Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Public Art


Recently my husband was given the opportunity to do a public art project in West Lafayette, Indiana. He was asked to submit a proposal for a mural that would cover an 18 ft. high x 38 1/2 ft. wide concrete wall. He spent the last 3 weeks painting the mural. Not an easy task to begin with, but made all the more difficult because of the beastly hot weather we've been experiencing.

The mural depicts a character called "The Celery Bog Man" and is titled "Mythic Wabash". "The Celery Bog is a wetland located in West Lafayette, Indiana. For much of the 20th century the wetland was drained and farmed. Celery, as well as other crops, were grown in the rich peat of the drained wetland. However, the agricultural drainage system constantly failed, which resulted in the termination of farming in the wetland. Thus, part of the former wetland has gradually reverted to wet conditions. The wetland and important nearby sites are now preserved as the Celery Bog Nature Area. This area is listed as a “significant ecological site” by the Indiana Natural Heritage Program and it has become and important park in the area."

The original painting of "The Celery Bog Man" was conceived for another community art exhibition call "Tippecanus Rex" which my husband curated. The object of that project was for area artists and writers to create works about imagined myths and legends of Tippecanoe county. Some of my favorites were the Wabash River Dolphins, Tippecanus Rex, the Wea Plains Pigmy Bison and the Celery Bog Man.

The public unveiling of the mural was this afternoon. Craig says "It's meant to be fun, obviously, but primarily provocative. I'm hoping people respond to the creativity and the imagination behind it." So many people stopped to watch him paint and commented on how cool it was. The mayor was in attendance during the unveiling and he mentioned that not only is public art beautiful to look at and enjoy, but that murals like this actually detour vandals from creating graffiti. Who knew?

If you are ever in West Lafayette, the mural is on a wall near Purdue University behind Spurlock's restaurant. It was sponsored by the City of West Lafayette and the Tippecanoe Arts Federation.

Here are some pictures of the mural in different stages.









Thursday, July 15, 2010

Christmas in July Sale


It's Christmas in July at BagsandBuds! I am offering FREE SHIPPING on all SALE category items and 25% OFF on all other items. The sale runs from today, July 15th through Sunday, July 25th. Check it out.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Saturday, July 10, 2010

My Creative Space

For optimum sewing experience be sure to stage your creative space.
My must haves…
• Television in the corner of the room tuned to the food network. I figure if it’s playing in the background I’m bound to become a better cook just from hearing what’s going on, right? (beware..this can slow down production)
• Or my laptop tuned to Pandora.com with my favorite artists crooning
• A large icy beverage in one of those sweat-free plastic cups
• My most comfortable reading glasses-the kind that don’t pinch my head
• Perfect lighting either from the window during a bright sunny day, or from my task lamp and overhead lighting
• Comfortable chair-cushiony with proper lumbar support. One with swivel and height adjustment is a must. Sometimes I pull my ironing board over close to my sewing table and put it on a low setting so I can just swivel from sewing machine to iron without going across the room. Lazy? No, just efficient.
• Plenty of clear workspace on my sewing table. I sometimes have a problem with this one, so I have a nearby table for the things I need.
• A great, clean sewing machine with a sharp needle.
• My fabric stash neatly folded and organized.
• A cutting table with rotary cutter and cutting mat.
• My plastic cutting guides/rulers. One long and one short.
• My inspiration board. It’s a metal sheet that hangs on my wall with magnets holding patterns, cards, magazine articles, photos, etc.
• Sharp scissors-at least 5 pair. I put one at the ironing board, one for paper/patterns, one at my cutting table and my favorite pair at my sewing machine. Oh, and a smaller scissor for clipping threads.
• Lots and lots of pins. I have pins at my sewing table and pins at my cutting table on magnetic “cushions”.
• Lots of organization in clear totes and drawer units. I cannot work in clutter. At least not in unorganized clutter. Ha!
• A shipping station with all the necessary items for wrapping orders.
• Two trashcans-one on either side of the room, and some shopping bags to hold my little scraps.
• And, if I’m lucky, I have my daughter, a fellow crafter, joining me in her corner of the room.

What is your creative space like?

Collage...Silhouettes

Some beautiful silhouettes from Etsy sellers.



1. The Silhouette Collection-Pets by aedrieloriginals
2. Silhouette Group Scene by paperportraits
3. Custom Silhouette in Graphic Ornate Frame by BlueClara
4. Small Plate by aedrieloriginals
5. Custom Silhouette Necklace by STELLAandHODGE
6. Custom Mugs with Portraits by MissCrowland

These are the silhouettes of my children. They hang above my bed. I had them done when the kids were both around 18 months old. I cherish these.


Friday, July 9, 2010

One Moment week #13


My moment this week was having to put our 1998 Ford Escort out to pasture. Here she is in her hay day.



She was a good car for many years, but lately she's been a money pit. The last straw was the fuel pump that needed to be replaced. Another $500 repair. Why is it that whenever you take the car to the shop it costs $500??? Every time!!! So, goodbye old friend. Hopefully they will be able to salvage some parts before they send you to your final resting place.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Collage...Pretty Portraits

I was browsing through Etsy today trying to find a subject for a collage and happened upon some very pretty little portraits.



1. Colored Pencil Portrait by JaneWittenberg
2. Watercolor and Colored Pencil Portrait by pentopaper123
3. Custom Pencil Sketch by Lavatican
4. Quick Sketch Custom Portrait by Sketchbookstudioart

These drawings made me remember a portrait that my mother commissioned of me when I was a little girl. It is dated 1966~I was 5 years old. Yikes!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Collage...Pinwheels



1. Tiny Pinwheel Earrings by mxmjewelry
2. Paper Pinwheel in White by UseYourKnoggin
3. Independence Day Pinwheels by rule42
4. Pinwheel Mobile Sassafras by mamax2
5. Pinwheel Baby Quilt by FrozenKnickers

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