We Welcome :: Devon Iott of Miss Make

This week, we welcome and celebrate Devon Iott of Miss Make.

Visit her site here.
Visit her etsy shop here.
Read her Art Saves story here.
Keep up with her curated links all week long here.

Thank you, Miss Make. :)

Words of Wisdom :: Feel It :: by J. K. Rowling

Numbing the pain for a while
will make it worse when you finally feel it.

{J.K. Rowling}

CHA 2012 :: Day 1 :: Surrounded by Love

The thing I love most about CHA is getting to meet up with my creative friends. I am blessed to know their kindness, enthusiasm, innovation, hardwork, and love ...

Here I am with the amazing Cathie and Steve from Plaid. Hardworking and so adorable.

Here I am with the talented Margie Romney Aslett. I was so happy to see her so happy and successful and beautiful.

Here Cynthia and I are with Suze Weinberg ... the artist who lights up the scene whenever she enters.

And here I am with Ali Edwards—the down-to-earth teller of stories, and creative industry leader who inspires so many of us to honor and record our most ordinary life details. Ali is one of 20 amazing contributors to my next new book, Hand in Hand. I wil be doing an official blog post about this fabulous new book (which will be released in April) in the weeks ahead.

Here I am next to a tree that Vickie Howell knitted. Pretty awesome, I would say.

Here I am with The Crafty Chica ... who works like nobody's business to produce amazing art and amazing fiction. Her first two books will soon become available as audio versions as she works diligently on her third book. Go, Kathy, Go!

Here I am with my friend, Mr. Yasoshima. President of Tsukineko. From Japan. Such a lovely person who is genuinely interested in art, creativity, and artists.

Here I am with Lisa Kettell and her adorable mother. Lisa's been incubating lots of wonderful ideas that are ready blossom. And as much as I love Lisa, I love her loving, supportive mother more.

Here I am with my pals Charlotte Lyons and Pam Garrison. Charlotte has a beautiful fabric line that I got to see with my own two eyes today. It's gorgoues, just like her. Pam has been hard at work creating her amazing art and I'm excited to see all of her ideas blossom in the months ahead. Pam also joins Ali and the other contributors in my book, Hand in Hand. (More on this soon.)

Here I am with Suzi Blu. She has a kickin' book coming out in May titled Mixed Media Girls that is available for pre-order here. 

Suzi is also working with the good people at Stampavie as licensor of adorable rubber stamps. I love Suzi Blu, and I'm so impressed with the owners of Stampavie. Check out their blog here.

And here I am at the ilovetocreate booth where they sum it all up. All you need is love.

I am lucky to have these and so many other incredible people in our creative industry in my life, with whom I get to work with and learn from and be inspired by.

And here's the last photo to sum up this post: Me and Sarah Meehan. The technical genius whose superpowers are calm and logic, who knows Photoshop (and everything else technical) like the back of her hand, who gains joy out of the simple things in life, who understands my madness, who hears me out, who allows me to dream, who is smart as a whip, who cracks me up, who is the consummate professional, who my family thinks is the coolest, and who helps me and all things CRESCENDOh move forward every day without a hitch.

That's Totally hOT :: The Technique Zone :: January 30, 2012

This Acrylic Paint Transfer Tutorial from The Technique Zone is Totally hOT and leads today :: January 30, 2012.

See the rest of our January 30th offerings here, including the best of
Artwear and more.

Happy Monday. :)

OMG! Mustard Bow Pillow Cover & Colorful Felt Garland!

L: iviemade's mustard bow pillow cover
R: HetBovenhuls' colorful felt garland

PalatePalette :: Squash Lovers Pancakes

:: PalatePalette ::
Inspired by Urban Strawberries' Squash Lovers Pancakes Recipe

Left to Right
RGB :: 217+59+72 • 242+136+214 • 242+204+133 • 166+93+51 • 217+160+91

CMYK :: 0+73+67+15 • 0+44+12+5 • 0+16+45+5 • 0+44+69+35 • 0+26+58+15

Legato :: Puur Anders

 le•ga•to :: in a manner that is smooth and connected

Puur Anders
by Jenny Doh

She has seen the bird fly in the air, the flower bloom with color, the cloud float from here to there, and her son slumber peacefully in the night. She values nature. She values humankind. She seeks to reveal stories through these values that are pure, clean, minimal, and uncomplicated.

JD :: Why leaves and flowers? How come they have become the forms you use to tell stories and make your art?
PA :: I always get inspired by things you can find everywhere. In the garden, on the street or in the woods. I’m always looking for beautiful simple things. I like the variety in leaves and flowers. Take for example an Oak leaf. I bought a great book last year, The Book of Leaves by Allen J. Coombes and I was surprised to see so many Oak trees. Even in one tree you can find so many different leaves. Different veins, holes in it, curls … I love to discover these perfect gifts from nature.    JD :: One memory that leaves trigger for me is childhood. Memories of playing with them, jumping on a pile of them. Tell me your childhood memories that involve leaves.
PA :: We didn’t live in the neighbourhood of woods, so for me it was great when we went for a hike in the woods. So many trees, so many colours especially in Fall. These trips with my family were special. We didn’t go every weekend.

JD :: You explain that PUUR ANDERS means pure and different in Dutch. A very appropriate name because I do think that your art evokes feelings of purity and uniqueness. Tell me a bit more about your views on things that are pure and things that are different and unique.
PA :: Did you ever see a small flower growing between the paving stones? Or a parrot having little ones in a tree right in the middle of the city? Or a summer storm cloud come to you above a mountain landscape? I found that quite pure and unique. I can go on for a long time with examples. I believe that you can find pure things just around the corner. Therefore they are unique.

