Handmade Holidays at the Arlington Arts Center on December 5th

Hello friends: Here is how it works: I bring all kinds of fun papers and images, you cut them and glue them under little clear glass disks, and then we attach magnets and make clever packaging. The end result is not only having spent a fun evening with congenial people doing something artsy, but you will be able to cross some terrifically original holidays gifts off of your to-do list. Please consider joining us for my Handmade Holidays workshop on: Tuesday, December 5th, from 6:30-8:30PM. There is still room in the class. To join in the fun, enroll here: https://register.asapconnected.com/ClassDetail.aspx?pk=931438

clay garden pendants at the Torpedo Factory

This Saturday, from 12 to 4PM, I will be helping folks of all ages make (free) lovely polymer clay garden pendants. Come see me at what they're calling the Clay Pendants Project. I'll be at The Mobile Art Lab at the Torpedo Factory and we'll make lovely, colorful pendants, dusted with beautiful shades of powdered pigment for a touch of metallic bling. More info here: http://torpedofactory.org/event/22nd-annual-art-safari/

More Colorful Collage Creatures

The great thing about a good project is that you can do it over and over again, as long as the kids are new. My Thursday group hadn't made jointed collage animals inspired by the wonderfully whimsical work of Clare Youngs, so they each made a colorful collage creature today.

Feeling crafty (Polymer Garden Pendants)

We got a bit crafty last week, here at Carriage House A&C. Each of us made two polymer clay pendants, decorated by pressing in bits of rosemary, lavender, and boxwood from the garden. The final dusting, with pearly powdered pigments, added a touch of glam to the earthy nature theme. Then I baked them, and today the kids strung them on colored cord. They were delighted with the results.

Joseph Cornell inspires

Joseph Cornell has always been one of my favorite artists and I love teaching kids about his work. In class with the 7- and 8-year-olds they made "dream boxes" by turning shoeboxes into custom shadowboxes. They then painted them, added an animal (or two), and some found treasures. I love the results, and so did they. And the book "Mr. Cornell's Dream Boxes", by Jeanette Winter, accompanied the project nicely.

Check out the warm-up exercise from Tuesday's adult collage workshop. We played a sort of "exquisite corpse" game: Each person glued down one piece of paper, said whether it was to be a human or creature, and then passed it around for everyone to add to it until deemed finished. The results are great, sometimes very funny. I'll be posting some new upcoming workshops soon, too, so check back and see what's on the horizon!

Printing on Fabric workshop for adults: Sept. 13th, from 6:30-8:30PM

I'm not saying that you should stop buying dishtowels, but you could make one with me and satisfy that crafty urge, too. September 13th, from 6:40-8:30PM.