Craftside

The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery and I'm not kidding!

When I read a book I put sticky tabs on pages I want to go back to and either try out the technique or use the image as inspiration for a design I am working on. Lets just say my copy of

The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery
Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More
By
Karen Michel

is exploding with stickies!

This book has a wide range of techniques borrowed from both traditional and digital art has recently begun to blend into one art form, known as altered art. The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery is the only book currently on the market that provides fascinating tips and creative ideas solely focused on this new form of art. An in-depth discussion of manipulation techniques is supplied, making this an essential handbook for all artists and crafters looking for creative ways to alter and enhance various types of imagery in new and traditional ways, and then to integrate this altered art into their work.

Karen Michel has studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is a professional artist, painter, book artist, and teacher, and is founder of Creative Art Space for Kids, a nonprofit organization on Long Island, New York. She travels and teaches workshops, and has been widely published in books and art and craft magazines. She lives in Island Park, New York.

This page seemed obvious but it really reminded me about all sorts of simple modifications to a single image that really can transform it.

(click on image to enlarge)

Karen Michel is really talented, I wanted to see more so I went to her Website, her blog and then I popped over to her Etsy Shop and saw this Rebirth Print:

Pretty cool, hu?

Soooo, now that my mind is tickled with knowledge. I gave it a shot:

My original photo.

I desaturated the photo and then colorized it.

Here I desaturated and then inverted the image.

I then took the inverted image, duplicated it and mirrored it.

Give it a try! Play and have some fun with your images. Or download this image and use it in your art. If you do send us a note with a link to what you made, we would love to see!

SweaterBabe.com's Fabulous & Flirty Crochet-Flower

I'm a big fan of crochet and this book is packed full of some really yummy crochet.

SweaterBabe.coms Fabulous & Flirty Crochet
Gorgeous Sweater and Accessory Patterns from Los Angeles' Top Crochet Designer

By

Katherine Lee

Crocheting is the new knitting and no doubt, hot designer Katherine Lee is spurring the trend. The percentage of women under the age of 45 who know how to knit and crochet has doubled in the past six years. Retailers and the media are jumping on the bandwagon, too, by energizing many women who have not knitted or crocheted for years. It’s a hip, calming pastime to our hectic busy lifestyles.

Unfortunately, the crochet patterns on the market are not necessarily in tune with today’s young crocheter. That’s why this book is a must-have for any enthusiast. SweaterBabe.com’s Fabulous & Flirty Crochet provide this expanding market of crocheters with twenty fresh and fashionable designs from Lee, a top pattern designer and instructor.

These are not your boring old granny sweaters. These patterns are for beautiful, lacy, feminine, sweaters, camisoles, hats, belts, tanks, handbags, and scarves. Fun-to-make, and stylish to wear, these contemporary projects will appeal to crafters of every skill level.

Katherine Lee is a prolific crochet and knitwear designer and instructor based in Los Angeles, where she also runs her popular website SweaterBabe.com. An engineer and MBA by training and a former internet exec, Katherine changed careers to focus full time on her longtime passion for crochet and knitting. Her crochet and knitting designs are featured in magazines as well as several of the highly successful Vogue Knitting on the Go titles, Greetings from Knit Cafe, Fabulous Crochet Ponchos, and The New Crochet. She was a Guest Expert on the DIY show Uncommon Threads, in an episode called "Crochet Class", where she taught knitters how to crochet a simple triangular shawl. She teaches many classes, introducing the joys of crochet and knitting to hundreds of students in Los Angeles.

I love crochet because it is really easy to work in the round and make dimensional things like flowers. So when I saw this uber-cute flower with petals that overlap I just had to try it.

Here is the flower I "grew"

I used  Vickie Howell Collection's "Rock" in color- Siouxsie  with a size "I" crochet hook for the outside petals and Crystal Palace Yarns, Iceland in #7063 Dutch Blue and a size "J" crochet hook for the center of the flower.

I decided to use it to embellish a vintage style purse that was looking a little plain Jane. Not any more!

I could also pop it off and glue or stitch a pin back on it and I'd have a cool bloomin' pin.

Pop on over to SweaterBabe's blog for tons more yumminess!

or if you want a crochet butterfly to go with your flower check out Margaret Hubert's from her book Plus Size Crochet posted here.

