Crafting Secrets

A few years ago I started to wonder if martial arts would be something I could do and benefit from. I knew next to nothing about it except maybe some fragmented memories of scenes from the movie The Karate Kid. But I knew I wanted to be able to defend myself in case anything ever happened. I didn’t really even know what “anything” was; I just knew I wanted to have more confidence. I also thought that maybe karate would instill some much-needed discipline in me. Finally, I figured it would be a better and more interesting way to exercise than moving weights up and down at the gym and running on a treadmill like a hamster.

So I took the plunge. I signed up for Kenpo Karate at the local dojo (which literally means “place of the Way”, or “place of practice”). I had no idea how many other benefits karate offered.

I started to learn how to defend myself indeed, but I also learned that taking on something like karate is less a project and more a journey. I also learned I needed some serious patience. If I thought I was going to be able to fend off a would-be mugger with a knife after a few karate sessions, I was sorely mistaken. I soon realized that if I was to expect tangible results, I was going to need to dedicate myself for a while and develop infinite patience.

But it dawned on me that anything worthwhile takes hard work and time, so I hunkered down and started training regularly. I soon realized that what I thought was going to take months was really going to take years. So my patience developed.

My muscles developed too. In fact, I was sore in places that I didn’t even know existed. From my thumbs to my ribs, I found muscles that hadn’t ever been flexed before. After a half a year I started getting into the best shape of my life, and I had hardly noticed because I was concentrating on learning the craft.

My discipline began to grow as well. Often I just didn’t want to go, but I forced myself and always felt better for it afterward, always. Our sensei (teacher) is a blackbelt and former military man, so his brand of teaching certainly involves discipline, but never more than anyone can handle. Moreover, to learn the various karate moves and forms, I began to develop discipline over every miniscule movement of my body. And to perform each of the moves properly, you need to have supreme control over your mind as well as your body. This takes years of practice, but even the novice benefits from each attempt.

My confidence continued to grow, but not just confidence in fighting, but confidence in my physical abilities, and each time I train, my confidence develops even further. I have more faith in myself, I trust myself more.

Another benefit of training in the martial arts is that one begins to grasp the difference between the goal and the journey, and why the latter is so much more important. In this day and age of hyper-consumerism and quick fixes and TV, it’s easy to think that the goal is everything, regardless of how you get there. Capitalism stresses achievement and profits at the expense of the process. TV shows and commercials wrap everything up neatly and cleanly by the end, without much real struggle. And we are bombarded with advertisements of immediate relief or riches or good looks if we “just buy this product”.

But what about the process? What about the journey? What about the lifestyle? Everyone’s in such a rush to get somewhere or get something that many of us Westerners miss our own lives and each of the present moments because we’re so concerned with the future. Training in karate slows one’s life down a bit. It teaches one how to enjoy the process, not the goal. It’s a life long study, and no one reaches blackbelt status quickly. That’s the way it should be.

Once you learn to enjoy the process, to enjoy the intrinsic goodness of practicing and training, you begin to grasp one key to life. The journey is more important than the goal.

The Prosper Chamber of Commerce has announced its 3rd Annual Arts and Music Festival to be held on Saturday October 3 from 10 AM to 7 PM at the Prosper Town Center at Preston Rd and Broadway.  This family event drew over 3000 people last year and is expected to exceed that number this year.

Bill Remington, Prosper Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman and owner of Remington Realty Group stated “The Town of Prosper like other areas of Collin County is undergoing large population growth and we are poised to see some dramatic changes in our community over the next several years.  The Chamber believes this is an excellent time to showcase our town with the art, music and entertainment that we have here and in the surrounding communities.”

This Festival is becoming the signature event in Prosper and the Chamber of Commerce believes that while it is a family event it also demonstrates the business community spirit and therefore becomes attractive for new businesses to relocate here. Prosper is a family town and it is a vibrant one too.

The artists and crafters participating in the Festival are not only extremely talented but unique.  From origin original paintings, woodworking and stained glass to handcrafted jewelry, there will be something of interest to all event-goers.

While parents are visiting the booths, the children will be entertained by the special Kids Corner.  Linda Guthrie, Committee Chair of the Kids Corner says that we want the children who visit the Festival to have fun and find their inner artist.  Pony rides, a barrel train, pumpkin painting, and a petting zoo will be provided.  There will be an interactive crafts area.

