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Tiny Travel Trailer

If you follow @handmakery on Instagram you know we LOVE creative camping and outdoor adventures! Here’s a mixed-media product & process we’ve always dreamed of making & creating with children! Thankful to have summertime to leap into delightful-n-dreamy workshops inside our sweet studio. Would you believe this week we’re launching ~ Early Bird Enrollment for Summer Art Camps!?! Take a peek into our creative & custom workshop ~ TINY TRAVELS: Trending Trailer + a Tailed Creature! Enjoy meeting a maker, peeking into the process, making your very own ~ Tiny Travel Trailer, and dream about joining us in the studio this summer!

Meet a Maker & Her Magical + Mobile Masterpiece:

A painterly peek into the process, as we travel with one magical maker & her “mobile mini masterpiece for a marvelous milestone in the mountains” with oh so tasty treats to tempt.

Seeing this little artist peeking into her very own handmade creation, completely captures a creative at heart! Love the wonder and magic of a creative-n-crafty childhood.

Thought we’d let you take a peek at some precious photos before diving into all the dreamy details of a DIY! Beyond thankful to have my talented photographer friend, Hilary Brock, creatively capture and curate these clever closeups with her camera! Thanks a million for being part of the magic, hip-hip-hooray to Hilary!

A peek into the production + painterly process inside our sweet studio following a magical maker:

SUPPLIES FOR ~ TINY TRAVEL TRAILER:

A SIMPLE PROCESS FOR ~ TINY TRAVEL TRAILER:

ONE Construct your own ~ Tiny Travel Trailer using precut/heavy-weight cardboard pieces which include ~ Side 1 + Side 2 (handcrafted & handcut with mid-level windows which magically fold out with a lower ledge and above window overhang) + Trailer Front + Trailer Base. Construct and secure all four pieces into place with duct tape. We hope to make a cardboard custom kit with time! Open pre-cut windows outward, upward /downward and tape at an angle of choice using duct tape. Duct tape can easily be precut with scissors into small strips. Use cardboard pieces (precut to the width of the trailer) to create the contour of the roof. Keep the back of the trailer open for interior design exploration & hours of creative play.

TWO Once all cardboard pieces are secure with duct tape and the trailer has taken shape, simply mix up a batch of paper-mâché in a plastic bowl. Cut several short strips of newspaper pieces to have on hand. Lay down a plastic shower curtain for easy cleanup. Dip individual newspaper strips and remove the excess mixture with fingertips. Place strips of dipped newspaper onto cardboard. Smoothing out paper strips is key. Strips can be applied in multiple directions for added strength. With the strength of the heavy-weight cardboard beneath, as the armature, young artists will only need to tackle 1-2 layers of paper-mâché. Dry fully sculpture on plastic egg cartons. Repeat the paper-mâché process as desired and be sure sculpture is fully dry before painting.

THREE Paint the trailer, both inside and outside, with a heavy-bodied white acrylic and wide brush to get a solid-n-sleek finish. Completely dry. Cut a large white piece of heavy-weight paper for the interior floor & ceiling, to give the interior a crisp-clean finish. Hot glue paper into place. Move to the exterior, use a ruler or straight edge to divide the upper and lower by forming a traditional vintage trailer zig-zag with a pencil. Mix up a vintage tint (color + white) for the lower half of the trailer. Paint. Dry. Use silver acrylic to steadily detail the traditional zig-zag horizontally on both sides.

FOUR Add dazzling details around the windows to personalize and accent. This amazing artist used pom pom ribbon as her darling accent, but other artists used pom poms, felt, ribbons, and more! Paper straws can be cut to size to prop the window overhangs and to steady the window ledge. Simply measure the straws for the windows, cut with scissors, and glue.

FIVE Artists made tasty-n-tiny treats, total mouthwatering treasures, sculpting their clever creations using clay ~ muffins, lollipops, pretzels, cotton candy, snow cones, pizzas, caramel apples, churros, cookies, milkshakes, smoothies, and more! Once treats were dry, they were carefully painted using a tiny brush and acrylic paint and sealed with some shimmer.

SIX Artists also created artistic menus to “melt a mama’s heart” using hand-drawn illustration and their heart-warming handwriting. These menus were personalized with colored pencils, markers, and/or chalk markers on blackboards (heavy-weight paper painted with black acrylic) or just heavy-weight white paper. Peek into this playful picture to see how this mini maker illustrated each of her handmade tasty treats!

SEVEN Another fancy detail! Add two traditional “wings” using copper foil, “wheels” can be created using black sticky foam with copper foil for the center, “exterior lights” can be made using sticky foam, and handcrafted “license plates” can be personalized & playful. If you don’t want to buy an entire roll of copper foil, metallic duct tape, sticky foam, foil, or cutting a lightweight tin might be just perfect!

EIGHT Artists can also artfully add to their trailer’s interior! Simple ideas include artwork, rugs, curtains, built-ins, and moveable furniture items such as tables and chairs made from up-cycled items such as cardboard, cardboard tubes, and fabrics to compliment.

