The Flea

I go to the Kane County flea market a few times a year.  I rarely buy anything, but I have fun looking at all the paraphernalia and all the people.  I have a friend who works there and that makes it even more fun to visit.  Today I saw lots of exciting ephemera which I wanted to buy but have no place to store and no idea what to do with.  I controlled my urge to purchase all these things, but imagine the art that could be created.

By the way, I did purchase a book of sheet music just in case I find myself lacking in collage material some day.  What do you love to buy at the flea market?

-christina

Making Art

Don’t think about making art,

just get it done.

Let everyone else decide

if it’s good or bad,

whether they love it or hate it.

While they are deciding,

make even more art.

-      Andy Warhol



Handmade Book Project

This week I taught some friends how to make a book.  My friends have a mother/daughter art group that meets once a month to exercise their creativity.  What a wonderful idea!  I was invited to teach them how to create a small 4” x 4” book using decorative papers, matte boards, and a canvas spine.  I learned to make this book at Art and Soul.

My book



This was my first opportunity to teach a book project.  I wrote very detailed directions – with photos – but I wasn’t sure how long the project would take.  It ended up taking 4 ½ hours.  My students were experienced crafters and they took lots of time being colorful and creative.  The end products were fabulous.
 



Creating the cover



Adding pages







Sewing it together



Final Product



I can’t wait to teach this class again.

-christina

Learning New Things

My trip to CREATE, Ca., was a great success.  I loved taking classes from Alisa Burke.  If you aren’t familiar with her, check out her blog here. 

Alisa Burke (right) and me

The most exciting thing I learned in California was free motion stitching.  We were able to use Bernina sewing machines in the stitching class and I am now having a lustful relationship with Bernina.  The machines were fabulous – automatic needle treading, automatic bobbin threading.  If it also gave me words of encouragement it would be the perfect machine!  I made 10 pieces but these 2 are my favorites.

An important lesson that I have learned through taking classes is not to stop partway through a project.  Even if things aren't turning out the way I want, I need to keep going.  It will get better and I will be able to make something good out of it.

CREATE is being held in Chicago at the end of August.  I'm not sure whether I will be taking any classes but it certainly is hard to resist an event that is only 5 miles away. 

I hope you create something today.

-christina