Happy 4th of July! Independence Day!

Here in Austin, as in most of Texas, we are having a fireworks ban due to the fire threat and the drought.  So, here is as close as we will get to seeing any fireworks this year, but I hope your firework display is spectacular to celebrate our nation's independence.  From us here in Texas to you where ever you are, Happy 4th of July!

I hope you and yours have a wonderful, safe, and relaxing holiday!

Patriotic Pinwheel Wreath--a tutorial

Here's a fun and easy craft to try with your kids for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.  I found this tutorial on AllFreeHolidayCrafts.  Be sure to click on the link to get to a site for printable pinwheel papers!

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Patriotic Pinwheel Wreath

With little time and energy remaining, we still wanted to celebrate this 4th of July weekend somehow. So my wheels were turning and I came up with this simple craft to decorate our door. Here are the 6 supplies we used:

- 1 paper plate, center cut out, 1-inch rim remaining
- hole punch
- scissors
- 8 brass fasteners
- white printer paper
- red construction paper

We made 4 squares from one piece of red construction paper. I found a printable pinwheel template at the Family Fun website, and made pinwheels. We punched holes in each pinwheel, pushed brass fasteners through, and then attached them through 8 evenly-spaced holes I had punched around the plate. Voila--a patriotic pinwheel wreath!

This idea was featured at Tip Junkie in May of  2010 and is also linked to:

Posted by Aiming4Simple at 2:29 PM

Related articles

• Pinwheel Banner (organizeyourstuffnow.com)
• Here's a quick craft for a fun 4th of July! (artisticdivasworld.com)

Chronicling War Through Art

Image via WikipediaLet us remember those who gave all and the people who mourn them.  Today is about remembering sacrifices given so that we can be who we are today. 

We rarely think about the intermingling of art and war, but as far back as we go there have always been artists chronicling the destruction and devastation of war.  Many artists died in war, many gathered information to save lives, many simply chronicled the daily lives of those who live the war.

This article is from the Hartford Courant and is well worth the time it takes to read it.

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May 25, 2011Submitted by Michael D. Fay, MFA Student in Illustration, The Hartford Courant

Michael Fay drew this portrait from a photo he took of Lance Cpl. Nicholas G. Ciccone. The image shows Ciccone, a rifleman, immediately after dropping his heavy backpack upon returning from a nine-day battle with the Taliban in the mountains above Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2002. Ciccone committed suicide after his discharge from the Marines.

Michael D. Fay, of Fredericksburg, Va., is a student in the master of fine arts in illustration program at the University of Hartford. But from 2000 to 2010 Fay, who wrote this Memorial Day weekend piece for iTowns, was one of two combat artists for the U.S. Marine Corps, sketching scenes and soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in stateside hospitals where they were treated for battle wounds. Fay, 57, has since founded the Joe Bonham project, which coordinates opportunities for artists to embed with soldiers, both overseas and at home as they recover from their injuries. For details about Fay and the Joe Bonham project, visit mdfay1.blogspot.com and joebonhamproject.blogspot.com.


Ex bellum ars: from war, art. This is the motto of The International Society of War Artists.


There's just a handful of working war artists, and none of us have consciously sought the title. For one thing, to become a war artist, you need a war.


During every conflict, from the Civil War and through Vietnam, artists have gone into harm's way to create a visual record of people and places embroiled in conflict. However, each of us has followed different paths leading to the front lines.
My path started as an official combat artist for the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Here in America, both the press and our armed forces have maintained combat art programs since the Civil War.
Some of our nation's premier artists and illustrators have gone to war to create art. In 1861, Winslow Homer went off for Harper's Weekly as a "special"; his battlefield sketches would be transformed into newspaper images and after the war, he created a series of paintings informing America's perception of the Civil War even up to this day.
WWII experienced the greatest number of artists at war, and Vietnam was recorded by numerous official and unofficial war artists.
Since Vietnam, photography and film have largely overwhelmed traditional fine art in telling the story of war. During the ongoing Global War on Terror, photos and film footage continue to hold pre-eminence in telling the visual story. But a small group of working artists has continued to personally witness combat and create art...[read more]

Related articles

• Combat meets canvas (rakstagemom.wordpress.com)
• Art, and War and Consequences (opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com)
• "War memorial" and related posts (intlawgrrls.blogspot.com)
• Michael Fay's sketches of war capture more than just scarred flesh (guardian.co.uk)
• War Artist George Gittoes at Station Museum - artmarketblog.com (artmarketblog.com)
• Women War Artists, Imperial War Museum, review (telegraph.co.uk)
• Artist Profile: Graham Sutherland (centrefortheologyandpublicissues.wordpress.com)

Corner Bookmark – Featuring a Kusudama Flower Dangle

I just realized that I haven't posted here in a month!  That is simply not acceptable.  I have been really busy with dog issues and work issues, so I feel like my life has spun out of control a bit.  That said, I apologize for being gone so long.

