Who are the heroes’ in your life? Add their name to the pole on a piece of felt and attach to the pole. You can use the pen provided or take home a patch and stitch their name onto it. If you would like us to add a name we can do that for you, and if you also wish to share a special story about your hero email us : jafagirlart @ yahoo.com.
I started making ATC’s, (Artist Trading Cards) a couple of years ago. My friend Ann Bain, a wonderful calligrapher had seen them and thought they would be fun to do. They are a wonderful way to meet and play with other artists. The rules are simple- ATCs must be 2 ½ x 3 ½ and you can’t sell them. They are traded for other ATCs or given as a gift or kept because you just can’t bear to part with them. As Ann would say, they are so small they are not intimidating to do.
And like potato chips, you can’t just do one, you find yourself making a bunch.
We planned a couple of community ATC shows called ‘Size Does Matter’ for Village Artisans, an artist co-op Gallery Ann and I are part of in Yellow Springs.
To get the juices flowing we held a series of workshops to make ATCs. They were half classes and half just plain good-time get-togethers. We would spread out a table jammed with different art mediums, medium gel, wires, scissors, paintbrushes, wire cutters and a ton of collage goodies. One thing everyone loved was picking out a starter kit. We decided that it would be easiest for the participants to get started if they had a kit. There were different bits and bobs in each kit, the colors schemes were different and the supports were different. All the kits came in a clear bag which contained 9 assorted 2 ½ x 3 ½ supports, directions, scraps of art paper for collage and a second see through zip lock bag of notions. A lot of the participants couldn’t resist the lure and had to purchase more bags to take home and play with.
We had a blast, learned tips for working with different mediums and got to experiment with mediums that we hadn’t tried before.
To top it off we had the shows and on the last day had a party where we traded our art. Such fun! It was neat figuring out how to display the little miniature pieces of art. I think our favorite way was using mini clothespins to hang them from ribbons that we had stretched across the walls.
After that we were asked to do an ATC workshop at the Senior Center. (Thank you to Louise Simons who sponsored that! She had been one of our original participants and made the neatest tiny paper masks.) That was a blast to do.
So that brings me to a short cut for you. Corrine and I have put together ATC kits for purchase. They are a little more stuffed than the ones that I did before because the Jafagirls have added a Craft Activism booklet for other ideas of things to make and links to wonderful sites.
Have a great day making art,
Nancy
For updates on Art Stroll Night in Yellow Springs check out these links
Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce
The Jafagirls are pleased to announce the release of the book Craft Activism: People, Ideas, and Projects from the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In by Joan Tapper and Gayle Zucker in which are honored to be featured in. Along with many others, we create, AND give, and connect and this book is a celebration of this movement.”
Nancy: There is a feeling of playfulness that runs throughout the book. Each section is fueled with the joy and pride of women creating something that has personal meaning. It makes you want to join them and to try making things with your hands.
Since I was a little girl, if I had glue stuck to my fingers , I was rolling it into a ball and then shaping it into little people or horses. I got to know my grandmother by making things with her. Crafting is satisfying to the soul and meaningful to give to others, it’s a way to make deeply satisfying relationships or just bridges of friendliness with strangers.. It is like passing on a bit of your soul.
Corrine aka jafabrit: Faythe Levine of HANDMADE NATION states in the FOREWORD that ”…once one’s hands are in motion,” making” is difficult to stop.
I’ve had a passion for “making” all my life. Even when poor and resources limited, I enjoyed the challenge of finding and recycling things to make something beautiful or useful. I am excited to be included in a book that explores how creativity can be the springboard for activism on so many levels.
Books will be available at our reception (building next to speedway) and Dark Star Books on Xenia Ave in town.
