Score!

On a recent antiquing adventure with friendsI found this great package of beer coasters.  The owner of the store was keen on telling me that she thought they might be extra special because she doesn't think that particular brand is still brewed (I think that it is... lol... but it doesn't matter either way) because all I could see when I saw the stack were canvases for zentangles... these coasters measure 3 1/2  x 3 1/2 which is the zentangle 'standard' size (although they are most definitely done on ALL sizes on all manners of canvas!)  I can hardly wait to get started...!

what's your best 'score' lately?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Spring has SpRunG!

I hosted my first swap.... it was part of the newfangled zentagles group I belong to... this group encourages experimentation (in general, tangles are black ink on white/cream background).... this one is not...

I used watercolors, chalks, inks on water color paper

Today's nod to the celebration of crafts is a nod to my love of textiles..... and a further nod to organics as well as modern prints... I just stumbled upon this site and can't wait to place an order... I have no idea what I'm going to make, but right now that doesn't seem to matter.... ; )  Check out Daisy Janie at
http://www.daisyjanie.com/index.html

envie envy

Trading these fabulous miniature works of art (ATCs) has been so fun for so many reasons... one of which is the discovery of mini envelopes to send them in.... (I know, it's the little things in life that gives me such pleasure!)  I've received some very cool envies and finally I took one apart to use as a template.  You could use any kind of paper, really... scrapbook paper, wrapping paper.... I had a couple Paper-Source catalogs on hand that I thought would be fun to turn into envelopes...

I'm going to work on making a template to share with you, but in the meantime here are the photos.... (and you can always make any size envies... just think of it as wrapping a package.  Tape runners (or 2 way tape) works wonderfully well.

template:

folded piece before taping:

new life as an envie:

envies a plenty:

and today's craft moment.... the Paper-Source blog is full of ideas and links to templates!
what color is your envelope?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Eat your Green....

A recent swap had us creating ATCs that were GReeN... at least 80% had to be green aka 'most' .... and knowing how much I love green, you know I just had to sign up... but what to do... what to illustrate.... ???

Well my fave veg and my fave fruit, of course..... juicy and delicious...  I used chalk, watercolor, and pen on watercolor paper.

Today's craft moment....one of the more inspirational sites I follow... johnnie's work has a wonderfully positive energy...  http://www.savedbylovecreations.com/2010/03/winners-choice-giveaway.html  I'm so glad I found her site...!

fave fruit? fave veggie?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Once upon a time...

there was a girl and she liked being a girl very much because being a girl rocks it out and so she made it her goal to eradicate (big word for small blog) the use of 'like a girl' as being a negative and instead used it as a statement for being or doing your best...!  ride like a girl..... run like a girl.... play like a girl.... cry like a girl (cuz let's face it.... crying is NOT a bad thing!)....

today's craft moment.... hey... CRAFT like a GIRL!!!!! wooHOO.... anyway.... today's craft moment: one of the wonderful things about my promise to share cool 'craft' or art sites with you in celebration of national craft month is all the new and wonderful sites and blogs I'm finding... I hope you are enjoying the exploring.... because these fabulous femails are awe inspiring....

http://hearthandmadeuk.blogspot.com/   this site offers up tutorials, commentary, and one of my most favorite things... stunning photography either snapped by the author herself, or found shots decidedly in need of being shared.  enjoy.

what do you do like a girl...?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Terrific Tote!

In celebration of craft month I offer up Confessions of a Sewing Addict.  I was on the hunt for a tote/bag to utilize while working (a purse just isn't cutting it) and I was so excited to find this site... I DID NOT MAKE THIS BAG... this is Martina's fabulous work and pattern (which she generously shares on her blog)... so click and visit today!

In celebration of my find I went on the hunt for fabric today.... I found a hidden treasure in Menominee Michigan... a wonderfully fabulous quilt shop called Quilter's Haven.  The owner, Chris, is warm welcoming and has delicious fabrics and patterns (yes... I do buy patterns because even though I don't use them in the traditional sense, I look at the pictures and figure out the project.) She is currently remaking her website, but I'm going to share her link anyway... quiltershavenltd.com

The fabric I bought is gorgeous, don't you think?  These are for two separate totes....larger pieces are for the Tote Exterior and the smaller  for the lining....WooHOO!!!
what color is your tote?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Celebrate Craft Month

I totally forgot that March is national (?) Craft month.... I love that there is a month devoted to the craft of crafts... ; )  I urge you to 1- make time for your favorite craft, 2- learn a new craft, and 3- encourage others to celebrate national craft month!

I, of course am celebrating the whole year since my 'theme' this year is 'awaken the artist'.... but specifically this month from here on out I will highlight one favorite craft site each day either in a post dedicated to that particular craft or as the final paragraph in the post.

Today I share with you a wonderful, wonderful artist and her blog that celebrates the paper arts.... I encourage you to visit because there you are sure to be inspired to try new things.  http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/   Ink Stains by Roni Johnson is a trove of delicious ideas.  She is also the author of the Teach Yourself Visually Collage and Altered Art.

