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Archive: 5,4,3,2,1 About...

February 21, 2012

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Robyn Wells

Robyn Wells of robayre is a crafter and graphic designer with a unique aesthetic and fun sensibilities. Robyn is a self-described inspiration junkie, and she finds inspiration in the simple things. Yet her work is anything but.

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. I am proud of my Artomat contributions. If you are unfamiliar with Artomat, it is an organization run by Clark Whittington, where he converts old cigarette vending machines into art vending machines. Contributing artists (AIC or Artists In Cellophane) create original works that are small enough to fit through the machines and then sold in tons of machines world wide. I have created two sets of 50 original miniature paintings. The second series started as 50 original collages and then I built 50 miniature canvases and recreated the collages as original paintings. I also made this video when I released my second set. It's been a while since my last contribution and I'm so ready to do it again. I've started cutting the wood to build my frames. I also have multiple concepts for other artomat series' as well and would love to finally send in prototypes for them.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past

1. This is really hard for me. I rely so heavily on my natural instincts when it comes to my art making. It is so rare that I scrap a piece. Take a long break, yes, but throw it away, no. A bad piece is just a piece under construction, or a learning experience and it doesn't drag me down . I may look at pieces from my past and cringe, but they were part of the development that got me to where I am now. I guess one mistake would be not trusting in my own instincts when I was younger. I think that was a product of Art school, sadly. It was like you have "it" or you don't. There was no education on how to develop and find your own style and confidence in your own vision. Thanks to art teachers at the community college level first, I knew there was always room for development, and talent isn't something you are born with. But with the competition and cliques at University (even among the teachers and students) it was really hard to ask for guidance and find a niche that fostered comfort and creativity.

2. A second mistake I've made maybe, was not sharing my artwork and online presence (website, blog, etsy shop, etc.) with my coworkers when I started working at my current job 7 years ago. At the time I was fresh out of school, not confident in it and was afraid that it would be awkward. Instead I feel like it is an area that I have to tiptoe around, so it's awkward anyway. I've long suspected they may know, but I'm not going to be the one to bring it up. It's made it kind of uncomfortable for me when I do, or would like to do, certain things, such as my art show. Instead of promoting it and calling the local newspapers, sending out postcards, etc., I tried to keep it hidden and was terrified that someone might find out about it. Isn't that funny? I think I present myself professionally enough online, so it's not that I'm afraid of being fired over content of my blog. I think it was more of a fear that they might judge me, or ask me about my art and I wasn't confident enough to represent myself. I started this paragraph off saying "maybe" it was a mistake, because as I said in the paragraph above this, it was the right thing for me at the time, and I wouldn't change it. I have grown so much in the last decade and if I were to start a new job tomorrow I'd be up front about it and hopefully be able to share this area of passion with others.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. The combination of my spontaneous and innate aesthetic,

2. use of color,

3. and, design/composition make my work recognizable as my own. Recognizable even across a body of work that contains photography, printmaking, jewelry making, collage, painting, bookmaking, and fiber art. The fact that a number of people have told me they have recognized my work as being mine before they saw for sure, is a HUGE source of pride to me. This is because it was a struggle for me when I was younger and I really doubted I'd ever reach such a place.

Four Tools You Love to Use

1. A camera, whether it be on my phone, digital camera or even an instant.

2. An empty book, or blank sheet of paper.

3. A Rapidoliner, which has been discontinued for years, but I bought a HUGE amount before they were gone forever.

4. Paintbrush and paints.

Five Inspirations

1. My Flickr favorites. Flickr is constantly a source of inspiration and community for me. The thing that I love so much about "favorites" in particular is that it is a concentration of images that called out to ME specifically, saved all in one tidy place. Look at my flickr favorites and you will get a glimpse into what I see as beautiful. Look at another person's flickr favorites and you will see their unique vision as well. It's just an interesting thing, to use other people's artwork to make something that represents me. Just looking at my flickr favorites makes me happy and so over the years I have been making wallpapers for my desktop computers (at work and home) using them.