The Scottish Rite Hospital will host a children’s health and safety booth with a face painter and special crafts.  Members of several local groups will volunteer to make this Festival take place.

The entertainment portion of the Festival will be provided by a wide array of local talented musicians and dancers.  Festival-goers can relax under a large tent, listen to the music and sample the cuisine from several vendors as well as the restaurants located within the Town Center itself.  From barbeque, Mexican food to funnel cakes, there will be something to tempt everyone.

For additional information on the Prosper Arts and Music Festival visit www.prosperartsandmusicfestival.com or www.prosperchamberonline.com

The idea of arts & crafts for children is something that you really should have. If your kids talk about being bored, then you can really give your children something to do away from the computer games while helping them grow with crafts. Many parents do not advise to you how important arts & crafts are for helping them grow as individuals.

When you do crafts, it is important to remember that some arts & crafts have age limits. This is due to the things you use and the time that is needed. Lets give you a few of those ideas for different age categories that really benefit from completing arts & crafts.

Lets start with preschoolers. Now, with preschoolers, you will have to provide a lot of assistance. Yet, arts & crafts such as gluing things on is a great thing to work with them on. For instance, one that we like to do is cutting out the outline of a butterfly then allowing them to glue things to the butterfly which are quite vibrant in colors.

Something that we like to do with kindergartners is to create items that they can play with when arts & craft time is over. Something that we have found for this age is that making hand puppets is fun. They can cut out the pieces to create the eyes and so forth and then glue the facial features on. This is one form ofarts & craft you can do with your children.

The last age is the elementary school age. You will find that when a child enters the classroom, they can incorporate colors with their projects. You tell them to use a color and they will use it. Something that we like to do in terms of crafts with this age though is helping them to think multi dimensional. For them, you might try to have them craft things out of clay or even with beads like creating jewelry. All of these things help them with that.

One thing that many of us want is to find cool projects that we can do. Something that our kids found very cool are spider webs that you let them create the web part out of glue and coat it with glitter. From here, then while that is drying you can help them make the spider for their spider web.

We have found that what happens when you help children to do craft projects it allows them to display their creative side that everyone has. You see what colors they like. You see the dimensions that they work in. Then, you can see the true side of them come out.

Halloween usually conjures up images of strange shapes, dark movie characters and popular animals. These days though, these common figures can be made in more ways than one and using an assortment of different materials. Here are the top eleven variations on the most popular Halloween arts and crafts for kids.

Bats

There’s no need for you to buy plastic bats for Halloween since you can make your own. You can easily cut patterns or two dimensional bats from construction paper or cartolina. Bat Halloween arts and crafts for kids can also be creatively made out of egg cup cartons to hang or out of clothes pins to clip on curtains.

Pumpkins

These days, you don’t have to worry about messy pumpkin carvings anymore. You can easily have pumpkin paper lanterns as Halloween arts and crafts for kids projects. If you don’t like lanterns, you can still make pumpkins out of paper plates, milk containers and construction paper. One other great alternative would be pumpkin baskets made of paper mache.

Witches

Witch Halloween arts and crafts for kids can be made out of paper plates and cardboard. As an alternative, you can create a witch doctor look instead of a western witch by incorporating beaded necklaces and homemade stuffed voodoo dolls.

Spiders

One favorite Halloween arts and crafts for kids is the spider. Spiders can be as simple as construction paper or egg cup carton hangers. They can also be made of pom poms or colored cotton balls.

Vampires

Vampire masks with fangs can be easily made with paper plates. More imposing ornamental life size vampires however can be made out of coat hangers and black garbage bags.

UFO

Aliens and UFOs are not common Halloween figures but stories of alien kidnappings and abduction makes great Halloween tales. Make UFOs out of paper plates that you can hang from the ceiling. You might also want to complement the ships with cookies shaped like stereotypical aliens instead of ginger bread men.

Worms in Cans

Worms in cans can be made of brown crepe paper. They can seem yuckier to the touch though if you use gummy candies and cooked spaghetti.

Ghosts

Ghosts can also come in variations. You can make ghost Halloween arts and crafts for kids made of socks, packing foam, old cloths, crepe paper, helium filled balloons, white painted jars, tissue and clay.

