Craftside

Happy Valentine's Day Crafty blogger links

Celebrate Valentine's Day by getting your craft on!

First check out this cool article that Noah Scalin's new book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal: Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life! was featured in over at The New York Times which is a list of 100 Ways to Celebrate 100th Day of School.

About Family Crafts
If you are in need of a last minute Valentine, check out these printable cards.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen offers you a new recipe along with a cupcake postcard you can download and send to a friend. Remember: when all else fails, keep calm and eat a cupcake!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi has a pop out card tutorial on her blog this week.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Check out this recycled/reused craft supply score.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Connie has a versatile Heart and Hands Blessing pattern for use as a Valentine, wedding, anniversary, or even a St. Patrick's Day project.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Eileen has some tips for Tara and other aspiring young artists.

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi decided to dust off her needle and thread for a brand new project.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
See how to make a recycled sweater, fabric and button cuff.

A fun sentiment I love to kick off this Valentine weekend from the book Lust: A Traveling Art Journal of Graphic Designers

This page from Lust: A Traveling Art Journal of Graphic Designers says, "Let's marry* our ideas" and then "*you can always get divorced and run away with a new one!" Want to win this or any book from Qbookshop? Answer Wednesday's question on this post and on the Craftside Facebook page and you can pick any book you want!!!

I will leave you with this thought. :)

More about the really, really cool book it's from:

Lust: A Traveling Art Journal of Graphic Designers

by

James Victore

What would you do or make if you had an unlimited budget, a visionary client, and complete control? We all dream of high-paying, high-profile jobs and crave for more creativity in our work. Lust is a peek into what is possible when designers are allowed to pursue this dream.

 Lust is a documentary of unrealized projects and a traveling report of creativity from around the world; a handmade sketchbook zig-zagging across six continents, gathering steam and collecting documents. In it are designers, dreams, and a peek into their processes.

James Victore is a self-taught, independent artist and designer. Design clients include Moet & Chandon, Aveda, Apple, Fuse TV, TIME Magazine, Yohji Yamamoto, Yamaha, The New York Times, and The School of Visual Arts. Victore’s designs are in the permanent collections of the Palais du Louvre, Paris, the Library of Congress, Washington, DC, the Design Museum in Zurich, the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, and, most recently, the MOMA in New York City where his work will be exhibited until 2010. He teaches graphic design at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He lives, loves, and works in Brooklyn, NY.

 

Three samples of extreme letter styles from the book Modern Calligraphy and Hand Lettering by Lisa Engelbrecht

Write something fancy today! Or start working on some special Valentines. For a bit of inspiration check out these three extreme letter styles from the book Modern Calligraphy and Hand Lettering: A Mark-Making Workbook for Crafters, Cardmakers, and Journal Artists.

Like writing in all sorts of styles and want some great tutorials and inspiration? Then grab yourself a copy of:

Modern Calligraphy and Hand Lettering:

A Mark-Making Workbook for Crafters, Cardmakers, and Journal Artists

By

Lisa Engelbrecht

Calligraphy, the art of elegant, beautiful lettering, has increased in popularity over the last several years. From brides who want to address their wedding invitations to do-it-yourselfers who want to prepare certificates or make a family tree, and even for art journalers and scrapbookers who like creative text in their works, calligraphy books and classes are hot.

This new-in-paperback book will spark the interest of the calligraphy novice by introducing a new approach to lettering, one that combines a lively combination of traditional lettering styles, fun and scripty modern styles, and artsy street-style lettering, along with project ideas that incorporate creative lettering.

 Modern Calligraphy and Hand Lettering demonstrates the uses of traditional and cutting edge lettering tools, from classic calligraphy pens to bling-producing metallic foils and glue pens. It introduces a wide array of lettering styles with complete alphabets sample artworks that show an application. Fully stepped-out illustrations break down each letterform, taking the reader through each stroke and a large collection of gallery images provides further inspiration for how to use creative lettering in artwork.

Lisa Engelbrecht (Long Beach, CA) is a lettering artist and was an instructor of calligraphy at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, where she instituted a Certificate in Calligraphy. She teaches workshops and classes around the country specializing in lettering on fabric and alternative surfaces, experimental lettering and the creative process.

 

Love Bird Puppet Valentine featured in the book Paper Puppet Palooza by Norma V. Toraya

Click on the image to enlarge and read about this super cute lover bird puppet valentine made by Donna Leishman. This is one of the great designs featured in the gallery section of:

Paper Puppet Palooza:
Techniques for Making Moveable Art Figures and Paper Dolls
By

Norma V. Toraya

There is nothing more enchanting than the simple, funny movement created by a flat, two-dimensional paper puppet. Puppets are automatically, and inherently, amusing. Paper Puppet Palooza shows you how to make a wide variety of moveable paper puppets, marionettes, shadow puppets, charming toys, and novel, artful gifts.

In addition to each of the basic puppet construction styles, exciting variations include instructions for making a puppet theatre, moveable greeting cards, rod puppets, and more. An enjoyable cast of puppet characters the famous Paul Palooza, a dashing Zebra known as The Great Zesby, and the lovely dancer, Ananushka Pupehklova, and many others will guide you through your puppet-making adventure.

Norma Toraya, aka Crankbunny, is an animation director for Curious Pictures in NYC where she works on commercials, music videos, TV intros, documentaries, and projections for different clients. Her animation work and charming puppet work can be found online at www.crankbunny.com.

Click on Paper Puppet Palooza tag below to see more inside peeks into this book and an interview with the author and see where she creates!