2. My surroundings. The flat midwest prairieland. Katie wrote this nice post a couple weeks ago about it.

3. Art supplies and materials. My heart just starts racing at the thought of visiting a craft or art supply store.

4. Nothing inspires me to want to create something of my own, more than when I'm away at work. The challenge is trying to retain that drive and inspiration once I get home, mentally and emotionally exhausted by the day.

5. A clean studio space and drawing table. Like many artists, I have the tendency to make a mess. I love making messes, but it's so hard to want to start something new with piles of supplies, and shards of paper covering my work place.

February 14, 2012

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Green Horned Unicorn

Antonia of Green Horned Unicorn has an amazing sense of style. Her use of colors and textures makes her work both warm and uplifting. And while reading her responses to the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 questions, you can't help but get the sense that she is well-grounded in her creative endeavors. Bonus- Who doesn't love a girl with a scissor addiction?!?!

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. The Rolled Paper Frame. I created the project as a challenge to myself to use my stacks and stacks of magazines for something good. Not only did the frame turn out well, it was the first project of mine to ever be published in a magazine (Simply Handmade April/May 2011). How fitting that a project made from magazines be published in a magazine!

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past

1. Over-committing & setting unrealistic deadlines for myself. There are simply too many ideas running amok in my head. Too many things I want to explore, try out and accomplish. I set my sights high, usually unrealistically high, and often find myself overwhelmed and even stressed because of the expectations I set for myself. In recent months, I've forced myself to cut back and slow down in a lot of areas, including my creative endeavors. While this is a difficult thing to do, I'm much more at peace which, surprisingly in the end, allows me to be even more creative. Who knew?

2. Being a perfectionist. That darn perfectionist in me just won't stop rearing its ugly head. It's one of those traits that can be both my best and worst, often at the same time. Because of it, I strive do always do my best in everything, which is usually a good thing. Unfortunately, even when I've done my best, I have a hard time accepting that. When I complete a project I always find myself looking back and finding flaws — little details that could be better. I have to work very hard to accept things for what they are, and see the beauty in the imperfection.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. Use of bright, bold colors. No matter what type of craft I'm creating, I tend to lean toward bright, bold colors. Many of the compliments I receive regarding my projects are directed toward my choice and use of color.

2. Avoiding trends. While trends certainly make their way into my work, or at least influence it, I strive to stick with my personal style and create pieces that are more timeless as opposed to trendy.

3. Keep it simple. For the most part, my style is somewhat simple. When you look at my work, it may not appear to be that way at first glance, because the simple designs are brought to life with color and small details.

Four Tools You Love to Use

1. My Macbook. While it's nearly four years old, and my digital files long ago filled it's poor memory to the brim (and overflowed to an external hard drive), this has been the best computer I've ever owned — hands down. I use it daily to make digital creations, edit photos and search for inspiration. I couldn't live without it.

2. Adobe CS5 Design Suite. I couldn't do what I do without Photoshop and Illustrator. Love, love, love.

3. Hot Glue Gun. Seriously, what can't hot glue hold together?

4. Scissors, rotary cutters and paper trimmers. I probably own at least 10 pairs of scissors, each with its own unique use. I have two handheld rotary cutters (one always has a straight blade the other a scallop) and six different paper cutters. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I own that many cutting tools!

Five Inspirations

1. Pinterest. What a wondrous site it is! I know I have been guilty of getting lost there for hours upon end.

2. Blogs. I subscribe to hundreds of blogs through Google Reader. I start each day with a cup of tea and a screen full of inspiration.

3. Color & pattern. Just a glance at a wonderful pallet or pretty pattern can ignite my creative fire. I love to peruse fabric stores, scrapbook stores, clothing stores and home design stores for inspiration.

4. Magazines. From crafts to food to design, I find inspiration by simply flipping the pages of a magazine. You never know when a project, article, or even an ad will trigger your creativity.

5. The world around me. There is inspiration in everything, you just have to know where to look.

December 27, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Rachel Le Grand

Rachel Le Grand is amazing. Her work is diverse, but she clearly imprints her personal style on everything she does. How? With a well defined color palette, a love of vintage, and stunning photography.

