Crafty Manolo

(Image Via Gentlemanbeggar, whose post you should definitely check out for a giggle or three)

I’m going to come clean here: I never in my life have watched an episode of The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross. I’m not a painter. I frankly find his paintings simplistic and slightly cheesy. Make that a big ol’ hunk of Monterey Jack. Even the phrase ‘happy little trees’ makes me itch all over.

And yet I do have a sneaking respect for Bob Ross. Whatever I may have thought of his paintings, his phraseology, or his show, the fact remains that he did a hell of a lot to get millions of people to try doing something creative. He taught them that mistakes are nothing to be afraid of. He encouraged them to use their imaginations to bring themselves and others happiness.

Were all of the people he inspired Picassos and Van Goughs in the rough? Hardly. I’m sure quite a number of the paintings he inspired others to do are the visual equivalent of Vogon poetry. And yet, someone out there had to be better. Several someones, I’m sure. And those special few have gone on to create much better paintings.

Others, I have no doubt, quickly realized that painting wasn’t their medium, but knew that somewhere out there was the right form of self-expression for them. They went on to try other creative pursuits, such as sculpture, photography, needlecrafts, weaving, and beading. Maybe they were better at those. Even if they were no better at them, they found more happiness.

Even the people who were No Damn Good at painting and didn’t really care found happiness doing something creative. What’s more, they didn’t harm anyone while doing it.

And so today I thank the late Bob Ross on his natal day for bringing joy and creativity, and yes, even the (grits teeth) happy little trees to so many people.

(Magnet available from Zazzle)

Sometimes it’s fun to wander the web and see what goodies we can find to try out for free in the crafting world. Whether it’s a new craft entirely or a new technique in something we’ve done before, or just a fun variation, there’s always something fun and free out there. But don’t just take my word for it! Here are a few examples to whet your appetite for crafty goodness online.

Mosaic Patterns Online features a new free pattern each month. This month it’s your choice of this gorgeous butterfly or a really spiffy dragonfly. Oh, and if you download the free pattern, you can also get a discount on some of the supplies for making it a reality.

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Paper is a remarkable medium. It’s endlessly adaptable, easily colored, light as a feather, delicate, yet strong. It’s a medium Etsy artist Sarah Knight works in quite well.

This bowl, for example, is handmade from paper pulp Knight made mostly from recycled paper from an office. She’s turned printer paper and cardstock into something new and wonderful.

Once the bowl is shaped, Knight paints each one by hand. Every bowl is completely individual, even when she uses the same colors and motifs.

All that, and it only costs $35.00 plus shipping.

For decorative use only.

Oh, and be sure to check out Sarah Knight’s entire Etsy store, which features her paintings, photography, mixed media pieces, and aptly named ‘weird things’ as well as more pretty paper bowls. You’ll be glad you did.

It’s fun. It’s festive. And I’m kind of in love with the wonky shape of these pretty green bottles. Even the somewhat minimalist, crude sun on the right is making me smile… though I’m more drawn to the Klimt-esque dotted scrolls on the left.

All in all, if I were to begin painting on glass, I imagine this is what my early efforts would most closely resemble. I’m a dab  hand at painting  a wall, but fiddly things like glass bottles? Actual figurative work? Yeah, not so much. Still, even these simple efforts that are nearly as wonky as the bottles themselves have a certain charm to them. I may even try it, using the instructions found here.

But of course there’s so much more than the sun from a small child’s crayon drawing or simple motifs ripped off from famous paintings to do with glass and paint in tandem.
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via Craftstylish

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would bring you some great ideas for recycling your refuse into glorious crafts nobody would refuse to have in their homes. First up, this kind of adorable mosaic frame is made of old credit cards. If you’ve been hit hard by the recent economic miseries and suddenly want to get rid of all your plastic, here’s a way to make it work for you again.

But what if you don’t have a large cache of old credit cards to cut up? Ah my dears, just look below the cut and find more fun crafts from around the web made of discarded items.

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via All Things Family

Between the horrible weather and the fact that today marks precisely one month to Easter, I have decided we need to talk about decorating eggs. Why? Because they’re festive and fun. What more impetus do we need?

While dyed or painted eggs are most commonly associated with Easter, there’s no reason we can’t play with them the rest of the year. Eggs are nicely shaped little canvases. And if you’re uncomfortable working with real ones, it’s easy to find faux eggs to decorate.

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