The Zen of Creating

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At the last two craft classes I conducted at Dorchester Senior Citizens Center,my crafty ladies really enjoyed themselves. We made a decorated matchbox in one class that they really liked, so much so that they requested to repeat the class and were giving me suggestions for alternative colors and designs they would like to see for the next time. (Note to self: definitely do this class again.) There's a photo of me with some of my "girls" holding their finished boxes. They were all smiles.

This week I decided to up the ante a bit. Usually I design a project, create a kit and lead the group in assembling it. This time, using stencils donated by The Crafter's Workshop, as well as blank paper fans and markers obtained at Materials For The Arts, I told them that there was no kit. They were going to design their own project. Good thing I brought plenty of supplies for the class. It was a FULL house.

I gave the ladies a rudimentary lesson in the art of zentangling.  I described it as conscious doodling where the aim is to concentrate solely on what you're doing and pay no attention to what is going on around you. I told them there was no right or wrong in whatever they chose to do. THEY were the artists and they decided what they wanted to do. Then I said, "Go!".

Boy, did they take that direction to heart! These ladies dove into their fans and stenciled away. It was so quiet at the table, you could hear a pin drop. When they were done, there were more smiles going around that table as they showed off their finished creations. Just take a look at those fans and those smiles.

When I asked them how they felt during the exercise, the consensus was that they were all very relaxed and focused. One participant said her friend sitting next to her was talking to her and she didn't hear a word, so focused was she on her doodling.

So it's official. The Friday afternoon crafting class is becoming a go-to at the senior center. Autumn, one of my favorite times for seasonal crafting, will be here very soon and I can't wait to see what projects I'll be dreaming up for this wonderful group of women. I'll do anything to keep them smiling.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

The Method to My Madness

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The ladies of the Dorchester Senior Citizens Center and I have been busy crafting away our Tuesday afternoons for the past several weeks, creating the prettiest things. We've made cards and created wall flowers for decorating the senior center. This week's embellished gift bag was a big hit. Creating, cutting and packaging a new project every week requires hours in front of a computer creating graphic cutting files, cutting them with a digital cutter and packing everything into individual bags is a lot of work but I do enjoy guiding the ladies through the assembly process and they seem to enjoy it as well. Just take a look at these smiling faces.
 I just never get tired of them.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Spring crafting continues...

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 Anyone who knows me knows I am a gardener. I love flowers and all manner of plants and this invariably shows up in my work at this time of year. In addition to craft classes, I decorate the center to reflect the season so, of course, flowers play a major role in the decor.

In February, I decided to remake some decorative floral panels I had made for the Dorchester Senior Citizens Center in 2011 and I promised to show photos of the installation once it was in place. That took place last week and I have to say the effect is wonderful. Here you see it paired with a Spring sign I had originally made in 2012 to go over the entry door of the main activity room (as seen in the original post from 2012). That sign still looks as good as it did when I first made it and it blends seamlessly with the new floral panels. All the pieces were tacked onto a canvas covered frame in the office area and is a very eye catching display as people walk into the center.

 There are also decorations in other parts of the main room. Here are panorama photos of two large wall displays. The butterfly swarm is a crowd pleaser as they appear to chase each other down one panel, across a cork strip and up another panel, essentially taking up the entire wall with color. On another wall, there is a row of flowers gently rippling up and down across it.

There's more to come in the spring decor but I have to take a break to prepare for the next crafting project. It is a lovely card featuring flowers and butterflies on a high contrast background of black, white and a third color. It is a layout that looks as well in either landscape or portrait orientation. The ladies will have the opportunity to emboss the design of their choice on the base panel, assemble the flowers and butterflies and manipulate the paper so the various elements pop up away from the card, giving them a three dimensional look. This card has already generated some interest so I'm hoping for a full house at the next crafting session. I'll let you know how that goes.

Until then, keep crafting!


Ballo ergo sum,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

Too Busy to Blog

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The winter is ebbing, Spring is tentatively showing her face and there are signs of new life in my garden. Just as the energy of nature is increasing so, too, is the energy of my life. Things have been happening at a rapid pace and it seems that every day there is something else that demands my time and attention. I'm not complaining, mind you, just saying that I've been busy...very busy. So much so that I haven't been able to sit down and chronicle it all. It's been a very gratifying kind of busy.

I have continued my weekly crafts sessions at the senior citizen center. They had to be postponed for a couple of weeks due to a couple of unexpectedly heavy snowfalls in late February and early March but I picked up again when the weather broke. So far we have created two cards and have decorated a box that is the perfect size for storing those cards. The ladies apparently like what I'm doing to the point that they have been asking for me in my absence. They want to know when I'll be back again to continue our card making sessions. I find this especially gratifying since I was concerned that my inexperience in dealing with a senior population, some of whom have limitations, might prove more challenging than I could handle. Apparently I'm doing just fine. The seniors are happy and the center director is happy. I can't ask for better than that. Here's a picture of me and some of the ladies taken at our last crafting session. They are holding the boxes they decorated.

I will be entering in no less than three art competitions within the next month or so. One competition, sponsored by the FEGS Health and Human Services System, was brought to my attention by my senior center director. The winning artist not only wins a prize but the organization the artist represents also wins a cash prize to be used for its arts program. That would be such a bonanza for my center if I were to win. I have nothing to lose so I've already entered that contest. Fingers and toes dutifully crossed. Another contest is being sponsored by my husband's union local. The prize is a small one - a $50 US savings bond - but all entries will be exhibited at the local's annual spring art festival. I have the option of submitting up to four entries in various categories and I've already chosen some of those entries.

The last contest comes with a little story. I entered a few of my cards into a watercolor challenge hosted by a rubber stamp company. Turns out my entries were not eligible because of an oversight on my part but they caught the eye of someone at the stamp company who contacted me by email. It seems my entries were among the favorites. I was invited to submit more of my work using the company's own line of stamps and I was given the option of choosing any sheet of stamps from their collection. My work would be displayed at the company's trade show booth and on their website art gallery. In addition, it would be entered in the contest that is currently being hosted by the company. I figured I had absolutely nothing to lose and at the very least I gained a free sheet of rubber stamps. I'm currently busy designing some entries for that contest. I'll post those pictures in a future article.

On top of all this, I'm volunteering my time and talents to my daughter's high school for this year's graduation. This is a new charter school and it will be promoting it's very first graduating class of which my daughter is a member. The budget for this event is darn near non-existent so everything is being done on a shoestring. Furthermore, since this school focuses on sustainability and environmental careers, everything must be eco-friendly. To this end, I'm designing paper flowers that I will use to create floral decorations for the auditorium. My challenge? I know next to nothing about floral design but lack of knowledge hasn't stopped me before. I'll just fake it 'til I make it. The raw material for these flowers will come from the schools recycling bin so we don't have to purchase paper. How's that for being green?

So as I said at the very beginning, I've been busy...very busy...a good kind of busy.


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

I have a question...

I have often considered giving a workshop or teaching a course on papercrafting and cardmaking. My question to you is this: if you wanted to take such a course, what things would you like to learn? Would you want to learn the techniques I use so you can use them to create your own cards? If so, what techniques would you like to learn? Would you prefer to create a card from a template? If so, do you have a preferred style of card? (You can choose from among my cards or send me a link to the kinds of cards you like.) I'm trying to get a seat of the pants feel for what people would like to learn in such a workshop or class before committing myself to such an endeavor.

I would really appreciate any and all feedback and comments you may have. If any of you have conducted workshops or taught classes of this type, I'd be interested to know what your experience was like. Please leave me your comments on the form at the bottom of this post. Thanks again.


Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva