Craftside

Beautiful Japanese Wave print pocket ATC made with a print from the book Pattern Sourcebook: Nature

Yesterday's post about Legends of Surfing inspired today's Japanese Wave Print Pocket ATC:

Here's how I made my wave print pocket ATC:

I went to the book of 250 Japanese nature patterns - Pattern Sourcebook: Nature

 
I picked this pretty multi-colored one that had some nice smooth wavy lines that I could cut along and cropped it to just under ATC size so that I could cut it out with a small white border. Feel free to download it and try it!

Next I had a nice little stack of quotes, you could also use fortune cookie fortunes.

 

I cut the slits in the wave print.

I cut the quotes down to little strips and popped them into the slits.

My ATC needed a backing and I thought of recycling an envelope that I had gotten a gift card in. My Aunt has such pretty handwriting I thought it would be nice on the back. I took care to only put glue around the edges so the slips of paper could slide in and out.

If you liked this print and want more grab a copy of the book and CD:

Pattern Sourcebook: Nature

250 Patterns for Projects and Designs

By

Shigeki Nakamura

This book presents a collection of carefully selected nature inspired patterns for use by designers and artists in their projects and personal work. A companion CD-ROM provides 250 patterns in high-resolution JPEG format along with PSD format from which you can freely manipulate and modify the patterns to customize them for your own use. This is an inspirational and highly practical reference and sourcebook for anyone working in the area of visual art.

Shigeki Nakamura began his career as an art director in 1964 in Japan. He established his office, Cobble Collaboration, in 1987, which has produced design pattern books under its own brand. He is a member of JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association).

Japanese Bunnies and Moon Art from the Book and CD- Pattern Sourcebook: Nature 2

I love clip art books, they are such a great source for making just about anything! Here is a beautiful Japanese bunnies and moon piece that I thought would be cool to share and perfect for fall art:

 

This is just 1 of the 250 great pieces of art from the book and CD:

PATTERN SOURCEBOOK SERIES

Pattern Sourcebook: Nature 2

250 Patterns for Projects and Designs

By

Shigeki Nakamura

This book presents a collection of carefully selected nature inspired patterns for use by designers and artists in their projects and personal work.

A companion CD-ROM provides 250 patterns in high-resolution JPEG format along with PSD format from which you can freely manipulate and modify the patterns to customize them for your own use. This is an inspirational and highly practical reference and sourcebook for anyone working in the area of visual art.

Shigeki Nakamura began his career as an art director in 1964 in Japan. He established his office, Cobble Collaboration, in 1987, which has produced design pattern books under its own brand.
He is a member of JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association).

Skull quilt inspired by one in the new book Quilting Art by Spike Gillespie

This is a brand new book that will be available soon and boy is it filled with an amazing variety of fabric eye candy!

Quilting Art:
Inspiration, Ideas & Innovative Works from 20 Contemporary Quilters   

By

Spike Gillespie

Quilting is a craft, rich with tradition and homespun, practical applications. But it's also an art—which, with needle, thread, fabric, and an idea, can give us a new way of looking at, and wrapping ourselves in, the world. This book profiles twenty American practitioners of that art, quilters whose fascinating, innovative work takes the craft one step further and makes it into something new.

These remarkable quilters describe their inspiration and methods and show us several examples of their best work. Among them are Jeanne Williamson, a celebrated mixed-media journal quilter; Pam Rubert, whose large-scale quilts showcase her humor; Loretta Bennett, the youngest of the beloved Gees Bend quilters; Boo Davis, a hip crafter who pieces together quilts with heavy-metal themes; Susan Else, who constructs whimsical quilted sculptures; Ai Kijima, a Brooklyn-based artist influenced by Japanese anime; and Jane Burch Cochran, whose folk-art quilts feature thousands of beads and buttons.

Through personal conversations with the quilters, author Spike Gillespie gives us an inside, in-depth look at what inspires each, what methods they use, and how their art has evolved. Along with these close-up views of the quilters studio and process, each profile features firsthand tips and inspirational advice.

Quilting Art serves as an idea book for quilters, as well as a gorgeous representation of the quilter's art.

I was so inspired by this fabulous quilt by Boo Davis of Quiltsryche:

 

I just had to make one!

She used a basket weave variation for this quilt but I am a big fan of using scraps and as many different fabrics in a quilt as possible so I thought I'd try one using all 2 inch squares.

I grabbed my graph paper and sketched.

 

Off to the scrap stash.

 

Now onto cutting. I have made quilts of lots of little squares before I knew about the wonderful invention of the grid ruler and boy am I happy I know about it now. This quilt went so quick using a grid ruler not to mention much more precise.

 

I don't know if other quilters do this but I recommend leaving the little stack of squares just cut in place when cutting the next stack of squares from the strip, this keeps the layers from slipping around.

This skull quilt takes:

216 white squares

34 red squares

35 black squares

It is 15 squares across and 19 squares tall.

Here are all the squares cut and laid out....but there is a little error...can you find it?

Quilting and puzzles, now that's a combo.

OK I'll tell you, in this shot the right eye is off by one row, see how there are 3 rows of white squares on the far right and on the left there are only 2? Well, I fixed it in the piecing.

I sewed the squares together in horizontal rows carefully folding each pair and then stacking them up to bring them over to the sewing machine and then putting them back in order.

 

Here are all the horizontal rows sewn together. I then simply sewed all the vertical seams together alternating the seam allowances up and down.

 

Ta-da! I'll keep you posted on what I do for a border for this guy, anyone got any good suggestions? They are most welcome.

Be sure to pop on over to Amazon to see more inside sneak peeks and to pre-order Quilting Art.

I found myself a new craft/hobby/artform in Dirty Fingernails by John Foster

I nearly dropped the book when I saw these photos:

 

 

Click on the images to see them even better! They are so cool.

I love the idea of making words from objects and then photographing them. These pages are from the new book:

Dirty Fingernails
 A One-of-a-Kind Collection of Graphics Uniquely Designed by Hand

By
John Foster

The artists featured in Dirty Fingernails, make a concerted effort to do projects that require them to step away from the computer to create one-of-a-kind designs for clients and themselves. They demonstrate that good design doesn’t have to be clean--in fact, the messier the better. From silkscreen prints to collages created from photocopies, to hand-drawn lettering, each designer explains their process and why they’ve chosen to work in their chosen medium. It’s an inspirational collection that will make even the most computer-savvy designer drool.

John Foster is a world-renowned designer, author and speaker on design issues. His work has been published in numerous books and every major industry magazine, hangs in galleries across the globe, and is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian. He is the proud recipient of both a gold and silver medal from the Art Directors Club as well as a Best of Show from the ADDYs. He is the author of New Masters of Poster Design.

------------------------------------------------------------

The wheels in my head instantly started to spin to come up with what I could spell out and with what I could create those letters with.

It didn't take long and I had a bunch of ideas.

Here is my first one:

I spelled out the word "bang" out of spent bullet casings.

 

And when I was done "shooting it" (yup that was a pun peeps) I knocked them over, very fun!

I have already thought of a companion "shot" (yup another pun) to go along with this one, come on back for it, I will post it soon.

Try this technique!

I bet you will have a blast (pun #3)

and if you do, upload it to the Flickr group: Photos of words spelled out with objects and leave a comment letting me know you did it! You will be entered to win a free craft book!

Good Angel / Bad Angel Birds on the back of my shoulder t-shirt iron-on project from Rock & Street Culture free graphics

Today I have a fun iron-on project to share with you. It started out with this cool graphic from the book Design Parts Sourcebook: Rock and Street Culture
A Collection of Images for Artists and Designers

I added the words "Good and Bad" to the banners underneath the little angel and devil birds.

Then I flipped them as the directions on the package of printable iron-on transfer material said to do.

I added a bunch more stuff to the page for future use so as not to waste it. I used my paper printing test to figure out size and placement.

 

And here you have it after the images were ironed onto the back shoulder area of the t-shirt.

I should also note I started with a big long sleeve shirt and cut it smaller and the sleeves off turning it into a tank top. So now I have a shirt that has my good bird/angel on one shoulder and my bad bird/angel on my other shoulder. Which one do you think I listen to more??? Don't answer that.

And I want to share with you one more graphic. This one was made by selecting inverse instead of flipping. I clicked the wrong button but I thought it was a way-happy accident! So if you like this graphic pop on over to Amazon and grab yourself a cool copy of this book that contains a CD with tons of images to use in your projects.

