Art...from around the World

My friend Sue sent me an email yesterday, forwarding on a request from her nephew Tim.  Tim is studying Art at the University of Wis - Stevens Point (where I happened to have graduated from myself!) and has put out a call to the world to assist with his latest art project.  Here's the solicitation, in his own words...




I am writing to you for your help in creating a FANTASTIC ART PROJECT!!! It’s easy and fun and will help me make the GRADE!

My name is Tim Vermeulen and I am a second semester art student at the University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point. I am asking for your help and participation in a project I am undertaking.

As part of my foundation courses I am required to create a 360° drawing. Rather than choosing to draw all sides of an object I am electing to draw (create) from all sides of the globe. With your aid I would like to collect various ephemera/items from around the world as part of my idea of a "360° World Vision."

The way this request works is that I have sent it to a group of friends and family. In turn, I ask each of them to forward it to anyone they know who is residing abroad (living, studying, on long term leave, teaching, volunteering, etc.) and would be willing to participate. From there I ask that each person who receives this message MAIL back something to me for my artwork. I am hoping to get something from all the continents and as many countries as possible!!! Think outside the ‘borders.”

A participant could use any envelope, of any size, and include inside of it anything they would like. It could simply be the postmarked envelope!
Here is a list of ideas of things one may choose to include (do not feel limited):
Envelopes
Matchbooks
Napkins
Photographs
Candy Wrappers
Postcards
Original Artwork
Poems
Maps
Receipts
News Clippings
Leaves
Wrapping Paper
Pamphlets
Buttons
Horoscopes
Quotes
Flyers
Ticket Stubs
Shoelaces
CDs
To Do Lists
Notes
Stamps

As I disclaimer, I would ask you to please not include anything of value to you, or anything you wish to keep as these articles will be incorporated into the artwork, and not returned. If postage is an issue, just indicate somewhere that you would like to be reimbursed and I will readily send a few American dollars to your return address

If you intend to participate, please mail your envelope to the address below no later than April 3, 2010. Please indicate from whom you received the request so that I may trace it back to myself. I will also be forwarding digital images of the final project to those who choose to participate so that they may view the fruits of their labor.

Any questions? E-mail me at: celloboy09@sbcglobal.net
Many thousand thanks (in advance) to all of those who forward this or choose to participate!

So once again:
Mail me an envelope with “stuff” to the below address by April 3.
Send this email on to some of your friends who might be willing to send me an envelope—spread far and wide.
Wait for a wonderful piece of art to be created and I will email a photo of the creation.

THANK YOU!
Play for peace,
Tim Vermeulen
501 Reserve Street
Room 141
Stevens Point, WI, USA 54481

Being a multi-media artist myself, I love the concept of this project.  And even more, I love encouraging people, especially young people, to follow their passion - and you must admit, Tim sounds passionate about his project.

Tomorrow I will start my envelope - though I could probably easily fill a box!  I'll include everyday ephemera from life here at home as well as my travels to other countries.  I'll probably throw in a good measure of "vintage" items - Tim seems like just the person to appreciate this kind of old stuff.
I hope you'll join me...and as cited above - Play for Peace!

The Weekly Fluff

While at Faded Elegance today, pink caught my attention - perhaps it is because spring is teasing us and the first blush of blossoms are appearing.                                                                  

 

Get in the pink today!

Faded Elegance

Downtown Historic Snohomish

360-568-5333

Where's the Boeuf?

Those of you who have seen the movie, Julie and Julia, may remember that the dish of Boeuf Bourguignon held a distinctive role in the script - it was the perfect entree for a special dinner, sure to impress a certain guest.  Though I am not much of a carnivore, from watching the movie, my appetite was whetted and my curiousity piqued.
An aside - I tried to find the original Julie Powell blog posting on cooking bouef bourguignon from the Julie/Julia Project, but alas, no luck.  As my sister will attest, I am not very good at finding things on Google!  Julia Child photo courtesy of Fairchild Archives.

A couple of years ago, we came up with a system at our house that simplified the dilemma of the evening meal or know better as, "Its 5:00pm and what are we having for dinner tonight?!!  We spend either Saturday or Sunday comprising a menu for the week, gather all the ingredients together, do the grocery shopping and if we're lucky, prep whatever can be done ahead of time and then the weekly menu is posted on the fridge.  It sounds more involved than it is - we can usually get it all accomplished in about 2 hours and then there's no fretting about what to eat after coming home from a hard day of work.  We often double the recipe for an entree and freeze half so that the weekly menu is a combination of fresh made choices as well as selections from the freezer - so there's no complicated cooking every night of the week.  And Saturday night is always "Chef's Choice" - aka- leftovers.  We usually like to include one new recipe to try each week and so boeuf bourguignon was a natural choice.

I remember watching Julia Child, The French Chef, on PBS growing up in Wisconsin - I even remember my mom owning the cookbook from the series...whether or not she ever made any of the recipes I don't remember but she was always game for new things so she might have...

I checked out the cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 from the Everett public library and added the recipe to the weekly menu.  When Monty and I did the grocery shopping, we made a few adjustments to expedite the process - this was already a three hour recipe!  We used frozen pearl onions instead of fresh (they are so small- peeling them did not seem as if it would be easy) and we bought fresh mushrooms already sliced.  And so on Sunday afternoon, we began...

the meat...




the vegetables...

the anticipation.

the pearl onions...

the mushrooms...

the wait...

the end result...it was quite fabulous!
Bon Appetit!

March 3 - thanks Julie for finding the original Julie Powell post on making this wonderful dish...hers was not so wonderful but I'm sure she perfected it!
http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/2002/12/11.html

Sew Beautiful

This Weekly Fluff is focused on my own space at Faded Elegance. 
I change out my space every 6-8 weeks, bringing in new items and highlighting a fresh theme.  Today I set up a vignette focusing on sewing.  "Sew Beautiful" will run from late February through the end of March.  As always, if you see something that catches your eye, you'd better visit Faded Elegance soon!

I have been sewing since I was a little girl.  I love creating things by hand.  I relish the different textures and patterns of the thread, the fabric, the notions.

vintage dress patterns - such classic designs!

 

Faded Elegance

Historic Downtown Snohomish

www.fadedelegancestyle.blogspot.com

Today I remember

Today I remember a woman who was strong of will and determined in her way

who tried her best and had an adventuresome spirit

who taught me to sew, clean and cook

and to follow thru on your commitments.




Who painted the kitchen orange long before painting your kitchen orange was the hip thing to do.

Who packed up the house and moved west and settled into a new community - not once but twice, after the age of 60.

Who always called me every Saturday morning - and when I lived in London, figured out the time difference and still called when it was Saturday morning my time.

Who taught me that you should always do what's right, regardless of what others may say or think.

Who loved dogs.

Today I remember my mom,
Billie Duncan
and I want her to know
that I remember all
that she taught me.

The shirt off your back

Do you have a favorite t-shirt that you love that is torn, tattered or just too small to wear?  Here's an easy project to turn it into wall art.

First, get a t-shirt with a great graphic design.  This can be either a tee you have or one that you find.  Goodwill (and even better Goodwill Outlet if there is one in your area) is a great source for inexpensive tees.  I like using t-shirts since the fabric has stretch to it but this could work just as well with woven material.  I have some vintage embroidered linens that are stained but have a sweet motif - it would be easy to frame them with this same technique.

Second, gather up a few embroidery hoops.  The metal ones have a wonderful worn patina which I love for the rich texture they add.  Wooden hoops are easily found at thrift stores or yard sales.  I painted the wooden hoops with a "metal texture" spray paint by Valspar which is available at Lowes.  You only need to paint the top (or larger) hoop since the bottom (smaller) hoop will be hidden by the fabric.

    










An aside....Ok- I work part-time at the local Lowes, in the paint department.  I love it - I get to play with paint, help people with projects, problem-solve, and get a good workout without going to the gym.  And I don't need any fancy clothes - its perfect for me at this point in my life!

Now, cut the t-shirt open and place the hoops to frame out the image you want to highlight.  Pull the fabric taut and tighten the turnscrew at the top of the outside wooden hoop to secure the fabric in place.  Once you are happy with the composition, trim the fabric from the backside to be flush with the hoop frame. 

I've added a bead of Elmer's glue around the edge between the two hoops to help hold the fabric in place and ensure that it does not loosen.  If you wanted, you could also add a paper or cardboard backing to finish off the back side. 
Any number of additional embellishments are possible - you could sew on buttons or beads for adornment, tie on a ribbon for hanging or add a layer of additional fabrics.

There you have it - easy art for mere pennies and minimal effort.