FaveCraft Reporter

It's true! I am a FaveCrafts reporter and I am now featured on the FaveCrafts Radio page at http://www.favecrafts.com/index.php/hct/FaveCrafts-Radio. I will be talking trends with host, Tiffany Windsor, twice a month. My next interview will be aired on March 28, at 7:3opm. We will discuss the patchwork denim trend, so be sure and listen in for all the latest about trends and crafting.

You may also want to check out Cool2Craft. Tiffany launched Cool2Craft in January 2010, and it's a place for cool crafters to share their creativity. It's every Monday at 12 o’clock Noon Eastern (11 am Central, 10 am Mountain, 9 am Pacific) for Cool2Craft webTV.
Watch the show, join in the chatroom and ask our guests questions. It’s all live. It’s the COOLEST interactive web show!

Ceramic Utopia

I LOVE whimsical things. So when I came across this ceramic artist, Natalya Sots, on Etsy I had major art envy! I wanted a piece of her art in the worst way. But I restrained myself.....until.........I found out that some of her pieces are being featured in our booth at the upcoming NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) show. Three of her ceramic creations arrived here at iLTC and many of us (me!!!) could not stop admiring them. Seriously, they are fabulous when you see them in a photo, but when you can hold one and see the attention to detail and the superb craftsmanship, well..............I went back on Etsy and ordered a purple cup. I love the matte finish of the purple in contrast to the high gloss of the green, black & white. And for me, anything with a dramatic pop of black and white just puts me over the edge with happiness!

What I make...

I get asked now and then by people who haven't been to my house, what kinds of things I paint or make as a designer. I tend to approach designing and creating art the way I approach most things in my life - with an eclectic bent. Here are three artsy things I made that make me very happy.......

Ever wonder what to do with rough fence wood after the fence has been torn down? I had a guy cut some of the planks into frames. This one I drybrushed with white acrylic paint. I then used Aleene's glue to adhere the small pieces of sea glass, shells and tiny tumbled stones and art glass around the opening of the frame. It was so easy, and I love it's recycled, organic appeal.

This little black & white shrine frame came from the Crafty Chica line of products. It was raw wood that I sanded and sealed and then painted black. I added the white painted 'swirlies' last. Then I brushed on a high-gloss sealer. The picture inside is a postcard from a local artist, Bebe Long. I love her dramatic use of color and always save the postcards she sends announcing her latest local shows. You never know when you need a little art for a little frame.

I love, love, love Alisa Burke's graffiti art, so I took an online class from her. I finally got around to finishing this 12"x30" canvas painting. Grace is my favorite word because it holds an immense amount of meaning for me. I used spray paints, acrylic paint, stencils, markers and Tulip Fashion Graffiti paint to layer words, symbols and sayings to make this urban inspiration.

There is really nothing better than being able to express one's creativity!

I don't usually find fortune cookie messages all that interesting. They usually tell me something generic and positive that could apply to anyone. Or they warn me to be a better friend, or to be more frugal with my money. I know, I know. It's just a cookie. Even when I don't actually eat the cookie I still break it open to see what it says. Today was no different. I didn't bring lunch and ended up eating at a fast food Chinese restaurant. I didn't want the cookie but I couldn't resist seeing what my fortune would be. (I am not the type to read horoscopes at all, and yet I MUST see what my secret message in a cookie is! Why is that?) OK, so I found this message today after I broke open my fortune cookie and I thought it was a beautiful sentiment. It made me stop and think, wouldn't it be nice if we all looked at the world this way?

I thought, do I do this? I do have bowls full of quirky treasures that I love, and I do love a good yard sale or estate sale because you never know what you may find. But do I do this with people? Do I look beyond the 'packaging' to see the gift inside? I hope I do. I want to. I try to teach my boys to look at what God sees, to look at the heart of a person. To see what is hidden. If we would just spend the time to look, really LOOK, we may be amazed at what is revealed to us.

Just something to think about I wanted to share..........the simple truth, found within a fortune cookie.

Graffiti Paint

OK, I have to give a major SHOUT OUT to Alisa Burke for 2 reasons: 1) It's her birthday this weekend (Happy Birthday, Alisa!), and 2) she made the most cool graffiti dresses using our Tulip Fashion Graffiti products. The girl can tag! Here's a partial peek at one of the messy dresses she created........

Family Tree TV

Last week I caught the tail-end of an episode of the new series, Who Do You Think You Are? It follows celebrities as they trace their ancestry. Sarah Jessica Parker was journeying back in time to trace her family roots on the episode I was watching. Her search led her to the Salem Witch Trials where one of her relatives life was spared because the trials were abolished before the woman could be convicted and put to death. Wow, interesting. I began to notice that there are a number of new TV shows that are dealing with family history - American Pickers, a History Channel series where the hosts travel across America in search of people's junk that may have an interesting story attached to it. Another show that deals with the search for ones descendants is on PBS called, Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates. This series digs into the lineage of pop culture notables like Mario Batali, Yo-Yo Ma and Eva Longoria. One show that I watch now and then is The Locator. The host united families that have been separated by adoption, divorce or fragmented lives. I ALWAYS cry at the end.

All this searching for ancestors and missing loved ones made me think that people really are looking for a place in the world - a connection to something more than what is right in front of them. The family structure provides a sense of security. Knowing who we are and where we came from can be very empowering and may change our perspective on who we are and where we're going. Hmmm................

When it comes to doughnuts, are you the type of person who sees the yummy ring of pastry or do you simply see a hole? Either way, you may be seeing a lot more of the doughnut. According to trend guru, Robyn Waters, gourmet doughnuts are to 2010 what cupcakes were for 2009. The FoodChannel.com listed cupcakes as #3 in the top ten food trends of the last decade. (Sushi was #1 and bacon was #2.) While cutesy cupcakes have been riding high on the trend curve for some time now (thanks to the Sex in the City girls and their visits to The Magnolia Bakery, a cupcake boutique in Greenwich Village), they're about to be supplanted by designer doughnuts, the new darling of the pastry scene. These new designer doughnuts are not the greasy, guilt-causing treats of the past. Gourmet doughnut shops are offering doughnuts that are made using only organic ingredients, trans fat-free oil, and fresh seasonal fruits. A healthy indulgence that won't break the bank, the gourmet doughnut may sell for less than your favorite cup of coffee. In this recession we seek luxurious commodities like these to make us feel better, less deprived. From a fashion trend perspective, I wonder if we will see the doughnut motif show up on clothing and accessories the way the cupcake has. I'm not so sure. What do you think?