I’m feeling rather fickle as I indulge in the visual feast that is ArtPrize. Each new piece I see becomes my favorite. I’m currently enamored with this “Rag Rug” dress created by Betsy Timmer that is on display at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM). The piece is made of found sheets, curtains and tablecloths [...]

I’m backtracking here, but I want to note that Wednesday’s ArtPrize opening reception at the David D. Hunting YMCA was very nice. I would have posted about it sooner, but my Internet service was knocked out by Mother Nature for a couple days. I’ve also been busy soaking up inspiration at ArtPrize with out-of-town guests. [...]

Ok, folks. Here they are, the much hyped (by me) quilts that I have been obsessively laboring over for weeks and months in order to get them done the international ArtPrize competition that kicks off tomorrow here in Grand Rapids. I have no plans to win this competition, so the pressure is off now that [...]

Finishing this quilt project came down to the wire as expected, but boy am I happy to be done. Crossing the finish line was very unceremonious and that was expected, too. I just left the quilts in a pile on a table at the David D. Hunting YMCA and went home. If I had not [...]

What a great opening day for the Fulton Street Artisans Market in Grand Rapids! I sold several looms (Thank you, dear customers!) and enjoyed meeting some very supportive column readers. A special thanks to our kind booth neighbors for helping Jeff and I set up the new “EZ Up” tent for the first time. And [...]

Father’s Day is coming up and my daughters are very excited. Abby has been squirreling away little handmade gifts for weeks and Amelia is on a magnets-for-every-occasion kick, so I thought it would be great to team up with my daughters for this week’s Father’s Day craft TV segment on “Take Five.” First off, we [...]

My daughters ran down Sheldon Ave. NE in Grand Rapids, Mich., to get to “Imagine That!” ArtPrizeentry located on the exterior wall of the Grand Rapids Children’s  Museum. We were on our spontaneous post-ballet class, pre-ArtPrize adventure and this was our first opportunity to explore the mural by Chicago artist, Tracy Van Duinen on foot. [...]

See anything unusual in the photo above? Like a table and two chairs waiting for some Greek gods to share a meal up on the bridge? No need to rub your eyes, the furniture set is real. I’m not that good at Photoshop, trust me. Unusal sightings like this are about to become the norm [...]

This lovely blue piece was made by Heather Robinson, a Holland, Michigan artist who often fields questions like this at art shows: “But what is for?” People get her ceramic buttons and paper bead jewelry, but passersby often want to know what pieces like the blue one above “do.” And they look to Heather to [...]

A newspaper colleague of mine wrote a lovely profile of Alynn Guerra, a local printmaker I’ve featured in my craft column and CraftSanity episode 65. I love Alynn’s prints and find her commitment to living simply very inspiring. Check out the article here, and visit Alynn of over at Red Hydrant Press. If you’re local, [...]

I’ve never been to this sale, but I’ve heard great things about it. Scope out the goods, then go check it out.

Lowell, Mich. -Sierra Cole had one of the most colorful displays at the Fallasburg Fall Festival Saturday, and I’m so glad she was okay with me snapping an obnoxious amount of pictures. These boiled wool handbags are beautiful all lined up together. Oh, to be able to buy them all and hang them up in [...]

Lugging a heavy and unattractive camera bag around art shows makes me pine for pretty purses, like those designed and sewn by Brandi Bautel in booth 5 at the Fallasburg Fall Festival, the festival I’ve been raving about that runs through 5 p.m. today.

Lowell, Mich. – I had fun photographing the glass art by Rockford Artist Steven Josiah Wheeler in booth 14 at the Fallasburg Fall Festival. I really love the  glass pendents and think they would be beautiful dangling from a simple ribbon tied in a bow.

Lowell, Mich. – The Fallasburg Fall Festival has become one my absolute favorite local art shows but I really wish it lasted longer. When 5 p.m. rolled around Saturday, I was just getting started. I didn’t get there until after 3 p.m. and only made it to six booths. Seriously, only six! How do I [...]