Design Parts Sourcebook: Rock and Street Culture
A Collection of Images for Artists and Designers

Oilshock Designs

Sub-culture graphics are ready for use in this book providing imagery that is useful for a variety or art types. Developed by a group of experienced designers from the apparel industry, these inspired images are great for printing onto T-shirts and other clothing and accessories, CD’s flyers, Web pages and even as references for tattoo art.

The illustrations are provided as print reference in the pages of the book and also provided on a companion CD-ROM. The files are available as both Illustrator EPS files and JPEG files, making them easy to modify and customize.

Oilshock designs is a designers’ company on fashion, apparel and sub-cultures, started in 2006, separated from JELLYFISH which was established by Satoru Kurahara in 1993.

Now onto today's Q & A

This question was asked by

Maxine Kollar

"The bottle cap bookmark is so simple yet serves a really great purpose and looks like it's a fun project too.
My question is this: What is the best way to shrink a 100% wool sweater? I know I've done it before by mistake. But now that I want it to happen each time I take my old sweater out of the bucket of hot water it seems to have stretched!! I would like to make felted purses for Christmas.
Any suggestions?"

Answer:

As the author of Sweater Surgery
How to Make New Things from Old Sweaters

I have felted probably 100 sweaters.

How I felt a wool sweater:

1. Throw it in the wash with a towel or a pair of jeans (this causes more agitation and helps mat the fibers together more)

2. I set my washer to hot wash cold rinse, again radical temperature change is key to felting wool sweaters.

3. Walk away

4. Throw sweater and towel/jeans in dryer on "hot"

5. Repeat step 1-4 until I like the density of the felting of the sweater.

6. Go make something cute!

For ideas on what to make with your felted wool sweater, click on the Sweater Surgery link below, grab yourself a copy of Sweater Surgery
How to Make New Things from Old Sweaters or pop on over to the Sweater Surgery Blog!

Keep those questions coming so you can be entered to win a free book and SideWinder Bobbin Winder.

And want to increase your odds of winning and know of a great recycled craft project, blog, Etsy Designer or Website? It can be your own or someone else's. Pop on over to Recycled Crafts at CraftGossip.com and click on "Suggest a Link" (specify "Recycled Crafts" ) and you will be entered to win a free book and Bobbin Winder there too!

THE ART OF DECORATIVE PAPER STENCILS 2 BY KANAKO YAGUCHI

More fabulous eye candy and projects made with my favorite tool-the scissors!

The Art of Decorative Paper Stencils 2
Traveling with Stencils
By

Kanako Yaguchi

Paper artists, papercrafters, cardmakers, collage artists, and scrapbookers are always looking for unique and exciting ways to embellish and enhance their work. The Art of Decorative Paper Stencils 2 provides crafters with a range of instruction and inspiration to create beautiful stencils inspired by your travels. Paper stencil art is a traditional craft with a long history in Japan.

Kanako Yaguchi, a successful paper stencil artist, bases her new techniques on the classic methods, bringing this ancient art to a modern audience. The Art of Decorative Paper Stencils 2 includes images inspired by the author's travels to Japan, the United States, Jamaica, Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria. Each project includes detailed and illustrated step-by-step instructions. There are also instructions and ideas for attractive home decor projects that reflect your travels.

Kanako graduated from the Department of Design at Joshibi University of Art and Design, Japan. Her other publications include The Art of Decorative Paper Stencils (Quarry Books) and The Book of Decorative Paper Stencils for Adults (PHP Institute, available only in Japanese).

I love this paper stencil and when I saw what Kanako's inspiration was, the vintage bowl, I just giggled because I have those bowls!

This mobile made from stencils and circles of paper is so whimsical and pretty.

Click on the image for the instructions on how to make a paper stencil mobile.

Today's question:

Do you make a craft or piece of art when you travel?

Leave your answer and as a thanks for sharing you are entered to win a free book!

Have a lovely weekend.

The Art of Papercutting by Henya Melichson How to make a deer slider card

Talk about pretty!

