Stand Out!

I have taught art to both children and adults for years. It has always made me sad when people get frustrated that their project doesn't look like someone else's. 

STOP IT! 

printable art at smallfrynotables.etsy.com

Really! Don't worry; I don't really yell it at my students. I just think it loudly. Anyone that really knows me will say I have no problem standing out. I always stood out as a kid, both intentionally and not. Moving from small towns, to big cities and places that took forever to understand the slang, lol. My mom was excited to move to a new place because you could start over and be whomever you wanted to be. I was just fine being me. 

Don't get me wrong. I am in no way perfect and I am always trying to grow and learn new things. I just don't have to be someone else to do it. I am fine with having people not always agree with me. We can all be mature in our differences. I probably don't want to spend a lot of time with them anyway, so it is a win-win! Besides, when someone challenges your thoughts and ideas, it does one of two things. It either makes you stand your ground in how you feel, or it opens your mind to new possibilities.

I believe God made each of us unique. We are not supposed to have the same hair color, skin color, body style, roaring laugh, or magnificent athleticism. How boring would this world be if all art was the same? If every one looked and sounded the same? If we all drove the same car and had the same dog?

You don't have to be obnoxious to do it. Just enjoy being with yourself. If you don't enjoy it, why should someone else? Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?

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Fix-It Friday

Life has hit me hard the last couple of weeks. Between unexpected travel and a houseful of flu, I'm ready to burst! Luckily the Fix-It Friday on I Heart Faces came about just in time to save me today. :)

So here is the original photo, shot by Andrea Riley, straight out of camera.


The first thing I did was crop the image. Then I bumped the curves, added more contrast, reduced the red, burned the background, and finally sharpened the final image. This is my edited color version.


And here is my version in a soft black and white (my fave)...

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From Drab to Fab - January Creative Challenge

So for my project with a $20 maximum, came in at $18.44. It was a lamp that someone had given us long ago. I had kept it in my basement for ages because I really disliked it (that's really an understatement). I had to buy a new lampshade because I couldn't find one at the thrift store that was the shape I wanted. I'm sure I could have scoured more, But I was still under $20 so I didn't sweat it. So here is what I started with.


Pretty bad, huh? Not to worry. The first thing I did was to give the metal a little rub down with a fine grade sand paper to give it some tooth, then gave it a couple of coats of a red spray primer that was made for metal.


After priming it, I left that to dry for a bit while a freehanded a simplified leaf shape in pencil on the new lampshade. Next, I used thick artist acrylic black paint to fill in the pencil sketch. This was a silk lampshade, so anything too wet will spread. I went back and painted a black border on the top and bottom to give it a bit more punch.


By now, the primer was dry and I gave the base a couple of coats of matte black spray paint.


I then took a copper patina glaze and drybrushed all of the edges and surfaces that would normally show wear, topped it with the new shade and called it a day!




I joined the party at:
DIY Project Party monthly contest
Creative Share Wednesday @ Trendy Treehouse
FFA Friday @ Sassy Sites
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
The DIY Show Off Project Parade
Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle
Letting the Creative Tuesday Juices Flow
Restored It Wednesday @ Restore Interiors
Trash 2 Treasure Tuesday @ Sassy Sites

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January Creative Challenge!

Theme: Totally Drab to Totally Rad!

I know it sounds a bit 80s but don't let that influence you (or do, if that's your thing!). Here are the details of our first public challenge with From Art to Zebras. Above all, HAVE A BLAST!

Your challenge this month is to spend $20 or less at a thrift store and buy something super ugly, tacky or otherwise abominable and revamp it into something totally awesome. If you have something totally horrible already, first, let me say I'm sorry; second, why???; and third, go ahead and use it for the challenge. You must take pictures of the item in its original state, so we can see both the before and the after. Your purchase can be a piece of artwork, clothing, figurine, statue, platter, furniture -- whatever! You decide. You can purchase more than one item at the thrift store as long as your total is $20 or less, and your items somehow come together in the same theme of the project.

Rules:

• Craft your project during this challenge period (Jan 11 - Jan 31st 2011) only. Projects created before this timeframe will not be removed, but they will be excluded from the voting. Post before and after shots on our From Art to Zebras facebook page and tag yourself in them. If you don't have a facebook account, you can either get one, lol, or just email them to us and we will post them.
• You can make this by yourself or as a group or family. If participating as a group, please tag all individuals. You will be responsible for working out how the prize will be divided.
  
• Post your craft no later than Jan 31st.
• Voting will happen from Feb 1-8, 2011.
• Enter only ONE project. Your entry can have multiple components to it.

Originality:

It's probably impossible to know whether your project is 100% original or made by anyone else in the past. But if your project was definitely inspired by something you've seen before, please give credit to that project.

Prizes:
At the end, I'll set up a poll and the first place winner will get:

(1) their project featured on blog, facebook, website and twitter!
(2) bragging rights (you'll probably do it anyway).
(3) a $75 gift certificate to use with From Art to Zebras on anything! classes, camps, events, artwork, gifts, photography, okay, you get the hint. :)

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My Supermodel Family...

originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

Yay!!! It's Friday! We made it through the first week of winter session classes at the studio with flying colors. Okay, maybe not flying colors, lol, but colors nonetheless. We, meaning I, have finally realized I can't get through the chaos of still having boxes stacked as tall as me in the office with who knows what looming inside.

Everyone else at From Art to Zebras has known this all along. I just say I'm a free spirit and can't stop what I' doing long enough to worry about such things. Uuuummm, yeah, I can't find anything...

So with this amazing revelation, I plan on locking myself in the studio tomorrow and going to town! I know it will be a shock to many, but I will step into reality for this short time and deal with it. I have my big girl panties on and am ready to face the music. Okay, I'm really trying to not talk myself out of it. It is supposed to snow here tonight and I'm hoping it isn't enough to do the trick. It wouldn't be hard. Until tomorrow...

BTW, the photo of my family was throw in there to distract the passerby from my pile syndrome. ;)

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Mother Earth's Garden

mother-earths-garden-2, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

I created this for a challenge on the Busy Mom's of Etsy group for March. The theme was Mother Nature's Garden. I love little fairies, so I had to incorporate them into my garden! This is a mixed media on a 9"x12" gallery wrapped canvas (5/8" deep). Okay, my little fairies are wearing masks, they have to go incognito, don't they all? JK.

I will be listing the original in my etsy shope, smallfrynotables.etsy.com, so you can get it there, or let me know if you would like a smaller print. No problemo!


Joined the Party at:
Strut Your Stuff Thursday
Thursday's Treasures
Feature Yourself Friday
It's a Hodgepodge Friday
What I Made This Week
Remodelaholic Meeting
Creative Cats Friday
Super Crafty Saturdays
Weekend Wrap Up Party
Check Me Out Saturdays
Saturday Nite Special
DIY Show Off
Just Something I Whipped Up Monday
Motivate Me Monday
Make Your Monday
Made by You Monday
Market Yourself Monday
Making the World Cuter Mondays
Made It Monday
Do It Yourself Day
A Little Craft Therapy
Whatever Goes Wednesday
Show and Tell Wednesday
Make It Yours Day
Talented Tuesday
Toot Your Horn Tuesday
Tip Me Tuesday
Lucky Linky Tuesday
Get Your Craft On Thursday
Bring in the Spring Blog Party

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