Mummy

Use tissue paper or gauze and wrap it around a jar for a mummified figure. Cut out some eyes from construction paper and stick them on the jars before you put on the tissue so you can have the eyes slightly covered and just peeking.

Cats

What’s Halloween without black cats? Use paper plates to create cat masks or some cotton and crepe paper to create billowing streamers.

Skeletons

White or luminous paint on a black figure would be perfect for the usual skeleton man. You can however create a good looking skeleton with different kinds of pasta.

Turn on your local news these days and you would think its 1933 revisited. They say we’re not quite in a depression but I guess it depends on who you ask and what part of the country you’re from. The percentage of Americans out of work is almost record breaking. Times may be difficult and job opportunities may be few and beyond reach. These are the times when you have to dig down deep inside yourself and come up with a solution on how you’re going to survive in this economy.

If you’re the creative type, you may want to try making extra cash in the art and crafts field. This hobby can quickly turn into a very profitable business. With today’s technology, you’re able to reach a wider audience to sell your arts and crafts. Believe it or not, there are people still out there willing to buy handmade crafty items. You just have to be creative in finding where these people are and placing your craft items in front of them.

So, what crafty item should you make and sell? Well, that depends on your creative passions. The crafting field is vast and there is always something for everyone. Some suggestions are; crocheting, knitting, polymer clay, sewing, handmade toys, handmade home decoration, the list can go on and on. Think about what craft items people might want to buy. How would your craft item benefit the buyer? Can your craft item be of use as decoration? Is it a functional craft item? What purpose does it have for the potential buyer? These are the questions you should ask yourself when coming up with ideas on what craft item you want to make and/or currently making.

Now that you have decided on what craft item you want to make, how do you know if there is a market for it? You don’t, unless you do some research. Browse some of the online auction sites that are out there on the web. Type in your craft item into the search field and take note of how many bids are placed or how many items are listed. This is not a sure fire method but will give you a sense of who else is making something similar to your craft item. Another way to find out if there is a market for your craft item is to search for possible stores or internet stores that may be selling what you want to make. Research, research is the key.

You discover there may be a possible market for your craft item. How do you make money? Where do you sell it? This is where you need to get extra creative of getting people to buy your craft item. Research local craft fairs in your area and sign up to the ones that fit in with what you want to sell. There are many online internet sites like Etsy and ArtFire where you can setup an online store to sell your craft item. Just make sure you read all the fine print about listing fees and final sale fees but are a good way to sell online. Make sure you take good pictures of your craft item and remember, the potential buyer can’t hold your creation. Describe in detail everything about what you are selling.

Along with selling your craft items on online stores, you can also turn your knowledge of making your craft item into a tutorial or eBook. The quick and simple way is to create the tutorial in word doc and then convert it to PDF file. List your tutorial on your online store. When people purchase your tutorial, you would email them the PDF of your tutorial. There is also online eBook creating software out there on the web. Do a search on your favorite web browser for; creating eBooks.

These are just a few ideas of how I am trying to survive in today’s rough economy as a crafter. Keep your head up and happy crafting.

How to teach young children to make an Indian headband arts and crafts project; get expert tips and advice on arts and crafts for kids at preschool through elementary school ages in this free instructional video.

These days, ‘Creative and Commercial Arts’ is one of most sought-after career fields. There are many students who have creative abilities and talent. All they have to do is sharpen the inbuilt aptitude, by giving themselves a formal triaging, which is available through fine arts at the certificate, diploma and degree level by numerous institutions.

Options in Commercial Fine Arts courses range from sculpture, applied arts, painting, craft, graphic interior design and painting. One should always get a professional training as it helps you to acquire the technical skills to survive in an industry where competition is never ending. One can get training at diploma and degree level. For getting the admission in Bachelors Degree course in Fine Arts (BFA), the minimum education required is Higher Secondary Examination or 10+ 2. Consequently, the eligibility for the Post Graduation Degree course in Commercial Fine Arts is a graduate degree in Fine Arts.

Some famous colleges in India that offer these courses are Symbiosis Institute of Design, Jamia Milia Islamia, Loyola College, Amity University, University of Calcutta, Rabindra Bharati University, International Institute of Fine Arts, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, University of Delhi.

