Archive for Videos

Mar
02

Creative Breakthroughs

Posted by: Sarah | Comments (3)

Have you seen a head rolling by? Mine fell off this afternoon sometime–let me know if you see it.

So many thoughts fighting for attention in there and suddenly, it couldn’t take it anymore and off it went.

All because I’ve been frantically getting the site for my studio done–you know, the local NJ/NY Metro outpost for Make Great Stuff: Jackson Street Studios.

And now, it’s finally, officiiiaaaalllllllly………………………….Done-Ish! :-)

What do they say–don’t let the pursuit of the perfect get in the way of the good? Right–so that’s what I’m doing. I mean, not doing….Er, one of those–the one where I’m okay with the “good”.

So as you can see from the above sentences, I’ve worked my head off and am officially fried, but I must say that I’m getting rather fond of my little site–it’s improving every day.

And I AM super excited by the class I’m teaching. Will you please take a look?

The Creative Breakthroughs Technique–A Collage Workshop

That’s what I’m calling it. Because it’s such a fabulous way to break out of a rut and ditch the self-censorship. With just enough structure to support you if it’s been a while since you made anything, but with plenty of room to express yourself.

This isn’t a class where you just copy a technique, make something nice, but secretly still doubt your own skills. It’s a way of helping you re-connect to your own creativity again. For finding your voice (again). I mean, there’s no point in your finding my voice for goodness sakes.

What was it Oscar Wilde used to say… “You might as well be yourself, everyone else is taken…”? This class is all about that.

Everyone in the February workshop marveled at how different each person’s work looked at the end, which made me ridiculously happy. Same technique, many visions. How right is that? So right.

And I must say that I have some kick-ass art tools and supplies as well as an extremely cool collection of wooden Indian fabric stamps (which everyone really loved). Plus a lot of weird bits and neat vintage paper and embellishments. Cool supplies are half the battle.

I teach a new technique each time before we get started, and last time I shared my secret stamping and embossing trick–something very, very simple that no one ever does, but makes the process soooo versatile. And almost everyone tried it. Yay!

But what’s really great about this workshop is that you don’t have to make space, own supplies or have ideas. Just show up! Yes–let’s re-ignite that creative fire!

And even better, when we’re all done and the studio looks like a truck just ran through it, you get to go home and not worry about it. No clean up required. Admit it, that’s awesome.

I’ve got all the details at Jackson Street Studios–including a 2 minute video to give you a taste of what happens at the workshop. I’ve included it here: (If you’re reading this in an email, you’re going to have to visit the site to see the video. Aw, c’mon, It’ll only take a sec.)

Neat right?

My next class is on March 26th, with a screamin’ good deal available for those who sign up by March 19th. Won’t you join me?

If you live in the NJ/NY area and could use a creative breakthrough or three, this class is the perfect thing.

If you don’t live in the NY/NJ area but need an excuse to come to New York for a long weekend, now you’ve got one. Sign up for my Friday night workshop, create and take home a beautiful matted work of art (flat–easy to fit in a suitcase), and then spend the rest of the weekend hobnobbin’ around the city. Good times.

In addition, I’m offering the workshop monthly because participating regularly can build you some great momentum and catapult your creativity forward. Take the workshop once, thrice or every month like clockwork, it’s up to you! To get you started, I have a special price for your first visit.

We had so much fun at the February workshop–everyone learned, took chances and surprised themselves. I’d love to see you there.

If you can’t come or live far away, could you do me a favor and forward this to someone who you think could benefit from participating in a workshop like this? I appreciate it!

What do you think? Are you ready for a creative breakthrough? Are you creating like mad already? Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

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Jan
19

Creative Spark

Posted by: Sarah | Comments (4)

Elizabeth Gilbert wrote the wonderful memoir Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. (If you haven’t read it yet, I give it a big thumbs up!)

Last winter she gave a fantastic Ted Talk and I thought I should share it here in case you haven’t seen it.

It’s a great talk on creativity, “genius”, success, fear of failure, and the cultural stereotypes of the “unstable artist” and how we might rethink that. I hope you enjoy it–she’s very engaging.

(If you’re reading this in an email, you’ll have to click here to view the video.)