The Art of Papercutting
By
Henya Melichson

Papercutting is an ancient, elegant art that dates almost
as far back as the creation of paper itself. In today's
multicultural world, papercutting embraces any number of
themes, designs, and images. It is an all-inclusive art that
requires few tools and minimal materials. All one needs is
instruction and inspiration, both of which are found in good
measure in The Art of Papercutting. The book includes
more than 20 projects that feature a range of sizes, subject
matters, and techniques. Every project features step-by-step
photographs and numerous helpful hints.

Author Henya Melischson has been a papercut artist
for more than twenty years. With a background
in painting and drawing, Henya's papercuts are
inspired by diverse ethnic and natural motifs. Her
work has appeared at museums in Europe, the
United States, and Israel. A member of the Guild
of American Papercutters, Henya has led seminars,
instructed hundreds of budding papercutters, and
been interviewed for television programs.

And if you want to read another review and more inside peeks pop on over to Craft Leftovers.

I am in love with deer imagery right now so when I was flipping though the beautiful pages and saw this one, I new exactly what my first image was going to be to try paper cutting.

Here is the free deer stencil pattern that I used enlarged:

 

And here is what I made with the deer pattern:

A fun pattern slider card.

Paper cutting looked like a pretty intense project and I wanted to make the most of it so I decided to double up my layers of paper.

 

I printed the deer stencil out on photo paper and taped a flocked green piece of cardstock under it.

Then I simply started to cut out the deer very carefully because I wanted both the positive and the negative deer.

I then cut out:

4 pieces of pretty pattern paper about 2 inches high (big enough to fill the cut out spaces of the deer)

A slider piece of paper (about 3 inches wide by 8 inches tall)

A card about 8 inches tall

I then trimmed my photo paper down on the top and bottom.

I then glued the pattern pieces to the plain slider and folded the deer stencil around the slider.

I glued the back tabs of the photo paper to the front of the card.

Here is the slider in different positions so you can see how the different patterns look.

I can't decide what pattern I like best!

I have the pieces of this deer already in part of another project that you will just have to come back and see. Hint; It involves a photo.

The positive and negative of the green deer are already to go. I better go off to my book stash to get some inspiration and make something with them!

The time it took me to precisely cut out the deers gave me 4 elements for 4 projects, not bad!

Today's question:

If you cut something up, how successful have you been in using both the part you cut out and the remaining part?

Leave your answer and you'll be entered to win a free book!

Free Silhouette dress Pattern from the new book: Cloth Doll Artistry

This book is so beautiful and inspiring, I only made it to page 10 before I had to stop and make something! I did make it past page 10 so I can testify that it is packed full of eye candy and wonderful doll making how-to's.

Cloth Doll Artistry
Design and Costuming Techniques for Flat and Fully Sculpted Figures
By
Barbara Willis

In this unique and beautiful book, beloved doll-designer
Barbara Willis guides readers through various approaches
to doll design and basic and advanced construction
techniques. Through the creation of three complete step by-
step projects, readers will develop color boards, learn
to use vintage images, create both two-dimensional and
three-dimensional cloth dolls, learn sophisticated costuming
techniques, and gain knowledge of elaborate soft sculpting.
A gallery shares the inspirational work of several well known
doll artists who have created their own versions of
each project. Complete patterns and templates are included.

Barbara Willis (Mountain View, CA) has been creating
dolls and teaching nationally and internationally
for over 30 years. She has been associated with the
quilting industry, fiber guilds, embroidery guilds
and clubs, International Quilt Market, The Knitting
and Stitching Show (UK) doll clubs, and workshop
events for all of her career. She has been featured
and published in many magazines including Sew
Beautiful, Cloth Dolls and Animals, Dolls Bears and
Collectibles, Better Homes and Gardens, Dolls and
many others over her career.

This is page 10, it talks about how to choose fabric for doll making.

Click on the image to enlarge so you can read about the first steps in choosing fabrics, layering trim and color combinations.

I loved this silhouette so much I decided to make a stencil of it and why not share it with you all!

Cloth Doll Artistry does include a whole bunch more patterns.

 

This is what I did with my stencil:

First I cut out the center part. I wanted to make a stencil because I knew it would be important to choose exactly where the print of the fabric was going to be.

I then pressed iron-on adhesive to the back side of the fabric.

Then I laid my stencil on the fabric and angsted over where to cut, not really but a little. I traced the silhouette with a pencil and then cut each dress out.