Those who have acquired professional training can work in the respective fields as a freelancer. This allows variety and liberty in their projects. Illustrators, cartoonists, and designers are in a great demand in publishing industry and newspaper houses. Those who have expertise in applied art have ample opportunities in advertising agencies as graphic artists, designers, visualisers, and creative directors. Professional artists have unlimited opportunities in front of them ranging from working in art studios, advertising companies, fashion houses etc. There are many more related career options like teaching, direction, photography, television, clothing and fashion, art directors for magazines, on-line services, software companies, manufacturers, promotion and product design.

In electronic media, one can design non verbal presentations for television programmes involving trade figure analysis, election results, etc. Many commercial artists also design stamps and letter heads for government organizations and private firms. Software firms in India hire experts in commercial fine arts as “Graphic equalizers”.

One can also explore career options in abroad as there too you can find good career opportunities. There is an option to organize exhibitions and auctions for creative work in India and abroad also. One can also arrange workshops on fine arts and other related fields for better career prospects. Thus, we can say that there are unlimited options for job opportunities for the trained and professional artist in the field of fine arts, creative arts and commercial arts. After the completion of the course, one can choose his/her desired field and can work with either in a good company or for his/her own. This field can give you name and fame for the piece of work.

The art items in Kenya include sisal baskets, elephant hair bracelets, Maasai bead jewelry, musical instruments, silver and gold jewelry, soapstone sculptures, wooden carvings, tribal masks, Maasai figurines, paintings, prints and sculptures. These art items are available in the arts and craft markets and shops throughout the main tourist centers of Kenya.

Cloth and Fabric in Kenya also form interesting art items. The cloth and fabric available in Kenya are batik cloth, kangas (women’s wraparound skirts) with beautiful patterns and even Kenyan proverbs printed on them and kikois (type of sarong for men) that come in many different colors and textiles. These are good art items to take home from your Kenyan trip.

African jewelry has been quite popular for centuries in the world market. Kenya offers rare pieces of African jewelry containing cowry shells. Kenya is also known for its soapstone carvings found in Western Kenya. It is the Gusii and Abigusii ethnic groups which hand carve these Kissi stones into exquisite pieces of Kenyan art.

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Music

Benga is a truly Kenyan music style. Benga is high-energy dance music that originated after the 1940s when Luo musicians started playing traditional tunes with modern electrical instruments.

Most other popular music styles have received influences from abroad. Taarab is the traditional Swahili music played at the Kenyan coast, and is heavily influenced by Arabic and Indian music styles. Lingala – modern upbeat party music – came from Congo, where the deteriorating political situation made many artists flee to East Africa. American hip hop and gangsta rap has infiltrated Kenya like a virus. Pictures of 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg are everywhere in Nairobi.

Dance

The hypnotic swaying and leaping in Masai and Samburu dancing, are the best known forms of Kenyan dancing. In their energetic dancing, warriors display their strength by leaping high in the air.

The Masai and other tribes perform regularly for tourists who visit their villages. In tourist venues along the coast, Mijikenda dance groups often give performances.

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Sigana

Sigana is a traditional performance art which contains elements of all the major Kenya art forms: storytelling, song, music, dance, rituals etc. Active participation is a key feature of sigana. The line between performers and audience is less clear than in many other Kenya art forms.

You won’t see these often along the tourist trails, but the Mzizi Arts Centre in Nairobi  organizes monthly Sigana performances.

Theatre and performance

There are several theatre groups in Kenya, most of them based in Nairobi. Names to remember are the Mbalamwezi Theatre Group and the Phoenix and Miujiza Players. They often perform at the foreign cultural centres in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

In Nairobi, there’s the Kenya National Theatre. It’s known for the controversy it created with the production “I Will Marry When I Want” by Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Ngugi wa Mirii, which brought them into confrontation with the government.

Kenyans reportedly also like of satire and stand up comedy. One popular group is Redykuylass (‘Rediculous’) which featured in a weekly TV program with a mix of political and social satire.

Literature

In Kenya, oral narratives are the oldest form of literature. Oral stories are still important in many communities. Written literature, in Swahili and English, emerged in the beginning of the twentieth century. However, only after Kenya’s independence (1963) a body of national literature came into being.