I still haven't gotten back to my own personal creating; guess I am still in the grip of artist's block.
Since I haven't been at my work desk, I found a really neat tutorial to share here.  If you try this, please let me know what you think of your finished project.  Maybe send me a picture.  I will share them with the author of this tutorial, or you can visit her blog and leave her a comment.

This is a really sweet and elegant bookmark to give to others as a gift.  Know any readers?  They are always needing bookmarks!

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Supplies – Paper, button, ribbon, white glueStep 1 : Cut five pieces of 2″ square paper

Step 2 : Fold each piece into a petal following this sequence fold in half 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bring flap down

fold flap up

 

 

 

squish-fold the flap open

 

 

turn the tip up

 

 

 

 

fold in half

repeat on other side

bring corners together

Step 3 : Glue the 5 petals together to form a Kusudama flower.

Step 4 : Push the ribbon through the back of the flower and tie a knot. Hid the knot with a button

Step 5 : Attach the other end of the ribbon to a 2.5” square paper with corners folded over

  

Step 6 : Decorate with some ribbon doily if you like (mine is from Basic Grey)

 

 

Here it is all finshed.

 

Hope you have lots of fun making these little bookmarks for yourself and as gifts.


Thank you for sharing with us this great project.  Be sure to check out Sandy’s blog.

I need a break!

After this holiday and my weekend at work, I find I am in serious need of some "Me-time".  I found this video on hand care and I liked it so much I subscribed to the whole series of videos.  They are really good.  I plan on starting at the top and working my way down, pampering myself the whole time!

I finished the Easter Swag

Well, I finished, but I have to say I am less than impressed.  I think I just got tired of it and stopped.  Anyway, below is a picture.  I'm taking it to my unit tomorrow and putting it up so at least there will be some evidence that Easter is this weekend for my patients.

If I make this again, I will make the figures larger and probably stuff them lightly with fiberfill before attaching them to the ribbon.  I wish I had more time, I would have loved to decorate the Easter eggs and put blanket stitching around the figures to "pop" them out.

Live and learn.  On to the next project.  Mother's Day is coming.  I don't think I will make anything for this holiday.  But, maybe some paper flowers in a vase set around the unit would be nice.

Anyway, here is the picture of the completed swag:

Tuesday Tutorial -- Magnetic Words from CreativeHomeArtsClub

I am still working on my Easter swag and hope to finish all the hand sewing this week, but until I have more pictures, I thought this tutorial was cute and easy.  Maybe you could use this somewhere at home or at work to brighten up the day.

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Magnetic Words Make magnetized letters and shapes from paper-covered chipboard By: Cindy Groom-Harry

Finished Size: Approx. 8" - 10" Skill: 1 Time: 1 Cost: 1 SAFETY TIP: Mom and Grandma – please supervise the painting in a well-ventilated area but do the cutting with the craft knife yourself. You will need: •  One 8" metal stove burner cover •  One 10" metal stove burner cover •  Spray paint*: Primer, Perfect Pink, Basil •  Coordinating scrapbook paper •  2 1/2" chipboard letters to spell, "H, O. P, E" and "D, R, E, A, M" •  Ten 1/2" button magnets* •  One pkg. 1/2" x 4" adhesive magnetic strips* •  Ten 5/8" buttons in assorted colors •  Ten white silk flowers in assorted sizes •  19" of 3/8" brown gingham ribbon •  10" of 3/8" pink ribbon •  10 1/2" of 3/8" tan polka dot ribbon •  Tacky glue* •  Glue stick* •  Craft knife* & cutting mat*, emery board, newspapers, ruler, sandpaper, scissors * The following products were used for this project: Design Master Color Tool Spray Color • Elmer's Craft Bond Tacky Glue & Extra-Strength Glue Stick; X-Acto Gripster craft knife & cutting mat • Magnum Magnetics ProMAG Button Magnets and Adhesive Strips Magnets. Note: For product information, see end of article. •  Craft knife should be used only by an adult. •  Use glitter spray only outside or in a well-ventilated area. •  Allow all paint and glue to dry between steps. •  See photo for details and placement. STEP 1: Prepare stove covers. Protect work surface with newspapers. Lightly sand stove covers to dull surface Spray with primer. Spray small cover Perfect Pink. Spray large cover Basil. Use additional coats if needed. STEP 2: Attach ribbon. Measure and cut ribbon to go across covers as shown. Use glue stick to attach. STEP 3: Prepare letters. Plan which paper to be used for each letter. Apply glue stick to fronts of letters and attach paper. Turn letter paper side down on cutting mat. Have adult use craft knife to cut away excess paper around each letter. Use outward strokes to gently sand letter from paper to edge all around letters. This technique creates a white, distressed look and secures paper to letter. Note: Use emery board in tight spaces of letters. Cut and attach adhesive magnet strip to back of each letter. STEP 4: Finish. Use tacky glue to attach buttons to centers of silk flowers. Glue button magnets to backs of flowers in same way. Sources: Design Master (303) 443-5214 dmcolor.com Elmer's Products, Inc. (888) 435-6377 elmers.com Magnum Magnetics Corporation (740) 568-3721 magnummagnetic.com