A peek inside our studio at 449 Main Street in the heart of the Carbondale Creative District in downtown Carbondale, Colorado!

This is the mouse that sells all the tasty treats out of a ~ Tiny Travel Trailer! Each mouse was artfully inspired by artist ~ Vanessa Cabban. We artfully adore Vanessa’s use of text and fabric for all her playful paper-mâché clever critter creations, especially her much-loved mouse ~ Evangeline!

On a side note, how adorable is this Anthropologie ~ Mini Camper Play House to compliment a road trip custom cardboard creation for indoor and outdoor play!?!

An artful adventure awaits at the outdoor art show for artists:

Artists skipped their handmade sculptures over to the local park for a little outdoor art show to celebrate their colorful summer camp creations!

Even though this beautiful day quickly turned into a radiant rainstorm, literally just as artists set up for the art show in the grass, big smiles still radiated “undercover”! Thank you to this magic maker for letting us follow her artful adventure in HANDMAKERY’S ~ Summer {hands on + mixed media} Art Camp.

Thank you for joining us for a peek into a wondrous week with magical makers {inside & outside} our sweet & playful studio.

Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  We’d love to see what delightful details you add to this summery + scrumptious + sculptural process with kids! Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following our artful adventure on Main Street in the heart of the Carbondale Creative District!  Please send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, dreaming, envisioning, and creating!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world filled with collaboration + connection + community + arts & crafting!

Ami

Hello from HANDMAKERY!

Happy Back to School! We hope you’ve celebrated a savory + sweet + splendid summer! At the end of May, HANDMAKERY: A Children’s Art Studio received approval to proceed with in-person/in-studio/imaginative ~ Summer {hand on + mixed media + magical} Art Camps, navigating under NEW safety protocol. In early June, our studio hosted our first summer camp ~ TINY HOME ON TREND for children 6 & up, with many more constructive + creative + childhood-centered camps to follow! Every camp was on a waiting list and we can’t even begin to thank all our lovely locals for all their small business support! Looking back, it may have been one of the most magical + memorable summers with makers on Main Street! Creativity and childhood was completely celebrated in our colorful community of Carbondale, Colorado!

Focused on the forefront of safety in the studio & success for all artists this summer, HANDMAKERY stepped away from social media to take a fresh breath of mountain-air, but we’re incredibly excited to reconnect and soar into our ~ SCHOOL YEAR {hands on + mixed media + magical} ART WORKSHOP with a summer of safety and success in our painter’s pocket. We’re looking forward to re-kindling creativity & connection with YOU on Instagram.

Many of our specialty art workshops have recently launched for early bird enrollment. Definitely message us to get on our lovely ~ Local’s List. We’re thrilled to continue {in-person + in-studio + imaginative} art programming this fall, applying & adapting our experience from summer in the studio! You can simply learn more about our studio safety on our website. On a side note, be sure to also look for us in the upcoming MOUNTAIN PARENT!

Summer brought sunshine + smiles + simplicity + savory moments + soulful celebration + simple reconnection + satisfying success for all artists in the studio. We’re excited to give you a glimpse into our makers in the mountains, with momentum for magical moments!

YES, indeed! Even with mysterious masks, everyday was most mesmerizing! Would you believe, not one artist ever complained about wearing a mask all summer!?! Truth. We were amazed!. Artists were completely focused on the miracle of being a maker and it was magical! The studio buzzed with crafty-n-creative bees. Being back together again was absolutely the BEST!

In addition to instructing summer workshop in our very own sweet studio throughout the summer, HANDMAKERY also had the opportunity to create an online workshop for art educators around the world for our friends at Deep Space Sparkle in Santa Barbara, CA. This workshop was based on our in-studio/virtual springtime workshop for local kids ~ artful + abstract ASSEMBLAGE on canvas. A few precious pieces pictured by parents, above!

We also had the artful opportunity to teach another fun-filled summer workshop of printmaking (in-studio/in-person) to children at Anderson Ranch Art Center in Snowmass, CO. Would you believe our printmaking workshop, titled well over a year ago, was called ~ Dancing Behind the Mask!?! Literally, before anyone even knew we’d truly be dancing behind masks today! We can’t even wait to see what’s around the creative corner this upcoming year school year!

All precious projects, radiating laughter & L-O-V-E, and created in our {hands on + mixed media} summer art camps… we’ll share DIY STYLE on our blog throughout this upcoming year! Be sure to stay tuned for more creativity-to-come focused on a creative-n-crafty + imaginative + playful childhood!

Tag us on Instagram with your indoor + outdoor creative spaces and colorful + clever creations.  We’d absolutely LOVE to see what you’re making and creating inside and outside!  As always, thank you for following our artful adventure on Main Street in the heart of the Carbondale Creative District!  Send us a note!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, dreaming, envisioning, and of course, our favorite ~ CREATING!

Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world, filled with collaboration + connection + community + arts & crafting! Happy School Year!

