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First Friday

Candy Cottage Captures

FIRST FRIDAY we hosted our annual + traditional ~ Candy Cottage + Golden Ticket Event!  It was a cozy evening as every seat in the studio SOLD OUT several weeks in advance.  Artists spent two hours in the art studio dreaming up delightful + decorative details using candies and other exciting embellishments downtown in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District.  Earlier in the evening many families visited Santa over at Carbondale Arts for a festive photo and join in The Annual Tree Lighting Celebration on Main!  Take a peek!

Love how this candy cottage has an elegant “squishy stained glass” appeal.

This event was offered as a “drop off” so parents could stroll downtown and dine, while kids could come together in a creative community focused on colorful cottages and candy!

A detailed roof captured in color,  pattern, repetition, and texture, yet oh so tasty!

Shimmery smiles of sugar plums.

Surprise and wonder with a hint of maker magic!

The workshop was buzzing with Santa’s elves hard at work.  Even a few reindeer were making their way around to artfully assist!

Tiny hands making BIG art + accomplishments.

Love how the elements used in this candy cottage compliment one another for a eye-catching contrast.

Lots of thought went into how each artist was going to design and decorate their custom candy cottage!

The entryway of this sculpture was complete with a marshmallow arch and tiny rainbow balls to detail.

A sticky Friday night with “Visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads”…

There were many tasty temptations.

Another delightfully detailed rooftop, could you guess her father’s precise profession?

Many artists focused on spectacular landscapes to surround their clever + crafty creations.

A lovely rainbow pattern to define and detail!

The hunt for the perfect treat to tailor.

The magic of the makers felt a bit like mingling in Santa’s workshop!

A gorgeous straw rooftop made by this mini maker.

The creation of a landscape architect!

Making memories as makers that were m-m-m good!

The delightful details of kids as creators.

All was calm.  All was bright!  We truly had a wonderful night!

This artist received a special recognition for ~ The Most Delightfully Detailed, but it was not an easy decision for the reindeer judges with all the impressive candy cottage creations!

A close up of the cottage selected as ~ The Most Delightfully Detailed.

It was pretty peaceful as parents came to pick up, just as the clock struck eight!

Another mighty fine cottage with a fantastic landscape to compliment!

Discover our recent article ~ DIY CARDBOARD CANDY COTTAGE in the MOUNTAIN PARENT to create your own 2-D gingerbread house with children!

ART WORKSHOPS FOR 2019:

Enrollment for January is currently underway!  Join us in the studio as art workshops are quickly filling!  We’ll be adding more offerings with time!

WORKSHOPS + CLASSES + CAMPS

handmakery  A pretty peek at a priceless + perfect + on point pairing when it’s purely your painting party! Photo popped seconds before a parade of lil’ people were about to pour in for possibilities to ponder, and you’re the party person to please!

Are you following us on Instagram!?!

Happy Holidays! 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!  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 + crafting!  

xo Ami

DIY Painted Paper Lantern

May’s First Friday always brings our entire community out for the annual ~ Family Block Party!  Friday evening we hosted ~ DIY Painted Paper Lanterns in our outdoor art studio from 4 – 8 PM.  Take a peek at a quick video clip to music!  Cheers to a wide-open canvas for all ages to explore!  A huge thank you to everyone for joining this festive event in downtown Carbondale | CO!  Take a peek at all the magic in our outdoor studio!  By the end of the night, all 130 paper lanterns were out of sight, heading home for colorful + creative delight!  Connect with us @handmakery on IG for the next creative + community + colorful happening!

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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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Opening Night Celebration!

www.handmakery.com

First Friday was our ~ Opening Night Celebration at our NEW art studio location at 449 Main Street in downtown Carbondale | CO!  With a wide array of ages and not knowing exactly how many guests we’d have joining in, we kept it celebratory + simple + full of dazzle, painting and embellishing ~ Celebration Crowns!  Main Street was blocked so everyone could enjoy an evening strolling the streets of historic downtown!  The night was festive and full of flavor, with everyone back-in-town from summer adventures.  The community was alive, vibrant, and actively adventuring around this artistic town!

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Creating In Our Outdoor Art Studio

On First Friday, we celebrated our fourth year making 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!

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Outdoor + Downtown Art Studio

outdoor art studio | www.handmakery.com/blog

We’re excited to showcase + share a few favorite photos of May’s First Friday + Family Block Party!  Can’t believe this was our third First Friday + Family Block Party in our downtown + outdoor art studio!  It was absolutely a beautiful night to be out-on-the-town among all the festivities in the open air!  Here’s to springing forward as we leap into time spent creating in the warm outdoors and to long summery days handcrafting with children!

outdoor art studio | www.handmakery.com/blog

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Outdoor Art Studio

HANDMAKERY-Little-A-Painting

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!

HANDMAKERY butterfly in hands

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!

HANDMAKERY butterfly

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