Craft Therapy

New journey, new book started-Weekend Zen

Woke up this morning in a funk... had a dream last night reliving my departure from work, where I had been for 10 1/2 years. I know it's going to take a while to settle into my transition from "working mommy" to "home mommy", but today I really felt it.  As it would happen, I was watching DIYnetwork's Craft Lab, and the episode was on altered books. Now, I've done an altered book, but it's been a looooong time.... and I've been so consumed with "projects" lately- mostly gifts- that I haven't made any spontaneous artwork. The show was just the reminder that I needed to get me cracking open a new-old book to alter.
     So how is this a Weekend Zen? I'm glad you asked! I was so anxious just to START, that I decided to limit myself to the left overs on my studio table. Those who know me will vouch that I am NOT a neat-nik, and frags from old art projects live in little bowls on my table... you know, scraps of paper, buttons, trims, stickers- really just stuff that I can't bear to throw away. So that became my starting point: use the junk on the table. It gave me a really great base of some painted paper, some gold paint, and some trim.... and then I gave myself permission to use some rubber stamps I bought 2 months ago but never opened....so there's the "J" and "journey." So appropos to today's theme.   
    Bottom line: I woke up feeling funky, but I feel better now.... and I've got a new place to put my funky feelings in! Detailed photos in the Altered Art photo album at the right....

Weekend Zen- change of scenery

It's been busy around here lately, what with the good jewelry mojo, and Creative Arts Therapies Week at work- we made drums from coffee cans, mailing tubes, fabric, and shrink wrap for about 50 patients... over a 100 drums were made! Oh, spreading the crafty love with my Art Therapist friend Jenna is my idea of a good work-week!! But more on that another time.... so in the meanwhile, we're getting ready for family reunion. So what else is a crafty chick to do, but take the show on the road?!

I'm packing my bead-box to the brim, and taking along some knitting for the car. So here's my moment of Zen for you. Go somewhere, and take your art with you. How about a drive - and then knitting in the forest? Or go downtown, to the busiest place- and work on a journal page. Or visit a body of water and bead. And if you're inclined, take a camera- even a disposable will do- and take some random shots- closeups of manhole covers, shots of the sky, pix of pebbles.... and maybe those images will find their way into your next project. But get out of your studio and take your art-making into the wide, wonderful world.....

Beaded Book Thongs

OK, so technically the weekend's over, but here's something you could get done in fifteen minutes or so... so you could made a whole slew of 'em by Friday.... but to the point: I had to make some bookmarks for a swap... and since I've been in my jewelry mode, I brought out the glass bead tray and whipped a few up. The idea is simple, and you only need some thin cording (or beading wire, or waxed linen thread, which is what I used. Embroidery floss would work, too, if you waxed it a little), some crimp beads, a charm or two, and about 8 glass beads. (Again, what ever you've got...)
I started by cutting a piece of waxed linen thread about 16 inches long, and threading on a charm at the end of it. I made a nice little loop, and secured it with a crimp bead. (You could knot it... I'm not a purist.) Then I added some glass beads from my stash, some spacers, a bead cap....about 3 inches of bead-y-goodness, which I then followed with another crimp bead. Next, you eyeball about 10 inches- the length of a good paperback...and crimp another bead on. (Or knot, you get the idea. Follow with another round of bead-y goodness... you can make it match or mirror the other part, or not...and finish off with another charm and crimp bead.
The end result is lovely to look at and functional. Unbeknownst to them, all of my friends are getting one for their birthdays...
So, one last thing... you could also use organza ribbon, as long as you can poke it through the hole of your beads. No beads? Well, how about cutting apart an old necklace? Or visiting the thrift store? Do your kids have any pony beads? They're fun, too... Scrounge around, you'll find something.... and I've included some photos in the"Miscellaneous"  folder at the right for inspiration. Cheers!

Crafting Zen....

Janene in our Yahoo group wrote: "I like this Zen thing. I didn't know it had a name." Which got me thinking... "Zen" comes from a form of Buddhism, in which meditation, intuition, and self-contemplation can bring about enlightenment, rather than faith and devotion. So, my idea of Crafting Zen comes from enjoying the process, without pre-conceived notions of the outcome, rather than being perfectionistic about the technique. The resulting craft/product teaches us about our own sense of intuition, and gives us fodder for awareness and insight. And, in the literal sense, 'crafting' is a synonym for "making"... so we really are creating our own enlightenment.  Craft on, indeed!

Weekend Zen- "Zetti" yourself.

What is "Zetti"? It's short for Zettiology, and it's the magical brain-child of Teesha Moore. Anyway, the gist of is to take a picture- I suggest one yourself, or your kids, or cat, or whatever, and add stuff to it. Usually Teesha will add crowns, wings, or color in the legs with Pippi-Longstocking- like stripes. You can see a great examples here. Brenda Braun also has some examples on her blogspot here. (You just need to scroll down a little.)

So, start with a background page (may I suggest your fabulous hand-dyed paper from last week's Zen?) and your photo. Or a copy of it. Personally, I'm going to use the most unflattering picture of myself I can find.... after you glue it down, look through some magazines until you find a hat, crown, or tiara to use... or just cut a triangle from a cool pattern and stick it on the head... look for wings, and do the same... or cut a hearta from a cool pattern and stick it on the body... continue to add stuff... cool words... glitter glue. Sequins. Pictures of flowers... you get the idea... fill the page. Have fun, don't think too much, and don't take yourself (or whomever in the picture) too seriously. Make a whimsical portrait. Share it with me & my yahoo group, and I'll sent you a little goodie for playing!

Weekend Zen- tissue paper watercolors

Looking for a little Zen this weekend? Want something new to try? Time to get out some tissue paper- or better yet, crepe paper (even old streamers will do!) If you've ever gotten colored tissue paper wet, you know what a messy disaster it is... so let's use this for some really fabulous paper! You'll need the aforementioned tissue/crepe paper, heavy duty paper, or watercolor paper, and a plant mister. Or squirt gun. (Be creative.) Start off with your large paper on a stack of old newspapers or a plastic garbage bag- like I said, it's messy. Mist it down so it's mostly damp. Tear up said tissue/crepe, and lay it down on the paper. Mist it some more, and the colors will start to bleed and dye the paper. Leave it to dry... really, no peeking! When you take off the tissue, you'll find some fun paper to use in collage, paper crafts, whatever. Some colors bleed more than others, so each sheet will be a surprise. By the way, this is called "wet-on-wet"- if you left the H20paper dry, then put the tissue on, and THEN misted it down, it would be called "wet-on-dry" and you'd get sharper, crisper lines on the paper.  Really, try both. It's cheap, fun, and very Zen.

**For some extra ides on how to make books using your groovy new paper, try Susan Gaylords site.**