Look at the Calender Today

Today’s Club Creative Studio Two-Cent Tuesday post is about how you can use creativity and entertain yourself at the same time…for FREE.

This idea has the potential for unique expression and a very creative day just by looking at your cat.   Today is National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day! No, I did not make this up!

If you are a cat-lover like we are in our home, you may believe that your cat is indeed communicating with you on some level.  The antics of cats are fascinating to watch and enjoy.  If you notice that your pet is doing something to gain attention, have you also considered that they may be asking a question in their own way?

If in fact your cat has questions on its mind and had the means to express it in a way that you could actually understand and give feedback to them… what would you interpret that your cat would ask of you?   Below, you will meet Nimbus, our Butterscotch cat.  I think that our two cats rule the roost here so it is not unfair to think that if they asked me why I bother them and take photos of them, the answer I would have for them would be: “Because you are so cute!”

Meet Nimbus. our Butterscotch cat.

What type of communication connection do you have with your cat?  Nimbus did not start out as a social kitten, but, he has evolved into a very loving cat claiming my daughter as his favorite human being.  If Nimbus asked the question “When is that college student coming back home?” My answer would be: “At the next school break, be patient as you wait for your best friend to return, she will.” If you have pets of your own, take time today to recognize the special calendar day and embrace in wonderment the curious nature of them.  Think about what they may be asking of you in human question form. Use your imagination today to be CREATIVE in a different way!  Happy National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day!

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• January 22: National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day (strategiclearner.wordpress.com)

Stick Art: Expressive and Low-Cost

Wonderful low-cost art.

Welcome to the Club Creative Studio Two-Cent Tuesday post.  Today I will feature a few ideas I learned about via Pinterest using a low-cost supplies.

Each of the projects that I will highlight today are made from painted wooden pop sickle sticks.  The first one is a framed creation with same sized sticks, the second project includes a variety of stick sizes and additional wooden cut-out shapes.  Both involve paints and the use of a glue gun for quick results.

Framed Art Project

The first project was made by a group of second graders. Their art project was presented as a school class auction item.  Usually for this type of event, each class in a school collaborates and makes an item that is creative and interesting and it is auctioned off  to raise funds. Each of the class supporter’s bidding can get pretty competitive in their price wars to raise funds and have a chance to own art.  I know that this would have certainly caught my eye!

I am awaiting information on the pinner of this photo and source to share the details of the story behind this pop sickle art. When and if it arrives I will edit this post.  In the meantime, I am guessing that acrylic paints were used and each child contributed a set amount of sticks to form this art. The source: Holly McGavin, posted that the sticks were attached to foam core and then framed out. What a colorful result from something that is a low-cost, easy and quick. I love this project idea.

This project idea has inspired my daughter to create her own art, using inspirational quotes on each of her sticks and painted in the same technique. I think this has no age boundaries, I am even thinking of creating like this too! I love that a simple frame makes this look more worthy of hanging.  If it is a done as a class I suggest that  on one side the design is painted and the other side the artist’s signature is added. This makes the piece even more personal. Each stick can be readily identified this way for later reference.

Snowflake Project

Found on the site called:  Call Me May this project is also easy to make with variety possibilities as well.  How fun it looks, when completed I suggest hanging on a door, wall or from the ceiling! Using a variety of stick sizes, your snowflake shapes can be created in many interesting shapes and diameters. These are obviously painted (or spray painted) in a tint but they would also look beautiful in white and decorated further with added embellishments like glitter for a glam/festive look or buttons and gears for a vintage feel.

Source: http://www.callmemaybe8748.weebly.com

Have fun with your imagination and create with love like these projects were. I love sharing information that is low-cost and appealing. If you live in an area where you have a winter season, the snowflake theme can be current right up until spring!  Please stop by this Club Creative Studio blog often as the creativity is endless.  You never know what will jump-start your creative juices. Let us know what you think about this project in the comment box below!

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Veronica’s Visions

Welcome to a new year of posts with the focus on CREATIVITY.

Club Creative Studio has made creative business goals each year. They have been expressed in a visual way and used as an every-day display for the entire year.  This is a low-cost creative activity. It is a tradition that is also a type of visual communication.  By creating a poster (vision board), my focus on goals is always right in front of me, in a colorful way. I am reminded of the importance of them each time I look at the poster. It’s great to visualize goals, a poster board creation can serve as a prompt to keep you on track or inspire you to reach higher to obtain them. Try to make one for yourself, if you are motivated by this post.

Club Creative Studio’s 2013 Vision Board

A vision board is a creative way that anyone can express their vision of the future in poster form and keep a focus on where you want your efforts to lead you.

