The Coffee Art Project

Howdy everyone! Last week, I told you about The New York Coffee Festival. Of course, I checked out the coffee selections, the food, the talks. But, I could not ignore the art.

Here are a few photos of the works on display:

All inspired by coffee and some made with coffee! They're all part of The Coffee Art Project, a high profile international art competition with participating cities like New York, London, Milan, Amsterdam, Melbourne and Paris. 

Maybe you'd like to participate. Yes?

Artists of all skill levels can enter one piece of artwork that connects to COFFEE and/or a COFFEE SHOP EXPERIENCE. There is no restriction on media used. You may use scuplture, painting, installation, photography, and mixed media. These are all eligible, provided that they have a justifiable link to coffee. Checkout their website for more information.

I hope I'll see your work on display!

The Coffee Cup Artist

Hi there! Over the weekend, I was able to check out the New York Coffee Festival. It was a super fun experience with lots of coffee and tea tastings and getting to learn how to make some latte art.

Part of the event was a coffee-themed art exhibit where I came across an artist I wrote about awhile back.  Her name is Gwyneth Leech and she draws on paper cups! 

I just love her work. I think she brilliantly turns blah to TADA!

Pick Punch

I hope you had a lovely weekend! I certainly did! I was on window-shopping mode and found this:

It's a craft punch that will allow you to make your own guitar picks. I wish I knew how to play the guitar. But I know a few people who do. I could make them a guitar pick with this and recycle old things like expired credit cards and plastic lids. Blah to TADA! indeed.

    

Painting on Denim

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend. Today, I have a little painting in store for you.

I've had these panels for a while now. They are tiny squares (four inches by four inches), and instead of the common canvas material, they're made of denim. I'm pretty sure you can do a little blah to TADA! by using an old pair of jeans and mount this on wood or cardboard.

I tried out a few oil-based pens to draw on the panel but the color blended into the denim. I wanted something that would stand out. 

So I tried acrylic paint, applied with a foam brush.

I chose a palette of pastels in abstract shapes.

 And here it is, my humble artwork. TADA!

It matches this sunshiny mood board. An ode to a season that's about to end.

Happy Monday everyone!

Picnic Monday

Hello there! It's a holiday where I live (Labor Day) and it's the day when we begin to bid the summer goodbye. It's a harsh reality...I really do love the summer! I'll enjoy this day outdoors and leave you with this fun picture of a picnic. It was taken a few weeks ago at Tanglewood in the Berkshires.  I love that the folks have picnic tables with a tablecloth. And a centerpiece. And wine. And a feast. 

Oh, how I would love to do this all year round.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Birthday Breakfast

I don't know about you, but a lot of my friends are celebrating their birthdays. I always try to do something special like sending them some snail mail if they're far away or giving them a little present when they're close by.

Here's one blah to TADA! idea I'd like to share:

It's breakfast in a bag. Of course, this can be done with any other meal like lunch or coffee break. The card in front is a watercolor I made inspired by chamomile flowers.

Inside: a muffin, fruit and some tea. TADA! 

May you all have a productive week!

One Page at a Time

Happy Monday lovelies! How has your summer reading been like? I'm sad to say I'm doing so poorly. I've always read a lot during the summer but this particular year has been quite busy so I haven't been reading as much as I want to.

But I still like to browse bookstores and check out a new title that I can add to my reading list. I found this one rather cute, I just had to share:

It's called One Page at a Time which and is a creative journal that you'd open daily to let you unplug from all the gadgets that occupy our lives.

 

I found the first page funny. But I secretly have the answers to all these questions already. 

I found this page rather striking. I can think of five persons right now. How about you? 

"Do not let this person go. Tell them what they mean to you". Let's do that, okay?

Have a good week everyone!

A Family of Frames

Hi guys! How have you been?

Today, I'm sharing a photo inspiration for a future craft I'd like to do. Here it is:

It's a gallery frame made from small picture frames!

I would love to make this. Right now. But I don't have enough picture frames yet. But this is how I would do it:

• Gather a collection of small picture frames. These might be frames you no longer use or finds from the thrift shop or yard sale.

• Sand and paint each one in complimentary colors (ex. shabby chic, coastal, pastels). You may use sandpaper on the surface for an imperfect, weathered look.

• Glue the frames on top of each other, being careful to keep the back slot of each frame free so you can add the pictures inside the frame. If the frames are not too heavy, hot glue would be a good adhesive.

• Attach hanging hooks on the back.

• Add pictures, colorful paper or vintage fabric in each frame.

• Hang this up in your bedroom, office or craft room.

That's crafty recycling if I should say so myself. TADA!

Have a beautiful week!

A Pop-up Card

I hope you had a lovely weekend guys.

This week, another craft born out of a hot air balloon festival I went to.

I'm using this cool paper.  

It makes a 3-D honeycomb pattern.

I cut out a balloon shape on one corner.

Then I apply some glue on both ends and attach it in the inner spine of a blank enclosure card.

When you open the card, the design pops-up like this...TADA!

I  drew the basket of the hot air balloon and an auspicious wish of wonderful travels.

Have an awesome week!

Stamp and Fly

You'll never know where you'll find inspiration. Don't you agree?

An afternoon watching hot air balloons got me excited to craft.

Just a simple paper project using a rubber stamp, an ink pad, and blank gift enclosure cards.

This was a recent purchase. I adore its old-fashioned look. Sometimes I wish that instead of cars, we'd have hot air balloons to get us around. 

I inked the stamp.

And centered the image on the card stock.

TADA! A little card that I can use for gifts and to wish friends an adventure-filled birthday.

Crafts inspired by Hot Air Balloons

Happy Monday! Do you like hot air balloons? I recently went to the Festival of Ballooning and one of the highlights were the crafts for sale.

These are made of festive fabric.

Shiny, delicate ornaments.

Magnets made from different materials. I'm drawn to the colorful ones made of clay.

Accessories with the hot air balloon theme. See the hair barrette in the middle? I think it's easy to replicate using thin grosgrain ribbon and hot glue.

These ones are made of glass. I would put them by a window to let the light shine through.

I had to get one of these iron-on appliques!

This was the design I picked.

Remember this project pouch? It's a blah linen pouch that I turned into TADA! by adding different patches that I got from my travels. 

This is the back side, still with blank spaces for more patches.

This spot is just right for my new acquisition. I attached it using a hot iron.

And here is my project pouch, updated. TADA!