Jewelry Bust/Hidden Jewelry Box

I love this - from Design*Sponge

And other lovely creation from Design*Sponge – have I mentioned how much I love this blog?

Fabric Scrap Flowers from Greenupgrader

Recycled Valentine’s Day Pop-up Card from Crafting a Green World (visit their site for a video how-to!)

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]]> http://www.goodwillnne.org/blog/2010/02/crafty-valentine-inspiration/feed/ 0 http://www.goodwillnne.org/blog/2009/11/art-for-everyone-affordable-holiday-gifts/ http://www.goodwillnne.org/blog/2009/11/art-for-everyone-affordable-holiday-gifts/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:16:26 +0000 Michelle Smith http://www.goodwillnne.org/blog/?p=3374 Happy Monday!  There’s nothing like diving into things after a long holiday weekend.  We are busy getting ready for our third bi-annual “Art for Everyone” fundraiser, which is being held this Friday, December 4, from 5 to 8 pm at Goodwill’s Headquarters in Portland, Maine.

The show is part of Portland’s First Friday Art Walk.  We will be featuring over 200 drawings, oils, posters, prints, and watercolors that were donated to Goodwill stores.  We have quite a collection this time around and plenty of affordable pieces that would make great holiday gifts.  From seascapes to florals, from oriental prints to Victorian ladies, there is a diversity of art that is sure to please everyone on your list – enjoy the preview below!

According to the press release, “Faythe Levine traveled 19,000 miles to document what has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. ethos. For HANDMADE NATION  she and Cortney Heimerl have selected 24 makers and 5 essayists who work within different media and have different methodologies to provide a microcosm of the crafting community. Participants in this community share ideas and encouragement through websites, blogs, boutiques, galleries, and craft fairs. Together they have forged a new economy and lifestyle based on creativity, determination, and networking.”

The screening is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, at 2 pm at the Portsmouth Public Library.  There will also be a curated display of local crafts and vintage and new art/craft/design books from the library collection.  Many thanks to Paige Maxim and Julie Bailey who have loaned us some of their crafts and art for display.

Stay for the after party and enjoy coffee and delicious cupcakes donated by Ceres Bakery in Portsmouth.  The Button Factory is also hosting their open studios this weekend, so get ready to get your craft on in Portsmouth that weekend!

Questions?  Please email me at or Jennifer Moore at the Portsmouth Public Library.

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted some crafty projects to peruse, and with the holiday season coming up, now is a great time to start thinking about projects for holiday giving.  I have several in mind that I’m starting to work on (I will share later on!), but there are literally thousands of easy projects out there that are creative, inexpensive, and fun.  Enjoy!

You may not have bread, but there is always mail

I saw this idea on Design*Sponge awhile ago and since then, I have been on the hunt at Goodwill to find one of these.  As the writer points out, however, you can usually find these antique toast holders on eBay – I would recommend checking out antique stores, as well.  If you are in the present-making mode, I think pairing this with a stationary set, a book of stamps, and fancy pen makes for the perfect gift

Weighed Down?

Have I talked about how much I love Design*Sponge? This post especially blew me away, partly because of my love for Audubon prints.  If you want to learn more about Audubon, this is the post to read!  All the information is paired with a creative project that makes for a great gift.  The Audubon paperweight is really easy to make AND you can substitute in any print you would like – who doesn’t appreciate a handmade, decorative paperweight as a gift?  I’m thinking of making several of these this year.

You need a paperweight kit (I’m thinking you can also purchase these at local craft stores), your print, and a pair of scissors.  Pretty darn easy!

What are you making for holiday gifts this year?  Let us know and we will feature a compilation of readers’ idea on the blog!

Roots and Tendrils

That’s what we like to hear!

Artist Edward Anthonis has a new show on display called Reuse, Repurpose, Rebirth.  The show features found items and pieces of art that he reworks into new creations – the majority of which he found at the Belfast Goodwill!  Here is an excerpt from his artist’s statement:

It is a great show and I think it inspires others to find the possibilities of new work in old objects.  The show is only on display until August 2, so be sure to check it out in the next few weeks. Do you know of other galleries in northern New England that features repurposed art? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Many of you know that our Goodwill has an eBay site that features vintage items, clothing, antiques, and other items of interest that are donated to our stores.  This allows us to raise extra revenue to fund our job training and human services programs.

We are starting a new series on the blog that features Good Buy of the Week. We are kicking it off with a pretty amazing donation: a collection of original photographs taken during the Great Depression for the Farm Security Administration (FSA).  The photos are from 1939-1942.

The FSA was formed to assist poor rural farmers in the aftermath of the Depression and Dust Bowl.  This documentary photography project visualized the harsh living conditions of the Great Depression.  One of the more popular photographs from this time period is the one that has become known as “Migrant Mother,” by Dorothea Lange, which features a mother and her two children.

There is a description on the back of each photo in the collection:

*Mexican mother and child in doorway, San Antonio, Texas. March 1939

*Farm Laborers who were working in a sugar cane field near Arecilso,  Puerto Rico.  February 1942

*Mexican Carrot Puller, Texas.

