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You may be well-prepared for having your kids home all summer, but it always sneaks up on me. I know it's probably just denial, but every year it seems like one minute everyone has a schedule and a place to be, and the next minute I'm scrambling for ways to keep the girls occupied between camp...
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So, it's official: our eldest has moved out of the house to her own apartment. Now, in this day and age, I won't be surprised if she moves back after college. But in the meantime, her sister and I are turning her room into an art studio . Meredith and I have been debating how to set up the home...
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We have our winners! Louise B., Kay C., and Judy E. have all won a year's subscription to Craft Daily. Congratulations! * * * * * As I hope you already know, we recently launched Craft Daily , a fun and educational website where you'll find more than 100 hours of full-length craft video workshops...
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When my husband and I want to amuse our children, we tell them about life in the "Dark Ages" of technology, when phones were tethered to the wall and video was non-existent. Raised on VCRs, DVDs, and the DVR, our kids cannot even fathom the concept of having to wait a whole week to see their...
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I recently completed a flurry of art projects. After congratulating myself on my productivity, I turned around to look look at my home studio , and wondered, "Who made this huge mess? Upcycled art studio shelving unit. Project and photo by Susan Borgen. I know very few mixed-media artists who create...
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A blog is an excellent tool for sharing your artwork, building a community, growing your art business , and strengthening your brand. However, a poorly done blog can be worse than no blog at all, says artist and cyber-savvy blogger Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. Register now for Building a Better Blog for Artists...
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Today I’m writing this blog from our PAGES vol. 3 photo shoot. We have tables filled with fun props to choose from. Each of us brought goodies from our studios in boxes, bags, tackle boxes, and backpacks. Interestingly, we ended up with a lot of books that were propped with buttons. So today, one year...
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The business of how to sell art and promote yourself as an artist has gotten both easier and harder in the past few years. Easier, because there are so many ways for you to sell art online and make a name for yourself through blogs and social media. Harder, for all the same reasons. How do you know what...
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You may remember how my daughter and I are planning to share our creative space ? Well, Meredith's got our home studio all figured out. For one of her classes, she had to sketch her ideal workspace, and she made the drawing you see here. My daughter Meredith's sketch for how to outfit the perfect...
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Here's a twist I wasn't expecting: As I set about turning my older (college age) daughter's room into a sewing and craft studio , my younger daughter has informed me she not only wants to share it, she wants to have a say in how we arrange it. Donna Downey balances mixed-media with fabric...
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There's a great scene at the beginning of the movie "James and the Giant Peach." (Actually, there are a lot of wonderful scenes, but this one is key to the story.) James and his parents are on the beach looking at cloud formations and when James doesn't perceive something his parents...
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Beginning a new year often means rethinking the spaces we occupy. Whether it's your home, office, or your studio, the new year frequently inspires change. Or maybe it's the cold weather and staying indoors that makes us want to spice things up a bit . . . add color . . . add spirit . . . You...
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Re-organizing your art studio at this time of year —a mong the hustle and bustle of the holidays, the cerebral fog of too many cocktails or sugarplum sweets, and the craziness of trying to get a slew of handmade projects created for gifts and décor — may seem like a silly idea. Wouldn't...
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If you lack an art studio and consequently play with wet media in the kitchen or dining room, you are in luck. You have easy access to culinary you can use in your artwork. Here are three mark-making ideas that will spice up your watercolor painting. All use supplies from the kitchen. Jacqueline Newbold...
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Some say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. In my art studio , good intentions lead to Christmas, at least in years past. But last year, I decided to get more organized, so that I don't end up finishing handmade gifts in the car on the way to my sister-in-law's house. Ha-ha. (No...