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. My craft room. It was a fun challenge to work with this space. I ended up finding the perfect shelf that fit inside the closet with a removable desk, too! A sliding drawer under the desk store my laptop, so I can have a clear desk for crafting. There's a 12 inch by 12 inch space to the left just inside the closet where I hung shoe storage to store my yarn stash. I repurposed jars of all shapes & sizes to store my many different craft goodies. I sewed a tablecloth for my sewing table. I took an ugly old chandelier & painted it pink & hung it up in a corner. I made tissue paper pompoms & hung those up, as well.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past

1. The first time I tried to sew on bias tape to arm holes & a neckline, it didn't work out at all, so that project was completely abandoned.

2. When I tried using fabric spray paint on brown polyester (you're suppose to use it on light colored cotton), it was a hat, so I ended up covering it with fabric instead.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. Repurposing.

2. Using vintage materials.

3. Being gluten-free (I do a lot of homemade gluten-free baking).

Four Tools You Love to Use

1. My DSLR camera (Sony alpha-330)

2. Quilting ruler.

3. Bamboo knitting needles.

4. Rice long straight pins ~ they're from Denmark.

Five Inspirations

1. My children.

2. Craft books & magazines.

3. Craft blogs

4. Vintage shops/flea market

5. Other people's photography (flickr, etc).

December 20, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Call for Submissions

The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About... series is a way for us to get to know you. But it's also a great way to reflect on yourself. The questions are designed to get to the heart of who you are. They aren't difficult, but they can be challenging.

Consider this a call for engagement. My inbox has steadily been getting submissions, but I want more! If you have a blog, I encourage you to write up your answers and share them with the button below. If you don't have a blog, throw the answers up on your Facebook page. Or, just email them to me with three great photos. I can't wait to read about what makes you the crafter that you are.

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of
Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past
Three Things That Make Your Work Unique
Four Tools You Love to Use
Five Inspirations

Grab a button unless you hate cuteness. Just copy this code and paste it into your blog template.

December 19, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Karen Le Page

If I had an epic dinner for wonderful crafty folks, Karen Le Page would definitely be on the guest list. A talented seamstress and pattern maker here in Northville, Mich., Karen's work can be seen on cool-looking kids and on local book store shelves all over town. Get to know a little bit more about her.

Read full story »

December 13, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Mixed Martial Arts and Crafts

Mixed Martial Arts and Crafts might be one of the best blog titles of all time. It follows the life and projects of Vanessa, a creative and ambitious crafter and dedicated blogger. Vanessa seems to be able to knit just about anything. Oh, and she paints and sews too.

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1: This would have to be my first finished pair of socks. They fit just right and I feel really proud for not only finishing them, but figuring out the tricky parts like turning the heel and knitting the gusset. Unfortunately, it seems like every other sock that I cast on starts off with the best of intentions and ends up not working out for one reason or another.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past

1: In my personal life and my crafting life, I keep making the same mistake over and over again. I don't trust my instincts. I tend to ignore that little voice that says, "Something's not right." Whether it's a stitch count that's off or a situation that I really shouldn't be putting myself into, I am amazing at talking myself out of listening to the warning bell. I'm getting better at listening to my gut, though!

2: Another repeated mistake that's in my crafty and social life is not attempting something because it seems to be too hard. Writing it down makes it seem so silly. Just because it looks difficult should be reason enough to try

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1: It was made by me and therefore has my stank all over it. It's a pleasant stank, I assure you.

2: I tend to disregard things like gauge, needle size and yarn weight and just dive into patterns so my finished object looks nothing like what it's "supposed to".

3: I fix most of my glaring mistakes but sometimes, I'm too lazy to tink back if a stitch count is wrong so I'll just increase or decrease all willy nilly to get where I need to be. My February Lady Sweater (which still needs buttons) is full of these "design elements" in the body of the sweater. No photographic evidence yet, I'm still trying to make it fit me around the chest. It never will so I probably need to give up on that.

Four Tools You Love To Use

1: Knitting needles! I love knitting more than I do crochet, to be honest.