Summer for our family was filled with colorful Colorado ~ close-to-home camping, fun-filled photography, river floats & creek fishing, small-sized celebrations (my sweet daughter 11 and my beloved grandfather 91), creating in the studio with creative-n-clever children, road biking on the Rio Grande, a few favorite hikes, peach picking, paddle boarding, and more micro-adventures in the mountains! What have you been up to this summer!?! We’d love to know! …and YES, we just had to show you our artful overalls!

xo Ami

A Fairy & Gnome Celebration for 40!

We recently hosted a magical + maker birthday celebration with 40 little artists in our children’s art studio! A Fairy & Gnome Enchanted Land Celebration for a sweet lil‘ one turning SIX! Definitely the largest celebration to walk though our Main Street door in the heart of the Carbondale Creative District. Take a peek inside this precious party with a plethora of lil‘ people! Indeed our studio felt cozy but also so crafty and creative as it completely captured childhood!

Knowing our hands would be festively full, we reached out to our good friend and photographer ~ Hilary Brock to capture this colorful celebration and oh my how she captured all the delightful details of this dreamy day on camera! Hilary, thank you for working your photography magic, you’re so talented!

For this creative childhood celebration, we took insightful inspiration from our awesome artist friend and LA studio owner, Meri Cherry and her ~ Fairy Gardens for Kids. Meri always makes miracles happen with mini makers. Meri gave us complete creative confidence for this celebration, connecting and chatting through Instagram. With a few artful additions, a mushroom masterpiece and wondrous whimsical treasures, this process made all makers feel creatively confident and gave them time to connect and cheerfully chat as they celebrated!

Giggling guests arriving and picking out their creative spaces.

A little one caught in the magic of mixing in the morning light.

The studio starting to fill as guests began artfully arriving.

The birthday girl getting the process started with a smile in Sunday’s sunshine.

All hands were on deck, both big and small.

Birthday wishes were sparkling and seen inside the soul to later be shared in a birthday song.

The mix of ages made this creative event completely captivating.

Selecting artful treasures was a happy highlight as each proud artist personalized their piece.

The morning light seemed to sparkle, shine, and create its own song & dance surrounding the marvelous mini makers.

Fairies and gnomes seemed to become artfully alive, appearing around the tables.

A maker and her sweet mama caught in a magical moment.

The whole family jumped into the artful action of this creative + crafting + community celebration in downtown Carbondale|CO!

A photo precisely about the pieces on point to protect the enchanted land.

Fairies lit up with sparkle-n-shine as they flew above the tables, taking in all the magic of the makers caught in the moment.

Creative, cozy, childhood, celebration, crafting, community, chaos, captures, collaboration, connection, Carbondale Creative District, children, and coming together in colorful Colorado with cheer!

It’s all about the process, the details, the experience, and the memories that will forever stay in the mind and heart of the makers.

A delightful-n-dreamy rainbow cake baked by the birthday family, both bright and brilliant.

Sweetness + smiles + stargazing + sunlight on a super Sunday in the studio.

A closeup capture of a mushroom masterpiece including both fairy & gnome, a beautiful butterfly taking flight, a pathway on point, and an enchanted land all handcrafted by a clever child.

Tag us @handmakery with your colorful creations and celebrations on Instagram!  

Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following our artful adventure on Main Street in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, dreaming, envisioning, crafting, creating, and celebrating!  Much love and happiness in this creative + colorful world, filled with collaboration + connection + community + arts & crafting!  

Much love, Ami

Ruckus in the Radiant + Rare Rainforest

Happy forever fall! October days in Colorado have been most beautiful, filled with sweet sunshine and warm weather! Our studio just wrapped up our first six weeks of a fresh + new school year and we’re excited to announce SESSION II STARTS THIS WEEK! We have just a few spaces in our art workshops offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays! Jump in and join us if you’re in the Roaring Fork Valley!

We’d love for you to peek at the most recent project dreamed up + designed + created by creative children in our workshop ~ Ruckus in the Radiant + Rare Rainforest! You might just be inspired to make your own! Tag your creations @handmakery on Instagram!

SUPPLIES FOR ~ RUCKS IN THE RADIANT + RARE RAINFOREST:

  • black & white imagery for inspiration
  • heavy-weight white paper
  • India ink
  • paintbrushes
  • scissors
  • pencil & eraser
  • tempera paint
  • permanent marker
  • cardboard
  • white school glue
  • pattern & solid papers
  • foam core
  • posterboard
  • egg carton
  • hot glue
  • embellishments: pom poms, buttons, glitter sticky foam, stickers
  • drill
  • twine

A SIMPLE PROCESS FOR ~ RUCKS IN THE RADIANT + RARE RAINFOREST:

ONE Read The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest as a fantastic introduction to rainforests. Get inspired using simple black & white imagery for discovery, inspiration, and reference. Imagery may include rainforest plants, flowers, leaves, and trees. Use a thin brush and black India ink to “draw” on a large scale, filling a large paper with a variety of observed + organic habitat. Illustrations should remain separate so they can eventually be cut apart. Dry.