Ten Suggestions For Planning Your Board

1. Decide when you want to have your poster complete.  Plan accordingly so that you have enough time to finish your project. This is no time to procrastinate because your purpose of the whole creative exercise is to commit to your wants and needs. Make this a priority so that you can have success right away in completing your poster and use it as inspiration as soon as possible.  A good time to aim for completion is at the start of a new year or land-mark event.  It may take some time to gather cut materials, and construct it so plan ahead if possible.

2. Use old magazine cut outs, photos, inspirational quotes, written journal thoughts, computer software or scrapbook materials or a decorated plain piece of paper to creatively organize and decorate your poster board or foam core base.  It can be made in any size or shape.  Keep in mind however, that the larger your base board, the longer it will take to cover and the more material you will need to do so.

3. Use a key focus word or short phrase (sort of like a title) to aid as a theme for your poster creation.  This will give your board an over-all theme and make it easy to recall your goals at a quick glance no matter how detailed your other information on the board is.

I used a few key words to develop my theme. The word RAISE… reminds me of my goals to: RAISE Expectations, RAISE the Bar, RAISE Standards, RAISE my hand, RAISE questions, RAISE Awareness, Raise Profits and RAISE Eye-Brows.

4. Take advantage of using color or mixed media in our board to add variety and uniqueness. If it is eye-catching and generally attractive, you will find yourself looking at it more often.  This is key to using it to your advantage and bringing your goals to the forefront of your mind.

5. Plan to review your resolutions, habits, motivations, and goals daily. Place it in plain view so that you see it everyday and often.

6. Allow for space to add to your lists on the front or the back of your board.  One year, I wrote many of my accomplishments on the back of one board, making that side just as important as the front! Maybe your “buzz word” can be best serve you if it is repeated several times in the same poster. Consider making up your own power word by combining two or more words together like my example of the words CAN and  FANTASTIC to combine into: “CANTASTIC”.

Club Creative Studio’s theme word for 2013 is: “CANTASTIC”!

7. Vow to make a new board each year and keep the old boards as reminders of past success if you have the space.

8. Encourage others to create with you and share your goals. It is fun to share supplies, gather and celebrate your journey plans.

9. Keep your friends accountable for your goals and ask for help and support from them when you need it.

10. Knowledge is Power. Use the spirit of creativity to invite others to make their own boards, and tell how they are part of your life and how they serve you. Promote your success.

Club Creative Studio has a repeat word theme and that is “WOW”.

Have we inspired you to take some time to make a visual board with your goals?  Have a great time creating and a great time reaching those milestones in the New Year 2013!

We welcome you to visit our website as we share creativity and you can see for yourself how the goals on my vision board have been incorporated into creative art!

http://www.clubcreativestudio.com

We also welcome you to follow this blog and check back often as we start a new year of sharing on the topic of CREATIVITY.

New Year’s Tradition

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We create our own decorative glasses and masks for the new year.

We wish all of our visitors to this site a great start to the NEW YEAR! May it be a creative year full of happiness and good health.  This will be a quick post to share a tradition that my daughter and I take part in each New Year’s Eve. We don’t purchase pre-made decorative eye glasses…we MAKE THEM!

Happy New Year!

This year we made the year numbers a bit larger and placed a stick handle on the back to display as a mask.  Each year we get out the markers and decorate away! We don’t spend too much time on it or add any mixed medium supplies, it is merely a quick way to bond and share the new year together in a few pics with our creations in hand.

Happy New Year! We hope you celebrated in style!  Are you inspired to start your own tradition by doing the same thing next year?  Try it!

Suggestions For Your Socks

Club Creative Studio has a question for you: What is on your sock?  I am referring to your Christmas stocking that are traditionally hung by many from a fireplace mantel.  If you are one that does this year after year, I want to hear about how those socks are decorated. I also share ideas today as suggestions for your socks. What can you use and what have you used  to embellish them and make them your own decorative items for display?

Do you have stockings that are hand-made, heirloom pieces of fabric or store-bought?  Today in the Two Cent Tuesday post, I want to offer ideas that you can do inexpensively that will make those manufactured  dollar store-type Christmas stockings more personal and festive.

Christmas stocking ready to be decorated.

It may be as simple as having a glue gun and a bit of creativity.  You can use items that are “found items” around your home or purchase something specific to add to your stockings. To add personality and a personal identity to them, it is just a matter of being open to the creativity that you have within, and find a way to apply your ideas.

Let’s start with the most inexpensive ideas:

Hot glue items or use self adhesives to add buttons, rick-rack fabric, lace, ribbon, pom-pom, yarn, tassels, bows, cinnamon sticks, border trim, feathers, beads, charms, glitter, sequins, cotton balls or  faux fur.

