Art Hanging by a Thread

Aren't these pieces from Gabriel Dawe beautiful?  I love the simplicity.  It's just thread.

Here's his website if you are interested. I found him on page 72 of the only book about art from recycled materials in our local university: Raw+Material=Art by Tristan Manco.

Breaking-the-Rules Skirt (in an Afternoon)

I didn’t actually make this in afternoon, but I easily could have.

However, there are consequences for breaking the rules!

Here’s how I did it. First, I love my Country Cute Skirt because it has all the convenience of pants (mainly pockets) and all the comfort of a skirt (easy to move and sit in).  So I decided to make another one with fabric donated by my dear friend, Jen S. from her Grandmother’s unwanted fabric stash.

The capris were low-riders from the thrift store.  They looked super cute on me (if I do say so myself, which I obviously just did!) but whenever I wear low-riders, I keep tugging them up to my waist where they feel more comfy, and then they aren’t comfy elsewhere.

Who Knew?

When the name Alan Smithee is credited as a film's director it means that the real director has disavowed the project and does not want his or her real name to be used.

 That is a lot of work to not want credit for because  you think someone else botched it!

The above tidbit is quoted from the book Who Knew? Things You Didn't Know About Things You Know Well by David Hoffman page 105

Additional Shelves: Power Tools Are Not Always Fun

This was much more work than I thought it would be!  Using only left over and repurposed materials added to the challenge.

But the result is more efficient use of space.
Here's the before:

 And here's the after:

I wasn't wandering around the blog-o-sphere looking for stuff to re-post.

I was waiting by the phone for someone to call so I could interview her so I could meet my deadline on a freelance writing project.

So far, no call.

But whilst meandering around the Internet and casting dark looks at the phone I found this:

The source blog is called Skruben.  No kidding. Click here for the original post.

Has anyone tried this?

Does anyone want to lend me a 2 liter plastic bottle so I can try this?  (I promise to get back to you about how it works.) 

Weekly Round-Up

This week I....

.... worked on my nephew/godson's supposed Christmas gift, a handmade and original book.  I have serious doubts about getting it done in time....

Lie to me.  Tell me this looks like a vole!

... measured the backyard to plan our huge garden!
... volunteered at the craft booth at the parish bazaar.  I learned that items for wrapping other items (gift bags, gift card wrappers) sold quite well.  There were also some fun stuffed animals that went.  I could try designing goofy stuffed dolls--that might be fun.  Crafting is not all that lucrative, so I'm not going to make stuff that isn't fun to make unless I can do it in front of the TV.

... sweet-talked My Beloved into cutting up leftover paneling from the basement project for, you guessed, more shelves.  (I would do it myself but the circular saw is too heavy for me to both lift and control.)
... priced Macs.  As in, the computers.  Now I'm trying to if I want one badly enough to spend that much money on it.  The actual computer isn't that expensive, but there would be a lot of software to buy since I need voice recognition software and I have art projects in mind that will require Photoshop, plus the ergonomic keyboard, a back-up system, a DVD player/burner, etc...  In fact, my husband noted that a Mac would probably cost more than we could get for our smaller car.

Art Via.... Cleaning?

Ok, I'm not saying this is going to inspire me to consider scrubbing the kitchen floor to be art, but this is pretty cool.

This artist makes art, not by adding, but by removing.  Dirt and grime, that is.

It's an important concept, though: sometimes art = removing. 

Check out his website for more, especially if you can read German!

I discovered him via the book Raw+Material=Art which I've been enjoying flipping through.  It has an international flair to it, and I'm definitely seeing some larger-than-life art.