Shrink-ly dink-ly

Remember making these?  We heated up the pan over and over during a sleepover one night and discovered something magical.  When the pan was hot, it caused the shrinky dinks to curl up.  *Mila* chose to make this one and coloured her edges with a nice blue Sharpie marker.  It looks like a melted, warped piece of glass.  I adore it.

What do you need?

Shrinky dink plastic (we picked up some at the dollar store) - be sure that it's shiny

Oven heated to 350F

Sharpie markers

A cool pan lined with tin foil  (or hot - for the warped effect)

Bake your plastic goodies for a few short minutes.  Watch carefully as they curl, shrink and don't let them burn.  P-U!

signed, the willow

Refuse Art

Always on the lookout for artists who recycle, who reuse, who reduce.

Here's today's collection found on the network that connects us all, called the internet.

Wonder Baby. Meet Ruby Reusable, where I found Wonder Baby by artist Olympia Dumpster Diver aka Ruby Reusable.  I found her on Find, Make, Do.  One helluva good site too!

(source:  Ruby Reusable)

woven plastic bag art via art business

Unintentional art is the mining of phosphorus in Florida.  It's beautiful blended lines and crystalline inertia is sinfully as bad as admiring a fur coat (on a person).  But, it's mesmerizing, isn't it?

source:  Discover magazine

free garbage art via art business

wabisabi chair via inhabitat

signed, the willow

White Pumpkin Love

I am tempted to paint this baby with some wickedly cool design, but she sits so pretty on my table overlooked by "The Carousel" by Ken Danby.

Question of the day:  Paint it? Leave it?  Paint another one and put it outside? 

signed, the willow

Paper

Growing up in close proximity to trees, chip mills, as well as pulp & paper mills, I gained a strong affinity for paper.  Precious.  Delicious.  Treasured and coveted.  I still hoard papers.  Keep them sorted, stashed and hidden all over the house like a little squirrel.

I love to play with paper, and make things from paper.  Art being the primary utensil for my paper fetish.

Who else can I culminate on this post that also loves paper?  Hmmmm....

• Paloma Faith's video by Art Director Petra Storrs?  Watch her nice video here.
• and see more of Petra's stuff HERE

 

• Jen Stark?  WOW!

 source:  Critical Miami

• Peter Callesen?  Um, of course he loves paper!
• 
• source:  Peter Callesen

• Brian Dettmer?  OMG!  Books have paper.  Paper is art.  Books are art too!  Yummy.  Whatever you decide to do today, click on Yummy.  You will not regret!

signed, the willow

...is an IKEA freak

Once and a while when I'm not updating my status on Facebook and talking about myself in the third person, I get the opportunity to frame things.  First, I have to go to IKEA.  Then I unpack the goods at home.  Followed by asking the dog to cease napping under the articles of goods.

Once I get the fabric away from the dog, I work my magic.  Take some frames I had lying around awaiting an art project that was taking years to produce and stick some of that luscious fabric in the frame:

plates, placemats, frame, fabric, table, chairs:  IKEA

vase:  Dollarama

teapot:  Second Cup

key lime cupcakes & flowers:  Sobeys

One more thing, Artecnica Inc.  It's so lovely.

signed, the willow

Nuf Said

Really? Going out like this? Yup!

signed, the willow

We all fall down....

While I was busy barfing in my bathroom, the TSX felt a tummy ache in trading, and the internet had an episode of vomiting. All true dear internet.

And now for something completely different.

Remember: When others are greedy, be fearful and when others are fearful, be greedy. That's what Mr. Warren Buffett would tell us.

signed, the willow

Cutting Paper

I would say that this is how I cut paper, but that would be an insult to *Mila* and a compliment to myself. This is her paper cutting (her drawing on the left and her colouring on the right - yes, my colouring is on the left) and this belongs to some fabulous artists.....

mein inspiration.

signed, the willow without scissors

The Craft of Being Earnest

The Craft of Going to Kindergarten.
by *Mila*'s mom, Willow

Step One, get in car and resist parents to bring you to the school of their choice (no less).

Step Two: Look around and scope out all backpacks. Be wary of everyone and everyone. They are going to eat you for lunch and down your iced tea at snack time.