2: Needle and thread to sew things. It's amazing what a few stitches can do.

3: Yarn! So many weights, so many colors, so little time.

4: My computer. Last year, I tried sharing a laptop with the husband and while it was OK for a while, I've missed having my own personal laptop. I'm not crazy about the Mac I'm using but it was very nice of my niece Olivia to give it to me when she upgraded. My next laptop will most likely be a PC. I miss Windows!

Five Inspirations

1: My family. Good or bad, they're constantly pushing me to do what I dream of and to keep moving on. From my husband to my parents and my nieces and nephews, I've got a great safety net of love and support.

2: National Geographic. Their photos are always amazing and what better way to figure out good color schemes than to look at nature.

3: Martha Stewart makes me feel like I can do anything and have it come out perfectly. And that is a good thing.

4: The American Museum of Natural History. It's my favorite place on earth and their textile collection is remarkable particularly in the Hall of Asian People as well as the Hall of Plains Indians.

5: I'm going to cheat a little here and put in two things for this last one: Anne of Green Gables and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. They are two of my favorite books and are a source of comfort. Every time I reread them, I find something new both in the plot and in myself too.

December 6, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Things About Kydel Makes

Knitters never cease to inspire me, and Kydel Makes is no exception. Her work is creative and ambitious. It is also beautiful, feminine, and well made. She is a great example of a crafter who is self-taught, which even if you don't knit, there is much to be learned from her unique experience.

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. I would probably say it's my School Daze pom pom hat. t is not knit in a conventional way since it started life as a cabled cowl. The ribbing is done later and it has a contrasting cast off edge for a bit of snaz. I kinda like it.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past

1. Not going to uni and buncking off most of college so I have no actual qualifications in anything. I was in a band with 2 other girls at the time. All I wanted was to be a guitarist in a rock band. It didn't work out and I left at 26 years old. Too old to be studying since I had to support myself. I really should have went back to school but I thought things would just fall into place. They didn't. Now I'm doing what I really want to do but with no training or real skills.

2. Getting into debt and running away from it. It's kinda scary when every time the phone rings it's someone wanting money from you. I tend to avoid the phone if I don't recognise the number.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. Sometimes Terry thinks up the ideas. "Make some green gloves with a red bow and red ends" ... Ok.

2. I knit as I go. I usually don't have much more than a sketchy plan in my head and go from there, writing down what I just did as I go. Sometimes I get too carried away and forget to write things down for too long. Then when I have to write out the pattern for release I have to knit little sections again to see what I did. Dur!

3. I never do gauge swatches. I know I should. I know I should learn how certain yarns knit up and what size it will be etc...but I don't. I just want to make things. Swatches feel like a waste of my time when I could be making something else. You can slap my wrists now.

Four Tools You Love To Use

1. My bunch of bamboo circular needles (16 in), esp my little fatty (10mm).

2. My tatty row counter. I don't use it lots but when I do it reminds me of my Nana since it was hers and she died 10 years ago. A month or so ago, Kaden took it and dropped it in a glass of fizzy pop. It came back really sticky and hard to turn. I won't buy a new one though until it can't do the job any more.

3. I have a lot of vintage straight needles which were also my Nana's. I don't get to use them too much because I tend to knit in the round, but when I do get to use them they're lovely.

4. James C Bretts 100% pure merino. It is so soft and feels almost like silk. It's my favourite yarn to work with.

Five Inspirations

1. Nature. Strange as that might sounds. There is a lot of things out there that give cause for inspiration.

2. Films and TV. Lots of inspiration can be taken from what others are wearing.

3. The internet... kinda like above.

4. Other designers. Some people say they don't look at other designers so they don't steal ideas accidently but I draw a lot of inspiration from them. I also check around on ravelry when I have an idea to make sure no-one else has had it first (which is a nightmare when they have cos my idea is wiped).

5. My son. Sounds corny but some of the things he likes to wear are an inspiration to make him something a bit better. Cheap jumpers or hats can be re made into something better.