 
JD :: It's hard to stay pure, or to stay true to one's heart, isn't it? What do you think is the secret to doing so?
PA :: It is always hard to find out whenever you listen to your heart or your head. For me it is a constant struggle to stay pure, but being creative, doing the things that I love and especially being a mum made me much more competent. When I get carried away by ideas or somebody else enthusiastic advices I found out that my body gives me signs, mostly a tense feelings in my throat or pain in my shoulders. I’ve experienced in the past that ignoring these signs will always make you sick.

JD :: The images that you frequently use ... they look like vintage photos and so the stories you tell about them are imagined ones, right? Tell me how that process comes together. Do you see the story right away or does it take time?
PA :: Sometimes I fantasize a story right away, but mostly it does take time. I have a notebook for taking notes. Inspiration comes from pictures I collect in magazines and from the internet, not only from vintage photos. I regularly take a look in my collection when I need inspiration.

JD :: When you do custom pieces, you are working with photos that potentially come with a story already being explained to you by the customer. Does this affect your process in different ways?
PA :: Sometimes an amazing picture comes by, but it doesn’t affect me in the process. I give every picture a lot of attention. For example I always check that there are no leaf veins through somebody’s face. This means that I have to do a custom order sometimes again and again. I’m a perfectionist.

JD :: Aside from your current Hidden Memories collection, you had two other collections that don't involve images. They appear to be either crochet or braids or knots ... tell me a little bit about how those collections came to be and how it naturally segued for you into Hidden Memories.
PA :: Hidden Memories is the third part of the overall story "Abandoned by Nature". It starts with the last woman on earth. She is abandoned by Mother Nature because of the mess by human kind. This is part 1, which includes the dark and rubber jewelry items. They look like fierce flowers.

In part 2 Flora takes care of the woman. She believes in her goodness. With the love and care of Flora the woman changes and eventually a evolution takes place. This collection is called The Evolution. I made soft crocheted flower necklaces for this part.

Hidden Memories tells the story of the child which is the product of the evolution. She was raised by Mother Nature and finds hidden places in the woods with human ruins. She can't figure it out why these places mean so much to her. Flora sees her struggle. This is your origin, she says. Learn from your human side and cherish your two mothers in your heart. I combined nature and vintage photos together to leaves.

 

JD :: Tell me a bit about your background ... where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? What was family life like? Who is in your immediate family now?
PA :: I grew up in a small village in The Netherlands in a warm and safe family. I’m the youngest and I differ quite a lot with my two brothers. They were teenagers when I was born. My father worked at a sugar factory in our village and my mum was at home. They were always there for me. Nowadays, I have a family of my own. My son is 2 years old. It feels great being a mum.

JD :: Think fast and say the first word or two that comes to mind when I say:

black and white
    old pictures
green
    is everywhere
snow
    cold
loud
    the city
quiet
    nature
twig
    a deer
television
    not too much
milk
    chocolate
issuu
    catalogues
mother
    love
money
    useful
beads
    old ones
knots
    wise trees

JD :: When you need nourishment, what is your favorite food or meal that gives you comfort and nourishment?
PA :: I like Italian food, like self made pasta’s and pizza’s. I love pasta with a Dutch touch, like pasta with "boerenkool" or "Witlof". And don’t forget fudge brownies. I can’t resist them when I’m drinking coffee in the city.

JD :: You state that you desire to tell stories about the relationship between nature and humankind. In general, how do you think that relationship has been in the past, how it is currently, and how it might become in the future?
PA :: Somehow we took nature for granted. The relationship wasn’t of the same value. But we are part of nature. We are all energy. Things are changing. The number of people who have respect for nature is growing. The balance will recover one day. I hope soon.

JD :: Minimalist seems to be an appropriate way to also describe your work. Do you agree with that? Tell me how you feel about aesthetics that are minimal, versus the opposite.
PA :: I have to admit I never thought at that way about my work, but it is true that I like a minimal and pure style. I love the things just as they are. I admire people who make things with lots of colours or photograph their object in a busy surrounding. I can’t do it. I’ve tried, but it feels so wrong.

JD :: Finish this sentence: "Nature has taught me that ..."
PA :: you can find beauty everywhere, even at those places which are full of buildings or garbage.

JD :: Tell me some of your rituals. When you get up, what's the first thing you do. During the day, what is it that you always do, and before you go to bed, what's the last thing you do?
PA :: When I get up, I check if my son is already awake. Mostly we watch Sesamestreet on my bed together before we go downstairs for breakfast. During the day I definitely have to go outside, even when it rains. I need fresh air and need to feel the wind and the sun. We do some shopping by bike or walk a bit in the neighbourhood. Before I go to bed, I’m having a smile on my face watching my son sleeping. Pure love.

####

All photos have been provided, courtesy of Puur Anders. View more of her work at www.puuranders.nl and read her blog at www.puuranders.blogspot.com.

Words of Wisdom :: Without a Pause by The Avett Brothers

If I'm walking through the rain
and I hear you call my name
I will break into a run without a pause.

{The Avett Brothers}

That's Totally hOT :: Cynthia Shaffer :: January 29, 2012

This Bokeh Fun Filter Tutorial from Cynthia Shaffer is Totally hOT and leads today :: January 29, 2012.

See the rest of our January 29th offerings here, including the best of
Valentine's Day and more.

Happy Sunday. :)

OMG! Oh Dear Brooch & Rapunzel Hat!

L: Holly Leonardson's oh dear brooch
R: Solandia's rapunzel hat