Sunday, December 11, 2016

Upcycled Hat Ornaments

Hello, blog readers!  

The merry holiday season is upon us.  I am making cute little hat ornaments out of recycled bits of paper towel and toilet paper rolls.  They are easy, fast, and fun to make!

Here's how.

You will need:

Paper towel and toilet paper rolls, snipped to make 1 inch wide rings
Red yarn and green yarn, cut to about 7 inch lengths


1.  Fasten each length of yarn through and around the paper towel rings, like so:



2.  Continue fastening on the yarn until you've gone all the way around the ring.  Now, cut the tops of the yarn off, like this:



3.  And, ta da!! You've got yourself a cute little hat that looks something like this.




Enjoy your little hats.  Keep checking back to see what other holiday things I'm making.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

With Good Cheer,

Marsha

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Opening Reception, Arts Council of Greater New Haven Members Show 2016

Hello ~

With one holiday behind us and another one fast approaching, these truly are busy times!

The reception for The Arts Council of Greater New Haven Members Show was well attended.  It was fun to see a wide range of styles and mediums on display, including sculpture, pen and ink, photography, and watercolor.  My piece was nestled in an area of the gallery that showcased more modern, colorful works, as you can see below:


I used caps from bottles of water, juice, and milk to create this work.  I found the wooden frame in our garage, a cast off from the previous owners of our house.  My idea for this piece was to use only found objects in and around the house, things that most people use and throw away.  I hope to inspire people to take a second look at what they consume and what they throw away on a daily basis. 



The show runs through December and I hope to visit at least one more time!

Until Next Time,

Marsha

 

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

All In!

Hello all,

Where did October go?!  Seriously, I cannot believe it is November already. 

I'm showing a new work of mine at a show in New Haven.  The show is called All In, and is part of The 2016 Arts Council of Greater New Haven Members Show.   

Here is a sneak peek:


Cascading Caps






The Opening Reception is this coming Thursday.  Can't wait!

More photos soon,

Marsha

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Fall Harvest Lap Throw

Happy Autumn Equinox!

I am into fall colors these days, most specifically, the rusts, oranges and greens.  The trees are just starting to lose their leaves, so I'm finding lots of inspiration every time I walk outside.

In the spirit of fall, I designed a lovely little lap throw, perfect for mornings when there is a bit of chill in the air.  The throw is constructed with 6 by 6 inch squares, crocheted using a large hook and bulky yarn.  Rather than buy yarn, I used some that I had in my stash.  You could do the same, or buy yarn if that suits you.

The Supplies
Bulky weight yarn
15mm crochet hook
Tapestry needle

Notes:
You will be making 9 squares, with each square being approximately 6" x 6".

The Pattern
Chain 9
Row 1:  Single crochet in second chain from hook and in each chain across.  Chain 1, turn.
Row 2:  Single crochet in first stitch.  *Slip stitch in the next stitch, half double crochet in the next    stitch.*  Repeat from * to * to the last stitch in the row.  Single crochet in the last stitch.  Chain 1, turn.
Row 3:  Repeat Row 2.  Continue until your squares measure about 6" x 6".
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Connect the squares together using single crochet stitch, and then connect the strips together in the same manner.

I made mine with 9 squares, but you could always expand on this and make yours bigger.

Here are a few photos.  You can see the finished throw in the sidebar to the right on my blog page.

One square
A few more squares




Enjoy the season!

With joy for the fall colors,

Marsha

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Batik, Batik, Batik

Hello to all!

What is batik, exactly?  

According to The Batik Guild, "The word batik originates from the Javanese tik and means "to dot". To make a batik, selected areas of the cloth are blocked out by brushing or drawing hot wax over them, and the cloth is then dyed. The parts covered in wax resist the dye and remain the original color.   And since one question, leads to another...

Where is Java, you ask?  Well, Java is a volcano-dotted island that's at the geographic and economic center of Indonesia.  