Winged Embroidery Spa Mask and Cold Pack Cozy

You really can embroider everything, I'll prove it!

Embroidery to Embellish Everything
30 New Hand-Stitched Designs
By
Sharon Jankowicz and Kristin Jankowicz

A new generation is discovering embroidery, and Embroidery to Embellish Everything has the designs it is looking for - quick, easy, and perfect for personalizing anything from tops to socks. Envision a metallic red lion on the back of a jean jacket, or bright butterflies lighting on spa slippers. Every design is photographed on stylish clothing, accessories, home textiles, or a paper craft like a gift card. The designs feature wonderful new threads and some simple accents like beads and fabric paints. There are step-by-step instructions and full-sized patterns. A basics section teaches the stitches, which even a beginner can master in minutes, and gives tips about embroidering all kinds of fabrics and papers. The authors, a talented mother-daughter team, have created designs that they and their friends would love to wear, because they’re as fresh and contemporary as today’s clothes.

About the Author
Sharon and Kristin Jankowicz are designers for the craft industry. They're also graphic artists and passionate needle-crafters. They are a creative collaboration between Baby Boom and Generation X.

I will be making so many things from this book, but the first one is a variation on this cute and functional project:

(Click on images to enlarge)

I use cold packs on a regular basis (headaches, ug!) and I thought this motif would make a nice embellishment for a cold pack cozy which I am in desperate need of, currently I use a dishcloth.

I wanted to change it up just a tad. I brought the image into Photoshop and erased the clock and popped in a heart.

(Click on image to enlarge)

I printed the pattern out and then cut out around the parameter.

My favorite way to get an image onto fabric is to trace the shape onto the fabric with a wash-away marker. I then cut out the smaller shapes and trace around them until I have transfered all the design details. I am now ready to embroider!

Embroidery done.

I then cut one long piece of polar fleece for the back that was about twice as long as my cold pack and about an inch taller. This piece should wrap around your head with about a two inch overlap. I trimmed the embroidered fabric down to about an inch bigger than my cold pack and one more piece of fabric about the same size as my embroidered fabric section. These two pieces should be about an inch and a half longer than the back piece. (A half an inch for each end seam and for center seam.)

I then sewed the two small pieces together and the ends under.

Sew one side of the Velcro to the top of one end and the other side of the Velcro to the underside. Then stitch the front and back together with right sides facing.

Turn right side out and slip your cold pack into the cozy and enjoy! Well, at least it will hopefully make you feel better.

When you like your Jewelry to say Something

My inspiration comes from just about everywhere. In this case my Memorial Day patriotic jewelry is inspired by the great state of New Hampshire's motto:

(Click on image to enlarge)

Letter beads can be used in probably as many ways as there are words. Here is another bracelet that has something to say:

It is one of the 1000 jewelry design inspirations from, you guessed it, 1000 Jewelry Design Inspirations: Beads, Baubles, Dangles, and Chains.

By Sandra Salamony

A visual catalog for jewelry, bead artists and crafters who will relish the opportunity to have so many ideas at their fingertips to inspire their own projects.

This book is the second volume of Quarry's 1,000 series--an eye candy-laden follow-up to the very successful 1,000 Artist Trading Cards (Quarry, Spring 2007).

A showcase of stunning jewelry bits and pieces, "bling" and embellishments, will feed the creative appetites of crafters and jewelry makers everywhere. This second craft collection offers color, sparkle, texture, dimension, and clever, creative use of materials. One piece of jewelry might have several points of interest to be highlighted: an antique clasp, textured lampwork beads, and intricate knots.

About the Author:
An author of various books on art techniques, home decor, and crafts, Sandra Salamony makes a living as an art director, designer, and artist in northern Michigan. Her projects and designs have been featured in magazines, books, and on television.

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And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

Sneak Peek at Wool Pets-Too Cute for Words!

This book is sooooooo cute! I just couldn't wait until July to share a tiny bit with you.

Wool Pets
Making 20 Figures with Wool Roving and a Barbed Needle
By
Laurie Sharp, Kevin Sharp

Anyone can make cute and cuddly creatures from a handful of fluff and a barbed needle!

Needle felting is a new craft and is gaining in popularity. There are only a few books written on the subject and most of those focus on 'flat' needle felting on a surface. This book is about sculptural needle felting--creating 3-D animals and figures using the felting needle to sculpt wool.