November 29, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Lindsey Bailey

Lindsey Bailey is a brilliantly ambitious artist. Her work is grounded in the techniques of traditional crafting, but lives in the realm of art galleries and installations. Her current project has her collaborating, but unlike most high artists, she is working with elementary school students! The pieces are not static, instead they are performance based. Yet even Lindsey's work that wasn't created with the help of 75 children is filled with life and color and vibrant whimsy. I would like to encourage you to support her efforts and support arts education by visiting and contributing to her kickstarter campaign.

CelebriTEAFinal.LBailey&WHolloway.2011.jpg

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of:
The one I am currently working on: Deliciously Happy. I am collaborating with students from 3 schools on an installation being featured at Belmont University. The schools are in 3 different areas in the city, so each of the schools bring a distinct approach to the project. All of the work is performative: the 4th graders are making bobble heads, the 7th/8th graders are making a carousel book where they can actually become part of the pages, and the 9th/10th graders will be working on paper puppet animations based on human interaction and movement. I am creating pieces that directly respond to their work. So, I will be incorporating a lot of costuming and set-making elements: fingerweaving, googly eyes, and large paper mache' objects. And, working with 75 youth: everyone brings a unique perspective to the project, making for exciting conversation and creative energy!!
A short video about the project can be found here: http://kck.st/unJK6l

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past:
Only 2? Ha! This is a hard one.
Creatively, I roll with the punches. So, I can't really think of anything that I would've thought of as a mistake. I tend to look at everything as "happy accidents", rather than mistakes.
For me, this question is less about creative mistakes and more about personal choices: not doing something again that you made the mistake of doing in the past. So, here are my answers:
1. Listening to people tell me that I should get a "real job" and stop trying to make creative work all of the time.
2. Having a "real job".

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique:
1. Sense of humor (through color and shape)
2. Collaboration (I love working with lots of people!)
3. Craft-based elements (Hobby Lobby is my best friend.)

Four Tools That you Love To Use:
1. A glue gun
2. A drill
3. A staple gun
4. Watercolor brushes

Five Inspirations:
1. Youth. The imaginations of my nephews and my students are so diverse and naturally creative. It's so important for this type of thinking to continue on, as they age.
2. Music. Music is such a visual source for me. When I play music while I am working in the studio, I can completely visualize where the pieces are going and what the final product will look like.
3. Friends. My friends are very creative. I love to watch my friends make things and have shows. We all work so differently, so it's really great to see how we each approach a project.
4. Nature. Lots of the shapes that I work with come from plants, flowers, and sea life. Of course the shapes play very different roles in my work, but everything is always based in nature. I spend a lot of time looking at things in the world.
5. Color. I am very inspired by color. I like a lot of color, all at once, in various shades, values, and textures. I can see a color and know exactly where it belongs in my work and can recreate it.

November 15, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Jenny from A Bird In The Hand Art

In this week's 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 we meet Jenny from A Bird In The Hand Art. She works with many different methods and materials to create her art, but despite the variety, maintains a solid voice by incorporating a strong motif- birds. I think it's brilliant, and I'm sure she never runs out of inspiration. Jenny is also the first crafter to claim sandpaper as one of her favorite tools!

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. A tray that I painted a couple of years ago. It was the first bird that I had ever painted and I did it by following a step-by-step out of a songbird painting book. We still have it in our apartment because I don't think I could part with it.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past

1. Only two? Well, staying in grad school as long as I did. I was miserable six months in but I kept hoping it would get better. Nope! I don't regret going to school though because I think it taught me a lot about finding something that I love and not worrying so much about finding something "successful."

2. Painting our kitchen orange. Ugly, ugly, ugly. Luckily it is turquoise now.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. Using materials in new ways. It's both my gift and my downfall. As soon as I make one thing or learn a new technique, I'm looking for ways to use it in a new way or combine it with something else. It's led to some unfinished projects. I can't ever knit anything too large because as soon as I figure out my technique works, I want to start over and try something new.

2. Variety. I can't stick to one craft so I'll try anything. Painting, knitting, sculpting, metalwork. If there is a class or book on it, I'll try it. Shoot, I don't even need that, just give me a craft store and I'll read the back of the box.