I was first introduced to batik in high school, but that particular lesson is all but a foggy memory.  Luckily, I stumbled upon a three hour batik class in Old Forge, New York this past summer.  

Here I am, with the instructor, getting ready to dye my design.

Here is my waxed design, prior to dying.

And here is my finished fabric!
 

I decided to gather together some batik equipment and give it a try at home.  I found a heating unit at the local thrift shop, a metal pan in with my children's play kitchen set, and an old aluminum bucket in the garage.  I filled some upcycled baby bottles with RIT dye, found a piece of muslin in my fabric stash, melted some paraffin wax and had some fun! 

Supplies

Wax on

Dye on

















More dye on
Time to de-wax

Wax off

Finished fabric


Batik tends to be a time consuming process, but I think the results are well worth the effort.  The hardest part is gathering all the supplies and then setting aside the time to do it.  I'll be doing more batik soon.  I find it to be a relaxing and rewarding craft.

Until next time,

Marsha 

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Knitting Finger Puppets for a Cause


Hello to my blog readers, old and new!


Recently, I stumbled upon a Facebook post calling for knitters and crocheters to make finger puppets for children in Canada.  I looked into it further and decided to lend a helping hand to this worthy cause.

The puppets go to Nova Scotia's children's hospital, IWK Centre, to children who are undergoing medical procedures or blood work.  The hospital says it gives away over 1,000 puppets a month to patients and their families, which are hand-knitted by volunteer groups and individuals. 

Click this link for more details, including free patterns and information on where to send puppets, should you decide to participate:


http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/nova-scotia/iwk-finger-puppet-knitting-donations-1.3750252

Here are some photographs of the finger puppets I made:

 
Backside
   
Front, ready to be stitched up  







Hair added, and now time for a haircut!
I enjoyed making these little finger puppets very much, but it took more time to complete each one than I had imagined.  I did finish three, and I am going to send them off in the mail to Canada next week.

Here is my trio of finger puppets. Ta da!


Thanks for reading!

See you soon,

Marsha

Free Crochet Pattern - Cute Christmas Wreaths

Hello all,

There is nothing like getting a jump on the holidays!  Here is a wonderful, super-easy pattern to make wreath decorations for your tree, or to decorate anything, really.  And, you help save the planet by using recycled plastic rings from your plastic containers.

If you can single crochet and make slip stitches, you can make this wreath!

Here is what you need:

Size G Crochet Hook
Worsted Weight Cotton Yarn (I used Lily Peaches and Cream)
Plastic rings from juice jug or other drinks (I used rings from bottled ice tea and Vitamin Water)

1.  Pull a loop of yarn through the center of the ring and single crochet (I did not show this step but as long as you put the ball of yarn on one side of the ring and the crochet hook on the other before you start, you should be fine).



2.  Stitch 35 single crochets (sc) around the ring.  When you have gotten all the way around the ring with your single crochet stitches, join the last stitch to the first stitch with a slip stitch.



3.  Chain 2 and single crochet into each stitch (35 stitches) around again.



4.  Slip stitch to finish.  Weave in ends.


5.  Add any variety of ribbon.  I love the look of the dainty baker's twine that I used. 



Enjoy your little creations.

With pre-holiday joy,

Marsha





Monday, September 5, 2016

Chalk Art Festival 2016


Hello Again,

A few weeks ago, I  participated in my first (and New Haven's first) Chalk Art Festival!  Professional and amateur artists were invited to create 3' x 3' chalk masterpieces in the Broadway shopping district in the center of Yale University.  

Prior to the event, I fiddled around with a few different designs, finally settling on a geometric quilt pattern.  I cut out a 3' by 3' piece of paper at home and penciled in each design by hand, using plastic lids and embroidery hoops for the circle shapes.  It was fun deciding what each quilt block would look like, but it did take some time to measure out the angles for each square.

Once I completed the full size rendering, I made a small sample of the design to carry with me on the day of the event.  I packed up my chalks, rulers, circle forms, water, snacks, and drove to New Haven.