What craft have you been wanting to try?  What are you waiting for???

...scatter joy...
lindy

mini red zen*tangle INCHIES

Have you noticed that when I try something, I keep on trying it over and over and over and over again.... lol... probably boring you to tears... and that's one of the reasons I want to change up the organization of my blog... so that I provide a little more balanced commentary on what's going on in this collage called my life.

However, I'm not there yet, so, if you can indulge me just another minute, here are the Inchies I made for the Red Zentangle Inchie swap.  I thought it was going to be very difficult to draw in that teeny space... but I drew the tangles BEFORE I cut the inchies.  (Thanks, D, for the awesome tip!)

Have you tangled yet?

...scatter joy...
lindy

What are INCHIES????

That was my question when I first saw the challenge on Swap-Bot. 

So, as is my custom, I did a search to see just what these things called 'inchies' are.  In the most basic sense, they are miniature works of art measuring 1"x1" and can be done using any variety of methods.  I still don't know what one 'does' with these little works of art... display them? collect them? keep them?  probably.  But I have a few other ideas as well... I think they are the perfect size for magnets, pins, and embellishments for larger works of art.

Here are my very first inchies...

I was so excited about these... I read the person's profile and saw that pink and black was her favorite color combo... and then, she has her own webiste offering her custom Tutus (it's great...if you have girls in your life, I think you should check it out!)... anyway, I assumed because she makes these custom tutus that she sews....... so several of the inchies focused on sewing.

After I completed the work I perused her profile one last time only to discover that she actually DOES NOT LIKE sewing.... arghhhhhhhhhh... how did I MISS that???? so I scibbled off  a note to her explaining my blunder and she was very gracious.... and she wrote back that her mom, in fact, loves sewing and that she was going to share those with her!

What have you 'missed' lately

...scatter joy...
lindy

Postage Stamp ATC

I promise that I'll try and start mixing it up a bit between showing my art and sharing more craft ideas, links and instructions... it's just I'm sooooooooo enamored with these right now... AND it's all I'm doing.... lol....

For this swap we had to take a postage stamp and build a theme around it.  I like the way it turned out!  It is difficult to tell but it is 3 dimensional.  It was my first time using a layering technique and having things pop off the page...

Do you believe?

...scatter joy...
lindy

FAST & FABULOUS... crafts for even the BUSIEST of souls

'Awaken the Artist' is my 2010 mantra and so far, so good, good, good.... !!! And, given the new assignment I've been given for work it's going to be very easy for me to dedicate time to this endeavor... however, for some of you who are a little more time-challenged I found this GREAT website FasterCraft... here is how they describe their site: About FasterCraft

Our goal here at Fastercraft is to help you fit crafting into your life. We bring you projects you can do quickly, and help you find ways to make those things fun and as affordable as possible. If you have questions or suggestions please send them to fastercraft (at) gmail (dot) com.
 
Check out all their fast and fabulous ideas!

Felting Fun and the Ugly I Received

I signed up for the Ugly Swap because I wanted to make one... wasn't all that interested in receiving one... especially because I'm trying to streamline and simplify.... but my partner really worked some magic... she created an Ugly in Green (I don't think she actually named it... hmmmm do you notice a trend here and my obsession with the naming of things???)  but... adorable it IS.... (Bax thinks it belongs to him but I've not given in (yet)! 

What would you name this little guy???

...scatter joy...

lindy

Alphabet of Life ATCs

So the other part of Swap-Bot is the receiving of items....  Here are the first ATCs I've received... these begin my collection and are for the Alphabet of Life Swap.... Part of the interesting thing is in seeing how different people interpret the theme and create their miniature works of art....

What are some ways you've experienced different interpretations?

...scatter joy...

lindy

An Ugly Creation

So another Swap-Bot swap.... This one to Create an Ugly Doll.... I'm not exactly sure what drew me to this swap... I do not want to begin collecting these dolls.... although there is something weirdly appealing about them.... maybe it was just the opportunity to craft one and then be able to send it off to someone.... of course, that doesn't account for the fact that another will be finding its way to me.... lol....

My swap partner had in her profile that she likes fairies.... and so I made mine a Fairy Ugly Doll.....

This was a very quick and easy craft and if you have tweens/teens/ or people who just like to collect unusual things, this could be just the thing. (This could also make an awesome Doggie Toy... Bax was utterly disappointed that he wasn't the recipient of this doll!)



1. Use a felt or wool fabric... a scrap will do as these are not huge dolls... 8-11" on average probably and can be any color.

2. You do not need a pattern.  I REPEAT: YOU DO NOT NEED A PATTERN.... simply lay out a double layer of fabric and then roughly sketch the shape you'd like your Ugly Doll to be.... (if you don't know what Uglys are, do a simple google search for 'Ugly Doll' and take a look.

3. Cut out the fabric leaving aprx 1/4 for seam allowance.  Because they are not always exactly symmetrical you don't have to worry (although this part would definitely bug some of my more perfect friends ---and you know who you are!)

