Artomatic 419: Featuring some very unique local art finds!

3 weeks ago I went to a local art show, Artomatic 419, 3 weekends of local artists showing their work, in this massive warehouse!  It was so cool.  Its been held near me for the past few years, but I’ve never been able to go before.  I penned it in this year and went with my boyfriend and a friend.  I had an awesome time.  I saw so much art, so many different mediums, and some artists were evening working right there for people to see!  One artist was “engraving” in clay (I don’t even know if thats accurate terminology), she was using some sort of carving tool to carve designs and words on the clay, then its baked and painted.  There were 2 people painting a large scale painting up on a wall.  There was string art (pictured below), pottery, jewelry, photography, ceramics, etc!  I loved it!  It was very informal, a band playing in one room, a woman singing in another, active/live art installations going on in other rooms.

I photographed a few of the most unique artists I saw, and some of their work.  I really loved these works, hopefully you will visit their websites or fan pages!

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Beautiful earrings and fiber bracelets by Sandy of www.EllyBead.com you can contact her by email: ellybead@live.com or check out her website!  She has a lovely Jewelry Gallery for you to see her creations, you can shop online at her Etsy page, or learn more about the artist on the About page!

“From classic elegance to suburban chic . . .  . Elly Bead presents ever-evolving jewelry designs in multiple styles and color choices.  Designs feature high quality semiprecious stones, freshwater pearls, hand-forged metalwork, handmade lampwork glass beads, sterling silver, and/or base metals.”

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The Roving Artist creates these A-MAZE-ING needle felted works!  I was just captivated by her work!  Check out the dragon!  And that wall hanging is so beautiful!  Visit her Facebook page and check out the photos, lots of really amazing creations there!  Contact her via email: therovingartist@bex.net and find her on Pinterest.

“I am an artist. I am a quilter. I LOVE to work with wool. I use my creative mind and energy in every aspect of my life because it is a blessing I was given and must return.”

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I apologize I do not seem to have this artist’s information. If you know it or recognize it, please leave a comment or send me an email!

I loved the use of colors and dots in this work.  I will admit- lots of art goes right over my head!  Not at all sure what some of this means, but I enjoyed it anyway.  lol I totally see the business cards on the wall to the right there….awesome, totally didn’t pick one up!  Or maybe I lost it.

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Yarn-bombing!  Who’s excited?  I totally haven’t seen this in real life yet, but I was so pumped to see such an awesome display at the show!  Give the artist some love, contact by email to Streetspun@gmail.com or visit the website at Streetspun.wordpress.com or Facebook and also check out on Instagram @Streetspun!

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I do not know this artist either, there wasn’t any ID or signs nearby.

haha Just reading this makes me laugh!  Its so funny.  To the right there are strings hooked up to a machine.  I wish I could describe it better but I only took this one photo.

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Beautiful leather cuffs

The artist is Earth Grrrl, Ila Earthdaughter, artist, crafter, sassy britches.  I really liked her leather cuffs.  So pretty 🙂  AND they are made from leather belts!  Upcycle win!  And the light switch plates, copper!  I love copper, I have made some things myself with copper.  You can even shop locally from her at various Toledo, OH shops, or at her website for home decor (switch plates in here!) and necklaces.  A portion of all her sales goes to 28 Too Many, “a values based FGM charity funded by supporters and donations, created to help eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the twenty-eight countries within Africa where it is still practiced. Founded in 2010, it takes a stand against FGM (also known as Female Genital Cutting).”

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I loved this artist’s display! I want the printer’s tray so bad…and pretty much every other part of this display.

Not sure if I have the correct card for this artist.  I really thought I picked it up.

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heehee  This was out a window at the show!

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There are other artist’s I enjoyed but did not have pictures of or these might belong to some of the mystery booths:

erynmarie.etsy.com  or Facebook

www.starvingartistgreg.com  or Facebook

Harry Daugherty, Original Watercolors harry.daugherty@yahoo.com  or Facebook

Michael Gallup Photography/Cyanotype Imagery  http://gsartstudio.zenfolio.com  or Facebook

Barbara Goodman, CeramiGrafix Custom Stippled Ceramic Tile  email: Barbara@ceramigrafix.com  or  Facebook

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I hope you stop by and visit these artists and show a little love!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 2 Let’s Make a Salad

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 2: Photo of something you ate

Because a photo of a salad is just too boring!

 

Thanks to Pugly Pixel for the lovely gif tutorial.

Save 20% on your Blurb Designer Photo Book

Have you heard of Blurb? Its a photo book making website, where you do the designing and creating with your own photos and words!  You can make a cookbook, publish your own book, create a wedding album, or even an Instagram or Facebook photo album!  Blurb has just launched a new template collection, the Designer Book Collection!

