Some of you may have already seen this on Thing-a-Day, but here is my newest foray into the repurposing world:
My husband recently pitched this suit and shirt. I loved the fabric and now it shall live on as a small purse to be tucked under your arm. I think I’ll use the jacket pockets to make a cross-body bag.
As you may know, I have a visual arts phobia. This year, I decided to get over myself and use the Thing-A-Day project as an opportunity to start drawing. My friend in this quest is Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner by Claire Watson Garcia. So far I’ve worked through the first two chapters of her book and I absolutely love it. The first exercise was easy enough. Bend a wire. Draw the contours. Repeat.
Then I had to copy a contour drawing she provided and draw it upside down. Wow, I can do that. Amazing.
Next, I drew several 3-D objects like this rose
and my grandmother’s coffee grinder
The next chapter is considerably more involved. It covers previewing, plumblines and levels, underdrawing, drawing asymmetrical objects, and drawing angles. Phew. We’ll see how I’ll do with all that.
Throughout the book you’ll find quotes and work completed by her students, which help you evaluate your own work and experience. Garcia’s style is very encouraging and thorough without being too overwhelming. My goal is to take it one exercise at a time. I don’t think I’ll be able to complete everything by the end of this month, but by June I believe I’ll have the techniques down to render some of my ideas without getting too frustrated. Already I find that the contour drawing exercises will be very useful for developing embroidery motives. I’ll keep you posted as to my progress with charcoal and conte crayon. (Who’d-a-thunk that I’d ever buy these things.)
Before I forget, the sign-up for the Thing-a-Day swap ends tonight at midnight.
Isn’t it lovely how you can create a perfect alter ego with one picture? This is my true self: organized with a whimsical flair. In other words “practically perfect in every way.”
THIS is my wicked twin, alternate life ego who broadly sweeps all the junk on the table away and pretends to create a warm inviting space instead of putting her toys where they belong.
Time to go clean up. 
Oh and by the way that trivet is inspired by the doily trivets in Applique Your Way.
My first Thing-a-Day submission; a day late, but hey here it is:
Chloe is eight and likes turtles and the color green. This is for her birthday. I used peridot beads, and Swarovski crystals.
It’s time for the thing-a-day project again. As the organizers describe it:
Thing-a-day is a yearly creative sprint that is held every February and brings together hundreds of creative minds. The idea is simple: sign up is open to anyone and participants commit to create one new thing a day every day for the entire month and post it on the collective blog.
Participants can work in any medium and are free to follow-up on their commitment or not.
Sign up closes today, February 1st, at midnight.
This year, as last year, I’m organizing a Thing-a-Day swap and here are the rules:
On March 1st you will send one thing you made during the month of February to your swap partner. This will be more like a Secret Santa type swap in that you won’t know who has your name. This swap is open to up to 24 people who have also signed up for Thing-a-Day 2010. If you want to participate, please send your Thing-a-day username and your mailing address, by February 10th to mycraftevolution(at)gmail(dot)com. If you sign up, PLEASE follow through with your commitment. It is extremely disappointing to put a great deal of effort and dedication into a thing only to receive nothing.
Oh, and my thing-a-day contributor name is Simone, my affiliated posterous site is groundsel.posterous.com, and here is a link to a collection of my thing-a-day posts from last year, and this is a collection of things swap participants made last year.
