Happy Back to School! Hope you’ve had a wonderful time slowing down, celebrating, and soaking up summertime under the sun and stars!
Our studio artists recently showcased ~ A CARNIVAL CIRCUS IN COLORFUL CHAOS! This was our final + full-week workshop of the splendid summer! It was F-U-N and completely filled with construction, creativity, children, color, creatures, cheer, childhood and of course, a teeny-tiny bit of chaos! Take a peek at this delightful process combining circus + carnival + celebration + childhood + construction + collaboration + community + color! We were inspired by Up Warsaw’s beautiful + handmade furniture and wooden circus tents @upwarsaw on Instagram! Be sure to tag @handmakery on Instagram if you give this process-art project a GO! Take a peek below!
Early online enrollment is highly encouraged as seating is limited! Start a new school year making + creating + connecting in a colorful community focused on a creative + collaborative childhood!
Glues – white glue, cool temp glue gun + glue and hot glue gun + glue {adult use}
Paper straws
Pipe cleaners
String + yarn + wire
Wood parts and pieces {assortment}
Wooden peg dolls
Poster board
Sparkle foam
Fabric
Paper and markers for signs + flags + garland
Embellishments- sticker stars, pom poms, and more!
A SIMPLE PROCESS FOR ~ CARNIVAL CIRCUS IN COLORFUL CHAOS:
BUILD + CONSTRUCT
ONE Construct in pairs using 4 – 12″ dowels, masking tape, duct tape, and a 12 x 12″ heavy-weight box with a separate lid, to create an initial structure for the circus tent. All four tent poles should angle towards the center, to connect together at the center point of the tent.
TWO Use light-weight cardboard, ex. cereal boxes, to draw, cut, and create the curtain elements on the upper front and front sides of the tent. The top curtain can be sketched scalloped and cut. Tape all three cardboard pieces onto the box so they’re secure and frame the stage.
THREE Coat the above structure with newspaper and paper-mâché mixture. Dry overnight.
FOUR Use the box lid as the circus stage. Place the dry circus tent onto the stage. Line up the back of stage and box lid so they’re flush. Tape in place using duct tape strips. Add a round cardboard cutout on top and center on the stage. Mark where the circle overlaps the box sides with a pencil. Cut this overlap so the stage sides are squared off and the front only rounds.
FIVE Paper-mâché connection points so the tent and stage become strong and one unit. Paper-mâché all four sides of the upper tent so the dowels are enclosed. Dry overnight.
PAINT + EMBELLISH
SIX Paint the entire dry tent and stage unit white using acrylic paint to get a solid covering on top of the newspaper. Dry overnight. Use a ruler to draw pencil lines from the center tip of the tent down to each curtain scallop. This will create the red and white divisions for the tent stripes. Mark the red stripes with a light “x” so children know which sections to paint red and which sections to keep white. Use red acrylic paint with a small brush for tent stripes. Encourage young artists to take their time and travel slow to get crisp + clean lines.
SEVEN Move into dreaming up, sketching, and constructing both carnival and circus creatures using clay. We used an airdry clay to create 3D figures. Dry figures before painting using acrylic paint. Children painted their animals solid before moving into smaller details.
EIGHT Once your circus tent is fully painted and dry, move into stage construction. We precut silver sparkle foam for the stage base and hot glued this piece on top of the spark-tacular stage. Cut a piece of black poster board to bend and set into the stage background. Tape in place. Sticker stars can be added to the black poster board for sparkle + shine + a little stage magic! Children used cool temp glue guns to create their stage structures using patterned paper straws, painted wood pieces, yarn, string, fabric, and more! Precut strips of striped fabric were attached by artists using cool glue around the stage for added color, texture, and stage-like appeal!
NINE Painted people (aka wooden peg dolls) and creatures were added to the stage to complete the ~ CARNIVAL CIRCUS IN COLORFUL CHAOS! Artist amazed and awed as they created tightropes, trapezes, lyras, acrobats, magicians, imaginary animals, and more! These ringmasters also made the most detailed signs to sell tickets, announce the event schedules, direct guests to tasty cotton candy, popcorn, and candy stands! The imagination and creativity of these artists… truly over-the-top bright + beaming + brilliant!
TEN We added face paint, carnival hats, and popcorn to enhance the full-circus experience for our community art show celebration!
Celebrate childhood + creativity + color + community by creating and collaborating!
My artful friend, Bar Rucci, created an incredible DIY ~ Circus Tents Made By Kids (photo above) on her lovely ~ Art Bar Blog and over on Handmade Charlotte for another fantastic way to bring a circus experience into any creative environment! You’ll definitely want to take a peek at this project and ALL her gorgeous goodness by following her @artbarblog on Instagram or visiting her on Art Bar Blog!
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! Happy School Year! Ami
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!
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
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!
