The Craft Begins

Now that I finally have a phone that takes decent pictures (hello, droid) I’m amazed by how often I break it out to take pictures of things that I run across everyday.  Here are my favorites for the week.

My grandparents live in kind of an ag town, so the best part about spring is most definitely THE CHICKS.  I wish that I could have held just one.  I’ve been thinking about getting chickens, and I was seriously tempted to get some chicks and take them home with me.  I also aw this fabulous mercedes – like Omar’s classy uncle.  I started putting together some centerpieces for the Brazilian benefit we’re throwing this weekend – lots and lots of gold spray paint – and then I found this chair that I feel like I must have.  We’ll see how it fits in with the rest of the house.

Hope you’re all having a good week!  I’m going to continue to be a bad blogger because work is kicking my butt this week but I’ll get back to a decent posting schedule soon I hope!

Looking for something to do or make?  Does your creativity need a jump start?  Here’s a list of fun tutorials (all free) to inspire you.

1.  Adorable pop-bottle cap pin cushions from Craft Stylish.

2.  Easy way to transform your photographs into miniature look-alikes with Tilt Shift Maker.

3.  Learn how to papercut (scherenschnitte – try saying that 5 times fast) here.

4.  Screenprint your own fabric for multiple uses with Kelly + Olive.

5.  How cute are these resin gummy bear pendants?  Too easy!

6.  This is a great transformation from a doily into a bowl.

7.  For anyone who has ever attempted the impossible and tried to recover a piece of furniture, this chair will give you hope.

Happy crafting!

Frank Gehry has always been one of my favorite architects.  I remember watching a documentary about the man and his career, and in one scene, he takes a piece of paper, crumples it up, cuts a piece off of it, and sticks it on a model building.  This is how the man does architecture.

It may seem unconventional, but clearly it’s an approach that’s worked for him.  If you’ve never seen it, I highly recommend the documentary.  Not only is it interesting to see the way that he approaches his craft, it’s also delightfully narrated by the late Sydney Pollack.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to see a few of his buildings in person, and they’re even more impressive that way.  One day I hope to be able to see all of them, but I fear that might be a life long pursuit.  They have such exuberance and are so different than any other architecture out there.  It’s always amazing from an engineering perspective what can be achieved outside the bounds of the four walls.

Gehry also dabbles in other design.  His cardboard chairs were universally well received and display much of his characteristic swirliness while still maintaining the integrity of the chair.  And in an interesting twist, his line for Tiffany came out a few years ago and has some very charismatic pieces as well.

Have you ever seen any Gehry buildings – which ones?  And how do you feel about them?

Broken Arrow dvd