Hello everyone! I wanted to take a moment to share this incredible art contest I entered today!
It is called Art Takes Time Square. Winners get their artwork shown on a billboard in NYC for the whole world to see! (And some other awesome stuff, but I'm pretty sure getting to be on a billboard is PRETTY awesome in itself!)
I have set my page up here Krystal Tomlinson (Art Takes Time Square Contest)
Please visit my page and click "collect me" in the upper right corner. The more people that "collect me", the better chance I have of winning! I need 7 votes to make my profile available for public viewing and voting, and 77 to get a guaranteed viewing at the after-party. The grand-prize winner will be selected from the top 200 with the most votes.
You can add other artists to your collection, and the judge with the best collection also wins an awesome prize! (A $5000 trip to NYC!)
Feel free to share my page (and your other favorites) with your family and friends- anyone can be an art judge! There is a "share" button next to the "collect me" button in the upper right corner with TONS of share options to make life easy! :)
Super huge thank you to everyone!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Hello 2012!
2011 was a great year for Live.Dream.Create. thanks to all of our friends and fans! Thank you everyone! I went to many great events and shows, branched out the shop online and in the local community, expanded the items in the shop, made many great custom orders and had TONS of fun!
One of my favorite custom items this Christmas season is this giant 3 ft penguin! (I had a lot of fun playing elf!)
2012 is here and I am looking forward to a whole new year! Some of the things in store for Live.Dream.Create. in 2012:
- This weekend (1/8/12) Live.Dream.Create. is wrapping up at the Double Feature Gallery in Cleveland, OH.
A big thank you to everyone at Double Feature for including us!
- I have been reorganizing and regrouping after the busy holiday season. The Etsy and Artfire shops have both been on vacation while I do so. They should both be back open soon. I've been rewriting listings and descriptions and hope to fix up some of the photos as well.
- One of my goals is to reorganize my supplies and materials. Part of this is separating my sequins by color and size to make my life easier. It's a little OCD. I know. But I am going from a box full of sequins like this:
To THIS:
And finally, to THIS:
Not only will the cat no longer knock them all over, but I can arrange them in rainbow order!
- I have a whole bunch of new ideas and things to try out this year. It is a rather long list since I can't sew fast enough to keep up!
- Over Christmas I made Hedwig plushies for my brothers and sister as gifts. She should be making an appearance in the shop soon!
- After the giant penguin, I am itching to make something HUGE! I'm not sure just what it will be yet- maybe a giant cake slice or octopus...
- More goodies will be coming to the felt food collection!
- I also have a long list of new animal friends to add to family.
- I really want to do a project with dinosaurs! For some reason January and February feels like the perfect time of the year for dinosaurs... :)
- I will begin looking into shows and events for the upcoming spring/summer season and will post them as soon as I can.
There is so much to look forward to this year! Here is to a happy, healthful and prosperous 2012!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Take the Handmade Pledge!
"I pledge to buy handmade for myself and my loved ones,
and request that others do the same for me."
and request that others do the same for me."
Buying handmade is always a special experience that large chain-stores just can't provide. It is the thrill of finding something truly unique and special. It is the connection we make to the inventor, creator, artist and seller. It is the one-on-one customer service we receive. It is buying local. It is about making a personal connection to some one in another part of the world. It is about receiving something from the heart that is made with love and special care. It is the personal touch and the extra effort that makes us all feel special. It is the idea that without one person's creativity and hard work something would not have existed. Handmade means so many things to so many people. Visit BUYHANDMADE.ORG, see what handmade means to others, take the pledge, and share with your friends and family. So far, over 52,800 have taken the pledge!
Friday, August 5, 2011
15 Things to do before back-to-school
I can't believe it is August already! Fall/Autumn and Back-to-School are closer and closer everyday. It seems that all of the stores are already bombarding us with pencils, crayons, erasers, binders, laptops and all of the accessories for a new school year and Halloween items all at the same time. I stopped at a local craft store this past week where they even have Thanksgiving and Christmas just about set up for the season! I have to admit, I have started thinking Fall and Winter, but in my defense, it takes me much longer to hand-sew each of my items. I was just starting out this time last year, so I had very little time to get ready for the fall/winter holidays. This year I am a little better prepared! :)
This morning the sun is shining bright, the weather is still hot, the pool is waiting for its first swimmers of the day, and the flowers are growing like crazy. Here are a few ways to slow down the rush and enjoy the few weeks we have left of summertime:
This morning the sun is shining bright, the weather is still hot, the pool is waiting for its first swimmers of the day, and the flowers are growing like crazy. Here are a few ways to slow down the rush and enjoy the few weeks we have left of summertime:
- Sidewalk Art: Grab your bucket of sidewalk chalk and head outside! Draw pictures, letters, numbers, play games, anything! Draw your friend's portrait and write their name underneath. Play tic-tac-toe with your sister. If you don't have sidewalk chalk at home make your own, or use large paintbrushes (like the kind you use to paint your house) and water. Fill a bucket with water, dip your paintbrush and draw on the sidewalk or even the side of the garage. As soon as the water dries, you have a fresh canvas to draw some more!
- Check out some extremely large and life-like sidewalk chalk art in person or online:There are a lot of wonderful artists out there creating giant chalk masterpieces- if you run in to one, be sure to stop and get a picture! Many rely on perspective to appear 3-D, so it may take a minute to find just the right place to view it from.
Have a picnic: Grab your picnic basket, a blanket and some friends and head outside to have lunch. Pack a few sandwiches, pieces of fruit, some lemonade and other goodies to enjoy on the open grass or under a shade tree. If you can't get time to go to the park, head outside on your lunch break or set up your picnic in the backyard.
Sidewalk Chalk Art
- Play catch: Dig out your old ball mitt from the box in the garage and head outside and play catch! Little ones love to try and toss a ball as far as they can, and older ones love to learn how to throw a curve ball just like dad!
- Play four-square: Remember that game we used to play at recess? Teach it to your little ones or younger siblings! If you can't quite remember the rules or are new to the game, you can find a refresher course here: How to Play Foursquare
- Rollerblade/rollerskate: Grab your blades or skates and head outside or to the roller rink!
When I rollerblade, I prefer the outdoors. I look for paved and relatively flat biking trails. Don't forget the helmets and all of your padding!
When I skate, I head over to the roller rink. I find that the rink runs about $5-7/person for 2-3 hours (depending on the rink and location). Skate rentals usually run about $1-2 for basic skates and about $3 for speedskates or rollerblades. If you have your own at home, as long as they are in decent condition and the wheels are clean from gunk and rocks, you can use them at the rink and save a few dollars. I find the best time to go is earlier in the day, especially for beginners and younger children. Older students and adults typically crowd the rink the evening time, and this may make it harder for newcomers to learn how to skate with the "big kids" whizzing past at high speeds.
Indoor/outdoor or inline/quad, both make for a great family day out!
- Frisbee: Grab a friend and a frisbee and head outside to an open area. This is also a great game to play with the family dog!
- Tie-dye: Available in pre-made kits or in individual packets of dye, this is a great way to extend the life of your older white shirts! (Like the one with the mustard stain that didn't quite come out!) There a several ways to create interesting designs and shapes- it all depends on how you twist, knot, rubberband and crinkle your shirt. Kids love seeing their artwork turn into something they can wear! This is also a great way to teach children about what happens when two colors touch and mix. There are dozens of tutorials, supply companies and videos online such as How to Tie Dye. Craft stores and even Walmart sell dye and kits. This makes a great outdoors project for a group!
- Take a hike: Grab your hiking boots, water bottle, compass and a trail map and head out for a hike! Depending on how far you plan to go, you may want to pack a small lunch or snack and extra water. Don't forget your bug spray and/or sunscreen!
- Have a BBQ: Get your friends and family together for a cookout in the backyard! Burgers, hot dogs and chicken on the grill are must-have summertime foods! If you are worried about costs, make it pot luck and have everyone bring a side-dish!
- Go Fishing: Head out to the lake, river or pond with the family for a day of fishing! If you don't care for the feel of live worms, minnows or frogs, grab some artificial lures from your local bait and tackle shop. Depending on how far your favorite fishing hole is from your car, pack a small cooler with cold drinks and a few snacks. (Be sure to check your local laws.)
- Look at the stars: Find an area away from the city traffic and bright lights and watch the stars. How many constellations can you find and name? Don't forget to make a wish on a shooting star!
- The Ice-cream Man: You hear the music every time the ice cream man drives by... so run out there and get a rocket pop, a choco-taco or an ice cream cone! This is a great way for children to practice counting money and making a purchase.
- Make your own ice cream: What is better then eating ice cream? Making it yourself! You can find many different recipes and methods online. You can find one great tutorial here. I have found the baggie method to be pretty quick and it works well with 2% milk.
- Gather veggies from the garden: The garden is flourishing and everyday new vegetables are appearing! Have the kids help you gather up the ripe veggies (and perhaps even the weeds). Younger children love naming what they find. Older children enjoy helping out in the kitchen to turn their findings into a yummy meal!
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| Ecofriendlyfun.com |
There are so many things to do before school starts again! What are some of your favorites?
Monday, July 11, 2011
My big organization project
I was going to insert an some sort of happy, uplifting, inspirational quote here, but instead I will cut right to the chase: My live in a small apartment. I work out of my living room. I get busy. Things get cluttered.
Not in the Help-I-can't-find-anything-I'm-missing-deadlines-my-life-is-falling-apart sense of clutter. More in the sense that my "studio space" has invaded my "living space". I tend to just make a pile at the end of the night when I am done working. On the couch, the coffee table, or where ever else I have been working. I know where everything is (thanks to my awesome visual memory) and can tell my husband exactly where to find the packing tape. It's when I "clean" it all up that I lose things. Or I go all the way to the craft store, only to find that one color of felt buried under a stack of something else.
Like I said, my apartment is sort of small. I have been slowly trying to make things match and become- well, simplified. In the spring we had a huge yardsale and got rid of a ton of junk. My husband and I some how accumulated a lot of stuff that should have probably been pitched years ago. Between us both going to college, my art supplies and projects, our hobbies, our parents moving, hand-me-downs and getting married, we had a lot to sort/sell/donate/throw away. So we did all of that.
But after all of that I still didn't have a place for my felt and crafting area. I have slowly taken over the living room...and the one corner of the dining room. Little piles here and there of the projects that I am working on, following me around where ever I end up working that day. This weekend, I finally got fed up with it and jumped on the chance to re-organize once and for all.
In the beginning there was clutter:
On the couch...
...on the desk (Still trying to get rid of it on craigslist!)...
...and in the dining room.
Me vs. Clutter
Me: 0
Clutter: 3
I declare war:
Like usual, I was on a budget. After some shopping around, I ended up right where I thought- Target. It took awhile to pick out what I wanted. I had a lot to consider- how I wanted to categorize things, how big things were, how they would sit on the shelves, the colors to blend in better with my living room, and of course my budget. I went up and down the aisles a million times with my notepad, and I am pretty sure they thought I was crazy. But I am glad I did because I am pretty sure I saved myself about $20 and everything matches. For instance, the large clear totes with flowers- I saved about $2 each simply by picking a different pattern. Same size, brand, etc just a different pattern printed on the box. The flat box and stacking baskets- same thing. The large totes were nearly two times as much for the other brands.
1 stainless-steel shelving unit
2 large totes
2 large storage boxes
4 stacking baskets
2 crates
5 shoe box sized totes
1 medium flat locking container
I arrived home and spread all of the totes and baskets out on my floor. I made a pile of my "stuff" out of the way so I would have room to work. It was time to build the shelves.
I already own a set of these shelves that we use as a "pantry" since we have very little (and very awkward) cupboard space in our kitchen. (Our kitchen feels more like a closet- tiny, cramped, dark, no windows, tiny cupboards etc- a mere after thought in the layout of our apartment.) Anyways, I love the 5-tier stainless steel shelves from Target. They are super easy to put together, easy to keep clean, sturdy and when we move again, we can use them anywhere and they will match the decor.
Now I have a clean slate!
I started by designating categories for totes and baskets. I wasn't sure where to start, so I just started by simply picking up a handful of stuff and asking myself "WTF is it?"
I thought it was a good place to start. :)
I limited myself to one category per basket or tote. Once I got going, I got some sticky labels and a sharpie and started tagging. It was so nice giving things homes! I started making a list of rules in my mind about how I want to keep everything separated from now on.
Victory is mine!
Everything has a home!
Colors match!
All of my patterns are in one place that is not my coffee table!
My felt is even separated! (Bulk, large scraps, small scraps)
My living room is now 75% living room and 25% studio!
My "dining room" is also much improved.
I really only use this area when I use the sewing machine, but it is now far more inviting!
Remember that painting of mine hiding behind the couch?
It now looks GREAT on my wall!
Lesson of the day:
I am bound and determined to keep everything organized. No more piles. I am replacing piles with totes and baskets. No mixing up categories. All lids must be in place and baskets and totes must be put back on the shelf at the end of each day. No overflowing (This will help me from accumulating too much of anything, help me find uses for all of my scraps, avoid buying supplies I already have, and reduce & reuse).I hung a copy of the "rules" to remind me of my new commitments. Over 24 hours later I am glad to report that so far, so good!
Last night, when all was said and done, I rewarded myself with an ice-cold adult beverage and sat back to look at my new organized life. My husband got home about then and was able to enjoy the moment with me. The only thing he asked: "Do you feel better now?"
YES!
Monday, June 27, 2011
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