 

Here they are. I love them, I'm not sure what I am going to do with them but I think they are so cute!

I will be making more for sure.

Today's question:

What are you crafting for Mother's day?

I am completely stumped.

As a thanks for sharing you'll be entered to win a free book!

"K" is for Kernels of news, Margaret Hubert Wins 2 Flamies and Julia Andrus has 2 free bottle cap graphis

I want to personally congratulate Margaret Hubert for winning 2 of the 2009 Flamie awards!

Margaret won:

BEST FREE FORM DESIGN

And

THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD!!!!!

To see all the winners pop on over to The Crochet Liberation Front.

Margaret's next book (out this Fall) looks soooooo good:


 
  
Complete Photo Guide to Crochet: 1200 Photos: Basics, Stitch Patterns, and Projects

----------------------------------------

The next kernel of knews (I know there is no "K" in news but I'm on a roll here)!

Julia Andrus author of one of my all time favorite books for altering techniques:

Paper Transformed
A Handbook of Surface-Design Recipes and Creative Paper Projects

has a cute Black cherry bottle cap free downloadable graphic. Just click here to head on over to it! And click here for a "Thank You" bottle cap. And while you're there check out all her other goodies!

For today's question I ask you:

What are you going to make this weekend?

Are you going to make something you saw online? Or a project from a book?

As always, as a thanks for leaving a comment you'll be entered to win a free book!

Happy first day of Spring and bloomin' good crafting.

"J" is for Joyride ATC made from a graphic from Design Parts Sourcebook: Rock & Street Culture

I love Google!

I typed in, "good words that start with j"

and I got some really great sites that had some good lists of "J" words

jaded
jovial
jolly
jelly
joust
jiffy
jeffrey
jetty
jingo
juno
June
July
jasper
jeopardy
jubilant
Jurassic
jonquil
jagged!
Jump'n Jehosphat
Jazzy
jock
Johnny Jumpup
Jolly Roger
June Bug
Jaded
Jet
Jackal
Jeepers
Jim Jams
Justice
jailbird
Jamm'n
jaw bone, jaw, jaw breaker,
Java Man
Jester
Jag
Jeez
justice

jumping jalpeno' - as red hot pepper!
Jeronimo is pretty jood too!

Be 'jenerous' with your own thoughts and you'll think up something you really like.
justify, joker, jumps, joust, jupiter, juggles, juicy, jelly, jolly, jello, jiffy, jenny, johnny, junior, justin, joshua, jeremy, jordan,
justify
justice
julian
julliam
jockey
justin
jolly-rancher
jewish
jellatin
jumper
jumping
jupiter
ummmm..............jet-ski
juggernaut
jambalaya
jewel
jewellery
jackknife
jumping
January
Joule
Jaywalk
Jewelry
Jumping
just, jam, jinx, jewel, justify, jogging, jab, joust, juxtaposition, jelly, jeep, jerk, juice, jowl, jest, junk
jezebel
jiminy
jeepers

Well armed with lots of words, I picked "Joyride!"

Now off to find a picture to go with my word. I went to my handy-dandy copy of:

Design Parts Sourcebook: Rock and Street Culture
A Collection of Images for Artists and Designers

Oilshock Designs

Sub-culture graphics are ready for use in this book providing imagery that is useful for a variety or art types. Developed by a group of experienced designers from the apparel industry, these inspired images are great for printing onto T-shirts and other clothing and accessories, CD’s flyers, Web pages and even as references for tattoo art.

The illustrations are provided as print reference in the pages of the book and also provided on a companion CD-ROM. The files are available as both Illustrator EPS files and JPEG files, making them easy to modify and customize.

Oilshock designs is a designers’ company on fashion, apparel and sub-cultures, started in 2006, separated from JELLYFISH which was established by Satoru Kurahara in 1993.

It was tough to pick from all the cool car graphics in Design Parts Sourcebook: Rock and Street Culture but I landed on this one:

 

Feel free to download it and make your own ATC.

This is the one I came up with.

 

I got inspired to try a bit of fun photography. This is my neighbor's car, not quite the same model, but close! I clipped out the word Joyride from my English/Korean dictionary and matted it onto some fun green striped paper to make it pop a bit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I have another cool thing to share with you today.

