No visit to Washington DC would be complete without a visit to at least one or two of the Smithsonian museums.  The Air and Space museum and the Museum of Natural History are two of the more popular of the museums, but don’t overlook some of the smaller art museums.
The Freer Gallery and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery make up the Smithsonian’s Asian Art museum, and can provide a well-rounded look at some art often over-looked.
The Freer Gallery is location on the National Mall at Jefferson Drive at 12th Street SW, and was the first Smithsonian museum dedicated to …read more

Last week my daughter had a painting day with her fiber artist friends.  They met at one member’s home and made a fun day.  Would you call this a “modern” quilting bee of sorts?
They did their fabric painting using gelatin.  Beth made several pans of colorless gelatin to take with her.
Then they spread paint in various designs and even non-designs over the gelatin and pressed the fabric onto it.  These then dried.  She now has numerous circles of delightful color and design to create with.
At home, she made smaller circles and is doing the same with it, creating numerous colored …read more

About Family Crafts:
Find out how to can make a story sack for the book, and soon to be movie, Cloudy With a Change of Meatballs.

Aileen’s Musings
Aileen’s created a quirky copper bird pin,,,,stop by and check it.
Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Alexa revisits and reconnects with a craft from her childhood
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside has a sneak peek into the soon to be released book; Who’s Your Dada? Redefining The Doll Through Mixed Media, free graphics of good angel/bad angel birds with a tutorial for using them as T-shirt iron-ons, how-to’s …read more

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City is one of the most influential modern art museums in the world.  It is on the must see list for most visitors to Manhattan, even if though they may net be huge art fans.  It’s one of the noted architectural locations in the city, has been used as a backdrop in numerous movies, and is one of the quintessential NYC locations.
The prestigious art collection started off very, very small — with a small gift of eight prints and one drawing.  Since then, it has burgeoned to a collection of …read more

I’ve used bleach on stamps to discharge the dye from fabrics before, but for some reason I never got around to thinking about using it in a spray bottle and discharging that way!  This is such a simple idea, and I just love the results.

This article for Threads magazine, by Lois Ericson, shares many great tips, the materials lists, step by step instructions, and photos so that you’ll know exactly what you’re doing and so you’ll take all the proper safety precautions.  Please, be careful when working with bleach!
Image: Threads/David Coffin

Cross Stitch at About.com
Have fun trying out these new free Candlewicking patterns Connie’s sharing. If you use one, send in a photo to show it off!

Mixed Media Artist
Using two very different book pages, you can create a found poem for an altered book…or just because!
Naughty Secretary Club
Jen shares clever and crafty uses for suitcases that have nothing to do with holding clothing. Side tables, laptop cases and portable craft studios oh my!
Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
Drink Mermaids take the plunge into some silver paint and get transformed into some swimmingly fun necklaces inspired by …read more

Coloring pictures in coloring books, as well as drawing and coloring my own, occupied me extensively when I was a child.  My daughter and grandchildren have enjoyed coloring, as do many of the youngsters I have in school when I substiute teach.
I’ve also found this a great way to encourage children’s fine muscle coordination.  As I’ve substituted in kindergarten this year, and followed the youngsters throughout the school year, I’ve seen a great improvement in their ability to stay within the lines, even with small pictures.
Coloring is more than simply busy work. It’s a way to develop children’s coordination, a form of …read more

Washington DC’s Phillips Collection was one of the country’s first museum of modern art, opening in 1921 in what was the home of Duncan Phillips.  From its inception with merely a few paintings, the collection has grown until it moved to a larger space and officially became a museum.
At its current location among the brownstones of Dupont Circle (1600 21st Street NW, on the corner of Q and 21st), the Phillips has two buildings full of art and a outdoor courtyard for sculpture display.  The permanent collection includes works from American and European impressionists, post-impressionist, and modern artists.  You’ll …read more

Ann Kruglak, of Mystic Dreamer Art, creates beautiful polymer clay and mixed media works of art to benefit a land conservancy program.  I love seeing artist pick a cause that speaks to them and use their art to celebrate and support that cause.  Ann goes way beyond the norm though.  She writes:
Art connects me to my spiritual center, and the greater Mystery of the universe. I created Mystic Dreamer: Art for the Earth as a service project, and donate 100% of my proceeds to the World Land Trust in hopes of helping our planet survive and thrive. I hope that …read more

As I look at this picture, the red fabric with larger floral design reminds me of the first apron and skirt I made when I was 7-years old.  My 4-H Club leader was teaching me to sew on her treadle sewing machine and chose easy patterns.
The fabric came from feed sacks my aunt had given me.  There was enough to make a drawstring apron as well as a skirt with a casing and drawstring to gather it around my waist.  I was so proud of these and wore the skirt in the Dutchess County 4-H fashion show our club participated in.
In …read more