An important author (novelist, playwright and essayist) is Ngugi wa Thiong’o. As a child on missionary school, he was a devout Christian, but later he rejected Christianity and became a fierce critic of colonialism. He changed his name from James Ngugi to Ngugi wa Thiong’o in 1976 and embraced his native Kikuyu culture, as well as Marxism.

While having written the first novel in English by an East African author – “Weep not, child” (1964) – he published his first book in Kikuyu in 1980: “Caitaani Muthara-Ini” (Devil on the Cross). He now argued that literature written by Africans in a colonial language is not really African literature. In 1992 Ngugi became professor of literature at New York University.

Cinema

There is a small film industry in Kenya, which is struggling to stay alive, like elsewhere in Africa. However, a new generation of Kenyan film makers is emerging, inspired by the success of the Nigerian video industry. One such film director is Kibaara Kaugi, who in 2004 produced the acclaimed “Enough is enough” – a narrative of the famous Mau Mau uprising – on a minimal budget.

Also, foreign film makers have used Kenya as a backdrop for their works. The most famous example is of course Sydney Pollack’s “Out of Africa” (1985) with Merryl Streep and Robert Redford, which is about the life of Danish author Karen Blixen, who emigrated in the 1910s to Kenya to become a coffee farmer. A recent international movie is “The White Masai” (2005), after the real story of the Swiss woman Corinne Hofmann who married a Samburu warrior and joined tribal life. There is no happy ending here. These and other movies are reviewed on my movies about Kenya page.

Some Nairobi cinema houses are 20th Century Cinema (Mama Ngina Street), Fox Drive-In Cinema (Thika Road) and Nairobi Cinema (Uchumi House, Aga Khan Walk).

Crafts

In Kenya you will find much beautiful and fine craft work. It’s sometimes amazing to see people in rags sitting outside their ‘home’ (if you could call it that), and produce wooden carved tables and chairs of a beauty you won’t see anywhere in North America or Europe.

Most crafts are produced for tourists. It’s best to set aside any purist misgivings you might have over their authenticity, and just enjoy them for their own beauty (which they often have). Compare this to American or European culture, which is also eternally developing. The Beatles are just as ‘truly European’ as Beethoven is!

Wood carvings of people and animals can be bought everywhere. Classic are the very long sculptures of women carrying baskets on their heads.

Soap stone objects are another popular for of Kenya art. Soap stone is mined in western Kenya by the Gusii and Abigusii tribes. They then produce beautiful sculptures, chess sets etc. from it. Each piece is carved individually by the craftsmen and then wet sanded, polished and dyed all by hand. Soap stone products can be bought everywhere in Kenya.

Jewelry (often in the form of beads) are another Kenyan speciality and they can be bought in all colours of the rainbow. Jewelry is important in African culture. Much Kenyan jewelry contains cowry shells. They are not only beautiful but also symbolic.

Masai spears and shields are also popular souvenirs. But first check with your air company and your customs whether you can take them home. Another solution is having them sent home by mail. Some tourist shops offer this option.

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14 inch brown-black stripped wooden zebra face mask. Beautifully designed to reveal facial features. Perfect for gifts, decorations or as collectors item.

18 by 24 inch on wallpaper. Beautiful mixed medium art displays a man requesting permission to assist a woman.

2 ebony 9 inch candle holders. Beautiful spiral-snake design with firm base. Intricate art work with an excellent finish. Perfect for gifts, decorations or as collectors item. (1 pair)

Red/black-colored 4 inch round box with lid. Carved from soapstone. The etching reveals a traditional African dancer. The lid has a pick-up that gives an elephant impression. Perfect for storing jewelry.

5 inch beautiful multi-colored soapstone bowl with careful etchings that outline the silhouette tree and the endangered black African rhino. The colors are a mix of pink-purple-black. Perfect match with related colored vase and goblet. The handle is carved into a swan’s head. The accuracy involved in the making of this product can be displayed by the perfection in the swan’s bill and eyes. Perfect for gifts and decorations.

Meticulously carved 8 inch Ujama (pronounced uh-ja-maa) family village figurine. Carved from Ebony wood. Beautiful and careful design reveals members of a family all connected together, symbolic of relationships. Ujama comes from the base word jama meaning “family relation”. Ujama was a sort of division of labor and proceeds went towards the extended family and people living in the village. Perfect for gifts, decorations or as collectors item. Very symbolic piece of art.

