Make Upcycled Bracelets at Pinole Artisan Meeting

Learn to make fabulous bracelets from old neckties at my hands-on (pun intended) free workshop at the Pinole Artisan’s August 4, 2017 general meeting!

I’ll provide materials and tools – but if you have a tie that you KNOW (check with the tie-wearer first!) won’t ever be worn again, bring it along. Also – any fun buttons you’d like to sew onto your bracelet ….

Pinole Artisans meet the first Friday of every month at the Pinole United Methodist Church, 2000 San Pablo Avenue. Wheelchair accessible. Meetings begin at 7 p.m., are free, with very friendly artists and snacks. All are welcome!

For more information or if you have a question – email me! HeidiRand@gmail.com

Upcycling classes!

I’m so proud to announce the rollout of my new upcycling series of classes at CraftArtEdu! To introduce the series, a free class on upcycling ephemera into postcards. And for your first foray into creative reuse I created a class teaching you how to upcycle neckties into stunning bracelets!

In honor of these brand new classes, CraftArtEdu is putting on a fantastic sale for all of my classes! Mixed media, inkjet printing, fabric art, and smartphone photography, check them all out at discounted prices through Friday April 14th — and if you see this post after that I’ll be glad to get you the same sale price, email me at heidirand [at] gmail.com.

And now … taa daaa! I’m blushing at this super promo piece from CraftArtEdu!!

 

Creative Reuse!

Heidi Rand loves to work in mixed media. She also loves upcycled art. In her two new classes (one is free!), she will show you how to take some materials that would normally be discarded, and put them to new use. In other words, they are upcycled into new creations!

Heidi loves photography, too. Be sure to browse through her classes on that, as well, especially if you feel a bit challenged in this area. They are full of easy-to-follow tips, tricks and techniques.

All of Heidi’s classes are at special prices through Friday, so be sure to take a peek at each one! You’ll find lots of idea boosters and creativity.

Cheers!
Donna Kato
Founder, CraftArtEdu.com

“All you need is a necktie, needle and thread, and a button!”


Upcycling Neckties into Bracelets with Heidi Rand

Learn to take a long forgotten necktie – or perhaps one that has very special meaning – and turn it into a simple, yet fashionable bracelet. These bracelets are addictive to make, and make wonderful handmade gifts for friends and family.

As noted, the materials you’ll need to make these bracelets are few: a necktie, some needle and thread and a button. That’s it! Heidi will walk you through the steps including how to:

• Choose a necktie for your bracelet and figure out which part of the tie will work the best.
• Measure, cut and sew your bracelet.
• Select a closure to use – Heidi goes into lots of detail here.
• Make your own unique buttons from leftover necktie scraps.

Now that you see how easy and fun it is to make these bracelets, put your own twist on them by adding beads, embroidery or handmade buttons!

Preview and Purchase Upcycling Neckties into Bracelets
All Levels | $13 | $10 through Friday!

Sew many ties (and closures)!

Send a little upcycled happiness!

FREE CLASS: Upcycled Postcards with Heidi Rand

Create mailable art and conserve resources by upcycling old paper into miniature mixed-media masterpieces! Heidi’s instructions guide you through the steps to make postcards from books and ephemera that would be tossed or recycled. Upcycling also saves money you’d pay to buy new postcards and art supplies.

Watch Now!

Attention iPhone and Android Users!
Watch the Vimeo Version of Upcycled Postcards

Look for more upcycling classes from Heidi soon!


Taking Great Photos of Your Artwork and Crafts with Heidi Rand

Follow along with Heidi as you master the skills you need to create images that showcase the beauty and originality of your artwork in order to sell it online. Heidi takes the mystery out of so many potentially intimidating yet essential product-photography skills such as styling, lighting, and composition, and breaks them all down into easy-to-follow steps.

Heidi’s wealth of information is divided into four sections to cover everything you need to know, including how to:

1. Choose the equipment and setup you’ll need to ensure professional images of your work, whether it’s 2- or 3-dimensional.
2. Prepare for your photo shoot, choose the location and type of lighting you’ll need, and stage, style and use props to enhance your work.
3. Efficiently edit your photos so they accurately show your work and fit the requirements of the sites you’ll post them to.
4. Decide where to sell and market your work online and make use of the powerful marketing tools found on many social media sites.

This entire class is also chock-full of time-saving tips and DIY solutions to help you save money. And while Heidi provides a comprehensive list of optional equipment, all you really need to get started is a camera, artificial lighting (if you do not have a good consistent source of natural light), a tripod, and an image processing program. Heidi makes the entire process foolproof and fun!

Preview and Purchase Taking Great Photos of Your Artwork and Crafts
All Levels | $25 | Save over 30% | $17 through Friday!


Taking Great Photos with Your Smartphone with Heidi Rand

If you have a smartphone with a camera, then you know how convenient it is to take hundreds (or thousands) of photos! But if you’ve been less than thrilled with the results of your smartphone photos, then this class is for you! You CAN take great photos with your camera phone, and Heidi will show you how.

There are dozens of camera phones on the market. Heidi goes over the common options and settings found in all smartphone cameras and how to set them up to take great quality photos quickly.

If you’re experienced with using a digital point-and-shoot camera, Heidi will show you how to use your skills with the different options, limitations, and advantages of smartphone cameras.

If you’re a newbie to taking photos, this is your chance to learn from the ground up – starting with the basics and moving through more complicated aspects such as:

• Optimizing your phone settings.
• Learning the rules of composition.
• Having fun with special effects.
• Editing your photos.
• Recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of a camera phone.
• Finding apps that help overcome the disadvantages.
• And more!

The only equipment you need for this class is a smartphone that has a camera. Heidi also covers a range of fun tools and equipment you can use to make taking pictures easier and more fun. By learning more about your camera’s features and with Heidi’s guidance, you’ll find yet another way to express yourself creatively!

Preview and Purchase Taking Great Photos with Your Smartphone 
All Levels | $20 | Save 30% | $16 through Friday!

Save 50% or MORE on these mixed-media classes from Heidi!

 


This offer ends midnight CT, Friday, April 7, 2017. | Not valid with other discounts.

New Necktie Upcycling Class!

Hot off the press — a new online class, Upcycling Neckties Into Bracelets, first in my series of downloadable tutorials on upcycling at CraftArtEdu.

Create gorgeous bracelets from neckties! All you need to upcycle the swoon-worthy silky fabric of an unused tie into a unique bracelet is needle and thread, scissors, and a button, velcro or snap.

My 30-plus page tutorial takes you step-by-step through the entire process, with 60 full-color closeup photos showing you exactly what to do.

Learn how to size and sew the bracelet (no advanced skills or tools needed), plan ahead to maximize use of the rest of the tie, choose which of 4 closure options works best for your bracelet … and much more.

With many extra tips — about the care and treatment of ties, using a sewing machine if you have one — and more. I even give you leads on where to find ties to upcycle — no stealing your husband’s faves!

Warning – you’ll quickly become addicted to making these bracelets!

But after you run out of space on both arms to wear your favorites, start making more for friends and family, they’ll love your handmade gifts!

Click here for my CraftArtEdu main page.

Here are links to my other CraftArtEdu classes, each with its own free preview:

Taking Great Photos of Your Artwork & Crafts

Taking Great Photos With Your Smartphone

Decorating Wood With Image Transfers

Fabulous Fabric Postcards

Handmade Pet Collars

Inkjet Printing on Fabric

Inkjet Printing on Lutradur

And my free basic classes:

Inkjet Inks: What You Need to Know for Your Artwork and Crafts

Introduction to Lutradur

 

 

 

El Cerrito Free Folk Festival 2016

It’s Folk Festival time again! This year the El Cerrito Free Folk Festival, produced by the San Francisco Folk Music Club, is on Saturday, October 8th, from noon to 9:00 pm at the El Cerrito High School, 540 Ashbury Avenue.

The packed program, featuring world-renowned and local musicians, has something for everyone – whether you love to listen, to learn, or to play live music yourself! There’ll be two stages of music performances, plus music and dance workshops, a family program, and spaces for spontaneous jams.

Click here for the schedule, including a link to download a copy for yourself!

The San Francisco Folk Music Club, a non-profit organization, was founded in 1948 and is still going strong! All are welcome to become members. The Festival is run entirely by volunteers — from the individual members of the Club to the performance and workshop leaders. Get involved — volunteers are still needed — you can sign up through this link. And you can donate through this link. Follow the Festival’s Facebook page! 

The Festival is co-sponsored by the El Cerrito Arts & Culture Commission. We hope to see you there!

 

Arts Month Kick-Off Celebration!

Save the date! October is National Arts & Humanities Month, and to get it started in high style, the City of El Cerrito Arts & Culture Commission is sponsoring a free Arts Month Kick-Off Celebration on Saturday October 1st from 2 to 5 pm at the El Cerrito Community Center,  7007 Moeser Lane.

ACT ONE  …. Cast members of the Contra Costa Civic Theatre’s fall production of “My Fair Lady” sing a medley of beloved songs from the classic Lerner and Loewe musical.

ACT TWO … Chinese Traditional Dance and Folk Dance – Ah-Lan Dance Studio presents an exciting dance and arts performance by students of Ah-Lan, who has been teaching Chinese dance, ballet, and modern dance in El Cerrito and Albany for over 15 years. Students will perform a wide variety of cultural forms, including Tibetan, Mongolian, Uighur, and traditional Tai-Chi dance and Han dance.

And (drum roll please) … ACT THREE … guaranteed to get you out of your chair onto the dance floor, Guarandinga plays original, high energy music propelled by Afro-Caribbean beats from the central coast of Venezuela.

Perfectly blended with gritty East Bay funk that runs deep from Oakland to Richmond, Guarandinga’s unique take on Latin Afro Pop makes this band’s original music provocative and infectious!

But wait, there’s more! El Cerrito’s first Poet Laureate Maw Shein Win reads from her new chapbook on Nomadic Press, Score and Bone, accompanied by El Cerrito musicians Dan Plonsey and Thomas Scandura.

Throughout the Celebration “Recycling Queen” origami artist Nga Trinh will teach kids and adults how to fold a Samurai Hat, a Glider, a fan, and more, using recycled paper.

And actor George McRae will get us in the mood for Halloween with a staged reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart.

Local arts and cultural groups will have information about their ongoing programs. All performances and activities are free, and local gourmet bakery EncoreCake will provide their delicious and artistically decorated cupcakes!

Check out the list of arts and cultural events, film showings, performances and exhibits in October in El Cerrito on the City of El Cerrito Arts & Culture Commission’s Arts Month web page.

Do you have an arts event that’ll take place in El Cerrito during October? Or do you want to get involved with or volunteer to help out at the Kick-Off Celebration? Call City staff liaison Suzanne Iarla at 510.215-4318.

New Artwork Photography Class!

My newest class, Taking Great Photos of Your Artwork and Crafts, is live at CratfArtEdu!

I distilled my years of experience photographing and selling my work online into a four-part class packed with information about essential product photography skills, and I take you step by step through the entire process to make professional quality photos of your own creations. 

All you need is a camera, tripod, lighting and image processing program, but as your budget and desire for more sophisticated tools grows, I give you a comprehensive list of equipment and resources.

You can master the skills needed to take great photos of your work. Learn how to prepare for your photo shoot, from choosing a location and lighting, to using props and styling to stage your work so your creativity and artistic brand shine through!

I also show you how to efficiently edit your photos into perfect shape to post online, and finally help you figure out where to sell and market your work online!

I’d love you to check out the free preview of my class.  Regularly priced at $25 for the four-part series, it’s on sale for $19 through Sunday August 21st. Missed the sale? Email me at heidirand@gmail.com, and I’ll send you a link to get the sale price!

