Altered Book: July

Altered book round robin, book 6.

This book is a hefty art history text. I came across the cubism chapter and was excited to create visual interest based on cubes and squares. 

I'm still on a cut-out kick, and this afforded another fun opportunity.

Now, I just have to get this particularly weighty book to the post office. (Thank goodness for media-mail!)

Global

So, ever since I saw this Design*Sponge post, I've been wanting to paint my own globe. Then, a few weeks ago, I got a text message from my sister telling me she's found one for me for cheap! 

After a trip to Menards (and then to local hardware store for the stuff Menards didn't have) for chalkboard paint, painter's tape, and a mini-roller, I was ready to plan my own map of the world!

And here it is after a few layers of paint!

 

Summerfest

I was lucky enough to have the entire July 4th weekend off of work. And while I probably needed to rest and recharge, instead I packed with the weekend with family and friends! Exhausting, and I put enough miles on my car to trigger a maintenance light, but absolutely worth it. 

Summerfest in Milwaukee was my first music festival, and going back feels a little like going home. Billed as the world's largest music festival, the line-up included a few of my favorite artists. I'm still cursing the festival gods for putting The Black Keys, Florence + the Machine, and Cage the Elephant on a weeknight. However, my sister and I took a mini-road trip and had a fantastic music-filled day that more than made up for it.

My sister introduced me to Fitz & the Tantrums, giving me their album Pickin' Up the Pieces in February, and I haven't been able to stop listening since. 

"Don't Gotta Work It Out"

So, I was excited to see they were playing on a night I planned to be in Wisconsin. They put on a great show, and thanks to a little gumption (and an elbow or two thrown by my sister),  we are both proud owners of autographed merch.

My sister loves the sax player and after a few failed attempts, I achieved her dream and snapped a decent photo of the two of them.

Altered Book: June

Altered book round robin, moving on to book 5.

This book is an instructional kid's art book, and therefore the inspiration is literally written on each page. I found these pages on texture and weaving, and I ran with it.

The first page turned out a bit wonky because the diagonal weave stretched a bit, but live and learn. Page 2 was definitely more successful.

Happy Saturday

Last Saturday was wonderful. I started the morning with farmer's market, brunch, and fabric shopping with one college friend and ended an afternoon of music and beer at the Ankeny Unplugged concert series with another. 

My friend Hillary is a sewing fiend. I've tried sewing myself bags and purses before, but they are generally 2 squares of fabric with a strap stitched on at the end. But Hillary makes these gorgeous, structured bags with fancy things like pockets and magnetic closures. She also has great taste in fabric. She took me to a local fabric shop, and although I don't own a sewing machine, I still came home with fabric. . . chalk fabric!

Another friend of mine is in the process of moving into a new home, and I wanted to use the chalk fabric to make her a fun framed chalkboard as a house warming gift.

You have to "cure" the chalk surface first by covering it entirely with chalk, wiping it down, and doing it again. This apparently helps the chalk surface stay eraseable and prevent permanent chalk marks.

I didn't take any more pictures of the process, but it was quick and simple. I just sewed a few colored buttons to the fabric and then placed it in an empty frame. I think it turned out pretty well.

Good things do come from reality TV

I'll unashamedly admit that I love trashy reality television. Maybe watching women compete to be prettier than Bret Michaels or anything about The Situation makes me feel better about my own life. Or maybe I just need a brain break. However, I'm not usually a big fan of the talent shows. I have only ever watched one full episode of American Idol, and that was one too many.

But then, I got sucked into The Voice. I started watching because I love Cee Lo Green and my guilty pleasure is Christina Aguilera's album Back to Basics. (I don't care that she did "Dirty" or that those high-waisted short shorts were an incredibly poor wardrobe choice on the episode last night, that girl can sing.) I did not used to be a fan of Adam Levine. At one point in the show, he says that he sounds like a girl when he sings, and he's right. But he's growing on me. I'd make a comment about Blake Shelton, but I'd never heard of him before I started watching this show. Very neutral about country.

Anyhow, I certainly never expected to hear something I'd ever want to hear again. But then I did.

Dia Frampton covered Kanye's "Heartless", and I loved it.



After a cursory YouTube search, I found that she's part of a group, Meg & Dia, a little more rock, and also not bad so far.

Worth the wait

I have a soft spot for scruffy British bands, and one of my favorites is The Wombats. I've been waiting impatiently for them to release their sophomore album since 2007's Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation. (See evidence of my impatience in my previous posts here and here.) Finally, finally, finally, This Modern Glitch was released in the US last month. . . and I am not disappointed. Definitely worth the wait.

Here are a couple of my favorite tracks:

Walking Disasters


1996