And now I’ve got a great deal to share with you today, Blurb is offering 20% off on your Blurb Designer Photo Book, now through March 31, 2013!  The Designer Book Collection features six 7″x7″ book templates, ready for you to pop in your photos to feature an art portfolio, photography portfolio, or just your favorite collection of photos!  These six templates are all about highlighting your beautiful photos, while including spaces for journaling.  The books are easy to create with a new drag-and-drop process.  Designer Books make great birthday gifts or for capturing memories of a wonderful Spring Break!

Use code DESIGNMYBOOK to save 20% on your Blurb Designer Photo Book, coupon code expires 3/31/2013.

New Designer Templates
• Designer Collection: six beautiful photo book templates for our 7 x 7 inch books, created with designer Laura Brunow Miner.
• Create a quick, high-quality Small Square book with our streamlined drag-and-drop process.
• Choose one photo to highlight per page, switch photo orientation, add captions if you wish – even import photos from Facebook and Instagram.
• Ideas: These books make great birthday gifts, are perfect for capturing your child’s Sports season, make lovely host/hostess gifts, ideal for capturing your Spring Break memories, and much more!
• Well-priced: starting at just US $10.95.

I have been looking through their wonderful book ideas for the past week!  OMG!  I have seen this site before but could never come up with any ideas of what to make.  However  I think I have finally decided what I will make my book about- all my graphic design and paintings and other artwork!  I have artwork dating back over 20 years!  I would love a solid collection, with beautiful colors of all those pieces in one spot!  Of course I have to scan a lot of my artwork, because lots of it was on paper because I used to draw all the time as a kid.  So this will take some time to finish, but I am excited to get working on it!  I loved creating a book design when I was in college, this should be a fun experience full of all sorts of perfectionist complications!  haha  I can’t wait tho!

I just downloaded the Blurb Booksmart application so I can get started making my book:

This is a snippet of the description of the Blurb Booksmart application you can download on their website. I am so excited to get started designing my own book!

*Fine print: Get 20% USD, AUD, CAD or EUR off your Blurb Designer Bookify product total up to $150. Offer expires March 31, 2013 11.59pm local time. May only be used once per customer and on books created by you. May not be combined with any other coupons, volume discount or applied retroactively to previous orders.

What will you create your book with??

Disclaimer: The opinions within this post are my own, I was not paid to give my opinions, however these are links to my affiliate account and I will receive a small commission from any purchase you make through them.  Thank you for clicking from my website.

I Saw A Leaf Bug Today, and other Garden Pics

So I went out today to fill up on crafty supplies, returned home to see a Leaf Bug sitting on a bush right by where I park my car!  This is a rare occurrence, I’ve only ever seen one at the zoo before!  So I grabbed my camera to catch some pics for you guys!

Can you find it??

It didn’t move the whole time!

And then I thought, maybe I could share some photos of the other areas of the garden/planting area at my house!

A lil mossy patch

All that’s missing for this mossy patch are some cute fairy houses!!

A day lily has sprung up even though we’ve had a few nights of frost already!

 

This is where the pumpkin patch was!

Our very own pumpkins from our pumpkin patch!

 

A mum so big a small child could get lost in it!

Here is our October front door decor.

Do you have your pumpkins yet?  Are you looking for a DIY pumpkin patch that costs you almost nothing?  Well, except some dead grass for awhile…or if you have a LARGE area of dirt for planting that works too (we don’t).  Interested in finding out how we grew pumpkins without even realizing it?  Leave a comment and I’ll post a quick How-To!

31 Unexpected Google Street Views

Have you seen this?  It popped up on my Facebook news feed today and some are quite amazing!  Here are a few of my faves and then you can see the full list here.  You can also find the website where Jon Rafman, the artist who found the photos, have collected 100s more!  You have GOT to check them out too, they are amazing, some are sad, some sweet, most will move you in some way!

Back to work!

Its so hard coming back from vacation!  All last week I enjoyed a lovely vacation with my boyfriend, first at Put-in-Bay, then back for a day, then headed up into Michigan to spend the weekend with a friend’s family, on a lake!  It was such a nice and relaxing vacation!  Plus I was able to secure some really cool items that I hope to use in future jewelry-making!

I still have to load all my photos to my computer, so I can only include the one photo I have on my phone!  This is my boyfriend, Dave, looking like a cute high school boy!  We were enjoying some afternoon drinkies, him beer me strawberry daiquiri, at the outdoor sand bar Mojito Bay!  The bar had swinging seats!  It was super fun, we spent 2 nights there, both nights with a great singer to enjoy!

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And then of course I come back from vacay to reality, which for me is jewelry-making!  So here are a few of the beads I am working with today, what fun stuff might I be making??

Old Navy: How to Pick a Swimsuit for Your Body Type

Old Navy Swimsuits

 

I realize summer is almost half over for some of you, however, have you checked out Old Navy’s swimsuits??  They really had a great selection when I was there a few weeks ago!  Some really nice new patterns and styles to choose from.

Do you find swimsuit choosing to be an annoying process?  Old Navy has come up with this video and website to help you pick out the Perfect Swimsuit for Your Body Type!  I highly suggest you run on over here and check out the website!  While you are there, would you mind rating the site??

As a proud Crowdtap member I am often sent requests to review websites, clothes, and brands, and sometimes I am asked to poll my friends and have them vote and see what they think about a brand, product, or promotional offer.  This Old Navy Swimsuit video is one such poll.  If you could please take a few minutes to click on this link I would be so appreciative of your time and opinion!

Are you considering being a Crowdtap member?  I would love it if you joined me thru my button at the bottom of the page or here!  Thanks so much!

 

Make Time to Make Stuff

via Whimseybox

7 Signs You Are Ready for Change

7 Sign You Are Ready for Change
By Katrina Love Senn

Another article from MindBodyGreen!  I don’t think you need to have all 7 signs to be ready for change! 

We only need to look to nature to see that change is a natural part of life. If you have a feeling that you want to change something in your life, listen to it. Recognize this as a call from your highest self that you are ready for healing, transformation and personal growth.

Growth allows you to release the past and gives you an opportunity to do something new and different. Here are 7 signs you are ready for change in your life …

1. You want to do a detox

Having the feeling that you ‘want to do a detox’  is like waving a red flag to the Universe shouting at the top of your lungs, “I am ready for change.”

Doing a detox allows flow to happen inside your body and in your life. If you are feeling like now is the time to do a detox, listen to this urge and stay alert for new possibilities to unfold in your life.

(I’m kind of detoxing right now with my new Gluten-Free diet, and watching what I eat!  Sometimes its a struggle, but my body knows its right!)

2. You want to quit an addiction

Wanting to stop smoking, drinking or doing drugs is a classic sign that you are ready for something much bigger to open up in your life.

In my early 20’s, I enjoyed being a party girl, but with each year that passed I developed an uncomfortable relationship with alcohol. One glass of red mysteriously turned into more. Over the years, I became aware that alcohol was not serving me. I secretly desired to stop but I didn’t know how. Fast-forward to today, I can tell you that giving up drinking was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

When you give up a n addictive habit you will get rewarded many times over. If something within you is ready to quit an addiction, really listen to it. Find support, educate yourself and surround yourself with people who have already done what you want to do.   (There’s lots of support out there, all you have to do is ask!)

3. You want to lose weight

Having personally lost over 60 pounds and worked with hundreds of women wanting to ‘lose weight’, I have discovered that this desire has little to do with losing weight and more to do with cultivating self love.

My experience has shown me that permanent weight loss happens when we choose to start healing our lives. To lose weight for good, the first thing to do is to stop dieting and start healing from within. When we create a healthy relationship with our body, and ourselves, then weight loss can happen naturally and easily.

When you learn how to treat yourself well with kindness, love and compassion everything can shift. This will allow your true self to emerge, which will attract new people and opportunities in your life.

4. You want to pay off debt

Having big amounts of debt is a sure-fire way to feel trapped and stuck. Debt can make you feel heavy and frustrated. If you have the feeling that you want to ‘get on top of your money situation’ by paying off debts, take action immediately!

When you begin to take responsibility for your finances, even with small, baby steps, you give yourself the chance to create a feeling of internal freedom. This will leave you feeling empowered and strong, with the belief and knowledge that you can do what you want to do. Taking action to pay off debts will ripple out and positively affect other areas of your life.

 

5. You want to break up with your partner

When you have that feeling inside of you that you want to end a relationship, it takes courage to listen to it. Let this be a powerful transition and use it as an opportunity for your personal growth and transformation.

When a relationship ends, it inevitably brings change. If you are someone who is afraid of change, this may also bring up fear.  Acknowledge your fears, but keep connecting to the quality of courage and focus on new possibilities. Trust your gut feeling and instincts. Ensure that you surround yourself with like-minded, supportive people, so that you can be happy and healthy from within.

6. You want to leave your job

If you are feeling bored or just ‘hate your job’  this is a strong signal that you need to pay attention.

You don’t have to do anything radical or rushed. Just start by taking small baby steps. Ask yourself,  “What do I love?” Experiment with doing different types of work. The Myers-Briggs test is a fast and easy way to find out what type of work might suit you.

7. You want to go traveling

If you are experiencing ‘itchy feet’ and are consumed by the feeling that you just want to pack everything in and go traveling, take the time to listen to this urge.

If you are feeling a desire to get away, simply sit down and quietly ask yourself, ‘What is this feeling about?’ Even if you don’t have a lot of money, realize that there are many creative ways that you can fund your dreams for adventure.

When you see change on the horizon, stay flexible in your approach to life. Allow yourself to see new possibilities as they emerge in the moment. Draw on the quality of courage to help you deal with change. When you listen and act on the wisdom of your inner guidance, change will be the ‘magic bullet’ that will enable you to live a life that you love.

What about you- are you ready for change??

Movie Poster Cliches

These were funny!  I would never have thought Blue Movie Posters was an actual cliche!  How funny!  And look how many Women in Red Dresses there are!

Movie Poster Cliches

via MadBlog