Step Three: Feign weak and pretend that your backpack is so heavy since your parents loaded it with bricks that you will carry in that darn polyester hunk on your back for the entire 10 months of school. When they see how weak you are, they will immediately rush you back to the car and give you cold milk and your favourite teddy bear, Emma.

Step Four: Hold on tight to your mom's hand. When she tries to let go, bite her and dig your heels deep into her shins in as she shoves you through the door past the spikes and burning hoops. She is sending you off to be tortured and you will never see her again. Don't let her cheesy grin and sleepy eyes fool you.

Step Five: When your parents actually do show up at 11:20 to get you, try to be ecstatic for their sake. Tell them all the stuff you did was fun and that you used the bathroom and ate the snails, I mean snack. When you find out that the car was moved, you'll know that they did not stay where you told them to. See, they really do useless things, like go to Timmy's, while you are at school.

Step Six: Celebrate later that night by screaming "KINDERGARTEN ROCKS" throughout the neighbourhood whilst strumming your tissue box guitar.

We love you baby. You did great today and yes, Kindergarten does rock!

signed, the willow (Kindergarten Rockstar's Mom)

Would the Author of this Book Please Step Forward?

On my fabulous vacation this summer, I am sharing space with my mentor and fabulous artist, Lady of the Lake. She's so marvelous and so are her altered books. You can look, but you can't touch.

signed, the willow (from the lake)

I see ART everywhere

*Steve* is obsessed with chickens and I can't help but love the graphic patterns on the tails of these two. Is one a rooster? I still haven't figured out how they reproduce. I don't want to know. I'm afraid the eggs I'm having for breakfast have something to do with it.

When I took this picture it seemed to have such grand effect which I see is now lost in its presentation. But I love how these cyclists just power pedal their way up these hills over the Escarpment. They are traveling art to me. And the way the road bends and twists here on Guelph Line is so thought-provoking.

And last but certainly not least, the Lowville signs. Such a creative artist rendered each different coloured sign from metal. They are unique, fabulous and each time I see them I could take 900 pictures.

signed, the willow

Smooooch

This is the beginning of an art "piece" I have begun. Stay tuned. Don't worry. It does not involve Britne, LiLo, J-Lo, Brangelina, Madge, or any other chunks of pleather.

signed, the willow

The Green Thumb Craft

Some of us have a green thumb. Some of us have botany degrees and black thumbs. I am the latter of the two. This hydrangea is living proof that I can actually make a plant flower. Stay tuned as now I will use my Botany degree to disect, experiment and mutilate the poor thing. And people wonder why I wasn't a surgeon!

signed, the willow

DIY Money

Materials Required:

Printer Paper (16 sheets)

Scanner/Printer (colour ink)

Gel Markers (or your favourite marker)

1 roll of transparent contact paper

Paper Guillotine

Design your money to your specifications. I let *Mila* pick the colours and doodle her designs on them.

Scan each denomination into your scanner/computer and then using Powerpoint or your favourite photoshopping software arrange the money in a more manageable size on one sheet. Print off 10 copies.

"Laminate" the money by "sandwiching" each sheet between the contact paper. You can print on the back as well, but we kept it simple.

Cut out your money and set up shop!

signed, the willow

Rock Stars

I guess we paint rocks every year in anticipation of Canada Day. We rock.

signed, the willow

Number your rainbows

I met a woman this week who told me that she woke her 3 year old son up to see a rainbow. A few years ago, I would have thought "Is she nuts?". Opening my eyes to the world around me, I realized that I just haven't seen many rainbows lately and we too roused our *Mila* from her sleepy thoughts to see that rainbow right before her head officially hit the pillow. Mila took her experience a step further this morning and raised my eyebrows with dividing her triangle into 8 sections (or 8 triangles as she put it to me) and coloured each a different colour, then numbered each. I love it. It's so "HER".

signed, the willow

Tools

I can't say I've been to Paris (France) to buy shoes, London (England) for a pint or Perth (Scotland) for a round of golf. Although I can say that I have been to all three within my own home province of Ontario.