TWO Using tempera cake paints in neons and fluorescents to bring color into the rainforest habitat. This semi-transparent paint will allow the black lines to still shine through. Dry. Cut plantlife apart, leaving the exterior black line.

ART WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS!

ENROLLING: SESSION II ~ FALL

WORKSHOPS + CLASSES + CAMPS + EVENTS

Early online enrollment at HANDMAKERY is highly encouraged as seating is limited!  Start making + creating + connecting in a colorful community focused on a creative + collaborative childhood!

STAY CONNECTED @handmakery ON INSTAGRAM!

THREE Use pencil to lightly sketch rainforest creatures. Start with simple shapes like circles and ovals, eventually moving to smaller shapes and detail. Use simple black & white imagery for animal inspiration. Move to a permanent black marker to outline, detail, texture, and to bold each creature. Cut out each animal with scissors keeping the exterior black line. We did most of the cutting so young artists would have more time drawing and painting.

Each artist selected their own creature combinations to incorporate into their rainforest. Creatures included poison dart frogs, snakes, exotic birds, sloths, leopards, monkeys, and more! It was exciting to see the different combinations of animals each artist selected to personalize their piece.

FOUR Explore lightweight cardboard and white glue construction for additional plantlife popouts and to add additional dimension. Paint cardboard pieces using solid body tempera paints in neons and accent with tempera paint pens.

Detail dry painted cardboard pieces with glitter sticky foam or smaller mixed-media components such as pom poms, circle stickers, buttons, oil pastels, washi tapes, patterned papers, and more.

FIVE Layout the cutout “creative collection” of rainforest plants, black & white creatures, and dimensional habitat on a horizontal, pre-painted, black cardboard, backed with a smaller piece of foam core for strength and stiffness. Arrange pieces considering foreground, middle-ground, and background. Pieces can flow off the black cardboard to allow more space and to add dimension.

A beautiful rainforest flower painted in paint pen to pop out.

A birds-eye-view of rainforest animals accented with eye catching patterns. Creatures remained in a black + white color scheme for a brilliant + bold + contrasting statement.

SIX Use three to five, precut egg carton pieces to pop out selected pieces. Use white glue to attach a low profile egg carton piece to add height and a bit of pop.

SEVEN Arrange finished pieces on the pre-painted black cardboard, again, that has been backed with foam core for added durability, flatness, and strength. Use a light amount of white school glue to tack down pieces so they’re not fully glued down, so pieces still have a flex & flow. Use a neon poster board to create a vibrant frame to finish off and showcase. Drill holes in the top two corners and add a piece of twine to display.

A peek at a few pretty pieces in progress as artists were planning and popping with a unique perspective, point of view, and of course a powerful punch, all part of the process and on point. Now say this three times!!!

Having a project with “several separate pieces” allowed artists to move around pieces to the puzzle, to build, and to layer their one-of-a-kind ~ Ruckus in the Radiant + Rare Rainforest so it was unique to each artist. Keeping all animals black & white created a wonderful contrast to the colorful habitat.

Every artist walked away with a one-of-a-kind creation with a collection of creatures they were proud of creating!

A little hand-stamped + black & white saying we printed for each artist to frame using materials of their choice. Little wooden clothespins were used to clip onto the twine of their projects. We discussed how this piece was truly an artist statement to ~ RISE + RALLY + RESECT + RADIATE YOUR HEARTS for the RUCKUS in the RADIANT + RARE RAINFOREST to remind humans to protect and preserve this special land!

The week wrapped up with our traditional recognition ceremony + mini art show as makers took home ~ a most marvelous mini-masterpiece on Main Street in the majestic mountains!

Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following our artful adventure on Main Street in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, dreaming, and envisioning!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world filled with collaboration + connection + community + arts & crafting!  Ami

Sculptural Springtime Sloths

Hello there! Excited to give you a little springtime inspiration in your day! Our artists recently showcased their ~ SCULPTURAL SPRINGTIME SLOTHS in a sling, sporting stylish sandals + sunhats + sunglasses + scarves, while sipping & sun-basking in the sunshine in our early spring + six-week + school-year art workshops for ages 5 & up! We have a feeling these creatures will “slowly” steal your heart! Sharing a list of sweet-n-simple, go-to-supplies, to get your very own sloth started using several upcycled material you might already have on hand! Be sure to tag @handmakery on Instagram if you give this project a GO! Take a peek below!

SUPPLIES FOR ~ SCULPTURAL SPRINGTIME SLOTHS:

  • Newspaper {upcycled}
  • Paper bags {upcycled}
  • Tape- masking + duct tape
  • Scissors
  • Paper-mâché mixture + bowl
  • Paint + pallet + brush
  • Driftwood
  • Fabric- fleece
  • Fishing line
  • Embellishments for sandals, hats & sunglasses

A SIMPLE PROCESS FOR ~ SCULPTURAL SPRINGTIME SLOTHS:

BUILD + CONSTRUCT:

PAPER MÂCHÉ:

PAINT:

ASSEMBLE A SIMPLE SLING:

EMBELLISH: Sunhats + Sandals + Sunglasses + Scarves + Sips

A STUPENDUS + SUSPENDED + SLOTHFUL SHOWCASE:

Did you know sloths are the most trending animal of the year? Would you believe the sloth has replaced the unicorn!?! Indeed, it’s true! Read about their debut as “the most trending creature” of this year. Would you also believe a baby sloth was just born, right here in Colorado!?! If you’re looking for some amazing + simple sloth facts for kids, to go along with this DIY, take a look. Artists loved learning all about these cozy and trending creatures! We even hosted a sloth birthday party right in our very own sweet studio!