Using unusual found items that convey personal interests may be interesting to attach with hot glue as well. Consider items such as crayons, pencils, photographs, theme scrapbook cut outs or stickers, silk flowers, cardboard initials,  bay leaves and whole cloves, small plastic toys, even coins.

To identify with name recognition, you can use fabric paint, fabric markers, small photos, initial charms, name tape, or decorative name tag.

Stepping it up a notch with these suggestions:

Moving on from glue to sewing techniques puts a different spin on the finished look.  Add higher quality textiles or fabrics. Adding a personal embroidery emblem, iron-on patch, rhinestone trim, actual photo frame and photo, quilted fabric sections,  personal theme ornament, or hand-made element in carved wood elevates the completed item.  The idea with stepping up the decorative element is the larger cost invested or better quality elements added, not necessarily the amount of decorative additions.

I have not included photos of improvements given to these stockings because, this is a project that my daughter and I will do together this year.  These are new stockings and they were bought because they are uniform in size, color and sweater-type texture for a more uniform theme this year.  Adding the personality will have a different feel this year, a more sophisticated theme.

So, let me know how you have personalized or made your holiday socks more special to display by adding decorative elements.  Did your creativity take hold in your project?

Party with ABC

You have got to start someplace- start your creativity at the beginning!

With an open mind, I write about an “ABC Party” today.  They never had these celebrations in my college days (at least I never knew about them). An A. B. C. party is a gathering of people wearing Anything But Clothing!  It’s a theme party where the guest’s attire is a specific expression and brought into focus.  The point of an ABC party is to have all of your guests show up dressed in everyday items such as newspaper, plastic bags, duck tape, feathers, etc.,  rather than real clothing.

As another “Two-Cent Tuesday” post, I offer suggestions on what to make an outfit from as well as save you money while you are being creative.

Spreading the word

Apparently, to announce an ABC party you need only inform your prospective guests that it IS an ABC party.  They know what to do, especially if they are college aged.  Since most college students know what this is.  The creativity begins in the planning.  It is likely  that you will see people dressed in inexpensive items such as trash bags, bubble-wrap material, or even painted. I have inclosed a list of items that might be creatively used, just in case you ever find yourself invited to such a party.  Good luck adding things to undergarments, leotards or spanks in order to obtain a unique look

Materials to Consider

• Newspaper- fold to pleet, crush, layer
• Plastic bubble wrap- wrap around or form into pattern shape of article of clothing attaching “seams” with clear packing tape. I have even seen pink wrap, wouldn’t that be cool?
• Feathers, coins, buttons, beaded necklaces, socks, envelopes collect items and  hot glue to swim suit for your theme
• Sheets- you have heard of a “toga” right?
• Duct tape is available in decorative colors and prints now-a-days. I do not recommend attaching to your skin, however. Double tape back-to-back then wrap/form
• Christmas Lights can be attached to colored plastic wrap. I have seen green cellophane- you could look like a Christmas tree.
• Large canvas- I can “picture” two put together as a sort of walking bill-board
• Burlap sacks- large potato bags, gift bags, empty snack bags, empty juice boxes, wrapping paper
• Beer boxes, soda boxes, pizza boxes, shoe boxes, cereal boxes- cut or tape together
• Deck of cards or Uno game cards- attached to one piece suit
• Curtains- from a window or a shower
• Body paint- I do not recommend spray paint- let’s be smart here!
• Large cardboard boxes- from a television or appliance
• Plastic bags can be crocheted, braided or attached together with tape
• Venetian Blinds, a bit hard to sit in but still covers a large area
• Hawian grass skirt or something made to look like one (plastic bags)
• Aluminum foil (watch the sharp edges) candy wrappers
• Towels or a decorated robe
• Fabric from a table cloth or pillow case
• Rugs or place mats
• Crepe paper streamers, balloons, ribbon
• Wrapping paper can be laminated or taped with clear tape to reinforce for strength and durability
• Decorative papers from magazines, posters, letters, wall paper
• Selected board games or Twister “board” which is a large plastic material
• Faux animal furs from fabric store or decorative rugs
• Sleeping bag or blanket
• Tarps can be tied with rope or large bungee cord
• Egg crate mattress pad
• CD / DVD covers can be attached together with hot glue
• Hammock or bed spread
• Deflated pool raft or inflated life-preserver vest
• Car  window shield shade- cover length very well
• Lamp shade- could make a cute skirt
• Fabric made from woven plant leaf,actual food or other material
• Hunting vest
• Couch cushions- tie them together
• Cloth napkins or connected bandanas
• Yoga mats
• Soft luggage
• Take a trip to the local thrift store to see what can be recycled or repurposed into clothing
• What do you have round the house to convert into clothing for an ABC party?