I parked in a downtown garage and hauled my gear two blocks to the chalking area.  The temperatures were pushing 90 degrees and there was very little cloud cover.  I spent the next three hours crouched on red hot pavement, chalking my creation.  It was inspirational to peek over my shoulders to see what others were creating, but I found that I couldn't take many breaks since it was taking me longer to finish than I had hoped.

Getting started.


Measuring squares.
Taking a break!



Once I had the outline of my design completed, I started to add in some color.  I found that the best way to blend the chalk was to rub it with the tips of my fingers.  (My poor fingers were black and raw by the end of the day).

Blending the colors.

Progress!
The finished design took a little over three hours, far longer than I had anticipated.  The heat added to the challenge....

Detail.








I would have liked to go back into the design and do more blending and outlining, but I was pooped and figured I'd just leave it be.  The event was well-attended, and it was gratifying to see so many people admiring the chalk artists and their work.

Admirers.
More admirers.

All in all, it was a super-fun day!

See you soon,

Marsha

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Water, Water Everywhere!

Hello all!

The summer months have flown by.  I kicked off the summer with the showing of my mobile at Spectrum Art Gallery in Essex, CT.  It remains there as part of their Water, Water Everywhere exhibit for just a few more days.

It was such a thrill to attend the Opening Reception and to have my work included in the exhibit. 

Here are a few highlights:


The front of the gallery.  Love the red doors!

Here I am, thinking, "Wow, this looks even better than I imagined it would!"

It is hanging in a perfect spot in the gallery, where lots of light flows through it.  Lovely. 


A few of my favorite admirers.  The admirer on the left gave the mobile its perfect name, "Go With the Flow."

A postcard for the Water, Water Everywhere exhibit at Spectrum Gallery, Essex, CT
 Until next time,

Marsha

Monday, July 18, 2016

And.....Next Up.......Chalk Art!

Hello again,

I am super-excited to be competing in a Chalk Art Festival!  Each participant is assigned a 3' x 3' space and must bring their own chalk, brushes, and water.  It's coming up towards the end of August.  Right now I'm planning out my design. 

Here are a couple of doodles that I've rendered on fabric:




You can see how the fabric causes the lines to spread a bit, creating a softened look.  I like how the shapes seem to almost become three dimensional. 

So here's an other project that you should definitely keep an eye on through my blog.  I'll be back soon with more ideas for my chalk art!

In Doodles,

Marsha

Water, Water Everywhere

Hello to all ~

I'm excited that one of my new pieces, a four-foot mobile made with upcycled materials, has been accepted into a new show.  The show is located at Spectrum Gallery in Southern Connecticut, and it features the work of local and national artists who incorporate images and symbolism of water in paintings, photographs, and mixed media pieces. 

This, from the gallery director - Over 70% of our globe is covered by water which is a necessity to life as we know it, and here on the shoreline that could not be more self-evident,” notes Barbara Nair, Gallery Director of Spectrum Gallery. “This show, the largest since our launch in 2014, exhibits some of the ways we engage with water, from its scenic beauty to its diverse recreational opportunities. It honors the beautiful environment we are so lucky to live in and must maintain.”

You can click here for more information, and to see my name listed - http://www.spectrumartgallery.org/current-exhibition/

Here's a sneak preview for you:

Detail - Go With The Flow mobile   




The opening reception is in four days!  More photos soon!

With Crafty Joy,

Marsha
 

Saturday, June 25, 2016

The Opening Reception

Hello again,

The opening reception has come and gone.  It was a blast, meeting so many amazing artists.  I had the chance to talk about my work and to listen to others tell stories about plastic bags.  One woman shared that her grandmother used to make rugs out of plastic bread bags.  Another woman suggested that I take in a current exhibit in New York City by Joshua Blackwell, an artist who creates with plastic bags.  All in all, a super-cool, super-fun night!

Cheers,

Marsha