One Year of Blogging

Guess what?!

Today is the one year anniversary of the day I started Make Something Mondays! YAY!  Thank you, to my followers, for making my first year of blogging a great one!

What I’ve learned:

• I am more crafty than I was a year ago- Seriously, I was WAAAAAAY more artsy than crafty. Now I can add another skill to my list.
• You truly have to love what you choose to blog about- I could talk about art for hours, maybe even days, without running out of steam. People become interested in what you are talking about if you are passionate.
• You are who you hang with- For those of you who blog, you know that you need to attract the right people and those people can really teach you something.
• “Patience is a virtue”- My parents told me this my whole life, literally. They probably told me this before I could even talk. Success doesn’t happen over night and sometimes it is good that it takes a while. If you were that good then, you would have nothing to work toward.
• It is a give and take relationship- If you give them something good then they give you a response.
• Take an interest in your followers- I’m serious! There are a ton of interesting people out there and I’ve found many of them through blogging. I’ve formed some great relationships with my followers. You are all wonderful!

 

Let’s recap on the highlights from 12/13/11-12/13/12

Published 12/13/2012 | DIY Ornament

Published 01/4/2012 | The Street Work of Banksy

Published 1/7/2012 | This is What Happens When You Give Thousands of Stickers to Thousands of Kids

Published 02/19/2012 | Leonid Afremov

Published 03/9/2012 | My first Freshly Pressed article and most views at 4,923 people

Published 04/26/2012 | Painting With Sound

Published 6/8/2012 | 4D Artwork

Published 6/13/2012 | 25 Incredibly Detailed Black And White Portraits of the Homeless

Published 7/4/2012 | Peter Aurisch | Freshly Pressed for the second time!

Published 7/25/2012 | Watercolor

 

Published 10/28/12 | CALABARTE

Published 11/20/12 | Crafting with Corks

I deliberately didn’t put my crafts in this post. I want you to tell me which of my crafts you liked the most!!! Please comment and let me know. I want to see what you liked, what you tried, what you want to see more of, etc. This blog is for you guys! Tell me what you like to see!

Anna Marine

I’ve been following Anna Marine (Czech Republic) on Deviant Art for a few years now. She is an inspiring artist! Her work is cartoony and dark and her inspiration comes from mysticism, gothic, folklore and others. All images were taking from her gallery on Deviant Art.

 

Anna is a professional illustrator and alt model. She was born and raised in Moscow and Prague. She’s been drawing since the childhood. Anna’s areas of creativity include mysticism, gothic style,folklore and others.

Anna’s professional career began in 2010, collaborating with Rusian publishing house AST (for which she’s creating covers for authors,C. Harris, P.Briggs, J.Rardin, K.Richardson, C.M. Green and others) and French publishers Editions-cauchemars.Since then she’s been working with various companies in Europe and USA promoting her art. In 2011 she released her iTunes app for iphone and ipad. She’s also had to opportunity to collaborate with Nightwish band, making a cartoon t-shirt design for them based on Imaginaerum album style.

Currently she is working as a designer with one of the biggest and oldest clothing brands – Spiral direct.

Check her out:

Official Site

Deviant Art

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Bookends

 

via gadgetfist

 

Star Wars Trash Compactor Bookends

Vintage Books Bookend

Old Vinyl Records Bookends

Voltron Bookends

Reading Sophisticates Bookends

City Slickers Bookends

Arrow Bookends

Pinocchio Bookends

Contemplation Bookends

Falling Books Bookend

Book End Bookends

Fish Bowl Bookends

Batman vs. Superman Bookends

Do You Like to Color?

I like to color. It takes me back to childhood where I didn’t have to worry about life and that is a wonderful thing… even if it is only for twenty minutes. So I found these free online coloring pages and wanted to share them with you. If you still like to color and don’t want to be coloring princesses and elephants (no offense Erin) then, these will be fun!  Go to http://www.art-is-fun.com/free-mandala-designs-to-print.html for the free printables! Below are a few examples of what you can print off. You could even use these as decor if you can color inside the lines

Or, unless you want to make some yourself, you can buy a coloring book for $12. Yeah, I agree, a bit expensive for a coloring book but there are a few free ones!

Imagine: How Creativity Works

Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer

This was a very informative book. The author really breaks everything down for you.

Those who are more relaxed and expressive are more productive AND more creative. Did you know that the researchers at 3M (the Post It note company) gets an hour a day (of their workday) to do anything… take a nap, go for a walk, play a game, etc. to help clear their mind and relax. The company actually encourages them to to go lay on a couch and day dream to help them find a solution to whatever their problem may be. The author talks about several other companies, in addition to 3M, who provide a creative environment and encourage creative behavior. Few companies will let you stand in the bathroom and have a half an hour conversation about tape. Google does. Or was that Proctor and Gamble? Either way…

The book is a good one and should definitely be considered for your reading pleasure. It is packed with many studies, interesting facts and randomness that will keep you flipping pages and wondering what else lies ahead.

This is actually book 12 in my AtoZ Challenge but if you really get down to it, its book 10 because I keep finding interesting books that just happen to begin with letters I’ve already read. If anyone has any book suggestions for me I would love to hear it! Thanks!

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the most imaginative books I have ever read. I thought it was amazing.

If you would prefer to read something realistic, then this is not the book for you. BUT if you are open to some adventure and some storytelling you are about to embark on an unexpected ride. Ransom Riggs is the type of writer that can hold on to childhood wonder and fears and turn them into a reality. The book touches on everything from magic and powers to time travel and aging. That is something spectacular. I highly recommend this book to any open minded individual.