*Mexican Children in Kitchen. San Antonio, Tex. March, 1939

*Farm Security borrower’s wife near Rio Piedias, Puerto Rico. They own a small farm and raise sugar cane.  February 1942.

This collection is now open for bidding and you can see more details here.

Goodwill donated the shoes for this shoe sculpture project, which is a collaboration between Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG), Family Crisis Services, and Spiral Arts.  According to an article in the Portland Press Herald, the exhibit “is intended to show the many faces of domestic violence, from victims to victors and those who offer help in making the transition.”

The shoes will be on display one night only (First Friday Artwalk–be sure to check it out after Art for Everyone!) at the Hope.Gate.Way, 185 High Street, Portland.

I also found some other sites that have great suggestions on how to transform broken frames into useful and decorative items.  Seven Things you can do with a Broken Picture Frame points out you can make an earring holder, mini-shelf, or shadow box.  Why not take an old frame and make a memo or chalkboard out it (like the one pictured to right featured on Etsy)?  Do you need to repair a frame?  Check out this site for some great step-by-step instructions.

Framing a favorite painting or print can be an expensive commitment–why not look for used frames at Goodwill, salvage shops, or yard sales?  With a little clean-up and repair, vintage frames can give your favorite piece of art the perfect border.

Do you have other sites you can recommend for DIY picture frame repair?  Have you repaired an old frame?  Share you story with us!

Watercolor Techniques

Watercolor is one of the more difficult art mediums.  It is not as forgiving as oils or acrylics and must be executed quickly.  A watercolor painting is usually done on a piece of paper that is wet. The artist works quickly to apply the paint before the paper dries.  This takes practice and skill.

Watercolors are also done using the dry brush technique. This involves painting on a piece of dry paper using carefully mixed paint with just the right amount of water.  This results in a sharper image and deeper color.

Watercolor paints are dry and must be mixed with water to release the color. This mixing requires skill to achieve the perfect consistency of paint. Watercolors can be mixed to create different intensities and shades. When looking at a painting to determine if it’s a watercolor, look closely at the paper. If it is smooth or has a shiny finish it is probably a print. Watercolor paper will be one of three types: textured, fine grained, or slightly grained.

Value of Watercolors
Watercolors are often reproduced using the giclee process. A print is signed and often numbered. An artist will make a limited number of prints; for example, if you see 24/200 you know that the piece is the 24th print of a limited edition of 200 prints.  Prints run in editions of 100 or less have more value; if it is signed by the artist, even better!

Many watercolors are mass produced and you will not find any information on how many were printed. Mass produced prints can have value depending on the age, artist, and subject. For example, Maxfield Parrish (his painting, The Frog Prince, is pictured on the right) and Winslow Homer prints produced during their lifetime can be very desirable.

Contemporary watercolor prints found in home accessory stores and catalogs are often copies of earlier works that were not protected by copyright laws (such as Currier and Ives). These have no serious value.

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]]> http://www.goodwillnne.org/blog/2009/05/diy-appraising-watercolors/feed/ 0 http://www.goodwillnne.org/blog/2009/05/diy-appraising-acrylic-paintings/ http://www.goodwillnne.org/blog/2009/05/diy-appraising-acrylic-paintings/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 13:06:05 +0000 Bob Parker http://www.goodwillnne.org/blog/?p=2172 Welcome to the third post in our series on DIY Art Appraising.  We are gearing up for our Art for Everyone show on June 5!  Today we are featuring an article on how to identify acrylic paintings.

I think that people often assume that a painting is an oil when it could, in reality, be an acrylic. Acrylic paint can be used like oil and it can also be used like watercolor.  This makes it all the harder to identify the medium.

If you believe a painting was made before the 1940s, you can dismiss the possibility that it is an acrylic. The acrylic painting process was not invented until 1903 and it was not commercially available before the 1940s -1950’s. The only painters who worked with it before this time were Mexican mural artists in the 1930’s. Acrylic paint’s weather-resistant
qualities made it an ideal medium for their outdoor murals.

Acrylics are fast drying so the artist must work quickly. Used directly from the tube, they are like oil paints. If they are watered down they can be used like a watercolor paint. They are insoluble and can be painted over if necessary. Because of it’s versatility, it can be used on a variety of surfaces other than canvas or watercolor paper. Crafts people use it to paint everything from wood to glass. It dries harder than other mediums, it is easy to mix the colors, and the clean-up process is simple compared to oils.

You may have heard of Diego Rivera (the painting above is The Flower Carrier by Rivera) or Roy Lichtenstein. Both of these artist worked in acrylics. Identifying an acrylic painting can be difficult. First, identify the subject matter.  Remember that acrylics did not exist before the 1940s. Acrylics reflect light much better than oil paintings. Acrylic paint will often stand out further on the canvas than an oil to provide unique surfaces and textures.  I find that acrylic paint colors are brighter and more vivid than oils. Modern, contemporary, and abstract artist frequently work in acrylics.