3. Novelty. I try to keep my pieces fresh. I definitely am inspired by others and don't presume that no one has ever made something similar to me. But I do my best to make every piece really stand out.

Four Tools That You Love to Use

1. Pliers. Essential for jewelry-making and pretty much anything I do. They are my daily crafting tool.

2. Sandpaper. It's such a small thing but can make a huge difference between a finished and unfinished piece.

3. Sewing Machine. I just learned to use it this year, but it's been so helpful. I'm no longer limited by thinking "oh well it would take so long to sew that." I can do a quick seam whenever I want!

4. Photoshop. Of course for editing photos for showing off my work, but also for editing images to use in my work. I paint birds but then love to use the images over again in different ways. Photoshop is great for editing them in the way I need.

Five Inspirations

1. Nature. If you've spent any time on here, you know I use birds in a lot of my work. They're so pretty!

2. Pinterest.com. Yeah, I could spend hours looking on here.

3. Thrift stores. I like to go about once a week and do a lap. I'll find fabric to use in my pieces or a cool wooden box to fix-up.

4. My Husband. He is so supportive and a great designer himself. I love bouncing ideas off of him and listening to his thoughts (yes, you can go awwwww).

5. Blogs. I subscribe to way too many blogs because there are about 150 new posts in my google reader every morning. Oh my. There are just so many creative people out there!

November 8, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Things About Schuyler St. Leger

The most wonderful thing about Schuyler St. Leger is that while he knows more about technology and electronics than most, he juxtaposes that knowledge with earnest curiosity. As much as Schuyler has to share, he also wants to learn.

I'll never forget the first time I met Schuyler. He walked right up to me in the hotel bar after Maker Faire and struck up a conversation. I was not expecting to meet an 11 year old that night. He was so easy to engage with, and he has a spectacular sense of humor, it was not long before I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. From that moment on, I've following him on twitter (@DocProfSky), and I am always so inspired by his adventures in making.

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of:

1. My motion detecting alarm. This was my very first Arduino project that I programmed myself. I think I was seven or eight years old at the time (I'm eleven now.) The idea was sparked during one of my many trips to RadioShack when I spotted a motion detector there and thought this would make a cool DIY project. I gathered up some components (Arduino Duemilanove, passive infrared {PIR} motion detector, beeper siren, breadboard, jumper wires, resistors, power adapter, etc.) and starting putting it together. Ladyada's Arduino programming tutorial really helped me figure out all of the programming. To make the unit a bit more stealth I put all of the components into a flushable diaper wipes box (my youngest brother was two at the time.) I had a blast just leaving it on the floor in an area where everyone walked. My dad walked by it a bunch of times and couldn't figure out "...where is that annoying beeping noise coming from?!" It was priceless!

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past:

1. Crashing my 3D printer head into the build platform. I've done this countless times on my MakerBot Cupcake CNC printer and a few times on my Thing-O-Matic. The last time I did this was when I was doing a 3D printer demonstration to a bunch of elementary school kids at a science night event. They were mesmerized by the printing of a whistle and were lining up to wait for a print of their very own whistle. After many prints towards the end of the night the Z-axis became misaligned enough to crash into the build platform and tear up the aluminum heat spreader and the belt. It was easily fixable later, but at the time it caused many sad faces among the students when I had to tell them "Sorry, no more printing whistles tonight."

2: Disassembly without successful reassembly. Most makers know you can learn a lot by taking things apart, making careful observations of what's inside, how it's designed, how it's built, etc. The secret is to be able to put it all back together. Well, one time I was at an Intel GreenIT fair where a guy had a bunch of pedal-driven devices connected to a Kill-A-Watt. It was the first time I had seen a Kill-A-Watt. The guy was really nice and let me take it apart to see what components were inside, the back of the display, etc. Unfortunately somewhere along the way something went wrong and it never worked after that. The guy seemed okay with it, but my dad wasn't so happy.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique:

1: Kids don't know what they can't do. Did I tell you that I'm only eleven?! More often than not my approach is atypical. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. But it's rarely boring.