Today I can tell you that I need tools for the trade I'm trying to pursue. Here is my working table:

Cost is under $50 for the making of this table. We purchased an old dresser from a yard sale, gave it a lick of paint, not perfectly and we knew it would need many more licks. Took out the large and decrepit drawers on the bottom and replaced them with two new melamine shelves. IKEA was where we purchased the handles in a two pack. I also purchased some striped fabric and lined the back of the table on the inside and outside. I love this table. No, really. I have an absolute attachment to it and in some way, I just want to hug it and kiss it. I should have devoted Thursdays to this craft table.

An essential tool for artsy moods, Faber Castell watercolour pencils. Yes, I know Laurentien pencil crayons are undoubtedly the best. But get a set of these for dabbling in water colours. These are from the folks at Lee Valley. One of my favourite stops. I always forget that they are closed on Sundays and I think of going to see them only on Sundays!

signed, the willow

Even I can Photoshop

This is one of 4 pictures I have of my very expression filled child, *Mila*. Our main floor powder room was already lilac coloured when we moved in and it's one of two rooms left to paint. But somehow, I love the colour when I'm in there. A friend/neighbour has been supplying me with the greatest lilacs due to their unfortunate allergies and my good fortune. I have a nice IKEA mat to match the colour of the wall and the black & white photos just give it that punch. So, you see, even I can photoshop.

signed, the willow

My Heart Wanders for a Reason

Today was not the most perfect of days, that is for sure. However, I did have a highlight and this is it. My dear friend, Lady of the Lake, and I have been lamenting over whether our photography and ideas are good enough to submit to this blog for consideration in a book. I know. Most people would leap at the chance to do such a thing. But instead, the Lady of the Lake and I hold ourselves back. We prefer to whisper our secrets in the night under the cloaks of this blog. For me, letting go of my heart and baring it all has never really successfully made me feel good. My modesty gets in the way or I hear things wrong and take insult from the pleasure of someones giggle. Quite often, I am too serious and too sensitive. Now, I am 37 and I am trying to teach myself to let go and close one eye grimacing the whole entire time. And yes, I am teaching the Lady of the Lake this too. She's working on it. And together, we can perhaps get *Mila* on the road to not being afraid of her own shadow.

So, here is the scoop. I went to PoppyTalk a few days back and discovered a wonderful link about Pia Jane Bijkerk and her compilation of "subtle hearts in special places". At first I thought I know exactly what Lady of the Lake should submit. Without question, I sent her the link and told her to start snapping her camera. In the meantime, I thought about the heart shaped sea urchin-like rock that I found placed in the backyard garden that resembled a heart. It was by mere accident that its form took on that of a heart. Only one problem, that garden was not special to me. I didn't plant those flowers or make that flowerbed and to me this house is still just a house. Today it happened. *Mila* was hunting for special clip on plastic earrings to wear around while I dressed before she went to art class. I asked her to look through her jewellery box. To her, this meant a new one that she had received for Christmas. To me, it meant MY old jewellery box with the broken off ballerina that spun around to the tune of "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head".

"No, Mom! That is my treasure box. I only keep treasures in there."

She had it shoved under her bed in a secretive spot. I opened the box to find this:

In it she had $50 worth of Monopoly money, a broken crystal bunny, two white feathers from a feather boa and there it was - the heart I had been looking for. She had crafted it from Sculpey and painted it red all by herself a very long time ago. It was so small and so insignificant to anyone who saw it that they would probably throw it out in the rubbish. To her it is her treasure. Just like the $50 Monopoly bill (Remember, this is the Electronic age and we have the Electronic Monopoly game which has no money). This little special box that plays a tune I can still her my mother sing to me inside of my head, is now her little special box. It doesn't matter to her that it is broken and is thirty-some years old. To her it is special and to me it makes me proud to be her mother.

signed, the willow

Rainy Day crafts

There was a lull in the outdoor activities this past Victoria Day weekend, so we had to do more things indoors. It's very difficult to believe that this is what is known as "SPRING"!!! Sorry for the "unnecessary" quotation marks.

Pick your favourite artist and then do a self-portrait in that genre. Up on top is *Mila's* Matisse inspired version of Snow White. On the bottom is my Picasso inspired Snow White.

signed, the willow