Creative Views: Around Town

Corn husk dolls and other crafts using natural elements were displayed and demonstrated.

Today’s Club Creative Studio “Two-Cent Tuesday” post is a prompt to look closer within your own community for a new creative view.  Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy outdoor festivals and gatherings.  Most craft-fairs and fall festivals do not have an entrance fee so it makes the creative views even more appealing.  Are there events you can explore in your area this weekend?

Good toe-tappin’ mountain music had the audience sitting around on hay bales enjoying the sounds with a great natural setting the Smokey Mountains.

If you happen to find a different place to be other than your local backyard, you may discover highlights from around a new town to enjoy and appreciate.  This was the case when I recently visited another state. Unaware of the annual festivities focused around the region, we enjoyed what was called “Mountain Heritage Day” in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Held on the grounds of Western Carolina University.

The Newfound Forge: Blacksmith Westley Angel handcrafts forged iron.

Forged iron from Leicester, North Carolina

Mountain Heritage Day celebrates the traditions of rich southern Appalachian Music, Dance, Arts, and Folklore.  There were 100 plus, Juried Handmade Arts and Crafts Booths, with Three Traditional Music Stages, a Kid’s Area, Cherokee Stickball Games, Workshops, Heritage Demonstration sand Exhibit Areas, Living History Area, Canning and Baking Contests, an Antique Car Show, Chainsaw Competition and plenty of Festival Food. You gotta love that “fried pie”.

Mountain Heritage Day, Cullowhee, North Carolina. At Western Carolina University grounds, 2012

Wonderful sculptural baskets made from local fallen tree branches.

The pride of the mountains is reflected in the arts during this day-long festival. This celebration was the 30th annual celebration. It proudly showcased some of the finest arts, crafts, music and dance of the southeast since 1974. It has been named one of the top 200 craft events in the United States. I hope you run across a great fall festival in your area soon.

Jim Long and his wife Nancy Hornbuckle of River Cane Weaving display and demo their creative use of natural materials in their weaving of mats and baskets in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Triple C Pottery from artists: Cale and Christy Williams, Eagle Springs, North Carolina create hand thrown stoneware.

Down-home goodness.

Artist: Lori Anderson shares creations from the past and present from corn shucks and other natural materials.

 

I hope that you have the time to discover something that expresses and appreciates the arts like a good-old-fashioned fall festival.

Diedra’s Different Outlook- Part ll

The color of love.

Club Creative Studio introduced you to my neighbor, Diedra in yesterday’s post.  Today I am thankful for having pride in knowing my creative-out-of-the-box-thinking neighbor. Who would not want to know more about how a creative person thinks?  Fitting for the Two-Cent Tuesday theme, I want to show you how the love of one color can have a cost-effective impact. Diedra’s favorite color in her own words is: “The color Peacock”.  It is actually the love of the color turqoise that has her racing to her paint and brush very often.  This interest in painting almost any thing and every thing has also expressed a sense of creative frugality.

Pursuaded by paint of a peacock-color, the rugs, pillows, furniture, and floor reflect that favorite hue.

It isn’t everyday that you can go out into the world and purchase turquoise painted furniture, a statue, flooring, a mailbox or  lawn ornaments.  This is a low-cost way to get that into your world by simply and inexpensively painting an item the way that you want it to look , yourself.  And why not? If you want to love something even more, find a way to make it attractive to you.  Diedra loves “peacock” so she paints many items with that color to reflect what attracts her taste.  You’ll see plenty of turquoise, purple and blue here. Nuff said.

At night- purple lights are scattered here and there in her garden areas.

You are free to consider this decorating style “quirky” but, it is certainly also “cohesive”.

Plenty of turquoise, purple and blue hues here.

Lending to the expressions of the colors purple, blue and turquoise is the personality and spunk of Diedra herself.

Meet Diedra, even her turquoise car has a creative touch.

When asked about the reasoning behind the attached flowers on her automobile roof and back window she responded with her logic. “I go out in the car and park in the parking lots and when I come out of stores I always think that someone has stolen my car because it seems to be parked in between the big SUVs and I can not see it quickly.  So, I put the flowers on top so I could spot it faster. Plus being short, I can see it better over the bigger cars.” Sounds good to me! She went on to add, “I used to change the flowers with the seasons and holidays but, that got to be a bit much.”

Visit the blog again for the continued multi-post series

sharing more of Diedra’s featured creative whims.

