michelle ward

Art Saves

Have you heard?  My friend Jenny has moved on from Stampington and is launching a new online venture, Crescendoh.com.   Look for it March 1st.  I was honored to create one of the logos, for her Art Saves campaign.  She will be spreading the word, through personal stories, of how Art Saves.  Until the site goes live you can follow her blog HERE. 

We all know how creativity has enriched our lives.  We each have our own story.  In fact, we each have many stories.  There are the epic tales that include our full history of how art made a difference in our life, and/or continues to fulfill us.  There are also abbreviated versions that are just as important - maybe how one little project turned into something bigger than itself.   Or how we made connections to new people through art.  Or how being an artist helped us through something, or enabled us make an impact on another.  If I were to pick one story for myself.....well, that would be hard. 

But this is easy....showing how being creative made a difference as I shared a new experience with my daughter Fallon and her friend Lindsey.  Art Saved a sleepover from becoming just another Friday night.

 

it's tuesday

We've had a winged heart on our door for years.  The hook broke from the plaster yesterday....no way to repair.  I picked up a paper mache puffy heart and did some sketches in my journal to study how I might want to finish it.  I went with all black.  I have a second one that I will take more time to work on...but I had to get something up right away.  I missed having a heart on our door. 

 

 

  
 

learning new tricks

I'm teaching myself some new tricks.  I love exploring a new craft.  I really believe that trying new things gives you ideas that you can bring to your old things.  The latest:  needle felting.  I can't knit....but in 3 seconds I taught myself how to felt.  You can't stop me now.

It's interesting that you can be surrounded by treasured items that have beauty and sentiment but later take on another role as inspiration just because of a shift in perspective, or an awareness.  Once I started thinking about wool I ordered these handsome acorns from Fairyfolk.  And I opened the Love Book to Kristen's lovely page, and I pulled out my felted bag from Marie.  Then I tooled around on youtube and found THIS.  Who wouldn't want to try something like this?  Sure, it took some supplies....I found those online HERE.

More from youtube:  a video from Rice where she shows you additional things to do with needle felting.  HERE.  It's endless.  I great craft to practice during football games....you can produce many items in one sitting.  When it's too cold to be in my studio I can sit at the table and felt.

Do you felt?  Tell us about it!! 

PSA: TOUR NEWS

I told you I would tell you as soon as I knew something......this was announced earlier today!

*faints*

ink is in

Check it out.  Fallon found this..... Chanel ink.  Temp tats coming in Feb.   For those too chicken to commit to the real stuff.  *wink* 

Oh, and what is ink without rubber?  Icon One GPP-030, the half sheet I showed you earlier, is in stock.  I was going to announce today that it is up at GPP and ready to ship, and that I had a pile ready to go...but some of you already found them and there are only a few left until I re-stock. 

  

PSA*: one month to go....

...until the new HIM album is released.  You've pre-ordered your copy haven't you?  See Heartagram.com for the Special Edition details.  New video for Heartkiller, the first single:

 

Heartkiller

HIM | MySpace Music Videos

*PSA (Public Service Announcement):  from time to time there are just some things you need to know.  A new HIM album definitely counts as information I am happy to bring you.  There will be a tour following the release of the album....I will be on the case and will let you know the U.S. tour schedule as soon as I learn the details.  And for my overseas friends who get to see them before me....wish I was there, behave yourselves ;) 

wise men

Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar..... A favorite scene in The Little Drummer Boy is when the three wise men had their tents pitched in the desert.   You could see the city of Bethlehem in the distance.   I'm sure that influenced my interest in onion domed architecture.  

I love seeking and creating images of Three Kings, or Three Wise Men....I love things that come in threes...and I love crowns....so could it be any cooler that the Ward family crest is 3 crowns??!!  These large chess pieces are in our home....the pawn got a promotion today...with a crown of anaglypta.  Happy Epiphany.

the twelfth day of christmas

I never take down the Christmas stuff until tomorrow - epiphany.  I wish we could leave the outdoor lights on through the dark days of winter.  It's so fun to see the neighborhood glowing.  I suppose there needs to be a special-ness of having them only lit at Christmas....I will miss them.  Tomorrow I will carefully wrap and pack our special things.  I leave the nativity scene for the end....it's the last to go....also the first to come out each year.

How about these lovely ornaments from Crate and Barrel?  They make me so happy.  I might leave them out until Valentine's Day.

I did work in my Ruby Tuesday journal today....just didn't get it finished or photographed.  I'll show you soon.  I'm thinking I will keep up the weekly exercise.  I enjoyed maintaining my sanity by allowing a morning of self indulgence each week.  If you are having a hard time getting back into your art you should come over and play on the Street Team.  This month the prompt is also an assignment....sometimes I think having an assignment takes the Thinking out and leaves room for Doing.  Come Brave the Elements with us.