Click here to go to my CraftArtEdu main page.

Here’s the wonderful CraftArtEdu promo for the new class, and for my related smartphone photography class.

Speaking of which, here are links to my other CraftArtEdu classes. Each has a free preview:

Taking Great Photos With Your Smartphone

Decorating Wood With Image Transfers

Fabulous Fabric Postcards

Handmade Pet Collars

Inkjet Printing on Fabric

Inkjet Printing on Lutradur

And my free basic classes:

Inkjet Inks: What You Need to Know for Your Artwork and Crafts

Introduction to Lutradur

 

 

 

New Smartphone Photography Class

I’m beaming proud to announce my online class, Taking Great Photos With Your Smartphone, brand spanking new at CratfArtEdu!

As a photographer who started out shooting with film cameras and doing my own darkroom processing and printing, I welcomed the ease, convenience and flexibility of digital SLR cameras and doing my own “lightroom” processing using Photoshop and an inkjet printer.

Now I’ve eagerly leaped into the world of smartphone photography and apps.

After shooting a zillion images and analyzing scads of others’ smartphone photos, I wanted to show people how to overcome some of the limitations of the camera phone and maximize its advantages as compared to traditional cameras. While recognizing the camera phone’s strong points, it’s also important to realize when the small lens can’t measure up, so you don’t get discouraged or blame yourself for the equipment’s shortcomings. For example, you can add a telephoto lens to your phone, but attaching it and holding it steady is a lot harder than with the zoom lens on your SLR. This photo shows the camera phone telephoto lens, dwarfed by my Nikon’s zoom.

But the small lens is directed by a large brain (computer), and many things are made much easier and less expensive with the smartphone, like editing and enhancing your photos without a software program, and quickly posting them to social media.

Have you been disappointed with the photos you’re getting with your camera phone? Want an experienced guide to help you explore and expand your creativity with this versatile new technology that you carry around in your pocket? If so, I’d love you to check out the free preview of my class.  It’s on sale for $15 through Friday February 27th.

Click here to see my CraftArtEdu main page.

There’s a wonderful CraftArtEdu promo for the new class at this link, and it also includes descriptions of my other CraftArtEdu classes! 

Speaking of which, here are links to my other CraftArtEdu classes:

Decorating Wood With Image Transfers

Fabulous Fabric Postcards

Handmade Pet Collars

Inkjet Printing on Fabric

Inkjet Printing on Lutradur

And my free basic classes:

Inkjet Inks: What You Need to Know for Your Artwork and Crafts

Introduction to Lutradur

 

 

 

Arts Day Festival in El Cerrito

Save the date! October is National Arts & Humanities Month, and to celebrate, the El Cerrito Arts & Culture Commission is sponsoring a free Arts Day Festival on Saturday October 17th from 1 pm to 5 pm at El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave. We’ve packed the day with a slew of fun indoor/outdoor activities for kids (of all ages) and adults.

The final schedule is here!

“The Puppet Circus” shows at 2 pm & 4 pm;
Les Blank short films at 2 pm;
Poetry reading with Kirk Lumpkin at 4 pm;
Artist’s talk with Deb Danziger at 3:30 pm / “Beyond & Below” exhibit by Deb Danziger – all day;
Photography workshop with Dale Mead at 2:30 pm, repeated at 4 pm (bring your own camera or smartphone);
Popular light classical music (string trio) at 1:30 pm;
JCT Trio (chamber music) at 3 pm;
The Del Mars (surf music) – all day;
Up-cycling craft activity – all day;
Chalk art activity – all day;
El Cerrito Historical Society: History Room Open – all day

Who can resist a puppet show by the Puppet Company of Children’s Fairyland (2 to 2:30 pm & 4 to 4:30 pm), the chance to get down and make chalk art on the sidewalk, and croonin’ surf music by the Del Mars (1 to 1:30; 3:30 to 4; 4:30 to 5 pm).