A sweet + sisterly + sloth-selfie sent in by one of our amazing HANDMAKERY families! Thank you for tagging #handmakery on Instagram with your creations!

SUN BASK, SIP, SIT BACK & RELAX INTO SUMMER:

TAKE A SPLASH & JOIN US THIS SUMMER:

1. JUMP IN AS SUMMER ART CAMPS ARE QUICKLY FILLING!

SIMPLY ENROLL:   WORKSHOPS + CLASSES + SUMMER CAMPS

Early online enrollment is highly encouraged as seating is limited!  Jump into summer making + creating + connecting in a colorful community focused on a creative + collaborative childhood, in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District on magnificent Main Street!

2. FAMILY BLOCK PARTY ~ FIRST FRIDAY MAY!

Free Art Making In Our Outdoor Art Studio First Friday ~ May 3rd, FAMILY BLOCK PARTY, 4 - 8 PM!

You don’t want to miss this event! If you’re local to the Roaring Fork Valley, be sure to join us for our 7th year hosting a ~ FREE art-making booth for ALL AGES! We’ll be making & creating in our outdoor art studio which will be located in downtown Carbondale |Colorado, at the heART of the Carbondale Creative District! Join us for the much-anticipated + annual + artful ~ FAMILY BLOCK PARTY!

3. LET’S CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM!

JOIN US ON INSTAGRAM!
@handmakery

Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following our artful adventure!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, dreaming, and envisioning!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world filled with collaboration + connection + community + arts & crafting!  Happy Spring! xo Ami

You + Me + a Teepee Alpaca My Bags

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  We’re onto 2019, hip hip hurray!  Excited to share with you our latest workshop ~ You + Me + a Teepee ~ Alpaca My Bags ~ DIY Artful Adventure a project dreamed up in the studio and created with children, ages 5 – 13, over an 8-week session!  The best part of this project you ask?  It’s multi-layered, dimensional, full of exploration + experience, completely artful + action-packed, personalized, and even A-G-L-O-W to light up a stargazing night!  Take a peek!

NEW ART WORKSHOPS BEGIN JANUARY 8TH!

JUMP IN AS WORKSHOPS ARE QUICKLY FILLING!

SIMPLY ENROLL:   WORKSHOPS + CLASSES + CAMPS

Early online enrollment is highly encouraged as seating is limited!  Start a new year making + creating + connecting in a colorful community focused on a creative + collaborative childhood!

STAY CONNECTED @handmakery ON INSTAGRAM!

A proud + confident artist feeling aglow and over the moon with a stargazing smile!

Mini-exhibits were truly aglow.  It was our first show with gallery mood lighting, definitely the best ambiance of the year!  Artists were anxious and animated to show off their colorful creations to family and friends.

On a little side note:  Be sure to find us all around the Roaring Fork Valley in The Scout Guide Aspen, Volume 6!  A beautiful + NEW publication just launched!  THANK YOU for featuring HANDMAKERY in ~ Ones To Watch Aspen, via Amy Groom & Erin Jones | Owners/Editors of The Scout Guide Aspen!  Pick up your very own copy of this beautiful guide in our art studio, around the Roaring Fork Valley, or even read online!

SUPPLIES FOR ~ You + Me + a Teepee Alpaca My Bags DIY Artful Adventure:

  • Pencil + eraser
  • Canvas- stretched/framed
  • Watercolor pallet
  • Liquid watercolors + brush + sponge + water container
  • Salt
  • Tempera paint + brush + pallet
  • India ink
  • Glitter + metallic confetti flakes, metallic circles & stars + metallic sticker stars + snowflakes
  • White school glue
  • Gluestick
  • Modge Podge
  • 1″ utility paint brush
  • Black construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Wooden skewers and tiny wooden dowels
  • Masking tape
  • Papier-mâché + white light-weight paper + plastic cloth
  • Tealight candle (battery/non-flame)
  • Heavy-weight watercolor paper
  • Fine-point permanent marker
  • Gel pens- shimmer, metallic, brights
  • Faux alpaca fur
  • Googly eye
  • Peel + stick glitter foam sheets
  • Hot glue (adult use)
  • Embellishments- pom-poms, pom-pom ribbon, felt, tissue circle confetti, and more!

