Budgeting for art and craft work

It is getting harder and harder to make the pennies stretch and when I have to choose between Groceries or art I will always choose the groceries. How can I still do my art in this present economic situation.

Over the next few weeks I am going to present different ways to save money in art work.  I have found a few great practical and easy ideas on how to do this. To start off our journey I am going to look at ways to save with....... 

....The printed word

1. Instead of buying books check out the local library to see what they have.  Most of my learning comes form library books.
2. Ask the library to purchase book you want to read. They are usually more than willing to have guidance in good new books on the market. 
3. Buy books and magazines from second hands stores,  flea markets,  garage/yard sales and flea markets.  I have found some excellent bargains in these places.
4. Have a book swap with other artists/craft people.  You can get rid of books you have read to death and get new reads for you.
5. Use old magazines and books for collage,  mixed media work, and design ideas.
6. Use used printer paper/photocopy paper for baking to stabilize applique,  drawing on and making patterns with
7. Share a subscription with a friend or group.
8. Share books and magazines.  Pass them around to other people you know that might like to read them. 
9. Recommend books and magazines.  It saves people a lot of money not having to buy books and then find they weren't what you were really looking for.  Also read reviews to make sure your getting the best for your money.
10. Get books and magazines that talk more about techniques than just patterns.  Techniques can be used again and again,  one pattern can't always be used to many times.
11. Research the web for information.  A lot of information online is free.  Even some patterns are free.

quilt challenge-52 cards in a year

Week 8

I came across an interesting printing method while watching a QTV show and decided to try it out.  It is a novel way to do marbling.  I laid a piece of plastic out and sprayed shaving cream over it.  Then I dropped textile paint on to it.  Using a stick I moved the paint around in swirl patterns , mixing the 2 colours together as I went. When I had the desired effect I laid a white cotton square piece of fabric over the ink and pressed lightly.  I left this to dry over night then rinsed it out.  The result was a lovely marbled piece of fabric which I stitched to create the look of water.

I used a variety of colours of cottons to create depth to the piece.

quilt challenge-52 cards in a year

Week 7

I read an article on abstract quilts this week and decided to use a photo I had taken on our farm and abstract it.

I reversed the image in my design,  simplified it and changed the colour scheme.

I then quilted it very simply by following the lines of the shapes.

photography-Choosing your subject

I think any thing can make a good photograph providing the photographer uses good light and good composition.  I also feel that it helps if the Photographer enjoys what he/she photographs.  I am fascinated by the details on natural objects in particular foliage and flowers. 

I also love to photograph portraiture.  It so rewarding to get a good

rapport with the model and to capture the person personality.

  architecture.  I love to create scale with pictures of buildings and the

feeling of the building touching the sky.

 and landscapes.  I love landscapes because I like to wonder what is over the horizon. 

 Landscape also offer the possibility to capture large scale beauty.

Whatever subject you choose take time to practice at all times of the day and night, 

different lights and conditions and when seasons change. 

If the subject is portable try taking photos in side or in a studio type setting.

Most importantly have fun! 

quilt challenge-52 cards in a year

Week 6

This week I have experimented with thread painting.  My subject matter is the opal top shell from the Te Papa collection (the National museum of New Zealand)  This was the first animal to be scientifically recorded and illustrated  in New Zealand in the late 1700's. 

This piece was appliqued then thread painted.  Then it was quilted.

Quilting-Time saving tip #4

Making time for art and creating sometimes is a mind set.  I view other things in life as more of a priority.  A lot of Women and some men put a lot of other priorities above what is their passion.  I am as guilty of this as anyone else.  My children's needs and wants.  my husbands needs and wants and other peoples needs and wants seem to be more important.  So how do we change this mind set.  Some things that have helped me are.....

1. Recognising that I am as important as everyone else so therefore my time to do things I am passionate about is important.
2. Writing a yes list.  Every 6 months I write a list of 6 priorities in my life.  Making art one of those priorities gives me permission to create.
3. Talking to all the members of my household about what I love to do and how important it is to me. 
4. Setting a time for me to work sets boundaries for myself and for other in my house.
5. I have a sign for my door that I use to protect my time.  It says studio in use.  I only use this when my time is interrupted a lot.
6. I say to myself what do I want to remember myself doing when I am old.  Housework?  or playing with my kids and being creative?  I choose the later 2 any day.

Make yourself a number one priority and remember ....

if you are having visitors to your home

would you serve them from an empty soup pot? 

No you wouldn't but why do we serve people around us from an empty soul. 

We need to keep our souls full so we can give without going into burn out.

quilt challenge-52 cards in a year

Week 5

I read an article by Nikki Wheeler in an e-mail sent by the quilting arts team entitled Tips for Textural Mini Quilts. In essence the article showed artists how to use all those quilted scraps left over at the end of an art project.  I decided this week to use scraps I had been saving to make an card loosely based on the shape of a Fern leaf.

I cut the pieces into to finer strips and then stitched them together with a satin stitch.  I chose to around each of line of satin stitch with orange thread.

I wanted to experiment with a complementary colour scheme and to emphasise each ridge of the leaf more.  Down the centre ridge I used crayon to shade.