This book shows the techniques and describes how the felting needle works with wool fiber to create felt, while explaining the differences between this art form and other forms of felting. You will learn how to hold the needle, what sort of materials to use, and why.

There are 20 complete projects including various birds, bugs, four-legged animals, and people--each one unique and irresistible! Laurie also shows the reader ways to display their felted creations as mobiles, ornaments, or arranged in shadow boxes.

And speaking of four-legged friends-here is a pair of cuties from the inside of pages of Wool Pets.

Laurie Sharp is a full time artist and has been needle felting for over 5 years. She raises her own sheep, shears and processes the wool for most of her projects. She has been featured on HGTV’s 'That’s Clever'. View her web site: www.woolpets.com. Her work has been shown in a number of galleries in the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and business partner, Kevin Sharp. Kevin is a professional photographer, and provides both beauty and how-to photography for this book. His work can be viewed on www.sharpphotography.com.

Be sure to check out Sew Simple Magazine to read about Laurie's Kits:
http://www.sewnews.com/sewsimple/

Laurie will be participating in the Edmond's Arts and Crafts Festival
http://www.edmondsartsfestival.com/
She'll have her preview copy with her so you can get more of a sneak peek there!

In July Laurie will be participating in the Northwest Needlearts Market
http://nwneedlemarket.org/Home_Page.html
and hopefully the books will be available to all by then!

And Laurie's local fabric and crafts shop, Ester's Fabrics, where she teaches regularly will likely be scheduling a book signing! Be sure to check in to find out the details.
http://www.esthersfabrics.com/

And pop by her blog here.

But if you need a needle felting fix now (say that 5 times fast!) and just started reading this blog, Check out this post for some fun needle felted coaster projects that includes templates!
 

Ready, Set, Quilt- Contour Quilted Cell Phone Cozy

This book:
Ready, Set, Quilt
Learn to Quilt with 20 Hot Projects
By
Cheryl Owens

Really got me in the mood to quilt something!

Patchwork, appliqué, and whole-cloth stitching -- 3 quilting styles and 20 great projects.

Ready, Set, Quilt provides new quilters with 20 easy accessories and home accents to make by hand or machine. The early chapters teach the basics of hand- and machine-quilting techniques and introduce all the essential tools and materials. Later chapters give a new twist to the traditional quilting techniques of patchwork, appliqué, and whole-cloth stitching. You'll be inspired by what you can create with just a little imagination and a few, simple, fabric shapes. Projects include coverlets, pillows, wallhangings -- and even an appliquéd nightshirt and blue-jean jacket.

Ready, Set, Quilt provides first-time quilters with an introduction to three of the most popular quilting techniques -- and a range of easy and inspiring projects to try out their skills.
The spiral, stand-up format makes it easy for you to follow the instructions while you work on each project.
This book has the series’ characteristic features: clear written instruction and step-by-step sequences, inspiring photographs of finished objects (on models in the targeted age group), and a helpful glossary of specialty terms.

About the Author

Cheryl Owen is a regular contributor to many craft and lifestyle publications, including Good Housekeeping, Family Circle and Inspiration magazines. Trained as a fashion designer, she now creates projects for some of the world’s best-known craft manufacturers such as Offray Ribbons and Hallmark. She has written over two dozen books for adults and children on fabric, paper, and bead crafts including Candle Making (CPi).

(click on image to enlarge)

I wondered, "What do I need that would lend itself to being quilted?" I stood in the middle of my studio and look around. My eyes fell on my cell phone and it came to me. I need a cell phone cozy that clips to my waistband and holds the phone horizontally.

So I went to my quilting fabric stash and pulled out a fabric that had an image that I thought would make a cool motif and be easy to contour quilt. I also pulled some thin batting, a backing fabric and get this- a hair clip to use as the clip on the back!

So I followed the fabulous instructions for contour quilting in Ready, Set, Quilt and then sewed up my little fabric sandwich into a pocket.

Here it is from the inside, my stitching shows up a bit better on the backing fabric.

(Click on images to enlarge)

I then sewed the hair clip to the back of the cozy with a double strand of embroidery floss and it works great! Now that I've tried Contour Quilting I think I'll be giving some of the other fun quilting techniques in Ready, Set, Quilt a try!