Week Three- Notebooks

I found these great cards at Goodwill that showed the definition of  common slang words and phrases such as "step off", "sick", "D.L." and "off the hook".  

 They make "sick" notebooks, as well as a good conversation piece.  

Week 2: Profile Collage

This is an idea I got from a couple of projects I saw on Pinterest.com.  As usual, I look at Pinterest and get inspired to create using an idea I saw, but making it my own.  

I started by creating a magazine scrap collage that I covered with Mod Podge. 

I just cut up a cereal box to use as the background for my collage.   

I love looking for different colors and patterns in magazine pictures and advertising.  

Then I took a picture of my son in profile.  I traced the outline right off the computer.  Since the screen is illuminated, I can put a piece of white paper right up to the screen and trace right on the monitor.  I know this is probably not the best approach.  I have always been told not to touch my screen, let alone trace on it... but it worked for me.  I never have good luck trying to trace a shadow projected on a wall.

I cut out the profile, placed it on my dried collage and used black paint to  around the cut out pattern of the profile.  Just lift the profile off the paper, and you are done!

Monster Making

Yesterday, I got together with a group of Mom's and their 9 and 10 year old daughters to make Monsters from recycled sweaters. They were given very simple instructions and then given full reign of the materials available to make their monsters. They had sweaters, afghans, buttons, funky clothing scraps and embroidery thread. They were all stuffed with my big bag of scraps from projects I had worked on the last couple of months.

Some Mom's made their own, others helped their daughter with her project, but each daughter walked away with a Monster. All of the monsters were unique and showed the personality of the creator.

I will be teaching a recycled arts class at the Columbia Art Center in Hood River during  the Trash to Treasures exhibit this month.  Join us on January 28th from 9am-noon to make a monster and wallet, all from recycled materials.

Week One- Textile Samples

A fellow Master Recycler works at Mt. Hood Meadows. She often seeks me out when she comes across something they are getting rid of that needs a new home. I have been given old USA flags, nylon and vinyl banners and textile samples.

Here are a couple of patchwork pillow covers I made with the textile samples.

I also made a cover for a foot stool that will be posted soon.

New Year's Resolution 2012

(Monsters made by me and my 9 year old daughter using recycled sweaters and blankets)

My crafting goals/resolutions for 2012 are as follows:

1. Create something new each week.

There are so many projects that I have been meaning to make, but have never devoted time to doing. This is the year to see what I am capable of making and try my hand at some new types of crafts.  The plan is to post a new project each week this year.

2. Create using a different repurposed material each month.

I am launching the Repurposing Challenge 2012 to try to find new ways to use materials we generally think of as waste. Each month I will choose a different waste material from local businesses to repurpose and avoid putting in the landfill. 

3. Blog more often.

My goal will be to blog at least once a week, so feel free to help my live up to that expectation by posting comments if you see that I am slacking! I also want to take a class about how to use Blogger, so I can make this blog even better than it is now.

Repurposing Challenge 2012

Year: 2012
Challenge: to find 12 waste products and give them a new life

Once a month I will find a waste product, such as vinyl billboards, or woven malt bags, and create something new out of it. The idea is to look at our waste in a new way and think of it as material to create/repurpose instead of something to throw away.

You are invited to join in the challenge. Contact me by email (rethinkcrafts@gmail.com) or post a comment letting me know you would like to join in the challenge. All I ask is that you send a photo and short description of what you created. If you can not get your hands on some of the "challenge material" on your own, I would be happy to send some your way. Get those creative juices flowing and think outside the box.

Challenge #1- January
Vinyl billboards

Challenge #2- February
cassette tapes

More information will be coming soon. I am talking with some organizations in town that want to be involved in this project. Hopefully we will have a space each month to have a Kick-Off Event to distribute the challenge material and brainstorm ideas together. I am also finding places to display the creative projects that are made each month.


*Update*
The first meeting of the year to kick-off the project will be Tuesday, January 10th at the Columbia Art Center  at noon.  Materials will be handed out for January's challenge.  If you cannot make it to the meeting on Tuesday, stop by the Art Center and pick up material during their regular business hours.

In my "free" time

When I need a little inspiration I either take a trip to Portland, or start searching online to see what everyone else has been working on. My two new favorite websites are Stumbleupon.com and Pinterest.com. Both are a collection of ideas on a variety of topics; food, travel, crafts, parenting, fashion, diy, science, etc.

On Stumbleupon, when I search my interests, usually crafts, I am taken to site after site of blogs and websites that are dedicated to crafting. They are typically sites that I would not have found otherwise, but have wonderful ideas.

Pinterest shows pins, or images of things found on the web and wanted to share with others. Once again, I usually look at the DIY section and find pictures of projects and ideas others have made. Clicking on an image can bring you to a blog or website and often shows you how to make it too. You can also do a search to find examples of whatever you are interested in. For instance, during Halloween I was looking for costume ideas and found a number of handmade costumes to get the inspiration flowing for my costume.

On each website, you can keep track of your favorite sites or ideas so you can easily go back to them. This has always been the most frustrating part of exploring the internet for me. I constantly wander from what I was originally looking for and want to remember the names and addresses of all the wonderful new sites I discover. Both stumbleupon.com and pinterest.com help me keep organized.