PROCESS FOR ~ You + Me + a Teepee Alpaca My Bags DIY Artful Adventure:

ONE  Begin with a galaxy sky on a stretched framed canvas.  Focus on using cool colors to stain the bright white canvas.  Work light to dark. Experiment with staining, dripping, splattering, movement, and layering techniques using a paintbrush, a watercolor pallet, liquid watercolors, and even build up to adding a tempera paint layer.  Use salt for additional experimentation and effects.  Dry.  Relayer to go darker.  Eventually, even incorporate some black.  Dry.  Splatter using metallic liquid watercolor and dip a tiny wooden stick with white tempera to stamp for distant stars in the galaxy sky.

TWO  Fully dry canvas.  Draw mountains using a pencil in the lower half.  Paint in mountains using India ink.  Dry.  Embellish sky with glitter, metallic confetti flakes, metallic circles and stars, metallic sticker stars, and even tiny snowflakes. Attach using gluestick and/or white school glue.  Use matt Modge Podge to lightly seal embellishments with a 1″ utility brush.

THREE  Draw and cut a small + simple paper silhouette which will become the “you + me” of this piece.  The silhouettes may include people, animals, trees, or even the combination.  Attach silhouette and seal with Modge Podge.

FOUR  Use wooden skewers to form a simple teepee frame with a flat back.  Assemble using masking tape and partners.

A peek at teepee armatures ready for a doorway and then a single layer of papier-mâché.

FIVE  Move onto adding a doorway that is front-facing with a horizontal crossbar and two lower sticks running verticle made out of tiny wooden dowels.  The doorway is a great addition to personalize the teepee but be sure it’s large enough for a battery tealight candle to be placed inside.  Doorways can be triangular, square, or even arched!

SIX  Papier-mâché the teepee armature using light-weight paper similar to copy or butcher paper, so the finished teepee will glow when the tealight candle is inside.

Dry teepee overnight.

A completed teepee just before being embellished.  Add a tealight candle for a lovely nighttime glow.

SEVEN  Sketch out bags for travel on watercolor paper.  Did you get the workshop title?  Alpaca my bags… I’ll pack my bags!  Gear for travel may include suitcases, stuffies, plants, firewood, gifts, coolers, and more!  Once sketched, outline with a fine point permanent marker and color using sparkle gel pens.  Carefully cut out.

EIGHT  The much-loved alpaca is smaller than a llama.  Simply sketch and cut an alpaca from faux alpaca fur.  The alpaca is best drawn from a side-view and embellished with a bag using fabric felt, pom-poms, and any other exciting decor.  The fabric alpaca can be attached to the canvas using white school glue or hot glue.

If you like alpacas, you’ll also love our DIY Llamas in Pajamas!

NINE  Attach the teepee to the canvas using hot glue or Gorilla Glue (adult use).  Dry.  Artists can then embellish their attached teepees using glitter sticky foam pieces, pom-poms, pom-pom ribbon, large tissue paper confetti circles, felt, yarn tassels, and more!  Repeat a design around the three sides of the teepee sculpture to create a little radial symmetry.

An alpaca artist at our mini-exhibit!  Love at “furry” sight!

Oh là là”… the nighttime glow just before the mini-exhibit + recognition ceremony.  All lights were on deck.

Probably one of our favorite exhibits with an amber glow and all-round ambiance into the night.

Galaxy skies aglow…

… a night to celebrate and remember!

THANK YOU to everyone for joining us in the studio for an artful evening to celebrate!

Are you yet following @handmakery on Instagram?

Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following this artful adventure!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking and dreaming!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world full of collaboration + connection + community + arts & crafting!  Happy New Year!

xo Ami



ABC Flower Safari Exhibit

Thrilled to introduce you to Gina Vide of  Willowday!  Gina is an amazing (…and oh SO talented) artist living in Sweden, between the sea and the city!  She’s flower-inspired, a maker of miracles + magic + moments, with an ornate eye for “delightful detail in the delicate” captured through design and illustration!  Her style is whimsical + wondrous, and completely full of woo + wow + wonder!  She loves creating + crafting with children and exploring a creative + colorful childhood.  So honored to have Gina’s ABC Flower Safari and Fir Fox + 24 Flower Friends travel to our studio for a little collaboration!  Literally, they came by airplane into Aspen, for First Friday ~ September, to celebrate our One Year Anniversary, in our NEW location on Main Street!  TODAY, Gina launches her ABC Flower Safari Art Prints!  Next month she’ll launch her NEW book ~ ABC Flower Safari!  The timing is just perfect to celebrate a sneak peek of her creations through a hands-on artmaking experience inspired by the artist herself!  Enjoy peeking into Gina’s amusing animal alphabet as a little tasty treat this Thursday!  Enjoy the joyous journey!

Our First Friday artmaking event ran from 6 – 8 PM.  Early birds anxiously waited outside the studio, with faces and hands pressed to the glass!  Happy faces were peeking in and excited to get creating with Gina’s ABC Flower Safari!  Yes, a true artful adventure for all ages!

Gina Vide creates magic with her whimsical creatures made from paper, paint, cardboard, and flowers.  Here you can see “Fir Fox” and a few of his furry friends as they take off by airplane from Sweden to visit the Rocky Mountains, landing in Aspen | CO, just before we picked them up for the ABC Flower Safari Exhibit!

