Mail Art Swap

It's one of those of things that I have heard about, thought about, but had never attempted...until now. A Mail Art Swap.  An art swap is where you send small, whimsical, lightweight works of art through the postal system (aka, snail mail).  In typical Beth fashion, I accepted the invite without really knowing what I was getting myself into.  Apparently, mail art dates back to 60's and it was created by artists who did not believe that art should be limited to gallery and museum walls. Yikes! What? Artists?! I'm not artist!!  I guess I should have read the details.  I am merely a crafter. A crafter of the easiest, quickest, and cheapest projects, a crafter who stopped any original thoughts since I discovered Pinterest!

So, needless to say, I have been struggling to figure out what to make. I thought about making small pillows, or some cute little stuffed creature. I tried some DIY painting project, but was less than impressed with the results. With little to no time left to get my "art work" complete, I simply chose a subject that I know best - fashion! It's still nothing special, but I am actually quite happy with the results. 3 whimsical fashion illustrations.

I hope that the recipients of these pieces will be happy. If not, I have a feeling I will be receiving some hate mail in the near future!  All in all, I am glad that I was a part of this art swap, but I think this might be my first and my last.  I'll stick to my crappy crafts that my two girls think are masterpieces.

  I ripped pages out of a magazine and then painted the image on using acrylic paint. Once it dried, I added the pop of colour.  

Have you been a part of a mail art swap? What was your experience like?  I would love to hear your stories!

Crafty and Creative

This past weekend was a wonderful weekend for showcasing the many talents of the women of Kingston.  On Saturday, there was the Kingston's Women's Expo, an indoor event held at the Invista Centre. The KWE main goal is to bring together local businesses that are run by women, or that offer services to women. It was a day filled with exhibits, samplings, entertainment, interactive demonstrations, and shopping opportunities.  Then, on the Sunday, held outdoors at City Park, was the Women's Art Festival. The WAF was originally started in the late 70's by a group of women who were interested in promoting the work of women artists. Offering another opportunity to enjoy entertainment, samplings and more shopping!

At the WAF there was one particular vendor that stood out for me.  365 Lucky Days.  Now, I have done a little background check, and I seem to be the last person in the blogosphere to know about her.  Almost a year ago, Lucky Jackson set out to embroider something everyday for a year. And, to hold herself accountable, she has created a blog where she posts each piece she makes.  This is not your typical embroidery either. These pieces are fun, whimsical and colourful. The great thing about these hoop embroideries is in the details. Not only does she use super cool vintage prints for the background, but there are also touches of lace, beads and other playful fabrics.  They are all so cool that I am still trying to decide which one I want to buy!

I could go on and on about her and her work, but I will let the embroidery do the talking! Check it out for yourself. http://www.luckyjackson.bigcartel.com

I wonder what I'd look like if I was LUCKY enough to be embroidered?!

art of music

My husband and I are big time music fans. For our wedding, we made sure we chose EVERY song on the playlist.  Yes, we are that hardcore. However, neither of us can sing (doesn't seem to stop me though), and neither if us can play an instrument.  Our love for music is one of the things that brought us together and we hope that it will also play a major role in our girls lives. 

Here are some fun, music inspired kids books that we have picked up along the way - in our quest to mould our girls into musicians.  

Yellow Bird Project - colouring book

Montreal-based, nonprofit Yellow Bird Project, have created this really cool indie rock colouring book that is hand illustrated by artist Andy J. Miller.  Each page pays artistic tribute to a different Indie Rock band, from Bon Iver to Iron and Wine.  The book also includes other activity-book fun, like a maze and connect the dots and 100% of the royalties go to charity, now that's rockin'!

Sunday in Kyoto - book and music CD

Contains a collection of 14 Gilles Vigneault songs performed by Canadian singers including Patrick Watson, Thomas Hellman, Coral Egan and Vigneault's daughter, Jessica.  Sunday In Kyoto contains fun music for kids with an artistic twist.
Gilles Vigneault is a member of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and hailed as one of Canada's most important music figures of the 20th century.

Lisa Loeb - book and music CD

Pop star Lisa Loeb definitely brings the silly with her fun filled songbook.  The CD contains 4 original wacky songs that are very catchy.  I have found myself singing a few of them - thankfully, only around the house.