This is book 11 of my A to Z Challenge.

Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

A predictable ending to a great series. That part was somewhat depressing because I think anyone could have determined the finale after finishing the first book of the trilogy.

All together, the series was entertaining. You live in Katniss’ world and feel her every emotion. You kiss the boys she kisses and run for your life when she runs. You can’t help but hope she comes out alive. There is always the question of whether or not she will, but you keep reminding yourself that there is another book and she has to live because if she didn’t live then there couldn’t be another book. This book really makes you wonder though. There isn’t a next book… this is a trilogy. Will she really survive? Will Peeta kill her?

It is a good read. Promise.

This is book 9 of my A to Z Challenge.

The Hunger Games

Yes, I’ve become a victim of the new series, The Hunger Games. I’ve tried reading other series but I never like them. I’ve attempted reading The Chronicles of Narnia, Twilight, Harry Potter, etc. I never like them. Once again, a new series that everyone is raving about comes to my attention and I want to give it a shot. It sounds good but I do not have a good history with series. Then, a friend told me I absolutely have to read it because I won’t be able to put it down. I think I can handle that. It has been a while since I read a book like that. So, I started reading it this past Monday night around 9pm. I got about 4 hours of sleep that night because I couldn’t put the book down. I finished it the next day. I am now half way through the second book of the series. It is a good one, you should read it.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This one of the most entertaining books I’ve read it a LOOONGG time. I’m not much of a fan of reading series but this first book hooked me and I’m half way through the second one already.

The Hunger Games is about a society, Panem, born after the fall of North America. Panem is broken into districts. Katniss, the main character, lives in district 12. Her father died when she was young and it has become her responsibility to provide for her mother and sister, Prim. Katniss and her sister are eligible to be to tributes (players) in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a game played in an Arena. The arena is set up in advance to look like the wilderness. There are trees, animals, water, etc. 2 children from each district (ages 12-18) get chosen every year to be tributes. They are put into the arena and are forced to fight each other to stay alive. Those who cannot find food, water, or weapons usually die.

I don’t want to give anything away because it is too good for that. BUT I would definitely recommend you, whomever you are, read this book. I highly doubt you’ll dislike it.

 

This book is #7 of my  A to Z Reading Challenge.

DIY Journal or Sketchbook

Because you asked for it… The DIY Journal.

This was surprisingly a bit harder than I thought it was going to be. Not significantly but enough for me to mention it. Don’t be discouraged; the process was a fun one!

 

 

Things You Will Need:

Ruler
Scissors
White glue
Cardboard
Paper of your choice
Thread and thick needle
Fabric and/or scrapbook paper
Clips (office clips work just as well)

 

 

Step 1:

We need to assemble our paper blocks. So, once you’ve decided how big you want your journal/sketchbook to be start measuring your paper.  Get about 10 pieces of paper together and fold them in half. Continue to do this with as many groups of paper as you would like your journal to have.

 

 

Step 2:

Using your thread and needle, sew together each group (separately) about 1/4 of the way down on each end.

 

 

Step 3:

Once you have a text block that looks something like the above, begin to glue them. You will want to apply the glue along the edge that you have sewn. Once you have completed the glueing process use two clips to hold the paper in place and set it aside to dry.

 

 

Step 4:

Lay out your fabric, or scrapbook paper. I did iron my fabric after I took this picture. Cut the fabric to be about an inch and a half larger than your paper is when opened up.

 

 

Step 5:

Measure your cardboard. The pieces that are going to serve as the front and back of your journal should be just slightly larger than your paper. The strip going down the center should be exactly the width of the spine of your paper but should be the height of the front and back cover (the other two cardboard pieces). For this step you can also lay out your cover like the above. You want to make sure there is some between the covers and the spine but not much. You want to be able to open and close the book when you are finished.

 

 

Step 6:

Glue each cardboard piece in place on the fabric.

 

 

Step 7:

Once your pieces are in place, glue a small portion of the bottom of each part. Fold the fabric up. Repeat for the top and sides. Once you have completed the edges glue the spine of the paper to the spine of the cover. Let this dry propped against something for a bit.

 

 

Step 8:

Once your text block has dried, measure a piece of scrapbook paper to fit the area between the front cover and the first piece of paper in your text block. make sure you will be able to close and open your journal with the paper in place. Go ahead and glue it in place when you are confident. Repeat for the back cover.

 

 

You should have something that looks like this.

Happy sketching, journaling!

The Book Surgeon

A combination of Art & Books… Two of my favorite things. <3

Using knives, tweezers and surgical tools, Brian Dettmer carves one page at a time. Nothing inside the out-of-date encyclopedias, medical journals, illustration books, or dictionaries is relocated or implanted, only removed.

Dettmer manipulates the pages and spines to form the shape of his sculptures. He also folds, bends, rolls, and stacks multiple books to create completely original sculptural forms.

“My work is a collaboration with the existing material and its past creators and the completed pieces expose new relationships of the book’s internal elements exactly where they have been since their original conception,” he says.

“The richness and depth of the book is universally respected yet often undiscovered as the monopoly of the form and relevance of the information fades over time. The book’s intended function has decreased and the form remains linear in a non-linear world. By altering physical forms of information and shifting preconceived functions, new and unexpected roles emerge.”

Dettmer is originally from Chicago, where he studied at Columbia College. He currently lives and works in Atlanta, GA.

Want some more?

Visit his website

Brian’s Flickr

Interview with Brian