and What Makes Design Work By Terry Marks

Not only is this book interesting, thought provoking and enlightening-it feels good!

That's right the cover is super thick raw cut cardboard and pages are flush cut to it. It has a matte rough finish with a cloth spine. I just love the way it feels in my hands.

Good Design:
Deconstructing Form, Function, and What Makes Design Work
By
Terry Marks

What is good design? How is it judged and valued by not only designers, but the end users?

Thirty top creatives in varying design disciplines weigh-in on this important topic from aesthetics, to form, to function. Examples of good design are presented throughout the book along with explanations of why the work is deemed effective. This backward approach to design theory—from completed piece back to construction—will enable readers to discover why the design works and how they can use this information in their own projects.

Terry Marks (Seattle, WA) is principal of tmarks design, a multidisciplinary design firm. The work of tmarks spans clients from DC Comics to Weyerhaeuser to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. His work has been recognized by Print, Communication Arts, Critique, HOW, Neenah, Potlatch and a few others. He is the author of Color Harmony: Layout.

This page is so interesting!

Click on the image to enlarge and read this interview with Marc English.

He quotes Guy Davenport,"Man, it would seem, does not evolve; he accumulates."

Truer words have never been spoken!

I will definitely be using that quote on something in the future.

These are photos of his journals.

And here is just some of mine:

Today's question:

Have you given a journal as a gift to someone who you thought needed to start keeping one? And do you know if they have started?

Do you buy craft books and give them as gifts?

As a thanks for sharing you will be entered to win a free book.

Making one word work for you in your crafting from the book Crafter's Devotional By Barbara Call

Crafter's Devotional
365 Days of Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Unlocking Your Creative Spirit
By
Barbara Call

There is something elemental shared among artists and crafters, regardless of chosen medium: creative energy. Crafters dabble, collaborate, muse, and make, all in their own way and on their own timeline. For all crafts, there are established techniques to follow but wild, innumerable ways to experiment, using the basics to launch crafters to new heights. Crafter's Devotional can aid that launch.

Each week day is allocated its own entry, on which the reader will find a daily dose of craft content that inspires, instructs, and illuminates. Weekend entries explore topics and techniques in greater depth--perfect for enjoying on a more leisurely pace.

Barbara (Bourassa) Call (North Andover, MA) is a professional writer and editor specializing in crafts, food, and health & wellness. She is the author of five books, including Beyond Scrapbooks: Using Your Scrapbook Supplies to Make Beautiful Cards, Gifts, Books, Journals, Home Decorations and More and a 4-book children's book series called Get Active!

You know the saying, "keep it simple " or "less is more"

Well that's what today's inspiration is all about. Click on the image to enlarge and read about the importance of one word and how designing around it can be a great way to work.

So my word is "Welcome"

 

With a little snarkiness thrown in....get it????

This is how I made my "Knot Welcome" sign

First I cut my letters out with my Cricut using Blackletter font out of just some plain black paper.

Then I used the surrounding paper as my template to get my spacing right. I simply cut it out in a straight rectangle.

I taped the surrounding paper onto the slice of wood along the top edge with paper masking tape (the removable kind you use when painting) so it would hing up. I adhered each letter in the spaces.

 

Then I glued a bit of rope tied in a knot. I should also add I embellished the edges of the letters and the knot with a bit of gold ink from an ink pad.

So pick a word and make something!

Today's Question:

Do you have a good homophone you like to use? And how?

Leave your answer in the comments and you are entered to win a free book!

If not and want to know more check out this List.

There are some good ones and some I had to go to dictionary.com to look up. I love learning new things.

And on a final note, if you liked this project and want to see another one I did only die cutting fabric pop on over here.

HOW TO DRAW FABRIC CHARACTERISTICS AND CREASES FROM THE NEW BOOK CONTEMPORARY FASHION ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUES

Contemporary Fashion Illustration Techniques

By

Naoki Watanabe

The primary skill needed by anyone who works in fashion
is the ability to convey—to clients and the general public
alike—images of the designs. The impression given to the
viewer depends on whether the fashion design drawings are
good.

Contemporary Fashion Illustration Techniques
thoroughly describes the basics of fashion illustration and
covers the latest trends such as vivid images, sprightly
movement, and garment material texture. After all, fashion
drawing is not simply about sketching a body and face;
only when you accurately reproduce the garments and their
colors can the designs truly come to life.

Naoki Watanabe (Japan) is a veteran of fashion
design drawing who has taught for 20 years at
Kuwazawa Design School, one of Japan’s foremost
fashion institutions.

 

Click on the images to enlarge and read about how to draw fabric.

I found these pages on how to illustrate drapes in fabric particularly helpful because I sketch ideas a lot and I would like to improve them. I find that the better I sketch and make notes the easier it is to get the idea I was trying to remember when I go back to the sketch book. There have been a few times that I have gone back to a sketch and I couldn't make heads or tails of what I had drawn. Such a bummer.

Which is today's question:

Has that ever happened to you? You went back through your sketch books and couldn't understand what you sketched?

As a thanks for sharing you are entered to win a free book!

July Crafty Blogger Links and a 10-Minute Tip for using crayons to fix a scratch

This is a wonderful 10-Minute series of books from Fair Winds Press simply packed and I mean PACKED, full of great info. I will be sharing with you bits from each.

 

Today's tip is from:

10- Minute Housekeeping:
Hundreds of Easy Tips to Clean and Straighten Every Room of Your House --- Even When You Don't Have Time

By

Rose R. Kennedy

"Rose R. Kennedy is the author of the Family Fitness Fun Book and has contributed to numerous tip books, including 10-Minute Housekeeping, 1,001 Old-Time Household Hints, Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff and Shameless Shortcuts. An avid food writer and kids' book reviewer, she regularly contributes to Disney Adventures, fineliving.com and The Herb Companion. Rose lives in a nicely blended family in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she's on the board for the local Actors Coop and is a devoted pet owner, backyard bird watcher and NTN trivia player"

It explains how to fix a scratch on finished wood furniture using crayons!

And I was always buying those expensive wood touch-up pens at the hardware store, using them once and then they would dry up.

Also there is a tip on how to use cream of tartar to remove stains.

OK so if you only have 10 minutes a day you can whip your house into shape and in the reast of the time read all this great crafting news:

Naughty Secretary Club
Jen takes some of her favorite free embroidery patterns on the net and transforms them into plush dolls.

About Family Crafts
Is it too early to start thinking about Halloween crafting? How early do you start your Halloween planning?

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
Check out a A Floral-tasticly good project from the new book- Kanzashi in Bloom

The Artful Crafter
Do you know what a bead board is? No, not the kind you nail to the wall. LOL.

The Impatient Crafter
Madge shares a couple of sneak peeks of some mixed media jewelry she's created to wear to the CHA Show!

About.com Cross Stitch
Can You Stitch and Ride? Connie barely can and she wants to hear what your situation is - be sure to read the comments and add your own.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen has an exciting announcement! She's just finished creating a book for Project Ties That Bind benefiting Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). 100% of all proceeds from the book are going to OCRF. Stop by and take a sneak peek at this beautiful 68 page book filled with beautiful vivid pictures and inspirational quotes and stories.

Cathie Filian
Whip up a custom belt buckle with a little paper, creativity and Dimensional Magic.

Crafty Princess Diaries
If you have always wanted to make your own crafting video but didn't think you had the techie know-how, then you'll love this new free software the Crafty Princess recently discovered.

Mixed Media Artist
If you get inspired by seeing fabulous work by other artists, check out some of the fabulous profiles that Cyndi has posted!