Happy Summertime! Hope you’re enjoying some much deserved outdoor time with family and friends venturing in the GREAT outdoors! We’re definitely soaking up and savoring summer and heading into the mountains for camping getaways! Excited to share with you these outdoor + camping + canvas + landscape paintings created in our recent children’s workshop, SPRING IS IN THE AiRTIST! This mixed-media painting was inspired by one of our favorite wanderlust painters, Katie Daisy and her beautiful piece, Let’s Sleep Under the Stars! Take a peek at Katie’s inspiring paintings and our painting process with children! Thank you @katiedaisy for your painterly inspiration, adore your style, whimsical spirit, and passion for the outdoors!
On First Friday, we celebrated our fourth yearmaking and creating at the annual Family Block Party in downtown Carbondale, Colorado! This year we were inspired to paint and embellish ice cream cones, as we’re heading into an ice cream theme for our upcoming workshop: BEEP BEEP! SWEET TREATS! This workshop will be focusing on retro ice cream truck sculptures, sweet treats, and more! There are just a few spaces if you’d like to join in! Here’s a peek at our upcoming summer + school year {hands on + mixed media} art workshops for Modish Mini Makers! My magical + mama + maker-friend, Bar over at Art Bar Blog, created an amazing DIY~ Cardboard Ice Cream Cones, which inspired our paper ice creams for this downtown event! Can you believe in just four hours, young artists created over 115 of these lovely ice cream cones as take-home treasures! The evening was like running our own ice cream parlor as it buzzed with sweetness! Join us over on our Instagram for more daily inspiration!
As the ice cream cones were drying, each unique piece created such a colorful + eye-catching + delicious backdrop!
You can take a peek below at our stations and setup within our outdoor art studio, but head on over to Art Bar Blog for the supplies and process on making your own Cardboard Ice Cream Cone, it’s truly a happy place! The possibilities are endless! Art Bar is a must-follow + favorite + colorful-creative on Instagram, stop by her collection and say H-E-L-L-O! You’ll find so much clever-colorful-crafty-creativeness!
You may have seen on our Instagram, we partnered with 5Point Film Festival while they were on tour in Carbondale, Colorado! The festival ran Thursday-Sunday with an exciting array of inspiring films and community events. 5Point stands for balance, commitment, humility, purpose, and respect. They lineup 4-days of inspiring programming, and gather special guests, athletes, filmmakers, and our community together in one – 800 seat venue! On Saturday, following the Youth Adventure Films (free for 12 and under), we squeezed in some adventurous art making with hundreds of local children! Between the arts + crafts, the much-loved annual ice cream social + community picnic, and all the overflowing inspiration from the outdoor adventure films, you’ll see many beaming smiles! Thank you to all the local families that came out for this festive afternoon! We were honored to be back at 5Point making + creating with young artists! Thank you for inviting us to create LUMMI STICKS with children in our outdoor studio 5Point Film, so great to be back for another year. Take a peek at how we crafted these simple sticks with just three simple steps!
ENROLLING SUMMER + 2016/17 SCHOOL YEAR ART WORKSHOPS:
Excited to announce HANDMAKERY’S online registration for (hands on + mixed media) SUMMER + SCHOOL YEAR 2016/17 ART WORKSHOPS! Early enrollment is encouraged as space is limited! Take a peek into our adventurous + artful workshops for children and upcoming art-filled community happenings! May’s First Friday and Family Block Party are just around the corner, hope you’ll be joining us: Creating In Our Outdoor Art Studio: Summer Lovin’ Style!
Summer is here and we celebrated our kick-off to June with our first summertime CRAFT NIGHT: Under the Stars + In the Studio! Our special summer craft nights are open up to crafters ages 6-9 and we host one of these special evenings each month in our art studio (a great date night parents)! This time around we happened to have all girls jump into fill our workshop, so we hopped on creating a freshly designed + one-of-a-kind + DIY CONTEMPORARY CRAFTY CLUTCH! A very simple project that we were able to just about complete in two hours! We came across these simple + little felt clutches and swooped on a huge stack, knowing they’d be so much fun to embellish with our crafters!
A peek at creating in our outdoor art studio at May’s First Friday in historic downtown Carbondale | CO! HANDMAKERY: A Children’s Art Studio had the opportunity be a sponsor at the Family Block Party for a second year! The Family Block Party is an annual event that includes a fabulous live band, beautiful face painting, exciting carnival games + a bounce house, arts + crafts {with us}, sweet adoptable pets looking for a forever home, a silent auction full of amazing giveaways, food + drink hosted by The Village Smithy Restaurant and more! Funds benefit Colorado Animal Rescue, Children’s Rocky Mountain Preschool and Carbondale Recreation! This night wouldn’t be possible without all the fabulous organizers, volunteers, local businesses, community sponsors + supporters and all the MANY families + friends that attended the 4-8PM celebration of moving into spring!
Happy 1st Birthday HANDMAKERY, so wonderful that SO many amazing HANDMAKERY artists + volunteers joined us for an action packed evening! Last year we made our debut at Family Block Party 2013, which was another incredible night of celebration and art-making with children!
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