Getting Ready For Your Arts & Crafts Project

It’s no secret that any sizeable arts and crafts project needs a lot of preparation. There are plans to find (or create!), materials to buy or gather together, and then – maybe most importantly – there’s finding the time to actually sit down and get to work. Most hobbyists will tell you, time budgeting is probably the hardest part of getting ready to create. This is a shame, because you can’t shoehorn the creative process into a given timeslot. Creativity – the combination of mental and spiritual processes in which the mind and subconscious interact to express each other – works at its own pace and takes it time. If you’ve ever heard the old cliché about an artist can’t rush his work, consider your own creative process and how it operates for you.

Getting yourself mentally prepared to create

There’s no way to rewire your brain for creativity, but you get the process warmed up by taking steps to make sure your creative “river” has a smooth channel in which to run. First, make sure you have enough time to do what you want, without interruptions. The time of day isn’t important, but take steps to make sure you don’t have anything preoccupying your thoughts. When your mind is preoccupied, even a part of it, you can lose focus on creating, making the work you do less than your best effort. This advice might seem like telling you to save your arts and crafts project for last on your list of daily or weekly priorities. In fact, it’s just the opposite: creativity works best when you’ve got everything else out of the way. Save the best for last when you set your priorities.

Getting Your Materials Ready

Getting your arts and crafts project going is sometimes like taking a trip in a car. Some people prefer to take only the bare necessities with them, picking up what they need as they go along. Others like to pack heavy, preparing for all possibilities while keeping a ready supply of emergency materials close at hand. You may like to have all your supplies with you and organized beforehand. You may also prefer to just get going and get any additional materials you need later. But with regards to the creative process, you’ll probably find you work better, that you’re more creative, if you get all your supplies and materials ready before you begin. When you’re fully equipped, there’s no need to take a break or stop – interrupting that creative process – because you’re missing that one crucial element that will put your project over the top.

Start when you want, stop when you must.

Stop working on your project only when you feel comfortable putting it down for a while. Don’t neglect your other responsibilities, but give yourself the freedom of following your creative spirit through to either its conclusion or a natural breaking point. When you come back to work on it again, you’ll likely find you can pick up exactly where you started. Good luck!

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admin on March 3rd 2010 in arts and crafts projects

Easy Arts and Crafts Painting Projects : Painting Glass: Tips for Painting on Glass

Tips for painting your glass painting craft project; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video.

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:1:0

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admin on January 12th 2010 in wood craft projects

Easy Arts and Crafts Painting Projects : Painting Glass: Sketching the Design

Sketching the design for your glass painting craft project; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video.

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:1:35

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admin on January 1st 2010 in wood craft projects

Easy Arts and Crafts Painting Projects : Painting Glass: Tips for Mixing Glass Paints

Mixing the paints for your glass painting craft project; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video.

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:1:28

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admin on November 26th 2009 in wood craft projects

Easy Arts and Crafts Painting Projects : Painting Wood: Making the Design for Wood Painting

How to choose the design for your wood craft painting project; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video.

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:2:9

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admin on October 21st 2009 in wood craft projects

Part 5 – Arts and Crafts Panel Bed

This project is a queen sized bed inspired by a Stickley Panel bed. I didn’t have anything to go on other than the picture from the Stickley web site, and the overall dimensions. I set to work drawing up my own plans from these two bits of information.

The construction of the bed features through mortise and tenon joints connecting the horizontal rails to the posts. The headboard and the footboard have a frame and panel construction where vertical stiles contain the panels and connect the two horizontal stiles. The top horizontal stiles on the headboard and footboard have a broad inverted V shape that is characteristic of a number of Stickley pieces.

Duration : 0:7:39

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admin on October 21st 2009 in arts and crafts projects

Chinese Takeout Lantern – Eco-Friendly Craft Ideas by Shiho Masuda

Shiho re-orders these Chinese takeout containers into mini tabletop lanterns. As featured in NY Japion newspaper. Music: “Tang Court Ensemble” by Twelve Girls Band.

Duration : 0:2:20

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admin on September 2nd 2009 in children craft ideas

Easy Arts and Crafts Painting Projects : Painting Glass: Preparing the Glass

How to prepare glass for painting; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video.

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:1:12

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admin on September 2nd 2009 in arts and crafts projects

Easy Arts and Crafts Painting Projects : Painting Fabric: Tips for Painting on Fabric

How to apply paint to your fabric craft project; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video.

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:2:7

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admin on August 26th 2009 in arts and crafts projects

Easy Arts and Crafts Painting Projects : Painting Wood: Choosing Wood Paint

Choosing the paint for your wood craft painting project; learn this and more in this free arts and crafts video.

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:1:14

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admin on July 21st 2009 in wood craft projects

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