Artistic Appreciations

Club Creative Studio is proud to take steps in posting public gratitude by taking part in a new posting challenge.  Inspired by blogging friend, Nicole Bandes, her 90 day challenge is a time for all to express gratitude of any level in our life.  Adding to today’s low-cost creative idea theme: Two-Cent Tuesday post, this idea IS low-cost and a great personal challenge.

Thankful for CREATIVITY!

Adding my own twist to this challenge,  I feel that it is going to be a delightful journey to report daily how I am appreciative of CREATIVITY in my life. I’ll be answering daily questions of what am I thankful for in creativity as well as what I appreciate artistically.  These will be the focus points in my daily posts.  You can write and post about gratitude in any manner you wish to. For the most part, my posts will be brief and hopefully inspirational to creative others as well.  Please feel free to comment and share your gratitude thoughts here for art on the post theme.  I look forward to sharing more creative ideas and educational information with a bit of insight as to why CREATIVITY plays such an important role in my thankfulness.  I am looking forward to expressing gratitude in this manner, I hope that it is an uplifting addition to your day as well.

90 Day Gratitude Challenge with my focus on creative thankfulness/artistic appreciation.

More about MY THANKFULNESS CHALLENGE:

90 days of Gratitude

Starting on August 26th and ending on Thanksgiving Day (U.S.A), 2012.

“What would happen in your life if you spent 90 days showing gratitude? When this project starts there will be 90 days till Thanksgiving Day in the United States. What if you found just one thing to be grateful for every day for the next 90 days? What if you helped to spread this message to all those you knew and got them expressing more gratitude? Could that change the world? In 2009, Nicole Bandes started posting her gratitude daily on Facebook starting in the beginning of November. She did this consistently for the remainder of the month and liked the results so much she never stopped. Gratitude can change your life. Gratitude WILL change your life if you let it. It is such an incredibly simple thing to do. And, while many things are simple but not easy, this is also easy. It takes very little time to record one thing for which to be grateful each day.”

~ Nicole Bandes, Coach, Speaker, Author of The You Coach

Register your participation and sign up for the Gratitude 2012 newsletter full of tips and gratitude prompts at http://goldeneaglescoaching.com/gratitude-project-2012/
Join the Facebook Group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/positivityonpurpose/.

Are you planning to take this 90 day Gratitude Challenge?

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Creative Play Time

Club Creative Studio shares information about creativity in this blog and each Tuesday is reserved for learning about a low-cost thought or project.  Creativity never has to be expensive.  For this reason, creativity is available to many when you call upon simple or commonly used items to help you in the process.

The ideas today stem from a few different places. First, I recall my own childhood memories of using creativity during play and secondly, I share a few ideas for you to use at home to help spark children into more creative play, specifically when they are making tents, or forts from furniture and cushions. Make sure you view the video, it is awesome!

Imagination sometimes needs a gentle push. It takes courage to be creative.  It takes confidence to step outside the lines, do things in a unique way and be different. Even in playtime situations, it is sometimes difficult to do what you feel like doing and act out of the norm.  When we use our imagination as children, we are free. We know no boundaries and we are expressive in thought, process and play.  We are free to be bolder, and maybe even happier as we transform to a place that is exactly how we want it to be and no one else!

I remember as a young one, using out outdoor clothes line as a supportive structure for a home-made tent.  I took two people to make this “house” but, simply tossing a large blanket across the wires and then securing the ends of the blanket to sticks in the ground created the “walls”.  Pillows and other blankets were needed to make the playhouse more comfy, this was truly a low-cost, low-budget way of being creative making an outside fort.

I hope that you had the chances to make forts or tents when you were growing up.  If you allow children in your home to use the existing furniture for their imaginative play, they will return the favor with hours of “out-of-sight” play periods.  See what is created when you let them use their own logic in construction.  Making a tent can become their little escape area where although you can still hear them inside a blanket structure, you can also allow them to be out of your direct line of vision, but you still know exactly where they are and what they are doing.  It is a hide away in their make-believe land, and you can share in the fun of constructing or touring it as well , if you are allowed, that is!

Creating an island for your children can be as easy as helping them use the couch cushions or a large sheet to drape across two chairs or the dining room table.  Who wouldn’t love to find a little area all to themselves with peace and quiet? I think as an adult, I might even appreciate my own tent nook to hide with a good book or earphones what about you?

Allowing your children to “hide” from the real world gives them some freedom to be creative in their own personal space.

Let me know if this blog post brought pleasant memories back to you. If you did not grow up constructing your own hid-away place with a sheet and a few chairs what is stopping you from doing this NOW?????