Every letter of ABC Flower Safari is inspired by an animal and a coordinating flower.  Meet “Fir Fox” pictured above.  Can you even believe Gina created a full alphabet connecting an animal to a flower?  We have her ABC Flower Safari Art Print in the studio and we’re happy to announce these original prints are now available in her Art Print Shop!  You can also read more about our collaboration on Willowday!

A favorite photo of a little artist completely inspired by Gina’s “Fir Fox”!  Children used cardboard, paper, paint, and flowers to create their very own Willowday inspired masterpiece on First Friday!  Gina’s imagination runs wild, can’t even think about how whimsical her NEW book ~ ABC Flower Safari will be!  Love this must-see, “Fir Fox” Adventures | No 4 | ~ “Once upon a Friday, Fox read a fairytale in the fern fort.” #willowdayfoxtales

Gina’s “F is a Fir Fox” is part of a series she developed to spark imagination in kids and the world around them, using flowers, paper, cardboard, and animals.  You can use #willowdayproject to share some of your very own creations part of #willowdayflowersafari on Instagram!

Gina started this series with kids in mind.  It grew from her long interest in children, teaching, nature, play, and parenting with a fun crossover to illustration.  She loves the simplicity of elements and imagination found in nature walks with children that evoke a story.

We met several years ago on Instagram (@willowdaygram + @handmakery) and became part of the Rockin’ Art Moms.  Over the years we’ve kept in touch and have formed a friendship afar…someday we’ll meet!  Gina started a summer series, Friday Flowers for Kids, on Instagram.  She was able to complete her delicate + detailed series by September as the perfect highlight to welcome fall and First Friday!  It all came together and the gallery wall went up with ~ ABC Flower Safari handcrafted by Gina Vide!

A favorite letter is Gina’s “Lilac Llama”!  We weren’t able to get ahold of lilacs this late in the season but how this artist so lovely improvised!  Discover Gina’s 3D Lilac Llama with template to make your very own.

The studio was alive and in full bloom as children of all ages shuffled through the studio (sneak peek) with their families.  Picking flowers, painting cardboard, cutting and gluing paper, assembling parts and arranging pieces.

Look at this delightful dog inspired by Gina’s letter D “Daisy Dog” created by a nine-year-old, aka my daughter!

A most mastered “Hydrangea Hedgehog” inspired by Gina Vide’s letter H!

Love how this family formed a team of makers.

This sweet-sisterly duo spent the evening inspired, emulating Gina’s letter P “Peony Pig” for a priceless + pink + pair of pigs on parade!

This family “art affair” definitely brought community, closeness, collaboration, creativity, color, and craft to a complete circle!

Meet Gina Vide more in-depth in a Maker Mom interview over on hello, Wonderful!

A couple of happy zookeepers in the studio of safari!

Another F is for “Fir Fox” mastered by this maker!

Meet E is for “Eucalyptus Elephant” definitely a most favorite in the ABC Flower Safari collection!

This artist must have known she’d need to wear red to compliment, and really make her gorgeous green elephant pop in this priceless photo with a little P-O-W-!!! and polka dots!

Many artists were intrigued and inspired to create their own creations and unique combinations!  Love this delightful D for dolphin!

With our logo being the owl, couldn’t conclude without adding Gina’s letter O is an “Oxypetalum Owl” handpainted in one of our most favorite tints of turquoise!

Love how this mini maker matches her eyes to her owl’s eyes in a wide-eyed expression!  Hooo!

Next month Gina Vide will be launching her NEW book ~ ABC Flower Safari!  We look forward to celebrating with her!  Be sure you’re on Gina’s Willowday Mailing List!  Excited to announce HANDMAKERY will be highlighting a very special “fox celebration” inspired by Gina’s “Fir Fox”  which is perfect as we welcome fall, the changing seasons, and Gina’s NEW book!

In the studio, Gina also creates the most beautiful pieces using petals, leaves, and other items collected from nature during her walks in nature!  Definitely pop into her Art Print Shop and say hello!  Thank you Gina Vide for bringing your inspiration all the way from Sweden!  So LOVE all you do!

Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our BLOG for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following along on this artful adventure in beautiful Carbondale | CO at 449 Main Street!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world full of collaboration + community!  

xo Ami

Art Workshops + Studio Peek + First Friday

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.  – Pablo Picasso

ANNOUNCING FALL ART WORKSHOPS!

Workshops + Classes + Events start September 4th, 2018!    

PENCIL IN & JOIN US:

DATE:  September 7th | First Friday 6 – 8 PM

EVENT:  HANDMAKERY’S 1st Year in NEW Location Celebration + First Friday + FREE Art Making to Connect with Exhibit + Open Studio + Gallery Exhibit!

EXHIBIT:  Swedish afar artist, Gina Vide of Willowday, and her creations for upcoming book ~ ABC Flower Safari!  Gina’s work will incorporate playful + whimsical animals, flowers, paint, illustration, and typography all captured through photography!  All ages will love this beautiful + delicate + detailed exhibit!  Read more about Gina Vide!