And there’s more! Film shorts by Les Blank, a poetry reading by Kirk Lumpkin, street photography workshops, light classical music by string trio Florian Altvater,violin, Milda Martisius, viola, and  Andrew Ritchie, cello, and chamber music by the JCT Trio.

Painter, muralist and art teacher Deb Danziger will give an artist’s talk from 3:30 to 4 pm about her solo exhibition in the City Hall Gallery, entitled Beyond & Below.

Jellyfish in Eagle Nebula.  Oil on Canvas, 36″x 12″.  © Deb Danziger

Visit me all day at our creative reuse “Make ‘n Take” booth, where we’ll get crafty turning discarded or well-loved but no longer wanted fabric, books, ephemera and scads of other fun stuff into unique treasures. If you missed the ACC booth at the July 4th Festival, or if you came by and loved it, here’s another chance for you to make stickers, magnets, bookmarks, collage masterpieces, garlands, mail art, and much more. Also, free books while they last!

Local arts and cultural groups with exhibits at the Festival will include El Cerrito’s Playland Not-At-The-Beach, The Arts & Culture Commission of Contra Costa County, the El Cerrito Historical Society, and the Shadi Holiday Display Committee.

All performances and activities are free, and there’s free parking across the street in the DMV lot. For sustenance while you’re enjoying the Festival, two excellent local companies will provide food for purchase. WhipOut! Food Truck has a great variety of American Food, and local gourmet bakery Encorecake will have their delicious cupcakes for snacking and dessert.

Want to get involved with or volunteer to help out at the Arts Day Festival? Or are you hosting an arts event, performance or exhibit in October in El Cerrito that you’d like to have included on the Arts Month web page? Other questions? Call Suzanne Iarla at 510-215-4318

Upcycling Arts and Crafts

A different kind of Fourth of July parade marched through the El Cerrito Arts & Culture Commission (ACC) booth at the City & worldOne Festival: fair-goers of all ages and types stepped into our booth and walked out with the wondrous artworks and crafts they created from the discarded fabric, sad old messed-up books, and donated ephemera I gathered at the El Cerrito Recycling Center Exchange Zone.

Glue sticks swiped, scissors snipped, and our trusty li’l craft machine was busy laminating bookmarks and churning out magnets and stickers.

Postcards, envelopes, stickers, magnets, bookmarks, and collage masterpieces transformed by endless imagination rose from what most people would label as junk. Creativity flowed.

Smiles and pride in making new treasures from old discards abounded.

Some will be gifts.

And some will be kept as treasures.

Kathleen Glenn, the biggest booster of the arts in El Cerrito and owner of Glenn Custom Framing on Stockton Avenue, created a special bookmark.

Several generous people crafted postcards that the ACC will mail to Blue Star Moms, a group that puts the cards into care packages going to military service-members. These are some:

What materials are you using in your artwork and crafts that would otherwise go into landfill?
Click here to see last week’s blog post to advertise the event.

Creative ReUse Crafting on July 4th

Headed to the fantabulous City of El Cerrito & worldOne 4th of July Festival? You will not want to miss the El Cerrito Arts & Culture Commission booth on Pomona Avenue, where we’re gonna get seriously hands-on to make a slew of different mail art and other creative reuse projects. 

Using fabric, old discarded books, ephemera and other fun stuff I’ve gathered from the El Cerrito Recycling Center Exchange Zone, we’ll snip, tear, glue, tape, stamp, and collage to create stickers, magnets, bookmarks, collage masterpieces, and all sorts of unique mail art!

I’ll show you how easy it is to make upcycled envelopes, postcards and greeting cards at home using old magazines, calendars, maps, fabric, etc.

You can make postcards to take home and keep, mail to a friend, or we’ll cover the postage to send them to Blue Star Moms, a group that puts the cards into care packages going to military service-members. We’ll also have the address so you can mail your postcards to sick children. 

Declare your independence from buying new art supplies – learn how to give new life to materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill or recycled! And beside saving you money, creative reuse is great for the environment!

I hope to see you on the Fourth!