Lisa Sonora Beam, author of

The Creative Entrepreneur
A DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real

sent this out yesterday and she gave me permission to share it with you.

Thanks Lisa!

The following is from Lisa:

Are you (or someone you love) freaking out about this crappy economy? Are you feeling the effects of it? Directly or indirectly?

9 Ideas to calm freak out and actually prosper now

PowerFULL Visual Journals in LA, March 28-29

Artistic Acts of Generosity

New Online Classes

9 Ideas to calm freak out and actually prosper now

1. If you have been thinking about ramping up your freelance work, or turning your hobby into a viable business--NOW is the time to start planning and developing an action plan.


2. If you are unemployed, instead of just sending out resumes, go and knock on the door of your ideal place to work and offer to volunteer or intern, for free, while you are job searching. This is a time for bold action. If you're not getting paid anyway, why not go check out some new opportunities?


3. "Luck favors the prepared." Can't remember who said that, but think about how you can prepare now, for the lucky break you want.


4. More millionaires were created during the Great Depression that at any other time.


5. If you have always been a freelancer or independent professional, and business is slow, use your slow time to develop a marketing plan and get busy marketing yourself! Creative people tend to just let business come to them (I am guilty of that, of course!). Well, now you have to market. It can be fun, I promise! And financially rewarding.


6. If you're a corporate gig person and are out of work, now is a great time to do some soul-searching. What do you really, really, really want to do? A down economy is a great time to go back to school, sharpen your skills, change careers, or take a long vacation.


7. During this slow time, try to go with the flow, rather than swim upstream. The mantra for this is: everything is cyclic. Take time to rest, recharge your batteries and sharpen your tools. When things get busy again, you can jump in well-rested and happy to have had some time off.


8. Turn off the news. For a day, week, or longer, and see how much better you feel. Regular media fasts are good for the creative soul at any time, but especially in a climate of fear and panic.


9. You are creative. This is your time to get creative, use your talents, and create the opportunities you want.

PowerFULL Visual Journals

at Carol Parks' NoHo Studio, March 28-29
I'm living my creative dream and I am passionate about helping others find and live theirs

How am I living my dream? I'll teach you the process I've used to launch successful businesses, keep my creative mojo working, rejuvenate my spirit and connect with my passion and purpose.

It's fun, productive, meaningful, valuable and all-in-all life-changing: PowerFULL Visual Journals.

Maybe you've tried keeping a visual journal, or art journal before, and got hung up on some common dilemmas: like wanting your pages to look artistic, or not knowing how much to journal, or write, over everything.

Or wondering how much to cover over your writing with imagery? Or wrestle with fear regarding of who might want to see your pages, especially if you publish or blog about your work.

Or perhaps you've found that having to get out art supplies keeps you from working in your journal at all, but you don't just want to write, either. Most of all, you might have wondered how keeping a visual journal translates to actual results in your creative and business life.

In the PowerFULL Visual Journal workshop you will learn:

    * The secrets to creating a journal you will actually work in and use regularly
    * All about art supplies: the best, cheapest, funnest-- and most meaningful-- ways to incorporate imagery into your journal
    * Ways of dealing with procrastination, self-criticism, judgments and other emotions that keep us from not working
    * How deal with wanting your pages to look "artistic" and still get your rough ideas down. Yes, you can have both!
    * All about writing: what to write, when to write, how to write and layer images--learn the techniques that work for you
    * How to return to your journal after an absence
    * What we mean by "Secret": Surprising and fun ways of getting your ideas out without fear of prying eyes
    * How to integrate your practices: What about morning pages, dream journals, gratitude journals and other stuff?

> Learn more and reserve your space

Try This At Home

In Artistic Acts of Generosity, I propose some ideas to mitigate the economic maelstrom we find ourselves in. Consider it the Creative Entrepreneur Economic Stimulus Package.. I welcome your thoughts and ideas, so please leave your comments on the blog.

Workshop at Home!
Save time and money on travel, and take the workshop in your pajamas, and on your own time! I'm excited to be able to offer online workshops and connect with those of you from afar. Here's a peek at what's coming up:

March 24: PowerFULL Visual Journals

April 6 + 13: Strategic Planner

Visual Journal page by Lisa Sonora Beam 

Hang in there, stay in touch + post your comments idea on the blog!