4. Sew (but leave an opening to put in the stuffing), stuff (lightly... not packed firmly), sew closed and embellish.   Ohhhhhhhhh and don't forget to name your Ugly....

This project took me aprx 1 hour to complete. ; ) 

What would your Ugly look like... and what would its name be?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Dancing the zenTANGO

I love arts.  I love crafts.  And I really LOVE learning something new... so my new fascination continues to grow... zentangles.  I am new new new so judge not too harshly.... and have to say... I love it.  It's easy... anyone can do it... and you end up feeling very artistic...!  I am currently in a couple of swaps involving the exchanging of these mini works of art on swap-bot (another new fascination...)

What has caught your fancy?

... scatter joy...
lindy

a merry mummy christmas!

I did it!  I finished my mom's christmas pressie and now it's on it's way to florida to arrive just in time for the festivities!

As many of you can relate to, each year it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out just what to give our parents for the holidays.  I came up with this idea last month while at the Craft Social... as I was learning how to make artistic doodles (aka zentangles) a million ideas on how to use this artform came flooding in... among them the brill idea I had for gifting my mumma.

As I reflect on my own life stories, it occurred to me that I really knew too few of my mom's stories and so what better way to get her to tell them to me than to present her with a 'journal' for writing them down.... including some touches of art throughout to keep it interesting.

It's easy peasy:

1. Buy a suitable notebook to use for the journal.  (I chose spiral bound because it will lay flat, and lined for ease of writing.)  I found this one in the clearance cubbies at Paper Source.
2. Modify and embellish at will (keep in mind how long it will take because once you start you'd hate to only get 1/2 way through)
3.Compile the thought starter questions and write them throughout the journal. ( It's much much easier to tell you a story if you ask me a question first, to get me started.)

If you'd like to use my questions to start from, just email me and I'll send you the file. 

There are so many stories we need to share with each other and this really is a great idea not only for our elders but also think about writing your stories now... as you live them... what a wonderful gift for your own family members and friends.

How does your story begin?

...scatter joy...
lindy

girls night in

One of my favorite fabulous femails recently hosted a craft evening in her home.... the art of knitting was the craft dejour .... there were many highlights to the get together not the least of which was a reminder of just how incredible women are and how much I love the creative energy when we spend time together.

Fran also schooled us on the art of hosting.... she had a space all set up for our evening of crafting...and imagine our delight when each of us had 'prizes' waiting for us.... she stunned us all with individualized hand-painted signs, calendars, socks and gloves....

These thoughtful touches really made a huge impact.  We were all simply delighted.....   We feasted on vegan delights AND we learned how to knit (I learned how to 'cable stitch' and knit on circular needles.... )  it just doesn't get any better.....

How do you show your friends appreciation?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Craft Social Part II

Reduce, REUSE, recycle (upcycle)... 

A fun twist at Friday's Craft Social was the swap table.... people brought in their extras and everyone was invited to take what they would be able to use and anything left over at the end of the night was to be donated.  I could not pass up some great 'green' fabric.... it's upholstery swatches that will be perfect for the cell phone holders we made.... and the yarn... lol.... well, knitting IS my new fave, so how could I possibly pass up this yarn that is the perfect mix of my favorite colors (and coincidentally matches my favorite winter puffy vest!)

What is something old that you could make new again...?

...scatter joy...
lindy

knit two, purl two....

I met up with a friend last weekend and she helped reintroduce me to a craft I've always loved.... knitting.  I started with a very easy project...... and have already completed it....!    Isn't it amazing how it can go from this.....                                     

to this?!

 Another fabulous friend has organized a craft evening in her home... we are going to be knitting a cowl scarf, simply perfect for the beginner.... Mmmm... I have to pick out yarn.  I think that warrants a trip to Sister Arts Studio......

My hint:  Choose an easy project, aka a scarf and make it a little on the narrow side (I only cast on 16 stitches...)... the benefit is it doesn't take long at all to see progress and that motivates you to keep going... and before you know it, fini!  Amy's hint:  If you make the scarf as long as you are tall, you'll have enough length to wrap or loop with ease...!  I made mine a little longer than that and I still didn't finish the skein of yarn.... !!!

What childhood craft would you like to rediscover?

...scatter joy...

lindy

fabric coil bowl .... part 1

I'm very excited about the Craft Social coming up August 14th... the first one a couple months ago actually inspired me to start my blog... I met loads of fabulous women, had fun with a new craft, and had the best time ever... The energy was incredible.

This time I'm going to lead a table and the craft I've chosen is a fabric coiled bowl. I've previously done this with a sewing machine but am modifying it a bit for hand sewing because we won't have electrical outlets handy.... here's my first go.

I love the narrow diameter of the cord I used this time, but will use something slightly thicker for the actual event so that everyone can finish their bowl that evening at the social. Initially I thought it needed to be 'perfect' to show everyone... (sometimes that gets in my way in life, too)... so I took a deep breath and snapped the pics.... just as it is. ...

what is something that is difficult for you to like, just as it is.... what makes it difficult... how do you move through it....?

...scatter joy... lindy