Scrapel Hill in Chapel Hill (North Carolina)

Tomorrow is the kick-off of the "Scrapel Hill" event cooked up by the town of Chapel Hill, NC. It is a competition with the objective of creating art out of scrap. There are 16 artists competing and the exhibit of their entries lasts for about a month at University Mall in Chapel Hill.

Ginger and Paul Bauer have worked (and played) for months getting ready. And if you study the photos (single click to enlarge), you'll see why. Their version of a grandfather clock has a zillion pieces (well, almost) ranging from springs to chains to gears to sawblades...and one very old rotisserie motor, all put together with a lot of thought to make a working clock.

If you live in the area, try to get by the mall and check out Scrapel Hill. You can cast your vote ($1/vote) for whichever artist you like best.

Tooth-Friendly Easter Eggs...and cute, too :)

If you sew, you might want to go to Sew, Mama, Sew's blog and see these oh-so-cute "Secret Pocket Easter Eggs" that have a teeny tiny pocket for surprises. They have a pdf pattern on their site. The blog address is http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=431 . (Photo is from their site.)

Their shop, http://sewmamasew.com/, is also a treasure trove of fabrics and patterns including many designer versions.

Not-for-the-faint-of-heart Art

There is an artist in Chapel Hill, NC, near where we live, who is not only a wonderful painter, but a delightful and interesting person. He was born in Argentina, moved to North Carolina in 1976 and did cardiovascular research in thrombosis and arteriosclerosis. Near the end of his 35 year career, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He had to retire in 2002 and decided to take art lessons...and the rest is, well, see for yourself. It's worth a visit to his website http://eduardolapetina.com/ (and be sure to enjoy the video there) to see his colorful abstract paintings and to get to know him. His paintings are layer upon layer of beautiful, bold colors complimented by brilliant gold. We have two of his paintings over our bed and one in our living room where we can enjoy them in different light throughout the day.

How-tos out the wahzoo!

How is wahzoo spelled, anyway?!

If you'd like some tips and hints on a particular hobbie-type interest, try going to http://www.taunton.com/ . You can subscribe to a variety of newsletters on different crafts from gardening to sewing to woodworking (and more), and they do have some fun ideas and helpful tips. I've been getting their CraftStylish and Threads newsletters for a while and find that they usually have at least one thing that's worth getting more info on. They also have how-to videos online. And all for free...or for the price of getting a solicitation every now and then.

Looney Luna Parc - WOW!

In case you haven't had the fun of being introduced to Ricky Boscarino, here is a bit of the whimsical, wacky Alice-in-Wonderland-esque place he has created. If you go to his site, http://www.lunaparc.com/ , you can take a tour of the house, the grounds, and see Ricky's other creations including jewelry. Nothing is typical, "normal", or conformist. And that's why I love it! He has to be one of the most prolific, creative people I know of. Enjoy....

Ohh to weave such inspiration...

Thanks to my friend, Kim (once again), I was introduced to http://www.byhand.me/ and discovered a weaver extraordinaire. Mirella Cherchi weaves not only beautiful scarves and shawls, but also does weavings on a grand scale for room screens and even a ceiling of woven 'tiles'. Her colors are wonderful, deep, rich and eyepopping combinations. Even though she is somewhat of a competitor of mine with her purses, I've got to sing her praises. And, by the way, her items on her Etsy shop are extremely reasonably priced. What a special and unique purchase any of her things would be. Her online shop is http://www.mireloom.etsy.com/ . Her blog is definitely worth visiting (and be sure to scroll way down) at http://mirtextiles.blogspot.com/ .

French Roast: a little caffeine, a lot of creativity...

It's not your everyday, everywhere jewelry at http://www.frenchroast.etsy.com/ . And that's what I like about it. Something a little different and very affordable. But, also, her bead and wire jewelry inspires me to do something different in my own creations. Check her out for a little inspiration or for a great gift for someone (maybe you!).

Yes, I am sewing-challenged :) , so here's a sewing tip

This should be intuitive, but I kept forgetting to consult my intuition. I am gradually getting better at remembering this tip and thought I would pass it along to others who are planning-ahead-challenged :).

When making a bag (or anything) with pockets, I keep forgetting that the pockets will cover up what's underneath. I would cut out a perfectly wonderful base piece with a cute part of the fabric print nicely centered...only to cover it with a pocket. So remember to plan your pockets that will be covering a print before you plan the background piece. At left are 2 of the pockets for an Inside Out Bag and, above right, the placement of one of those pockets on the background. Same goes for the Purse Organizer.

A Little Wild and Crazy

I love it when I see something that has a combination of fabrics that don't match...but that somehow look good together - very fun. So today, I made my first, nothing-can-match organizer. And here it is! If you sew and you have this pattern (http://www.sweetbriarstudio.etsy.com/), here's one way to use up some of those little pieces of fabric that you just can't throw away! (I used 6 different fabrics) ...or even use fabric from garments at the thrift store...or from clothes you no longer wear, but can't part with.

And on a musical note: BB King, Eric Clapton (Riding with the King) and The Be Good Tanyas (Chinatown) helped on this project, too!