Marble look alike 2 inch candleholder. Made from Asian* soapstone. The holder has a firm extended base for drip collection and mesh like design. (4 pieces)

Marble look alike 6 inch Asian* soapstone elephant carving. The elephant sculpture is carefully carved to reveal details like ivory tusks, trunk and ears.

1.Knit your own natural, hand-dyed luxurious silk shawls, scarves and wraps as birthday gifts and holiday gifts! Include a recycled paper card letting your special someone know that their gift was hand-knit and hand-dyed using natural dyes made with love from your very own garden or local farmer’s market!

2.Revive your wardrobe. Everyone has something white or pastel that they cannot wear because of some annoying food or beverage stain. Instead of pitching it, bring it back to life! Revitalize it with some homemade natural dye (and have fun doing it!)

3.Knitting shawls, scarves or comfy-cosy wraps as gifts is a great way to show your loved ones how much you care. Use undyed silk, wool, cashmere or silk/wool blend yarn and dye it in a natural dye of your choosing. Your loved ones will love it and the environment will thank you for it!

4.Add some passion to your bedroom curtains and dye them naturally with pomegranate, beet or mangosteen. You can even mix a little indigo in with any one of the above to create some purple passion!

5.Transform a stained white or pastel tablecloth into something beautiful again! Choose a dark-colored natural dye made from indigo, walnut hulls, pomegranate, beet or mangosteen so your next stains won’t be as visible!

6.Gather your old shawls, scarves, sarongs, sheets, dresses, t-shirts, towels and tablecloths and transform them into creative works of art! Using your own handmade natural dyes, you can make prayer flags, holiday flags, wall hangings, tapestries, wall art and more.

7.Get creative in your art space at home and at work. Make natural dyes for use in fabric art, dyeing canvas, batik art and whatever else inspires you. The possibilities are endless!

8.Go Green in the classroom! Take your class on a field trip to the local botanical garden, farmer’s market or nursery and select your plants for natural dyeing. Prepare natural dyes together as a class, bottle them up and use them to make safe, environmentally friendly arts & crafts projects and holiday gifts.

9.Get creative with your kids over summer vacation! Make your own natural dyes as a family and use them to make cool, tie-dye t-shirts that are colorful, safe and environmentally friendly!

10.Design your eco-friendly clothes or accessories line! Buy undyed organic cotton, hemp or bamboo fabric and dye them with your own natural dyes. You can even reuse patches of old fabric and dye it with a complimentary color, creating a textured, patchwork look to your design.

For step-by-step instructions on how to dye natural yarn and textiles with homemade natural dyes visit Aurora Silk:

http://www.aurorasilk.com/

If your business is selling arts and crafts, then you know that you have to get creative in finding ways to get your products seen.

One way is to have your arts and crafts on display in local restaurants that you use yourself.

Depending on the shape and size of your arts or crafts, this can be a very lucrative experiment!.. You should make sure to use a nice restaurant that you yourself go to, make sure its not really a fast paced one, as you want people who are lingering over a nice meal to notice and appreciate your art that may be hanging on the wall by their table, or that decorative shelf housing your crafts in a corner.

Start by taking yourself to dinner with a friend or family at this particular restaurant that you like, and while eating, and relaxing, try and notice walls or corners, where your creations would look great.

Pick your best tasteful pieces, that you feel would suit the restaurant, and then approach the owner, during the daytime when he/she is likely to be there planning the day, and talk to him/her about the idea of hanging your art (show the owner your pieces) maybe give him/her some idea of where you were thinking it should go, so as to take the guess work out of the equation, and make the owner feel like its not another project he has to deal with!

Come up with a deal, that he/she gets a percentage of the sale, and then make sure you give him/her your business cards and brochures, and also that there is a business card with the price of the piece with the piece. Do not put a great big read “for sale” sign on the piece!, you need something subtle and tasteful, possibly in the bottom right corner of the piece. If you have 3D creations that need to be on a shelf, then make sure your business card is attached with the price written on the back neatly or typed on..

This is another great way to get you and your business known in the community, and is a great way to get people to look at, and appreciate and hopefully purchase your creations!