LOCATION:  HANDMAKERY located at 449 Main Street in beautiful + historic downtown Carbondale | CO at the heART of the Carbondale Creative District!

CONNECT WITH @HANDMAKERY ON INSTAGRAM!

WORKSHOPS + CLASSES + CAMPS

POP-UP EVENTS

LISTEN to hear more about our art program!

Keep checking HANDMAKERY.COM as additional programming will continue to be added throughout the year!  Programming will include: children’s weekly art workshops for expanded ages, arts + craft evenings for children/adults/ladies/couples + family, holiday art making, art camps, open studio, one-of-a-kind birthday parties + special celebrations + customized events, specialty summer workshops, special guests + speakers, pop up events, and more!  What would you like to see offered?  We’ll let you in on a secret… our first Ladies Art Night is coming soon! Take a VIRTUAL VIDEO TOUR of our studio!

A PEEK INSIDE THE STUDIO:

Featuring ~ Children’s Art Workshops, Mini Maker Mornings, Birthday Parties, Adult Arts & Crafts Nights, and First Fridays & Pop Up Events!  Take a peek, below!

CHILDREN’S ART WORKSHOPS…

MINI MAKER MORNINGS…

BIRTHDAY PARTIES FOR ALL AGES…

So far, thirty, one-of-a-kind parties have been hosted in our studio in our first year on Main Street!  Get your special event on our events calendar!  No date is too early to pencil in!  Send us an email hello@handmakery.com and let us know what you’re dreaming!

ADULT ARTS & CRAFTS NIGHTS…

Our first ~ Ladies Art Night is coming soon!  Create a personalized account or contact us to get on the wishlist!

FIRST FRIDAYS & POP UP EVENTS…

We hope to see you at September’s First Friday on Main Street and in the art studio soon!  It’s truly such a wonderful way to discover your community and connect!  Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following along the artful adventure in beautiful downtown Carbondale | CO at 449 Main Street!  Send us a note anytime at hello@handmakery.com to let us know what you’re thinking and dreaming!  We’d love to hear your ideas!  Much love and happiness creating!  xo Ami

Llamas in Pajamas

Happy Summertime + July 1st!  Excited to announce we’re partnering with Deep Space Sparkle as an art presenter in their Draw, Paint, Make online workshop this Saturday, July 7th!  Learn more about this incredible art workshop, the art teachers involved (pictured below), and all the amazing techniques, processes, and projects featured!  In this artfully amazing workshop, we’ll be demonstrating all the steps + secrets + special techniques used to create our recent ~ Lil’ Llamas in Pajamas Party Project!  Designed, dreamed up, and created with mini-makers in our very own downtown studio!  Within the workshop, we’ll also be giving a tour of our NEW art studio (click for a sneak peek) and its organization for creating with children!  Join HANDMAKERY + six other art teachers to jazz up art projects with inspiring, yet easy, processes, plans & techniques this Saturday!

Our Lil’ Lamas in Pajamas Project focuses on painted pillows, poufs, ottomans, and wallpaper as interior design elements.  It also highlights lovely lil’ llamas, a pajama party a-poppin’, the artist as a photographer peeking into the party, a masterpiece mix of techniques using sketching, drawing, painting, collaging, photography, interior design, expressive color, a unique + exquisite color scheme, patterns, layering, humor, a fun storyline based on the letter P, and more!  Did we mention, in our six-week workshop creating with children, we topped it off with our very own pajama party plus mini-exhibit for our mini makers!?!  Would love for you to join us this Saturday for Draw, Paint, Make!  We’ll definitely be there chatting and chiming in!  See below, photos highlighting one of our favorite projects we’ve designed for kids!  Be sure you’re following us @handmakery on Instagram for the latest and greatest creative happenings!

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DIY Delightful Dragonfly

The art studio was filled with mini maker exhibits and recognition ceremonies as ALL six-week workshops wrapped up last week!  We celebrated our fifth exhibit, an end of the week highlight, hosting a FIRST FRIDAY “kid at heART exhibit” showcasing my 88-year-old grandfather, Bob Fadely aka Papa Bob, and his very first art exhibit ~ COLORING IN COLORFUL COLORADO!  Megan Tackett, an incredibly talented and enthusiastic writer, captured my grandfather in both a delightful article in The Sopris Sun and live interview on KDNK!  After it was all said and done, my most genuine Grandfather shared with me, “Last week was one of the BEST weeks of my life!”  “Art  (without a doubt) washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”  – Pablo Picasso

As springtime unfolds the outdoors become artfully alive!  Dragonflies always mesmerize with their stealthy speed, shimmery color, intricate detail, and pattern on point.  They lead us to our favorite outdoor places and spaces, including rivers, ponds, and lakes. Spring into a simple process upcycling household goods to create a bountiful + beautiful ~ DIY Delightful Dragonfly dreamed up in the HANDMAKERY art studio!  Simply take a peek!

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