2: Share and Share Alike. I really enjoy sharing my work, creations, and skills with other people. If someone, anyone is interested, I'll talk to them for hours, telling them about my work and trying to encourage them to try it themselves.

3: Serendipitous Results: I usually don't plan my projects all the way through to the end. Sure, this usually means a few extra trips to Fry's Electronics or RadioShack, but it also often means I have to improvise some part of my creation. You never know what impact that will have on the final outcome.

Four Tools You Love To Use:

1: Digital Multimeter: This is probably one of my first "great tools," though I'll admit I really just took over my dad's Fluke meter. I use one all the time: from figuring out if a random AC power supply might be useful ("Hmmm...I wonder what voltage this puts out..."), to testing batteries, to debugging projects.

2: Screwdriver Multi-bit Kit: Getting back to taking stuff apart, you need a great set of screwdrivers to be able to remove all the "removal will void warranty" screws. It seems like the guys who make hard drives, cameras, inkjet printers, etc. go out of their way to keep us out of the very products we own! That's just wrong. Having all the right bits at hand is great to expedite disassembly.

3: Soldering Iron: It's THE fundamental tool for making electronics stuff. In your hand you have something better than conductive glue for putting together electronics projects. It's a great feeling.

4: Computers/Internet: Computers are great tools for design (e.g. 3D models for my 3D printer), programming (e.g. Arduino), running machines (e.g. MakerBot), and finding nearly ANY information you need. There are so many great tutorials, videos, blogs, projects, and helpful sites online. How else can you read the digital version of MAKE magazine, including corrections to errors in the printed edition?!

There's one more that's really just on my personal wish list. That would be an oscilloscope. I've used one many times at my local hackerspace HeatSync Labs. But I really REALLY want to have my own at home so I can use it on my own projects without having to ask my parents to drive me to HeatSync. Now if only some generous soul out there reads this... :)

Of course if you consider a 3D printer a "tool" then it should have been listed as my number one tool. I currently own a Cupcake CNC and Thing-O-Matic, both from MakerBot Industries. I've been passionate about 3D printing for a few years now. It's an amazing technology that lets you build just about anything that you can model. I never tire of printing out things.

Five Inspirations:

1: My Local Hackerspace: HeatSync Labs is such a great place. They have awesome tools and even better, awesome people. It's the people who inspire me. One particular person is Jacob Rosenthal, who helped me in my early days learning how to solder well (including toaster oven reflow soldering and hot air re-work), hack devices (we had a great time hacking the Red Bull Creation project board), Arduino programming, and 3D printing (we started on a RepRap Mendel.) He also started a Young Makers group at HeatSync. He's very inspiring (and patient too!)

2: The Maker Community: Going to Maker Faire for the very first time in 2010 was eye-opening. There were so many cool projects. The makers are amazing in that they'll just talk to you and tell you all about their projects. I always learn a ton and come away all excited about starting a bunch of new projects (which is what causes my "partially finished projects" list to keep growing!).

3: Miscellaneous Junk: I have a bunch of "stuff" (my parents call it junk) lying around our house. Inside these boxes lie the makings of projects of tomorrow. Just working through these piles of stuff often sparks some creative "what if" ideas.

4: Great People: Some of the great makers have spent time with me, just talking about making stuff and their experiences. Over the years I've had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Wozniak (Apple), Bre Pettis (MakerBot Industries), Mitch Altman (TV-B-Gone), Lenore Edman and Windell Oskay (Evil Mad Science), and even Donald Johanson (ASU; he discovered Lucy in 1974). They all do amazing things that I admire and aspire to.

5: Completed Projects: There's always a sense of conquering a project when you are finally able to finish it. Getting things to work the way you want them to. That's inspiring.

October 25, 2011

Submit Your 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Answers

The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About... series is a great way to get to know members of the CRAFT community. And just because you are reading these words, YOU are a member of our community. As crafters, we love crafting objects, but as community members, we love the personalities behind those objects. Here's a list of the profiles we've posted or linked to on the site so far.

Melissa Abercrombie
Lish Dorsett
Diane Gilleland
Becky Stern
Haley Pierson-Cox
Andrew Salomone
Meg Allen Cole
Rachel Hobson
Me
Fresa
Chris Hackett
Penni Moussa
Carla Sinclair
Krys Lefler
Heidi of Hands Occupied
CraftyStuffs
Amy Anderson of ModgePodgeRocks
Colleen Jorgensen of Mural Maker
SillyPearl
Tea-an-Toast
Wendi Gratz
Jojoebi

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of
Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past
Three Things That Make Your Work Unique
Four Tools You Love to Use
Five Inspirations

Grab a button unless you hate cuteness. Just copy this code and paste it into your blog template.

October 18, 2011

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Things About Heidi of Hands Occupied

Heidi of HandsOccupied is new to the world of craft blogging, but she already feels like a pillar of the community. Her dynamic site is packed with all sorts of great tutorials, including wedding videos, gardening ideas, and home decor projects. The best way to get to know someone new is with a few intriguing questions, so check out the answers to her 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. The project I think I'm most proud of is probably the light-up banner at my wedding. That project was an original idea, and it's one of the first tutorials I did for Hands Occupied that was featured at a widely read blog. I can't wait to see other people (not just brides) take the idea and run with it.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past

1. Not realizing the necessity of great photography in craft blogging. My biggest goal for the remainder of 2012 is to stop using my iPhone 4 camera for blog content.

2. Working too fast. Sometimes my most exciting ideas come while I'm working, but in particular, they come when I'm taking enough time to self-reflect while working.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. I have only been crafting in the quasi-public sphere for 11 months. My newbieness helps inform a fresh perspective on blogging and crafting.

2. My family is from the plains and has a long, long history of crafting and making. I have this piece of my personality that is insatiably practical, which leads me to look at nontraditional materials and think of interesting ways to use them in crafts.

3. I love learning how to use new mediums and techniques. This helps keep my crafts interesting.

Four Tools You Love to Use

1. My iPad: my new favorite way to search for inspiration online. Getting to touch the screen helps me feel more connected to what I'm seeing than a mouse and keyboard.

2. Hardware and building tools: there's something about making something small and cute that involves a hammer that makes me laugh every time.

3. Nontraditional supplies: whenever I can recycle or upcycle stuff I have around the house, I am happy. It's that North Dakotan practicality thing at work. I also keep a "goody bag" of crap I don't want to throw away that might have a craft use some day. But also, being a librarian, I make sure to weed the goody bag from time to time to avoid a total mess.

4. My hands!

Five Inspirations

1. Andrea of Blonde Bedhead. She's a fashion blogger who moved to Chicago from Lansing, Mich. around the same time I did. Seeing her really make an impact from Lansing inspired me to finally take the plunge into blogging.

2. Megan from Studio MME: my 5th grade friend-turned brilliant illustrator and artist. Nothing gets her down.

3. Craftzine: I started reading Craftzine a number of years ago it really turned me on to what was happening in the modern world of crafting. They are always sharing innovative and creative ideas.

4. My family. This fall, I'm going to start featuring "my family's crafts." My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents made everything from DIY wine and rosaries (Catholic upbringing what what!) to gorgeous quilts and woodworking. Guess which grandchild is winding up with a lot of the trinkets accumulated over the years? I think this will be a great way to preserve and share their history and work. The best part? One of my grandmas asked me one day, "So what's this internet I hear so much about?" Now, she'll be featured on it.

5. This isn't supposed to be a cop-out, but I'm really inspired by people who work really hard. Other bloggers, Etsy sellers, and silent readers all make this weird, crafty circle of the internet keep going. I rarely run into spammers, plagiarists, or haters (knock on wood). Everyone in the crafting community is so nice and supportive. It's awesome.

Now it's your turn! Share 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things about yourself on your blog, and add the button we've made. Then, send me a link and I'll include it in a future roundup!

Grab a button unless you hate cuteness. Just copy this code and paste it into your blog template.

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