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Dec
10

Telecraftastic

Posted by: Sarah | Comments (0)
Glitter Ornaments, Drawing Fun, Sewing Tidbits & More

bohemianholiday

Yes! The Telecrafting Teleseminar is next Wednesday, Dec. 16th  at 4pm. Whoa–time flies–Christmas is just around the corner! What does that mean for you?

It means that if you’d like to make a gift or two this year, and you’d like some support in the way of carving out a structured time to get it done, then you’ll need to order a Glitter Decoupage Ornament kit soon soon soon, now (ish), so I can assemble it, pack it and ship it out so you get it in time for our Dec. 16th rendezvous. I’m excited.

So, if you want to participate in the free conference call, you’ll need to order by this Saturday morning EST at the very very latest.

(Of course, you can always order the kits right up til Christmas day and make them whenever you’d like.)

Everything gets sent out priority mail, so if you live on the West Coast and you’d like to join in on the call, it might be better to order today, so I can get it out to you by Friday.

Testimonials

If you’re still on the fence, click here to read a couple-three testimonials from happy ornament kit crafters. I’ve gotten the nicest emails and Facebook & Twitter feedback–everyone seems to be having a really good time.

If you have any questions, btw, that you need answered before you can buy, feel free to contact me and I’ll get back to you asap.

Other Fun Stuff

Cool Drawing Warm Up/Loosening Up Exercise

I stumbled across this wonderful “artist warm up exercise” on Instructables.com and wanted to share. I think I’m going try this one out myself–it looks fun and is a great way to get jumpstarted. Click here to view. Read More→

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So you might not know this about me, but I’m kind of “into” astrology and have had my chart done a few times.

Don’t confuse this with actually knowing about astrology–I can never remember the significance of this house or that, but I find it completely fascinating all the same, and I love getting my weekly reading from Rob Brezny’s Free Will Astrology, because it’s always right on, and his writing is so life-affirming and expansive.

I share this little personal factoid today because I’m thinking something is terribly “retrograde” in the stars this week (for just me or you too?), and it’s only Tuesday. Ugh. Read More→

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Yay! The Glitter Decoupage Ornament Kits are ready to ship out. I’m so excited. They come in three great colors choices, so there’s definitely something for everyone.

Please watch the how-to video at the end of this blog post, because it lets you see if it’s something you’d like to try before buying. No risk!

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A Perfect Holiday Project for a Creative Woman with NO TIME to Make!

If you’d really like to make a few gifts this holiday season, but are now worried you’re too crunched for time–take heart! This project is the perfect solution. Fast, fun and super easy, you can make these in an afternoon.

This is another great small gift idea like the bookmarks I wrote about the other day. They don’t take long to make, they look super pretty, and they’re something the recipient will enjoy every year when they decorate their tree.

This is actually even easier than the bookmarks idea, because the kit has everything you need to get started–no thinking or planning required!

Perfect as a special little something for co-workers, great as teacher gifts because your kids can make them with you, and so nice as  that extra surprise tied to a gift bag or bow that makes a gift so much more touching, because you made it. Read More→

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Nov
02

A Man Named Pearl

Posted by: Sarah | Comments (0)

So often, we hold ourselves back by deciding we’re not talented enough, or that our busy lives create too many obstacles for us to be creative or make what we want to make.

Or we try to make something we think is popular, hoping it will sell well and we can make a living being creative, but somehow, we find ourselves out of touch with what we really want to create or express.

Well, listening to NPR this weekend, I heard about a man named Pearl Fryer who made his art on his own terms and turned his South Carolina yard into a living sculpture garden, and the art world (and everyone else) came to find him.

Pearl Fryer never studied art or considered himself an artist. His initial motivation to create a garden was to defy traditional bigotry in his neighborhood and win the coveted local “Yard of the Month” prize. Read More→

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Categories : Art, Inspiration, Videos
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Oct
16

On Drawing

Posted by: Sarah | Comments (2)

I saw this video the other day on Vimeo and thought it was so lovely and soothing as well as an interesting discussion on art making. The famous designer Milton Glaser makes a drawing as he muses about art making vs. the pressure of having to make a living, the relevance of drawing in daily life, etc.

You can watch it here:
(if you’re reading this in an email, you’ll probably have to click on the title above to come directly to the site to watch)

I’d love to know your reactions to this video, so feel free to comment below!

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Categories : Art, Videos
Comments (2)

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